Sandlot
A puddle of darkness formed over the sand, like a shadow. Dark tendrils emanating this way, and that, until an unconscious Sora was violently thrown out... Sora moaned, as he hit the floor hard, and then the darkness dispersed, as if it was never there.
(But it was, even if Sora couldn't see or hear it.)
-Your newest journey starts here! - The voice from before stated. -We'll see if your worthy or not! - The words searing into Sora's mind, despite its state of unconsciousness, and jolting him awake.
"Ow!" Sora yelped at the noise, then covered his ears. When it was clear the voice wasn't going to speak again, he stopped. "What was that? Is whoever said that...still here?" Sora looked around, as if expecting someone to answer. "Is anyone here?"
No one answered.
"...So why do I get the feeling...your watching me?"
(Very perceptive...Hero... But you haven't impressed me yet!)
"I'm in... Twilight Town?" Sora asked himself, looking around the Sandlot. "Am I still in the Sleeping Worlds? Or is this the real town?"
"Meow!" Saddie yelled, ramming into him.
And while Sora was down, Meowa jumped into his lap. "Meow!"
Sora chuckled. "Okay, okay, you two!" Sora gently moved them off, onto the ground. "At least everything isn't all weird, anymore." He stood up, dusting off his pants. Sora was wearing something similar to his Valor Form. "And Nightmare Worlds? What does that mean?"
"Meow!"
"I don't know either, girls." Sora agreed, bending down to pet the two Dream Eaters. He caught a something on his hand. "Huh?" On his wrist, was what looked like a burn, in some unidentifiable shape. "What's this?"
Saddie gave an anxious meow, distracting Sora, as she started chewing on his hand, and pulling.
"What is it, Saddie?"
"Roxas!" Olette yelled, running into the Sandlot, and over to Sora.
Sora looked around, not seeing Roxas anywhere. "Who? Me?" Sora asked pointing at himself.
"Yes, you. Silly." Olette teased, with a laugh. "Hayner called a meeting at the Usual Spot. Probably to talk about the town."
"The town?" Sora asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Oh, Roxas, it horrible!" Olette yelled, hugging Sora in a strong bout of emotion, surprising Sora.
"Oh!" Sora caught her, awkwardly. Not knowing what to do. "A-Are you alright?"
"No." Olette sniffled, stepping away.
Sora breathed a sigh of relief. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Olette asked, as if shocked he would ask. "Roxas, have you talked to anybody today?"
"No. Why?"
"Someone's been stealing stuff all over town. Everyone thinks we did it!" Olette asked, tearing slightly, before hugging Sora, anew.
Sora looked around, nervously. Not sure what he was supposed to do, but fairly uncomfortable.
Fuzz. The flash, like the screen of a broken tv.
Yes, they were friends. But Olette had always been fairly reserved. Mindful of personal space, after that one time Siefer said Hayner and her were dating. And usually fairly calm, nothing like Hayners anger, or Pence's easygoing elation.
"It's okay, Olette." Sora (that was not Sora) had whispered, into her ear, as he held her. Awkward, because she was just a friend. Hoping desperately no one would see this-for Olette's sake. If there was one thing, that could bother her, it was reputation.
He had never seen Olette like this. Normally, she was almost one of the guys. The sight was shocking, yes.
"I know, I'm not a proper girl." Olette admitted. She was a tomboy, and proud of it. "But I care, what people think. I worry about how we'll be affected."
"That's fine, Olette." He said. "The rest of us need someone that's thinking of stuff like that."
"My Mom and Dad are so disappointed!"
"Hey!" He exclaimed, dragging her out of these self-destructive thoughts. "You know you're not the Thief. We know that. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?"
Olette nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. Giving a hesitant, wobbly smile. "Thanks, Roxas."
flash
Sora wobbled, trying to keep his balance, as he fell out of the memory.
"Hayner called a meeting, at the Usual Spot." Olette said, as if not noticing anything different.
Though she still looked a little sad, there was no tears insight. How did Olette do that? He wondered. For the first time, wondering how well he actually new Olette, if she was that good at concealing her emotions... then he noticed her smile was more of a frown.
Where Olette was standing, there was another girl. Wearing a black coat, like the Organization uniform, with the hood down. Almost looked like Kairi, but there was something different about her. The same color blue, yes, but there was something different in their depth.
"Roxas." She said quietly, with a sad smile.
Her frown, as she tried to avoid his eyes. The way her blue eyes shined with unshed tears.
"What if..." She left the question hanging, as she bit her lip.
The worry in her eyes. The fear.
"Their going to turn me into a Dusk, for sure." She explained, quietly. As the ice-cream melted into her hand.
He wanted to help. She- needed help. Sora didn't know what he could do, but this was his friend.
"Like - said, theres not much we can do." Axel explained, with faked nonchalant.
"We have to do something!" Sora exclaimed, angrily.
"Wait..." Axel started, as a plan came together. "What if you worked double duty, Roxas?
"What do you mean, Axel?" She asked mouth open, in an 'o' shape, in confusion.
"You stick with Roxas until you can control the Keyblade again. Make sure your missions are with him." Axel explained. "Then, he can collect the hearts and nobody will ever have to know that you're not doing the same."
"Axel, that's brilliant!"
"Ah ah ah. BUT...Roxas, that also means you have twice the work."
"I can do it."
"You don't mind?" She asked, nervously.
"Of course not!" Roxas exclaimed, with a smile.
"Hey, friends have gotta be able to lean on each other now and then." Axel told her, seriously. "Ain't that right, Roxas?"
"Thanks..." She said, as she started to smiled. Happiness and gratitude expressed, even as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Roxas had never seen her so happy before, and maybe not even after.
"So...Axel, does that mean you and I can be friends?" She added, after a second.
"Well, yeah." Was Axel's simple answer. As if there was no other option. "Was there ever any doubt? Any friend of Roxas's is a friend of mine."
"Thank you... Roxas, Axel, thank you!"
Flash
Then, the girl was gone, and Olette was there, instead. "See you there."
"Hey-wait-Olette!"
"Whats going on?" Sora asked, trying to keep fear out of his voice.
Flash
"I'll be there."
Olette looked very relieved, before running off.
Flash
Sora had fallen onto the sand, and Olette was nowhere in sight.
"Is this still a dream?"
Usual Spot
Sora walked through the entry way. Only to find Olette beside him.
"What?" Sora asked. "How did you get there?"
Olette didn't seem to here, taking her seat, beside Pence, on the sofa.
Hayner ignored them, pacing angrily around the room.
Flash.
Sora clutched his head in pain, as memories flashed through his mind.
Flash.
"If he wants to think we did it, I can't really blame him." Hayner said, pacing around the room, and gesturing wildly. "See, that's not what really bugs me."
Flash.
"The whole town is treating us like the Klepto Club!"
Flash.
"We could find the real thieves." Sora (Roxas) suggested. Not the most original of plans, but he had a lot on his mind. That dream...
"That sounds fun!" Pence exclaimed, the others agreeing immediately.
Flash.
"C'mon!" Olette yelled to Sora, as the trio took off.
"R-Right!" Sora shakily stammered, following after them. Out of the Usual Spot, through the curtain, and out, into Train Common.
Sora shook his head, immediately looking back, then at the downtown street, in confusion. "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" Olette asked, concerned.
"Did we just skip the Back alley and Market Street?" Sora asked, rubbing the back of his head, questioningly. Then more quietly muttered. "The Roxas part of me really wants to say something about a jump in space."
"Get out of here." Hayner dismissed immediately.
"You were probably just distracted." Olette added.
"But we were just at the Usual Spot two seconds ago!" Being distracted could explain a lot, but not the blatantly skipping of two, rather pronounced locations.
"That's weird." Pence said, after a pause.
"Your telling me?" Sora told them, incredulously.
"Yeah, usually you have a better sense of direction, Roxas." Pence added. And they completely missed the point.
Sora deflated, somewhat depressed. "Right... Roxas."
That hurt.
He was Sora, not Roxas.
"Everyone see me, as Roxas..." Sora thought aloud, quietly.
They stopped a few feet away from the Armory Shop.
"Did someone drop something?" Sora asked, spotting a paper on the ground.
"No why?" Pence asked, before turning to Sora.
"Well, what is it?" Hayner demanded.
Sora bent down, picking it off the ground. "It's a picture."
It was a picture of Roxas, and the shopkeeper.
It was a fake memory. One from Digital Twilight Town. Feeling both too clear, too real to be true, and fuzzy around the edges. Sora knew that-somehow.
It was silly.
Roxas walked into the newly opened Biggs Armor Shop.
"Hello, this is Bigg's Armor Shop." The man said.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Roxas." Sora greeted with a smile. (much calmer and relaxed than Sora had ever greeted anyone).
"What can I do for you?"
...
"You know, your my first customer." Biggs noted. At some point.
They joked.
"We should take a picture." Roxas suggested, half-jokingly. It was, to Biggs, fairly important.
Pence helped, he was always looking for something to use his camera for.
Bigg's kept the photo.
It was funny... How a single, small moment, made the world seem so much more...Real.
Then, in his actual memories.
"I can't believe you would do such a thing, Roxas." Bigg's said, confrontationally. In Data Twilight Town.
"Well, if you're going to pretend- I'm not going to tell you. Go ask the Accessory Shop!"
Sora opened his eyes, to find himself on the stone pavement. Olette, and Pence looking down at him, in concern. Hayner trying not to show he was worried, looked at the passing tram, with his arms crossed.
Pence offered his hand, to pull him up.
"Thanks." Sora said, dusting off his clothes.
"You okay?" Olette asked, worried.
"Yeah, you scared us!" Pence added.
Sora winced. "Sorry."
"Sorry." Sora (Roxas) apologized sadly. Hayner, Pence, Olette... He knew something was wrong... but he didn't want to worry his friends.
"You alright, Roxas?" Bigg's asked, from behind the counter.
Sora smiled at his concern. "Yeah." He placed the photo on the counter. "You must've dropped this."
"Oh." Bigg's still seemed worried, Sora had fainted, after all. But also somewhat ashamed, and half indignant, as if he wasn't sure what to feel...finally settling on indignation mixed with forgiveness. "Nice try, Roxas."
"What?"
"Giving back the photo's you stole, as if you just 'happened' to find them." Bigg's continued, giving Roxas a glare.
"So that's what was stolen!" Olette exclaimed.
"As if you didn't know." Bigg's said, echoing his counterpart from Roxas' memory. "Next time you want to borrow something, just ask."
Sora looked at his (Roxas') friends, in confusion. They shrugged.
"We could try the Accessory Shop?" Olette suggested.
"But its closed" Pence added, as they glanced at the mentioned shop. All of them seeing the closed sign, on the counter, underneath the jewelry sign. "We could try the Candy Shop."
"Okay."
Sora approuched the Candy Shop, Olette, Hayner and Pence following closely behind.
"Oh, Roxas." The elderly woman, that Sora had never seen before, greeted.
Startling Sora, as another headache started, causing him to trip.
"Do you need help?" Sora (Roxas) asked the clerk, who was obviously struggling with some boxes.
The older woman smiled. "Why, thank you."
...
"Oh, I'm Roxas." He introduced himself, after moving the last box.
She smiled, handing over an ice-cream bar.
...
Roxas had protested.
"It's no trouble. You helped me, alot."
...
"I own the Candy Shop, here." The elderly clerk said, a brown cat, with a red collar (her cat), at her side.
...
"It's on the house." The woman said.
"No, I can't accept this." Roxas explained.
"It's no problem. Just be sure to tell your friends."
Then, for real...
"Roxas. Have you seen my cat?" Roxas looked up, at the cat on the shop banner.
...
"Just so you know, we didn't steal it!" Roxas exclaimed, tired of being blamed again.
"I believe you." The elderly clerk said, petting her newly found cat.
Or, before.
They bought ice-cream at the Candy Shop.
"Two sea-salts, please." Axel ordered, at the small shop attached to the house.
It wasn't at Tran Common. There had never been a Candy Shop there, but this place was just as good.
...
"How many this time?" The kindly woman asked, with a smile.
"Just one." Roxas answered.
It was a lonely afternoon, at the Clock Tower.
...
"Hey, what's this for?" Roxas asked, showing her the WINNER stick,
"Well, you can hand it to me, and I'll trade for a free ice-cream."
Sora shook his head, as if shaking the memory out of mind.
"C'mon!" Olette yelled.
"To the Accessory Shop!" Pence added, as they started running over to the before mentioned shop.
Half-way across, the plaza darkened.
The colors changing sickening shades of their original color. Shops, and objects warping. It looked vile. Wrong.
They four froze, looked around, in confusion.
"What's going on?" Olette asked, worried.
"I don't know." Sora answered, summoning his keyblade, and looking around. He didn't see anything yet, but it felt...wrong. Him and Hayner surrounded the other two, protectively.
"Hey! What happened to the sun?!" Pence exclaimed.
Everyone paused.
Olette and Hayner glared at him.
"Not funny." Hayner reproved.
"What? It got you guys to stop worrying." Pence said, with a shrug. He didn't know what the problem was.
Puddles of Darkness formed on the ground. Nightmares climbing out, and crawling onto the ground. Approaching the group, menacingly.
"What are they?" Pence asked. One of them tried striking him with a claw, but Pence dodged.
"Monsters!" Olette answered, alarmed and worried.
Hayner hit one, with his Struggle weapon. The club (baton? -whatever it is) going right through. They still took damage, though, even if the weapon didn't act solid. "Enemies."
"Nightmares!" Sora explained, attacking a few, and watching the bodies disperse into darkness.
Olette and Pence tried to run away, to get to safety. Unsuccessfully, Nightmares kept getting in the way.
"We gotta get Olette and Pence to safety." Hayner said.
"Right!" Sora agreed.
Meowa jumped up, with a whine. While Saddie gave the allied Dream Eater a shove.
"Meowa, Saddie. You guys go protect Olette and Pence. Kay?"
They nodded, running over to the two non-combatants.
The number of enemies was slowly dwindling. Now that Pence and Olette were safe.
One Nightmare jumped Hayner from behind. Sora sliced through it, before the hit could land.
Hayner heard it disperse, turning to Sora. "Thanks."
Sora smiled. "No problem."
Then another hoard of Nightmares appeared.
Sora and Hayner shared a glance.
"We'll take care of this!" Sora said, determined.
"Try to keep up." Hayner teased, with a grin.
Sora laughed. Then, sarcasticly added. "Oh, gee. Thanks."
Sora (Roxas) laughed. Then, with a smile, sarcasticly added. "Oh, gee. Thanks."
The four friends, laughed.
A girl was running across the pavement, chased by Nightmares.
Hayner noticed her first, glancing at his current ally. As they faced the hoard, back to back. "Sora!"
Sora looked over, and saw Hayner nod at the scene. "On it!" Sora yelled. Trusting Hayner to take care of himself for a minute, as he jumped over the Nightmares, as he Flow-motioned onto some street lights (that definitely weren't there, before the town got so weird), and slingshoting over to the girl. Then, when he was close enough, slamming into the ground. Blowing the Nightmares away from her, in one big shockwave.
The girl screamed, as she fell on the ground. Shaking like a leaf. Eyes closing, life passing before her eyes, as she prepared for a claw through her chest. Heart pounding, so loud that she couldn't hear... Then nothing happened.
"Are you okay?"
She opened her eyes, to see no Monsters. Roxas looking at her, with a comforting smile, offering a hand.
"Roxas." She murmured, not noticing his flinch, taking the hand with a blush.
Roxas helped her to her feet. "There." Then, they noticed the Nightmares gathering around them. "Get out of here!"
She nodded, running out of the way.
"Think we can handle one more wave?" Sora asked, worriedly. There seemed to be no end to the Nightmares.
Hayner noticed, throwing Sora a worried look. A second later, the expression was gone. Then, punched the other boy in the shoulder.
"Hey! What's that for?"
"For whining." Hayner explained, with a smile. "Who else will keep Siefer down? We will get passed these monsters, and any that comes next. Otherwise, my names not Hayner!"
He pointed to himself, with his thumb, at the last part.
Sora smiled. Touched, at Hayners (bad) attempt to comfort him, with a though-guy act.
"You're the girl from the Accessory Shop!"
"Yeah." The girl Sora saved, nodding at the group. Then looked to Sora. "Oh, Roxas! I'm sorry I didn't believe in you."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"I... I thought you were the thieves." She said, messing with her hands, bashfully. "It made sense, all the pictures were of Roxas."
"So Siefer didn't go around accusing us, after all." Hayner said, disappointed (but less angry than he was, earlier).
She took out some pictures from her pocket, handing them to the group. "Then, I found these, on the ground."
Sora took the offered pictures.
The new store clerk was cute.
Not that Roxas cared about that kind of thing. But, it was something you tend to notice when they stare at you, whenever you visited.
Blue eyes, filled with care. Not like Olette, but not as...something. Something fun, and sweet, that didn't matter, but was nice in the meantime.
"Nice to meet you, Roxas." She said, quietly.
"Good to see you, too."
…
"But why Roxas?" Pence asked, after looking at the photo's he'd taken from the Dusk.
"And why only pictures."
"We got to clear our name." Hayner repeated, while Sora shook his head, still recovring from the memory.
The girl nowhere in sight. He turned around, and noticed she was behind the Accessory Shop's counter. "That was fast."
Another teleporter.
"Not necessarily." Pence added. "Remember Bigg's? He still believes that we did it, once we gave back the picture, it didn't matter."
"So if we find, and return the rest of the photo's." Olette continued.
"The rest of the town will leave us alone." Hayner added.
"Is everyone up for treasure hunting?" Pence asked.
"But what about those Heartless?" Sora asked. At everyone's blank look, he elaborated. "Those monsters?"
"What monsters?" Pence asked, curiously.
"That we just saved that girl, from." Sora answered.
They shrugged.
"We didn't see anything." Olette said, looking at him, worriedly.
"Yeah, the pictures were just there." Pence explained.
Sora facepalmed.
The world wavered, and when Sora opened his eyes again, Hayner, Pence and Olette were gone.
"What is going on?" Sora asked himself, somewhat wary. "
"Are these...Roxas memories?" Sora asked the picture. "Maybe, if I find enough of them, I'll figure out what's going on."
He looked around, at the town.
Then, took a walk on the path.
Sora looked at the tunnel, marked with the number 4.
"Well... this is as good a start, as any." Sora decided, walking inside.
Underground Passage
He looked around, as he walked away from the stairs. "I...don't think I've been here, before."
There wasn't much to look at, just the brick walls.
"I never really explored this world, did I?" Sora said to himself, as he steped off the stairs on to flat (or sloped) ground. "When we first woke up in that Mansion, we looked around, but this place was all boarded up."
Then, he walked into a treasure chest, and tripped over it. Thump.
"Ow!" Sora said, rubbing his knees. "Where did that chest come from?" He stood back up. "And why is it here. I don't think I've seen them in the middle of the room, before." And he hadn't, usually they were be the wall, or some hard to reach places. Sora shrugged, not thinking anything of it, as he opened the chest.
They approached the chest.
"Is this right?" Sora asked (he had never seen a chest before).
"Sure is!" Axel agreed with a smirk.
"..." Sora kept staring at the chest, not taking his eyes off the object.
When nothing happened, Axel asked Sora in slight confusion. "Um, what are you waiting for?"
Sora looked up at the taller Nobody. "Aren't I done?" He had found the chest, fulfilling the mission.
Axel rubbed the back of his head. An incredulous smirk as he explained. "Uh, Roxas...There's this thing about chests. They have stuff in them!"
…
"So I should open them." Sora repeated, at the same time as the memory. This was different from the others. More blank, thoughtless.
"Yes, that's generally what we do." Axel said in amusement.
That was also when Axel explained Items.
"Good work, time to RTC."
"RTC." Roxas asked.
"Return to Castle."
Axel also explained how Maps that day.
Sora woke up, on the ground, shaking. Shivering with a cold was entirely not physical. "Roxas seems so... empty in that memory."
Nothing like the other memories.
Still, he continued on, through the tunnels.
Sora turns on the switch, watching the grate recede, so he could pass through. Jumping onto the lower ground.
When he noticed a puddle of darkness, in the corner of the room.
"What's that?" Sora asked, curiously walking over to the strange phenomena. "A Corridor of Darkness." This was the first time Sora saw one like this, though. "So... why does this seem... familiar.
He walked over, to examine it...
Flash
Axel turned around, greeting him with a lazy smirk. "Heya, Roxas."
Sora (that was Roxas) stayed silent, his mind blank.
"Something I can help you with, chatterbox?"
"..."
Axel crossed his arms, glancing at the floor in thought. "Ah, I remember now. Blegh, meetings..."
Axel, who had been leaning against the window, stepped over. Uncrossing his arms, as he walked, with an annoyed expression. "What, are you making me some sort of mentor, now?" He asked Saix, who retorted-
Axel chuckled, with a smirk. No trace of his previous irritation, as he turned to face Sora. "Well, you heard him. Starting today, I'm your babysitter."
"..." Roxas was silent, as always.
(He was such a zombie.)
"Got it memorized?" Axel repeated his signature catchphrase (at every opportunity). Tapping his temples.
"...Y-Yeah." (he still remembered his amazement at the words)
"You sure? How 'bout my name?"
"It's Axel."
Axel waved his hand around, dramatically. (Always expressive.) "And our boss' name?"
"Xemnas."
"Very good, Roxas." Axel praised with a laugh. "No way you're going to forget his name, right?"
"Ahem. Missions are...uhh...They're, you know...Hrm." Because, apparently, missions were hard to explain.
(He didn't) Sora looked at the floor, sadly.
Axel scratched the back of his head, nervously. "You know what, talking's dumb."
The memory faded, as reality asserted itself.
Sora looked at the object the triggered the memory with awe (and more than a little shock). "Axel..." He muttered, fondly.
That was funny.
"Ha-ha, Axel. You shoulda seen your face." Sora said laughing. Axel had gotten so flustered, it was funny. He couldn't stop laughing, eventually collapsing on the ground, and hiccupping between giggles. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-Ha-Haa-HA!"
Roxas jump grab the ledge, then backfliping up to the platform (like it was the easiest thing in the world).
…" Axel said, approvingly.
"Thanks." Sora returned.
Axel waved, gesturing. (He said something, and then)"-BE AWARE."
"Alright, road test. There's a treasure chest somewhere, I want you to find it."
"That's all I have to do?" Sora asked, taking on a determined, but still blank expression.
"I know, I know. Don't hurt yourself."
Sora blinks out of them memory. "That wasn't so bad..." He jumps off the platform, then back up, the way Roxas did. When he does the same blackflip, perfectly, Sora smirks. "Cool." He does it again, and then tries to walk, only to fall. "Dizzy."
[Learned: Backflip Jump]
Going down the stairs, he passed an entryway marked Number 2. Black and white squiggly lines, that vaguely reminded Sora of lightning, blocked the doorway. Sora walked over, and tried to touch it. Feeling as if there was a solid wall. "It's solid." Sora remarked, thoughtfully.
Sora paused, looking at Entry 2. Noticing the barrier. "Axel..." Axel paused, turning back to Sora. "What's this?"
"A barricade. Means your not supposed to go this way." Axel said, turning to observe said barrier. Then back to Roxas. "They keep us on task. Or out of trouble. I mean, hello, look at it. Big menacing X?"
The feeling of accomplishment. Axel clapping. "Bravo. Think you got the hang of this mission business?"
"Uh-huh."
Sora still remembered his own wonder. That his words, were automatic. "I could have done that blindfolded."
"Don't know if I want a blindfolded zombie."
"Later. Do ya remember our hangout?" Axel asked him, while walking away.
Sora blinked out of the memory, placing a hand on his heart. "Our...hangout?"
He wanted to go. He didn't know where it was, or what he would do, but he longed for it. He could almost taste something sweet on his tongue.
"I... I don't remember..." Sora thought, aloud. No one had talked about such a place, either. "... but I want to be there."
Sandlot 2 (some point)
Sora had just defeated the last Dusk. It's body dispersing into a few heal-orbs and a picture.
Sora picked up the prize, questioningly.
It was a photo of a girl, with blond hair. Wearing Organizations clothes, sitting in a white chair.
-Larxene-
"Take this, and jump off a cliff, or something." Larxene said, her voice cold and cruel. Always.
He must have worn her down those past few days- or maybe she'd been talking to Marluxia- because it Felt better than usual. Like, a full sentence, with actual effort.
"Eww... Your awake!" She said, another day. Not teasingly, like Axel, but with every intent to hurt.
This was the beginning of his time in the Organization, so he was more confused than hurt-but the fact Larxene meant to...
"Roxas stepped out of the Corridor, looking around the Sandlot.
Larxene walked over, her signature scowl firmly in place.
"Umm, hi." Sora (Roxas) greeted, blankly.
"Whose idea was it, to send me along on this stupid baby mission?" Larxene complained, loudly. "Do I look like I run a nursery?!"
"What? WHAT? You got something to say?" Larxene accused, when Roxas didn't speak up (probably expecting him to defend himself, or something).
"No..." (honestly, he didn't know what to say. And his go-to reaction, at that point, was to space out.)
"Oh-ho. I got an idea!" Larxene said, finally smiling, for the first time Roxas had known her.
It was a scary expression.
'Uh-oh.' Roxas thought.
"Do today's mission, WITHOUT the keyblade." Larxene enthused, happy at making someone else's day more difficult.
"Why?"
"Well, sink or swim."
"If you need a hand, I'll be here." Larxene said, the kindest thing she had ever said. And, maybe Roxas had been wrong about her-that she wasn't so bad. "If you need a heal- do it yourself!"
...Never mind.
"Sheesh, about time." Larxene said, after he finished the last Heartless. "Worst. Mission. Ever..."
"Ugh. You can't even hold your end of the conversation."
"You just worry about defeating Heartless and Collecting hearts for us." Larxene said, sweetly, after that (retro-spectively ominous) line. "Maybe, one day, you'll be almost mediocre at it."
"Ugh, let's go-before you kill any more of my brain cells."
All that, in a single mission. Oh, there was a couple other missions... in which Larxene never said a word to him, before or after. Granted, after she was supposedly eliminated at Castle Oblivion, he had never given her another thought.
"You're getting on my nerve!" Larxene yelled, entering Limit Break.
Lightning hit the ground, all around her. Dispersing the offending Heartless to dust, in one attack. Without pause, she continued her clawed attacks. Lightning gathering around her, with every attack, giving her a bigger and bigger burst of speed. Allowing her violent dance through her enemies with fervor.
Flash
"Larxene?" Sora asked, testing the name, and shievering. "Good thing we never fought her."
Back Alley / Side Street
Sora was almost to Station Heights. When he noticed a puddle of darkness, infrount of the Tunnel entrance.
"Huh?" Sora walked over to the puddle. "Its another Corridor...Is this like the other one?" Would there be another memory, waiting to suprise him.
"Hey, Roxas!" A familiar voice, behind him, exclaimed.
"Wha-!" Sora yelled in surprise, turning around with a jump. Then was obediently stunned.
"It's been awhile." Axel greeted, walking over. This was...familiar... "You look like you've seen a ghost." Axel joked.
"Axel." Sora realized, in awe. So many emotions, in his heart.
He hadn't realized he'd been grieving so much. Not until he saw Axel, again, alive and infrount of him.
"Y-You were-" He couldn't say. Couldn't make that real by thinking about it again.
Flash
"Castle Oblivion... the whole team was... annihilated." He (Roxas) stated.
"Correction. The weaklings were annihilated." Axel corrected, with a smirk.
He winced, that wasn't something you wanted to hear your Best-Friend say. (Especially since, Axel could have been included in the number. Still, that meant Axel was Alive to make insensitive comments about the supposed dead. That was good, if creepy.)
Flash
Sora came out of the memory.
And maybe Roxas was affecting him too much. Because, instead of Axel, Riku was right there... and maybe the two were more similar than Sora thought, because there wasn't much of a difference.
"R-Riku?"
They didn't look much alike, just by appearances... but there was that smile, that meant Riku missed him, and didn't want to admit it (even to himself). The way he stood, just a little too stiff and forward - as if he'd done something he knew Sora wouldn't approve of (but would forgive him for, anyway), and was afraid for him to find out... And it HURT, because he knew that look from the Island, before everything changed, so it was familiar...
And all the more jarring, when that image of Riku faded and Axel was where he had stood. "Huh?"
Sora laughed, suddenly not caring (because this was AXEL. He missed him SO much), as he jumped over to give Axel a hug. "Axel!Axel!Axel!"
Axel looked so surprised and nervous (no one hugs Axel the Dancing Flame). Sora probably would've taken pity on the Nobody, if he had been aware of Axel's expressions, as it was, he was too happy to care. "Hey-Hey! Calm down!" Axel exclaimed, with some pacifying gestures. Trying to act normal, but mostly frantic.
"Your alive! Your alive! Your alive!" Sora chanted like a mantra.
"Yes! Can we stop saying stuff in threes?"
"I missed you so much!" Sora yelled. A tear (that wasn't his) ran down his cheek. Hesitantly stepping away from the hug.
Axel, still unbalanced, noticed. "Your...crying?"
Sora chuckled. "I'm kinda Sora, at the moment." He admitted, assuming Axel would know what he was saying (Axel knows everything, after all).
"...Oh..." Axel didn't seem to know what to do next- and was currently regarding Sora like one would an alien lifeform- complete confusion and apprehension.
Cue awkward moment.
"Wait..." Sora said, pausing. "This is... familiar."
"I'm gonna miss this ice-cream thing, we do." Axel casually stated.
"Huh?" Sora (or was it Roxas?) looked over at the other, startled.
"Gonna be away for awhile."
"At Castle Oblivion." Axel said.
"Castle Oblivion...?" Sora asked-or the memory of Sora, not Roxas, that he didn't know he had.
"The Organization has a second castle." Axel said, looking at him, tapping his head. "Got it memorized?"
"Wish someone told me these things." Roxas said, glancing to the side. No one (besides Axel) seemed to tell him anything.
Axel stood up. "Well, I gotta go pack... Fun-fun."
Roxas walked into the Grey Room. "Hey, Axel."
If your looking for Axel, he's already gone." Saix told him, from behind, before passing him, into the room.
Sitting on the Clock Tower alone, just wasn't the same (it technically was, but it felt different).
"Axel." Sora murmered, falling to his knees. The Know-It-All (that he had missed, so badly), was nowhere insight. "Axel... I miss you."
He'd never said that.
"I was so worried." He told Axel.
Roxas hadn't recognized the feeling. He'd missed Axel, had told him so, but it had been a guess, an instinct, rather than a known thought.
Sora hadn't know he knew Axel enough to miss. But Axel had helped him, had protected him, at the expense of his own life. Had shown that a Nobody could not be evil, could care. He'd know, mentally, that Roxas and Axel were friends, that they missed each other, but...this was the first time he understood what it meant.
Strange, how he could take a feeling, and think it was something else. Now, it was perfectly clear, and that
Tears fell onto the stone.
He could... rest here, for awhile.
(Roxas/Sora could grieve, here. For his Best-Friend, the best know-it-all ever!)
Station Heights
"Another memory?" Sora asked, picking up the paper off the ground. "Roxas Diary: Entry 1." Sora read aloud. "Is this like Jiminy's Journals? - It's been a week since I got here."
-A week of clinging to a number, and a name, I couldn't process anything else. -
Sora clutched his head, looking around. "That voice...?" It wasn't the same as the one earlier, it sounded like..."Roxas?"
-What my job was. Who these people in black coats were...I couldn't say. - The voice said, sadly in remembrance.
That first week...Everything was blurry, and easy to forget...he was such a zombie.
Sora turned back to the page, almost robotically. As if, controlled by some force. "Saix told me to keep a diary, but said no one would check on it. What am I supposed to write about?!"
That was confusing. What do you write in a journal? What was the point of an assignment, without making sure it was being done?
"What AM I Suppose To WRITE In This THING?!" Roxas (Sora) had wrote, a few entries latter. Frustration mounting after multiple pages.
Later, it was easy, and just something that he did. Like fighting Heartless. The habit stayed, even in the simulation.
"-Today, they told us to go to the Round Room-"
"Blegh, meetings..." Axel said, in the memory.
"-where we met our new member, No. XIV."
He was in the Round Room.
"Good tidings, friends." Xemnas greeted the Organization. "I am pleased to announce... a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat."
She walked forward, steps echoing off the white floor.
"Number XIV."
"Was I like that? I think I was, but I don't remember that well."
She looked up at him.
(Empathy- he felt, even if he didn't know what it was. That we-are-the-same.)
"Let us all welcome the keyblades chosen." Xemnas had said. So recently, that it might as well had been happening.
Roxas kept his head down, as Saix pushed him forward. Stopping, Roxas looked up at Xemnas. Who had a look that could only be described as maliously fond.
(And, maybe there was something there. Something warm, but strange, that not even Sora could name.)
She wore a black coat, a hood over her head. Around his height, but a little shorter. A feminine figure, the black fabric accenting her thin waist.
Face mostly obscure by the hood. But a pale, almost doll-like face, with a frown, visible despite that.
They stepped out of the Corridor, into the Back Ally.
"Roxas." A girl's voice, that Roxas didn't recognize at the time (but would never forget), but knew was XIV. Soft, and even, and so HER (familiar, yet strange. That voice came from somewhere, but Kairi had never spoke like that).
Her.
"Hey? You worried about the new kid?" Axel asked, annoyed (probably because Roxas had been ignoring both him and Saix to stare at her). "What's that name...?"
"Number XIV, Xion." Saix answered.
"Xion." Roxas whispered. Speaking, for the first time (that he remembered), of his own initiative.
"Got it memorized, Roxas."
Xion
She put down her hood. Revealing short, black hair, and a familiar face, he'd never seen before. (She looked like Kairi, but Kairi was never like that. Kairi smiled, but not like that. Never carried herself like that.) She smiled at Roxas, welcomingly. "Good luck, today."
Roxas looked at her, shocked. This was the first time he saw her, without her face covered, beneath a hood. The first time he heard her talk. "Y-Yeah." Then, he smiled (because) they really were the same. "You too, Xion."
"I won't give in!" Xion yelled, starting her Limit Break.
Fighting the Darkside, at this very place. With Xion at his side.
The Keyblade, appearing in her hand.
Roxas ran to her side, looking shocked. "Wow... Xion." As she turned to face him, the giant Heartless defeated. "I didn't know you could use the Keyblade."
Xion was also confused. Then smiled, as she held her Keyblade up for them to admire, before allowing it to disperse. "Neither did I."
They both laughed.
Roxas brought her up to their usual spot, on the Clock Tower.
"This is such a great spot..." Xion said, looking out, at the sunset. "How did you find it?"
Roxas, who had been holding two ice-creams, handed one to Xion. "Here you go."
Xion took the bar, examining it carefully. Giving Roxas a confused look.
"Well, go on, try it."
…" She said, looking between Roxas and the ice-cream, as if not sure what to think of either.
"This is Axel's favorite." Roxas told her.
"Sounds like yours, too." Xion said, with a smile.
They had always smiled, here. After all.
"Yeah." Roxas agreed.
..."Then, he brought me some ice-cream again. Said it was the 'icing on the cake'.
Except there was no cake involved, just ice-cream. That didn't make sense.
Xion nodded. "Like you did for me."
Roxas nodded back. "Yeah."
"...Friends..." Xion said, looking sadly, at the frozen treat. "Do you think... we could be friends?"
"When Axel gets back, let's ask him. All of us can have ice-cream, together.
Sora walked through the doors, into the Train Station, and-
walked out, on the top of the Clock Tower.
Sora looked back, somewhat shocked at the spacial distortions. Surprise quickly fading to awe, as he saw the red sky, and the setting sun. You could see the whole town, up here. "Wow."
He smirked (a reminisce of a certain Nobody of his), as he walked over to the ledge. Taking a seat on the edge, feet dangling on the air. Hearing the rustles of the wind.
"Huh?" Sora wondered, aloud, finding a marble on the (nonexistent) seat beside him, and picking it up. "This is a piece from the Struggle Trophy."
"Roxas."
Sora looked over (it was weird, that Roxas was seeming more and more like his real name, but it felt also natural) to see Olette, Hayner and Pence, sitting beside him. Each holding up their piece of the Trophy, up into the air, the marbles glistening in the sunlight.
"Roxas." Xion asked, on his other side. Holding out an ice-cream, with a smile.
Sora felt himself smile, as he took the offered treat.
"Ever wonder," Axel started, on his right. Feeling so normal, that Sora didn't even question the unexpected appearance. "why the sun sets red?"
Sora paused, looking as his friend, attentively.
"Light is made up of all different colors. And out of all different colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."
"Like I asked, Know-It-All." Sora teased, with a smile. Playfully elbowing the other Nobody.
Axel gave a thumbs up...and they both laughed.
Days watching the sunset, after a successful mission. Laughing over ice-cream.
"Today makes two-hundred and fifty-five."
"What's that about?"
"It's been that many days." Roxas stated. "Since I joined the Organization."
"So, you got the number memorized?"
"C'mon, Axel's waiting." Roxas told Xion, with a smile.
"Okay."
Sometimes, Axel explained things. Like how the sun sets red, and what friends are.
"What's up?" Axel asked.
"Do you know what love is?"
Axel looked at Roxas with wide eyes, in shock. "S'cuse me?!"
"I found out that love is powerful."
"It is. But we'll never experience it."
"What past?" Roxas asked.
"You remember your past, Axel?" Xion asked, with wide eyes.
"That's one of the things that makes the Organization special. We remember who we were."
"I don't."
"Me neither."
"Well, maybe that, is what makes you unique."
"I don't even know why we're doing this." Roxas said, sadly, one day.
"Sure you do. We have to finish Kingdom Hearts." Axel said, not realizing the question.
"Yeah, but what is it?" Roxas didn't know. Not why he should care, clinical explanation didn't matter, anymore.
Xion looked over, worried. "It's where the hearts we collect go."
"We might get hearts of our own." Axel added.
"Yeah, but what do we need with it?" Roxas asked, confused. "Why is a heart so important? Don't you ever stop and wonder? We're fighting for something we don't know about."
"Well... That's why we're doing this. To see what its about." Axel explained, thoughtfully.
Sometimes, they teased each other, and joked. Talking about nothing in particular.
"I don't even remember my first week as a Nobody."
"That's not saying much-you have trouble remembering five seconds ago." Axel retorted
On some days, all three of them made it to the Clock Tower.
"Roxas, I meet up with you two every day, for ice-cream, right? Why would I do that?" Axel asked, as they stood by Xion's bedside. "I mean, I don't need to go out of my way, right?"
"I guess not."
"You wanna know why? Because your my Best-Friends. The three of us... we're inseparable. Got it memorized. Best-Friends are willing to deal with complications."
"Yeah...You said it!" Roxas agreed.
"Heh hheh..." Xion chuckled, in her bed. Letting them know she had woken up. "Thanks, Axel. Your so sweet."
Some days, only two.
"Seriously, where is she?" Roxas asked, fiddling with his ice-cream stick.
Axel was leaning on the floor, with his arms crossed. Looking at the sky.
..."Guess Axels not coming today." Xion noted.
"Yeah."
A few times, someone was there all by themselves.
"Where are they?" Roxas asked, as he finished his ice-cream all alone.
They talked about what happened that day.
"Another successful day?" Axel asked them.
"Of course." Roxas said confidently, as if insulted it could be anything but successful. "Where'd they send you?"
"The place you guys hit yesterday."
"The castle with the talking candelabra?" Xion asked.
Xion loved seashells. When Roxas fell asleep(coma) she put one by his pillow, every day. So when she fell asleep, Roxas did the same.
They ate so much ice-cream, but Roxas didn't care about the flavor. It tasted like friendship, and laughter, and long conversations after work.
"This should be fun, huh?" Xion said, with a smile at her two friends.
"Yeah, I think this is my first three-man mission." Roxas added.
"Just don't push yourself." Axel said to Xion, nonchalant, with a smile, but they both could hear his hidden concern.
..." Love is something special between two people." Axel tried to explain.
"Like friends?"
"Well, yeah, you care about friends. - That's not what I'm talking about."
"So... a step above friends?"
"Yes-No. There's no 'steps'!"
"I don't get it." Roxas admitted, still confused.
Axel looking at him, with a smirk. That mischievous grin, as he tapped his forehead. "Got it memorized?"
"Roxas." Xion said, with a smile. That told of her care. The warmth (love) in her eyes, that was meant for him.
Memory after memory. Day after day. Swirled into Sora's mind.
Until finally, Sora couldn't take it anymore and screamed. "Aughhhhhhh!"
Slipping, Sora felt himself trip over the ledge. The overwhelming part of the memories vanishing, into a slow, distant, feeling. Like walking under-water. Falling...
...Falling...
Falling...
...He crashed into the stone of Station Heights. With a loud thump, sounding both like hitting brick at high speed, and like cannon-balling into the ocean.