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Chapter 15

"What was that!?" Kirux nearly jumped as the loud bellow echoed through the castle.

"Our beastly host, I'd imagine," Xaldin answered.

"It came from his room... Did something happen?" he looked towards the West Wing and then to Xaldin since he was in charge of the mission.

"Hmm, I wonder. Come. We'll take a look," Xaldin decided, leading the way to his Wing.

They moved silently, they knew the way now and how to avoid the strange servants. It didn't matter how many times he was in the castle though; it didn't become any less creepy. They approached the Beast's room and it was definitely occupied, the sound of his roar incredibly loud so close.

There was the sound of a heavy fist hitting something and Kirux peeked inside to see him staring at the Rose. "The last rose petal is about to fall... When it does, I'll lose- No! I can't bear it-I don't even want to think about it!" the Beast snarled.

"The rose?" he whispered as they withdrew.

"How fascinating. Then his beastly form must be tied to it somehow," Xaldin theorised, and Kirux looked at him.

"It's related to the spell?"

"Yes. It seems if he doesn't complete some task in the rose's lifetime, he stays a beast," Xaldin explained as they moved back towards the main hall.

"One of his servants did mention something about time running out," Kirux mused. What must that be like? To be cursed and to know time was running out to break it? He seemed angry but surely he had to be scared too?

"The key to his cursed form... Heh heh, this morsel will prove useful," Xaldin chuckled, confusing him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd only waste my time attempting to explain it to you. Come along. We must return."

Kirux followed him, trying to work out why he was so interested in the rose and curse. How could that help their mission?

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Sora sat on top of the wall surrounding the mansion, needing time alone and space. It was getting worse, no matter what he did, the Darkness clawed at him, taunting him. He refused to give in, he would learn to control it, to not succumb. He had seen what it was doing to Riku, knew that was why Maleficent had put him to sleep so he wouldn't interfere. He knew part of what was giving it such a foothold in his Heart was his guilt and grief. He knew in his head that he wasn't responsible for Riku's death, that it'd been Ansem using his body, but it had still been his hand that had struck his best friend, his True Love, down. He remembered all of it as if it had been him. He supposed he was lucky he didn't remember anything after keeping Ansem back from Kairi until he'd been in the Realm of Darkness.

What would happen when Kairi woke up? Would she hate him for what Ansem had done, send him away? Would she end his suffering? No…she was a Princess of Heart; she would understand it hadn't been him. And…she'd been relieved to see him when he stopped Ansem, had reached out even though he'd only been a projection.

He wanted to find Riku before she woke but he seemed to always miss him or the odd were too great. And as much as it made him feel sick to consider it, he didn't know who Riku would back in a fight, the other Organisation members, or Sora. He didn't know what becoming a Nobody had done to Riku, he knew he had no Heart and therefore no emotions, but what else would be different?

The lesser Nobodies were creepy and very obviously not human, was…was Riku like them beneath the surface? It didn't matter, he was still Riku no matter his form.

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"Where's Xion?" Axel asked as he flopped down beside him, handing him his ice cream.

"Haven't seen her today, either," Kirux admitted.

"Oh well," Axel just shrugged.

"Hey, Axel..." he hesitated, and his friend straightened up.

"Yeah?"

"Is there…anything you couldn't bear to lose?" Kirux asked slowly.

"What?" Axel frowned. "Where'd that come from?"

"I saw somebody today, and... Well, he had something like that. Something so important to him he couldn't bear to lose it. Why don't I have anything like that?" He just wanted to understand, fingers rubbing the stone in his pocket even as he kept eating his ice cream.

"Because you don't have a Heart," Axel pointed out.

"Ohh, I guess... But Demyx doesn't have a Heart… and I bet he'd get upset if you took his sitar away," he grinned, and Axel laughed.

"Hmm, true, but...I don't think that's quite the same," Axel offered after a few minutes. "I guess the closest thing we Nobodies have got is our past. You know, memories of the stuff we couldn't bear to lose, back when we couldn't bear to lose it."

"Oh..." Kirux grimaced. "Too bad I don't remember MY past."

Axel seemed to consider that for a moment and Kirux waited to see what he'd say. "Well, what about your present?"

"Huh?" what did that have to do with it?

"You've got memories from here in the Organization, right?" Axel pressed, and he nodded, eyes widening in understanding.

"Yeah... I do, don't I? I couldn't bear to lose my memories of you or Xion." To go back to how he'd been at first…no, he never wanted that.

"Well, see? There ya go. Everybody's got something they want to hang on to," Axel smirked, obviously proud of himself.

"It's scary to think I could lose you guys," he whispered.

"Scary? Scary's a feeling, man," Axel shook his head.

"Yeah, I know I can't feel, but..." Kirux stared out at the sunset that never changed, pocketing his empty ice cream stick out of habit. "It's still a scary thought."

"A thought, then. But not a feeling," Axel nodded.

"Are you sure?" It felt so real to him.

"Maybe you just remember what it's like to feel scared and think you're feeling it now. Even if you don't remember the events, the…echo I guess, of the emotions, stayed so you can remember that."

"I guess." Kirux rubbed the stone again. Axel had to be right, he'd been a Nobody a lot longer after all.

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Ventus lay on the bed in the room he'd claimed, trying to sleep. It was hard, he'd 'slept' for a decade and he couldn't help the fear of being unable to wake up again. It was silly, his Heart had healed after all, but fear was irrational.

The machines were making some progress with Kairi's memory, though not a lot and no one could work out why. But then Sora had told them of the Organisation member who looked like her. DiZ had theorised she was a Replica, made at Castle Oblivion and linked to Kairi. So did that mean Kairi's lost memories were in it? Her? How real was a Replica? Sora said he couldn't tell any difference between him and his own Replica which was very creepy. He knew Sora believed Riku's Nobody was with the Organisation but if that was true, how had he reacted to the girl? Sora was hoping he could talk her into helping them restore Kairi's memory but would she be willing to give up everything if she thought she was real?

Everything that was happening…that he'd felt while with Sora…and he wondered if he could have saved Vanitas. They'd been one once but now they were separate, they should have been allowed to live their own lives but Xehanort had brainwashed Vanitas from the start into believing they had to become one again. Had anything of Vanitas survived Ventus' shattering their Hearts? He'd survived to seek shelter with Sora but he was positive Vanitas wasn't within the younger boy. Could he have found another safe place to heal? Could they have a second chance?

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Kirux arrived in the Station Plaza, thankfully empty, and glanced up at the clock tower to see... "Hey, isn't that..." he squinted up and then ran for the stairs.

Xion stood alone on the tower, staring out into the distance as Kirux approached her.

"Xion!" he smiled at her; it was good to see her.

"Kirux?" she turned to him; eyes wide. "Don't you have a mission?"

"Yeah, they sent me here today," he shrugged, brushing his hair off his face. Ugh, why hadn't he tied it back before leaving?

"Really? Me too..."

He glanced over at her but then looked down at the ground so far below them. He didn't know what to say, had he done something wrong?

"Kirux, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off like that yesterday," she murmured, and he looked at her before shrugging.

"Whatever, it didn't bother me," it had but he didn't want her to be upset.

"I was upset, I messed up a mission really bad. I don't suppose you heard about the guy pretending to be one of us? The Organisation imposter? I was ordered to take him out...but I couldn't beat him. Saïx was so mad, he called me a 'mistake'," she admitted.

"Oh...I… I'm sorry..." he stammered.

"Don't be," her voice was firmer and she mustered a small smile for him. "That jerk can say whatever he wants, I can take it."

"Hey, Xion... Why don't we work together today?" he suggested.

"Huh? How?"

"Let's double up on our missions. If we team up, we should be able to cut through the work faster. We've barely seen each other lately, I…I miss you."

"Well...okay. Maybe we'll finish early and have more time for ice cream," she smiled, laughing, and he grinned.

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Mickey glanced up and moved into the shadows of the buildings as he spotted two black coated figures sitting high above the plaza before the train station. The others could walk right under them without risk but he was far too distinctive. He wondered what they were doing up there…was that ice cream that had just dripped to the ground? he gasped as one slipped, beginning to fall, ready to intervene, but the other caught them. Even from his distance, it was obvious they were not adults which meant one was likely the girl Sora had faced, until they worked out exactly how she was linked to Kairi she had to survive. He hated how mercenary that sounded but if it was a Replica versus a Princess of Heart and Keyblade wielder then there was no choice.

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"Xion? Hey... Xion!" Kirux's voice snapped her out of the flashback to meeting the imposter and what he'd said to her. "What's the matter with you today?"

"Sorry, my mind's on other things," she offered, taking a bite of her ice cream.

She couldn't help thinking about what he'd said. Who was he? Why did pretending to be one of them help his friend and why did they need to sleep? Why was he so sure she was on the wrong side? There was no one she could ask, was there? She glanced at Kirux who was. Eating his own ice cream.

"Kirux, why are we doing all this? Working for the Organization?" she asked softly.

Kirux turned to look at her. "What do you mean, why? So we can get Hearts of our own, right?" he asked in confusion.

"Why?" she pushed, he'd been with them longer than her, maybe he knew more about it. "What do we need Hearts for?"

"I don't know,." He shrugged. "But I figure once we have them, we'll be in a better position to judge. Right?"

"Maybe." Would it be that easy? "I just wish I knew what I was doing here. How I got here... I started having the strangest dreams."

"Really?" he asked.

Xion nodded, "I can never remember what they're about. I just wake up feeling like...like something is really wrong."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Xigbar said you and me were pretty special. 'Exceptional', he said," Kirux offered and she frowned, she wasn't sure that was a good thing, not from him.

"...Special just means different. Because I'm a mistake." She whispered and then nearly jumped when he grabbed her hand.

"You're not a mistake," he shook his head.

She pulled her hand from his, standing. "Well, we may both be exceptional, Kirux. But I don't think we're the same," she walked away. No, he might not remember anything but the way they were treated was very different. Was it because she had a Keyblade and he didn't? it seemed more than that.

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Sora stared at his reflection, seeing the flecks of gold in his eyes, feeling sick. No… he wasn't even thinking as he tore a strip from his coat, covering his eyes. Everything went black for several seconds before reappearing but shadowed in shades of grey.

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"Hey! No Xion?" Axel asked as he took his normal seat.

"Don't hold your breath," he muttered.

"Did something happen yesterday?"

"Nah, it's nothing," he denied, accepting the ice cream.

"...Girls sure are complicated, huh?" Axel chuckled.

He turned to Axel with wide eyes. "How did you know that's what I was thinking?"

"Because you're not so complicated," Axel smirked. "But don't take it personal, most Nobodies aren't."

"You mean...real people are more complex than us?" like those kids he'd been around on his vacation? They'd been…different.

"Well, sure! Especially if they're real and female. That's like a double dose of complicated," Axel waved his arm around, forcing Kirux to duck or risk getting ice cream on his face.

"So...what about a Nobody girl like Xion?"

"Single dose," Axel shrugged.

"I am so lost," he muttered.

"Well, the important thing to remember when dealing with girls is not to push the wrong buttons. Got it memorized?"

"Hmm...yeah... Wish you'd told me that before." So what wrong buttons had he pushed and where were they so he could avoid them next time?

"Well, just give her some time," Axel advised.

"Why?"

"Because if you rush in there and try to fix things, you'll just press more buttons."

"Fine, whatever," he grumbled.

"Ha ha. You're all right, kid." Axel reached out to ruffle his hair, pulling strands free of his loose ponytail.

"Don't call me kid!" he growled, but Axel just laughed. "Stop laughing!"

Axel slowly did so thankfully. "You'll patch things up with her. Trust me."

"I hope so."

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-Kirux's Diary Entry: Day 152-

I think Xion might be mad at me, but I don't know why. Axel says girls are complicated. You can't press the wrong buttons. Like I'm supposed to know what the right ones are. Where are these buttons anyway?

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Ven didn't know what to think of the blindfold but it seemed to be helping Sora for the moment. Though the clumsy attacks were amusing…and dangerous. That was why they were going to fight, to help him refine his odd sight while wearing the blindfold. He needed to be able to act like normal even with his eyes covered or he'd end up dead, fast.

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-Secret Report: Axel-

Kirux and Xion must have had it out over something. Knowing them, it's something dumb, but still. Watching them, it's like they're human. It's messing with my head. I kind of wonder if Kirux understood all that about the wrong buttons. I get the sense a lot of it went right over his head.

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"Nice work. That's a good run for one day. I gotta tell ya, kid. I'm impressed. I think you're ready for the big time. So, I'm clearing ya to enter the Games!" Phil told him once Kirux was done.

"You are!?"

"Yup. You can try for the Rookie Cup, anyway. I figure, you may not place, but at least you'll put up a decent show. In the meantime, we'll keep you up to your elbows in training - so stay sharp!" Phil warned, and Kirux nodded.

"Speaking of which, who was that you were training before me?" he sat on the bench, he didn't really get out of breath, not like the people he saw. Nobody bodies were so much more durable.

"Oh, Herc? He's another student of mine. Been at it a long time now."

"Why were you working him so much harder than you do me? Is he that strong?" he was a member of the Organisation; they were meant to be the best.

"Well, sure," Phil shrugged He's a hero, kid. If I put a squirt like you through that, you'd croak on me. And it's not just that."

"Huh?" He wouldn't croak whatever that meant, but Phil thought he was a real person.

"Of all the heroes I've trained, he's special. Maybe the best. I got high hopes for him. He's gonna be "the one"!"

The one what? Why did everything have to be so confusing?

"Ahem... Enough talk about Herc. You just worry about getting in shape for the tournament. I got two words of advice for ya... Eat. Sleep. Train! Remember, I got expectations for you too, kid."

So people worked you harder when they had expectations? The Organisation expected him to do hard missions all the time. Weren't expectations the same thing as orders?

"Sorry, kid, but I can't stick around anymore today. I got some errands to run, nymphs to chase, you know how it is," Phil snapped him out of his thoughts and he nodded, watching him leave.

"I guess that's it for now, then. I'll just have to RTC," he murmured, leaving the arena to find Demyx waiting.

"Hey, Kirux. You done?"

"Huh? Yeah..."

"What's up, man? You look out of it," Demyx frowned at him. He…liked Demyx, they weren't friends like he was with Axel and Xion but he wasn't like the others either.

"What kind of missions do you usually work?" he asked.

"Me? Recon stuff, mostly," Demyx shrugged as they headed for the exit.

"No taking out Heartless?" he asked in confusion.

"Nah, it's rare that I do anything that strenuous. And there's no point really, any we take out won't go to Kingdom Hearts like with you and Xion. That's one special blade you've got for not being a Keyblade."

"But aren't you expected to?"

"Ha, they know better than that. They wanna keep the machine running, they pick the right tool for the job," Demyx laughed.

"And that's me and Xion? The right tools for the job?"

"Something happen in there, man?" Demyx paused, staring at him, blue eyes sharper than normal.

"No, I just…Nothing. Our mission's complete. Let's RTC." Kirux walked to where they'd arrived, feeling Demyx staring at him before the blond moved to catch up.

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Sora stepped into the Coliseum, even with the blindfold it was…bright. But he was sure he had sensed him there…but there was nothing now.

"Hey kid, you're bac…huh, you're not him," a voice called, and Sora turned to the owner, looking down to see the shadowy form, he didn't seem quite human.

"Not who?" he asked. "I'm looking for someone, a boy about my age, he'd be wearing a coat and he has silver hair."

"That sounds like the kid, think you just missed him, but he'll be back for the games. I'm Phil, trainer of heroes."

"Sora," he answered, walking closer.

"There's a step!" Phil warned but Sora was already shifting to step over it. "You blind or not?"

"It's…complicated."

That got a snort. "It usually is. So…you want in the games too? Kids these days."

Sora laughed because it was laugh or cry, he'd been so close.

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Kirux looked down and saw the White Rabbit he'd been following scurry along the floor and enter a very small door with a very large doorknob on it. "Did he...shrink?"

"He drank from the bottle, you see," a voice answered, and he jumped, looking around.

"Huh!? Who…"

"Down here," the voice answered.

Kirux realised the voice was coming from the Doorknob and he knelt to get a closer look. "A...talking doorknob?" Would he ever stop being surprised by how strange the Worlds were?

"Of course... And a rather sleepy doorknob at that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going back to my nap," it told him.

"Wait, you said he drank from a bottle. What bottle?"

"The one on the table. Why don't you try?" it sounded grumpy now.

Kirux looked toward the table and saw two bottles, one blue and one orange. "You mean those?"

"Presumably... Now I really would like to be getting back to my nap..."

Kirux walked over to the table, looking at the bottles. "The one with the blue label has a picture of a big tree shrinking... Here goes nothing." Hopefully it wasn't poison, then again he remembered Vexen saying most didn't work on them anyway. He picked up the bottle and drank from it. He gasped, dropping it to the table as it seemed to grow bigger in his hand. He stared as everything grew bigger until he was even smaller than the door the rabbit had gone through.

"It actually worked!" it had felt strange but he felt fine now so he headed back to the Doorknob. "Hey, that rabbit when through here a minute ago, right?"

"Snrrrk... Phewww..."

"What's behind this door?" he tried.

"Hrrrnk... Phewww..." it was…snoring? Great. Now what?

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DiZ watched the boy sit before the pod, talking quietly. He was losing his battle against the Darkness, the blindfold proved that, helping to contain what he could not control. Ventus and the King would never be able to do what may be necessary to keep the Worlds safe but DiZ was no fighter. If he was to act, it would need to be something the boy would never suspect. Poison perhaps? It would need to be instantaneous or else he could be given Panacea. There was no need to act yet, there was still a chance he could banish the Darkness from his Heart. He had said he'd walk the Road to Dawn, but such a thing did not exist, there was only Light or Darkness.

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"All by yourself again?" Axel asked as he sat beside Kirux. If he had emotions, he'd say the kid was moping.

"Yeah," he mumbled, sounding so much like a normal teenager.

"They've been keeping me busy lately. Xion, too," he offered, seeing Kirux's shoulders tense.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"C'mon, what's with the face?" he nudged his shoulder, handing him his ice cream.

"What face..." he blinked but Axel didn't answer.

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Ventus tugged Sora closer, letting him lean into his side, feeling him slowly relax, cuddling close. Sometimes he almost wished he was still in Sora's Heart so he could help him but then Sora would be even more alone. "You're going to be okay," he whispered.

"I miss them so much," Sora whimpered, and Ven shifted him around to hug him properly, feeling tears soak through the blindfold.

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Kirux appeared in the Ballroom only to freeze as he heard the Beast roar in the distance. "That was the Beast... Did something happen?" he left the ballroom at a jog, sticking to the shadows, simply leaping down the grand stairs to land in the entry hall. It had sounded like it was coming from outside so he made his way into the courtyard.

He paused as another roar sounded, much closer. "That sounded close... By the bridge!?" he headed towards the bridge only to stop and stare as the Beast's body flew over the archway and onto the ground in front of him to lie motionless, but still breathing. What could do that to him?!

Kirux looked toward the archway to the Bridge. "What...what's out there?" he found himself hesitating but he didn't understand why. He forced himself to move, running to the bridge only to see an enormous Infernal Engine Heartless bearing down on him. He summoned Soul Eater and shifted into a fighting stance, sending a fireball at it but it shrugged it off, great.

By the time he stumbled back towards the Courtyard, wanting to make sure the Beast was okay, he heard a feminine voice.

"No! Oh, no!" she cried in distress.

Kirux ducked back into the shadows, digging around for a potion as he watched Belle run from the castle.

"What happened? Are you all right?" She knelt beside the Beast.

"...Belle... Get back inside... It's too dangerous..." he was conscious? Had he seen Kirux?

"I'm taking you with me," she told him.

"No... I have to stop...those things..." he tried to get up and failed ,and to Kirux's shock, she moved to support the Beast's massive form.

"But they're gone. You don't have to fight any more," she promised him gently as they began to move.

"Good... That's good. I managed to keep them from...getting in..."

"Please…you must stop doing this. It's too much. If something were to happen to you...I don't know what I'd..."

"Belle... I couldn't bear to see you...or the other's hurt. A master protects his castle... I don't want to lose you."

"I'm right here..." she argued.

So he wasn't fighting to protect the rose, he was protecting the people in the castle. Protecting her. She was what mattered most to him. But...Xaldin said it was the rose. So which was it? Or maybe it was both?

"Feh. Cloying nonsense," Xaldin's voice nearly made him jump, not expecting him to be there.

"Xaldin... When did you get here?" he asked.

"That's none of your concern. Hmph. Love, from a beast? How utterly ridiculous," he scoffed.

"Love? What's that?" he didn't think he'd heard of that before.

"It's an emotion. The one deluding those two as we speak."

"Oh..." that…didn't really tell him much.

"They think the power of love will save them? That's the stuff of poetry, not practicality," Xaldin continued as they moved back towards the castle.

"Love is a power?"

"None you or I will ever grasp. Nor will they, for long. The love between them will wither and die. Love never lasts."

"But you don't have a Heart, how would you know?" he asked, trying to understand. It was all so confusing.

"I have eyes, and a brain. We have no further business here, try not to dawdle," Xaldin told him as he left via the Corridor.

"That still doesn't explain what love is... Is love fighting to protect what's most important to you? Where does its power come from?" he whispered, and then he slumped back against the wall, clutching his head in pain. The boy…he was so still…like death…the feel of soft, cold skin… and then Kirux gasped, finding he was on his knees. What was that? It was the same boy again; he was sure of it. It had to be someone from his past but…was he dead? And what had he done? Why would he put his lips against his?

He had to get out of there, his head was spinning as he stumbled into the Corridor, making his way to the clock tower on instinct.

"Hey, here comes the….Kirux?" and then Axel was in front of him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, guiding him to sit against the wall. "Hey, you hear me kid?" he called, and Kirux nodded slowly. "What happened? Are you injured?"

"Head," he moaned, pressing into Axel's hands when he ran them through his hair to feel for injuries. "So still…he was so still, cold…" he mumbled.

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Sora jolted awake, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, heart pounding in his chest. What…for a second, he could have sworn he felt Riku's lips on his. But that was impossible, Riku didn't know where he was and didn't seem to be looking for him. He shook it off and got up, letting his vision come back, shoving his shoes on as well as a hooded jacket, not the black coat. He slipped out the window and headed into the town, keeping his head down, hands in his pockets, just needing to be around people.

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"Easy Kirux, it's alright." Axel was not panicking at all. Cyan eyes were glassy, his speech slightly slurred, how had he even made it back? He couldn't feel any injuries but he cast Cure just to be safe. Had he seen someone killed? For all the Heartless hunting the kids did, he didn't think they'd actually seen a person die. He sat quietly, holding Kirux against his side to keep him stable, letting him rest, relieved when after a while he began stirring.

"Axel?"

"Yeah?" he asked quietly, not wanting to aggravate any lingering pain.

"What's love?" his voice was so quiet Axel almost didn't hear him and surely he hadn't heard right?

"'Scuse me?"

"Xaldin said love is a power…the Beast fought for love," he mumbled.

"That's true, it is. But we'll never get to experience it."

"Nobodies can't love?" Kirux shifted to sit and Axel saw the glassiness had left his eyes, good. With Vexen and Zexion gone they were kind of lacking in medical help beyond potions and cure spells, not that a Nobody should need anything more. No matter how much they looked human, they weren't.

Strangely, he hadn't seen either of the kids lose it yet, go back to the instinct of their kind. Had it happened on one of their missions together and they'd just stayed quiet out of confusion? The first time it'd happened had left him feeling so strange for days, he'd wanted to be able to help them through it. Unless, that was why Kirux was off, had it finally happened?

"You need a Heart, man," he pointed out, not teasing for once.

"Right..." Kirux looked away.

"Love is what happens if there's something really special between two people."

"You mean, like, if they're best friends?" he looked up at him with such trust it was kind of scary, not that Axel could feel scared, but still.

"Well, you can care about your friends, I guess, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"So then...love is like a step above friends?" watching them both work things out, learning to be more 'human' was always the high point of any day and it made them both so content. He wished he knew why they didn't remember their pasts, though with Saïx's comments on where Xion came from…nope, not thinking about that.

"Yes... Well, no. There aren't 'steps'." He'd never imagined he'd have to try and explain love.

"I don't get it," Kirux shook his head.

"What does it matter? We'll never know the difference."

"If I had a Heart, you think I could love somebody?" Kirux pushed and there was something in his tone…

"Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, you'll be able to do all kinds of things," he promised.

"That's good," Kirux whispered.

"Kirux...did something else happen? You can tell me anything, I swear I won't tell anyone else, even Xion," he promised, hoping to get him to open up. "Did you see someone…die?"

"The boy…" Kirux whispered, drawing his knees towards his chest, staring out at the sunset. "He's important, I know he is, I…I knew him."

Axel froze, a memory? The boy…could it be? He knew what he'd suggested to Sora the last time he'd seen the teen, that his friend still existed, because he was pretty sure Kirux had once been that friend. He had no proof, not without finding Sora and taking Kirux to him. He hadn't gone looking for proof either, Kirux was one of them, his friend.

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-Kirux's Diary Entry: Day 171-

On my mission at Beast's Castle, Xaldin told me about "love" and the special power it has over people. I tried to ask Axel about it, but his explanation didn't make any sense to me. Every time I ask him about this kind of thing, he tells me I need a Heart to understand. It's like he's dodging the questions. And that boy, was he dead? Should I have asked Axel about why I put my lips on his? I just want to remember and for it not to hurt. There has to someway, someone who can help.

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"Ven, you don't have to stay," Sora told him, and Ventus turned to him.

"What?"

"I know you want to find them," Sora shrugged, and Ven frowned.

"Yeah, I do…but right now you need me. It's been a decade since anyone's seen Terra. And you heard Mickey, Aqua's in the Realm of Darkness, I've got no way in."

"I could open a Corridor for you," he offered, and Ventus shook his head.

"No, as much as I hate knowing she's in there, you need me. The Organisation will find us eventually and if Mickey isn't here that'd leave you as the only fighter to defend everyone. Aqua will understand, she'd do the same."

And…maybe he was still holding some anger towards what she'd done, 'watching' Terra for Master Eraqus. They'd have a lot to talk about once she was out, he knew Master Eraqus was wrong about his attitude towards him and Terra. He'd been so firmly Light he'd been as bad as those lost in Darkness just in a different way.

No, it was Terra he was worried for. Mickey said she'd gone to face him in Radiant Garden and that was the last anyone had seen of him. He wasn't dead, Ven knew that he'd know if Terra was dead.

TBC…