Returning to the Place of Belonging
… Day 257 …
Riku was getting tired of waiting for his targets to show. If they weren't planning to make an appearance on Destiny Islands they were probably wondering on another world and Riku was missing his shot. By day 226 Riku began checking in on the other worlds again. Starting from Wonderland, to Agrabah, to Beast's Castle, and all the way back to Neverland. He stopped by Radiant Garden more frequently to see on his mother, pleased that she was slowly doing better. And that the return of the last missing Hundred Acre Wood page helped brighten her day a little more. Her smile was coming back and her spirits were rising again with a more solid hope that she would bring her family back. Her determination was contagious, Riku found himself just as determined as her to do his part.
Which in turn lead him back to Halloween Town to see if there were any changes to take note of.
"..." Well, for starters, the Heartless populated seemed to have gone down. "Where are all of Jack's balloons?"
"Riku, what a splendid fright to see you!" Greeted the Pumpkin Patch King as he approached Riku from the Doctor's Lab.
"Hey Jack," Riku nodded back. "Seems like the town is a lot clearer than my last visit."
"Oh yes, we've had a real number done of our Heartless infestation."
"?
"Riku, Riku!" Lock, Shock, and Barrel greeted Riku in excitement as they ran towards him.
"We found him, we found him!" Shock exclaimed with pride.
"The guy in the black coat!" Lock added in more detail.
"!" This was good news. "He came back? When?"
"Yesterday," answered Barrel.
"Tch, so I just missed him by a day."
"Sorry, Riku." Barrel apologized, bowing his head in remorse.
"We didn't know you wanted us to catch 'em." Added in Lock, both him and Shock lowering their heads as well.
"No, it's fine guys. I didn't asked you to catch him anyway, just to keep a look out." Riku assured to them, reaching from behind him the bag that he had brought with him that was out of sight. "Good work, guys."
"!" All three of their heads shock up in reformed excitement.
"You mean we're still getting paid!?" Shock fluttered in excitement.
"Yup." Riku nodded, tossing them the big bag of candy and sweets he had gotten from Radiant Garden and Beast's Castle. "Don't knock your teeth out eating it all at once."
"Thanks Riku." Barrel thanked him.
"We'll be sure to catch the guy-" Lock insisted in assurance before Shock cut him off to finish his sentence.
"Next time."
"Don't get hurt trying to catch him guys." Riku replied in silent decline of their offer for their safety. If this Nobody was able to take out a boss leveled Heartless then their was a high chance they could get really hurt trying to capture him. "I just wish I had a better idea of what he looks like so I can find him myself."
"Oh, Riku, are you looking for the Phantom?" Asked Jack, adding in to what they were discussing.
"The Phantom?" Riku quirked an eye in confusion. "Do you mean the boy in the black coat?"
"Yes, that's what I've been calling him. And how could I not?" Jack gestured with a passion for his job as the Pumpkin King. "He wanders to and fro from the shadows, appearing out of nowhere, stealthy and clever, his cloaked hands reaching out for the Heartless! He's brilliant inspiration for next Halloweens! I admired him so much that I'm going to make him the centerpiece for next Halloween."
"The centerpiece?"
"Ta da!" Jack presented the piece he was carrying under his armed covered up by a sheet. Presenting to Riku a scarecrow wearing a black coat with black tendril hands and hay for weird spiky hair on a drawn on bag face. "What do you think? Dr. Finklestein is helping with the finer details but I made the model myself. I saw him fighting off that Leechgrave Heartless and was going to lend a hand when he looked to be handling himself and took the Heartless out on his own. It was so inspiring that I got the idea to fuse his look with the Tentaclaws to make something spooky. His black cloak with dark, creepy tentacles was a brilliant idea! A harbinger of terror and torment with spooky black tendrils growing out of its hands! Under its cloak, it conceals a countless battery of bombs! A fiend like this is guaranteed to plunge everyone into the very depths of fear! What do you think?"
"That's terrifying..."
"I know!"
"... Well...at least I got an idea on what he looks like."
… Day 259 ...
Riku was a little upset that he missed his chance to grab Sora's Nobody by one day, so much so that he spent the whole next day grumbling and griping on Destiny Island only to finally calm down by the next day. And it was a good thing he had calmed himself and stayed for as long as he did, because it would seem that his query had decided to come to him. Not just Sora's Nobody but his Replica as well. They where just hanging out on the island him and the rest of the kids use to hang out, sitting where Kairi, Sora, and him use to.
This would be a great chance to catch them and bring them back to Twilight Town to DiZ and Naminé. Retrieving Sora's missing memories were just in his grasp. But sadly it wasn't meant to be...
If it was just the two of them, Riku could've taken them on. But the spikey, red haired Nobody with them looked pretty tough. Riku wasn't fooling himself to think he could take all three of them on. It would be best to not draw attention to himself and listen in on them. If he couldn't bring the two of them back to Naminé today then he could at least find out what Organization XIII is up to.
Roxas, Xion, and Axel watched the sunset over the ocean as they took in Destiny Islands' ocean breeze and singing seagulls. All three friends taking it in the silence between. Silently worried at what would happen once they break it.
"Is it that I'm not suppose to exist?" Asked Xion, finally breaking the silence. The heavy question not sitting well with the other two. Both looked to her in concern.
"Well, what do you want to do, Xion?" Axel asked her back, knowing that was the important question out of all of them.
"I want...I want to be with you two." Her answer was so honest and full of insecurity that it almost seemed that she had heart. But all three of them knew that none of them had one. But it felt for a moment that 'that' was the closest thing to one.
Her fingers were locked together in confliction. The only thing Roxas could think to do was to put a comforting hand over her to somehow make the pain go away.
"Then come back with us." Roxas suggested.
"I can't..." Xion replied back to both's disappointment. "Not the way I am now. But...what would it take for me to be like you?"
"..." They couldn't answer her. This was turning out to be one flop of a day. They had all made a promise to go to the beach together one day, but...they weren't expecting it to end up like this, so tragic...
'...' Riku continued watching the three of them from afar, hearing everything. For beings that weren't suppose to exist they sure have a lot of self-identity and their own struggles they try to figure out through the lack of heart. 'This is sad...'
… Day 276 …
Riku had stayed on Destiny Island one more day, just in case they decided to come back. When they didn't, he continued his patrol around the other worlds. Until he circled back to Destiny Island, where to his luck Xion was there. She looked to be wondering around in thought, probably still struggling to find out who or what she is.
But it would seem that today was his lucky day, Roxas had showed up as well. Wondered around Destiny Islands for a bit, almost bumped into Kairi-much to Riku's concern. And then he made his way back to the island off the main island, watching the ocean waves crash onto the beach shore. Riku left them be for now, keeping close watch on them. It would be best to grab for them when they are close together so that one won't get alerted to the threat while he focused on the other and run off. For now he will simply watch, and wait...
Roxas had returned to Destiny Island to watch the beach and collect a seashell just like Xion use to do for him when he wasn't well. Listening to the ocean's waves reminded him of Xion and how he missed her. However, in the back of his head, it reminded him of something else as well...
A little earlier, after he had completed his mission, he had seen a girl here who looked kind of like Xion...but he couldn't get close enough to tell for sure.
Maybe he just imagined it. If he were being honest, he wasn't even sure that today's mission really happened. The whole thing felt like he had just woke up from a dream or something. Maybe he only saw the girl like Xion because he wanted her to be there.
"Xion…" He held the seashell in his hand, wishing that she was there now. But off of the distance, he saw a black coat figured walking along bridge to the uplifted platou on the island. The size and hight looked like hers, could it be? "(Gasp)!"
He ran to the figure, hoping that it was her.
"Xion!" It was her, even with her back turned to him and her hood covering her face he knew it was her.
"..." The figure turned to him, without saying a word and lowered their hood. What he had expected to be the face of Xion turned out to be something else.
"(Gasp)?!" Zexion?! Something wasn't right. Why was his mind getting fuzzy?
"Surely... you must have known this was going to happening."
"Why would I know?" Shouted Riku.
"?!" Roxas looked on in confusion as the phantoms of a memory that wasn't his continued on their way as though he were watching a scene that he couldn't stop.
"Because, in your memory, you've been to a number of worlds before you came to this one." The phantoms had walked passed and began to mix their words together as Zexion's words became Riku's. "And of course, in those worlds, the only beings you met were the dark kind. That's all that's left in your heart: the darkest of memories. Your memories of home are gone- everyone."
"!" His head...the pain was too much! It was like the words and the actions of phantoms were being absorbed into his head! Everything was mix together and out of control! He begged for it to stop!
"That's a lie!" Riku phantom countered back, Zexion minorly mixing in the background. "I remember everyone from the islands! They're my...my...my closest friends..."
This wasn't just happening to Roxas this was happening to Xion as well.
"And who threw away those friends?" Zexion responded back. The voices still mixing together and horribly echoing in their heads. "Maybe it's your own actions you've forgotten. It was you who destroyed your home!"
Xion had fainted from the skull crushing headache, Riku being quick to catch her before she hit the ground. Giving her what little Cure magic he could in his hands while she was unconscious before she started to come to.
"Who am I? What am I...here for?" Xion asked to no one in particular as she still remain on the border of conscious.
"..." Riku could give her no answer, just the gentle comfort of moving her bangs out of her eyes and remembering the things that Naminé had told him...
This small being in his hands was fighting so hard to be her own person yet her existence would not be acknowledged.
"Hm...?" Riku turned to see Sora's Nobody, Roxas, make a run for it through a Dark Corridor. More than likely returning to the Organization. It was an opportunity wasted, but Riku would have to let him go for now. Right now Xion was the one that needed attention.
"...(Gasp)!" Xion finally came to, realizing she was in the resting in the hands of the guy she had constantly tried to defeat and whom was apart of the memories coming to her. "Are you?"
"Riku." Riku properly introduced himself, "Sora's friend."
"Sora?" She slowly sat up in excitement at finally finding a led to the owner of these strange memories. "You know Sora?"
"Yeah." Once Riku could see that she was fine sitting up on her own, he got up on his feet again. Offering a hand down to help her up as well, which she had gladly taken.
"Thank you. You saved me, but I don't know why...you did."
"I guess...I just felt like it." Riku replied, not feeling like giving her the full answer as he passed by her. It was best that she not know, for her sake.
"Riku, please..." She called out to him, making him stop in tracks but not looking back. "Tell me more- about Sora and that girl he's always with."
"You mean Kairi."
"Kairi… That's right." Xion sighed out as if receiving clarity to a fuzzy memory. Resting a hand on the side of her face in thought as Riku approached her again. "She's the one who looks so much like me."
"To Sora, she's someone very special."
"It's just...I remember things about the two of them." Xion began to pace around, away from Riku in thought. "But I'm nothing more than a puppet- something that somebody created. So why would I have...their memories?"
"..." Riku listened to her troubles as she rested her forehead on a palm tree trunk before turning back to him with some questions.
"Do you know where Sora is now?"
"That secret stays with me."
"..." Xion turned away from him in slight rejection. "Why's that?"
"Xion...your memories...they really belong to Sora." Riku tried to explain to her as delicately as possible.
"!" She turned back to him at that, all the pieces starting to come together. "So you mean...I'm like a part of him?"
"When his memories were scattered, some of them...found their way inside you." Riku slowly approached her again, keeping a safe distance to give Xion her space to absorb it all but also close enough to catch her if she fainted again since it looked like the headaches were coming back as she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except..."
"You can't, because part of it is inside of me." Xion concluded for herself. "That means...he can't wake up."
"Yeah. You got it."
"..."
"But, if you go with me to Sora right now, we could give the memories inside you back."
"So, do you hate me for taking your friend away?"
"Nah." False bravado from someone who is scared about what is going to happen to them. Riku could recognized the insecurity, he has seen it before, from himself...and another... "I guess...I'm just sad."
"!" The smirk went away with that swift and honest answer, her walls going down again as her true sadness with the whole situation revealed itself again. Looking down at the ground then at her hand. "I'm sorry, but...I can't go with you. It's my friends- they need me. And I need them, too."
Riku place a comforting hand on her shoulder in understanding, drawing her attention back up at him again.
"Maybe...you should take some time and think about it." Riku suggested to her, his advice seeming to sink in and be just what she needed. "Figure out who really needs you more. And where you belong."
"How will I know where I belong, truly?" The conflictions and the choices in her wake had her lost, grabbing her other arm for comfort and security as she looked down and silently looked to Riku for guidance. "I'm not sure I can promise you that I'll come up with the right answer."
"Well, the answer you come up with can't just be right for you." Riku explained to her in assurance. "It has to be one that works best for everybody, you and your friends and everybody else."
Putting his hand down, he decided to give her the time and the space to think her choices over.
"I'll try." Xion replied back as she heard him walking away. "Thank you, Riku."
He knew that she would make the most of the time he was giving her.
If she truly was apart of Sora, then he knew she would do the right thing.
… Day 277 …
Twilight Town
Riku had headed to Twilight Town with the thought of filling Naminé in on Xion's situation. He was expecting for Xion to take some time making her decision, he did not expect her to show up the next day. Should he be concerned that she was able to find him? His darkness and heart should be concealed by his black coat. Riku took a minute to check... Yup, still works. And whatever way she found him was not the best, she had opened a Dark Corridor far off and was wondering the town looking for him. Even so, this was bad, he didn't want her finding Sora. Sure, she may have come to him willingly but that still doesn't mean that she was going to go against Organization XIII. Until stated otherwise, Riku would keep Sora's location hidden from her. So before Xion could come to him, he would go to her.
Opening a Dark Corridor close behind her, Riku found her wondering around the alleyway of the buildings, checking corners for him.
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon."
"!" Xion startled at his voice, nearly jumping as she turned around to see him.
"So, have you made your choice?"
"I-... No, not yet."
"..." Riku waited patiently for her to find her words.
"You were right, whatever decision I make will effect everyone. So I have to weigh my options with all the information in my arson." Xion explained before deflating. "But...I have none."
"?"
"What little information I have is very limited. I want to find out more before I make my choice. I need to know more than I am just a puppet."
"Oh..."
"So...I was wondering, if you could...if you could help me find out what I am?"
"What?"
"Please," Xion pleaded to Riku with a hand over where her heart should be. "I need to know why was I made, who made me, and what for? And, if I were being honest, I think the answer might led to the reason why the Organization wants me and Roxas so much."
"..." She does have a point there. This could go deeper than Riku initially thought.
"So," Xion asked again. "Will you help me?"
"..." Riku nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."
"!" Xion smiled in relief at his compliance. "Thank you, Riku."
"Don't worry about it."
"Right," She nodded before becoming self-conscious for reasons that were hard for Riku's to understand. "So, where do we start?"
"We should probably revisit the places you've been before. See what memories stir up and find the ones that are yours." Riku suggested. "I'll try to help with the ones that are not."
"O-okay."
"Alright, so where are our destinations?"
"Well..."
Some Time Later
Destiny Islands
Riku wasn't too surprised that this would be their first stop. From what Xion had told him earlier, she would come here often after missions to watch the beach and collect seashells for Roxas whenever he would fall into a slumber for long periods of time. Riku thinks that it was probably Sora's memories that kept drawing her here.
"Nngh...my head..." Xion groaned in pain as the memories forcibly began to rush into her mind.
"!" Riku was quick to catch her as she lost her footing.
"I'm remembering things..." Xion said, trying to pull the clutter of memories together to make sense of them. Clutching her forehead through the headache. "I've been having dreams about this every night. You're in them!"
"..." These were probably not her memories then, but he stayed quiet and let her continue.
"It feels like we've met before. But, that's not right...these aren't mine." Xion concluded for herself. "I'm not who I thought I was. I need to know who I am."
"You're right." Riku confirmed for her. "These memories that you've been having...these dreams...they all belong to Sora. They go back to when Sora and I would play together on the island."
"Then...I'm not... The person I was before...wasn't me."
"I'm afraid not."
"Then...can we keep searching until I find my own...?"
"Sure, we'll keep looking until we find you."
… Day 281 …
Agrabah
After a few days in Destiny Islands, trying to sort the memories out, Xion and Riku had made their next stop to Agrabah. Things weren't so different than Destiny Islands in result. Sora's memories in Agrabah were mixing in with her own experiences as well. At least Riku had been there with Sora during those times to help Xion sort out which memories were hers and which ones were not.
"I...I remember a boy...with a flying carpet. He was trying to save a princess with a Genie from a...terrible wizard." Xion said, pulling the memories into focus out of the blur.
"..."
"But that doesn't make any sense." Something just didn't feel right to her. "I clearly remember coming here with Roxas to take care of some Heartless, even going into the Cave of Wonders to possibly find more targets and treasure. Those other memories are just a blur."
"That's cause those are Sora's." Riku clarified for her. "He was trying to help Aladdin safe Princess Jasmine from Jafar with the help of Genie and Carpet."
"Oh... That sounds so magical..."
"Hm, I guess."
"Maybe we should see how the others will react around you. See if the memories will have an effect on them through close proximity- ?!" Riku was suggesting to see if the memories inside her from Sora will bring back the unchained memories of Sora back to Aladdin and Jasmine. The two of them were making their way over to them as he speaks, it would be the best time to test this. Unfortunately they can't test it if Xion decides to make a break for it. "Hey, wait!"
Xion had retreated to the shadows of the higher buildings, away from the view of the street below, hiding from sight.
"Xion, what's wrong? What are you doing?" Riku asked in concern as he joined her in the cover.
"I can't be seen. The people of this world must never see me." Xion insisted from her spot, practically fusing herself into the building's wall.
"What? What are you talking about? They aren't going to hurt you, Xion. They could help us." Riku said, trying to calm her down, but she only sunk closer into the building.
"No! I'm not allowed to be seen. I cannot be spotted!" Xion insisted, shaking her head frantically as she sunk off of her feet and curled up where she sat.
"!" Her words alarmed him, ignoring his previous goal as Jasmine and Aladdin already went off on their way. "Xion...why do you not want to be seen?"
"Because Saïx will get angry at me if I'm spotted. We must never be seen..."
"..." This sounds a lot deeper than just the surface of her words. It would seem that the Organization had firmly rooted the fear of being noticed by the people of the words they visited. Which explained why it was so hard for Riku to get a track on them let alone find out what they look like. Seems that the Organization did a good job at hiding their tracks, however damaging to Xion's psyche. "Alright, Xion, we won't talk to them. Is that better?"
"Mmhm." She nodded from the cover of her arms and knees.
"What about Genie and Carpet? Their powerful enough to help sort things out."
"No one must see me!"
"Right..."
Didn't help much that Xion purposefully avoided Aladdin and Jasmine so as not to be noticed. Her times with the Organization was deeply etched in and she refused to make contact with the natives of the world. Not even Genie and Carpet. Those two would have been a major help at recovering the memories inside her, but she would quickly scatter whenever they got too close to them like a rabbit in the open. Riku soon learned that they would be working through this alone...
"(Sigh) This is going to be tougher than I thought."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's not your fault, Xion, it's all you've ever known."
… Day 287 …
Beast's Castle
Beast's Castle went a lot more smoothly than expected. Almost all the memories that came to Xion here were hers. Clearly Sora has never been here before, so this world was a clean slate for her.
"I remember here, this is the place that Roxas helped me cover up the fact that I couldn't summon my KeyBlade to the Organization." Xion clarified as they wondered through the empty halls of the castle, purposely avoiding the residence for Xion's sake. She reminisced through the memories fondly. "He saved my life back then. The Organization would have turned me into a Dusk if they found out or I would have been destroyed on mission if I had gone alone. Roxas tried so hard to help me regain my Keyblade, and Axel helped cover it up too. They stuck with me until I finally got my Keyblade back, and even after that. That was back when...we first started to become friends."
"..."
"I also remember that I first met you here, Riku."
"Those weren't exactly fond memories."
"Maybe, but they're still mine. And I'm going to keep them."
… Day 294 ...
Twilight Town
"..." Quietly exiting the Dark Corridor they looked around the town in its soft evening beauty.
"Do you have many memories here?" Riku asked, already predicting like Beast's Castle most of the memories here would be hers since Sora has never been to this place before. At least... not awake...
"Yes. This is the place where I almost was defeated by a boss leveled Heartless and Roxas and Axel came to my rescue. They found out that my Keyblade no longer worked that day. But more than that..." Xion explained before turning around to look at the large Station Clock with fondness and the closest thing to love Riku has seen in a Nobody. "This is the place Axel, Roxas, and I would go after missions to eat ice-cream and watch the sunset together. It was the closest we would ever feel to having a heart. I really miss those times..."
"..." For someone who claims not to have a heart, she sure shows a lot of it.
"I'd like to get them back...some day..."
… Day 296 …
They had been in Twilight Town for a couple of days and Riku didn't want to stay there for too long. Looking at things in Xion's way, he didn't want to draw attention to this world, let alone be spotted. But from the look of things Xion wasn't recollecting any new memories here anymore. It would be best for them to move on. However, Riku was worried that there weren't anymore stops.
"Xion, is there any other place that you might have memories of?" Aside from back to Organization XIII, Riku thought.
"No. not really. But...there is one more place we could try."
"?"
"It's the place that I came from. Have you heard of it? It's called Castle Oblivion?"
"?!" Riku had to hold back a gasp in surprise. "You came from Castle Oblivion?"
"Yes. Saïx says I was created there. So you know about it?"
"Yeah. I've been there before, way back."
"(Gasp)! Then...can you take me there?! I can't get there on my own."
"Yeah. That shouldn't be a problem. But stay close to me. You could get lost there forever if you're not too careful."
"O-okay."
"And...try to brace yourself. I think I know the answers you're looking for. Believe me...you're not going to like them."
"!" Xion flinched in fear and hesitance. But still...she would be brave. "I...want to know. I still have to know, regardless of the answers."
"Then... let's head off." Riku complied to her choice, opening a Dark Corridor to Castle Oblivion, waiting for her to walk through.
"Right..." Steeling herself, she gathered up her courage and took the first step forward. "Here we go."
"..." Riku waited a second after she walked through, before going through as well. Closing the Corridor behind him, not a trace left or a notice to the residence of Twilight Town.
Castle Oblivion
"(Gasp)!" Xion looked around in wonder as she step out into the castle's hallway. Riku not too far after her, coming in as the Dark Corridor closed behind him. "This place is as huge as I remembered it from last time. Its voidness is almost overwhelming."
"Yeah, it can get to you after a while. Especially going through it alone."
"?!" Xion looked over her shoulder to him. "You where alone here?"
"Only a little. I had a friend help me get through this place through the bond in our hearts."
"A bond in your heart...?"
"Yeah. It's close to the same thing you experience around Axel and Roxas."
"!" Xion turned back around, looking down at the hand that had placed itself over where her heart would be. "I...I don't know if I understand the bond you are talking about. But, I think I get it...in some way, at least..."
"Right... Well. I think I know where we should start. You were probably created by a Nobody called Vexen. He claimed to be a scientist and was researching on Replicas."
"!" Xion fully turned around to him at that. "How do you know this?"
"Cause he made a Replica of me once."
"Oh, I...I see. And...you think I might be one of these Replicas...?"
"Well, you're not like me. Clearly, you're not a Heartless. And if you're not a Nobody, it's the only logically explanation left."
"..."
"He was part of the Basement Floor Devious of the Organization XIII members put in charge of Castle Oblivion. If we want to find his research, we'll have to go down." Riku explained to her before turning around to head towards the door that would lead to the bottom floors. "Come on, we probably have a long ways to go."
"Right... Hey, Riku."
"Hm?" Riku looked over his shoulder back at her
"Your Replica...what happened to them?"
"!" The memory of his Replica caused a sting in his heart, one that made it hard for him to give her an answer. "He's...no longer with us."
"!" The answer made her flinch as well, the sting soon coming after, along with the small taste of fear. "I-I see... Destroyed."
"..." Riku couldn't bare looking at the hurt and fear in her eyes as she looked down at the floor to the side, he turned back around facing the Basement door.
"Do you...do you think I will meet the same fate?"
"I don't know..." It was hard to say... Maybe...
"Hey, Riku...if I'm ever...'destroyed'...where will I go?"
"I think the same place where all the hearts go..." Riku honestly answered without hesitation, looking up to the sky passed the ceiling. "If I'm being honest, the two of you...have the closest to replicated hearts I've ever seen..."
"I see...that sounds really nice." Xion couldn't help putting on a soft smile at his words. It was the closest Xion felt to the feeling called...Hope...
… Day 297 …
The two of them had made it down to the Basement Level Quarters, finding most of the research had been cleared out, along with any evidence of the Organization ever being there. Even so they decided to try and recover some of the data from the log computer, succeeding in recovering some of Vexen's research but not all of it. They even found some data input in the subject from Zexion, which wasn't much of a surprise to Riku. Zexion seemed like the smart intellect that would assist Vexen in his research. They were both scientist after all, and opportunists. But when they figured they couldn't get anymore information from the Basement headquarters they decided to check out the Upper Floor headquarters. Making the horrible trip up those flight of stairs before finally making it to the ground floor and deciding to take a break before even tempting to track up those horrid stairs to the top floor headquarters.
However, it seemed that their plans for the Upper Floors had been halted.
"!" Riku and Xion had been alerted of the sudden presences that have entered the castle, two to be exact. Taking cover behind a pillar on the fork of the hallway, peeking over as they waited for the trespassers to make their appearance.
"!" Xion was silently startled to see that it was Axel and Roxas.
"So, this is Castle Oblivion..." Roxas looked around, aghast at how the place seemed so big and yet void at the same time. Roxas felt that if he wondered off here he could get lost forever. Unannounced to him, his close proximity to Xion brought back the skull splitting headache as the memories between them began to transfer from one to the other.
"Roxas?!" Axel called out to him in alarm as Roxas gripped his head in pain seemingly not hearing him.
"Agh, my...my head!" Roxas tried to explain in a call for help as the pain brought him to his knees.
"Hey, easy, man! C'mon, let's retreat for now and-" Axel insisted, trying to keep ahold of the situation, but Roxas refused.
"No... We have to...find Xion…" It seems that the ringing in his head was getting worse. "Wh...what's happening?"
"Roxas!" Axel rushed to catch him as he started to fall unconscious.
"All these...pictures...rushing into my head..."
"We're leaving. Now!"
"No, wait... There's something... I can almost..." And then he was out.
"(Gasp)!" Axel grabbed Roxas and carried him out with his arm around his shoulder as his feet dragged, immediately opening a Dark Corridor to the closest place they could retreat.
"Roxas!" Xion called out to him in alarm after the Dark Corridor, facing back to Riku with urgency. "We have to go after them."
"But-"
"Please! I have to make sure Roxas is okay!" Xion pleaded to him with so much worry in her eyes.
"..." This was dangerous, if they get spotted it would mean big trouble later on. But when she looked at him with so much expression and raw emotion, how could he find it in him to say no. "Fine...just keep your distance."
"Okay."
Riku had opened a Dark Corridor using a Copy spell to replicate their exact Corridor to get a lock on their location. It would seem they had retreated to Twilight Town, a little bit of an alarm but the situation was still manageable. Moving the Dark Corridor a little bit away from theirs initial opening, Riku opened his a safe distance away so they wouldn't be spotted. Xion rushed into the Corridor to check in on Roxas's condition, Riku immediately following after. They were on one of the buildings in Twilight Town, looking down at Roxas and Axel on the walkway at a safe distance. Roxas was still unconscious on the ground and Axel stood by him patiently waiting for him to come to on his own.
Xion was anxious to get a closer look, but Riku felt that three buildings away was close enough. Xion practically stood on the edge of the building, waiting for Roxas to wake up. All three parties were startled by Roxas's wakeup call as he shot upright.
"RIKU!"
"!" "?!"
"Whoa, you okay there?" His sudden outburst startled Axel a little.
"..." But just like a dream, the sudden memory was gone and Roxas was brought back to the conscious world. "What happened to me?"
"You collapsed right inside the castle doors. Don't you remember?"
Roxas shook his head no, looking down at his feet as he gathered himself.
"I remember going in, that's it."
"Hey, you should take a breather." Axel suggested in worry as Roxas got back on his feet.
"I'm fine. We need to go back to C.O."
"Hah, I don't think so." Axel objected, Roxas wasn't going back there just to possibly collapse again. He was going to suggest that they RTC when the sound of a sigh of relief from the corner of the building announced a third party listening in. "Who's there?"
"!" Riku looked to the side of him to realize while he wasn't looking Xion had sneaked down to get a closer look at Roxas. Riku had Rush down to grab her before she blew her cover when she accidently let out a sigh of relief after seeing Roxas get back on his feet again. 'Damn, this is bad.'
"Xion?" Roxas question as him and Axel look at the two.
"..." She didn't answer, just turned around with her head down as she opened a Dark Corridor in retreat as if ashamed at being caught.
"Xion, wait!" Roxas called out to her. Rushing to the Corridor before Riku blocked his path as the Corridor closed. "Rrgh… Get out of the way!"
"...…" Riku said nothing, just observed him. He had Sora's eyes, and his face resembled him so much. There was a fire in him that scream of a piece of Sora hidden inside. It made Riku glad to see that familiar spark again. But he knew there wasn't time for this. Roxas, and in turn, Organization XIII were getting too close to the mansion. He would have to draw the two of them further away so as not to draw attention to this world, if not that at least the woods. Without a word, he ran.
"Hey!" Without a second thought, Roxas chased after him, leaving Axel behind to catch up.
"Roxas, wait up!"
They chased Riku throw alleyways and subway tunnels, halted in their progress by Heartless that Riku had purposefully ran through to hinder them. Even using his Aero magic to forcibly opened barred off paths and closing them behind him to stay ahead of them.
"Wait!" Demanded Roxas in frustration, left no choice but to fight through the Heartless to continue on. Only to be stopped when they thought they finally had him cornered when Riku made an escape through a Dark Corridor.
Riku had only transported himself two corners away from the two, behind them, so he could listen in. Also, it was convenient since Xion had transported herself to a spot not too far from it, boldly closer than he had went.
"I thought the imposter was sighted in Castle Oblivion! What's he doing here?" Axel questioned in frustration, Roxas could only respond with his own deflation.
"Xion…"
"Ain't no way that was Xion!" Axel insisted, trying to cheer him up. But there was no point, Roxas already knew that it was her.
"The other one was. The one who escaped before. But...I don't get it. Why would she run from me?"
Riku walked over to Xion, seeing that she even took down her hood. A dangerous move when they weren't trying to draw attention to themselves. It was a obvious sign that somewhere inside her that she wanted them to catch her.
She was at a point of conflicted interests and a crossroad that she wasn't sure which path to take. It wouldn't be easy for her to decide, but Riku had decided to himself that he would let her make her own choices, regardless of what path she would take.
Taking off his hood as well, Riku addressed her confliction.
"You want to go back?" Whether that meant with him or with the other two was up to her to decide.
"...…" She didn't know the answer, the choices were not that simply. She looked down from Roxas, thinking about how the answers to her questions were more in reach if she stayed with him. However...looking back at her friends, she would be left in the darkness and be seen as useless to the Organization but could still be happy with her friends. The choices were too much to bare.
But her choices were still open. Roxas and Axel haven't left yet, she could still catch up with them before they left the Station Clock to return to the castle if she wanted to. But...something didn't seem right. Something inside her was telling that such a choice would be wrong. If she were to go back with them as she is now...she'll never have a chance to find who she is outside of the Organization's influence again. This could be her only chance, she couldn't throw it away.
Sadly staying under cover until the two of them left, she watch them go to the last second. Riku soon after came over to join her, seeing that she had made her choice to stay.
"Ready to head back?"
"Mnhm…"
… Day 298 …
Roxas had returned again, more than likely to flush out Xion or Riku. If he had to guess, Riku thought it was probably him.
"Dang, this is bad..." Riku thought aloud from his cover alongside Xion on top of a building far off as Roxas tore through the Heartless in his search through the alleyways of Twilight Town. If Riku didn't know any better, he would say that it was almost vindictive. And that's all Riku needs, a Nobody with a grudge after him. He already had enough grudges after him already, he didn't need another one. But that was besides the point, he was drawing too much attention to Twilight Town. If Organization XIII continued to turn an eye towards Twilight Town they may bump into Sora. And that was something Riku could not afford.
He shouldn't have stayed on Twilight Town. Riku thought that Xion was ready to see Sora and the others at the mansion. But clearly it was too soon to be coming back after their encounter with the still active Organization XIII members. He should have been more cautious. And now his carelessness might have cost him.
"..." Seeing the concern on Riku's face, Xion decided to take action. "I'll distract him."
"?!"
"I'll lure him away so you can escape."
"What?! No, Xion."
"It's the only way." Xion insisted. "He doesn't have to come for the both of us. It's either one or the other, and it's for the best that it's me instead of you."
"Xion, no, you can't-"
"Sora needs you, Riku."
"!"
"The worst they he can do for me is take me back." Xion shot back before leaning over the edge of the building to make a jump to the next one and over towards Roxas. "Now make a break for it when I draw him away."
"Ggh, Xion, wait!" Riku tried to reach out and grab her but she was already out of reach, and the safety of cover...
Riku watched from afar as Xion stood out from hiding, drawing Roxas's attention and away from possibly Riku as he gave chase after her. He was too far to hear what was going on, and their hearts too close to nonexistent to listen in from there. Riku could only observe as Roxas fought through Heartless to finally catch up with Xion, confronting her in some way and her hesitantly rejecting him with her Keyblade. Only for Axel to come in and incapacitate her and Roxas only able to watch their fight with confliction most likely he had shouted for them to stop which had made her hesitate in that moment to give Axel the win and carry her unconscious body to the castle through a Dark Corridor.
Xion had taken one for the team... This whole thing left Riku feeling frustrated.
*** Author's Notes ***
Timeline for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 and this story... continued: (We'll say on Day 225 Roxas gives Halloween Town a visit only to discover its being invested with Tentaclaws). There is a time-jump from Day 225 to 255 where on Day 255 Axel is sent back to Castle Oblivion to help expedite something for Xemnas and the three main Members of the Organization had figured out that Xion had hacked into their system. But Xemnas leaves her be- to watch and wait. Xion is starting to get back more of Sora's memories and sees them as her own, even goes to Castle Oblivion- against her mission- to investigate. Meanwhile, Roxas and Luxord go to Wonderland. Turns out the cards are still looking for the Heartless. Once the day is over and done, Axel covers up Xion disappearance to Castle Oblivion from Roxas. Xion watches the video footage records from the C.O. and realizes she's not the person she's supposed to be.
On Day 256 Xemnas announces to the rest of the Organization that Xion has gone AWAL but orders them to leave her be. Roxas wants to bring her back but Xemnas says all will be revealed in time. So Roxas goes about his day to his mission in Halloween Town. All the balloons are gone, and the Heartless. The Tentaclaws from before is eating the Heartless. There are more of them, Roxas has to fight them all. Investigating outside of town, he discovers Leechgrave, a plant-like coffin Heartless, defeating it releases all the Hearts. Jack watches the whole fight, inspired by the black coat and dark, creepy tentacles. He makes a scarecrow-like monster- even gave it a Roxas-like haircut- with tentacles to grab at you and bombs to come out from under its black coat.
Day 257 and 258 are just Roxas going to Wonderland with Xigbar and then to Agrabah by himself, both days Axel and Xion don't show up for ice-cream, before the time-jump from Day 259 to 276, during this time Xion possibly went to Destiny Island to sort things out in that time, at some point Axel and Roxas find her to talk things out. But on Day 276 Roxas goes to Destiny Island to collect seashells for Xion- he had seen a girl that looked like Xion at some point but didn't really get a good look at her- when Sora's memories begin to tear through his mind. It's happening to Xion too, the memories are shattering her, Riku finds her and stays with her till she comes to. On Day 277 Roxas begins to go look for Xion on his own after missions, starting with Beast's Castle after defeating the Crimson Prankster Heartless in Wonderland. But he had no luck finding her. The next day he went to Halloween Town to look for her after prescuing Heartless Deserters with Axel in Beast's Castle. Again, no luck. The Day after that, he looked for her in Agrabah after defeating a Dual Blade Heartless with Luxord in Halloween Town. But still, there was nothing.
Again another time-jump from Day 280 to 296 when Roxas returns to Olympus Coliseum and enters the Games to defeat a Stalward Blade Heartless. Regardless of previous truths revealed, Phil is glad to see him and helps Roxas get signed up for the Games. Afterward, Roxas and Axel looked for Xion together and still couldn't find her. They looked everywhere Roxas knows how to get to, except for Castle Oblivion which Roxas suggests looking into since she kept asking about it. But Axel kinda stirs him away, saying she was probably asking because she came from there. On Day 297 the Imposter, Riku, has been sighted again, prowling about Castle Oblivion. Roxas and Axel are sent to deal with him. Roxas starts getting memories back, violently. This knocks him out and Axel is forced to retreat with Roxas, carrying him back to Twilight Town. Roxas remembers Riku. While he recovers, trying to go back to C.O. they bump into Xion in Twilight Town with another person in a black coat. She retreats through a Dark Corridor but the Imposter doesn't allow Roxas to follow. Roxas chases after him only for him to escape through a Corridor later on.
On Day 298 (I believe Axel had been given the order to take out Xion by Saïx since she made contact with the Imposter) the Imposter is spotted in Twilight Town and Saïx sends Roxas to destroy him like he was expected to yesterday. Axel is to bring Xion back by any force necessary. Roxas goes to Twilight Town and eventually bumps into Xion, he follows after her and she, in turn, leads him through Heartless. And that is where this chapter has ended. The rest of the story will continue onto the next chapter.