Sorry for another long wait. Life has been... ugh. Very ugh. Plus, I realized I was at Chapter 14 and felt like I should do something with Xion, who actually has not made it on my lists again. So of course none of the three points I tried wanted to cooperate – Xion's head is really, really hard for me to get into. But I got this scrounged together, so enjoy!

Juncture

Axel perched on top of one of the taller buildings in Tram Common, keeping an eye on Roxas as his friend searched for the Organization imposter. Saïx had been very clear: Roxas was bait to lure the imposter out. Once he appeared, Axel was to step in and ambush the imposter before he could make a move. Roxas was not to have any prolonged contact with the imposter.

So the higher-ups knew all along it was Riku? Axel had certainly had his suspicions, but it wasn't until the day before, when he actually saw the imposter and the way he moved, that he'd gotten confirmation. Saïx could've at least clued him in...

Down below, Roxas caught sight of another figure in a black coat and gave chase, Keyblade in hand. Axel squinted, trying to make out the figure better. Too short to be Riku. In which case...

"What are you thinking, Xion?" he muttered, warping to another building as Xion led Roxas to the cul-de-sac near the sandlot. Not wanting to be spotted, he leaned against one of the roofs, blocked from view and able to watch for anyone coming. He'd just have to trust his ears when it came to his friends. And hope Roxas could talk Xion into coming back; if she and Riku were working together, Roxas was probably the only thing she'd come back for. It didn't seem like Riku was nearby, at least.

"Xion," Roxas said, sounding relieved. "Where have you been? Axel and I have been looking all over for you."

"You have?" Xion's voice asked. "Sorry."

"Let's go home," Roxas said. "If you come back voluntarily, Saïx will let all this drop. He has to." Axel winced, knowing Roxas's optimism was based on his lies. Something in his chest ached at the thought. "I don't care what he said to you. I'll be there. Me and Axel'll make su–"

Axel leaned around the building at that, curious as to what had caused Roxas to cut off. Xion was standing further back, one hand over her chest, decidedly rejecting the one Roxas had held out. "I really can't," she said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Roxas asked. "Come on..." He reached out again, trying to grab her hand, and she pulled further away from him. An uneasy silence stretched between them, and Axel grimaced. So much for talking. He got ready to summon his chakram.

"Roxas," Xion said hesitantly. "There's something I wanted to tell you." Axel couldn't see Roxas's face from this angle, but Xion smiled weakly at whatever it was. "Do you remember, you told me Xigbar said we were 'special' Nobodies?" Roxas nodded. "Well... I found out what that means."

Axel froze, something very much like panic overriding his brain. So Xion knew everything? About being a Replica and Sora's memories trapped inside her? How would Roxas react, if he knew the Organization was using one of his best friends to keep his other half sleeping? That he could have his own heart, and they were hiding it from him so he'd do what they wanted?

...And what if Roxas and Xion both left? What if he lost them for good?

Deciding he didn't even want to think about that, Axel warped to the ground, reappearing at the top of the stairs. "Well, hello there, Xion," he drawled, casually strolling down the steps.

"Axel?" Roxas blinked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Xion watched him warily as he approached, but didn't run. He stopped at the base of the stairs, not bother to fake a smile. "Good job finding her, Roxas," he said without taking his eyes off Xion. "Come on, let's hurry back before the imposter shows up."

"Huh? Oh." Roxas scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. Had he actually forgotten what his mission was? "I guess." He turned to Xion, giving her a hopeful smile.

"Axel..." Xion sadly shook her head. "I'm not coming."

"Yes, you are," Axel said, something hard entering his voice as his eyes narrowed. "Xion, I told you –"

"I know," she said softly. Her fingers laced together in front of her. "Did you know about... what I am?"

Axel looked at Roxas and then looked away. Roxas didn't know any of this, and Axel really didn't want him to find out. So should he lie? No, he couldn't. It wasn't like lying bothered him, but it hadn't worked in Castle Oblivion. But telling the truth... "I've been finding out bits and pieces," he said, deliberately ambiguous.

Xion nodded, mostly to herself. "I can't go back," she said. "I wish things could have stayed the way they were, but if I don't do something soon..."

"What are you guys talking about?" Roxas asked, looking back and forth between them.

This was his only chance. If Axel didn't stop Xion right this instant, she'd tell Roxas everything and the Organization's whole plan with these two would come crashing down, and he had a feeling the fallout wouldn't be pretty. They'd been worried enough about one Keybearer to set up that whole thing with Castle Oblivion, and that was when Sora didn't even know about them. Two of them with a grudge, knowing where the castle was, and doubtless with Riku backing them up as well...

He thought about Saïx, their plan, and the years of preparation, effort, and dirty jobs they'd been through, and felt heat gather in his palms, ready to stop this by any means necessary because he couldn't lose all that again, he wouldn't –

And then he remembered sunsets and sea-salt ice cream, two pairs of curious blue eyes hanging on his every word as he did his best to answer existential questions that even Ansem the Wise hadn't been able to figure out because these two were his friends and he wanted to at least try, for their sake, because they just didn't know any better and he felt – felt? – so damn happy every time he saw one of them waiting for him up there –

And he remembered Castle Oblivion, the uncertainty and questions in Xion's eyes that had been far too close to Naminé's clear misery at what she was doing to Sora, that ridiculously optimistic kid who'd been the first in years to look at him like a person instead of tool when he'd been so close to fooling himself that that's all he was –

He should stop this. The Organization – Saïx would want him to stop this.

But that same Organization would destroy Xion if she turned against them. And if she'd run away once, why wouldn't she again? It wasn't like Saïx gave her any incentive not to.

This shouldn't be so hard. Except that somewhere along the way, things had changed. He realized that it wasn't his past that he couldn't bear to lose anymore. Now it was these two here, right in front of him. So he closed his hands to fists, the sparks drifting around them abruptly dying out, and kept his mouth shut.

He ignored the pang of something he couldn't identify as he thought of Isa one last time.

"Roxas..." Xion's eyes were glued to the ground. "The truth is, we're not the same. I'm not a Nobody. I'm a Replica."

Roxas blinked, clearly confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm a copy," she said, still focused down. "A puppet designed by the Organization to mimic the Keyblade by absorbing its wielder's memories."

Roxas opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, thinking it over more carefully. "Is that why I don't remember anything before joining the Organization?"

Axel answered before Xion could. "Not exactly." He didn't know what she'd discovered or found out from Riku, but he had read Vexen's notes. And he was the only one that really knew what happened at Castle Oblivion. If he was going to betray the Organization – and Saïx – he may as well do it wholesale. He'd kept enough secrets from these two already. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head and avoiding the two pairs of eyes that turned to him, looking at him exactly like Sora had. "The reason you don't remember being human is... you never really stopped."

Roxas frowned. "What's that supposed –"

"You see," Axel went on, pretending to ignore Roxas as he intently studied a brick in one of the building walls. "A while ago, there was this kid with a Keyblade, and he ended up releasing his heart to save his friend. Except, even though he became a Heartless, he didn't actually lose his heart. " Axel glanced at his two friends out of the corner of his eyes, gauging their reactions. Xion had resumed looking at the ground, bangs hiding her face, but Roxas was listening carefully. "And the friend he saved ended up saving him, too. He got his body and mind back, along with the memories that his Nobody would have gotten."

Roxas's eyes went wide for a second, as though realizing something – or maybe remembering. "That was... Sora?" Roxas slowly asked, voice soft and uncertain.

"And it's Sora's memories that I have inside me," Xion said. "That's why I keep having those dreams." She crossed one arm over her stomach, holding the other arm above the elbow. "And the answer that's best for everyone is to give those memories back. Even if I might..."

"It's not really best for everyone, is it?" Axel said, a harsh edge to his voice as he realized what Xion was getting at.

Xion gave him a sad smile in response. "It's still the right answer. Even if I'm not ready, I have to make this choice." She looked between the two of them, stepping closer to Roxas and taking one of his hands in both of hers. "I wish I could do something for you two, but the longer I wait, the worse it will be. That's why... I wanted to say goodbye."

"'Goodbye'?" Roxas repeated, more confused than ever. "Why goodbye?"

"Because," Xion said, lifting their joined hands slightly and looking down as though to study them, "I'm made up of Sora's memories. So when I give them back, there won't be anything left."

"But... that's nuts!" Roxas said. He gripped at Xion's hand tightly, free one grabbing her shoulder as his voice rose. "Xion, there's got to be another way! Who says this Sora guy even needs those memories, anyway!?"

"He does," Xion said, her own voice staying that same deadly soft. "Otherwise he'll never wake up."

Axel looked away. Nobodies were destined to fade away and leave nothing behind. Trying to form Kingdom Hearts and gain their own hearts was... just wishful thinking, wasn't it. And a Replica didn't even have that hope of returning to a previous life. They were both just empty shells, searching for something to give them meaning.

But Roxas had a definite place to return to. He and Sora... even Xion, made up of the Keyblade master's memories, they were all parts of a whole. Wouldn't that be for the best, in the end? Wouldn't they be happier that way?

The scene before him and the coiled, wrenching feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

"Xion," Axel said, crossing his arms. He still wasn't looking at his friends, but Roxas's protests quieted. After a moment of silence to make sure Xion heard him, he said "Don't be selfish."

Now he glanced over, to see Xion's incredulous expression. "Saying goodbye like this..." He scowled. "It's just to make yourself feel better, so you won't regret vanishing. Well, I don't like it." He took several steps closer, Xion backing away from Roxas, and Axel thrust a finger in her face, letting the anger building inside tint his voice. "You think we won't worry about you just because you're choosing this? You think we won't miss you? That we won't regret not doing whatever we could to stop you?"

"But –" Xion tried.

Axel put his fists on his hips, shaking his head. He'd already let Isa slip away from him. It wasn't going to happen again. "I told you, didn't I? The three of us are best friends. And I'm not just going to stand by and let one of my best friends disappear."

"Right!" Roxas agreed from beside him. He gave Xion a hopeful smile. "And if we work together, maybe we can think of another way."

Xion looked back and forth between them, lip quivering. Soon tears were forming in her eyes, and she quickly ducked her head, scrubbing at her face with the back of her hand. "You two... I don't know what to say," she managed.

"Oh, please," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "That's easy." He smirked when Xion looked up, surprised. "Say 'thank you.'"

Xion laughed, and something inside Axel felt lighter. "Thank you," she said, smiling through the tears that were still falling down her face. She grabbed one of each of their arms, pulling him and Roxas closer to wrap them both in a tight hug. "Thank you," she said again, burying her face between his side and Roxas's shoulder. "Thank you, thank you..."

Roxas gave him a panicked look, not knowing what to do. Axel tilted his head down to indicate Xion, watching the younger Nobody expectantly and putting his own arms around his friends. Finally seeming to catch on, Roxas joined the group-hugging, and Axel couldn't help smiling at the sheer concentration on his friend's face as he oh-so-gently-and-delicately put his arm around Xion's shoulder.

So Axel, deciding he'd been mushy long enough, promptly shoved Roxas into Xion's side. The two stumbled, flushing in embarrassment at how close they suddenly were to each other, and looked at him in bewilderment.

Axel merely hooked his hands together, lazily stretching his arms above his head without a shred of guilt. "Well," he said, looking up at the sky. "Now that we've all officially betrayed the Organization, we should probably figure out how we're going to avoid them."

"I might be able to help with that," a new voice said.

Axel whirled around, spotting the twisting shadows in the far corner of the cul-de-sac as they spread to form a corridor. Out stepped a figure in a black coat just like theirs, but Axel knew from the figure's build it wasn't an Organization member. Which left only one possibility: Riku.

"You made it," Xion said, giving the figure a relieved smile.

"Yeah." The figure flipped back his hood, letting shaggy silver hair fall past his shoulders, long bangs doing nothing to hide the black blindfold wrapped around his head – the blindfold itself apparently doing nothing to stop him from giving Axel and Roxas a once-over. And though Riku's posture was casual, there was a tension lying underneath it that told Axel he was ready to react – but whether it was fight or flight, he couldn't tell.

Riku apparently decided something, nodding to himself, and came closer to their group. "So you're Axel and Roxas. Nice to meet you."

"Long time no see," Axel said airily, heat building in his palms. He was perfectly willing to stand by Xion, but there was one thing he wanted to know before he'd let Riku near her again.

Riku frowned. "We haven't met."

Axel smirked – and it wasn't a friendly, playful one like he'd give his friends. "I knew your double. Close enough, don't you think?"

Riku's hands tightened to fists, frown deepening to a full-on scowl as he caught Axel's meaning. "Actually, I don't," he said, low voice approaching something like a growl. "And if you really were at Castle Oblivion, then you should know it isn't."

"Axel," Xion whispered reproachfully, smacking his arm.

"I know," Axel said, responding to Riku rather than Xion. In fact, he didn't even look at Xion or acknowledge the hit. The hand he put on her shoulder, however, made his protective intent clear. "I just wanted to make sure you did."

With the blindfold in the way, Axel couldn't see where Riku was looking, but he did see the teen's face turn slightly in Xion's direction. "Yeah," he said, hands loosening. "I get it."

Roxas stepped forward then, giving Riku a strange look. "Riku?" he asked uncertainly. There was a faint haze in the younger Nobody's eyes that was different from his usual zombie-ness. Realizing Riku's name hadn't actually been given, Axel had a good idea what was to blame. "I'm not... dreaming this time... right?

Riku nodded, aiming a small smile at Roxas. "I hope not," he said softly, the echo of something sad in his tone. "It took forever to find you." Roxas blinked, that haze starting to clear, and Riku turned back the way he came, gesturing for them to follow as he headed to the corridor. "Any more questions are going to have to wait, though. The Organization's going to realize something's wrong soon, if they don't already know."

Axel eyed the corridor warily, his hand on Xion's shoulder holding the girl back when she started right for it. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Somewhere else," was all Riku offered. "I want to make sure we're all on the same page before we do anything." He stopped beside the corridor, waiting for them. "Believe it or not, I don't actually want to see another Replica destroyed."

"What about Nobodies?" Roxas asked, adding his own wary stare to Axel's. So he did pick up on the reference to Castle Oblivion – the disastrous trip that had lost the Organization nearly half its members. And while Riku hadn't been responsible for most of those (and Lexaeus was debatable), Roxas didn't know that.

Riku gave only a calm stare in return. "What about Nobodies?" he replied. Roxas scowled, and Riku sighed, crossing his arms. "I can't say I'm too fond of the Organization." A wry half-smile quirked the older teen's lips, the lighthearted expression looking incredibly odd to Axel and catching him off-guard. "But you aren't part of the Organization anymore, right?"

Axel took a deep breath, reigning in the urge to just pack Xion and Roxas up and go. No matter what route they took, if they were going to solve things – really solve them – then they'd need Sora. So he reluctantly let go of Xion's shoulder, giving her and Roxas both a slight push to the corridor.

"No, we're not," Axel said, responding to Riku's question. Xion gave him a grateful smile before heading through the corridor. Roxas glanced at him, questions and confusion clear in his eyes – he still knew so little of what was going on – but at Axel's nod, he went through as well.

Which left him alone with Riku.

Axel stalked towards the teen, glowering as sparks appeared around his hands. "I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I'm not going to let either one of them be erased."

Riku watched him impassively, arms still crossed. "I'm not crazy about that idea, either," he said. "Even if it were the only way... But I don't think it is." He heaved a long-suffering sigh, shaking his head. "Besides. Sora would probably really want to meet them."

Axel relaxed slightly at the admission, as well as the image of Sora's reaction to his "twins." "They're probably the same way," he said, playful tone masking the deadly serious intent. "And I don't care about you, the Organization, or even Sora. I care about them." He jerked his chin towards the corridor, a dangerous glint in his bright green eyes as they turned back to Riku, who was regarding him as calmly as ever. Something in that unflappable attitude pissed him off. "It doesn't matter what you do or where you take them; if you try anything, I'm going to be there to bring them back."

Axel gave the tight-lipped teen one more smirk as he walked through the corridor. "Got it memorized?"

Agent Moonlight, yours is next, I promise. Really. Sorry for making you wait so long!