Chapter 22: The Calling

Kairi was only slightly surprised to find the Twilight Town Mansion empty. It only took her a second to detect Aqua's power off in the distance, in another part of the world. Of course they would be there, at the Clocktower. There... there they were probably waiting... hoping... for Xion to come back. She sighed, she was not looking forward to... to breaking the news. She was half expecting Axel to fly off the handle and attack her... but then again... she looked like Xion, and he would never raise a hand against her.

"It should have been you Xion," whispered Kairi, "You had so much left to look forward to."

She opened the door and walked out of the mansion. Heading into the forest. It had only been a short... what was it... month or two? Since she had first come here? Time was hard to keep track of when one was trapped within a prison of heart passing in and out of consciousness. She recalled, her first fight with Marluxia, Sora coming to her aid despite her anger at him, and then when she saw Aqua's Nobody for the first time. The memories echoed as she passed the trees. Haunting memories of... oddly enough... a better time.

To her at least.

Other's wouldn't say the Heartless Apocalypse had been a better time. But most wouldn't have had someone they cared about so much, someone they had been trying to sacrifice themselves for, disintegrate right infront of them. She'd rather have Aqua's Heartless suddenly come back and crush her heart into nothing than have lost Xion... especially like that...

"She just... looked so happy and peaceful... except when I made her sad..." whispered Kairi, trying not to let herself tear up.

"E-enough... I... I have a job to do here," she scolded herself weakly, "Cry... cry if you must, but only after Xehanort's dead. That's... that's all that matters anymore..."

She'd recruit the others, kill Xehanort, teach Nobodies how to regrow their hearts, then... then she'd... she didn't know to be honest. She had thrown out any and all desires and dreams for herself, giving everything to Xion. She didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She could recall a distant desire to see Aqua whole, but, that would happen on its own anyway, Olette would eventually see to that... Xion would have made it happen faster...

She... Kairi wasn't needed...

Xion could have helped restore the hearts of all her friends and family, become a better daughter to Leon and Yuffie. Been a better friend to everyone else... she still remembered what Tifa had told Xion, about how they had hurt because of...

She closed her eyes, took a raged breath, forced away bleak thoughts, and walked out of the forest. She made her way silently towards the clock tower. She caught sight of feet hanging off the side, but no one was looking down. She walked into the clock tower and slowly made her way up, dreading what was about to happen. She heard faint voices as she drew closer, took a deep breath, and rounded the corner.

Aqua, Olette, Axel, and oddly enough, Xigbar, were all sitting there. All at once, they turned to look at her. She nearly crumbled at the hope and intensity in Olette and Axel's eyes. The hope only lasted a split second in Axel's eyes, about the time it would have taken him to actually sense her out. Olette appeared though to be a bit clueless.

Olette jumped to her feet, rushing over to hug her. "Xion!"

Kairi took a ragged breath and closed her eyes, bowing her head. "..."

"Olette," came Aqua's firm voice.

Olette glanced back. "Huh?"

"I'm... not Xion...," whispered Kairi.

Olette took a step back, her eyes furrowing, before she searched hers. "K... kairi? Oh, it's been awhile. You two really look alike ya know, why are you in a coat instead of your armor?"

Kairi said nothing.

"Xion's gone... isn't she?" said Axel quietly.

"Yes," was all Kairi could manage.

Axel closed his eyes and bowed his head. "..."

She could feel it, breaking through the nothingness around the man, the raw pain and grief. Their were not words to describe the pain of loss.

"W-what do you mean she's gone?!" exclaimed Olette.

"I... I wanted it to be her, but... she... she wouldn't...," began Kairi, faltering.

"Yeah, I kinda figured there was a good chance of that if she found it," said Xigbar.

She glared at him. "You knew, everything."

Xigbar shrugged. "Kiddo, it was one of you or the other, and you know it. It didn't honestly matter to me which one of you made it, though, I kinda liked the kiddo. Whether she deep six'd the old coot herself, or went back to you and, well..."

He spread his arms out. "This."

"I don't... I don't understand," said Olette, "What happened to Xion!?"

"Xion... had to make a choice," said Kairi weakly, her legs starting to wobble.

"Sit," ordered Aqua.

Though she felt she had no right to it, she took a seat on the edge of the clocktower, like Xion had used to. "She... Xion was... a replica, not a Nobody... created out of copies of my memories. She had no choice in the matter, but, Xehanort made her to consume my heart and replace me."

Olette looked horrified. "What? Why... that's..."

"That's the old coot for you," said Xigbar.

"Xion... had to make a choice. Either to consume me, or... give my heart back," said Kairi with remorse, "I wanted her to live, to just... consume me and use me to stop Xehanort, but... she wouldn't do it, she... she gave my heart back..."

"What's wrong with giving your heart back?" said Olette.

"Because giving it back killed her," whispered Kairi.

Olette's eyes went wide, tears welling in her eyes. "She's... she... no... that's... that's not fair!"

The girl started crying, turning and sobbing into Aqua. The Nobody hesitated briefly, before putting an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her.

"That's... that's just who Xion is...," said Axel hoarsely, "Consuming a heart? She wouldn't ever willingly... do something like that. Even if... it... cost her everything."

He turned to look at Kairi, and the firestorm of emotion in his eye made her question whether he was still a Nobody or not, regardless of what she felt from him. "So there was no other way?"

"At that point, no," said Kairi quietly.

"That point? Was there ever a chance for a different outcome?" demanded Axel, "Was there ANYWAY Xion could have lived?!"

Kairi bowed her head, shame in her voice and coating her face. "If she had found out the truth earlier... if she had returned my heart to me before it had become so integrated into her own, maybe she could have survived. But... I... I didn't trust her... I thought she was just Xehanort's puppet. By the time I realized who she really was, it was to late, she had already started to intigrate my heart."

"I killed her," whispered Kairi hollowly, starting to shake.

She stared down at the ground far below, wondering if she... she should just throw herself off the tower to it's embrace...

She was startled when Axel moved to sit down next to her. "No Kairi, no you didn't."

He turned his head to stare at her, hard. "Kairi. I want to hate you."

She flinched.

"I want to hate you with everything that I am, but I can't," he said, "You... didn't kill Xion. What Xehanort made her into did. It's.. it's... like you said... she had no choice in what was done to her, what she was made to do."

His voice grew soft. "Got it memorized?"

She didn't answer. She didn't even know how he found the strength to keep up his act...

"But... even with what she was born to be, she refused it. Xehanort wanted a puppet, instead, she was... well... Xion," said Axel, "Trying to describe someone who could make a Nobody feel, isn't something that I can put a word to, except as a name."

Kairi choked a little.

She jumped a slightly when Axel pulled a wrapped ice cream out of his coat and set it on her lap. "Here kid. You... look like you could use one."

"If I used a word, it would be recusant...," murmured Aqua.

Axel turned towards her. "Huh?"

"Someone who defies authority, what was set in store for them, the term... is for some reason familiar to me, and seemed accurate," said Aqua.

Kairi stared down at the ice cream for a moment before turning to Aqua. "That's... what someone, in a dream, once described you to me as."

Aqua tilted her head in thought. "I suppose, based on what you and Sora once told me, that'd be accurate."

There was silence, for a time, the only sound Olette's soft cries, before Kairi slowly opened her ice cream and took a nibble. "Oh... I see why she loved it so much."

"Yeah, it was her favorite," murmured Axel.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Like you ever got her another flavor to try."

Axel scoffed. "Pff, who needs another flavor?"

Axel suddenly hesitated. "Uh... Kairi... how much were you... umm... awake and aware for?"

"I was awake on and off early on, but after I was somewhat integrated into her, I couldn't even go to sleep anymore," she said.

She turned her head to smile softly at him. "The way you comforted her, when she was lost in the memories she was taking in, was really sweet."

Axel's face turned a little red. "Ah... so you did see that."

Xigbar gave a soft chuckle. "Flamsilocks, the knight in shinning armor. Larxene had you pegged."

Axel scowled at him, but didn't deny anything.

Kairi raised her head, to stare out into the sunset. Seeing it through Xion's eyes was one thing. But... experiencing it... the ice cream... the friends... the view... it was another thing entirely. Oh Xion...

Set... Kingdom Hearts... free...

Kairi froze, her shoulders tensing. "Xion?"

There was nothing in response, but the message, if that's what it was, had been sent. It was time to stop putting it off.

"Axel, Aqua, Xigbar, I'm going to go finish what Xion started," said Kairi, "I'm going to kill Xehanort."

"Hah, was wondering when you were going to ask," said Xigbar, "Count me in, I got a ten year old bone to pick with the old coot."

"You don't even need to ask if I want to," said Axel, a dark look in his eyes.

Kairi's eyes flickered to Aqua. "And you?"

Aqua said nothing, simply staring down at a mostly quiet Olette, the girl having used up most of her tears and sobs, running a soft hand through her hair.

"Aqua...," said Kairi.

"I have a responsibility here," said Aqua quietly.

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "If Xion meant anything to you, you'll help me set things right."

Aqua turned her head to stare silently at Kairi.

"Go...," came a weak whisper from Olette.

Aqua turned her head down to the girl. "If I leave... who will keep you safe while I'm gone?"

"I can form a corridor to drop her off at the Land of Departure," offered Kairi, "They'll keep her safe."

Aqua was silently for a moment, before she closed her eyes, sighed, and said, "So be it."

Kairi felt her heart swell at that. At long last... her Master, even if it was just her Nobody state, was taking up the fight again.

"I assume there is a plan in works, or are we simply going to carve a path?" inquired Aqua.

"We won't be able to take a Corridor into the castle, we'll have to enter the City That Never Was and make our way to it, but first, I have an idea, old friends and family that need to know the truth, they'll help us," said Kairi.

"Very well, take Olette to safety then and we'll be on our way. The sooner it's over, the sooner I return here," said Aqua.

Kairi nodded and formed a Corridor, "Go Olette, you can tell them what's going on and tell them we'll be alright."

Xigbar waited until the girl had left before speaking. "They don't know? They keybearer's aren't coming?"

"This is a Nobody matter, I'm merely standing in for Xion, even if she was technically a Replica," said Kairi.

Xigbar frowned for a moment, his eyes flickering to Aqua and then back to Kairi. "Whatever you say kiddo. Bluebird here is going to have to pull the weight then."

Kairi hid a smirk. "You have no clue do you, just how strong Xion was? How strong I am? She killed Zexion, purely on accident, beat Saix, beat Sora, beat both Xaldin and Laxaeus, the latter who died. She could have beaten Xehanort I think if she had actually fought him. All of this, was without having fully absorbed me either."

Xigbar gave her a flabbergasted look. "At the same time?"

"Let's just say I... stacked things in Xion's favor," said Kairi.

She... wasn't going to go blabbing about having absorbed the Cornerstone. That little piece of information was going to remain a tightly kept secret. She wasn't sure if she even needed help to be honest, but she wasn't leaving this to chance. Xehanort was going to die today, she wasn't leaving any other possible outcomes.

Xigbar gave her a curious look before shrugging. "Whatever, the sooner we get things started, the better."

Kairi stood up, finished off the ice cream before pausing, staring down at the stick silently. "..."

"Something wrong?" asked Xigbar.

"Winner," she murmured, staring down at the stick.

"You gotta be kidding me, you and Xion, both get winner sticks on your first ice creams," said Axel with disbelief, though, a hint of wistfulness leaking through.

Kairi didn't really feel like a winner, but, she pocketed the stick. She turned, aimed a hand, and formed a dark corridor.

"So kiddo, how exactly can you make those?" asked Xigbar, "Xion I could understand, but you?"

Kairi gave a sad smile before raising a hand to her heart. "Xion... is gone yes, but... in a sense... she's still here. I can feel and use what's left."

"Do... you think there's a way...," began Axel with hesitance.

"I don't know Axel," she said quietly, "I hope with all my heart there is, but... I don't know."

Without another word, she walked through the corridor, the others behind her...

...and came out straight into the lobby of the Nothing's Watch building.

Just like the last time she had been here, Hiro was fiddling with his machines. "Hiro."

The boy paused for a second, raising his head to stare at her. "It's Xiroh, Xion, and you have a lot of nerve to come back here again."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Your name, you little shit, is Hiro, and yeah, I DO have a lot of nerve, even if I'm not Xion, you ought to remember that."

The boy froze, she had made damn sure he recognized that tone; She had only taken it with him once, when he had first gotten to their world, depressed over his brother's death. "K... Kairi?!"

"Is everyone else here?" she asked.

The boy blinked a few times. "Y-yeah..."

"Good," she said, "Go tell them we need to talk."

"We?" he questioned, before jumping a little at the sight of Aqua.

Aqua made a non-committal hum. "I remember you. The boy with the spy robots."

Kairi turned to give her a questioning look.

"He was creative in how he went about fulfilling his 'spying'," was all she said.

Kairi followed in behind Hiro, entering the Round Room of Nothing's Watch. All thirteen members of their branch were present, and staring down at the four of them. Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Cloud, Tifa, Arthur, Barret, Rapunzel, Jack, Hiro, Stitch, and Mulan...

Leon looked her over. "So, you're back."

"U... umm sir... that's not...," began Hiro.

"I'm aware," said Leon, cutting him off, "I can recognize that hard ass look in her eye anywhere."

Kairi crossed her arms. "Pff. Thanks dad."

"Bout damn time you got your memories back," said Yuffie almost teasingly, "Took you long enough. Not gonna lie, the whole slowly getting your normal looks back was weird."

Kairi was silent for a moment, before deciding to just get it over with. "I never lost my memories. Xion wasn't me, she was a replica of me."

Aerith leaned forward. "A replica? Explain."

"I will, in a sec," said Kairi, before turning a very cold look at Aerith, "First. What the hell happened to you Aerith? Even without a heart, how could you of all people turn into such a cold hearted bitch?"

Aerith frowned. "My name is Xithera now."

"No, its not," growled out Kairi, "Screw the names he gave you, because Xion was right. The Superior was LYING to all of you. He was never going to help any of you."

Xigbar spoke up. "The whole name thing is part of his plan. The more ways he gets you to renounce your sense of self, the easier it would be to turn anyone he wanted into a vessel."

Aerith glanced back and forth between the two. "Vessel?"

"Oh no you don't, I asked you a damn question Aerith!" said Kairi.

"Very well, as I lack a heart to want to spare you the pain, I'll tell you," said Aerith coldly.

"I am a 'cold hearted bitch' as you say, because I lied to you almost every day of your life," said Aerith.

Kairi's eyes furrowed. "Lied?"

"Hope Kairi. I always told you to have hope, to never give up on it, that there was a better life awaiting us all, even as day by day worlds faded and people withered away and died around us," said Aerith coldly, "I even had the audacity to lie to you the day Traverse Town died. I lied right to your face moments before our end. I became the way that I am, when as I lay fading away to be reborn into nothingness, I heard you see pass my lies, I heard you scream the most awful scream I ever heard and give up hope as we died."

There was complete and utter silence in the room.

"Aerith...," Kairi whispered, not sure what she was even supposed to say to that.

"Does that answer satisfy you, Kairi?" mocked Aerith.

"They weren't lies Aerith," said Kairi defiantly, "Dreams maybe, but never lies. Not back then, and not now. Hope is never a lie, and I hope you all can go home after all of this, regrow your hearts, and pick up your lives."

"Regrow? The fuck you mean kid?" said Barret.

"A body without a heart is but a temporary separation. Once gone, a body would try to replace the heart the first chance it got, and once born, a new fledgling heart could be nurtured. I had seen it so many times, within those Xion interacted with," explained Kairi.

Cid spit out his cigarette. "Hold on, your fucking serious, aren't you?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Xehanort, that old coot, couldn't have you all knowing about that, now could he?" said Xigbar almost teasingly, "Nobodies knowing that they could regrow their hearts would put a kink in his plan. He wanted you all to believe that through him and his Kingdom Hearts was the only way to get your hearts back, to instill loyalty and obedience. It's also why he frowned on people putting in to much effort to 'fake' their emotions, didn't want them figuring it out."

Cloud crossed his arms. "Somehow, I'm not as surprised as I should be."

Tifa, oh boy Kairi hadn't seen THAT fury on her face in a long time. "Of all the... for light's sake! There are Nobody Children! How... how could someone deny them that kind of hope?"

"Lady," said Xigbar, raising an eyebrow, "You have absolutely no clue who your talking about here. After all..."

He grinned. "The old coot's the one primarily responsible for the Heartless Apocalypse, none of this would have happened without him."

There was a deathly silence that overtook the room.

"You are here to kill him, correct?" said Aerith, "I surely 'hope' so."

It chilled Kairi, to hear Aerith talk like that. She sorely hoped that when the woman regained her heart, she would be better. This... this was not how she was meant to be...

"We are, and I assume since Kairi brought us here, she wishes all of your help to do so," said Aqua.

Arthur spoke up, and his voice was ice, "You. You're 'her' right? Kairi's oh so beloved 'Master Aqua' that she always went on and on about?"

"Arthur...," began Kairi in a warning tone.

"Ten years you made her wait, losing hope day by day," the boy all but snarled out, "While you were sitting around in Twilight Town doing nothing."

Aqua stared up at him silently, unblinking.

"No, that's not quite right, after all, it was your Heartless out their eating the worlds," jabbed Arthur.

"That's enough Arthur!" barked out Kairi.

"It's true though," said Mulan, eying Aqua warily, Mushu on her shoulder doing the same, "At least the Heartless part anyway."

Aqua didn't seem phased. "I will not deny what my 'counterpart' did. It is however irrelevant to the topic at hand. Resent me if you so wish, but do not allow 'emotion' to cloud what needs to be done. Xigbar has informed the three of us of the true dangers of what Xehanort can do with Kingdom Hearts. He must be silenced, immediately."

"Do we even want to know?" asked Leon, glancing at Kairi.

"Not really, it's better to just NOT let him win and leave it at that," said Kairi.

Rapunzel leapt down and started passed the four. "Well, lets go then. I'm kicking some butt, then I'm going home. I want to see the festivals again."

"Agreed matey," said Jack, "I want to be able to really enjoy rum again. I'll be drinking every day until I do."

Cid laughed. "You already do anyway."

Stitch jumped up on his throne. "See Ohana!"

"Hold on a sec," said Leon.

Those in motion, or those about to move, paused.

"This won't be as easy as you think it is. Xion slipped through before, but now the entire world is on high alert, if we go into the castle, we're going to bring the entire population down on us," said Leon.

"So?" said Yuffie, "All we gotta do is tell them the truth!"

"You think it will be that easy?" said Cloud, "You think they will believe us? We're the newest and most uninfluential branches in the entire Organization."

He gave Kairi a pointed look. "Nor will they believe a somebody, especially when said Somebody looks like the girl who killed a member of the Core Organization not to long ago, and speaking of which, you never explained what the deal is with Xion. Where is she for one?"

"Gone," said Kairi softly, and decided to give a very brief rundown, she didn't want to try and handle a full explanation right now, "Xehanort... made her to consume my heart, but rather than do so... she sacrificed herself to return it."

"W-what?!" exclaimed Yuffie.

Aerith scoffed a bit. "I imagine he was probably laughing inside when he fed us his lies."

"I swear...," said Tifa, yanking at her hair.

"To finish where I left off," interrupted Cloud, turning his sights to Aqua, "Every Nobody, and I mean every single one, is wary of her. No one will believe us with her here."

Aqua made a non-committal hum, but did not comment.

"What he's saying, is we're about to start a civil war in the World That Never Was, one were really going to be outnumbered in," said Leon, "There are thousands of humanoid Nobodies, and let's not even get started on the lesser ones. This isn't a joke, or something to fool around with. If we go through with this, we very well may not make it out alive to even try to regrow our hearts. If you don't have what it takes to see this through, go home now. We won't think any less of you for it."

There was a heavy silence in the room.

Kairi... felt nervous and anxious all of the sudden. Leon... he was right... maybe this was a bad idea. She... she should have followed Xion's example and tried to not get them involved... she had lost them once, she didn't think she could go through losing them again...

No one however backed out.

"Alright then, let's keep it simple and sort, Cloud, choke point suggestions?" said Leon.

"Brink of Despair, the path leading up to it is narrow, and we can slowly fallback across the bridge. We get Kairi and her crew there, they can take the castle while we hold off the city," said Cloud, "We might be one of the newest branches, but we sure as hell aren't the weakest, not by a long shot."

Barret slammed his gun arm down on the table. "Damn straight!"

"Let's be clear on this though, it's going to be a us or them scenario," said Leon, "As much as I wish we could give everyone a chance to get their hearts back, it's not going to happen. We're going to be taking away people's second chances by doing this, if you don't think you can live with it when you get your heart back, back out now. We won't think any less of you for it."

Once again, no one made a move to leave.

"Why not just cross and destroy the bridge? Xion did it," said Kairi.

"They remade and reinforced it, heavily, I don't think that will work again," said Tifa.

Shit...

Kairi gnawed on her lips nervously. "Guys... I..."

"We're doing this Kiddo," said Yuffie, "No ifs ands or butts about it."

"Just... don't... any of you die on me again," said Kairi, a bit hoarsely.

"We'll try not to," said Leon softly.

"Enough dwaddling," said Aerith, leaping off her throne and levitating to the ground. "We move, now."

Kairi felt a chill run down her spine as she felt the Nobody's power swell in her body for a moment. Aerith had been scary in her own way as a Somebody, as a scolding nurse kind of figure, one who would never hurt someone but who you never wanted mad at you. As a Nobody not afraid to kill? It took on a whole other level. She did not envy anyone who was going to be running up against her.

"Idea!" called out Tifa, "Circle around Kairi and her group, hide them from view until we reach the Brink, then we'll have until the castle alarms sound to get ourselves ready."

Leon nodded. "Good thinking, alright people, let's... eh... Cloud you do it."

There was a ring of laughter from a few people.

Cloud scowled and leaped off his throne. "Let's mosey people."

Kairi couldn't resist smirking. Being together with all her friends and family again... there were not words for the sensation. The thirteen circle the four tightly as they moved into the City That Never Was, slowly making their way to the castle. She knew that many Nobodies moving in a group had to look odd, or perhaps suspicious, but no one questioned them.

When they reached the Brink of Despair, the group split.

"Xithera, when the alarm starts blaring out here, throw up the biggest sheild you can to make sure no one can teleport, warp, or corridor passed us into the castle," said Leon.

Aerith crossed her arms. "You do realize that maintaining such a shield make it rather difficult to fight, correct?"

"We'll manage," said Leon.

Aerith scowled, but didn't comment.

"When are you guys going to drop the names HE gave to you?" said Kairi, bristling.

Leon shrugged. "When we get our hearts back."

Kairi sighed. "Alright, just... stay safe, please."

Leon nodded. "When the deeds done, send out a signal of some sort and we'll book it out of here. We'll meet, uh..."

"Do you all know where the Land of Departure is?" asked Kairi.

Cloud nodded. "Some of us had recon missions there."

"Go there, ask for Sora, and say Kairi sent you," she explained, "I trust Sora won't let the others hurt you."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.

"Alright kid, scoot," said Leon, "And whatever happens Kairi, we love you, even if we can't feel it at the moment."

"Pff, speak for yourself," said Yuffie, "I toootallly feel it right now."

"Kairi, your family is weird, just going to say it," said Axel.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Yuffie.

Kairi smiled at their antics before taking a deep breath and starting towards the Castle That Never Was, Aqua, Axel, and Xigbar at her heels...

Author's Notes:

Here we go...