Author Notes: Replica Project sounds better than Replica Program

Trivia: This story will be moving quickly to get to the main parts.

UPDATE: 7/1/2011 - Added new material

THE KEYBLADE

After days of training and the members of the Organization showing them the ropes, the twins were deemed worthy and were both given their first, official missions.

Day 25

Castle That Never Was – The Grey Area

Both girls stood at attention, hooded, as Saix gave them their missions. Xion II was to go on a recon mission to investigative an old world called Radiant Garden, while Xion I was to pair up with Roxas to take out a giant Heartless. After saying good luck to her twin who went through the dark portal to Radiant Garden, Xion waited for Roxas to show up while standing next to Saix.

Soon enough, Roxas appeared and sees Xion, who's still hooded by the way.

"Morning Xion." greeted Roxas brightly.

Xion sweatdropped a little as she stood still like a rock, shy as usual.

Roxas now looked worried, "Umm… Something the matter?"

"Good… morning, Roxas." Xion finally greeted nervously.

"Excellent." Saix said, "Now that you're both here, finish your preparations as soon as possible. You'll be working together once again, as a giant Heartless has surfaced. It must be exterminated today."

Xion and Roxas nodded in confirmation.

As Roxas prepared himself, Xion was in the dumps. Despite training all this time, she had no weapon to fight with and does not knw how to materialize one yet. Plus, she's limited to shooting Tier One magic out of her hands. How in the world is that gonna help in fighting a giant Heartless? On the plus side, it was lucky that she was working with Roxas once again. Together on missions, they both took down the likes of a Poison Plant and a couple of Deserter Heartless. Even so, she still felt pretty useless.

She was snapped out of wonderland as Roxas spoke to her after he finished preparing himself.

"When do we get to go?" she asked, stammering, as Saix motioned towards the two.

"Your mission today is of critical importance. I've arranged for you both to be allotted additional slots as you complete missions for us. The harder you work, the more panels you will be permitted to install. Your target is the Darkside, a giant Heartless. Good luck."

Nodding to Saix, both Xion and Roxas went through the portal.

A few moments later in darkness, Xion and Roxas found themselves in Twilight Town on Side Street.

"Roxas…"

Roxas turned to see Xion taking her hood off, revealing her black hair and blue eyes.

"Good luck today." she said, smiling.

Roxas, mesmerized by her cuteness, stuttered "Th-Thanks. You too, Xion."

A while later, as they battled waves and waves of Heartless, they finally arrived at Station Plaza.

"No one here…" Roxas noted.

Xion frowned as they looked around, until they heard a huge roar behind them. Xion and Roxas slowly looked at each other and then looked behind them.

The Darkside was, indeed, a giant Heartless. It towered over them, roaring in darkness.

"What is that?" he shouted as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Our target!" Xion replied, knowing what it was.

Roxas nodded. "You ready for this?

Xion hesitated before nodding, "Yeah."

Roxas charged and brawled with the Darkside while Xion shot several magic spells at it.

Activating Combat Mode

Boss Battle: Xion and Roxas vs. Darkside

Cue Music: Destiny's Force

*static*

Conflict Resolved

Despite it proving to be a dangerous creature, the Darkside began to tire and fell on it's knees. Soon, it crashed facefirst to the ground.

Before the two could recover, the Darkside suddenly got up and slammed its fist down. Roxas managed to block with his Keyblade, but the force sent him flying. He landed badly and struggled to get up as the Darkside turned its attention to Xion.

Xion backed away, feeling a tingling in her hand. The Darkside punched at Xion, but she rolled away and charged at the Darkside, a Keyblade forming in her hand. Roxas watched in awe as Xion charged at the evil creature and quick as a flash, used Zantetsuken, slashing through the giant Heartless. It exploded into a mass of darkness as Xion's sudden adrenaline rushed ended. She looked in her hand to see the Keyblade in her hand, surprised as Munny, orbs, and items rained down on her where the Darkside was defeated.

"Whoa!" Roxas said as he ran up to her, "I didn't know you could use the Keyblade."

"Yeah…" said Xion, confused, "Neither did I."

"You did great." he said as Xion finished picking up the dropped items, "In fact, you deserve a little something extra."

Roxas walks up to the station as Xion looked dumbfounded.

"Something extra?"

Roxas nodded, "Yeah, the icing on the cake. C'mon. There's this place..."

Moments later, Xion found herself sitting on the huge clock tower with Roxas.

"How'd you find such a great place?" she asked, amazed.

Roxas just smiled as he hands Xion a light blue colored ice cream bar.

"Heeere ya go."

Xion takes it, wonder what it is.

"Sea-salt ice cream." Roxas said before she could ask.

She looks over at him, confused.

"Well? Go on, try it." he urges her.

Now figuring it's something to eat, she nodded, "Okay..."

She takes a bite and thinks for a bit.

"It's sweet." she noted, "But kinda salty, too."

"It's really good, right? Me and Axel always meet up here for ice cream after work."

Taking other bite, he added, "Sea-salt is Axel's favorite."

Xion giggled, "Sounds like it's yours, too!"

Roxas laughed a bit, "Heh, yeah. I don't remember it too well, but Axel said he took me here my very first day with the Organization. And then he bought me some ice cream again after my first mission. Said it was the "icing on the cake.""

"A little something extra?" Xion added, finally understanding.

Roxas nodded, "Exactly."

"You guys must be close."

"Axel's my first friend."

"Your...friend? Roxas, do you think I could be a friend?"

"When Axel gets back, let's ask him. Then all three of us can have ice cream together!"

"Okay!"

They continued to eat and watch the sunset.

Day 30

Today's mission found her doing recon in Agrabah, and soundly defeating a creature named Pete, netting herself materials for new synthesis items from the dark Moogle back home. At the end of the day, Xion found herself in her room as she collapsed onto her bed and sighed.

"It's weird," she thought as she asked herself the same question she's been asking herself ever since that day, "How is it that we can wield the Keyblade?"

After she and Roxas returned from Twilight Town that day, Xion met up with her twin and found out that she also materialized her Keyblade for the first time when she was ambushed by Heartless. She also reported that the world was no longer called Radiant Garden, but Hollow Bastion, due to the fact that the world is now in a ruined state and a shadow of it former glory.

"...Radiant... Garden..."

Day 89

"What your thoughts on this sis?"

"Don't know. It's been almost three months since we joined the Organization and we still have no clue about the origins of the Keyblade."

The twins were sitting on a bench in the Sandlot area of Twilight Town, watching the other kids play around. Xion I was playing with some Summon Gems she's found as Xion II looked on.

"Say sis…"

"Yeah?"

Xion II hesitated before asking, "Why do we look the exact same? I know we're twins, but I heard that even if twins are identical, they don't looking the same. So why…"

"I have no idea." Xion I sighed as she pocketed her Summon Gems. This is getting nowhere.

After a while, they got back up and walked to the streets. As they were walking, a chakam suddenly clanged in front of them, making the girls jump back before it disappeared.

"What the-?"

"You two know better than to run away."

"Huh?"

Both Xions turned to see Axel, wielding his signature weapons.

"Escaping from the Organization yield a death penalty. Got it memorized?"

Before they could say anything, the last thing the girls knew was darkness.

"Have the devices been equipped?"

"Yes Superior."

"Uh, Superior? I was told they were trying to escape, but it didn't look like it to me…"

"Are you questioning me Number VIII?"

"Uh, no sir!"

"…Just do as you're told. Besides, you have a new mission…"

"Superior, they're waking up now."

"...Excellent…"

Woozy and disoriented, Xion I shook her head of cobwebs to find herself in her bed.

"What happened?"

She sat up and got to her feet. She stumbled a bit before she managed to right herself as someone knocked on her door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing Xion II as she stepped into her room.

"Are you okay sis?"

"…Yeah. Are you?"

Xion II nodded, holding her head.

"No everlasting harm done."

Both Xions jumped and looked wildly around before spotting the Superior, Xemnas, at the door.

"Though this should teach you too not to abandon the Organization."

"What do you mean Superior?" asked Xion II, confused, "We were just taking our usual break after a mission. We weren't running away."

"We were just heading back when Axel appeared and knocked us out." Xion I added.

Xemnas looked at them for a moment.

"I can see the truth in both your eyes. It looks like Marluxia was mistaken. Well then, consider this another lesson, to what happens to those who abandon the Organization."

With that, he vanished, leaving the twins even more dumbfounded than before.

"What was that all about?"

Day 90

As Xion I watched her sister go on her mission, Saix came up to her.

"Your mission is to go to the Olympic Coliseum and participate in the Games. As usual, you are to collect Hearts from the Heartless you defeat for the Superior. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

Olympic Coliseum

Xion, with her hood up, enter the Coliseum and signed up for the Games as The Silent Mask. Nearby, she can see Phil, the local trainer, giving tips to Hercules, the just turned local town hero; Zack, the black-haired teen who always participates in the Games, and a red-haired girl Xion didn't know about. Not that Xion cares, as she waited for the Games to begin.

After clearing stage after stage of Heartless and narrowing defeating a dark warrior named Cloud, Xion was finally at the final battle…

Hooded Xion walked out as her name was called. She could hear almost everyone bet his or her bets on her as she faced her opponent who was already out.

Her opponent was a man taller than her who has distinctive long, silver hair with long bangs that frame his face, and dresses in a black leather coat. He also sports a large, navy blue wing on his right shoulder and two more wings of the same color sprouting from the side of his hips. In his hand was a ridiculously long thin katana.

"This must be Sephiroth…" Xion thought, "But how do I know that? Either way, it looks like I'll have to use every skill and strategy I know to beat him."

"GET READY!" the announcer said.

Xion summoned her Omega Weapon Keyblade as Sephiroth readied his Masamune.

"Scared girl?" he asked.

All Xion give him was the silent treatment, as the announcer rang the bell for the fight to start.

Activating Combat Mode

Boss Battle: Xion vs Sephiroth

Cue Music: One Wing Angel (Kingdom Hearts)

*static*

Unknown to Xion, the red-haired girl was watching her in shock as she fought Sephiroth.

"No way. She's a Keyblader as well? But, what is that darkness surrounding her?"

An hour later…

Conflict Resolved

Somehow, she did it. Despite him overwhelming odds, she pulled off an upset victory, using Sephiroth's own arrogance against him.

Sephiroth, surprised, just smirked.

"We'll do this again." he said, "Only next time, there will be no mercy."

With that, he flew off into the distance as a slightly bruised up and tired Xion de-materalized her Keyblade.

Winnings in hand and Hearts sent off to Kingdom Hearts in The World That Never Was, Xion herself can't wait to go back to her room and go to sleep. She really strained herself out there today.

"Hold it right there!"

Frowning, Xion turned around to find herself looking at the point of a white Keyblade wielded by the redhead she saw earlier.

But being suddenly attacked wasn't that made her drop her guard.

"The second replica is coming along well, but we do have a situation."

"What is it?"

"The Dusks report that the source of the replicas is in the same world as the first replica."

"…This is a high priority order. Send in Axel to get Xion out of that world at once. We don't want complications in the future."

"Yes sir."

The redhead has the EXACT same face as Xion.

"Who are you?" the redhead snarled, "Why do you have the Keyblade?"

Under the hood, shock registered on Xion's face as she bought out her own Keyblade. She swatted the redhead's away and jumped back.

"Are you… Kairi?"

The redhead Kairi, frowned, "How do you know my name?"

"I don't…know…"

Xion suddenly doubled over, holding her head in pain as flashes of fuzzy images with a painful ringing cycled through her head. Kairi scowled as she put away her Keyblade just as Xion blacked out, falling face first to the ground.

"Hey!"

She looked up, drawing her Keyblade out just in time to dodge two flaming chakrams as a wall of flame separated Kairi and Xion just as Axel appeared.

"Come on!" he shouted, picking up Xion, "This is no time to take a nap!"

Kairi managed to use an ice spell, but as the flamed dissipated, Axel and Xion were long gone.

"They got away." she thought, "Who was that Keyblader? And who was that man? A new enemy?"

Castle That Never Was – Nothing's Call

Axel just teleported to Nothing's Call with Xion in his arms to find the Superior, Xemnas, waiting for them.

"Is Xion alright?"

"Yeah. The girl had a bad reaction to the original. She was out when I managed to get her."

"Good." Xemnas said as he took Xion out of Axel's arms, "We were lucky to avoid disaster this time."

"Will she be all right?" asked Axel.

"In time Number VIII," Xemnas answered as he walked away with Xion, "In time."

He teleported away, leaving Axel in his thoughts.

"Just what the hell is going on?"

END OF CHAPTER II