Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney...you know the drill.
A/N: Yes, I am back again. I apologize to everyone about the huge delay on this chapter. I think I got into a kind of slump and then other things just kept coming up so it took me forever to find the motivation to write this chapter, and then...Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep came around and all of a sudden my inspiration came back! So, you can thank BBS for this new chapter. Now...with regards to the room in the old mansion in Twilight Town (you know which one I mean, the white room where Naminé draws all her pictures) they never make it quite clear if her drawings only exist in the fake Twilight Town, just the real Twilight Town, or in both, so I've written this chapter under the assumption that the room looks the same in both Twilight Towns, with Naminé's drawings on the walls. If I'm wrong on that, I apologize. Also, as you can see, I have finally figured out how to do accents on names so I will eventually have to go and reedit all of my chapters for my three stories.
Warning: This chapter contains some Birth By Sleep stuff. There's not a lot and there's nothing spoilerish, but just to put it out there if you have not yet finished all three stories in BBS. Truthfully, you probably won't even pick up on it if you haven't played the game, but I'm putting a warning here anyways just in case. That way you can't say I didn't warn you! And that's it from me. I believe there will be two more chapters to go in this story after this one. Enjoy!
Sunset Dreams
Chapter 8: The Open Door
Roxas
Old Mansion, Twilight Town
Roxas clung tightly to Naminé's hand, butterflies dancing uncomfortably in his stomach, and with the rest of their friends following along closely behind, the two of them proceeded to enter the room where Naminé had spent much of her time delving into the memories of others, wishing all the while that she could piece together a few happy memories of her own. The room looked every bit the same as Roxas remembered it. Cold, pristine, and white, except for the drawings covering much of the walls, the room had a hopeless, sterile feel to it, and combined with the lingering sadness from Naminé, and his own, Roxas was forced to admit to himself it was a relief to feel Sora's comforting presence beside him, almost as if the Keyblade Master was acting as a shield to repel the pain and sorrow lurking within the shadowy corners of the room.
"So it's the strength of his heart that intrigues you, the heart chosen by the Keyblade."
"What makes his heart shine like that? What sleeps in its most secret depths?"
"The heart is a mysterious thing, Axel."
"Maybe so, but unlocking its secrets is the whole reason we, the Organization, exist."
Now that, Roxas knew, was most definitely not a memory that was his own or Sora's, forgotten or otherwise. It was almost as if the room itself was speaking to him. Or perhaps it wasn't even the room, but the drawings hanging upon the walls, suspended in time, not quite lost but definitely forgotten.
Well, almost forgotten.
Axel, it's your memory, isn't it. Your memories are inside this room, just as much as mine and Sora's.
And gazing at a picture of himself and Axel, their backs facing the room, he knew he was right.
Does this mean then...that Xion is here too? Is she what Sora and I are feeling?
Roxas watched in silence as Naminé slowly circled the room, and coming to a stop in front of a drawing that also looked to him like a picture of both himself and Axel from the front, she placed her hand against it and frowned, a slightly confused look on her face.
"What is it, Naminé?" Kairi asked, moving to stand next to her golden-haired Nobody.
Naminé seemed to hesitate before saying, "There's something missing from my drawings. I feel like...like someone else is supposed to be there."
Someone else...
Without another word, Naminé pulled the drawing off the wall and taking a seat at the long white table, she began to add to the picture, her fingers moving quickly to draw in what looked like another figure.
Roxas moved quickly to stand behind her in silence, and looking over her shoulder he let out a soft gasp of surprise.
It was her. The girl with black hair and deep blue eyes. The girl wearing the Organization coat.
Xion.
"Who's that?" Hayner asked curiously, frowning at the picture.
Roxas glanced up in surprise, and he jumped when he realized everyone else was also standing around Naminé, gazing at the drawing, but before he could answer Hayner, Sora said slowly, "It's her. That's Xion."
"Okay, but who is Xion?" Olette insisted, looking at Naminé for an explanation.
Roxas turned to look at the female Nobody, who nodded to him, and he let out a deep sigh. "I think...she used to be my friend, but I can't remember it. Not just mine, but Axel's friend too. Look at the way she's dressed and the fact that I'm pretty sure she used to hang out with me and Axel a lot...She must have been one of us."
"One of...what?" Pence interrupted, scratching the back of his head in confusion.
"You know...a Nobody. She must have been a member of the Organization, but I can't remember her. I mean, the Organization never had more than thirteen members, so...I don't get it. How could she have been one of us? It doesn't make any sense and yet...I know she was. I feel it."
"But...if she was then how come you can't remember her?" Hayner demanded, a frustrated look on his face. "You remember Axel and all of the others now."
"I know, I just..."
"Why don't you tell us everything you do know," Olette said gently, motioning for him to take a seat at the table. "Maybe we can help in some way. We might be able to pick up on something that all of you guys missed."
It won't hurt to tell them. They accepted Axel, so why not Xion? And who knows? Maybe they will be able to see something we missed.
Having come to this conclusion, Roxas quickly told his three friends from Twilight Town everything he knew about Xion, and once he was finished a kind of somber silence fell over the room, making Roxas slightly uneasy. The drawings of himself hanging on the walls seemed to be staring back at him, and though the pictures were undeniably of him, he felt like he was staring back at a stranger.
"She's smoke and mirrors, Roxas. And when I looked into the mirror...It wasn't you I saw."
"So...Roxas, you remember how you were telling me that you were looking for a friend of yours when you were still in the Organization?" Pence asked slowly, a slight frown on his face. "Do you think maybe that might have been...you know..."
"Xion? I've been wondering about that myself. If that's true, though, why would I have been looking for her? Why would she have gone...you know, somewhere away from me?"
"Until all of your memories come back, we have no way of knowing for sure," Olette said quietly. "Whatever the reason, though, I don't think it would have been because of something you did. Even from the little you've told us I get the feeling this Xion really cared a lot about you, just like us."
"I've said this before and I'll say it again. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours and since it sounds like this Xion was definitely a friend of yours, then that means she's a friend of ours, too," Hayner insisted. "Wherever she is, we'll find her, and then you can ask her yourself."
Roxas bowed his head and unable to look at Hayner sitting beside him, he mumbled, "But that's the thing. I don't know if we will be able to find her. You see, I have this feeling she might have...disappeared. Like Axel..."
"Maybe," Pence said slowly, shaking his head, "but maybe not. You said it yourself. There's still a lot about Xion that remains a mystery. Maybe she did disappear, maybe she didn't. Until all of your memories come back, we can't say for sure."
"And we might not be able to help you regain those lost memories, but we can give you our support," Olette added, a smile on her face. "You'll find out the truth, Roxas, and though we don't have any idea of what happened to Xion or where she is, it doesn't hurt to look if we have the chance."
Gazing at his three friends from Twilight Town, Roxas didn't know what to say. Their support meant more to him than he could ever admit, and despite how much he appreciated their help, the words didn't seem to want to come.
Thankfully they didn't seem to expect him to reply because they appeared content just to receive a smile and a nod for their efforts.
"We may not know much, but...Naminé and I are sure that whoever Xion may be, somehow Sora's at the centre of all this," Riku explained, sitting back in his chair next to Pence and crossing his arms over his chest. "He usually is."
"Xion...I think...her disappearance has something to do with me," Sora said reluctantly, a touch of sadness in his voice.
Roxas turned to the Keyblade Master, who was sitting on his right, and poking Sora in the shoulder, he said sternly, "What did I tell you?"
"I'm not blaming myself. I'm just saying, I'm sure the reason she doesn't seem to be around anymore has something to do with me and you, and what happened to us."
"I can't say for sure, but...I think it's like what happened with Roxas in the sense that you had no way of knowing about it while it was going on," Naminé interrupted, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I believe that whatever happened, it was something that was completely out of your control and therefore you can't blame yourself for what took place. If anything, I may be at fault more than you are."
"It was nobody's fault," Riku said bluntly, his tone daring anyone to argue with him.
"A-hyuck, I think Riku has the right idea," Goofy said cheerfully, from his seat next to the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade. "Sometimes these things just happen."
"The only thing we can do now is make sure it doesn't happen again," Donald added, from his seat on Hayner's left. "We have to keep believing in ourselves and our friends. At least, that's what His Majesty, the King, would have said."
"Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you," Kairi said softly, almost to herself.
Her sudden words startled Roxas, and turning to look at the red-haired female, who stood protectively behind her golden-haired Nobody's chair, he was surprised to discover she was the only one still standing and there was an odd expression on her face. She seemed lost in thought, as if she were a million miles away.
"What is it, Kairi?" Sora asked quickly, the somber look on his face twisting into an expression of concern.
"Huh?" Kairi glanced at Sora, looking almost as if she'd forgotten where she was, her forehead wrinkling in confusion, and seeing the look on Sora's face she smiled to ease the Keyblade Master's fears. "It's nothing. Just thinking. Listen, as much as I want to know more about Xion, I don't think it's going to help us figure out what's happening to Twilight Town."
"You're right, Kairi," Naminé quickly agreed, beaming at the red-haired female. "Perhaps it would be best if we set the matter aside for the moment. We'll have plenty of time to focus on Xion after we've discovered the source of the darkness threatening the town. What do you think, Roxas?"
As much as Roxas wanted to delve into the past, he knew Kairi and Naminé were right. Once they figured out what was happening to Twilight Town and solved the issue, they would have plenty of time to search for the truth about Xion. "Well, if that's the case, we might as well search the rest of the mansion for clues. When it comes to the present, I don't think this room is going to yield any secrets."
"I swear I'll put an end to this..."
An end to what? And who are you?
There was a loud scraping of chairs and a shuffling of feet, and hurrying to Naminé's side, Roxas held out his hand and mumbled, "Hey, Naminé, do you mind if I hold onto that drawing?"
"Keep it safe," Naminé whispered, placing it gently in his hand.
Roxas quickly tucked the drawing into his shirt and following after the rest of his friends he proceeded to help search the mansion from top to bottom, hoping to find some kind of clue to explain the darkness hovering over the town. Unfortunately, their efforts revealed nothing of any interest, and after assembling in the room housing Ansem's computer, where the gateway to The World That Never Was had opened, along with the transporter connecting the real Twilight Town and the fake Twilight Town when it had been in operation, they stared helplessly at one another, uncertain of what to do next. Ansem's computer had fared much better in the real Twilight Town compared to the fake Twilight Town and remembering how he had smashed the one in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, Roxas couldn't help feeling a slight twinge of embarrassment over the lack of control he had so spectacularly displayed in the mansion.
So much for being a Nobody...
"You don't think Ansem's computer might have anything on it, do you?" Olette asked curiously, studying the blank screen with interest.
Pence quickly took a seat in front of the computer and frowning at the keyboard, he said slowly, "Remember when the portal to The World That Never Was disappeared and we were worried that we would never see Sora again? Well...that day a lot of the information stored on Ansem's computer also disappeared, but...I mean I guess it's worth a shot. It can't hurt to take a look, right? Good thing I still remember the password..."
Roxas quickly stepped up behind Pence's chair as the dark-haired boy began to type furiously on the keyboard, and a moment later the blank screen flickered to life. At first, nothing happened after Pence put in the password, but then words and phrases began to scroll rapidly across the screen, and fragments of what looked like several documents popped up. Words that, to Roxas, looked like 'Xehanort Report #3' suddenly flashed onto the screen, and Sora quickly held out a hand to stop Pence from performing any other type of new action. "Xehanort Report #3...What's that and why would Ansem have it on his computer?"
"It's hard to say," Pence replied, frowning at the screen. "We know Ansem always kept a close eye on Xehanort, especially seeing as how Xehanort used to be his apprentice, and from the sounds of it, it looks like this report was written by Xehanort himself, not Ansem. My guess is Ansem must have picked it up from somewhere and kept a record of it for further study into what Xehanort was planning after becoming a Heartless and trying to gain control of Kingdom Hearts."
"Well, what does it say?" Hayner demanded, poking Pence between the shoulder blades.
"Let's see here...It seems to be a pretty old document, and it looks like part of it is missing, too. This must just be a fragment of the original. There's a lot of holes, especially at the beginning, but the part I do have says...'they learned of the Keyblade's true use. War broke out as each of the Keyblade Wielders struggled to lay claim to an almighty entity known as Kingdom Hearts.'"
"What does that mean?" Donald quacked indignantly, glaring at the screen.
"I don't know. After that there's a bunch missing again and then it just says...'By gathering all the hearts of all the worlds in a single place, one may complete Kingdom Hearts,' which we already know."
"Anything else?" Riku asked, leaning over Donald for a better look at the screen.
"Nothing except...there's a tiny fragment under the heading 'Xehanort Report #12' that says...'Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will become real.'"
"That's it?" Hayner asked, clearly disappointed.
"That's it."
"Whose light?" Sora asked curiously, frowning slightly. "I don't get it. Whose light is Xehanort talking about?"
"And what about that part from earlier?" Olette added. "It sounds like he was talking about a huge war to claim Kingdom Hearts."
Roxas nodded in agreement, feeling a bit unsure of himself. "Sounds like...I don't know...some kind of Keyblade War. You know, a war fought with Keyblades. Is that even possible? I mean, there aren't exactly a lot of Keyblade wielders around, are there? Off the top of my head, I can count them on one hand. Me, Sora, Riku, and King Mickey, and...well...it looks like Xion might have been one, too...but my point is, you can't exactly start a war with so few people, especially when they're all on the same side."
"Gawrsh, sounds complicated," Goofy said, fiddling with his shield.
"That's for sure," Pence agreed, making a face. "Plus, not only aren't there enou- hey!"
"What is it, Pence?" Kairi asked.
"The computer just suddenly shut off and I can't seem to get it back up and running again."
"So much for that idea," Hayner groaned.
"I don't think it would matter even if Pence could get the computer running again," Naminé said seriously, a sigh escaping her lips.
"Gawrsh, why not?" Goofy asked anxiously.
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Donald demanded.
"Like Pence said, those documents appear to be pretty old. I doubt they have anything to do with the darkness hovering over Twilight Town or Xion."
"As much as I hate to admit it, Naminé's right," Riku said bluntly, summoning his Keyblade and pointing it towards the door. "I don't think we're going to find anything of importance here. Best if we move on, I think."
"But where to?" Hayner snorted. "We've been everywhere in Twilight Town."
"Actually, now that I think about it, we haven't checked the residential area of the town," Olette countered, her face lighting up. "What about you guys?"
"No, we never looked there either," Sora replied, beaming at the dark-haired female. "We might as well take a look. It's the only area we have left to check."
"Let's go then," Naminé agreed, moving towards the door.
Roxas made to follow the others, but just before leaving the room he turned back to gaze curiously at Ansem's computer, feeling a kind of sense of déja vu.
"It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is..."
Gazing one last time at the computer before hurrying after his friends, Oathkeeper in his hand, he smiled and said softly, "Open the door."