SL: I'm supposed to be studying for finals! But here it is!

Enjoy and please leave reviews!

(and for some odd reason, I can't underline the title...)

Chapter 2:

Mission of Remembrance

Few Weeks Later

Roxas

"Kairi!"

I open my eyes to see a little girl with short red hair, the color of violet and blood, eyes like the ocean, playfully running down a beach. A little boy runs up to her and grabs her hand.

"Kairi! Come! I wanna show you something!"

"Sora, you're pulling too hard!" She cries.

He immediately releases her hand, "Sorry, but it's just I really want you to see. I just found it!"

Kairi looks ahead, "What about Riku?"

As I hide behind a shed, it occurs to me that maybe even if I am in plain sight, they wouldn't be able to see me. They've already looked my way a couple of times without hinting of knowing I'm there.

Sora shakes his head, "No Riku. This secret is just between us."

"But I want Riku to know, too!" She whines.

"Aw, Kairi! Come on!"

He yanks her by the hand again, leading her to where he wishes so badly to go.

As they disappear behind the palm trees and large mountain, I take a moment to reconnaissance, wondering where I am. I survey the area, realizing with slight anxiety that I'm on one of many small islands. I blink hard, trying to decipher if this is a dream.

"How did I get here?" I wonder aloud, scratching the back of my head.

As I carefully circle the island, I find no other inhabitants other than the two kids. The main mountain that makes up most of the island has wooden houses built on and around it, the occupants working well with the geography. Someone developed a system of intercommunicating the houses with each other through the use of wooden bridges. The design looks sturdy and new, yet there aren't any people there. I walk past a wooden shack and a dock. A peculiar tree growing sideways with a few star-shaped fruits hanging low from the palms captures my attention. I step up on the dock, mesmerized. Once I approach it, I'm filled with the irresistible desire to sit on it, knowing that if I do, I'd appreciate the sun and the ocean with more gratification. Yet, I only place a hand on it, feeling the rough texture of the bark against my gloved hand. I force myself to turn away, somehow knowing that if I sit on it, I'll only feel lonely.

In a flash, Xion and Axel's faces come to mind. Maybe when I return to the Castle I can tell them about this place and we can come back together, sit on that tree and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

I veer my attention to a high pitched chuckle coming from behind me. Posterior the shed in a corner, I notice a passageway, sounds of children's banter echoing back. I follow the sounds cautiously, even though I probably won't be seen.

Sora appears with Kairi in the stone passageway, facing away from me.

"It's kinda dark," Sora says with the trill of excitement, "but if you're scared just hold my hand even tighter, okay, Kairi? I won't go anywhere."

Kairi grips his arm, "Okay!"

I notice Sora blush slightly. We come to the end of the passageway, which opens up to a cave. He stops walking to marvel at something on the right wall. I stay a little ways out of the cave, so as not to be spotted.

"Look!" Sora exclaims.

"Wow! It's pretty!"

"You like it, Kairi?" Sora inquires intently.

"Yeah! But…"

With everything in the cave clearly visible, I search for a potential light source. I didn't see the children come in with anything. I look past the kids, noticing a door with light emanating from underneath it. What an odd place to put something like that. I analyze the carpentry. It appears to be manmade, yet the children are blind to it. Do they not notice it, or have they seen it before and don't care to see what's on the other side?

"But what?" Sora raises his eyebrows, disconcerted.

Kairi leans down to pick up a small stone. She throws it in the air and catches it. "We need to decorate!"

"Decorate? Sora blinks.

"Yeah! Let's draw stuff all over the walls! Here, Sora!" Handing him a rock, Kairi finds a spot on the stone walls and begins her artwork.

"But what should I draw?" Sora asks.

"Anything. Anything you want! I'm drawing my house."

"Oh, you mean your house from the world you came from?"

Kairi pauses her drawing, "No. I don't remember what it looks like."

The atmosphere grows tense for a moment.

"Then how about we draw that?" Sora suggests innocently, "We can draw what we think your house looks like."

Sora settles on the opposite side of the cave, beginning his masterpiece.

"I want to go to your world, Kairi. I want to see it all."

She laughs, reestablishing her pleasant mood. "Even though I lived there and saw it, I can't remember anything."

"Forgetful Kairi." Sora taunts.

"Lazy bum Sora." Kairi responds.

He pouts his lips, which slip into a smile. The children laugh for a while, enjoying in each other's presence. This brings a hint of a smile to my face, making me feel comfortable inside, but as their laughter subsides, so does the sensation. After they finish drawing, they discuss their pictures. Kairi drew a castle with RG as an insignia, while Sora drew rivers and mountains. Actually, I'm not quite sure what he drew. I sit down since I have nothing else to do here. I can't get out because I'm on an island and the two inhabitants can't see me. It's as if I don't belong here. My eyes drift from them to the door, wondering again why they haven't noticed it. What's causing the light seeping from behind it? Where does it lead? I'm inexplicably drawn to it, imagining myself opening it and peering through the other side. Perhaps that's my way out of here.

However, I don't recall being assigned to do a mission on an island. I try to RTC with a dark portal but find it doesn't work, as always. Everyone at the Organization can make one, but me. If I'm stuck here, then was this a mission of obliteration? Have I already fulfilled my purpose in the Organization?

As I stand up, Kairi and Sora finish admiring their artwork. Sora grabs Kairi's hand to leave, but she pulls away.

"No, wait."

She walks to the right side of the cave to draw something. She glances at Sora every so often.

"Watcha doin' now, Kairi?"

"Drawing you."

"Why?" Sora asks, feigning disinterest.

"Because it's our secret place." Kairi blushes.

He smiles wide, "Yeah!" He grabs another rock and sits next to Kairi, "I'll draw you."

They sit for a few more minutes staring at each other intently and drawing their depictions on the wall.

"Done!" Kairi raises her arms in triumph.

"Me too!"

Kairi has a peculiar way of drawing. She chose to draw his entire face white and leave spots, like his eyes and mouth as the color of the stone. Sora drew her like a child would: horribly.

Kairi doesn't notice how atrocious the drawing is.

"Oh, Sora! Your drawing's cute!"

"Well, yeah." Sora replies indignantly, "It has to be cute because you're…" he stops abruptly.

"Because I'm what?"

He faces the opposite wall, "N-nothing." There's an odd intonation in his voice.

"It's supposed to look like you, okay? I'm sorry if I can't draw well." Sora still hasn't looked back at Kairi.

She smiles, "You're right."

He finally glances up, hopeful.

"You can't draw well."

"Hey!" Sora chases her around the cave. Kairi giggles running around in circles.

"I clearly draw better!" She exclaims.

Kairi stumbles, with Sora finally able to hold her in place, "I draw better."

"Are you sure? Because that looks nothing like me." She gives him a bemused smile, "Have you seen the picture I drew of you?"

Without letting her go, Sora looks for her drawing on the wall.

"I made you handsome. You made me ugly." She sighs melodramatically.

Sora scoffs, "No, I didn't! I don't think you're ugly at all!"

Realizing what he said, he turns to her quickly. They stare at each other in silence.

"You don't?" Kairi whispers.

Sora resigns to telling the truth, "I like your pretty, red hair and blue eyes. You have a funny giggle, too."

She can't help but laugh, demonstrating that very giggle, "I like your spikey brown hair and blue eyes, too. You also have a goofy grin. It's crooked sometimes."

His eyes open wide, "Crooked?" He releases her to touch his mouth.

"Oh come on, you lazy bum." Kairi chuckles, "I betcha Riku's looking for us."

Sora perks up, "Oh, yeah! We were going to see who's stronger today."

He grabs Kairi's hand, "Let's go! You've got to cheer for me!"

She smiles, "What if I want to cheer for Riku, too?"

Sora stops to think, "That's fine, too. But I'm gonna win."

Kairi rolls her eyes, "You guys and your duels."

They exit the cave, going right past me without looking in my direction. I walk into the cave, searching for the infamous drawing. As I look at Sora and Kairi's faces freshly drawn on the stone, I feel like it's missing something. I bend down to grab a rock, but stop myself. Wouldn't it seem odd if they found something in the middle of their faces that they didn't do? I shrug off the sensation and make my way to the exit. Before I can even leave the cave, the urge to draw overwhelms me to the point where I ignore common sense and search for a spot on the walls to draw some place where my picture won't be noticed. When the rock touches the stone walls, it is as if I lost control of my limb. My hand moves with quick strokes, forming an image that even I, the artist, have no idea will be.

Once I finish, I step back to analyze it. It oddly resembles Kairi, yet there is a distinct feature about this person that Kairi doesn't have. I notice the hair behind her ear, her hair parted the opposite way.

It's Xion.

I shake my head, wondering why I would draw her and why I'm getting so flustered. Sora's reaction to Kairi comes to mind. I'm not like them. They're Somebodies, not like me. I drop the rock on the floor, making me way out of the cave. I drew Xion. That doesn't mean anything special. She's my most recent memory.

As I step out of the passageway, greeted by the bright morning sun and humid, ocean breeze, I recall that even though I want to leave, I can't RTC like usual. I convince myself that trying once more won't damage my chances of getting out. I walk over to the dock and stare at the tree, the sun falling over the palm leaves, shining through them, the many veins and imperfections of the leaves transparent to the viewer. I touch the tree again and close my eyes, recalling moments when I sat together with two other people here. Their faces are blurry to me, but their presence feels as tangible as the bark past my glove. I will myself to return to the castle. A portal opens in front of me, though not a portal of darkness, the mode of transport commonly used in the Organization. I turn around, looking at the peaceful island one last time, pondering if I'll really be able to return, and step through the darkness.

My eyes open to a blank, white wall.

I straighten my body, realizing I'm back in the Castle, in the pale room assigned to me when I became part of the Organization. This is not an ordinary circumstance. Usually when I RTC, I appear in the Grey Area, not my room. I place a hand to my forehead, my head hurting slightly. Could that have been a dream?

I shake my head. It was so vivid to have been one. I was able to interact with my surroundings, draw on the wall, breath in the moisture in the air. If it was a dream, did I imagine the island? I consider myself to have an avid imagination, but something as intricate and perfect as that island, I don't believe myself being able to do.

Did I make up Kairi and Sora? Is that why they couldn't see me? I could have made Kairi from my memories of Xion. Sora resembled me. Maybe I was imagining myself in a child's form. Even so, the island is inexplicable. If the people originated from my memories, then where did the island come from? I've never seen a beach. I didn't know they existed until a few minutes ago. Who was Riku? I put my hands on both sides of my head, sighing in exasperation.

A light knock on my door interrupts my thoughts.

"Roxas?" I recognize Xion's voice.

"It's open."

She steps through the door timidly, donning the black Organization cloak we all wear. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"Are you okay?" She tilts her head to the side, "You seem aggravated—if that's possible."

I stare at her in surprise. For being a Nobody, she's perceptive when it comes to emotions. However, are these things I feel emotions or memories of emotions? If it is a memory, would I be able to deceive myself with it? Could the memories of our past selves act as anchors for us? We don't know how to feel. We know how we should feel. In the end, are these really emotions, or simply memories? Will Nobodies ever own something? Will we ever be original?

"Roxas?"

I realize I never replied to Xion's question. "Sorry. I got lost in thought. I'm fine."

"What were you thinking about?"

I hesitate. I don't want to get into a discussion with her and be interrupted in the middle of it. I stand up and walk to my door, opening it. I look to the left and right of the hallway, making sure no one is around.

"You don't have to be anywhere else, right?" I ask her.

She shakes her head, "No, I just came to see you."

I frown in confusion, "Why?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. I felt that's what friends do."

If she's reacting according to my observations, her feelings of what friendships consist of come from her memories of her past self. She couldn't have drawn this conclusion herself.

"Do you wonder why you feel these," I search for the most fitting word, "impulses?"

"What impulses?" she asks, sitting down on my bed.

"Coming to see me. You said that's what you thought friends did, right?"

She nods, "Yeah. But, I also wanted to see you. It was an impulse, but it wasn't based off what I thought friends do. I did think about what people do as friends, be that as it may, my coming here was purely my choice. Why do you ask?"

I find myself having to reassess all the observations about Nobodies I'd made. Could my assumptions only apply to me?

"So you didn't react on what your memories told you friends did?" I question.

"What memories? How can I react to something I don't remember? What are you trying to say, Roxas? Are you remembering something?"

My dream comes to mind in a flash of images. If it was a dream, does that make me more of an individual? If it was a memory, am I getting closer to discovering who I am, whom I was created from? Will denying the dream entirely help me understand who I really am, regardless of my past self?

"The truth is, I don't know what it was." I finally say.

"So you did remember something?" She persists.

"I don't know if it was a memory. All I know is that it felt so real. The place, the people, everything."

She smiles. Something jolts in my empty chest, confusing me since nothing's in there.

"I wish I was like you, Roxas. I want to remember things, too."

I sympathetically smile at her, "I'm sure you'll remember something soon."

"Yeah."

"Get this." I change the subject.

"What?"

"In my dream, there was a little boy with a little girl. They were exploring a cave on an island I haven't seen."

"An…island." Xion says slowly.

"Yeah. It was beautiful. The beach was very soothing."

"What's a beach?"

I touch my chin, wondering how to explain something that can only be understood by seeing it.

"Well, it's like being stuck in the middle of the ocean with nothing but water all around you."

"That sounds kind of scary."

"It isn't." I chuckle, "Although at first, I got a little nervous. But then you get used to it. Everything seems so beautiful as the waves crash onto the shore; the stickiness from the humidity tickles the hairs lining your head and arms. It's peaceful. The sun never seems to get too hot."

Xion leans back and closes her eyes as if she's on the beach herself, "I wish I could have been there."

"We should go see a real one together." I suggest with excitement, "You, me, and Axel when he gets back."

Xion opens her eyes, straightening up, "That'd be nice."

An awkward silence fills the room.

"Anyways," I attempt to remedy, "The kid at some point had a weird reaction when the girl touched him."

"What'd she do?"

"Nothing special. She just held onto his arm. But you should have seen his face."

"Why?"

"It suddenly got beet red."

"Red? Why would it do that?"

I shrug, "I have no idea. Maybe when we get hearts, the same thing will happen to us."

"How'd she grab him?" Xion wonders.

I try to hold my own arm but fail to demonstrate anything. "I can't do it myself."

Xion stands up, "I'll help."

I nod, "Put your arms around mine, like you're hugging it close. Pretend to be scared."

"Scared? How do I do that?"

"Didn't you say you thought being on an island was scary? I guess you can just think about that."

Xion nods. I give her my arm to hold. She slowly clings onto it, bringing me closer to her. The familiar pain in my chest returns. The room suddenly rises in temperature.

"Is this it?" Xion asks, "Or was it closer?"

She lines her body with mine, closing any space between us. The pain in my chest worsens. It's hard to even hear myself think.

"I don't see how this makes anyone turn beet red. Do you, Roxas?" she looks up at me.

I turn to glance at her with caution, but that's a mistake. Our proximity made it hard to speak.

"Roxas?"

"Mmm." I mutter, "I don't see how this makes anyone red, either."

She starts chuckling.

"What?" I wonder, taking a step away from her.

"Looks like it worked. Maybe hugging naturally makes others red. I should try it with the other members of the Organization to see if it works with them, too."

I suddenly feel a different kind of pain, a nagging uncertainty stabbing me in the back of my head, "No."

Surprised, she asks: "What? Why not?"

I clear my throat, not understanding my own actions either. "They'll think you're weird. Let's keep this between us."

"We'll tell Axel." She muses, "Even though I've hardly talked to him, I feel that he's already my friend."

I pout involuntarily. I suppose Axel's fine.

Xion approaches me, getting closer, "It hasn't gone down one bit."

The heat in the room grows exponentially. She touches one of my cheeks and rubs it gently.

"It doesn't come off." She removes her right glove and tries again, her cold hand sending chills up my spine.

I turn in the other direction, "Xion, I think I get it. It'll probably go down in a few minutes."

The door opens with a bang, startling the both of us.

Demyx stands at the entrance, "Hey guys." Noticing my redness, Demyx exclaims, "Whoa! What happened to your face?"

Xion looks at me, asking me with her eyes if she could show him. I answer her with mine with a no.

"Nothing happened, Demyx. What is it?" Xion responds for me.

Demyx shrugs, "Fine. Don't tell me. Anyhow, don't you guys have a mission? Saïx's been naggin' at me to find you two. You're in trouble."

I sigh in exasperation. Demyx is the only member of the Organization that has the most penetrating personality.

"We'll be right there."

Demyx walks out of the room.

"Hey, it went away. Guess Demyx is the cure."

I groan, "Great. Now I can show my face to Saïx without being laughed at."

Xion smiles, "I wouldn't say that. I thought you looked cute."

The word catches my attention.

"Why cute?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. You felt cute."

Her statement doesn't make any sense to me. Could she possibly feel a memory? When the mind can't remember, can the body? If that's true, then is Xion the most original of us all?

"Let's head out." Xion says, "Wonder what he's got assigned for us today."

I shrug all my thoughts off, focusing on things that demand immediate attention, "Let's find out."

We enter the Grey Area with only Xigbar, Luxord, Demyx, Xaldin, and Saïx sitting or standing there. I'm disappointed to see that Axel still hasn't gotten here yet. I want Xion to meet him.

"Where have you two been? Do I need to send a messenger after you to know your whereabouts every time?" Saïx angrily demands.

We meekly stare at the floor. I mumble a sorry.

He sighs through his teeth, "Very well. You are here now. I presume that I will see you here earlier from now on, yes?"

We nod.

"Good." He returns his attention to the rest of the group, "I've called this assembly earlier than usual today to announce that a few of our members," he pauses, "have been destroyed—"

It's as if I'm buffeted in the stomach.

"—At Castle Oblivion. Very unfortunate. It's useless dwelling on the events of the past. We must focus on the task at hand: Kingdom Hearts."

I can't hold myself back, "What about Axel? Is he okay?"

Saïx raises his eyebrows, "What is this? Feigned anguish?"

I ball my hands into fists in anger, "I'm not feigning anything! Where's Axel? That was my question. My concern. What happened to him?"

Xion stands next to me, exuding support.

Saïx turns away from us, "Axel wasn't found."

My eyes widen, "You mean you don't know where he is?"

Yet another type of pain pulses against my chest. However, this one is different from before. This one hurts.

"You couldn't find him anywhere?" Xion asks for me, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. I can no longer speak with ease; the sensation in my interior impedes me from doing so. I gaze at her, trying to find answers I know she doesn't have.

Saïx scoffs, "We couldn't find him because he's the one we think was destroyed." The pain pulses full force. Saïx glares at Xion and I condescendingly. He's lying. I attempt to return his glare, but fail. I've been too conditioned to not disobey anyone here.

"Now, pull yourselves together. You have a mission. I won't be sending you as partners anymore."

Xion and I gaze at each other as if this is our final goodbye.

She smiles weakly at me, "Now, don't look so sad—it's not like we can, right?"

She pats my back gently. I can't let her see me like this.

"So, where are you sending us?" I inquire Saïx who eyes me oddly.

"Each mission is a separate matter. You, Roxas, go get ready while I tell, it—Xion—what to do."

I frown. Why doesn't he want me to know? I force myself to walk away from the center, making my way to the Moogle at the entrance.

It greets me, "Hey, kupo! You've been awarded the Novice Rank. This enables you higher access to weapons and other items otherwise unavailable to you. Now, what would you like to buy, sell, synthesize, or redeem?"

I haven't done many Holo-missions so I can't redeem anything. I pack some Hi-potions, Elixirs, and Limit Breaks. I rearrange my panels, adding new abilities I learned. Everything barely fits. I save my status with him so I don't forget what I have.

The Moogle nods at me, "Thank you, kupo! See you again and good luck!"

I nod somberly, returning to Saïx just as Xion takes her leave.

"Good luck!" I yell to her.

She turns as the portal's closing and gives me an equally somber smile before putting on her hood and hiding her face. I watch her back as it disappears in the darkness.

"Roxas."

I return my gaze to Saïx, "Yes, sir."

"Your mission today is to do reconnaissance in a new world. Don't be seen. But to assure that, Xigbar is going with you."

"Wha—" I start.

"No questions. Begin."

He can silence me outwardly, but not my thoughts. Why Xigbar? If I need a partner, what's so wrong with Xion?

Xigbar opens a portal, "Come on. Don't got all day."

I wonder why I can't make a portal of my own. I haven't been able to even conjure any powers of darkness. Perhaps it's my rank. Although Xion's younger than me and she already can. Most importantly, where is Axel? Is he really gone? What happens to Nobodies when they're destroyed?

I pass through the portal, taking one last look at the Grey Area, wondering if I want to come back at all.

We arrive in a hot, sunny, and sandy world.

A liquid wells up in my eyes. I wipe them to clear my vision.

"Well, let's start." Xigbar orders.

I don't respond. Even after the news of the deaths of our members, he didn't even care. It was like nothing happened.

"What?" He asks indifferently.

"Doesn't it bother you at all?" I venture to ask.

"Oh, you mean what happened at Castle Oblivion? As if." He laughs.

I glare but restrain myself, courtesy of my conditioning. "But we could have lost a comrade."

"So? Oh, I can see how that'll be a problem."

I finally feel like Xigbar has some sense of concern.

"Now with less Organization members, we'll need to change Organization XIII to VII!"

I shake my head in disgust. This guy thinks everything's a joke. There's no use even disputing with him.

"What happens to a Nobody when they're destroyed? What's left behind?" I ask through gritted teeth.

He shrugs, "Nothing. They're just gone. There's no heart in there and we were never meant to be in the first place, so it would make sense for us to 'poof'."

The pain in my chest moves to my throat. Swallowing becomes difficult.

"So, I'll never see them again?" I struggle to say.

He shakes his head, "Nope. Let's go. The sooner we recon, the faster you'll get all your answers."

The rest of the mission is a blur. I come back when it's time to RTC. I miss Xion. She would have understood how I felt. How I'm feeling. Xigbar walks through the portal.

Is Axel really gone? Will I never see him again? What's happening at Castle Oblivion? Why wont' Saïx tell me anything? I only want to know if he's all right. It's only natural to want friends to be safe. I'm not imagining this. This isn't a memory, is it? I grab my head with my hands, crouching to the floor.

Have I wanted a friend safe before? Blurry images. Have I had a friend like Axel? Blurry faces. Who was he? The images clear up slowly. Why was he my friend? No, that can't be it. The question I need answered is—The image clears-a boy about my age with silver hair appears. I know his name.

Then, who am I?

….

"Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that."

"Get real! Look which one of us is winning."

….

A white room. A girl with blond hair and piercing light blue eyes. She smiles, "Who are you?"

Day 1

I wake up with a gasp.

My head pounds like Demyx's playing his sitar full blast. I convince myself to calm down. My breathing slows. I open my ears to the sounds around me. The crashing of waves, splashing, and familiar laughter reverberate through my head. It wasn't Demyx playing his sitar after all. Before I open my eyes, I hear someone walking towards me. I blink several times, trying to adjust to light. The blue sky covers the expanse of my vision. Anew, I'm immersed in the beauty of another world. I sit up and realize I'm back on the island. Once again, I question my sense of reality. Is this real, or not?

I lay back down, catching a glimpse of red and blue. I blink twice as I stare into the eyes of a girl about four years younger than me with a striking resemblance to Xion.

"Kairi? Why are you older?"

"You're a lazy bum just like Sora—wait, did you just call me Kairi?"

A sudden flash of the blonde girl comes to mind, momentarily taking place of Kairi's face, then Xion's face covers the blonde girl's, only for both faces to disappear and have Kairi's face replace them.

I blink several times, ridding myself of all the confusion.

"What're you doin' here? How'd you know my name?" Kairi continues.

"Uh…lucky guess?" I try, without a single idea how to evade her question.

"That's a little too lucky if you ask me." She answers skeptically.

"Your eyes." I try again, "They remind me of the ocean, so I thought that you'd have, 'kai' in your name. 'Ri' just happens to be a good ending for a name so I just thought…" Clearly, I'm not in my right mind right now.

It would make things extremely awkward if she found out I spied on her and Sora when they were younger. Speaking of which, where is Sora?

Where's Axel? Even though Saïx told me he was destroyed, I don't want to believe it. Saïx is a very secretive man and this might be another one of those. Yet, I can't help but wonder why he would want to make everyone think Axel's dead like the other five members?

I take a moment to give my mental condolences to my lost comrades. For Vexen, you were always creepy. For Zexion, you were always smart. For Larxene, you always hated me. For Lexaeus, you were always monstrously huge. And for Marluxia, you were always very hard to distinguish. I was never sure if you were a man or a woman, but I know that you left us with style, probably leaving a pile of roses in your midst. Axel's not dead, so he's not getting any mental condolences. If he is, I'll spend the rest of my Nobody days in denial since he was my first friend.

"Hello-o-o? Anybody in there?" Kairi waves her hand back and forth over my eyes. I realize that I've been lying down the entre time. I sit up.

Kairi laughs, putting her hand to her lips, "I was right. You are a lazy bum."

I scratch the back of my head and turn to look at the ocean; its infinite distance overwhelms me. Will that ocean ever lead to an end?

I put my arm over my raised knee and rest my head, staring at the blue sea, ignoring Kairi.

"Watcha lookin' at?" Kairi asks, sitting down next to me.

Like the mind of a typical child, she's already lost interest in how I knew her name.

"Just the ocean." I answer, "There aren't many beaches where I'm from."

This catches her attention and I realize I made a mistake.

"Where are you from?"

Here come a barrage of questions.

"Did you wash up here? But you're not wet. So then, how did you get here? What's your name—"

I raise my hand and shush her nicely with a smile; eyebrows furrowed, trying told hold back a laugh, "I'll answer one of those."

"Why not all of them?" She rests her head on her knees.

I tilt my head up to the sky, then the ocean, "Because I only know one."

She raises her head as I turn to her.

"My name's Roxas. It's nice to formally meet you, Kairi."

SL: This is the updated version of Chapter 2! Hope you guys liked it! Things are going to start veering from the game from now on. What's going on? What's real and what's not? Is he dreaming or is he living a memory? What does all this mean for Xion? Why did I mention Xion? What happened to Axel? What's that guy doing? Will Roxas die of depression? (Spoiler...no, he doesn't...)

Anyways, look forward to the next chapter of Infallibility!