Remembering the Forgotten
By: Ellipsis the Great
DISCLAIMER: Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…although the original idea came from orangediscord's one-shot 'Left Behind.'
Summary: Sometimes, I thought I was the only person who remembered him…eventual Seiner, other pairings unknown.
Rated: M.
Spoilers: Takes place after Kingdom Hearts II; I dunno how much of the plot will be included yet, though.
Warnings: Yaoi and a little angst (probably). More warnings later if needed.
Chapter Three: Excessum (departure, death, digression)
"And though I cannot see you—and I can't explain why—such a deep, deep reassurance you've placed in my life…we cannot separate; 'cause you're part of me. And though you're invisible I'll trust the unseen…" –BarlowGirl, 'Never Alone'
"What do you mean, 'basically he's dead?'" I asked, scowling furiously as Hayner got pale beside me. "He's either dead or he isn't, lady."
"Roxas was never really alive in the first place." Aerith said. "He was a Nobody."
"A…Nobody?" Hayner repeated slowly.
"When a person becomes a Heartless, their souls are left behind. If the person was strong-willed, their soul becomes a Nobody. If the person was very strong-willed, it becomes a humanoid Nobody like Roxas. Roxas was Sora's Nobody."
"So…you're saying that Sora didn't have a soul for as long as Roxas was around?" I asked.
She shook her head. "It was fragmented. It's a rare occurrence for a Nobody and its Other to exist at the same time, but Sora and Kairi are…special."
"Kairi?" Hayner asked.
"Yes, she had a Nobody as well. Her Nobody's name was Naminé. After Sora, Kairi, and Riku defeated Organization XIII—a group of humanoid Nobodies who were trying to get hearts—Roxas and Naminé became one with their Others. They don't exist anymore." Aerith said.
"Basically, they're dead." I repeated her earlier statement, chuckling mirthlessly.
She nodded. "I'm sorry."
"But there still has to be a reason why we remember Roxas ." Hayner insisted. "Maybe they weren't really supposed to rejoin with their Others, or maybe—"
"Hayner…I think the memories you have are just the result of some sort of glitch in Ansem's virtual world." Aerith said. "Cid and Merlin will be able to figure out the particulars, but I don't think your memories mean anything except that something went wrong when the alternate Twilight Town was destroyed."
"Everything happens for a reason." Hayner said. "Everything, Aerith. There's a reason why Seifer and I remember Roxas even though we've technically never met him. There's a reason why we're the only ones this glitch apparently effected. There's a reason for all of it."
"Hayner." I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's probably just a coincidence."
"I don't believe in coincidences." Hayner snapped, jerking away from me. "And I am going to get to the bottom of this, whether you come with me or not. I'm going to find Roxas or Sora or whoever he is and…and I'm going to find out what's going on."
We stared at each other for a while, his gaze indignant and determined while mine was cool and unsure. Finally, I nodded.
"I'll see this thing through with you." I said.
His mouth stretched into a wide smile that made my heart do something funny.
"Thanks, Seifer." He said, without any of the sarcasm or derision that would normally have been in his voice.
I just nodded and looked at Aerith again. She had a strange look on her face.
"Enemies, hm?" She asked, smiling a little. "But I suppose the only thing for it is to help you."
"That's the spirit, Aerith." Hayner said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and grinning widely at her. I quashed the jealousy that roiled in my gut at the sight.
"We should still go see Cid and Merlin, though." She continued.
"We can eat first, can't we?" Hayner asked, giving her the most convincing puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen a person over the age of six manage to produce. "I'm hungry, Aerith."
She laughed at him softly and she pushed open the door to a tidy little flat. "Of course, Hayner. I'll fetch them while you two are eating."
"Thank you!" Hayner practically chirped, plopping into a chair by a table when she gestured for him to do so.
I did the same, though I was far more subdued than my…I suppose the best word for him at that point would have been 'companion.'
Aerith started pulling out some food for us, humming as she moved around the kitchen with the air of someone who spent a lot of time there. To be honest, it was kind of strange for me to see a woman in the kitchen—my mom could have burned a salad. My dad wasn't much better, though, which meant that I had mostly grown up on take out until I taught myself to cook and started fixing meals for us at age ten. Anyhow, she didn't really cook anything, just gave us stuff to make sandwiches with and then left with a cheerful wave and a promise to be back soon with Merlin and Cid (whoever they were).
"So…Roxas is dead." I said after we'd finished making our sandwiches.
"Sort of." Hayner said insistently, frowning at me.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" I asked. "I mean, there might be no way for us to ever actually see him again. We might just be visiting Sora, or…"
"I don't care, Seifer." He cut me off. "I'm telling you: there's a reason that all of this happened, and I want to find out what it is. Maybe Roxas wasn't supposed to rejoin his Other. We just don't know, and we won't know until we find Sora."
"Hmm." I frowned, turning the idea over in my head. "What if—"
"Seifer." He said, giving me a look.
I pursed my lips together but didn't try to broach the subject again. The silence became uncomfortable, and just as I was about to break it, Hayner did instead.
"What was it that you called the asshole?" He asked curiously.
"I called him Squall." I said, making a face at the thought of the scarred brunette.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because that's his name." I said softly.
"Aerith said his name is Leon." He pointed out. "No one ever said anything about Squall."
"His name is Squall Leonhart." I said, feeling a little sick upon realizing that I wasn't sure how I was so sure of that fact.
"How do you know?" He asked.
I shrugged. "I don't, I guess. It's just…it's the same feeling I got about Roxas. Only…I had some vague memories of Roxas…but with Squall, I have no memory of knowing him at all. I just know that his name is Squall Leonhart, and he's a fucking asshole."
"That's weird." Hayner decided, taking a thoughtful bite of his sandwich.
"Everything is weird, lately." I scoffed as I shoved the last of my sandwich into my mouth.
He nodded, holding up a finger to indicate that he had something to say once he'd swallowed. He did. "Maybe it's all interconnected, y'know? I mean, he seemed to remember you, right? Maybe all that virtual world stuff made something funny happen in the real world, too."
"I dunno…maybe." I sighed, slipping my beanie off and running a hand through my hair. "I fucking hate all this confusing shit."
"Hmm." Hayner grunted acquiescently, leaning back in his chair.
"—And I'm telling you: magic had absolutely nothing to do with that confounded piece of machinery!" An old, crackling voice practically shrieked as the door opened. It belonged to an ancient gentleman wearing a blue dress (well, probably a robe, but what the fuck ever) and a pointed blue hat, which coupled with his long silver beard and bushy gray eyebrows nearly hid the rest of his wizened face. He was arguing with a grouchy looking, slightly younger than middle-aged man with cropped blonde hair and scowling blue eyes. The second man wore a light blue t-shirt and green army pants, a brown jacket tied around his waist and a pair of goggles strapped across his forehead.
"Of course it had something to do with it!" The second man snapped gruffly. "The only time computers screw up this badly is when some sort of magic is involved!"
"Hrrmph! Computers don't need any help 'screwing up,' as you so crudely put it. They do it just fine themselves, and quite often without any magical interference." The older man said snippily as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Ha!" The other snorted, but was stopped from saying anything more as Aerith entered behind them.
"Gentlemen," She said in that sweet way women say things when they're trying not to sound angry. "Those two sitting over there are Seifer and Hayner. The ones from Twilight Town. Boys, these are my friends Merlin," she motioned to the older man, then at the younger, "and Cid."
"Pleasure." I said, not sure that it was.
"Seifer, Hayner." The old guy, Merlin, nodded jerkily. "Perhaps you can explain. Aerith wasn't very forthcoming."
"I thought you two were the ones explaining shit to us." Hayner said with a frown.
"We ain't gonna be able to do that if we don't know what shit we've gotta explain." Cid said. I had the feeling I was going to like him (I tend to get along pretty well with down-to-earth and straightforward people…and quit looking at me like that. Hayner doesn't count).
"We remember this kid named Roxas, but no one else does." I said. "So we're trying to find him, only Aerith says he's dead—or as close to dead as a Nobody can be. And she says we never actually met him since he only existed in an alternate Twilight Town."
"But we do remember him." Hayner piped up. "And we want to know why."
The two newcomers stared at us for a moment.
"Shit." Cid said finally, scratching his head.
"Did Ansem use magic when he created the alternate Twilight Town?" Merlin asked.
"Probably." Cid said, pulling a face at the thought. "He didn't have long to make the damn thing, and most people use magical shortcuts with technology nowadays…stupid bastards…"
"I can't blame them." Merlin sniffed daintily. "Technology is practically useless by itself."
"Why you—" Cid began.
"Cid! Merlin!" Aerith scolded, putting her hands on her hips.
They just snorted at each other like bulls about to charge, then turned away and crossed their arms over their chests.
"I'll have to go talk to Tron to see what Ansem did, exactly." Cid said. "See what magic he used and whatnot. Merlin'll have to tell me what sort of side effects it would have."
"And there are tests that should be done on those two." Merlin added, motioning at Hayner and I.
"Well, save that part for tomorrow." Aerith said, glancing at Hayner as he yawned. "They've had a long, hard day and should get some rest. You can get everything else done so you know what tests to run."
Both men nodded.
"There's something else, too." I said uncertainly. "I don't know if it'll help, or if it has anything to do with what's already going on, but when I met that Leon guy, the name Squall Leonhart popped into my head. It's kind of like what happened with Roxas, only I don't remember anything except his name and the fact that he pisses me off."
"But that's probably just because he punched him." Hayner drawled with a slight scowl.
"Right." I said.
"Interesting." Merlin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You name wouldn't happen to be Seifer Almasy, would it?"
"Yeah, why?" I asked.
"Very interesting." Merlin said, ignoring me.
"Excuse me, but what's interesting?" Hayner asked.
"I've just remembered something from Ansem's notes." Merlin said. "It might explain why Seifer remembers so much, although I'm afraid it doesn't explain why you do."
Hayner wrinkled his nose.
"I'll have to do some research." Merlin continued, then left with a distracted wave, muttering to himself and wagging a finger at nothing.
"Senile old codger." Cid rolled his eyes, then waved at us. "I'll be back tomorrow with as much as I can figure out tonight." He turned and followed after Merlin at a slow pace. "Stupid old farts and their magic…"
Hayner and I stared at the door for a moment, then looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Aerith asked.
Neither of us could answer, our laughter escalating to an almost hysterical pitch. It wasn't really that the two of them had been particularly funny—although they were quite amusing—it was just a…I guess a catharsis. And yeah, I know words like 'catharsis.' I'm a bully, not a fucking idiot, thank you.
Aerith gave us an odd, almost calculating look for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "Well, if you two are finished with your dinner, I'll show you to your room."
"Room?" I repeated slowly, choking back an errant laugh. "As in, singular? One room?"
"Unless one of you wants to bunk with Leon." She said.
The expressions on our faces must have been answer enough, because she giggled and motioned at us to follow her.
We did, and were led to a small room with a double bed, a rocking chair, and a chest of drawers.
"You can share the bed, or I can get some blankets and extra pillows." Aerith said.
"We'll share." I said before Hayner could answer, causing both of them to give me a funny look. "We don't know where this little 'adventure' is gonna take us, so we should have a real good night's sleep in a bed before we go. Sleeping on the floor would make us tense and shit."
"Just don't kick me off." Hayner said with a short laugh, sliding his vest off his shoulders and tossing it onto the edge of the rocking chair. He plopped heavily down on the bed and kicked off his shoes, yawning and laying down. "Night, Aerith."
"Goodnight, guys. Sleep well." She smiled sweetly as she closed the door and hummed as she walked down the hall.
I sighed a little as I took off my jacket, boots, and socks. After a short debate with myself, I stripped off my shirt, as well, throwing it in the general direction of the chair. I then sat on the bed, cracking my neck and shoulders loudly before I lay down on my back and closed my eyes.
"Did you really paint it?" Hayner asked suddenly. He was on his stomach, arms stuffed under his pillow, and when I opened my eyes to look at him I could just make out his face in the darkness.
"Yeah."
"Didn't know you were such an artist." He said, his voice strangely monotone—like it couldn't decide what emotion to convey.
"That's not an accident." I said. "If my dad found out…" I grimaced, though Hayner couldn't see it. "Let's just say you would probably never see me again."
"But you're good." He protested.
"Yeah, but only nancy boys who can't deal with their emotions in a normal way paint." I said, mimicking the mocking tones my father used when he talked about art. "Like drinking yourself to death is a much better way to deal with them."
"Isn't your dad still alive?" He asked.
"I'm just waiting for the day I wake up and find him dead with a bottle in his hand." I said. "Damn drunk son of a bitch."
"Why's he hate it so much?"
I shrugged. "Dunno. He's never liked it, but he used to tolerate it since my mom is the one that taught me. Then when my mom died…" I trailed off for a moment. "I've never been sure if he started getting so bitchy about it because it reminded him of her, or because she just wasn't around to defend me anymore. Maybe a little bit of both."
"Oh." He said. "And…what're you supposed to be doing?"
"Struggling." I spat out. "I enjoy it well enough, don't get me wrong, it just pisses me off that he thinks forcing me to Struggle all the time is gonna change me. Like, at all. Real men Struggle, Seifer, they don't go around painting daisies and calling it a masterpiece."
"What a douche." He said. "No wonder you're such a dick."
I couldn't help but laugh. "That's probably part of it."
"And what's the other part?" He asked.
"I fucking enjoy pissing you off." I taunted.
"Ass." He said, though he didn't sound completely serious about it.
"We've already established that, lamer." I said. "Now go the fuck to sleep or I will kick you out of the damn bed."
He mumbled something that I couldn't make out, and a few moments later I heard light snores coming from his side of the bed. Hayner would be one of those lucky bastards that can fall asleep anywhere, anytime.
I wasn't nearly so lucky, but somehow I managed to drift off a mere half hour or so later, vaguely wondering if this was going to be the last good night's sleep I would get for a while.
End Chapter Three