If We Had Hearts: After Sora had selflessly sacrificed herself for Kairi and became a heartless, a nobody was created. Solitary, wandering, not sure how she became or where to go her Nobody walked the streets of Twilight Town only to be found by the Leader of Organization XIII. He gave her a purpose, he gave her a name: Roxas.
Author's Note: I realized a little too late that I keep switching Marluxia and Luxiana's names. Marluxia is a girl in this series of stories, Ailuna is her true name and Luxiana is her nobody name. I will be making the necessary corrections in the story once I've posted this chapter. If you guys notice any other name mix-ups let me know so I can make the necessary corrections! Thanks! .
Chapter 8: Experimental Play
Kingdom Hearts…
The great big heart shaped moon in the sky was awed by everyone in the organization. Even though Roxas and Xion didn't understand why, the importance of this phenomenon was all too apparent. They were the keys to Kingdom Hearts, the driving force that collected the source of power needed to complete it.
...except Xion couldn't use his keyblade.
Mission after Mission the two of them went out together. Roxas defeated the heartless, collecting twice the amount of hearts she'd done before. Xion was helpful with crowd control. When it seemed like she was surrounded or the heartless too powerful, the two worked together to defeat the large masses that would suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Still without his keyblade Xion could do little to help the progress of the mission.
"I feel so useless…" Xion sighed staring down at his hands. "You're working so hard, Roxas, but I-"
"Don't get yourself down, Xion. You just need to keep trying. Here." She crossed to him letting her blade form in her hand. Stepping behind him she put the blade in his hand and forced him to grip it tight. "Get the feel of it again… grip it tight and close your eyes. Remember what it was like, remember the sensation of the power flowing through you."
Xion blushed bright red, his hand gripping tight, but when he closed his eyes all he could feel was Roxas pressed up on him, warm and… inviting.
"R-Roxas…"
"Hmm?" She let go and the blade faded. She walked around to face him fully. "You okay, Xion?"
"Y-Yeah… our mission is done let's RTC and go see Axel." He cleared his throat and hurried to the warp gate. Her brow rose a little but she followed him anyway. By the time they got to Twilight Town Axel was already there waiting for them. Roxas took her spot in the middle, her hand brushing Axel's as they sat close together. Xion scooted a little closer and took the ice cream he was offered.
"Thanks."
"Any progress?" Axel asked the two.
"Not really… and I can tell Saix is getting impatient with us." Xion sighed. "We won't be able to keep up the charade much longer. Both Saix and the superior look anxious to complete our objective."
"All this fighting…" Roxas sighed heavily. Something about the past few days left her weary. "I wonder what it's for."
"Come one, you know what it's for. We have to complete the great Kingdom Hearts." Axel answered.
"Kingdom Hearts…" Roxas said with a frown. "Just what is it?"
"It's the gathering place of hearts isn't it?" Xion affirmed.
"Yeah, it's where the hearts go when you release them." Axel continued the explanation. "When we collect enough, we might finally get hearts of our own."
"Hearts shall be made our own…" Xion repeated the Superior's words. Roxas scowled down at her ice cream.
"Is Kingdom Hearts… really that important?"
"What are you crazy?" Axel looked at her surprised.
"I just… I just don't see why having a heart is really that important." What was the difference, she wondered to herself. She looked down at the kids below running and playing. What made her any different then them?
"You're questioning that now?"
"I don't understand, because I don't have a heart." She bit into her ice cream and sighed heavily.
"Roxas…" Xion shared a look of concern with Axel, the two of them both worried where this line of thinking would get her.
"We'll find out once we have hearts." Axel stroked her back earning a soft smile. "That's why we fight, to find out what it's all about."
"Okay…" She nodded. "I guess you're right."
The sun finished setting and the three of them returned to the castle. Roxas and Axel went to his room and lay down on the bed curling up together. Axel stroked fingers through her hair. She was awfully quiet today… and what she'd brought up at the tower was disconcerting.
"Something happen I should know about?" He asked her.
"Hmmm?" She lifted her head up.
"You've been acting a little strange since the Superior brought us all together for the revealing of Kingdom Hearts. Then you said all that stuff atop the tower today." He caressed her cheek now. "I'm just wondering, is all."
"I'm not entirely sure… everytime I think about Kingdom Hearts there's this…" She sat up and pushed a fist into her gut. "Ache right here… kinda makes me want to throw up."
"Well that can't be good." He sat up with her.
"I don't understand, Axel. What makes us so different from those with hearts? We can do everything they can… but we just don't have the hearts. What are hearts for?"
"I don't have all the answers for you, Roxas. I wish I did. The whole reason the organization even exists is to explore the mysteries of the heart."
"So when we do have hearts… what then? What happens when the organization completes their mission? What'll happen to us?" She let him pull her back to him. She tucked her head comfortingly under his chin and closed her eyes. "I don't… have anywhere else to go. You and Xion...this castle… my missions… they're all I have."
"I don't know what'll happen once we do have hearts… but I promise you this." He pulled back and cupped her face. "No matter what happens, you'll always have me. I won't leave you hanging."
"Axel…" Her eyes went wet and her smile was soft and appreciative. "You promise?"
"I promise… I'll always be here for you." He kissed her sweet and soft and she slipped right into the comfort of it.
~Day 95~
The day's mission in Agrabah had gone smoothly. The three friends gathered together on the tower once more and the topic of the varying personalities of the organization's members came up.
"It looks like everyone in the organization is good at different things…" Roxas leaned back on her hands kicking her feet back and forth. She'd devoured today's ice cream, and now just relaxed between her two close friends.
"That's right, everybody's unique." Axel nodded biting into the last bit of his ice cream.
"Even nobodies without hearts?" Xion questioned.
"Yep.. just because we don't have hearts, doesn't mean we're all exactly the same. Take you for example Xion. You're unique because of your ambiguity. Your appearance, and voice differs depending on who you're communicating with."
"I guess so, though that part still confuses me. I only ever see one face when I look in the mirror." Xion told them.
"That's because you're looking at yourself, and seeing what you want. It's the same concept to everyone else."
"So then… how do you see me, Axel?"
"He sees a girl…" Roxas said with a laugh. "Apparently to him we look like twins."
"Twins?" He looked Roxas up and down… and for a moment Roxas saw the form change… the male form softening and filling out to female and the hair growing longer and flowing black and curly down her back. Roxas felt a bit of unease at the sight and quickly looked back to Axel.
"I wonder why we're all so different. The dusks all seem to have similar forms and powers but we don't." Roxas wondered.
"The member of the organization are different then the dusks and other normal nobodies. We all have memories of our past." Axel explained tapping his temple. "It's what makes us special. We remember what we were like when we were human."
"...but…" Roxas sat up straight looking a bit sad. "I don't."
"Me neither…" Xion agreed.
"Maybe that's what makes you the most unique in the organization." Axel commented meaning it to be more of a tease than a serious comment.
"Hmmm…" Roxas pouted… but then curiosity got the better of her. She glanced up at Axel. "What were you like before you were a nobody?"
"Me?" Surprised by the question Axel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I suppose I've always been pretty much the same."
"I wish I could remember stuff like that… the only inkling I have are these… sensations I get when I'm around you guys. At least that's what Saix says. I'm feeling all these emotions not because I have a heart… but because I remember what my heart would feel. It sounds so… complicated."
"I get those sensations too…" Xion agreed. "It's always when I'm with you two. I like it, even if I don't understand it." His eyes traveled up to Axel. "Do you feel that way too, Axel?"
"Let's not get into that. Let's just enjoy the time we have together, alright?"
"Oh well now you've got me curious." She teased.
"Curiosity killed the cat, Roxie. Better stick to defeating heartless than asking all these questions." He warned.
"I know but…" Her face went serious. "I honestly want to remember more. I don't have any memories, even from when I was born a nobody."
"All you did was stare into space." Axel teased and Roxas nudged him with her elbow.
"Oh thanks!" She laughed when Axel ruffled her hair. Xion laughed too and pat Roxas' shoulder.
"Don't feel too bad, Roxas… I don't remember much of my past either." Xion put in.
"You two sure do have a lot in common." Axel said with some irritation. Why their commonality irritated him he wasn't entirely sure. Deciding he didn't want to think too much on it he stood up. "Come on, let's head back." He walked away. Xion helped Roxas up and the two of them followed behind him.
"Now I'm the one that's curious…" Xion decided with a small laugh. "Do you think he feels the same way we do."
"I don't have to think…" Roxas said with a gentle smile. She stared at Axel's strong back, and watched every little movement of his body as if to memorize it. "I know he does."
~Day 96~
The jig was up… Roxas wasn't sure if Saix had caught on or if he really was trying to pass out multiple missions, but today he wanted her and Xion separated. Though their protested the guy remained unmoving… until Axel had stuck his neck out.
"You're not gonna send Roxas by herself to Beast's Castle, are you? I was just there yesterday, I saw the heartless and question and I doubt she can handle it alone. You're better off sending both of them."
"If I do that then who's going to handle the heartless in Agrabah?" Saix complained narrowing his eyes on Axel's smirk.
"I will!" Axel beat a fist on his chest. "I'll keep things from going haywire while the two of them take on Beast's Castle, and then Roxas can complete the mission tomorrow."
"Hmmph… very well. Be warned though, this is your last mission together. From here on out the two of you will be working separately." He told them then allowed them into the portal. He then looked to Axel. "Don't think for a minute that little I believed that."
"Believed what?" Axel asked innocently.
"That reprehensible performance…" he said with a growl.
"I don't know what you mean." Axel laughed and shrugged it off. "Whelp, I better get going to Agrabah." He opened the portal himself and exited.
~Beast's Castle~
"Looks like we owe Axel one…" Roxas commented as they stepped out of the portal and into the dungeons of the castle. She glanced back at Xion who sighed heavily. "You okay?"
"I just… I don't know what I'm gonna do starting tomorrow." He looked at his hand trying to get the keyblade to appear but shook his head. "It's no use."
"Don't give up, Xion… here." She let her keyblade form. "Try and use mine… You held it alright before, so maybe if you remember how to wield it like this it'll help you remember."
"Alright…" Xion eyed the blade in his hand swinging it around smoothly. "...but what are you gonna use?"
"Oh I'll be fine…" Roxas looked around for a weapon and found a big sturdy stick and waved it around. "I'll just improvise."
"Roxas…" Xion said trying to stifle a laugh. "That's a stick."
"Hey," with some sass she cocked a hip out holding the stick out to him. "You've managed without the keyblade this far, you don't think I'm up to it?"
Xion couldn't help it. He laughed and shook his head.
"Far be it from me to stop you. Alright… let's find this heartless!" he held up the blade in both hands and took a deep long breath. He would remember… he had to remember, for both of their sakes.
They explored the castle grounds.. Sneaking past the servants and defeating the smaller heartless as they went along. Despite Roxas only having a stick for a weapon she managed to beat back a good chunk of the enemies. It helped that they both had magics they could use to eliminate the more troublesome heartless.
He had to admit, feeling the keyblade in his hand, fighting with it… was helping him get into the feel of the fight. He hadn't held a keyblade in so long that he worried he'd lose his edge… but the abilities and skills he'd picked up before came rushing back to him with ease.
As they walked into the ballroom their target appeared. The large dog shaped heartless barking and snarling threateningly at them.
"Here we go… you ready?" Roxas held the stick her eyes set.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Xion rushed forward. The blade beat back the beastly creature and the power inside him grew. He was remembering, he could actually feel the power in him returning. It was working!
"You're finally here Sora…"
The voice, and memory rushed through Xion so fast he had to gasp. He miscalculated and the beast sent him flying across the ballroom floor. Roxas' keyblade fell out of his hands and skidded across the floor to her.
"XION!" Roxas picked up the blade to rush in to help but she was too far away. The heartless leapt up to attack him. "LOOK OUT!"
Xion looked up… fear came first but then determination took over.
"I need to take back what belongs to me! Let the keyblade choose… ITS TRUE MASTER!"
He held out his hand calling forth the power… and his blade reappeared. As the heartless leapt on him he slice his blade clean through its body and released the heart from the vanishing mass of darkness.
"Xion!" Roxas rushed forward and leapt up wrapping her arms around him. "You did it! You've got your keyblade back!"
"Y-yeah… I did." He panted a bit looking at his blade then down at the girl hugging him tight. For a minute he forgot who he was, what he was doing. Then he held out the keyblade behind her back and remembered. "I remember."
"I'm so glad! Now things can go back to normal!" She lifted her head up smiling. "You don't have to worry anymore."
"I don't…" He let the blade fade and stepped into Roxas once more hugging her tightly. "I don't have to worry. Thank you, Roxas."
"Hehe, You're welcome." She closed her eyes. "I'm just happy you're back to normal."
"Yeah…" His eyes went distant a moment as another memory flashed. He saw a man, silver hair, cerulean eyes, and a wicked smile. His head bent down to kiss the girl, and collect his reward.
"You did well to protect yourself Sora… now you just leave everything to me."
"Roxas…"
"Yeah?" Roxas tilted her face up and found herself being kissed. Her eyes went wide and her body still. For a moment she too felt herself remembering.
I love you… Sora.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she stepped back from the kiss holding her chest as it ached and throbbed. She felt herself getting dizzy, felt her face go hot and she did the only thing that came to mind.
She ran away.
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Yay! Another chapter done! *booty wiggle* I hope you all like the drama! I can't wait to hear your comments and opinions on this chapter!
Next Chapter: Ignorance is Bliss
