Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Hikari ❯ Prologue: Part III ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Prologue: Part III of III

~�We can go to the beach next time�� She sighed, looking away. �I want things to go back to the way they were. The way they�re supposed to be,� she finally finished.
�I think�� Roxas said, his voice strangely detached, �they are.�~

Non Anime: Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.27.2006 | Updated On: 07.30.2006 | Pages: 25 | Words: 21.7K | Visits: 180 | Status: Work In Progress

Hikari

Prologue, Part III

Thursday, July 27, 2006

“Kimi to iu hikari ga watashi o mitsukeru mayonaka ni…”

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“You got in the last shot after the buzzer started. It won't count,” she said, looking crestfallen as his expression changed. She hadn't meant to upset him.

“Ohh,” Roxas moaned, burying his head in his one free hand. He could have won! Would have won, no doubt about it… He looked over at the crowd around Setzer. A couple of girls were giving him baleful looks. Then, of course, the crowd parted, and there was Setzer himself, who was positively glaring daggers. Roxas could feel his already tight chest fill with metaphorical holes. But the triumphant look on Setzer's bloodied face was enough to tell Roxas that the older fighter knew the last shot had come to late. Even with a wad of tissue obscuring part of his face, Roxas could see him jeering, saying something to his loyal crowd of sheep-ple.

“Ah-h-hem.” Everyone turned to face the announcer, anxiously. He handed off the mike to the judge.

“Ladies and Gentlemen… Our current Struggle Champion is—”

He paused. Roxas clenched his eyes shut, and could feel Ari squeezing his hand again, further cutting off circulation. How could he blow it like that?

“Roxas….”

It took a moment for it to sink in, but Hayner violently shaking his shoulders seemed to help a bit. The crowd was going crazy— people were screaming and someone started chanting his name. Eventually, the whole place was doing it. Stunned, Roxas reeled back a bit, a goofy grin on his face. His gaze drifted over to Setzer, who was standing there, staring back at him, almost blankly. It took a few seconds for the actor to regain his composure, but he suddenly turned on a heel and walked off the platform. Roxas' eyes followed him— much as Setzer expected, as when he reached the exit, he spun, pointing to Roxas, his mouth open—

“You did it!.!” Olette and Pence had just run up, getting in Setzer's way. The older man's jaw snapped shut, and Roxas laughed as he walked off sulkily.

Pence saw the ordeal, and was forced to laugh. “That was awesome Roxas.” Even though he wasn't exactly one to brag, Roxas couldn't help but smile proudly at his friends. However, he was all of a sudden aware of the sensation of being tackled from multiple sides at once— he wasn't sure who, but at least two or three of his friends had just decided to initiate a group hug, if not all of them. Good-naturedly, he allowed himself to be hugged and kind've squished.

Everything bad already seemed like some distant dream. The here and now was taking its place, and Roxas didn't really care about what else had happened.

Looking over Pence's head, he could see the judge approaching with the trophy. He grinned even wider.

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“Geez, you gonna do anything besides stare at that thing, Roxas?” Hayner glanced over the three people between himself and Roxas, not allowing them to get in the way of his pretend-sulk.

“What, just a bit jealous?” Roxas gave him the cheesiest grin he could possibly muster. Hayner cracked up, shaking his head.

“Nah…Hey!” Right as he opened his eyes, Hayner saw a flying red orb about a foot away from him. His hand darted up and caught it. “Huh?”

Olette already had a yellow one, and Roxas tossed a green one at Pence. Finally Hayner saw where he was getting them as he reached up and removed the blue crystal from the Struggle trophy he had just won, and handed it to Ari.

“As promised,” he said, sounding extremely self-satisfied.

“Really?” “Wow…” “Thanks a ton, Roxas!”

Hayner, Pence and Olette began to hold theirs up to the sunshine. Ari began to look guilty.

“What about you?”

Roxas just grinned and held up the trophy. “Hey, I've still got the part that really matters, don't I?” he asked teasingly. Ari gave him a disparaging look and shoved at his shoulder, but they were both smiling.

Glancing down at the blue crystal in her hands, she raised it up to the sun as well. The light danced through it, reflecting off of the ocean in the distance, the gently shifting clouds, even slight changes in the wind. It was vaguely hypnotizing. She smiled to herself.

“One more treasure for us to share,” Hayner said quietly, going into yet another of his strangely serious moments.

“Oh, hey… I've got a present too!” Olette said, suddenly remembering. She dug into her messenger bag, producing five bars of sea-salt ice cream. “For all of us.”

The others laughed a bit, but none of them would turn the stuff down. She began to pass it out, and Roxas, eager, tried to lean around Ari to get to his. It was just a bit too far, so he stood up, reaching over her now—

—his foot began to slip—

It seemed like, for one awful moment, everything seemed to slow down. He could feel his heart beating, so hard it hurt. He could see the horror-struck expressions on his friends' faces. He could feel himself teetering too far out, and his foot coming clean off of the ledge, and his hand reaching out for it, too slowly.

He could suddenly see the ground rushing up to meet him.

-----------------------------------------

“Kairi, wait up!” A girl with short brown hair, still wearing her school uniform, chased after another.

The other girl, with dark red hair, turned around to face her. They smiled as the first caught up, and continued walking.

“Hey, do you feel like going out to the island? Tidus and Wakka are all

wrapped up in their ballgame and they won't go with me.”

“Not today,” Kairi said. “Sorry, Selphie.”

“Aw,” Selphie said, trying not to whine. “Why not?”

Kairi paused, before looking back up at Selphie. “Do you remember those boys who used to hang out with us?”

“Boys?” Selphie seemed surprised. “Other than Tidus and Wakka?”

Kairi laughed. “Yes, other than them.”

Selphie blinked a couple times, trying to remember. “Well, there was Riku…”

Kairi nodded, looking off at the ocean. “Yeah…”

“I wonder whatever happened to him… I sure miss him.”

Kairi didn't hesitate to answer. “He's far away. But I know we'll see him again.”

“Sure. Of course we will.” She smiled at her friend.

But that hadn't exactly been the answer Kairi was looking for… Not the only answer. Sighing inwardly, she figured there was just no other way to put it. “And the other boy?”

“… What other boy?”

Kairi actually stopped and turned to look at Selphie, who seemed confused. She turned and looked out over the ocean again, this time to the play island that she could remember spending so many summer days on. “The one who was with Riku and me all the time—we played together on that island. His voice always used to be there...but now it's gone.” Kairi grew quiet, as if musing to herself. “I can't think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it. So I told myself— I'm not going to the island until I remember everything about him.”

Selphie seemed a bit disturbed… she couldn't remember any other boy… Certainly not one that had been really close with all of them. She was sure she'd remember that. “Are you sure you didn't… y'know, make him up?”

Naminé?

“Agh!”

“Kairi!”

Kairi suddenly grabbed at her forehead, her eyes clenched in pain.

Naminé...? What's happening to me?

Who are you? And that's not my name. I'm Kairi.

Kairi... I know you. You're that girl he likes.

What? Wait…who?.! Please, a name!

I'm Roxas.

Okay, Roxas, but can you tell me HIS name?

Suddenly a new voice broke in.

You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi! Okay, I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an "S!"

“You okay?”

Kairi didn't answer for a moment, but then she looked up, nodding and smiling. All of a sudden she took of running for the beach, even against Selphie's protests, demanding she wait for her. When Selphie finally caught her up, they were both standing on the beach, and Kairi was removing a bottle from her book bag.

“This is a letter. I wrote it yesterday; to the boy I can't remember. I said that no matter where he is... I'll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important. This letter is where it starts. I know it.” With that, she released the bottle into the water, watching it drift away.

“Starts with an `S'…Right, Sora?”

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Restoration at 79%

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Roxas… Kairi…

Sora…

Ari felt something reset, and all of a sudden she was sitting up in her bed. Disoriented, she closed her eyes, putting one hand to her head. What in the world just happened? It was like when she had blacked out before, and had no memory. But this time, she was positive that it hadn't been her.

And what about those men, talking? It was like she could hear words, echoed in her head. Images being played in her eyes, from someone else. Somehow, that worried her more than the strange jump in time. They were plotting something.

Like she had a… a connection. Who with… now, that was the question, wasn't it?

Ari tried to will the images back to her head. To remember something about what they had said.

But it was pretty much useless. All she could remember was seeing the man in the black cloak pull down his hood.

“I am Ansem.”

Ansem… Ari shivered. Even though they were just dreams, the images she had seen of this man were bad enough. But there was something about him. Something that didn't seem quite right. Ari clenched her eyes shut, wishing she could go back to sleep. Even though she was positive she hadn't been asleep in the first place.

True to ironic fashion, the sun was just rising. Exasperated, Ari threw her covers off, and stalked towards her dresser, yanking out clothes.

This was all getting completely overwhelming.

-----------------------------------------

Later on they all met up to finally get some work done on their summer project, over Hayner's complaining. In the end, they decided to do a report on a bunch of rumors about weird things that had been happening lately, splitting up to go check them out.

Roxas was already weirded out over falling off of the tower the day before— no one seemed to believe it had happened, except for Ari, again. And then all of this weird stuff. All of it was true, except whenever someone else came around, there was suddenly a perfect explanation. And Ari was off with Olette, so he couldn't exactly talk to her about all the strange stuff.

Okay, the stairs thing was completely bogus, Roxas reflected. Stairs that supposedly counted differently going up and down. But a wall that shot out giant white orbs? Something that looked and acted like Vivi that suddenly split into about fifteen copies of itself and attacked him? A dog that turned into one of those white… things? And then when his own reflection in a fountain attacked him?.!

Insane. Completely insane.

For the moment, the five of them had met up and were laying around on their stomachs, waiting for a supposed `Ghost Train'. They were up on a hill known as Sunset Hill, where a tunnel ran straight into the hillside beneath them, which meant they would get a perfect view of any trains that came by.

“If the rumors are true, it'll be here any minute...” Pence said, trying to assuage his friends' impatience.

“You said that fifteen minutes ago, Pence.”

Pence just shook his head, continuing with his story. “They say the train is empty. No driver, no conductor—”

“No passengers...” Hayner said with him, causing Pence to pause. Hayner finished the line for him, “No return. Pence, you already told us all of this!” He rolled over onto his back, obviously bored.

Pretty much everyone else seemed the same way, and the conversation quickly turned away from ghost trains and stupid rumors. “We've gotta make it to the beach next year,” Olette said, looking out over the landscape, where, in the distance, she could see the ocean reflecting.

“Yeah,” Hayner said, “we better get jobs the second vacation starts.”

“Good afternoon, slackers.”

Hayner rolled over on his stomach, practically bristling as he recognized the voice. He stared up into Seifer's grinning face. “What are you doing out here?” the older teen asked.

Hayner snorted. “What do you care?”

“I don't.” His grin widened. “Tell me anyway.”

“We're waiting for the ghost train,” Pence volunteered.

Mockingly, Seifer repeated his words. “Waiting for the ghost train! Puh-leeze.” He began to laugh, and Roxas suddenly stood, annoyed. His laugh died away as he looked over Roxas, his own annoyance starting to show. “Why does looking at you always tick me off?”

Roxas couldn't tell if he was teasing him or being serious, but suddenly felt a lot calmer. He shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it's destiny.”

“Destiny...” He shook his head, his grin softening a bit. “In that case, let's be friends.” That was surprising enough it brought everyone, including Ari and Hayner, to a dead stillness. Seifer glanced at them, a mischievous but amused look in his eyes. “I don't feel like cooperating with destiny.”

“When have you ever cooperated with anything?”

Ari tossed a glance at Hayner, then Seifer, but the latter only tapped his chest with his fist, almost as a way of farewell. Ari suddenly remembered something—

“Seifer! Remember, you promised—”

“I know. Tomorrow.”

Whatever Seifer had promised, it seemed that he wasn't going back on his word. Five sets of eyes watched him walk off. But then one strayed a bit away, before widening in surprise.

“Look!” Roxas yelled, tossing himself at the railing. A strange train was rolling in, bright purple and blue and gold, and covered in strange designs— obviously not something that belonged in Twilight Town. “That has to be it! Come on!” he yelled, dashing off of the hill and towards the station.

As he got to the station, the train was stopped there, sure enough, and he moved towards it. He suddenly felt a hand holding him back, and he turned to see Hayner.

“What?”

Hayner gave him a look like he was crazy. “Uh, let's see… you'll get crushed by the next train that comes through?” Roxas looked confused, but turned around.

It was gone.

Like it had never been there.

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Later on, walking through the Tram Common, Roxas was staring at his feet. Moping would probably be the more accurate term, but Roxas didn't care. He knew he wasn't crazy, but his friends were treating him like he was! Even Ari hadn't said anything, but part of him was hoping it was just because they had been in front of Hayner, Pence and Olette. Part of him was hoping she was still seeing everything he was seeing. He needed to know that this was all really happening.

As they walked, Roxas glanced up, noticing the hole in the town wall. Something in him clicked, and he turned towards Pence, vaguely suspicious. “Hey, Pence, about the wonders…”

Hayner, sensing an uncomfortable subject approaching, decided to change it. “Yeah, about those. Let's just go home and work on the paper.”

Pence let out a rueful laugh. “The rumors were all bogus. The end.”

“We can still make it sound good, if we write about all the work we did!” Olette said, sounding miffed.

Roxas was surprised. They sounded like they were done with it. “But what about the seventh wonder? Pence—”

“Who cares?” Hayner cut him off.

Roxas gave him a dirty look. “I do. C'mon Pence, where is it?” He had a sneaking suspicion that he already knew where it was.

Pence hesitated, long enough for Hayner to get mad and storm off, and for Olette to give Roxas an expression that was hard to interpret. Roxas looked at Pence somewhat incredulously, as if asking, What, are you going to turn on me too?

He sighed. “It's at that haunted mansion.”

“Knew it!” Hayner took off running, leaving Pence and Ari behind to stare at each other.

“He's, uh…”

Pence hemmed and hawed for a moment, and Ari glanced down, thinking. Finally, she looked back up at Pence, shaking her head, and followed Roxas. Pence looked back and forth between the retreating backs of his friends, now apparently completely divided. A bit helplessly, he looked up at the sky, mentally wondering why these things were happening.

In the meantime, Roxas was storming his way through the forest outside of town, trying to point himself towards the setting sun— whenever he could see it. The problem was, what with the thick trees, he had a feeling he was getting himself needlessly lost.

“Roxas!” He began turning, finally spotting a flash of white and silver, and stopped, waving towards it. It began coming closer, turning into Ari, who had tied her black jacket around her waist, her white tank top and long silver hair clearly visible. For the first time in a long time, Roxas really began to look at her, noticing how pale she was, as if she hadn't seen the sun in a while… but that was ridiculous, Ari was out in the sun all the time… Just one more thing to add to the ever-growing list—

“Roxas, where are you trying to go?” she asked, trying to sound light-hearted.

Roxas shrugged, scratching his head. “I don't suppose you know which way the mansion is?”

Ari opened her mouth to say something, but then decided against it, instead turning on her heel and beckoning for him to follow. They came out at the gates, where Roxas approached, hooking his fingers around the bars. Of course, it was locked… When he wanted to go in most.

However, the deterrence made him pause, and he began to think. He turned back to Ari, who wasn't facing him. Instead, she was turned towards the forest, her head slightly bowed, her eyes closed.

“What was wrong with you today?”

“Huh?” Ari looked up, slightly baffled at the idea that something was wrong with her.

Roxas frowned. “You haven't said anything today. Like, y'know `Hey, maybe Roxas is right.' Or, `Don't you guys maybe think our friend isn't going nuts?'—”

“Roxas—”

“Or even,” he began chuckling ruefully, “`Guess what! Roxas is telling the truth! I can see it all too!'”

“Roxas!” Ari looked deeply incensed at what he had said, but he wasn't sure he regretted saying it. “Roxas, would you stop and think for a second? Yes, I can see everything that's happening…” she turned away, shaking her head. “But… I'm not even sure that it's real.”

That was enough to stop Roxas in his tracks. She kept going.

“Don't tell me you haven't been wondering it too. I mean, sometimes I stop and wonder if those dreams aren't more real than what's going on here— at least they make sense!” she cried, turning on him again. “Roxas, something is happening… That's why, all of a sudden, everything's been so weird, everything's been…been… falling apart.”

Ari paused, wondering where that had come from. Falling apart?

But Roxas was too disturbed to see her self-induced puzzlement. He turned and faced the mansion again, his eyes drawn to a dusty old window, the curtains flapping in the breeze. For a moment, he thought he could see the blond girl, Naminé, standing there staring at him. He looked up at her, silently begging her to explain everything to him. He knew that something was happening, he didn't need Ari to tell him that— what he didn't know was what was happening. It seemed that the more that was revealed to him, the less he understood.

“Y'know something,” a voice started from behind, startling him. It took a lot of effort for Roxas to tear his eyes away from Naminé, but he managed to, finding Pence standing behind him, alongside Ari. “We were gonna check out the mansion tomorrow. It is the most suspicious place.”

“Yeah?” Roxas asked, as the other two came up next to him, and he turned back. However, Naminé was nowhere to be seen.

“Even Seifer's gang was gonna help.”

“Seifer?”

“Yeah,” Ari answered, “Hayner asked him too.”

Roxas let out a short laugh, not taking his eyes away from the window. “Now that's a strange happening that bears investigation.” The three of them chuckled a bit. Roxas stared up at the window even harder, imagining that he could practically see into the room itself…

Actually…

Roxas felt a bit woozy, but as his vision cleared, he realized he was in fact in the room, the walls all a stark white, covered by drawings that appeared to have been created by a child. He was sitting at a long table, and on the other end…

“Roxas…”

“Naminé?”

Roxas looked around. It was as if these pictures were scenes out of his own dreams. The suspicion that there was more to these dreams than imagination began creeping back. His eyes fell on one of that girl, Kairi, with a paopu fruit.

Suddenly his eyes fell on another one. Two cloaked figures, one that looked distinctly…like…

“This is me?” Naminé nodded. “And… Axel's here too…”

“You are best friends.”

Roxas snorted. “Very funny.”

She tilted her head at him, curious. “Don't you want to know the truth about who you really are?”

“No one knows me better than me.”

“Of course...”

He frowned a bit, looking down. She had an air of knowledge about her. She knew… “But...I don't get what's been happening lately.”

“You know these three, don't you?” Naminé asked, gesturing to another picture. Roxas recognized them instantly.

“Yeah. Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They're from the dreams,” he added, as if determined to maintain that they were only dreams… not real.

Naminé noticed his slight emphasis and addition, and gave him a fraction of a smile, that seemed a bit… sad. Again, Roxas was positive that she knew something about what was going on that he didn't. However, as she opened her mouth, he paid rapt attention, desperate to know anything he could. “About a year ago, some things happened, and I had to take apart the memories chained together in Sora's heart. But now... I'm putting them all back exactly the way they were. It's taken me a long time, but pretty soon Sora will be his old self again.” Roxas took this all in, a bit numbly… so… they're memories?

“The process has been affecting you, too, Roxas.”

For a moment, he still retained hope; “You mean...the dreams?”

“Yes...” Roxas sighed inwardly. It had been too much to hope for. “It has been affecting your friend Ari as well, hasn't it?”

Roxas sat up a bit straighter. “How did you know that?”

She smiled at him, but didn't quite answer his question. “I figured as much. The same will happen to everyone whose heart was connected to his.” She pointed a finger at him. “You both share a distinct connection with Sora.”

“And… with each other?” Roxas asked suddenly, not sure why.

Naminé paused longer than usual. “In a way.”

Roxas felt slightly disappointed, but mused over it anyways. “So, he and I are connected?” He wanted to ask how, and why. Was that what was causing all of the strange things? He wasn't sure how it could happen, but he wasn't getting any other explanation.

Naminé didn't see these other thoughts, however, just nodding. “And in order for Sora to become completely whole again... He needs you.”

Wait… what? His train of thought turned, abandoning the weirdness of late. All of a sudden, not only were his dreams actual memories, but now Roxas had no choice but to get involved with all of it? The Keyblade, the Heartless… “Me? Why?”

“You hold half of what he is... He needs you, Roxas,” she repeated.

Argh, this isn't making any sense. In fact, the only thing that had been explained to Roxas was that the dreams were actually memories from Sora. She hadn't explained any of the weird things that were happening, or, or…

Roxas gave Naminé a look of mild curiosity. “Naminé...who are you?”

She glanced at the floor, suddenly seeming disconsolate. “I'm a witch with power over Sora's memories and those around him.”

“A witch?”

She smiled a bit. “That's what DiZ called me. But I don't know why I have this power… I just do. I'm not even sure there's a right way for me to use it.”

For a moment, Roxas felt a bit of kinship with Naminé. She didn't understand the things around her either. She was just doing the best she could with it. He relaxed a bit. “Hm… I can't help you there.” He glanced over at the picture of himself and Axel, and decided that it was what he wanted to know about first and foremost. “It's funny... Suddenly I feel like I don't know myself at all…” Naminé gave him a questioning looking. He nodded. “I guess I would like to know. What do you know about me… that I don't?”

“You…” Naminé's head hung, surprising Roxas. “You were never supposed to exist, Roxas.”

“What?” The two locked eyes for a moment. “How… how could you say such a thing? Even if it were true,” he added, stubbornly defiant.

“I'm sorry. Some things… really are better left unsaid, aren't they?”

Roxas…

Roxas' head was reeling. Not meant to exist? What was that supposed to mean?.! How… why…

“Roxas!”

Roxas snapped back into reality, turning to face Pence. “Huh?”

“So, did you see her?”

Roxas, still in a bit of a stupor, took a moment to reply. “Uh… oh, yeah! Watch the window— closely.”

Pence laughed. “Oh, lame. That's just the curtains moving. There must be a draft somewhere. I'm surprised this old place even has curtains.”

Of course, Roxas thought. They could never see what he could. For a moment, he wondered if they would ever believe about the Keyblade and the Heartless and other worlds. Well, he supposed Ari would. She had had one, hadn't she? And she was in those memories—

Roxas froze. Of course, he thought again, but this time more anxious. Even as the dreams became more coherent to him, they must have become so for her too. Naminé had said that Ari shared a connection with Sora. That had to mean that Ari's memories were coming back to her. That her true self was returning to her… The idea that the Ari he knew wasn't really her hurt, a lot more than it should have.

“Roxas?” Ari asked, her voice gentle. “Come on, let's head back.”

“Yeah, Hayner and Olette are waiting,” Pence added, a bit hesitantly. Roxas gave him a reassuring smile, which brightened Pence up considerably.

Back at the usual spot, they found Olette, though Hayner was no where to be found.

“Hey guys, how'd it go?”

She and Pence began chatting, as they all began walking towards the station, and Roxas found himself tuning them out. He didn't know why, but it just seemed lately… especially in the past few days… he was growing apart from them. He was starting to think he knew what it meant, though he didn't want to believe it just yet.

“You know...we only have two more days together,” Olette said, suddenly somber.

“Huh?” Roxas said, paying attention again. Ari slapped him lightly on the back of his head.

“Summer vacation, remember?” she teased, though there was an audible sadness in her voice.

“Oh...right,” he replied, a bit sheepish. He looked up, finding the station in front of him, and up on a ledge, Hayner. He waved down at them. Grinning with relief, Roxas waved back. They were shortly up there, and today, he chose to sit next to Hayner, for once choosing not to eat any of the ice cream that his friends were wolfing down. All the while, he wondered, what had come between them all?

“Tomorrow we search the town,” Hayner said.

Pence added, “Next day's the fair.”

Olette chimed in, “The last day of summer.”

“Don't say that!” Hayner cried, suddenly dramatic. “You'll give me an ulcer!”

Roxas laughed at him openly. “Not if you explode from all that ice cream first.” It's me, isn't it?

I'm the one who's changing. Who's making everything come undone.

-----------------------------------------

“Ari! Wait,” Roxas called, running up to her. She had decided to turn in early, and he had followed. There were still things he wanted to talk to her about. She turned to face him, expectantly. “Ari… What do you remember?”

She looked confused. “What do you mean?”

He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself up for something. Ari gave him a strange look, beginning to have a bad feeling about this. “What do you remember… of your old life?”

Ari blinked at him a few times, as if trying to work out what he meant. “I don't remember anything. I've told you before.”

He sighed, shaking his head. A bit perturbed, Ari continued walking, and he fell into step beside her. They walked in silence for a minute or so, before he suddenly asked, “You know that mysterious blond girl? Her name is Naminé.” Ari stopped and gave him another mystified look. “She told me… that she has power over the memories of Sora. And the people around him.” He glanced over at her, but she still wasn't saying anything. “He lost his memory, but now she's fixing it. It's been affecting me because… because he and I have a connection.”

Ari broke off eye contact with him, and then started walking again.

Roxas, determined not to let her go without talking to him, continued to follow. “She says you two have a connection too.” He knew he was being implicit enough that she understood what he was getting at. She just sped up her pace. “Ari!”

“Leave me alone!” she suddenly snapped at him.

“You know that they're memories, Ari—”

“You want to know what I remember?.!” she shouted all of a sudden. “I remember Twilight Town! I remember Hayner, Pence and Olette… Seifer and his gang… I… I remember the Struggle! …I remember you!”

Roxas knew she still wasn't admitting everything. “The dreams, Ari, I know you had them too, you know that—”

“I know!”

Roxas halted, staring at her dumbly. She was breathing hard, even though she'd barely been doing more than a brisk walk. She looked extremely upset.

“I know,” she repeated, calmer, “what I know. And I know what I feel.” She grew very quiet. “That doesn't mean it's what I want.”

Roxas stared at her, not quite understanding. “What do you mean?”

“I just…” She sighed, seeming defeated. “I just want all of this to stop. I …I want for summer vacation to end like it should, and to go to school with our friends. I want to hang out together and spend next summer vacation together…” She looked up at him, practically pleading with him to tell her that it would all be okay. When he said nothing, she gave a weak grin. “We can go to the beach next time…” She sighed, looking away. “I want things to go back to the way they were. The way they're supposed to be,” she finally finished.

“I think…” Roxas said, his voice strangely detached, “they are.”

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“Why did you show him the train?”

“Because he missed the trip to the beach.”

“That's almost… kind… of you.

“…What about you? Are the holes in your memory starting to fill in?”

“Yes… the haze is clearing.”

“The same thing is happening to everyone who had ties to Sora. Very soon, to them, he'll be like a good friend who's gone away for a year.”

“…I've waited, and now I want to know.”

“Hm?”

“What is it that you want?”

“Revenge.”

“Revenge…”

“… Now, for the finishing touches. First, we must dispose of Naminé. She did a splendid job with Sora, but it's high time she disappeared. Roxas isn't the only one who was never meant to exist. …Take care of it, Ansem.”

-----------------------------------------

Restoration at 97%

-----------------------------------------

Those worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right? But, if we do beat

him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen

to this place? And to us—

All worlds begin in darkness… The heart is no different—

Darkness is the heart's true essence—

That's not true!

Sora stands defiant.

There's a light that never goes out!

A door. And behind it—

Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good!

Riku—

Take care of—

…Riku…

The image begins to shift.

A dark city…

Rain…

Heartless!

One figure, bearing two Keyblades—

On top of the nearest skyscraper… Another figure… Together they destroy the Heartless, before they turn on each other—

Why?

-----------------------------------------

Roxas stirred uneasily in his bed. It must have been the eighteenth time he had woken up and was trying to fall… back…

“I've been to see him.”

It was a dark beach. Darker ocean. The other one narrowed its eyes.

“He looks a lot like you.”

“Who are you?”

…A dark city…

-----------------------------------------

Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?.!

Shut up!

Ari's eyes snapped open. And began to glow yellow.

-----------------------------------------

When Roxas woke up, Ari had already left. However, when he reached the usual spot, it was only Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He shrugged it off, moving forward to greet them. “Man, I could not sleep last night…”

No one answered him.

In fact, no one seemed to be paying attention to him. He frowned. “Guys?” He moved forward, waving his hand in front of their eyes. “Very funny. C'mon—” He grabbed Hayner… and his hand went right through him.

In shock, he stood and watched his friends, who no longer seemed to know he existed. No… it felt like he didn't exist. My hand went straight… straight through him!

All of a sudden, Hayner jumped up, and ran right through Roxas, with Pence and Olette following.

Roxas still stood frozen for a moment, before he sighed. It wasn't as if he had disappeared. It's as if I never existed…

“Roxas!”

“Ari?” He had never heard her scream before, but he knew it was her; he practically flew out of the usual spot into the back alley.

All of a sudden several white creatures appeared in front of him.

“Not this time,” he muttered through gritted teeth as the Keyblade appeared in his hands. As a unit they leapt at him, and with one great slash, he knocked them all out of the way, following through to attack one until it disappeared. Another lunged at him and he slipped behind it, repeating the process of `hack and slash until dead'. It didn't take long for him to finish them off, but another batch appeared almost instantly.

Along with the source of all his troubles as of late. Roxas glared daggers at Axel, who didn't seem to notice all of the metaphorical dagger wounds in his head.

“Look at what it's come to. I've been given these icky orders to destroy you—” He turned to stare darkly at Roxas. “…If you refuse to come back with me.”

Roxas tried to think quickly— Ari's in trouble, he couldn't help but think— he forced himself to calm down. “Axel… We're best friends… right?”

“Sure,” Axel said, rolling his eyes, disgruntled, “But I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for— Wait a sec!” He spun to face Roxas, realization dawning on his face. “You remember now?.!”

“Ye…eah…” Roxas said, unsure of whether or not it would work. Apparently, though, Axel was so thrilled that he didn't even notice Roxas' hesitance.

“Great!” However, he hesitated, laughing uncertainly. “But, you know, gotta make sure and all. So, umm... What's our boss's name?”

Roxas didn't answer, his hand involuntarily tightening around his keyblade. So much for not fighting.

Axel finally realized that Roxas didn't know, and sighed, shaking his head sadly. “Can't believe this…” He let out a sound of frustration, summoning his flaming chakram and raising one to strike.

Roxas flinched involuntarily, but—

Time stopped dead.

Roxas, to the mansion! The time has come!

Roxas stopped to stare at Axel for a moment, and almost balked away to go find Ari, before realizing she'd probably be easier to find this way anyways, since they would be the only two unaffected…

Hopefully…

He dashed off towards the mansion.

Without warning, something flew out from the side and tackled him— he was halfway to shoving it off and attacking it before he realized `it' was hugging him.

“Ari?” Even though he began to blush, she didn't let go for a few moments longer, and when she looked up at him, he could see she was winded. Some of her hair was coming loose in tufts and clouding up around her face.

“Those… those things…” she had to pause to get her breath back.

“Dusks,” Roxas said, remembering what Axel had said. Ari nodded, still unable to speak. After a moment, she swallowed, taking one more deep breath, before straightening out.

“Those,” she said, “are the small ones. I dunno what the bigger ones—”

“Bigger?”

She nodded. Roxas groaned. “Ah, never mind.” He glanced around, back towards the frozen Axel. He suddenly became very uncomfortable. “Come on, I have to get to the mansion.”

It was an uneventful trip, but still disturbing— apparently, they had all the time in the world, as everything was stopped. They ran anyways.

As they passed through the forest, everything seemed to flicker… first once, then twice, then, as they came up to the mansion, everything just seemed to…go.

Including the Dusks that had been waiting for them there.

Roxas' eyes widened and he turned to the gate. As he looked up it, he realized again that it was locked. “Don't call me and then lock me out,” he muttered under his breath.

Roxas summoned his Keyblade again. Ari swallowed hard and summoned hers as well. However, as Roxas held his in front of him, trying to stave off the Dusks, Ari faltered for a moment, before looking back up at the gate.

Without warning, she spun around, leaving her back exposed to the Dusks. Roxas was about to ask her what she thought she was doing, but she raised her Keyblade up to the locked gate. A white beam sprung from the tip of it, striking the lock. Not only did it unlock, but the whole locking mechanism disappeared. “Come on,” she said, pushing at the heavy wrought iron gate. Roxas turned away from the Dusks and threw his weight against it as well. When there was enough room, he slipped through.

Ari didn't. She turned to face him. “You… you go.”

“But—”

“You're the one who has to get in there! I'll… buy you time, I guess,” she said, swallowing hard again. The conversation was cut short as one of the Dusks leapt forward and she sliced through it with her keyblade.

Roxas hesitated for a second before dashing for the mansion doors.

-----------------------------------------

“What the…” Axel realized that DiZ must have frozen time, as Roxas disappeared and everything seemed to flicker. He shook his head. “The Roxas that I know is long gone. Fine,” he added, his anger building. “I see how it is...”

-----------------------------------------

Once inside, it was hard to imagine why he needed to come here. Most of the rooms were trashed or empty. He kept searching, though, trying to be quick, until he came into the white room.

Naminé's room, he found himself thinking. He walked further in, passing up the sketches on the walls. He found two on the table, and he looked them over. The top one seemed to depict himself, wearing a black cloak, in the same dark city from his dreams. His head suddenly began to ache.

“Your mind's made up?”

Roxas turned back to face Axel, who was leaning against a wall. “Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know.”

Axel's face screwed up until he finally cried out, “You can't turn on the Organization!”

Roxas opened his eyes to Naminé. She was staring at him expectantly.

“Organization XIII… they're a bad group, aren't they?”

“Bad… or good…” She shook her head. “I don't know. They're a group of incomplete people who wish to be whole.” There seemed to be a trace of longing in her voice. “To that end, they're desperately searching for something.”

“What”

“Kingdom Hearts…”

After a few moments, Roxas began to chuckle.

Naminé was puzzled. “Funny?”

“Hm… It's just— I think I've been running away from the question I really want to ask.” He leaned on the table, looking at the sketches, his fingers drifting to one that looked like three circles together. “What's going to happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore.”

However, as he looked up, Naminé seemed frozen, before she exploded in a cloud of data bits. “Naminé!”

The data reformed into a familiar shape— the one Naminé had called DiZ. “There's no knowledge in all the worlds that has the power to change your fate.”

“So?” Roxas demanded, growing to despise this man more by the second. He had had an explanation so close! “Even if it doesn't, I want to know. I have the right to know!”

Angrily; “A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to be.”

Roxas made a noise of frustration, sick of this. “What is a Nobody?.!”

Suddenly, a portal appeared, and from it, another figure, cloaked and hooded. “DiZ, we're out of time. Too many Nobodies!”

“What?” Roxas demanded, apparently going unnoticed by both. Too many Nobodies? Does he mean those… those things? Roxas was appalled to be compared to the Dusks. But before he could protest, another portal appeared. Roxas' eyes went wide as Naminé reappeared.

“Roxas. Nobodies like us are only half a person. You won't disappear. You'll be whole!”

“What… wait, I'll…disappear?”

DiZ seemed to suddenly take notice of the girl, and grabbed for her. “No further outbursts!”

Naminé continued to speak even as she struggled with DiZ, though all Roxas could do was stand there, dumbfounded. “No, you won't disappear! You'll—” DiZ placed his hand over her mouth, cutting off her litany, and beginning to drag her back into the portal she had created.

“Wait!” Roxas cried, starting towards them, but the cloaked man stepped in between them.

DiZ suddenly seemed to be having an extra difficult time as he stepped into the fringe of the portal, especially as Naminé wrenched his hand away. “Roxas! We will meet again. And then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me, but we will meet again, someday soon… I promise!”

With that she and DiZ were far enough through for him to break off the portal, and the other figure disappeared into a wave of darkness.

“Naminé!” Roxas let out a yell, punching the table. Beneath his knuckles, the one sketch began to crumple, and ruefully, he picked it up, straightening the creases. It was the one with three circles, each with a symbol inside.

He looked at it for a moment, before pausing to take it and the others on the table, folding them up carefully into trifolds and sticking them in a thigh pocket.

With that he turned and left the room, thoroughly angry. Across a landing, he found another door, one which led into a massive library. He didn't pause long to glance at the incredible collection of books. Instead he walked up to the table there, where he found an incredibly familiar design— it was exactly the same as the picture he had taken from Naminé's room, except it was missing the bottom symbol. He grinned, a mirthless expression, and picked up a crayon lying nearby. Naminé… always leaving clues for me, aren't you? He proceeded to draw a crown into the slot in the bottom circle.

All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and Roxas dashed back towards the door instinctively. It was just in time, as the floor and table disappeared into a swirl of data, leaving only the strip that he was standing on, and a staircase leading down into some kind of technological looking room. Roxas proceeded down, somewhat carefully, slipping through the only doorway he could find into another dimly lit room.

He paused for a moment, and the room swam in front of his eyes. It seemed to reform into a giant white chamber, full of tall chairs and various cloaked people. He could see them, remember their names… Axel, and Larxene, and Marluxia. Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion… And the others…

“Why? Why do you have the Keyblade?.!”

“Shut up!” He swung to hit the blindfolded one with the Keyblade, but he forgot— he had tossed a Keyblade to the other one when they were fighting the Heartless together. The blindfolded one easily knocked the slash away, before following through with a slash that made Roxas lose consciousness.

He slowly began to regain consciousness some time later, remembering a room with a giant computer in it, and being slumped against the wall.

“Will it work?”

“If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora's memories.”

“What will happen to Roxas?”

“He holds half of Sora's power within him. In the end, he'll have to give it back. Until then, he'll need another personality to throw off his pursuers.”

“… Poor thing.”

“It's the fate of a Nobody.”

Roxas disappeared in an all too familiar swirl of data, losing consciousness again.

Simulated town.

The words kept running through his head over and over, making his anger rise. Simulated. Created by DiZ to keep him in one spot, so he would be there when he needed him. Simulated town. What did that mean… simulated friends? Family? All of it… fake.

A virtual world.

Before him, he saw the computer. He could just imagine DiZ working at it. Condemning him to a virtual life. In a sudden fit of rage, he began smashing the console, cracking every screen and destroying every keypad and keyboard. Even after it was obviously demolished, he kept at it, eventually having vented enough to step away and give up. It wasn't doing any good. It didn't even make him feel any better. He shook his head, and kept moving through the secret basement.

He came to a large empty room. Something didn't seem right…

Dusks began to appear, and he hacked his way through the Nobodies, remembering the horrible feeling he had gotten as he realized what it was DiZ was calling him. It barely took him twenty seconds to clear the room.

“Simply amazing, Roxas…”

Roxas turned to face his new challenger. “Axel,” he said, finally with a note of recognition.

Axel feigned amazement. “You really do remember me this time? I'm so FLATTERED!” The edges of the room erupted in flames, as if to punctuate his anger. “But you're too late!”

Both were suddenly aware of a cry from the entrance to the room, as someone rounded the corner without realizing there were flames there, and skidded to a halt.

“You!” Axel growled. “Stay out of this!” The flames in the doorway shot up higher, and Roxas could see Ari behind them, unable to assist. Suddenly, several Nobodies— tall spiky things he had never seen before— appeared and began to assault her. He snapped his gaze to Axel, who was smiling darkly. “Come here. I'll make it all end.”

Axel leapt forward with his chakram, slicing away at Roxas, who tried to guard, but received burning hot cuts, unable to match Axel's speed.

Grunting, he lashed out with a foot, catching Axel in the knee. Axel stumbled, and Roxas slammed the hilt of the Keyblade into his head. Axel responded in kind by catching a foot behind Roxas' knee and yanking him off balance.

Roxas collapsed roughly on top of Axel, who immediately grabbed him and they began rolling over, each attempting to get the upper hand. Both managed to lose their weapons, but when they stopped, Axel was on top of Roxas, clutching his throat with one hand, and summoning his chakram in the other. “Bye bye, Rox—ugh!”

A beam of light had just erupted from behind the wall of flames, extinguishing those around it and slamming straight into Axel, sending him tumbling off of Roxas. A hand grabbed Roxas' and pulled him to his feet.

“You came?”

-----------------------------------------

Ari slashed out at one, misjudging the distance between the two of them. The Dusk shot upwards before plowing its legs straight into the back of her head and helping her along to the ground.

It was hard enough fighting normal enemies! With these things, it was impossible to tell whether or not you could hit them or they could hit you! Ari clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the next hit.

She could hear a whooshing sound as something swiped over her head, and the Dusk's mutilated cry as it disappeared into oblivion. A hand suddenly grabbed her around the shoulder and yanked her up. Ari found herself staring into the cowl of a black hood.

“The simulated Twilight Town is falling apart. If you don't get out now, you'll be trapped.”

“Wait, what? Ah!” Ari yelped as he literally grabbed her by the back of her jacket and tossed her through the opening in the gate. She hesitated for only a moment, watching the cloaked figure decimate them.

“Go! I can't hold off the Nobodies indefinitely!”

“Nobodies…” Ari murmured, before dashing for the mansion doors.

-----------------------------------------

Ari shrugged, giving a somewhat adrenaline inspired grin. They were both distracted, however, by Axel's snarl of pain and frustration as he returned to his feet. Roxas immediately summoned his Keyblade, but then hesitated, dismissing it in a cloud of light. Ari gave him a look like he was crazy, and Axel's bafflement was probably pretty close to that.

However, the cloud of light didn't fade— instead separating into two different points that both erupted into a different Keyblade. One was white and light-inspired— the other black and full of darkness.

“Two?.!” Axel demanded. He shook his head, no longer caring. “Fine!” He summoned both chakram again, this time slamming them to the ground.

The floor shook for a moment, knocking both teens slightly off balance, before they saw what seemed to be waves of lava spreading out from under him. Where it met the flames, they shot even higher.

Laughing madly, Axel leapt out of the circle of flames, suddenly lost to them. He reemerged, spinning with both chakram aimed at Ari's head. She gasped, bringing up her keyblade to block, but he managed to knock her back all the same, leaping towards Roxas who began attacking, only to be parried and pushed back by Axel. Roxas got in one good shot, connecting with Axel's body, before he leapt forward and lunged with his light keyblade, ramming it straight into Axel's stomach. Axel grunted in pain as it sank into his flesh, but brought up one chakram to smash into Roxas' face, knocking him away and freeing him from the weapon's grip.

As he turned, he saw the other teen closing with him and he darted past her, spinning and shooting a wave of flame towards her. She dodged to the side, throwing her keyblade at him. He was forced to break off the flamethrower to knock it away with one chakram, but it disappeared in a burst of light, only to reappear in her hand. Seeing Roxas rushing him, Axel summoned a pillar of flame under Ari, who only just managed to avoid it, tripping herself while going backwards and landing on the searing floor.

Axel had no time to take advantage of the moment as Roxas came at him with two Keyblades swinging, now going almost as fast as Axel. Spinning around, he struck high with one, receiving a full block, and sliced across the top of Axel's thighs with the other. Grunting in pain, Axel lashed out and returned the favor, leaving a glaring gash down the side of Roxas' face and chest.

Roxas stumbled away, shocked by the sudden pain, barely managing to bring the dark keyblade up to parry Axel's first shot. Ari darted in on the second, a lunge knocking the flaming wheel away. Ari approached even closer, forcing Axel to back up, trying to buy Roxas the precious seconds he needed to get his focus back.

As he looked over at them, he could see them exchanging blows, but Axel scoring her flesh with the chakram every few shots. So far she was managing to avoid anything more than those scratches, but he didn't understand why she didn't jump away.

Roxas darted forward, delivering a double blow to Axel's side, knocking him off balance. Ari suddenly stuck her keyblade through the center hole on one chakram and yanked it out of Axel's grasp.

He grunted as the maneuver wrenched his wrist, leaping backwards. With another stifled yell, he tossed the other chakram straight at the two teens, who were forced to hit the burning floor. When they looked up, he was nowhere to be seen. They began to rise shakily to their feet, when Ari suddenly yelled Roxas' name to get his attention. She rolled to the side, wincing at the additional burns.

Roxas only realized Axel was leaping at him as the older man was on top of him, one knee digging into his back and forcing his chest down into the floor. He tried not to scream as the burning sensation spread across his wounded chest, making it feel as if his skin was actually on fire. He tried to pull his head up, only inches away from the magma-like floor. He suddenly felt Axel's hand shove his head down, and he really did scream.

In his pain induced misery, he couldn't understand why Ari wasn't attacking Axel, until he felt the relatively cool— by comparison— blade of the chakram pressed against his neck.

Once more, Roxas was strangely reminded of a cat, as Axel practically purred, “I'll kill him if you do.” Whatever Ari had been attempting to do, she stopped, and Roxas could see the Keyblade hanging limp to her side.

Do something… do something! He mentally urged her. He's GOING to kill me ANYWAYS! He saw a twitch in Ari's frame, and the chakram dug down towards his throat. However, Axel was distracted enough, yelling at Ari, and Roxas summoned both Keyblades into his hands in a reverse hold, swinging his arms wide. He was satisfied by Axel's scream of pain as both blades sank into his sides. Roxas saw Ari's figure dart forward, her keyblade swept up and forward in one fluid motion.

Axel went flying off of Roxas' back. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted. But the fight wasn't over, not just yet.

Roxas rolled to his side, easing himself up. Ari was a few steps off— once again taking the fight to Axel. They had the advantage now, and she was determined not to lose it.

As Roxas rose, he suddenly saw Ari duck and side step as Axel overreached with a lunge. Roxas snapped the light keyblade up and brought it down behind Axel's neck, sending him plummeting to the floor. Axel flipped over on his back as Roxas came down with the dark keyblade. His knee slammed into Axel's chest and the blade went straight across Axel's throat.

As Axel's power starting waning, the lava coating the floor disappeared, and the flames simmered down. Roxas glared at Axel, breathing hard. Axel just lay there, spread eagle, unable to move without having his lifeblood spilled.

“R-Roxas?” Ari's voice seemed strangely uneven from behind him.

Axel gave a smirk, but even that looked defeated. “Go on and do it. The longer you take, more chance that they'll get you.” Roxas' anger started to fade, unsure now. “Hey, in the end, I'd rather it be you than anyone else.”

Rather it be… me? But… Roxas suddenly realized Axel meant, killing him.

“You can't turn on the Organization!” Roxas turned to face Axel, who now seemed desperate. “You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!”

The younger Nobody shrugged. “No one would miss me.” He began to continue on.

Axel seemed hurt, glancing away. “That's not true...” Roxas looked at him. “I would.”

Roxas suddenly pulled back, dismissing both keyblades. Still kneeling next to him; “Axel…”

The red haired man was already starting to fade into darkness. “Let's meet again in the next life,” he said, baring his teeth. It was both a smile and a challenge.

“Yeah. I'll be waiting.”

“Stupid.” Axel took a swipe at Roxas with his fist, which the teen easily dodged. Axel just chuckled. “Just because you have a next life...” With that he was gone.

“Is he…”

“Dead?”

“…Yeah.”

Roxas didn't honestly know. He glanced up towards the exit. Ari followed his glance. She walked over towards him and kneeled beside him. They remained like this for a moment, until Roxas put an arm around her, almost naturally. Ari let out a noise that was half sigh, half sob, and sank into his hug, trying to keep her weight off of his chest. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, and his head on top of hers.

Roxas wondered, right then, what exactly it was that they felt for each other. Even from their first meeting, that night when Seifer had found her and his mother had taken care of her, there had been a connection there. Ever since, they had been just like brother and sister. Of course they cared for each other, deeply. But still…

“Hey, Ari…” He felt her pull away from him slightly, trying to look up at him. “Do you still have that blue crystal…” Ari's eyes connected with his, before she began digging in a pocket, producing it for him. “No, keep it. I want you to have something… to remember me by.”

“What?” Ari actually pushed all the way out of his grip, though she was still right next to him. Then she looked down. “Hm.” She glanced up and punched him gently in the shoulder. “Why would I forget you? Like I could.”

“Ow, hey…” He laughed softly, figuring it had to be the adrenaline.

Ari bowed her head again, before fumbling for something behind her neck. “Then, take this…” She pulled the strong black chain of her necklace over her head and put it over his. “There's something special about it, something important. I don't know what it is. But maybe it'll bring you good luck?...” She seemed to grow sad by the implications of that, and started talking again. “Heh. Maybe one of us will remember what it is one day.”

“Ari…”

“Hey, between the two of us, we'll figure it out… right?”

“…You know you can't come with me.” Ari's eyes snapped up to meet his, alarmed.

“Roxas—”

“No, you know it as well as I do,” he said over her protests.

She looked away, but leaned into him again. “You know what Naminé said to me that one day?”

“Hm?”

“Come on, when time stopped, and we were the only ones not affected?”

“Oh yeah. You seemed pretty bugged out.”

“Heh.”

“What did she say?”

“… She told me… `watch over him'.”

Roxas' expression grew wary, and he was glad she wasn't watching him. He thought back to some of the other things Naminé had said. “I wonder which `him' she was talking about.”

“Oh, come on!”

“No, stop it,” Roxas said, stopping another round of protestations. “I've… I've got to go figure some things out on my own.” He rose to his feet, unsteady, but balanced enough. He began to help pull her up, though he doubted she needed it. “And you have to… go do your thing.” She gave him a sarcastic smile. He returned the expression with an apologetic one. Ari sighed. “So, I guess this is… goodbye.”

Roxas started towards the exit. As he passed over the threshold, she suddenly called out to him.

“Roxas! I…” She seemed unable to complete her sentence.

He refused to let himself finish it for her. He knew right now that they needed to go their separate ways. He couldn't allow himself to stay— “I'll miss you.”

“…Yeah. Miss you too.” She stood in the middle of the room, still slightly hopeful. “See you again… someday?”

He nodded, before looking at the floor guiltily. “You— you should find Sora.” Hard as it was, he forced himself to smile. “Heh. After all… you've got a connection with him.” With that, he turned and left, unsure of whether he would be able to leave the last friend he seemed to have if he didn't go now.

-----------------------------------------

So now what?

She wandered out of the room, not wanting to think about anything that had just happened. Coming into the room with the smashed computer, she suddenly heard a strange noise from behind her. “You know, you're just a puppet, to him.”

Ari spun to face Axel, her keyblade summoned in a fit of anger.

“Whoa!” he said, holding up his hands to assuage her, noting that her red eyes began to glow a distinct yellow. “Not talking about Roxas.” He smirked, leaning against the wall, but she could see he was still exhausted. “I guess he decided you wouldn't be the right candidate, but you showed up here anyways… You just became a tool in the end, didn't you. Because of your… shall I say, history?”

Ari's eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward.

His eyes widened in surprise. “So you don't remember? Well, maybe that's for the best, right?”

Ari finally dismissed the keyblade, approaching further, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue.

More darkness seemed to spring into existence between the two of them, and Ari stepped back as the cloaked figure appeared between herself and Axel.

“What are you doing here, Nobody?”

“Ah, DiZ's other puppet.” He glanced past the dark figure at Ari, his own expression dark enough that she wished he had a hood hiding it. All of a sudden, she realized that both figures were wearing the same cloak. “So nice to have all of his playthings in one room.”

The first figure— the man she had heard use the name Ansem in her dream— suddenly darted forward, a sword that looked like a dragon-wing impaling the space where Axel had been standing a moment before. “Shut up and get out.”

Axel began to disappear into darkness. “You know, you of all people should be telling her the truth.” He faded from view. Ari stared at Ansem, who turned to face her. Even though she had seen visions… memories… of this man, something didn't seem right.

“Who are you?”

“Nobody.”

Ari smiled, dark and rueful. “Liar.”

Ansem merely moved towards the computer. “Leave through here.”

Ari gave him a blank look, as if asking, are you blind, that thing's toast.

He waved a hand and a beam of light shot down out of it. She stepped towards it hesitantly, before looking at him again. The light cast under his hood, and she could distinctly see the face of the Seeker of Darkness, Ansem. She felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“Who are you?”

He said nothing, merely placing a hand on her shoulder and gently steering her towards the light—

-----------------------------------------

Roxas proceeded through the last hallway. This one, unlike the others was very well lit, the light emanating both from the ceiling and from several glowing capsules. Within two of them were—

“Donald? Goofy?” he wondered aloud. Shaking his head, he continued into the last room.

It was a giant white chamber, at the center of which was a giant pod that reminded Roxas of a flower bud. Standing next to it was none other than DiZ. “At last, the Keyblade's chosen one.”

“Who are you talking to?” Roxas asked, growing angry again. “Me? Or Sora?”

“To half of Sora, of course.” He appeared to make no distinction. For some reason, he decided to elaborate a bit further. “You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII.”

“Why? Who are you?” Roxas demanded. Who was this man to play with his life?

“I am a servant of the worlds.” He laughed, deep and unpleasant. “And if I'm a servant, then you should consider yourself a tool, at best.”

“Was that… Was that supposed to be a joke?” Roxas asked through clenched teeth, the Keyblade conjuring into his hand. “'Cause I'm not laughing!”

Roxas ran DiZ through with the Keyblade. DiZ didn't appear to notice. Roxas pulled back, standing up straight, completely baffled.

“Oh, my apologies,” DiZ said, very formal. “This is only a data-based projection.”

Like with the computer, the hologram of DiZ suddenly became an outlet for Roxas' anger, as he slashed and swiped and attacked, leaving streaks of data behind with each blow. Eventually the image disappeared, to reappear behind Roxas. “Come, over here,” DiZ finally said.

Roxas just stared at him. “I hate you so much...”

DiZ returned the look with an icy glare. Roxas wondered if the man even had a soul. “You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He's far too nice for his own good.” He turned to look at the pod, which was beginning to show glowing lines along the edges of the separate panels. “Of course, all the kindness in the worlds won't do him any good… with only half a heart.”

“What?” Roxas took a moment to realize what he was implying with his unrelenting glare. “No! My heart belongs to me!” In one final bout of anger, he ran through DiZ one final time, and this time the image faded and stayed gone. Far from satisfied, but unable to do anything else, he turned to watch the pod unfold, again reminded of a flower. A boy, his age, floated there.

“Sora…” The other boy didn't respond. Roxas smiled, sadly. “You're lucky.” He turned around, darkness starting to form around him. “Looks like my summer vacation… is over.”

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A/N: Yes, I abuse the horizontal rules. Eh heh heh… ~whistles innocently~ Innocent, you may ask? Well, everything's relative.

Anyways, the prologue is done. Finally. Hey, don't blame me… okay, yes, it's my fault, but I'd appreciate if you don't blame me anyways. :D Those first six days are long! (Seriously, you should know how cutscene intensive the first six days are!)

I just hope I've set up enough mysteries and character connections to intrigue you, and hold you for a while. (And I mean a while.) Chapter one takes us back to the beginning… of KH I! (I guarantee it's no where near as long as even one part of the prologue.)

Eh heh heh… Don't shoot me. Please?