Copyright
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS: THE NOVEL
TOMOCO KANEMAKI,
ILLUSTRATIONS: SHIRO AMANO,
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: TETSUYA NOMURA,
EDITORIAL SUPERVISOR: KAZUSHIGE NOJIMA
Translation by Melissa Tanaka
Cover art by Shiro Amano
KINGDOM HEARTS © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Characters from FINAL FANTASY video
game series © 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2005 Square Enix Co., Ltd.
All rights reserved.
English translation © 2018 by Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kanemaki, Tomoko, 1975– author. | Nomura, Tetsuya. | Nojima, Kazushige, 1964– editor. | Amano, Shiro, illustrations.
Title: Kingdom hearts 358/2 days / Tomoco Kanemaki ; original concept, Tetsuya Nomura ; editorial supervisor, Kazushige Nojima ; illustrations, Shiro Amano.
Other titles: Kingdom hearts 358/2 days. English
Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, November 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018034195 | ISBN 9781975327491 (pbk.)
Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Secret societies—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.K256 Kin 2018 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018034195
ISBNs: 978-1-9753-2749-1 (paperback)
978-1-9753-2757-6 (ebook)
E3-20181026-JV-PC
Contents
Cover
Insert
Title Page
Copyright
The Fourteenth
Chapter 1 Beginning of the End
Chapter 2 Sea-Salt Ice Cream
Chapter 3 Xion and Roxas
Chapter 4 Castle Oblivion
Chapter 5 Chain of Memories
Chapter 6 Reunion
Chapter 7 Inseparable
Go to the Beach
Chapter 1 Your Keyblade
Chapter 2 Vacation
Chapter 3 Battle Against Riku
Chapter 4 The Wrong Button
Chapter 5 Sleeping Xion
Chapter 6 Tell a Lie
Xion — Seven Days
Chapter 1 Island of Memories
Chapter 2 Quickening Memory
Chapter 3 Fracture
Chapter 4 Taking Too Much
Chapter 5 Xion — Seven Days
Chapter 6 Thirteen Chairs
Chapter 7 Breakout
Chapter 8 358 Days
Afterword
Yen Newsletter
The Fourteenth
Just because you can’t remember something doesn’t really mean that it’s gone…
I remember.
I still remember that. I haven’t forgotten.
And I won’t forget.
Chapter 1
Beginning of the End
THE SETTING SUN WAS ALWAYS SHINING CRIMSON THERE.
Where was it? It had to be Twilight Town.
“Roxas…”
Who was calling me?
There was a man in a black cloak in front of me—I can’t remember his name. But I know he gave me mine.
And then I met someone else. He had a black coat, too, and red hair.
We had ice cream together.
I remember.
I remember that. I haven’t forgotten.
I never will.
Everything was ready for him to wake up.
His Heartless was already gone. What remained was a Nobody—and the boy himself, now restored.
HE COULD HEAR THE OCEAN. Waves rolled in and retreated, taking the sand with them.
He was slowly sinking into the water—or was that only the tide pulling at him?
Then he opened his eyes. He was lying on a spotless white bed in a barren white room. Outside the big windows, neon-lit skyscrapers glowed against a black sky.
Where am I again?
Oh. It’s my room. The World That Never Was—that’s what they call this place.
And they call me Roxas.
I’m the thirteenth member of Organization XIII.
He felt as if he’d just awoken from a long, long dream but also like he’d never been asleep in the first place.
Yesterday…
Yesterday, I was on a gloomy seashore. That’s where I met him.
Our boss.
He couldn’t quite recall what had come after that. He wasn’t even sure if the events of the previous day had really happened. Maybe he was still dreaming at this very moment.
Roxas climbed out of bed. The cold, sterile hallway outside his room was fashioned from the same artificial white material that wasn’t quite stone but wasn’t anything Roxas knew, either. Along both sides were rows of doors just like the one leading to his own room, probably with the same sort of rooms inside, where others like him might sleep.
After he’d walked for a bit, the hallway sloped downward and led into a wider space. Beyond that was a grand lobby where light and darkness met—a place they called the Grey Area. He’d been instructed to come here when he woke up.
But who had told him that?
He couldn’t remember.
The chilly Grey Area was surrounded by glass windows, but there was nothing outside to see except inky darkness and white structures.
“You’re awake?”
Roxas turned toward the voice to find a blonde woman sneering down at him in the same black cloak as his. It was Larxene. When he didn’t reply, she smirked nastily and plopped down on a sofa.
He had no idea what that was for, but it was a little unsettling.
Besides Larxene, there were three others in black cloaks killing time here in their own way. A man with flaming red hair stood at the window contemplating the gloomy sky.
If Roxas did have a reason to pick that person to approach over the other two, he couldn’t have said what it was. Yet another thing he didn’t know.
When he got closer, though, the man turned to face him with something resembling a grin. “Heya, Roxas.”
Unsure how to answer, Roxas only lowered his eyes.
“Something I can help you with there, chatterbox?”
Not really. He just didn’t know who to talk to. He didn’t raise his head even when Axel, the aforementioned redhead, started staring at him.
Oh—right, Roxas realized. That day, the first day, the guy with me was…
“Now I remember. We were supposed to convene in the Round Room today…” Axel groaned. “Blegh, meetings.”
“The Round Room…,” Roxas mumbled. He did remember that from the first day—or maybe it was after t
hat? He looked up at Axel.
“Yup. Apparently the boss man’s got some big news. Why don’t we head over there now?” Axel raised his hand, and darkness threaded out from his fingertips.
Right, the members of the Organization could bend the dark to their wills. Roxas remembered what they called this little trick, too.
“C’mon. Let’s take the corridors.”
“The Corridors of Darkness…”
Yes, that was it. The swirling mass was essentially a door to another world.
“Gotta say, I’m not a fan of these little get-togethers,” Axel remarked, grinning. “The chairs are so hard—”
“Get moving,” someone else interrupted from the middle of the lobby.
Larxene was already gone. The only ones there now were Roxas, Axel, and a man with a great scar on his forehead beneath his blue hair—Saïx. Everyone else was probably already in the Round Room.
“Yeah, yeah.” Axel groaned. “Okay, Roxas. You can take care of yours, right?”
After he stepped through, the gateway closed itself up behind him and vanished.
Roxas stood there blinking.
“Don’t be late,” Saïx warned him, disappearing into the corridors himself.
Now Roxas was alone in the Grey Area.
He looked down at his hands. How is this supposed to work?
He closed his eyes briefly and imitated Axel, visualizing the hovering darkness and his destination.
And it opened right up.
Will this really take me to the Round Room? Roxas wondered, but he stepped into it anyway.
The great cylindrical hall they called the Round Room was built from the same cold white material as everything else. In the center was a huge round dais, like a stage, with thirteen tall chairs of various heights arranged in a circle around it.
The other twelve chairs were occupied by others in black cloaks, though Roxas was unsure if he could name them all. He looked down at the strange, cross-like emblem on the dais and remembered seeing it on the headboard of his bed. He knew what it stood for.
It was the symbol of the Organization and of the Nobodies.
But he didn’t know who had told him that.
“Good tidings, friends,” a voice boomed out. “Today is a momentous day.”
Oh, I know who that is. Our boss, Xemnas.
Someone appeared on the round stage.
“A new comrade has been chosen to wear the cloak.”
The newcomer’s hood was up, hiding their face in deep shadow.
“Number fourteen joins us.”
A recent memory flashed through Roxas’s mind—six days ago, maybe. Axel had given him a black cloak to wear and led him to his room.
“Let us welcome one of the Keyblade’s chosen.”
Didn’t Xemnas say the same thing about me? Roxas recalled. But what the heck is a Keyblade?
The figure at the center of the room glanced up at him, and Roxas flinched at being caught staring.
But though the hood kept the wearer’s eyes hidden, Roxas could see a smile.
Something was so familiar about it, but he couldn’t think of where he would have seen it before.
There were so many things he couldn’t remember about these last seven days. It hadn’t scared him before—but now it did a little.
Scared?
What did it mean to be scared?
The air trembled, and Roxas looked for the cause. Xemnas was vanishing into a swirl of darkness. The other members followed suit.
Number 14 stayed, watching him.
And then—Roxas fainted.
What’s happening to me…?
Falling…falling…into darkness…
Roxas had been carried to his bed, and Xemnas gazed down at him. “…Don’t sleep too long.”
Receiving no answer, the Organization’s leader left the small white room.
Portals from the corridors rippled and opened atop the chairs of the Round Room, like candles lighting in negative, and a few members of the Organization appeared in their black cloaks.
Numbers 1 through 7 took their seats—Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, and Saïx.
“Why are we allowing a novice to attend?” Vexen complained.
The aforementioned “novice”—Saïx, the lowest ranked of those present—didn’t even glance up from the dais.
“Did you manage to get the Key?” asked Xigbar.
“The Key? What, that fragment?” Vexen scoffed. “I wouldn’t need the witch’s power for a mere splinter.”
“Do we not need more of those splinters?” Zexion said.
“That will depend on what the wielder chooses to do,” Vexen replied smoothly.
“And are our wielders under adequate surveillance?” Lexaeus rumbled.
This time, Saïx answered. “Marluxia has orders to take care of it. Without fail.”
“It’s highly unusual for a Keyblade wielder to leave a Nobody in the first place,” said Xaldin. Seeing the glances converged on him, he voiced his doubts. “Doesn’t the very existence of his Nobody render our entire plan meaningless?”
“Still need insurance, though,” Xigbar remarked.
“The plan is already in motion,” Xemnas said, promptly ending any further discussion. The other six looked up toward him. “To keep this new power firmly in our grasp, we will proceed.”
That settled the matter, and the others each nodded their assent.
He woke in his bed.
What happened yesterday? I can’t remember. Again.
Roxas stood and walked over to the window. The sky was as dark as ever, so he couldn’t be certain, but he figured it was the next day.
When he was awake, he was supposed to go to the Grey Area. That was the only thing he knew. He walked down the white passage to get there, same as yesterday.
“Roxas.”
The moment he stepped into the enormous hall, someone called his name.
The voice belonged to Saïx. “Your missions will begin today.”
Bewildered, Roxas stared up at him. Missions. He hadn’t expected to stay here and just do nothing, but he still had no idea what they could possibly want from him.
“Think of these early missions as exercises,” said Saïx. “You still have much to learn before we put you to a real test. Axel will be joining you today. Isn’t that right, Axel?”
When Roxas shifted his gaze from Saïx, he saw Axel—and behind him, someone else watching their conversation.
Number 14.
“Oh, boy…” Axel scratched his head. “So you’re making me the kid’s mentor?”
“Exactly. You’ll show Roxas here the ropes.”
“Right. Sure. Roger that, I guess.”
Heedless of this exchange, Roxas stared curiously at the mysterious hooded figure.
“Well, you heard the man.” Axel noticed that something had caught Roxas’s attention and glanced back at number 14. “What’s the matter? You worried about the new kid? Well, this is…uh…” He scratched his head again. “What was that name…?”
Saïx answered instead. “Number fourteen. Xion.”
“Right. I knew that. Xion.”
Roxas softly repeated it, too. “Xion…”
“Got it memorized, Roxas?” Axel shrugged and peered into Roxas’s face.
“…Yeah,” the boy said listlessly, still looking at Xion.
But somehow, Axel thought, it didn’t seem like he was seeing anything. There was no one in Roxas’s blue eyes—only the lobby itself. What did that mean? Was it just because a Nobody so recently awakened was such an indistinct being?
Axel wanted to check something. “How ’bout my name, then?”
“It’s Axel.” Apparently, Roxas hadn’t forgotten that one.
Axel tried another. “And our boss’s name?”
“Xemnas.”
“All right. No way you’re gonna forget his name, huh?” Axel grinned at him and opened the Corridors of Darkness. “Let’s get going.”
> Roxas followed Axel out of the corridors and into the underground tunnels of Twilight Town.
“Okay, so…let’s start with what we do on a mission,” said Axel, turning to face him. “Which is… Well, today’s mission we’re supposed to, uh… Hrm.”
He scratched his head and gave up with a sigh. Roxas didn’t react at all, not even a flicker in his eyes.
“You know what, talking is dumb. Let’s just go ahead and get our hands dirty, shall we?” Axel broke into a run. “Follow me.”
He had never seen Roxas move very fast, but to his surprise, the boy was quick to catch up and keep up. Axel paused at the top of some steps.
“Now, don’t go thinking you can just run and jump your way through every mission,” he told Roxas. “You gotta be aware.”
“…Aware? How?”
That seemed like an actual question, rather than the vacant parroting Axel usually got out of the kid. Maybe because they’d been moving around? The only words out of his mouth so far had been names and nouns, but now he seemed ever so slightly more engaged.
“I’m saying you have to look around,” Axel replied. “Sometimes, what you’re after is right under your nose. Got it memorized?”
“Yeah… I think so.” Roxas nodded obediently.
At last, Axel knew those blue eyes were seeing him. “All right, then, time to see it in action,” he said cheerily. “Somewhere in this passageway, there’s a treasure chest. I want you to find it.”
“A treasure chest? …That’s all I have to do?”
“Yup. Don’t hurt yourself. Anyway, remember to look around.”
Roxas did as instructed, taking in his surroundings. He was like a blank canvas waiting to be filled in. True, that could be because his reactions were relatively slow, but Axel suspected there were other reasons, too.
From the moment they met, he’d known Roxas was different.
Rubbing the back of his head, Axel had watched the swirl of a dark portal dissipate. Beyond it, in the corridors, he could faintly make out their leader—Xemnas.
“Bring back a kid. Sure. Easy for you to say…”
Xemnas had left behind a boy in a white shirt. This kid had to be about ten years younger than himself, by Axel’s estimate. Not that age really applied to Nobodies.
Kingdom Hearts 358-2 Days Page 1
