Kingdom Hearts 358-2 Days

by Tomoco Kanemaki

  He wanted to find a way to save both of them, to respect both of their feelings. He’d spent most of the night poring over the possibilities, but of course he hadn’t found the answer.

  “You’ve meddled again,” said a voice behind him.

  Axel stopped short. He hadn’t even noticed Saïx’s presence.

  “Sorry, did you say something?” He turned with a slight smirk.

  “We don’t need them both. Just one. And pretending won’t change it.”

  We, who? Axel wanted to ask, but he held it in, along with a bitter laugh. He wasn’t sure if that “we” meant Organization XIII or just Saïx and himself.

  “Think about that.”

  Oh, I am. And I’m sick of it. I’m even desperate enough to ask you if there’s another way.

  The words nearly escaped him, but Saïx was already walking toward the Grey Area. The set of his shoulders told him plainly what the answer would be.

  Axel realized how great the rift was between how he remembered their past and what he saw now.

  Why am I even here? I don’t know anymore. What am I trying to do?

  Eventually, Axel trailed after Saïx to the lobby.

  “Hey, copper top. Shall we?” He had not expected Xigbar to call out to him.

  “Shall we what?” Axel blinked at him.

  “Oh. Why don’t you tell him, Poppet?” Xigbar ceded the floor to Xion, who stood behind him with her hood pulled up.

  Why was she hiding her face now?

  “We’re a team today,” said Xion. “You, me, and Xigbar.”

  Axel automatically glanced at Saïx in the middle of the lobby. He was watching them with no comment.

  This was an unlikely trio for a mission. There was a reason for this.

  “What, afraid I’ll slow you down?” Xigbar laughed.

  “’Course not,” Axel replied with a shrug. “It’s just not every day we get to go out for a stroll with number two himself. Ain’t that right, Xion?”

  “Yeah,” Xion replied. Her hood hid any expression she might have had.

  “Hey, why’s your hood up today?” Axel wondered.

  “…I couldn’t sleep. My eyes look like a raccoon’s.” Her voice was tiny and shy.

  Axel couldn’t have said why that answer rang warning bells. But it did.

  “Better respect the girl’s privacy, ha-ha.” Xigbar offered an unconvincing laugh.

  “…Morning, guys.”

  They all turned in unison to see Roxas at the lobby’s entrance.

  Saïx replied first. “A bit late, aren’t you?”

  “Sorry. Couldn’t sleep…” Roxas looked away and then went to Xion. “Are the three of us teamed up today?”

  “You have your own mission, Roxas,” Saïx told him before Xion could answer.

  “I can’t trade with Xigbar or something?”

  “What an extraordinarily childish notion. Do you need Axel to walk you everywhere now?”

  Roxas bit his lip and looked at the floor. “That’s not it…”

  Axel wanted to say something, but he doubted it would help. And he had to uncover the ulterior motive for this weird assignment.

  “They can handle their mission. See to your own.”

  “…Right,” Roxas mumbled. Not that he had much choice.

  “Well, time for us to get moving, huh?” Xigbar slung an overly familiar arm around Axel’s shoulders. “Bye now, kiddo.”

  “See you later, Roxas,” said Xion.

  Roxas acknowledged each one with a nod.

  “Go easy on yourself, okay?” Axel told him.

  He looked up and managed a faint smile.

  Huh, maybe “interfering” yesterday did a little something to clear my name in his mind…

  Axel followed Xion and Xigbar into the Corridors of Darkness.

  The mission Saïx gave Roxas was Heartless elimination in Twilight Town. Nothing special about it. This is boring, he thought as he swung the Keyblade.

  He had the Winner stick in his pocket.

  And yet…apprehension was prickling at the back of his mind.

  He had to wonder why Axel and Xion were teamed up with Xigbar. That was a bizarre trio—he’d never heard of them being assigned together before. Something strange was going to happen, he was sure.

  And he thought of what happened yesterday. Why would the Organization want him and Xion to battle each other? Neither of them had known—either one of them could have been hurt. Or worse.

  Terminated…

  Was that what the Organization was after?

  Either one? Or one of them in particular?

  Roxas realized that the Organization, or at least Saïx, knew he wasn’t at the top of his game these days. Did that mean…the one they wanted out of the picture was him?

  He stopped in his tracks. The anxiety in his chest only grew.

  They want me out of the picture…?

  The mission was completely routine, nothing that warranted sending a team of three.

  Axel covered Xion and Xigbar as they traipsed through the forest of Wonderland. Most of this world seemed to consist of a peculiar palace garden and a forest with uncomfortably vivid colors.

  Xion still had her hood pulled up.

  Something felt off, but Axel couldn’t put his finger on what.

  The fight yesterday had something to do with Xion’s abilities. Every time he tried to figure it all out, he got so wound up. He was constantly on edge, and his thoughts went in circles until he had no idea what he even wanted to do.

  “Look at our Poppet go. Save some for us!” Xigbar grinned, watching Xion fight, and turned to Axel. “Right, copper top?”

  “Yeah, it’s almost like there’s no reason for you to be here,” said Axel, unable to completely mask his hostility.

  Xigbar doubled over with laughter as if Axel had just invented snide remarks. “Ha-ha, oh man, can’t get anything past you! I’m only tagging along ’cos I wanted to. And ladder climbers let a bigwig like me do whatever he wants.”

  Ladder climbers. That would refer to Saïx. Axel kept quiet, hoping Xigbar would talk more.

  Xigbar had probably sussed out that he and Saïx were up to something, so here he was following them around until someone let it spill.

  “What, don’t you trust me? I’ll tell you something you want to know.” Xigbar flung his arm around Axel’s shoulders again, this time leaning close to whisper. “You know, about the puppet. Or should we say the Replica?”

  Startled, Axel looked at him. Xigbar’s usual annoying smirk revealed nothing as he continued.

  “Our precious in-house puppet is the new model. Much improved over the previous version you saw back in Castle Oblivion. It doesn’t just copy; it can soak up an opponent’s memories and powers without even having to destroy them first. And it came with a nice little bonus of transforming based on the memories of whoever’s looking at it.”

  “…What?” Axel felt cold sweat trickle down his back.

  “Don’t believe me? Watch this. Hey, Poppet!” Xigbar called to her.

  “Yes?” Xion left off plowing through Heartless.

  “Don’t you want to put your hood down?” Xigbar reached for her hood.

  He had barely touched it before she turned her Keyblade on him.

  “Xion?!” Axel yelped as she sent Xigbar flying.

  The blowback caught her hood and flung it off for an instant. Standing there, Axel saw—

  “Pa-ha-ha! Talk about a blast from the past!” Xigbar let out a bark of laughter as he got to his feet. “Of all the faces… Why do I see yours?”

  Who did Xigbar see?

  And why do you look like him to me?

  “Do you always have to stare at me like I just drowned your goldfish?” Xigbar remarked.

  Xion charged. When they clashed, Xigbar was slammed into the ground.

  Her shoulders heaved as she clutched the Keyblade, and then she turned to Axel.

  “I’m sorry, Axel… I can’t stay with the Organizati
on anymore. I can’t be near Roxas.”

  “You mean it?” Axel said, bewildered. He couldn’t make a snap decision like this.

  “Please let me go. I have to do this or else…” Xion deliberately lowered her hood. “Look.”

  He gasped.

  It was the same as the glimpse he had moments ago. Sora.

  “Please, Axel. You have to take care of Roxas.”

  “But how are you…gonna…?” he faltered.

  He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even know how to protect Roxas.

  “Please!” She was begging now, on the verge of tears.

  Axel nodded, keeping his head down.

  “Thank you, Axel.” Xion smiled—but it was Sora’s face—and pulled her hood up again to hide her mutable face.

  “Xion…?” he called.

  She vanished into the Corridors of Darkness without turning back.

  He couldn’t relax. His chest was prickling with worry.

  No one else came to the clock tower.

  That was hardly out of the ordinary now. But it made Roxas horribly nervous.

  That morning, Xion had told him, “See you later.” Taking her at her word, here he was, at the usual spot.

  He’d been hoping that Xion and Axel would tell him he was wrong about the Organization trying to get rid of him. No way, that’s crazy, they’d say, and he would feel better.

  And besides, he’d brought the winning ice cream stick to show them today…

  He wanted to see them so badly, at least one of them, so he opened the Corridors of Darkness, thinking he might as well head back to the castle early. What else could he do? If he sat here waiting on the clock tower, he would just get more nervous.

  Maybe they had to go back because of something else, he told himself. He’d find them at the castle.

  I need to talk to Xion, just for a little while. I think she’s keeping something from me.

  As he headed to Xion’s room, he happened upon Saïx, Axel, and Xigbar in the hallway.

  “Explain yourself, Axel,” Saïx was saying.

  “I didn’t let her go. The old man needs to get his eyes checked,” Axel retorted, although he wasn’t making eye contact.

  Let her go…?

  Let who go?

  “I’ll give him that. Can’t toss the blame around,” Xigbar added, nonchalant.

  “…What’s going on?” Roxas had to know.

  The other three all turned to him at once, falling quiet in a way that couldn’t possibly bode well.

  That was when he realized Xion wasn’t there.

  “And now we’re left with the one we can’t use,” Saïx spat before stalking off.

  The one they can’t use—is that me? I’m useless to the Organization? So…they are going to terminate me? Roxas thought, the loaded words from Saïx replaying in his head. Wait, if I’m the one who’s left—what happened to Xion?

  He looked at Axel. “Where’s Xion?”

  Axel avoided his gaze and said nothing.

  “She flew the coop.” Xigbar jabbed his thumb at Axel. “Flamesilocks here couldn’t trouble himself to clip her wings.”

  Xion…left? Axel didn’t stop her?

  “Axel! He’s kidding, right?” Roxas said desperately. But Axel still wouldn’t even look at him.

  “As if. Your friend sat there sucking his thumb while Xion walked right off,” said Xigbar. “…I’m going back to my room.”

  He promptly left Roxas and Axel to themselves. A strained silence fell between them.

  “What happened out there?” Roxas demanded.

  Axel shook his head. “Nothing, really.”

  He wasn’t acting normal at all, and Roxas had had enough of this evasive nonsense. “Xion’s gone! How is that nothing?”

  “It’s just like Xigbar said.” Finally, Axel looked at him. “I couldn’t stop her from going.”

  “Don’t give me that! Why not?” Roxas cried.

  That was all he wanted to know—why.

  “Roxas… Xion is like a mirror that reflects you,” Axel said quietly.

  “You’re not making any sense!”

  “She’s a puppet,” he explained slowly. “Created to duplicate your powers.”

  “Are you nuts? Xion’s a person, not a puppet!”

  Axel shook his head. “She’s supposed to reflect you. And when I looked in the mirror…it wasn’t you I saw.”

  This was only getting more and more incoherent. Xion, a puppet? That’s crazy. She’s our friend. And what’s it got to do with mirrors?

  “Xion is Xion. You can’t expect her to be me!” Roxas shouted in frustration. He was certain of that, at least.

  “That’s not what I’m saying… The thing is, sometimes mirrors have to be broken.”

  Axel’s equivocating exhausted the last of his patience, and Roxas had to ask as directly as possible, “Are you talking about destroying her?”

  Axel made no reply.

  “Answer me!” he screamed, kicking the wall.

  Axel still spoke quietly. “If somebody doesn’t, then you…won’t be you anymore.”

  “I’ll always be me! Your best friend—just like Xion!”

  But Axel shook his head. “Roxas—you’re missing the bigger picture.”

  “Ugh, forget this.” Roxas kicked the wall again for good measure and started walking away.

  There was no point talking to Axel anymore.

  The Winner stick was still in his pocket. So much for giving it to Axel.

  “Roxas!”

  He didn’t look back. He didn’t want to hear what anyone had to say anymore.

  After her flight into the Corridors of Darkness, Xion arrived in Hollow Bastion. And there, she found someone waiting for her. “Riku!”

  “Did you find the right answer?” he asked her gently.

  Xion nodded. “Yeah. I did. I’m on the verge of losing everything I ever cared about. So tell me…” She looked away for a moment, then back up into his eyes. “Riku, tell me what I need to do.”

  It’s okay. I’m sure of it now. I just want to do what I can to protect Roxas. If I go back to Sora, his memories should return, and then at least Roxas will have Axel.

  I’m the only one who has to disappear… And then they’ll be okay.

  “Go to Twilight Town,” said Riku. “You’ll find a girl there by the name of Naminé.”

  “Naminé…?” Xion knew Twilight Town like the back of her hand, but she’d never come across anyone by that name. “What’s she like?”

  “You’ll find out. I don’t think you’ll have much trouble tracking her down.”

  “All right. Thanks, Riku.”

  Xion didn’t understand how only a name would be enough to let her find someone she’d never met, but she believed Riku. I’ll find her.

  She opened the Corridors of Darkness again. “Good-bye,” she told him.

  Her destination was Twilight Town, where she had made so many memories. The place she loved best.

  He couldn’t sleep.

  Roxas sat on his bed, staring vacantly at the floor.

  After that debacle last night, he’d gone to Xion’s room. She wasn’t there. And today, he went to Twilight Town again—but of course, she didn’t show. He tried everywhere he could get to. There was no finding her. Finally, he returned to the castle, alone and defeated, planning to get at least a little sleep. But he couldn’t do that, either.

  And it was almost morning.

  Frustration welled up in him. Too angry to sit still, he punched his pillow and lashed out with his Keyblade, alone in his room.

  He had no idea what was going on, but he couldn’t get Axel’s words out of his head. A mirror? A puppet? I won’t be me anymore…? He didn’t know what any of it was supposed to mean.

  Just that Xion had left them again.

  She’d only just come back. Why did she have to run away a second time? Was she lying when she said she wanted the three of them to be together forever?

  Roxas already
knew why. He didn’t want to, but he did.

  Axel was telling him the truth. Lies wouldn’t be so complicated.

  Xion is a mirror that reflects me.

  But what does that mean? And what’s going to happen because of it?

  No, I already know. It means…that as Xion gets stronger, I get weaker. That’s why she deserted the Organization.

  She had to get away from me. But she didn’t even say anything.

  The knowledge only made him angrier. It was worthless if he couldn’t do anything about it.

  I don’t know…

  I don’t want to know what happens next.

  This is the way it has to go, Axel told himself, lying on his bed. This is the right course.

  But he was swamped with misgivings, unable to accept his own decisions.

  How could he choose between Roxas and Xion? And yet, that was exactly what he’d been forced to do. Then Xion had walked away of her own accord.

  Then again, this did little to alter the big picture. All it meant was that Xion would no longer be draining strength from Roxas. The plan would only suffer a slight delay in progress—nothing more. Although even that slight delay would let Roxas remain himself for a little longer.

  Axel didn’t know what would happen. But he was glad, at least, for a little more time to think.

  What will I have to do? What should I do?

  His thoughts kept him awake for some time.

  All the Organization’s remaining members were gathered in the Round Room.

  The order to convene came as Roxas started toward the lobby. It would probably go about the same as when Xion left before, he thought, keeping his head down and waiting for Xemnas’s arrival.

  Axel, and the others too, waited, absolutely still.

  The air wavered, and Xemnas appeared in his chair. Roxas didn’t look up.

  “Xion has vanished again,” Xemnas said.

  But we know that. It happened yesterday—everyone must have heard.

  “Do we know where she might have gone?” inquired Xaldin.

  Xemnas gave no sign of having heard the question. “Xion is a replica—no more than a puppet.”

  “A puppet?” said Luxord. “How?”

  “There is no how,” Saïx replied for Xemnas. “That is what Xion is.”

  Puppet this, puppet that. Xion’s not a puppet! Puppets don’t laugh and get upset like she does, Roxas thought, then remembered what all Nobodies lacked. We have no hearts, but we can still be happy or angry or sad…