Kingdom Hearts 358-2 Days

by Tomoco Kanemaki

  Xion.

  It’s okay. I still remember.

  I remember the times we spent laughing together over ice cream.

  Roxas flung the man hard against a building facade. He’d won. He knew he wouldn’t lose.

  “Why?! Why do you have the Keyblade?!” the other man cried, sinking to his knees.

  “What’s it to you?!” Roxas didn’t understand why the guy was asking. I don’t even know why I have a Keyblade. I’m the one who deserves the answers.

  I don’t know why Xion used one like me or why you’re able to wield her Keyblade.

  Why did it leave my hand like that?

  The man dragged himself to his feet, took up Xion’s Keyblade, and struck upward at Roxas.

  Somehow, he failed to avoid it. The blow struck home and flung him back. For a moment, Roxas thought he’d been knocked out, and then he hit the ground flat on his back.

  But he wouldn’t forget. He wanted to remember.

  Xion. Axel. Sea-salt ice cream. The usual spot. The clock tower. The sunset. Friends he cared about. The promise they made for their next day off.

  I won’t forget. I’ll never, ever let myself forget.

  I’ll free Kingdom Hearts, and everything will go back to the way it was.

  I don’t want to forget…

  Riku cautiously approached the fallen boy. He stood the Keyblade on end in the ground and looked closer.

  There were so many things at work here beyond his comprehension—why Roxas had begun the battle with two Keyblades and why one of those had passed into Riku’s hand. It had just fallen from Roxas’s grip and leaped into his, as if drawn by a magnet.

  And in that instant, he’d remembered her. The girl whose name was already fading from his memory…

  Even now, Riku wasn’t certain if the boy before him was really Sora’s Nobody. There was a resemblance—at least, he thought so, but it was hard to be sure.

  Roxas suddenly got to his feet. He took up the Keyblade that Riku had left in the ground and slashed out. But Riku, still on his guard, jumped back.

  “Why won’t you quit?!” cried Roxas.

  A memory surfaced in Riku’s mind, and he decided to make a gamble on it. “Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that.”

  “Get real! Look which one of us is winning!” Roxas retorted, as natural as an echo.

  Exactly what Sora had said to him once.

  He couldn’t believe it…but there it was, right in front of him.

  “So it’s true. You really are his Nobody,” said Riku. “I guess DiZ was right after all.”

  “What’re you talking about? I am me! Nobody else!” Then, with a cry that sounded more anguished than angry, Roxas attacked.

  This time, it came too fast for Riku to dodge. He took the brunt of it—and a voice rang in his head.

  Riku, please! You have to stop him!

  It was her, the girl fading from his memory with every passing moment.

  “How many times do I have to beat you?!” A Keyblade in each hand, Roxas glared down at Riku.

  All of this…is for Sora.

  “All right…you’ve left me with no other choice,” said Riku.

  “What?!”

  “I have to release the power in my heart…” Slowly, Riku got up and took off the blindfold. “The dark power that I’ve been holding back. Even if it changes me forever…”

  Instantly he felt lighter, almost weightless. Giving himself over to the darkness meant letting it alter him.

  Around him rose a shadow—the darkness itself. And Riku knew he had changed into Ansem’s form.

  He could feel the power coursing through him. It was vast and deep, but it was under his control. He bent it to his will. It would not take him prisoner.

  Because in the darkness, light shone all the brighter.

  Riku closed the distance to Roxas with one leap and seized him. The Keyblades fell from Roxas’s limp hands, and he groaned as Riku looked down on him.

  “This is the power of darkness,” said Riku.

  Roxas collapsed on the spot, crumpling to the ground.

  “So…you are him. Roxas.” Riku pulled up his hood, shrouding his face, and watched Roxas to see that he didn’t try again.

  That girl, though—what was her name?

  The rain pelted down harder. He sensed a portal opening, and DiZ appeared.

  “He could feel Sora,” Riku told him.

  “Oh, he told you how he ‘felt,’ did he? How much he hates Sora?” DiZ remarked. “How absurd. A Nobody cannot feel anything.”

  “If he’d met Sora, things might have been different,” said Riku, looking at the boy lying sprawled on his stomach, getting soaked by the rain.

  Roxas, don’t be sad. I came from you and Sora. I am you, the same way that I am Sora. You might forget me, but your memories of me won’t be gone forever. They’ll be with my memories of you, together where they belong—inside of Sora.

  In a town enfolded by a sunset glow, in a small room of a modest house, a boy woke up.

  “Another dream about him…”

  He’d been having these dreams a lot, but he only remembered them vaguely.

  He stood up to open the windows and watched the train making its way through town. The same view as always… He gazed on it absently for a while. He felt so strange today. Was it just because summer vacation would be over soon?

  But as he thought of how he would spend the last few days, his excitement grew. He jumped out of bed and got changed, then dashed outside.

  The boy’s mind wandered as he climbed the sloping streets to the usual spot.

  His name was Roxas, and this was Twilight Town, and he was going to see his friends.

  And come to think of it…

  “Oh, we haven’t been to the beach yet!” he said to himself, dashing up the alley.

  Right. They’d promised they would go to the beach together today.

  Only seven days to go, and then my summer vacation is over…

  AFTERWORD

  THIS IS TOMOCO KANEMAKI, with my first afterword at the end of the fourteenth volume in the series, including the short story collections! Thank you for reading, whether you’ve been following these novels all the way or just picked it up now.

  Fourteen volumes… Yes, this is the fourteenth Kingdom Hearts novel. And 14 is also Xion’s number. I’m including an afterword this time because for 358/2 Days, I had the honor of contributing to the actual game scenario. About two years ago, I was toying around with story ideas—it’s a wonderful memory now.

  It’s still exciting to recall meeting with Tetsuya Nomura and the other writers at the Square Enix office in Shinjuku. I think we met about once or twice a week. Most of the time, it was just the three of us: myself, Yukari Ishida from the scenario team, and our stalwart supervisor Daisuke Watanabe. We would really just talk about anything and everything. After Mr. Nomura looked over our notes and added his touches, it would go into production. That was basically the process. I had prior experience in game development but only text-based visual novel games, so this was my first time working on an RPG. And since I usually work alone, just being part of a team made it all the more enjoyable.

  Of all those discussions we had about the characters and storyline, the ones surrounding Xion left the deepest impression on me.

  For her character, they actually used many of the ideas that I suggested and we refined through our meetings. I have a lot of feelings about her name in particular. The Ultimania and other sources have already touched on this, but Xion’s name comes from shio-ne, the sound of the tide, to echo Naminé’s (the sound of the waves). It also serves as an anagram for the imaginary number, No. i, with an X. And in the language of flowers, shion (Tatarian aster) means “I won’t forget you.”

  Xion’s hair color is the result of a personal request of mine—I asked Mr. Nomura to draw a girl with black hair. I really took full advantage of the job perks. I hung onto the unpublished (I think) rough sketch of Xion. It
’s one of my greatest treasures.

  I also contributed to the backstory of the replicas. The idea came to me when I was writing “Riku’s Story” for the Chain of Memories novels, and I wondered if there was any way to save the poor Replica. The Nobodies aren’t supposed to exist, and yet, he has even less substance than them. His very existence was fabricated for a purpose… That setup can only lead to tragedy. Even so, I want to believe that the Replicas’ hearts got a chance to know happiness in the end.

  Anyway, this is a long series of games, so that’s true of the novels as well. It’s been six years since the first novel came out. I do miss the days when it felt like I was fumbling around in the dark. And so much has happened in those six years. My child who was just entering the first grade then is in middle school now! Whew. I’m full of gratitude for the fans who have supported me all this time and for everyone who helped publish all these books.

  Let me express my thanks a little more explicitly, since I don’t usually have the opportunity.

  First, to our director, Tetsuya Nomura. The signed Sora figure you gave me for my birthday is on my work desk. I’m such a huge fan. We haven’t seen each other in a while, but I had so much fun chatting backstage with you at that expo. I’d like to show up backstage again someday. It’s been wonderful working with you!

  To Shiro Amano, the illustrator: We’re always making plans to hang out together, and one of us always has to cancel last minute because of work. It’s awful. But that time we got totally smashed at my place was great! Let’s get a drink again sometime! …With slightly more moderation.

  To Kazushige Nojima, the scenario writer and novelist. Even from a purely objective standpoint, I have to say, you’re a storyteller I truly admire. And I absolutely love that line by King Mickey in Kingdom Hearts II, Vol. 1: “We’re here safe and sound and free to choose what we’ll do. So there’s no reason we shouldn’t choose to help our friends.” I hope I can be a writer who pulls off lines like that someday. We both like our liquor, but we’ve never had a drink together. I think that once I’m done writing this afterword, I’ll shoot you an e-mail and try to fix that.

  And to Daisuke Watanabe, game scenario editor and Chain of Memories novel supervisor: I don’t think I’d be working on this series if we weren’t friends. We’ve known each other for a long while, haven’t we? I miss those days when we’d get good and hammered almost every night. And congrats on getting hitched! Your wedding is right about a month after this book comes out. I can’t wait!

  To Yukari Ishida, the planner who put up with my help writing the game scenario: I’m sorry that we never got around to the launch celebration we talked about. I want to see you so bad! We were so busy we hardly got to do any proper girl talk. Let’s have a ladies’ night over a nice dinner soon. Don’t work yourself too hard!

  To former Square Enix planner Minori Miura. My first impression of Kingdom Hearts was that it was a game you were working on. Life works in such mysterious ways. I’m where I am today because you introduced me to Watanabe, Minorin. Good luck with your new gig!

  To Kouichi Watanabe, the designer. It’s been thirteen years since we first met. I never thought we’d cross paths again like this. Thank you for your wonderful art.

  To my editor, Takeshi Aojima-san. It’s not every day two people work on fourteen whole novel volumes together. Without you, I never would have been able to keep writing. I’m sorry I make so much work for you all the time. Really, truly, thank you. You’re in my top three “people I’ll never be able to repay.” I’m so happy to be working with you.

  And thank you to all the other staff members. Not just those who work on the books, but to everyone involved in the amazing universe of Kingdom Hearts. Although if I say “everyone,” it should probably include Walt Disney… Wait, I definitely want to include him! Thanks, Your Majesty! I love your work!

  And last but certainly not least, to all my readers. Thank you so, so much. I’ve made it this far with all your love supporting me. That makes it sound like the series is ending, but there’s still more to come! Terra! Ven! Aqua! My friends are my power! I really believe that—we’re all connected. And for those of you who want to actually connect, just look for me on Twitter!

  See you soon for the novelization of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep!

  On a cold, rainy spring day—

  Tomoco Kanemaki

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