The Year Between [Alpha Draft] - Pt 38;

[keybearer]

Chapter 38: Sora and Roxas

Darkness stretched as far as the eye could see. The air sat silent and still. No matter where Sora looked, he found himself staring into a black abyss. He slashed the air n front of him, feeling around, but his hands passed through empty space, and he puffed up his cheeks and huffed. Something silver flickered in the corner of his eye, making his hair stand on end. He crouched down on all four, arching his back and scuttling around, but once again found nothing but that same, boring blackness. Not that he planned to let his guard down.

When another silver flicker dashed by, he froze, hissing and raising his claws. A thick, dusty stench slithered up his nose, and he stiffened, his eyes popping wide open. And that wasn’t even the worst of it, because as soon as he picked up on the smell, he heard a soft chuckle in his ear, a laugh he’d never forget.

So you think you can hide, huh? Who do you think you’re kidding, Zexion?

The laughter continued, growing steadily louder, but that stupid bookworm stayed out of sight. Grinding his teeth, Sora flexed his claws, whiffing the air to try and pinpoint the Nobody, but with each sniff, his head grew lighter. Clouds flooded his mind. Invisible strings wrapped around his wrists, tugging his hands up and over his head. Grimacing, he jerked his arms back and forth, but two flashes of light in the distance stopped him in his tracks. His gaze immediately snapped to the lights, and he stared as they swelled and stretched into two human-like shapes.

Shoulder-length silver hair. A yellow top with crisscrossing black straps. Puffy, blue waders, and a giant silver key gripped in one of his gloved hands. There was no mistaking Riku, even from a distance. The second figure’s long red hair and ocean blue eyes grabbed his focus with an iron grip. Kairi stood with a smile, tucking her hands behind her back, and a soft, white glow shone all around her. It stretched off in thin tendrils, brushing against Sora’s cheek. Warm, welcoming. Grinning, he tried to crawl closer, but with the sound of another chuckle, he stopped. The strings tightened. The haze thickened.

And at long last, a tall figure dressed in black strode up to him, flipped back his hood, and revealed a fringe of silver hair covering half of his face.

“There’s no escaping this time, Sora. You’ve had three months of freedom, and you’ve let your guard down, and now… Now you’re mine.”

He stared blankly at… his Master. That was his master. He stared and waited, claws twitching. Ready to dive in and rip out a fresh new heart.

“Now then…” His master turned to the two figures. The boy and the girl. He grinned and thrust a finger in their direction. “As a test of your loyalty, I order you to eradicate them. Tear out their hearts and consume them. Let your instincts run wild…”

He nodded. Yes. He was a Heartless. He had to feed. Had to kill. …Right? But maybe… No. Yes. He grabbed his head, shaking it back and forth, and then charged, claws scraping against the invisible ground.

The boy and the girl both gasped. The boy held out that stupid, stupid Key like a shield. The girl waved her hand, and another Key appeared, coated in colorful flowers. Just the sight left him with a dry, itchy feeling in the back of his throat. His eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared. His lips pulled back to reveal his shark-like teeth.

“Stop it, Sora!” Sora? The boy called him Sora. Did he know him? Yes. Of course he did, because it was Rik—

He hesitated for a second, and that stupid, stupid Key struck his side, burning hotter than the sun. He struck back, slicing across the boy’s arm, leaving three red, red gashes across his skin. The boy flew back, and he turned around, charging at the girl. At Kairi. Why was he doing this? This wasn’t right! He was—this was—he couldn’t… let… Zexion…

“But you already have, Sora. Don’t you remember? Your claws are already tainted with Kairi’s blood. You hurt her once, and despite all your effort, you will hurt her again. It’s simply inevitable…”

N…No, I can’t. I’m not hurting her again! But his body kept moving anyway. He tried to shake free, but this time, he kept running nonstop. He could only watch as his claws scraped across Kairi’s jacket, ripped through her skin, and that scream. That horrible, horrible scream filled his ears, stabbing him like a thousand swords.

She fell on her back, and he jumped at her, slashing again. And again. Even though he said he’d never let Zexion take control again. Even though he’d tried so hard to keep control. Tried so hard to keep a smile on his face. And… and—

“Sora, that’s enough!”

A new voice broke through the screams, which all died down the next second. Kairi, Riku, and Zexion’s forms all grew fuzzy, shifting from flesh into smoke that drifted away. Sora stopped slashing. He froze altogether, fixing his eyes on his hands. His legs trembled, and he felt his eyes sting. A small speck of light pierced the darkness and drifted down in front of him, flickering like a dying candle.

But then that light exploded, forcing Sora to shield his eyes. When he looked again, he saw a taller boy standing in front of him, with spiky blond hair slicked to the left, a white and black jacket with two crossing straps, a plate of armor on his shoulder, and a soft smile on his face. Before Sora could even budge, Ven grabbed his shoulders, and the light surrounding him expanded, crawling down from Sora’s head to his toes. The shadows covering him flaked away like chips of paint, fizzling into mist.

“Ven…” Sora averted his eyes, catching the blue edge of a cracked, stained glass platform. Looking down, he saw noticed his shoes had returned to their original, bright yellow. His balloon-like pants turned red again, his jacket white, and below, he saw the image of a golden paopu fruit, surrounded by other pictures in gold circles. A wrench, a wooden mask, a mushroom, and a raft… so it was just like the night before and countless nights before that. Just another dream, and he was back inside his heart.

Wiping his eyes, he looked back to Ven, who reached for his hand and pulled him back on his feet.

“See, it’s okay. Just another bad dream.”

“I know that, but…” He squeezed his torso, kicking at the glass. “There’s still a chance it could happen again. I wanna keep fighting, but what if I slip up? And what if next time—”

Brow arched, Ven tipped his head to the side and crossed his arms. “But you said you were done following orders. Don’t you remember?”

“...’Course I do.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I know I’m being stupid. Why let a dumb dream get me down?”

“Aw, it’s okay to be scared! If I were in your shoes right now, I doubt I’d be any better.” He let out a shaky laugh and scratched his cheek. “But you gotta remember that there’s more to you than just being a Heartless. Now, this…” He gestured to Sora. “This is the real you.”

“Heh, you really think so?” He lifted one of his hand and wiggled his fingers. “Being here always throws me off. Guess I’ve gotten a little too used to being a Heartless.”

“Well, it’s been a year now.” Ven turned around, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. “Man, I can’t even imagine what it feels like. You can do all kinds of cool stuff, like melting into the ground.” He stopped and grinned. “Is it fun?”

“Yep!” Sora mirrored Ven’s expression, bumping a fist against his chest. “Plus I’m way faster like this, and stealthier too.”

“You’re way sneakier than I ever was! Kinda makes me jealous.”

“Well, don’t be.” Sora drooped, shoulders slumping, and fixed his eyes on his palms. “Sure, being a Heartless has perks and all, but I’ve gotta deal with all sorts of problems, like how scary I look. The only people who can hear me besides you are our enemies, and it’s because I’m still a Heartless that Zexion was able to control me in the first place.”

“…Right.” Ven cringed, gulped, and shivered. His eyes dropped to the stained glass below, and he lumbered back over to Sora, gripping his shoulder. “But we could always try and change you back. Now that Aqua’s got the Star Shard, we don’t need to use portals that much. All we’d have to do is find somebody who can help you.”

“I…” His eyes slammed shut, and he stepped away, turning his back on Ven and grasping at his chest, right above his heart. The answer should’ve been an obvious yes. Despite all the cool tricks he’d gained as a Heartless, there were just too many setbacks. His body was so light and frail that getting smacked around by Heartless or Saïx’s stupid claymore carried ten times as much weight, pressure, and pain than they would in human form. And like he already told Ven, it wasn’t like he could really talk to his friends like this. And even if he could eat and taste real food, as soon as it hit his stomach, it fizzled away, leaving a big, aching gap he could never sustain. Not without snatching hearts.

So what was wrong with him? Though Sora tried to mouth the word ‘yes,’ all he managed was a squeak. And this was after going through that stupid, stupid Zexion nightmare for like the billionth time. Ven was right. They didn’t need corridors anymore. Aqua’s Star Shard was enough. And if he changed back, he could spar with Kairi without the constant, nagging fear that he’d hurt her again, and that the next time around, it’d be more than just a scratch. Changing back was the smart thing to do, but at the same time…

“I dunno.” He hung his head in shame. Yeah, there were tons of problems, but even with those faults, what if… what if they still needed him as a Heartless? He could still sneak around and squeeze through places no human body ever could. And corridors came in handy for quick escapes or if they needed to get somewhere without relying on the Star Shard’s unpredictable nature.

“Sora…” Ven’s voice came out soft and weak, and Sora couldn’t bear to look him in the eye. “Well, I guess you’ve got time to decide. And whatever you choose, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I know…” He shook his head, glancing at Ven with a forced, weak smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out soon.”

Soon after their talk, Sora’s mind dipped into a haze again. He awoke the next morning to the sun streaking in through a half-open window, with bird song filtering into the room. He blinked a couple of times, then sat up and rubbed his eyes. Stretching his back, he reached for the nearby nightstand and scooped up his journal and pen before looking over his surroundings. It was pretty plain overall, with bare, brown walls, a small red carpet in the middle of the floor, and twin beds covered in thin, white blankets. But where the heck was Aqua?

He pushed himself to the edge of the bed and was about to wander out into the hall when he picked up a sweet, sugary smell. Before long, Aqua slipped into the room with a plate of strawberry-topped pancakes. The second he saw the food, his mouth started watering. Lucky for him, Aqua marched right over to his bed, passing him the plate, a napkin, and a fork before sitting down beside him.

Right away, he started ripping into the pancake, but after two huge bites, he stopped, noticing the frown on Aqua’s face.

“Sora, did you sleep all right?”

He flinched, dropping his fork in his lap. His face twisted into a grimace, and he forced a nod.

“Sora, come on…”

“It was another nightmare, wasn’t it?” Well, he couldn’t hide it anymore. As soon as he nodded, Aqua squeezed his shoulder. “I thought so. Last night, I caught you tossing and turning again… I thought about waking you, but—”

Setting the plate aside, Sora grabbed his pen and paper and wrote, ‘It’s okay. Ven helped.’

“Thank you, Ven.” She paused for a second, scooping out her Wayfinder. “Still, if you’re having troubles, you can always talk to me. I promise that I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

He tapped the corner of his page before crossing out the previous message and scribbling below it. ‘But it’s nothing new. Besides, we got more important things to worry about, like going out and saving more worlds!’

“Oh?” Aqua’s face turned blank, totally unreadable. “I’d argue that a friend’s well-being is just as important.”

Sora’s brow furrowed, and his lower lip poked out just a little bit. ‘But I’m just one guy, and there’s tons of people out there who need our help!’

“But right now, you’re the one who’s struggling.” She tightened her grip, leaning over to look him in the eye. “Would you like to visit Kairi today? I’m sure if you talked to her, you’d feel a lot better. And I bet she misses you just as much as you miss her.”

Sora winced, and his handwriting became super shaky. ‘Maybe later. Right now, I’m getting pretty pumped up about traveling again!’ He hopped down from the bed, puffing out his chest and forcing a grin. ‘I bet the Star Shard’s gonna take us somewhere really cool this time!’

“Sora…” She sighed and shook her head. “Well, all right. We’ll get ready to leave as soon as you finish breakfast.”

They dropped the subject after that, and Sora returned to his eating. He practically inhaled the pancakes over the next few minutes, but as soon as he swallowed the last bite, the sweet flavor vanished, and his stomach felt as empty as it had before he started. True to her word, Aqua scooped out her Star Shard as soon as he set his dishes aside. Then, after tucking his notepad and pen in his pocket, Sora zipped right up to her and latched onto the star-shaped rock. The room flashed, and the two sprung away from the ground, blazing through the ceiling and high into the sky.

x.x.x

Three more months of searching, and he still turned up empty-handed. It’d been more than a half a year now, and still no sign of Sora or even Marluxia. His and Axel’s journey spread far across space, leading them to a world with airships and swashbuckling pirates, a small town under constant attack by some weird, blue skinned scientist, and a place crawling with living, talking dinosaurs. If he’d had his heart, Roxas would’ve jumped for joy at the sight... at least until a scary, sharp-toothed dinosaur started chasing him down. After nearly getting chomped in two, Axel had grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away. And just when he was starting to get used to the place.

And now, here he was, back where he started. Alone in the tower, Roxas peered out into the same old starry sky with his back pressed against one of the columns and his arms crossed. Axel had run off to give Xemnas another report, and with nowhere else to go, he stood and waited, breathing a soft sigh. Axel was right about one thing: the lack of hearts stacked the odds against them. It’d take sheer dumb luck for either of them to encounter their targets and even more luck for him to finally see his friends again.

But no way was he gonna give up. His friends were worth all the trouble, so he’d keep on searching no matter what. And for now, he was content to soak in the starlight.

But way, way out in the distance, something changed. A streak of light zipped across the horizon, growing larger and larger by the second. Roxas’ eyes narrowed to a squint, and he leaned out of the tower with one hand above his forehead. The streak zipped and zigzagged all around, growing bigger and bigger, and… come to think of it, it almost looked like it was headed his way!

Soon he picked up on a twinkling sound. That one tiny streak of light swelled into a huge, glowing comet, charging straight at the tower. Straight at Roxas’ face. Yelping, he leaped back, ducking low to the ground and throwing his hands over his head. The light zipped past him, and he heard the sound of muddled screams before CRASH!

A blinding flash overtook the tower, sending stars and spots dancing before Roxas’ eyes.

x.x.x

Sora hit the ground so fast that he probably should’ve left a big dent. His face slammed into the cold, slick ground, and if he wasn’t made outta darkness, he probably would’ve broken his nose from the impact. But nope, he just had to deal with the aches and pains that came from the fall. So, rubbing his face, he pushed himself backwards so that he sat on the floor with his legs out straight. He stretched his back, straightened his jacket, and scooted over to Aqua, who staring at something or other with her eyes glued open and her mouth slightly ajar.

And then a familiar voice spoke up, and Sora’s jaw immediately dropped.

“You’re…”

Uh… hey there. Sora cracked a crooked smile and waved, trying his best to keep cool despite the overwhelming to rush closer. To start bombarding his Nobody with questions. Looking up, he found XIII gazing down at him with his eyes slightly wider than usual. He looked from Sora to Aqua, rubbing his neck. After a few seconds, Aqua approached him.

“…You must be Sora’s Nobody.”

“Who are you?” He narrowed his eyes and gripped at his sleeves, standing straight and stiff.

But Aqua must not’ve cared because she continued her approach, looking to Sora with a soft laugh. “I’m Aqua, and it’s great to finally meet you.”

He nodded, shooting a look at the ground. His brow tensed, then relaxed, and he sighed through his nose.

Scratching his cheek, Sora crept just a little bit closer. So, how’re you doing? Is everything okay?

XIII perked up, fixing his eyes on Sora, and stared at him like he was some sorta weird alien. “Why do you care? The last time I saw you, we were enemies…”

No we weren’t! Sora pouted and slapped his hands on his hips. Okay, so I guess we sorta were, since you were trying to keep us away from Riku, but I’m not gonna hold something like that against you. You were just doing what you thought was right.

“So you’re not mad?”

Why would I be mad? Sora shook his head, cracking a small smile. That fight was one big misunderstanding. Sure, it didn’t end the way I wanted, but I’m not gonna blame you or your friends. What really matters is the present—and right now, I’m just glad to see you!

XIII squinted, reaching for his chin. He stepped closer to Sora, looking him up and down, and then whipped back around. “I should’ve known. You always were really cheerful.” He paused. “So is your friend a Keybearer?”

Aqua’s eyebrows shot up, and she covered her mouth. “How did you know?”

“Xemnas told me.”

“Xemnas?” Aqua stumbled backwards, squeezing her hands into trembling fists. She pursed her lips, glanced off at one of the walls, and then locked eyes with XIII. “What did Xemnas say about me? Please, anything you can tell me will help.” Aqua was right. If Xemnas really knew her, then this could change everything.

XIII stuffed a hand down his pocket, digging around. After a couple seconds, he plucked out a black, hardback journal with the number XIII carved in silver on the cover. He turned around, moving closer to Aqua, and flipped through the pages before passing it her way.

“Here, read this.”

Wait, so his Nobody kept a journal? Sora dashed across the room, skidding to a stop next to Aqua and stood up on his tip toes so he could see what sorta secrets the journal held. It read:

‘It’s been almost two months since the fight at Castle Oblivion, and still no sign of Sora. I’ve been looking all over the place, but I guess with so many worlds out there, it won’t be that easy to find him. Today I went to Halloween Town and got to meet Jack again. Since he knew Sora, I decided to ask him what he knew.

He said that Sora used to be more cheerful and energetic, just like in my memories. And I guess he stole Dr. Finkelstein’s heart to help Kairi, which matches up with what the real Riku and Kairi told me. I thought that hearing the truth might help, but now I’m even more confused than before. My memories tell me to feel and act like Sora, but whenever I try, it just feels wrong.

I dropped by Hollow Bastion, but Leon and the others didn’t know much. I learned that Riku—my Riku—stayed with them for a while, but Marluxia and Larxene drove them away. I wish I could’ve seen them again. After that, I went to the castle, where I bumped into Xemnas.

Xemnas said some really weird stuff. He said that the only interesting thing about me is my appearance, and he told me that Sora and some mystery Keybearer would know why. He was really vague about it. He also told me that he plans to have Riku kill Marluxia, and I learned that he originally wanted to name me Roxas. I took the name so I can stand out from Sora, but now I really have to find him so I can sort everything out.

Why do I look and sound this way? What does it mean? I wanna know who I am, but every time I think I come closer to understanding, something always sets me two steps back.’

It was a lot to soak in, partially because it was such a long entry and partially due to all the info it provided. So this whole time, XIII—Roxas had been looking for him? Just thinking about it made Sora wilt, and he scratched the back of his head, shooting a quick glance at his Nobody. If he knew, he would’ve met with him ASAP, but at least now they had a chance to talk. That’s what really mattered.

The bit about Marluxia fit with what Mickey’d said, so he skimmed over that, focusing his eyes on the last two paragraphs. Xemnas mentioning Roxas’ looks wasn’t that weird on its own, but for him to mention Sora and Aqua? Something fishy was going on. So fishy that he leaned extra close to the page, just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything.

“…I knew it,” said Ven. “He knows about me. All that vague stuff he said at the castle was just him trying to hide the truth!”

“But that doesn’t explain who he is,” Aqua whispered. She pulled out her Wayfinder and cradled it close to her chest. “We can’t draw any conclusions until we see him ourselves. I want to believe that there’s a part of Terra still out there, but—”

Roxas scratched his head. “Who’re you talking to? And who’s Terra?”

“O-oh, well…” Aqua’s face flushed, and she smiled sheepishly.

Sora let out some silent laughter, wearing a big, lopsided grin. Uh, so… what would you think if I told you there’s another heart inside me who can talk? And only me and Aqua can hear him…

“…I didn’t know hearts could talk. And how’d you end up with another heart in the first place?”

Well… Ven’s heart was hurting, and it needed a safe place to stay, so I guess I let him rest inside me when I was really little. And then when I freed Kairi, Ven was the one who helped me get back on my feet.

“Ven…” Roxas’ nose wrinkled, and his eyebrows knitted close together. He placed a hand against his cheek, staring at the floor. “But how…?”

“I can explain,” said Aqua. She snapped the journal shut and closed the distance between her and Roxas. As soon as he took back the book, he tucked it back into his pocket and looked up at her with wide, round eyes. “What would you like to know first?”

“Can we start with Ven? That sounds more important right now…”

“All right.” She looked to her Wayfinder again, threading her fingers between the points. “Ven is one of my best friends, along with… Terra.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes. “Together, the three of us trained under Master Eraqus.”

“A Master?”

“A Keyblade Master.” She brushed her fingers against her Master’s emblem. “Originally, every Keyblade wielder would train under a Master so that one day they could earn the Mark of Mastery. It was part of a long standing tradition.” One of her hands slid up to the emblem on her chest. “I eventually became a Master myself, but fate was cruel to us, and we all vanished from the worlds.”

“Even Ven?”

Aqua shuddered, looking away to hide a grimace. “Yes, even Ven. In a way, he struggled the most because we kept trying to send him back home. None of us understood how brave and strong he really was. And still is.”

“Aqua, it’s okay! I know you were just trying to protect me.”

“Mm. At any rate, Ven lost control of his body after a fight with his darker half—Vanitas. With some help from the King, I was able to save him, but by then, his heart was gone.”

“…And that’s when it went to Sora.”

Sora gulped, poking at the front of his shirt. Is that true, Ven?

“Yup, but it had to be done, otherwise there would’ve been another Keyblade War.”

Roxas fidgeted and reached up to rub his neck again. “So, what about Terra?”

Aqua grimaced again, squeezing her lucky charm. “It’s hard to say.”

“It’s okay,” said Roxas. “You don’t have to say any more if you don’t want to.”

“…Thank you.” She cracked a weak, watery smile. “But is there anything else you’d like to know?”

“Mm. Well, I’ll be blunt. Does Ven look like me?”

“I… yes. You two are almost identical.”

“I knew it.” He glowered at the ground, smacking his fist against his palm. “But what does that make me? Who am I?”

Ven hummed. “You know, I kinda feel sorry for him. First he had to deal with all those fake memories, and now this…”

Yeah… Sora couldn’t even imagine what was going through his head right now, and his blank expression made him impossible to read. And yet, unlike his Nobody, Sora knew exactly what to say. Taking off like a missile, Sora zoomed at Roxas and grabbed both his hands.

You’re you. That’s all there is to it!

“I’m… me? But that doesn’t explain who that ‘me’ is…”

Aqua placed a hand on his back. “I don’t think it’s something you can really explain, but even if you did start as a part of Sora, it’s clear to me that you’re your own person now.”

Roxas tensed, shaking his head. “But how can you say that? I’m a Nobody, and everything about me came from somebody else, even my new name.”

Sora huffed. But you’ve got your own friends! And even if the name came from somebody else, at least you’ve got one now, and that’s a great way to start forming your own identity.

“Well…” He looked down at their hands. “I never felt like you. You’re so upbeat, and it’s kinda weird.”

Hey! Sora’s cheeks puffed up, and he pouted. Here I am, trying to cheer you up, and—

A small smile crossed his lips, and he chuckled. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m just… me.”

“Well, if it helps, you don’t really act like Ven.”

“Really? Then what’s Ven—” He stopped. “On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t ask.”

“Oh?” Aqua smiled wryly. “So you’re not even a little curious?”

He shrugged. “It’s not that. I just think I should stay focused on me so I don’t get confused again.”

Well, maybe you’ll get a chance to meet him someday! The words slipped outta him without really thinking, and by the time he realized what he’d said, he bit his lip and gulped. After all, that was kind of a tall order when he was still too scared to change back.

“…I think I’d like that.” Ven’s words hit like the punch of a pro boxer aimed straight at his stomach. “But I’m not in a hurry or anything. I promise.”

Hopefully Ven wasn’t just saying that for his sake. But whether he was or not, his words came out sounding just as light and sincere as ever. At the same time, Roxas folded his arms and shut his eyes, tapping one of his feet.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” His eyes popped back open. “Yeah… I bet if I saw him face to face, that’d erase all my doubts.”

Then… Then it’s a promise. Sora held out his hand, despite the fact that his heart was pounding at light speed, his hands started sweating, and his gut instinct was telling him to pull back. To come up with some sorta excuse.

But before he got that chance, Roxas grabbed his hand in a firm handshake, sealing the deal. There was no turning back now, and maybe it was for the best. Sora couldn’t just keep Ven trapped inside him forever. That wasn’t fair to Aqua, to Mickey, and it sure wasn’t fair to the worlds. It was probably better for him, too. And his friends, because he wouldn’t have to hide anymore. Not that Kairi’d let him get away with it if he tried.

With the promise made, Roxas pulled away and wandered to the very edge of the tower. He pressed his hand against a pillar, standing loose, as if one little handshake had freed all the pressure trapped inside him. Scratching his chin, Sora peered at Aqua and decided to crawl closer to his Nobody. He dangled his legs out and over the ledge and leaned back against his palms, letting the sea of glittering stars wash over him like a wave.

So, what’re you gonna do now?

XIII’s hand snapped into a fist, which he pressed against his chest. “I’m gonna find my friends. Then we can all look at the stars again.”

A soft, airy laugh from behind pulled Sora’s eyes back to Aqua, who pulled out her Wayfinder again, resting it in her palm. “…It’s funny. My friends and I used to stargaze every night, and now…”

“You’ll see them again someday.” Roxas swiveled around, his expression and voice equally firm. “All you gotta do is keep looking and I bet you’ll find Terra before you know it.”

She squeezed her charm, placing it above her heart. “I know, and I’m not giving up until he’s safe again.”

“Aqua…”

Sora’s face paled from black to dark grey. He leaned away from Aqua even though she was clear across the room and squeezed his hands together.

Well, if I see ‘em, you’ll be the first to know!

“…You’d do that?”

‘Course I would! We’re friends now.

“Friends, huh?” He peered outside the tower again with a soft little sigh. “I guess that’d be okay.”

Just okay? Sora sprung to his feet, leaning towards him with a huff. Just promise me you’ll cheer up, okay?

“I can try,” he said. “But I can’t change who I am. Cheering up’s one thing, but if I try to act like you, I’ll just be setting myself back.”

“So be yourself,” said Aqua. “You may have started as a piece of Sora, but now you have the chance to form your own identity.”

Exactly! And I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.

“…Thanks, guys.” He waved his hand. “Anyway, shouldn’t you get going? There’s probably a ton of worlds that need your help right now.”

“Well, Sora?”

He nodded, shooting one last smile at Roxas, which Roxas mirrored without hesitation. Once Sora zipped back over to Aqua, she pulled out the Star Shard and placed her other hand against his shoulder. Sora thought about saying something before they left. Some wise, parting words to steer his Nobody in the right direction. But what else could he really say? He’d already told Roxas to be his own person, so maybe that was enough. In the end, he settled for a wave, and with that silent goodbye, he and Aqua blasted back into the sky.

x.x.x

Something was amiss. Only a fool would fail to realize it, and Xemnas was no longer a fool, if he ever was to begin with. But rather than call a meeting and put the other members on edge, he chose to wander up the steep stairs leading to the Altar of Naught. He stopped at the far edge of the platform, basking in the warm, blue light that shone from his precious Kingdom Hearts. For a short, sweet moment, he tipped his head back and extended his arms, reaching out for the giant clustering of hearts, though it floated outside his reach. It was a fleeting moment, and soon his arms dropped to his side once again, and he simply stared at the moon in all its glory.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? And yet you’re still so far from reaching your true potential. I wonder, what could have happened? A steady stream of hearts once fueled you, and now…” His gaze shifted to the side, where he watched three tiny hearts twirling up into the sky. They drifted up to Kingdom Hearts, sinking into it like quicksand, and then… nothing.

It was almost as if fate was mocking him. Tormenting him by delaying the inevitable. Certainly, he could take what hearts he had already gathered and put them to use, but why sell himself short? He had waited a decade to see his plan reach fruition. If, for some reason, the hearts had stopped, then there must have been a reason. A simple explanation.

A dry, husky laugh blew out of him. A simple explanation indeed. Perhaps too simple…

“I wonder, is this your doing? You, the Master who would throw her own life away to save a friend… You would certainly take any risk you believed would benefit the worlds…” He stepped across the platform, a tight smile lining his lips. “Or is it you, Replica? A puppet who once swore allegiance to our cause… You would know better than anyone what we had planned for you and your Keyblade.”

Or perhaps the little King. There was no shortage of potential catalysts, likely plotting a coordinated effort to stall for time. And indeed, over the past three months, they had done just that. Kingdom Hearts’ growth came in short bursts at best, and some days, no new hearts arrived. The question was, how were they going to rectify this grave mistake?

Further reflection would have to wait, as the sound of thumping from behind signaled that he was no longer alone. It came in a disjointed rhythm, out of sync, suggesting two separate walking speeds. Two visitors. And so, taking his eyes off the prize for the time being, Xemnas swiveled around, hands behind his back, and watched as his visitors reached the top of the stairs.

Xigbar was the first to bridge the distance between them, wearing a broad, toothy smirk as he strutted across the platform. Behind him, Zexion approached with a crease in his brow and one hand stroking his chin.

“Yo, Xemnas, you gonna tell us what’s up? Don’t know if you’ve heard, but old scar-face is starting to catch on. You should see the way he keeps staring at that moon…”

“Indeed, I have noticed a certain… attentiveness to him as of late.” Xemnas took another look at Kingdom Hearts. “But to answer your question, the situation has remained unchanged. Only small cluster of hearts have arrived over the past few days, and I believe we can conclude that the Keybearers have finally decided to intervene.”

“That must be it,” said Zexion. “I don’t think I’ve seen Kairi wielding her Keyblade since my visit to Manhattan. In fact, I’ve noticed that she’s carrying a sheathed sword now, which means that either she’s picked up a new training weapon or this is a concentrated effort to keep us from obtaining new hearts.”

Xigbar clapped his hands, snickering. “Heh, you’d think they woulda tried this a long time ago.”

“But still, we are gathering hearts, albeit at a much slower rate…” Zexion started rubbing his chin more aggressively than before, pacing back and forth. “So if not Kairi, who could possibly still be aiding us? And for that matter, who’s the one who initiated this plan? If we can figure that out, perhaps we can set our heroes back on course…”

“Maybe we oughta grill Flamesilocks. Fact is, this whole thing started right after he took off.”

Zexion’s one visible eyebrow rose. “So you think that Axel had a hand in this?”

“Bingo.” He strode in a circle, gesturing as he spoke. “I mean, let’s look at the facts. We’ve been letting him run wild for months. Who’s to say all that time hanging with the Replica hasn’t softened him up?”

“A possibility exists.” Xemnas looked down, grasping the front of his coat. “Indeed, it is possible that he has deluded himself into believing that he cares. All that time spent observing the Replica may have instilled a certain level of trust between the two… After all, they share a common enemy in Marluxia.” But that wasn’t all. “Moreover, the morning he left, he appeared almost distraught. While I doubt that Axel would go so far as to tamper with Kingdom Hearts, it is entirely possible that he is withholding information from us…”

“…Deplorable. Simply deplorable.” Zexion scowled, whipping his head back and forth. “As a member of our Organization, he should know better than to keep secrets from his superiors!”

Xigbar patted him on the bat. “Well, kiddo, you and I both know where his loyalties really lie.”

“Of course, just as I’m aware of Saïx’s… questionable motives. Why else would we place him so close to the top?”

For some peculiar reason, Xigbar burst out laughing at Zexion’s words, shaking his head and waving his other hand. “You tell me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Enough.” Xemnas’ voice bellowed like a cannon. “Xigbar, Zexion… see to it that Axel explains himself. Use whatever methods you deem necessary, but ensure that he reveals every secret in the hollow depths of his being.”

TO BE CONTINUED