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Chapter Text

Play: Sanctuary - Kingdom Hearts II

First, you see a younger Kairi, sitting on the beaches of the Destiny Islands. She's fiddling with some shells, five of them that form the shape of a star.

You can also see another seashell, with a different shape, get washed away into the ocean.

...

The scene transitions. Now it's the original trio. Sora, Riku, and Kairi gathered at the curved tree on their home, watching the sunset. Sora is talking with Kairi.

Then, she fades away. Suddenly, Riku fades away as well. Sora is alone on the island.

He throws himself off of the tree, as the island itself fades away.

...

Sora lands on a platform, in a world known as Hollow Bastion. He's holding a weapon now, a sword in the shape of a large key. The legendary Keyblade.

Two figures stand at his stand, anthropomorphic animals that wield a staff and shield respectively. The one wielding the staff is known as Donald Duck, the other one is Goofy.

Many platforms are higher above the three heroes. They were black creatures, with yellow eyes and two antennae on their heads. They are called the Heartless.

...

Sora jumps up onto one of the platforms, where three Heartless stand. Right as he lands, his Keyblade strikes down one of the Heartless. With two more strikes, he takes down the other two. He jumps onto another platform and runs up a set of stairs.

At the top of the stairs, he sees a girl laying on the ground, not moving. It's Kairi, seemingly sound asleep. Sora runs to her side and tries to wake her up, but she doesn't.

Sora looks behind him and sees someone standing there. A boy in a black and blue outfit with a silver skirt, also a head of silver hair. It was his old friend, Riku.

Riku puts his hand out towards Sora, as the area they were in changes. Now, they were back on the beaches of Destiny Islands. A massive wave was heading towards the beach, directly behind Riku.

Sora runs towards him, but not to save him from the coming wave. His Keyblade is in his hands, and he's swinging toward Riku.

His blade clashes with Riku's, and Sora swings at him, with Riku flipping backward. When he's about to land, he morphs into a new person.

A tan-skinned man replaces him. He was silver hair, like Riku, but his eyes are now orange instead of blue.

He is what our heroes called Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness.

Sora jumps at him, swinging his Keyblade down.

...

Out of nowhere, a massive white door. The door to Kingdom Hearts, where Ansem thought it would fill him with the power of darkness.

However, he was dead wrong. Blasts of light shot from the door, blinding him. As Sora said, Kingdom Hearts was indeed light.

Ansem was destroyed, and Riku is trapped on the other side of this strange door. He speaks to Sora one last time before the door is shut and eventually locked.

...

Sora is then seen standing in the same area where he found Kairi and fought Riku. He's falling backward, and then a glowing light appears from his chest. A tiny ball of light comes out of his chest. His heart. it has just left his body.

Then we see Kairi and Sora standing together, Sora's arms around her, with particles of light coming from his figure.

...

Transition. Kairi is now standing alone, on Destiny Islands, staring out into the vast ocean. Out of nowhere, the sun goes away, and it's now nighttime.

Suddenly, small particles of light begin to fall around Kairi and the island. She sees Sora in front of her, as he says his last words before they lose sight of one another.

Kairi continues to stare out into the abyss, as the particles of light continue to fall onto the beach.

...

Then, the sky goes back to daytime, and now Kairi has changed. She's grown a lot taller, her hair is now longer, and she's wearing a new outfit. She's now wearing a pink minidress with a white shirt underneath and white shoes. She continues to stare out into the ocean.

She looks down and seems to speak to herself, but out of nowhere, another girl appears, uttering the same words as Kairi.

Another transition, and there's a new area and that same girl. She's wearing a white dress and has short blonde hair. Much like her outfit, the room she's in is entirely white. The walls, the floor, the chair she's sitting in, the table in the center of the room, even the vase that sits on said table.

This girl is holding a sketchbook, and on the page it's flipped to, there is a long, spiraling staircase.

You can now see that spiraling staircase. Sora, Donald, and Goofy are all running up it, Sora swiping away at any Heartless he gets close to.

He ends up running past one, which Goofy ends up smashing with his shield. Donald then runs up, jumping into the air while holding his staff up.

Sora runs towards some Heartless, but they're all defeated by Donald's thunder spell. He looks into the smoke from the defeated Heartless, and see's two figures there. One of them is in odd-looking red robes, and the other is in a black coat.

...

Sora then appears in the halls of a castle, a castle with only white walls. He looks ahead of him, and there's a man in a black coat, with pink hair and holding a large pink scythe is standing there. Sora runs at him, avoiding both swipes from the scythe.

Not only that, but you can also see Riku in the same-looking hall of the castle. Instead of a man in a black coat, he is battling Ansem. He runs at Ansem and ends up stabbing him towards his chest.

Sora throws his Keyblade at the man he's facing, and it appears to meet its target.

The scene changes and Sora is running up the staircase again. Riku is running up the staircase as well but from the other side. Sora is accompanied by Donald and Goofy, and Riku by King Mickey.

...

Back to the room with the girl in white. She looks up from her sketchpad and sees Sora opening the door and entering the room. He isn't able to do or say anything to the girl before he's trapped in some sort of weird pod.

He places his hands on the walls, looking at the girl on the outside. She appears to say something, but her words cannot be deciphered.

Sora's eyes begin to shut, and he falls back into the white abyss of the pod...

...

He's then seen flying through the air, towards the islands of his home.

The girl in white reappears, looking into her sketchbook, showing an image of Sora sleeping. She closes the sketchbook as the scene changes again.

Sora is now laying on his home island, with Kairi to his left, and Riku to his right, their hands interlocked with one another.

...

Then, something shoots out from underneath Riku. A person falls through the void below.

He has the same hairstyle as Riku, but it's much shorter and brown rather than silver. His outfit is also completely different. He's wearing a black vest with a hood on the back, a white t-shirt underneath, a black wristband on his right wrist, black pants, and black shoes.

He continues to fall and finally ends up opening his eyes, showing they're a shade of brown. He lands on a platform looking out into the area he's in.

He takes one step forward, and a bright light appears. The platform clears and is now becoming visible, the fragments of what covered the platform taking the shape of birds.

He watches the birds fly off into the unknown, as the platform is fully revealed. Riku is displayed there, holding his signature sword (named Soul Eater), with Sora, Kairi, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in circles by his figure. There's also a shot of the islands in the back.

The final shot is set in a strange world. A tall clock tower in a town, a sunset out in the distance.

...

Scene Ends

Kingdom Hearts: The Soldier of Darkness - Final Mix

Chapter I - Creation

Stop: Sanctuary - Kingdom Hearts II

Play: Villains of a Sort - Kingdom Hearts I

He brought his fist up, punching the wall hard.

"Blast that boy and that meddlesome mouse king!"

Ansem had been defeated by Riku, after Castle Oblivion. He was now locked in Riku's heart, without any control.

He couldn't come up and try to take over anymore. He couldn't even make himself known to Riku anymore. Riku had full control now, and Ansem was left to just sit and punch walls.

"If only there was something I could do...try and create a new vessel for me..."

He started to think, contemplating idea after idea. After many minutes of contemplation, one thought finally came.

"Yes, yes that might work. I need an empty vessel, one filled with darkness and only darkness."

He started grinning devilishly, "Yes, this will work perfectly."

Ansem started laughing lightly, then it got louder as time wore on.

Stop: Villains of a Sort - Kingdom Hearts I

In the back alley of a world, a world in the realm between light and darkness, all is peaceful.

Out of nowhere, a pool of darkness forms on the ground. This pool morphs, until it takes shape.

It morphs into a person, the one that you saw earlier. The one in black clothes with brown hair.

...

He finally wakes, sitting up slowly. He looks around the surrounding area before standing up.

He struggles to stand lightly, as he's still a little groggy and light-headed. He puts a hand up to his head while looking at his other hand.

He walks forward slowly, going to assess the area he was in.

Entered New World: Twilight Town

Play: The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II

"What...is this place?" He said to himself, "Where am I?"

He moved his hand down in front of him, "My head hurts so badly...and I can't remember a thing..."

A tram passed in front of him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Why can't I remember anything? Did I lose my memory?"

After looking around the area, he walked to his right.

He started talking to himself in his head.

"Okay, I remember waking up...and that's it. That can't be everything, right?"

"Also, I feel...hollow. I can't feel anything...ugh, apart from this raging migraine."

"But I should be able to remember something, right?"

"Okay, think. Think hard."

…

He thought for a little longer but just shook his head, "Ah, it's no use. I can't remember anything."

"Maybe someone in town can help me? Couldn't hurt to ask, right?"

He was close to a store and walked over. A woman was standing at the counter and smiled at him as he walked up.

"Hi there! Oh, you look new! What's your name?"

He waved to her, "That's...a good question. I have no idea."

The woman's smile faded, "Oh no! You've lost your memory? That's terrible!"

"I guess so, but I'm not sure. Everything is just so confusing..."

"Well, if you need anything, just feel free to ask around. I'm sure there's somebody that may be able to give you some help."

She was smiling at him, and he just said, "That's good to hear. Thanks."

"Glad I could help."

He walked off, thanking the woman again.

"This is so weird..." He said in his head.

…

He wandered into a different area. Benches surrounded a flat, empty area. There was a group of four standing on the other side, far from him.

"Maybe they know something..." He said, walking towards them.

One of them noticed him getting closer, and pointed him out to the other three.

They all turned around, stopping him dead in his tracks with their glares (not literally). If looks could kill, he'd be on the ground right now.

"Umm...hi." He said lightly, giving a small wave.

The guy in front, who seemed to be their de facto leader, looked him over, "Who's this guy? You new?"

"Well, I guess you could say-,"

The guy in front cut him off, "Whatever. Go bother somebody else, loser."

The guy behind him spoke, "Yeah! Seifer doesn't talk to losers like you, y'know!"

"Scram." The girl said. The fourth in the group remained silent.

He smartly backed off, "Whoa, settle down. I'm not looking for any trouble..."

"Then leave and go bother someone else! You want something, go ask those three half-pints in the back alley."

"Okay. Fine. I'll leave you guys alone." He walked off to his left, walking a bit faster than before.

…

He walked into the back alley, past an open fence gate back behind some buildings.

Pushing the tarp that covered the entrance, he entered the small room. Three people were already inside and were all startled when he entered.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." He said, noticing one of the boys (there were two boys and one girl) get up.

They looked him over, the boy to his right speaking, "Who are you? Did Seifer and his gang send you to mess with us?"

"Seifer? Is that his name?"

"So you ARE with him."

"What? No! I'm just...ugh, I'm sorry. I'm just looking around town, and I made my way here. I ran into that Seifer guy, but he just told me off."

The girl spoke to the boy, "Relax, Hayner. Do you really think Seifer would just tell a random guy to show up and mess with us?"

"Hayner" looked a bit skeptical, but did stand down. The girl spoke again, "Sorry about him, I'm Olette. This is Pence and that's Hayner."

Pence waved hello, "I've never seen you around Twilight Town before. You new?"

"You could say that..."

"So, what's your name, new guy?" Hayner asked him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, "That's...a good question. I don't even know if I HAVE one."

"That's nonsense! Everyone's gotta name." Hayner responded.

"I'm sure I do, but...as of right now, I have no idea what it is or what it could be."

Pence spoke up this time, "Well, you could try the old mansion."

"Where's that?"

"Go to the Tram Common until you find a hole in the wall. It's a short walk through the woods after that."

"Alright. Thanks, Hayner, Pence, Olette."

"Good luck!" Olette said as he left.

Stop: The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II

He was walking through the woods when he heard sounds from behind him. Ruffling in the leaves.

He turned back, looking for the cause of the sound. There was nothing.

Little did he know, that white creatures were watching him, advancing closer to him as he approached the mansion.

…

He reached the mansion, noticing the gate was locked. The place also looked worn to hell, as if it hadn't been lived in decades.

He sighed, "Another dead end..."

After he said that, he heard another sound from behind him. He turned quickly, see a strange white creature appear, along with four more behind that one.

"What...are you?" He said, not getting a response.

They started advancing on him slowly, and he backed up. After only a few steps, his back hit the gate of the mansion.

He was sure that that would've been the end of it.

The white creatures stopped advancing. They parted, and a dark portal appeared a few feet behind them.

Play: Organization XIII - Kingdom Hearts II

A second later, a man in a black coat appeared out of the portal and walked toward him.

He waved his hand, and the white creatures dispersed.

The guy in black spoke in a deep, low voice, "You seek answers."

"Uhh, yeah...I guess..."

The man spoke again, "I can give you purpose. I can give the answers you seek."

"Would you like to know?" The man asked him.

He nodded.

…

The man waved his hand, a bunch of letters appearing in front of him. They spelled out something, a name probably.

R - I - K - U. Riku.

"Who's...Riku? That name sounds familiar..."

The man then waved his hand, and the letters started to spin all around him. They stopped when he put his hand out again, a massive X separating the four in half.

It spelled out a new name.

K - I - R - U - X.

Kirux.

"Kirux..." He said lightly.

"That is right," The man said, "The new you."

He then put his hand out for Kirux, "Now join me, and I will give you all the answers you seek..."

Kirux looked at his hand for a second, before nodding lightly.

"I...will join you."

"Very well..."

They turned back to the dark portal, "Come. You have much to learn...Kirux."

He entered the portal, and Kirux entered right behind him.

…

Meanwhile, a person was watching through one of the windows of the mansion. A girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a long white dress.

"Oh no," she said, "DiZ and Riku are NOT going to like this..."

Chapter Text

Chapter II - Organization XIII

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Soon after the guy in black took him through the dark corridor, Kirux was passed on to a different man in the same black coat. The guy had long, blue hair, and a massive X-shaped scar on his face.

The first guy in black said something to him, and the second one waved Kirux along. He followed without asking any questions.

He led Kirux to a room, a bedroom to be more exact. The man turned around, holding out something to Kirux.

"Take this," he said, "You are one of us now, and you'll need to wear this at all times."

Kirux took it from him, looking it over. It was the coat, only in his size. It came with a coat, a pair of black pants, black boots, and black gloves.

The guy continued, so Kirux looked back up at him, "Whenever you're done in here, come to the Grey Area. We'll continue from there."

He walked out of the room, leaving Kirux alone.

Kirux looked back down at the coat, "I have to wear this at all times, huh?"

He shrugged, starting to get changed.

…

…

…

He adjusted the glove on his right hand, finally done.

"Okay. All finished." He said, looking over himself.

"That guy said to head to the "Grey Area" when I was done."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "If only he had told me where that was..."

"I guess I can check to castle out while I look for it. That doesn't sound too bad."

He exited his room and walked down the hall.

…

"This place doesn't seem so bad," He said to himself, "Everything being white is kind of odd, but overall, not bad."

He walked up a staircase, "I wonder how many other people there are in this place, in this group. They never even told me what this is all about, or what this empty feeling was about."

"Why do I feel so...hollow? It's almost as if I'm missing something..."

"There's a lot that I don't know, and nobody has even offered to tell me anything."

"Here's hoping that changes."

…

He entered this one large room, a massive glass window taking up the entirety of the far wall. There were couches, chairs, and tables scattered throughout the room, and he noticed a group of three sitting around one of them.

Another one of them was standing over by the glass, staring out into the emptiness.

Kirux walked in, looking around, when somebody called out to him to his left, "Well would you look at that? Lord Xemnas got us another newbie!"

He looked over, seeing the three men sitting at the table were all looking at him. One had a long ponytail, a scar, and an eyepatch over his right eye. The second one had blonde hair and a goatee with the same color, and piercings in his left ear. The last one had dirty-blond hair in a mullet style, with bangs falling over his face.

Kirux looked around, then pointed a finger at himself in a "You talking to me?" gesture.

"Well, you just gonna stand there?" The eyepatch guy said. Kirux walked over to them, seeing that they were playing some sort of card game.

…

"So, um..." Kirux said lightly, but couldn't think of what else to say.

"Man, you're less talkative than Roxas was when he first joined." The mullet one said.

"Cut the new one some slack. If Xemnas was willing to bring him on board, then he must have a reason." The one with the piercings said, shuffling the cards in his hands.

"So, what's your name kid?" Eyepatch Guy asked Kirux.

"Oh, it's Kirux."

"Well, Kirux. Welcome to Organization XIII. The name's Xigbar."

Xigbar pointed to the piercings guy, "He's Luxord, and that's Demyx."

Luxord said, "Greetings," while Demyx said, "Nice to meet you, Kirux."

Kirux waved at both of them, "So...you mentioned a "Lord Xemnas." Who's that?"

"He's the number one," Luxord said, "Call him "The Superior" or "Lord Xemnas." Use either-or."

"So is he the one with the blue hair? The one that gave me this coat?"

"No," Demyx spoke up, "That guy's Saïx. He's Xemnas's second in command."

"After you're introduced to the other members, someone will show you how things roll around here. For now, just hang around until we're called in." Xigbar said, saying "Call" and throwing some yellow orbs onto the table ahead of them.

…

Kirux turned around, noticing the guy was still standing by the window.

He walked over to him, not saying anything. He cleared his throat, which got the guy's attention.

He turned around, looking down at Kirux. He had a large set of fiery red hair and two distinct markings under his eyes.

"Umm...hi?" Kirux said, waving halfheartedly.

The guy just continued to stare at him, looking him up and down.

"This could not be more awkward..." Kirux thought to himself.

…

Eventually, the guy smiled at him, "So, you must be the new guy Saïx told me about."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. Anyways, the name's Axel. A - X - E - L."

He then pointed a finger toward his temple, "Got it memorized?"

Kirux crossed his arms over his chest, visibly confused.

"Look, just remember the name, okay? Now, pop quiz. Who's the number one in this group?"

Kirux thought for a second, "Those guys said his name was Xemnas..."

"Okay, and what about his number two? The guy that gave you the coat?"

"They said his name was Saïx."

"Good job. Now, what's my name?"

"Axel."

Axel clapped once, "Perfect. You're off to a great start."

Then he thought of something, "Oh, wait! I never bothered asking what your name was...my bad."

"It's fine. Kirux, by the way."

Axel put a hand on his waist, "Okay Kirux. So, you ready to meet the rest of the members?"

"I guess, but...where do we even go?"

"Don't worry. Saïx tasked me with making sure you don't get lost. Now come on, the rest will meet us there."

Axel walked past him, and Kirux followed.

Pause: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

"Good tidings, friends. Today is a momentous day."

All of the Organization members were sitting in their respective seats.

Xemnas was speaking, "Following the loss of many of our comrades at Castle Oblivion and the disappearance of No. XIV, I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to join our ranks and wear the coat."

Their attention was then brought to the center platform, where a person in the black coat was standing.

He walked into the center, his face concealed from the hood.

He brought his hands up to the hood and threw them back, revealing his face.

"I introduce to you...No. XV, Kirux."

…

Kirux looked up, seeing all of the members he already had seen. Xigbar, Axel, et cetera.

One that he didn't recognize caught his eye though.

He was staring at Kirux intently. Kirux didn't look directly at him but was able to see him through quick glances.

He had spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and...for some reason, Kirux thought he'd seen him before.

When he did finally look up, he had already left the room. In fact, many of the members were dispersing.

Axel appeared in front of him, "Alright. Now follow me back to the Grey Area."

Kirux nodded, following right behind Axel.

Resume: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

"Hey Axel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Fire away."

"This group is called Organization XIII, right?"

Axel looked down at him, "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, Xemnas said I was number fifteen. But when I looked around in that room, a lot of the chairs were empty. Did something happen to any of the other members?"

Axel sighed, "Unfortunately, yeah. We lost a bunch of them a little while back. I guess after they were taken out, Xemnas wanted to start filling the ranks again."

"So, why give me a new number?"

"Posterity maybe? I don't know. The higher-ups just love to keep their secrets."

They had reached the Grey Area again, and Saïx was standing at the far end. He looked at Axel and talked to him.

"You remember what your orders are?" He asked Axel.

"Of course I do. Show him the basics. I did the same thing with Roxas."

"Make sure you depart soon. Lord Xemnas wants him in the field as quickly as possible."

"Alright, fine. We'll get on with it."

He looked down at Kirux, "You and I are gonna go for a little walk. Come on."

"Okay, I guess," Kirux responded, as Axel put his hand up and opened one of those dark corridors.

Axel walked through, and Kirux followed behind.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Axel and Kirux walked out of the portal, back into Twilight Town. This was an area Kirux hadn't been in before.

Axel turned back to Kirux, "Okay, so let's go over the basics of what you will be doing on missions."

"Okay."

Axel began, "Missions are, well...umm..."

He ran his hand through his hair, as Kirux crossed his arms in confusion.

"You know what? Talking is dumb. Let's just get our hands dirty, okay?"

Kirux shrugged, while Axel responded, "Alright. Now follow me."

He went off, and Kirux went to follow him.

…

Axel jumped onto a higher ledge, looking down at Kirux, "Hop on up. Get yourself moving."

Kirux ran over and tried to jump up onto the ledge. He didn't quite reach the ledge, but grabbed it and brought himself up.

"Good job," Axel said to him.

"Thanks."

"But don't go thinking you can just run and jump your way through every mission. You've gotta be aware."

"What does that mean?" Kirux asked him.

"You hafta look around. Sometimes what you're after is sitting right under your nose. Got it memorized?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Alright then, time for a little test. There's something I've hidden inside these passages. I want you to find it."

Kirux was confused, "That's it?"

"That's it. Just don't hurt yourself, and remember to look around."

"Okay. I'll find it."

Kirux walked past Axel, and Axel followed.

…

Kirux was looking around the passages and came across a wooden crate.

"Is this what you wanted me to find?" He asked Axel.

"Kirux, did you really think it would be that easy?"

"Umm...yes?"

Axel smirked, "No Kirux. This isn't what I want you to find."

Kirux frowned, "Okay..."

He went to keep looking, but Axel called out, "Aren't you gonna find out what's in this thing?"

Kirux turned back, "But you said that-,"

"I know, but even then, you never know what you're gonna find. Come on, bust open that crate, and let's see what's inside."

Kirux just stood there, not understanding what he was saying.

Axel motioned him towards the crate, "Come on. Open it up."

"Umm...how?"

"Don't you have a weapon?"

"No, not that I know of."

Axel sighed, saying something to himself under his breath, "Okay, fine. I guess we'll do this now. Put your hand out."

Kirux did that, "Now, just wait. Deep down, you've got a special power inside of you. Find it, and it'll take shape."

Kirux nodded to him and closed his eyes.

"Deep down...there's something inside me..."

…

After a few seconds, Kirux heard a strange sound, and he felt something appear in his hand.

When he opened his eyes, there was an odd-looking sword in his hand. It had a blue, purple, and red blade that looked like a demonic wing. The handle was black and had a large eye connecting the two.

Axel clapped, smiling, "There you go! I knew you could do it."

He stopped clapping, "Now, open this thing up."

Kirux nodded, bringing the sword up, and smashing it into the crate. It shattered, dropping an item.

"Well, would you look at that? You found yourself a Potion." Axel said.

Kirux picked it up, "What does it do?"

"It'll give you your strength back when you're in a pinch. Hold onto it, you're gonna need it eventually."

Kirux nodded, "Okay." He put the Potion in his pocket, and he and Axel continued into the tunnels.

…

…

…

Kirux noticed something up the path to his right. It was a treasure chest.

"Ooh." He said, running up to it. Axel followed behind him.

Kirux turned to him, "Is this it?"

Axel smiled, "Yep. Good job, Kirux."

"So...what now?"

"Well, open it."

"How?"

"Use your sword. Be more gentle with this thing though."

Kirux nodded and pulled his sword back out. He tapped the chest, and it opened.

Kirux pulled another Potion out of it and put it in his pocket with the other.

"Good work!" Axel said to him, "You can keep that stuff you found. Now, time to RTC."

"RTC?"

"Return To the Castle. Now, lead the way back to the dark corridor that brought us here, okay?"

Kirux nodded, and he and Axel walked off.

…

They easily made their way back to the dark corridor.

Axel started clapping again, "Bravo, Kirux. So, ya think you got the hang of all this mission stuff?"

"Yeah. I think I've got it."

"Good. You're a lot more confident than Roxas was when I went through this with him."

He put his hands together, "Now, no successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake. Come with me."

Kirux was confused again (Axel was good at that), "Wait...don't we need to RTC?"

Axel looked back, "We can go later. There's someplace I want you to see. Now come on."

Kirux, no matter how confused, did follow.

Stop: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Axel and Kirux were up on the clock tower, hundreds of feet above the ground.

Axel handed something over to Kirux, "Here ya go. The icing on the cake."

Kirux took it. It was a light blue ice cream bar.

"What's this?" Kirux asked Axel.

"It's sea salt ice cream. Go ahead, try it."

Kirux hesitated but did take a bite.

"It's salty...but sweet."

"Yeah. You like it?"

Kirux nodded, "Yeah. It's...good."

…

"You've only been with us a few hours, and yet here you are," Axel said.

"What do you mean?"

"When Roxas showed up, he was here for a week before we started training him and he began going on missions. Xion was the same way."

"You keep talking about Roxas...but, who is that?"

Axel looked over, "He's the blonde-haired guy you saw in the Round Room earlier. The one that was staring at you."

"Oh, he's Roxas?"

"Yeah. He's my friend. Once you meet him, he'll probably be your friend too."

"Huh," Kirux said, looking back out at the sunset, "Seems like a nice guy."

Axel just smiled in response.

…

"Axel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Do you know why I feel so...hollow? I feel like I'm missing something on the inside, and I just can't figure out what it is."

He looked at Axel, "Do you know what it is?"

…

"How do I explain this..?" Axel said to himself.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. The reason you feel like that...is because you're a Nobody."

"A Nobody? What's a Nobody?"

"You're a being without a heart. You were once human, but lost your heart."

"I...lost my heart?"

Axel nodded, "Don't be hard on yourself. It happened to all of us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Everyone in the Organization is a Nobody. We all lost our hearts, and now...we're trying to get them back."

Kirux looked down at his feet when Axel smiled again, "But hey. You don't need to worry about any of that right now. Just go through your missions every day, and things will be fine."

"Okay."

…

After about twenty more minutes, Axel stood up, "Okay. We should head back now before Saïx gets on my case."

"Okay."

Kirux stood up, following Axel as they left the clock tower and RTC'd.

Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

They didn't know it, but they were being watched.

In the old mansion, two men were watching Kirux and Axel through a computer screen.

"You guys see what I mean?" A girl said from the staircase. The girl in white, from behind.

One of the men, in the Organization's black coat, crossed his arms over his chest, "DiZ, what do you think?"

"DiZ" said nothing initially, but spoke after a few seconds, "I think you know what will need to be done -"

"- Riku."

Chapter Text

Chapter III - New Bonds

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Author's Note: Between uploading this story and now, most of the videos in the playlist that I stored these songs got deleted from YouTube. I'll remake the playlist and fix the issue, but the hyperlinks will be gone until I fix it.

Kirux and Axel were walking down the halls, having just returned to the castle a few minutes prior.

Out of nowhere, someone yelled at them from behind, "Hey, Axel!"

The two of them turned around and saw someone running up to the two of them.

Axel smiled as he came up to them, "Hey Roxas. We missed you at the clock tower today."

Roxas stopped a few feet in front of the two of them, "Sorry. Work was long today. I just got back a few minutes ago."

…

Roxas then turned to Kirux, "You must be the new guy. I'm Roxas, it's nice to meet you."

He put his hand out towards Kirux, who just stared at him in confusion.

"Y'know Kirux," Axel said, "Normally when someone extends their hand to you, you shake it."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Kirux responded, knocking himself out of his confused daze, "I'm Kirux."

He grabbed Roxas's hand and shook it as Axel said to.

Roxas pulled his hand back, "So Axel's the one training you too, huh?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Well, for today yes," Axel said, "He'll be paired with somebody else tomorrow."

"Really?" Kirux asked him.

"Yeah. Everyone's gotta pull their weight around here. Saïx will let you know who you're with tomorrow morning."

Kirux frowned, "I thought you were the one that was training me..."

"I was...for today. Tomorrow, it'll be either Xigbar or Luxord. One or the other."

Axel ruffled Kirux's hair, "Don't worry. Once you're done, come back up to the clock tower and hang out with us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, me and Roxas. We're friends now."

"Friends? What does that mean?"

Roxas laughed, "You must be really new."

"I've only been around for a few hours."

Axel put his hand on Kirux's shoulder, "Don't worry. Roxas and I will explain everything. Come back to the clock tower tomorrow after you're done, then we'll talk some more."

"For now though," Axel continued, "Get some rest. You're gonna learn to fight tomorrow."

Kirux went up to his door, "I guess I'll talk to you guys tomorrow then."

"Yeah. Talk to you tomorrow, Kirux." Roxas said, he and Axel walking down the hall.

…

Kirux went into his room and sat down on his bed. He noticed the nightstand next to the bed, him reaching over and opening the drawer. There was a book inside, which he pulled out and held before him.

"Is this a journal or something?" He said to himself, opening it up to the first page. He grabbed an adjacent pen from the same drawer, and shrugged, "Well, guess I can pass the time somehow."

He pulled out the pen that was next to the journal in the drawer and started writing.

...

Day 1:

Well, I guess I'm a part of Organization XIII. I've only been around for a few hours, and yet I still don't understand so much.

At least I met Axel. He's the only one that's explained anything to me. He told me that I'm a Nobody and that I don't have a heart. Apparently, everyone in this group is a Nobody.

But if we don't have hearts, how do we even exist? Don't people need hearts to live? Are we not even people at all? If I'm number fifteen, and there are only nine members left, what happened to the others?

What does Xemnas even want with me? Why was I chosen to be a part of the Organization?

There's also the thing with Riku. Who is Riku? Was my name Riku before I became Kirux? What caused me to lose my heart and become a Nobody?

I just hope that I can get answers. Whether I get it from Axel, the other members, or someone else.

He stopped writing, putting the journal and pen back on the nightstand.

"Man, I'm tired. I'd better get some sleep."

He lay down lightly, closed his eyes, and fell asleep a few minutes later.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Riku walked down into the computer room, with DiZ.

"So," he said, "You got a plan for that guy?"

"You mean your clone?"

"Who else would I be talking about? If he's with Organization XIII, then they've gotta have a good reason for bringing him in."

DiZ looked back towards his computer, "The main question...is how he was created..."

"Yeah. There's that too. They've been training him in town. If you want me to bring him in, I can."

DiZ didn't respond.

…

"Riku," he said, after a few seconds, "I want you to answer this question."

"What is it?" He said as the girl in white walked in.

"You wear the blindfold to prevent yourself from releasing the darkness in your heart. Am I correct?"

"Yeah...so?"

"I want to take off the blindfold."

…

"But-,"

"Do it. I want to see something..."

Riku was hesitant, but he reached to the back of the blindfold, untying it and pulling it off.

He didn't open his eyes. He only waited.

Nothing happened.

Riku did open his eyes, surprised.

"What..?"

"As I suspected..." DiZ said, "Things are worse than I once thought..."

Four Days Later...

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kirux was walking to the Grey Area. He'd just finished his training yesterday with Xaldin. The day after he joined, he was taught about Heartless and how to fight by Xigbar, how to use magic with Luxord, how to perform recon with Demyx, and finally Limit Breaks with Xaldin the day before (he did end up getting punched in the face by him, but Kirux just shrugged it off).

He was upset to not get to go with Axel or Roxas, with who he'd become friends (now that he understood what that meant). He learned that Roxas was special, and could wield something called the "Keyblade". The Organization used his and their fourteenth members' Keyblades to collect hearts, and those hearts would be used to create "Kingdom Hearts." Once they did that, they would gain back their hearts and become people again.

Kirux didn't understand it the first time Axel explained it, but he cleared it up with him after so he understood.

…

Today was supposed to be Kirux's first real mission. After his training was finished, Saïx told him he'd have to start going on missions alone or with another member. He hoped his first would be with another member, specifically Roxas or Axel. Having a familiar face with him would be good to have.

He reached the Grey Area, seeing Roxas and Axel by the glass, talking with Saïx.

Kirux walked up, "Hey guys." He said as he approached.

Roxas turned back, "Hey Kirux. Your first mission is today, right?"

"Yep. What about you guys?"

Axel answered, "Roxas and I have been tasked with finding one of our missing members."

"Oh. So...what about me?"

"I'm sending you to a new world." Saïx said to him, "You'll be tasked with investigating the area and bringing any intel back here. You'll be going alone."

"You're sending him to a new world by himself?" Axel questioned him, "That seems a bit much for his first mission."

"There is no one else I can send. It's either he goes, or nobody goes. Now, you two need to depart."

Axel glared at him but just turned to Roxas, "Let's head out, Roxas. We've gotta go find Xion."

"Xion? Is that the one who went missing?"

"Yeah, that's her name. She's a friend of mine. We'll introduce you to her once we get back." Roxas said to Kirux.

"Huh. Cool. Well, good luck."

"You too."

Roxas nodded to Kirux, and he turned and walked into a dark corridor with Axel.

Saïx looked down at Kirux, "You need to head out now. Remember your mission."

"Got it."

Kirux opened a dark corridor and entered.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kirux exited, hearing the sounds of rushing waterfalls and stone underneath his feet.

He looked up, and gasped, "Whoa. What is this place?"

Entered New World: Hollow Bastion

Play: Hollow Bastion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

He saw a bunch of floating platforms, as well as a massive castle in the distance. There was one large platform with a lift that he assumed would take him to the castle.

"Well, Saïx said to investigate. Guess he meant he wanted me to investigate the castle."

He took a deep breath, "Okay Kirux. This is your first mission. Let's make a good first impression. Okay? Okay. Let's do this."

Kirux ran forward, hopping up on the next platform. He kept jumping onto each platform until he reached the lift.

"This ought to take me to the castle." He said, stepping onto the lift.

It started up and moved towards the castle.

…

…

…

The lift reached the castle, and Kirux stepped off. He then ran over to the castle doors.

"Okay, time to head inside." He pushed, but the doors didn't budge. He then tried pulling one of the handles, only for that to not work either.

He took a step back, "Well, that's just great. How am I supposed to get inside?"

Kirux started walking back towards the lift, but instead walked past it and headed down a path that led to another lift. This one took him down, and he was now in some strange corridors. The floor was flooded, but the walls all seemed to be intact.

"Maybe there's a switch to the front door down here." He said as he walked through.

After passing by some walls that needed to be moved by switches, he found himself at a large contraption on the wall.

Kirux walked up to a button on the wall and pressed it. Soon after, there was a large rumbling.

"The doors must be open now. Time to head back up."

He turned around, heading back the way he came. He took the lift back to the castle entrance, running back to the castle doors.

The doors were opened now and led down a dark hallway.

"Perfect."

Kirux entered the dark hallway, the massive doors closing behind him.

…

A smaller set of doors opened as he approached them, leading into the entrance hall.

Kirux walked up to the center of the room. Two staircases led to the same place, with a doorway being to the left and another one (supposedly) if you went straight from the door.

Kirux went to walk up the staircase to his left, but he felt...uneasy.

As if somebody was watching him.

He turned around, "Who's there?"

There was nobody around.

Kirux didn't know that Riku was hiding behind a column, watching him.

"If there's anybody there, come out now."

No response.

Stop: Hollow Bastion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Play: Scherzo Di Notte - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux heard something appear behind him, and when he turned back, a Heartless was right there.

He jumped back, just as more Heartless started appearing.

"Maybe it was the Heartless that were watching me."

He pulled his sword out, preparing himself to fight, "I hope Xigbar's training pays off..."

Riku peeked around the column he was behind, "He's even got my fighting style, and my weapon...let's see how he does..."

…

…

…

The closest Heartless to him lunged at Kirux, swinging its claws at him. Kirux stepped back, striking the Heartless down. It evaporated into dark smoke.

Two more came at him from above, so Kirux swung at them, dispersing them both with one swing. Another one came from above, but he just had to put his sword up and knock it back to the ground.

One of the Heartless shot a blast of fire at Kirux, who swatted it away and fired his own at the Heartless. However, this Heartless must have been resistant to fire, because the Heartless just absorbed the fireball like it was nothing.

The Heartless retaliated, summoning a thundercloud above Kirux. A lightning bolt struck the ground directly in front of him, causing Kirux to stumble backward.

Kirux ran up to that Heartless, striking down a fireball the Heartless fired at him and stabbed it through the chest. The Heartless dispersed, releasing a heart into the air.

More Heartless appeared around him, one carrying a shield with a large dog-like face. It lunged at Kirux, biting at him. Kirux hopped back, jumping to get behind it.

Kirux struck the Heartless from above, which didn't take it out but did make it angry. It swung its shield back at Kirux, who dodged the attack and took the Heartless down with a Thunder spell.

The other two Heartless attacked Kirux at once, who rolled away from them and took them both out with one slice.

Stop: Scherzo Di Notte - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Play: Hollow Bastion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux looked up, searching the area.

No more Heartless appeared.

His sword faded out of his hand, exhaling, "Whew. That went pretty well."

"Now, I can explore more of the castle."

He walked up the staircase, heading further into the castle.

Riku walked out from behind the column, "Well, he's raw. But...not bad..."

He went to follow Kirux.

…

…

…

Kirux entered a new area, where there was a massive heart-shaped...thing in the wall. It was glowing with a mixture of colors.

Kirux looked up into it, admiring the colors.

"I wonder what this place was used for."

…

Suddenly, a memory flashed through his head.

Kirux put his hand up to his head, "Ahh...what the-?"

"Have I...been here before? Why does this place feel so familiar?"

He let his hand fall, sighing, "Doesn't matter, maybe I can ask Axel about it later."

"Anyways, this looks like this is as far as I can go. Guess I can head back."

He turned to leave, "I wonder if Roxas and Axel are done with their mission. It'll be nice to meet Xion, and gain another friend."

Kirux had left the hall when Riku resurfaced from the shadows again.

…

"He's remembering stuff...from my memories?"

He sighed, "DiZ, I hope you know what you're doing..."

Stop: Hollow Bastion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux was walking through the castle halls. Roxas and Axel weren't at the clock tower, so he assumed that they were either not done with their mission or had already come back.

And just his luck, he saw them walking towards him.

"Roxas! Axel!" He ran over to them.

"Oh, hey Kirux." Roxas smiled as he approached, "How did your first mission go?"

"Pretty good. The world they sent me to was weird, but the Heartless didn't give me any trouble."

"Well, good thing you made it through. There's someone we want you to meet." Axel said.

…

Axel turned back, "Come on. It's the new guy Roxas and I told you about."

The two of them split, and someone walked between them. It was a girl. She had short black hair, pale white skin, and blue eyes similar to Roxas's.

She didn't say anything to Kirux, just staring down at the floor.

Kirux just stared at her.

"Wow, she's...she looks amazing."

"Wait, what am I saying? I don't have emotions...wait, do I? I'm not supposed to."

Kirux rubbed his hair, "So, uh..."

"Come on, you two! Say hi to one another." Axel said.

…

Xion started, "Hi, I'm...my name's Xion."

Kirux smiled, "I'm Kirux."

He put his hand out, "It's nice to meet you."

Xion hesitated, but grabbed his hand and shook it.

She smiled at him, "It's nice to meet you too, Kirux."

Kirux said nothing, but his mind was going crazy.

"Okay, what's going on? What is this I'm feeling? Axel said I couldn't feel anything! What's going on?! I'm freaking out, man!"

He released Xion's hand, and Axel walked next to the two of them, "So, you two friends now?"

"I don't know...are we?" Xion asked Kirux.

Kirux nodded, "Yeah. If you're friends with Roxas and Axel, then, of course, we're friends."

Xion smiled at him, only making his mind go even crazier.

Chapter Text

Play: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

"What is our objective here again?" Kirux asked Axel as they were walking through the underground tunnels in Twilight Town.

Axel started stretching his arms out as he walked.

"Our objective is to find a certain Heartless, mark it, and then someday down the line, Roxas or Xion will come to town and take it out."

Axel then looked down at Kirux, "Simple enough, right?"

"I guess. I haven't done enough missions to know that yet."

"Well, you've been with us for how long? Hasn't it been a week now?"

Kirux thought for a second, "Yeah, just about."

"You've done a lot more in this last week than a lot of us did our first times. Roxas and Xion didn't go out in the field until around this time when they first joined."

…

"Speaking of," Kirux said, as they exited the tunnels and entered Station Heights, just underneath the clock tower, "Can I...ask you something...about Xion?"

Axel smiled, "What about her, pal?"

"I know you guys have explained everything to me about her, and what happened that day you guys went to go find her."

"Right. She lost her Keyblade, and hopefully, her going on some missions with Roxas will help her get it back."

"Yeah, all of that. But when I first met her, and...I uh..."

Axel was grinning, "I think I know what's going on with you."

"Huh?"

"Come on, Ki. It was obvious. I could tell you were nervous from the beginning."

"Yeah, I was. But...I don't know why. When I met you and Roxas, I was fine. But then when I met Xion, I was..."

Axel interrupted him, rubbing Kirux's head like he was a puppy, "It just comes with meeting new people, Ki. Especially girls."

"Stop calling me that."

Axel just laughed at him, "Like I said, sometimes it's like that when meeting new people. But you and Xion get along well, do you?"

"I mean...yeah, I guess. About as well as I get along with you two."

"Good. You know, you've made a lot of progress since you joined, with socializing and all of that."

Kirux looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"Roxas would barely talk to anybody the first week he was a part of the Organization, same for Xion. Heck, the first time she ever talked was when she went on a mission with Roxas."

"Huh. I wonder why..."

"Beats me."

…

…

…

"Man, where is this thing?" Kirux said. They were in the Tram Common, just around the corner from where Kirux had been "born".

"I'm not sure, man. This is the hard thing about Heartless searching. I'm honestly happy that Roxas and Xion are Keyblade wielders."

"Why's that?"

"It means that now, guys like you and me don't have to go on missions like these as often anymore."

Axel continued as they walked towards the Sandlot, "Because they have Keyblades, they can simply track down a Heartless and take it down, all in one mission. But, with Xion not having her Keyblade, we've gotta do this."

Kirux just nodded, "Okay."

"You're not annoyed?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"Because these missions SUCK."

Kirux just shrugged, "But they're important, right? So, stop complaining, and let's get it done."

"Man, you sound like Roxas."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Axel grinned, "Don't worry about it."

Stop: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux and Axel entered the Sandlot. It was empty, much like the other areas.

"Not here either?" Axel said.

"Are you sure Saïx said to come to Twilight Town?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Positive?"

"Kirux, I know where Saïx said to go. He said it was here."

Kirux turned around as Axel continued, "Now, if only we could find the damn thing-,"

"Found it."

"What?"

Play: Sinister Sundown - Kingdom Hearts II

Kirux was pointing up at the Heartless, as it flew above them in a circle.

It then flew down towards them, Axel and Kirux both jumping to avoid getting flattened by it.

It roared at them, as they both stood up straight.

"Yep. That's it. I told you it was here."

"Can we just get this over with?"

"Gladly." Axel pulled his chakrams out, while Kirux brought out his sword.

Axel looked over at Kirux, "You got the thing to mark it?"

Kirux pulled an object out of his pocket, a marker in the shape of the Organization's logo, "Yeah."

Axel nodded, then ran forward at the Heartless.

Kirux ran at it too.

…

Immediately, the Heartless fired some fireballs from its mouth at Kirux and Axel. Axel was able to just dodge, but Kirux had to stop to deflect it before continuing to advance.

Axel slashed at the Heartless's face, getting it once close to the eye. This made the Heartless angry, and it jumped up and flipped to swat Axel away.

Kirux ran up, jumping on the Heartless and climbing onto its back.

He tried to slam the marker into the Heartless's neck, but the Heartless shook itself and he nearly lost his grip.

The Heartless then lifted itself off the ground and flew straight upwards. Kirux was left dangling from the Heartless's neck.

"Kirux, be careful!" Axel yelled at him, as Kirux tried to regain his grip on the Heartless's neck.

He couldn't and had to let his sword fade out of his hand to grab the tail.

The Heartless saw this and immediately did a flip in the air. Kirux lost his grip and went falling to the ground.

Axel used his chakrams, throwing them toward where Kirux was about to land. He used them to summon a pad that was safe for Kirux to land on, and he bounced off of it and landed on the ground.

Before Kirux could do anything, the Heartless had pounced on him. It pinned him down by the shoulders and roared right into his face.

…

Axel got the Heartless off of Kirux by throwing his chakrams into its face, just narrowly missing Kirux.

Axel pulled Kirux up, "Come on! Keep your head in the game!"

Kirux just shook his head, regaining his focus, "Sorry..."

He pulled his sword back out and tried to advance again at the Heartless.

Unfortunately, the Heartless was prepared. It fired a massive fireball at Kirux, and he couldn't get his sword up in time.

The blast knocked Kirux into a nearby wall, and this time, he was knocked out cold.

"Kirux!" Axel yelled but had to defend himself from another Heartless attack before he could go over to help him.

…

…

…

Kirux was just lying there. His sword had faded away, and the marker had been lost long before then.

Suddenly, he felt something...something rising in his chest.

Then, a voice.

"I have been waiting for you..."

Kirux's eyes shot open, and then the pain started.

His head hurt as if he had just taken a bullet through the skull. He clutched his head, grimacing from the pain.

"What is...going on...?" He thought to himself, still in a ton of pain.

Suddenly, a dark aura started to form around his body. It started down at his feet but slowly grew throughout the rest of his body.

Axel noticed this and was stunned. He did nothing, because, well...he didn't know what to do.

Kirux then let go of his head, seemingly not in control of his own body anymore.

He looked up at the Heartless, the anger in his eyes clear.

His sword appeared in his hand, and he raised it above his head.

Axel noticed dark energy forming at the end of his blade, and yelled out, "Kirux, no!"

He didn't listen.

Kirux yelled loudly and brought his sword down. The dark energy fired towards the Heartless, Axel noticing it disintegrate in the blast.

He didn't say anything. He looked over at Kirux, and you could see it. In his eyes...

That wasn't Kirux. At least, not the Kirux he had known...for a week.

Stop: Sinister Sundown - Kingdom Hearts II

The energy blast stopped, not a single trace of the Heartless remaining.

Kirux was breathing heavily, as the dark aura faded. He dropped his sword, it fading away at his feet.

Axel dismissed his chakrams, then sighed, "Nice going. Now Saïx is gonna be on me for taking out that Heartless-,"

He didn't finish his sentence before Kirux collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Axel immediately ran over, shaking Kirux, "Hey, Kirux. Kirux, wake up!"

He smacked him across the face lightly, but it didn't work. Kirux was out cold.

Axel sighed, "This is just what I needed..."

He picked Kirux up, opened a corridor, and left Twilight Town.

Kirux was having a weird dream.

He was wandering through a dark void. He couldn't tell what he was walking on, as it matched everything around him.

But no matter what he did, he couldn't stop walking. It's as if his body aside from his head was on autopilot.

Eventually, Kirux heard a voice call out to him.

…

"Hello, Kirux..."

Kirux called out, "Hello? Who are you, and what is this place?"

"You don't need to know who I am, and this place...why, this is you..."

"What does that mean?"

"This is what you look like, on the inside...nothing but an empty darkness..."

"Is...that true?"

"Yes...I know what you are, what your fate is, and why you were born..."

"Wait, what my fate is? What does that mean?"

"Would you like me to show you?"

Kirux shrugged, "I guess..."

…

He finally stopped walking, and suddenly, his head started hurting excruciatingly. He collapsed to the ground.

Then, images started to flow into his head.

And what he saw...it wasn't pretty.

…

He could see himself destroying that Heartless, which he had done just that day. He also saw other things...

One such image he saw was himself fighting with Xion at the castle, her Keyblade in her hands.

"Oh, so she got it back. That's a good thing, right?"

Wrong.

The next few seconds went by, and Kirux could notice something...different about himself in that image.

He looked... angry . Like he wanted to hurt Xion.

And then, it happened...

Kirux flinched physically when it happened, but when he looked at it again, he...

…

…

…

Then, he was shooting upwards in his bed in the castle. He looked around, and sure enough...

Yes, he was back in the castle. How did he get here? He didn't know.

Kirux just put a hand to his head, "It was just a dream..."

He got up, sitting on the edge of his bed. He had so many questions.

"What was that dream? What were those images? And who was that voice? And...do I really do that to Xion?"

…

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. He gave a "come in" before the door opened.

Xion poked her head into the doorway, "Hey, is...everything okay?"

Kirux was surprised it was her, and his mind went back to those images, "Uhh-oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just had a bad dream."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm fine Xion. Really."

Xion was skeptical, but nodded, "Okay. Axel told Roxas and me about what happened, and well...when we heard you yelling, he wanted me to come to check on you."

She yawned, "I'm pretty sure you woke up the entire castle with that scream..."

"Oh..." he said, "What time is it?"

"Somewhere near two in the morning, I think..."

"Ah, crap...sorry."

"It's okay, but...are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me, Xion."

"Of course. Good night, Kirux."

"Good night."

They smiled at each other before Xion shut Kirux's door, him hearing her footsteps as she went back to her room.

Kirux decided to get more sleep, so he laid back down in bed and went back to sleep.

He would talk about everything that happened with Axel tomorrow after work.

Riku was pacing back and forth now, after what he had seen what his clone had just done to that Heartless.

DiZ said nothing, just sitting in his computer chair.

"This is bad," Riku said, "This is really bad."

"Yes," DiZ responded, "Yes it is."

Riku turned to him, "What are we gonna do?"

DiZ looked down at the floor, then back up at Riku, "It's almost time. Watch him some more for now, but when the time comes-"

"-bring him to me."

Chapter Text

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kirux walked up to his spot on the clock tower. Everyone was already there, talking amongst themselves.

When Kirux sat down next to Xion, she looked over and smiled at him, "Hey Kirux."

"Hey," He said, "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing. How was your mission today?"

Kirux shrugged, pulling the ice cream he had bought out from his pocket, "Fine, I guess. More of the same. You?"

"Roxas and I just went to Agrabah to take down some Heartless. Nothing too complicated."

Kirux sighed, "You guys are lucky. They only ever send me to Hollow Bastion. I've been going there every day for the last week."

"Have you? Why?" Roxas asked him.

Kirux could only give him a shrug, "Beats me. Saïx won't tell me anything any time I ask."

…

"So, have you been feeling any better since that thing a few weeks back?" Axel asked without looking over.

Kirux looked over at Axel, "Yeah. It hasn't happened again, so I guess you could say I've been feeling better."

"I think he means have you been, I dunno, fatigued after fighting recently? You said that had been happening again earlier this week, right?"

"Oh yeah. That's right. It happened a few times, but it's stopped now."

"That's good to hear," Roxas said.

"Yeah. What about you, Xion? Are you and Roxas making any progress?"

Xion and Roxas looked at each other, and both of them frowned. Xion looked back to Kirux, "No, we haven't."

Kirux frowned with them, "That stinks..."

"That's not all."

"Huh?"

"Saïx said that...tomorrow is the last day we'll be working together. If I don't get my Keyblade back, then..."

Xion stopped talking after that.

Kirux spoke up, "But...he can't do that, can he?"

Xion and Roxas both said nothing.

Kirux looked over to Axel, "You can do something to buy them more time, right?"

…

Axel shook his head, looking upset, "Sorry Kirux, but I was barely able to get Saïx to let them work together tomorrow."

He sighed, "At this point, there's nothing that we can do anymore."

"But," Kirux started, but Xion put her hand up.

"Kirux, it's not worth it."

He wanted to continue but hesitated. After getting a glance from Xion, he stopped.

…

…

…

Axel stood up after a few minutes, "Alright, I've gotta head back. Now that I'm taking care of that Heartless for the two of you, I've gotta head back."

Roxas just said, "Oh...right. Okay."

Xion was more upset, "I'm sorry, Axel. It's my fault you have to cover for me..."

Axel just put his hand on her shoulder as he passed, "It's okay, Xion. Just...you and Roxas need to figure something out tomorrow, okay?"

"We'll think of something. Don't worry." Roxas told Axel, who just nodded to him.

Axel then departed the clock tower.

Kirux looked at Xion, "So...what are you guys gonna do?"

Roxas shrugged, "I don't know. We'll think of something before work tomorrow...not like we have a choice.

Kirux looked at Xion, who said nothing.

…

…

…

After ten more minutes, Roxas had left. Xion and Kirux were the only ones left.

Kirux was dangling the stick from his ice cream between his teeth. He thought about getting more but didn't want to leave Xion by herself.

They were silent for the longest time. Kirux just watched the sunset, while Xion stared down at her feet, in her thoughts.

Kirux grabbed the ice cream stick from between his teeth, "Hey Xion?"

She looked up, "Yeah? What's up?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I dunno. I just...think I should be helping. Helping get your Keyblade back, I mean."

"But, what is there that you could do, Kirux? No offense, but you're not a Keyblade wielder."

"Yeah, I know. None taken. I just feel...useless, y'know? I wanna help, but I don't know how I possibly could."

Xion just shrugged, "I'm not sure, but...I appreciate your concern. It's nice to know that you care."

Kirux turned towards her, "I mean, we're friends. Of course I'm concerned."

Xion giggled at that, which Kirux retorted with, "What's so funny?"

"The way you're acting. It's different."

"What do you mean by "different"?"

"I dunno. I mean, you've always been concerned about me not getting my Keyblade back. But now...forget it. It's nothing."

"What? Am I being too good of a friend? I didn't even know that was possible."

That got Xion to laugh, and Kirux laughed too.

…

When they both calmed down, Xion spoke, "But seriously. Thanks, Kirux. I'm glad you joined when you did. You've been a great friend."

Kirux shrugged, "I try my best. I mean, it's not like I have anyone else outside of you, Roxas, and Axel."

Xion giggled again, "True enough."

The two of them were there for another fifteen minutes. After that, Kirux asked her, "You wanna head back?"

"Yeah."

And with that, the two of them left the clock tower.

Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Riku was watching the computer monitor intently. Kirux and Xion were walking through Twilight Town, just talking to themselves.

He heard a door open behind him, and small footsteps on the metal floor. The girl in white walked into the room.

"Still watching him?" She said to Riku, then she noticed his hand. Then she looked up at his eyes.

He had removed his blindfold. It was dangling from his hand.

"Isn't it dangerous to not be wearing that?" She asked him.

"Don't worry about me, Naminé," Riku said, not taking his eyes off of the monitor.

Naminé walked up next to him, "Riku, that's dangerous. You know what'll happen if-,"

"It won't happen. Not to me."

"Huh?"

Riku held the blindfold up, bringing his eyes away from the monitor, "Before, not wearing this would run the risk of Ansem coming out. But ever since he was created, I think Ansem has moved away."

Naminé was confused, "Moved away...but to who?"

Riku looked back up to the monitor, his eyes fixating on Kirux, just as he and Xion were entering a corridor to return to the castle.

The Next Day...

Play: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux ran forward, striking the Heartless up and then knocking it into the electric field of the heart-shaped "window". The electricity caused the Heartless to burst into a cloud of black smoke.

…

He looked around. The area was clear.

Kirux relieved his sword, letting out a sigh, "And that's the entire castle...again."

He sat down on the step, "Why do I keep getting sent here? It's not like anything will change from the time I leave to the time I come back. It's like they're sending me here to waste time."

Kirux picked up a rock and started juggling it in his hand.

"I wonder how Roxas and Xion are doing, and Axel too. I bet he's still upset with me about that Heartless from a few weeks back."

"Now that I think about it, he's been acting weird with me ever since that happened. I wonder if it has to do with that power that I used."

Kirux brought his other hand up, "Speaking of which, I wonder if it'll work this time."

He tossed to rock out of his right hand and then snapped his fingers on his left hand. Sure enough, the rock burst into a flurry of dark flames. It landed in his right hand, while still on fire, and Kirux immediately dropped it.

"Ow!" He said, shaking his right hand, "Yep, it works."

He then looked at his right hand, "Ever since that happened, I haven't been able to use that power outside of small things. What do I have to do to use that power again?"

…

Kirux sighed, "Well, I've still got some time to kill. Better do it somewhere a bit more pleasant. I wonder if the library has anything on Keyblades or Heartless. Would be a shame to let those things go to waste."

Kirux stood up and was about to walk away.

But then, he heard something.

Footsteps.

Stop: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Play: Scherzo di Notte - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux hopped up onto the ledge, and couldn't believe it.

There was someone there, trying to leave the area.

"Hey!" Kirux yelled at them, and they stopped for a second.

The figure turned back, saw Kirux, and then booked it away.

"Hey, come back!" Kirux yelled before jumping down and running after them.

…

…

…

Kirux chased them until they got to the large lift. The guy got on before Kirux could get outside, and left without Kirux.

"Aw, come on!" Kirux said to himself when he saw the lift heading to the other side of the castle.

"Come on Kirux. Think. If you don't hurry, he'll get away."

He turned to his left, seeing a smaller lift going towards the top of the castle. The only problem is that it was suspended over the air. The only ground anywhere close would lead to the bottom of the castle.

"No, absolutely not. That's a stupid idea." Kirux immediately said, "But, it's my only option..."

Kirux backed up, "Curse you Hollow Bastion, and your stupid lifts."

He ran forward, jumping right before getting to the ledge. He barely grabbed onto the lift, pulling himself onto it.

But he still had a long way to go before getting to where the large lift stopped.

This jump was even farther away, but at least he had more height.

"Man, am I gonna have a story to tell when I get to the clock tower after this..." He said quietly before running forward and jumping.

For a second, it felt like everything was in slow motion, and Kirux thought that he wouldn't make it for a second.

But he did. Kirux landed and rolled forward, right as the guy ran inside after the lift stopped.

"Oh, come on! Can't I get a break?!" Kirux yelled before getting up and chasing after the guy again.

…

…

...

Kirux chased him to the entrance hall. The guy vaulted over the edge and landed in front of the fountain.

Kirux jumped over and landed in front of him, pulling his sword out while he was in the air. He pointed it at the guy, who stopped in his tracks.

"You were a real pain to catch up to, y'know that?" Kirux said before he looked at the guy for a second longer.

He was in the Organization's coat.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." He thought to himself.

"Seriously?! One of you guys?! Come on, does Saïx not trust me to do missions by myself?"

Kirux looked away from him and started ranting, "First, he sent me to Hollow Bastion for a week straight, and now he sends another member to SPY ON ME while I'm on my missions! Gah, what's his deal?!"

Thankfully for Kirux, the guy just stood there and let him rant, not trying to escape.

Kirux finished, looking back up at him, "So, who are you? Luxord? Demyx? Xaldin? Tell me who so I don't have to kick your ass to find out."

…

Finally, the guy spoke, "I should've known you'd find out I was watching you..."

"Huh?"

"I was careless in my escape. I've gotta be better with that..."

The guy started to walk towards Kirux, but Kirux stopped him after only two steps, "Whoa, hey! You're not going anywhere!"

"If you're smart, you'll let me go."

"And what are you gonna do if I don't?"

…

The guy vanished and reappeared right behind Kirux.

Kirux turned around, "Wha- how did you...?"

Then, the guy removed his hood.

Kirux was even more stunned than before.

"What...y-you look like..."

He looked like him. Compared to Kirux, his hair was a lot longer and silver. He also wore a blindfold over his eyes.

But the details were clear. They were nearly identical.

…

"But...how...?" Kirux could only say.

The guy just said, "A lot is going on that you don't know about, kid. So do everyone a favor and stay out of the way."

Kirux heard a portal appear behind him, and then the guy advanced on him.

The guy kicked Kirux hard in the stomach, sending Kirux back and into the portal. As soon as he was gone, the portal closed.

Stop: Scherzo di Notte - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Roxas, Xion, and Axel were walking through the castle, just talking to themselves.

"Hey Axel," Xion said, "You sure you never saw Kirux after this morning?"

Axel shook his head, "Nope. Sorry, Xion."

"That sucks. He missed the great news." Roxas said, "Maybe his mission took him longer than expected. Why don't you check his room and see if he's there?"

…

Out of nowhere, a portal appeared in thin air, and Kirux flew out of it straight onto the ground.

It took a second for anyone to respond, but Xion walked up to him and said, "Are you okay?!"

Kirux exhaled heavily, then yelled, "I've been flying...through the corridors...for THIRTY MINUTES!"

Xion helped him up, Roxas walking up to the two of them, "What happened to you?"

Kirux remembered what had happened, and said, "OH BOY, do I have a story to tell all of you. But first, do you mind if I...sit down? All that flying has me a bit...nauseous."

Roxas and Xion had to essentially carry Kirux to the Grey Area, as he could barely walk. When they got there, he told them the whole story. How he was just hanging out at the castle when he ran into the guy, how he chased them throughout the castle (he took great pride in the way he was able to cross the gap to catch up with him), and when he finally caught the guy, noticing he had the Organization coat and when he revealed his face to Kirux.

"I'm telling you, guys. He looked almost exactly like me. We had the same hair and the same face. Outside of the few differences, it's like I was looking into a mirror."

Roxas looked at Axel, "What do you think, Axel?"

…

Axel said, "Unless there's a doppelganger Heartless I don't know about, then Kirux...it looks like you just ran into your human self."

"But, how is that possible if Kirux is right here?"

"It isn't."

They all turned, seeing Saïx walk up to them.

"A Nobody and a Somebody cannot coexist. It's not possible." He looked down at Kirux, "What you saw wasn't real. It was an illusion."

"No way, man!" Kirux said, standing up (he still needed to hold on to the chair to steady himself), "What I saw, who I saw, was real. It wasn't fake, I know that for a fact."

Saïx just shook his head, "You've been with us for nearly a month, and yet you still understand so little."

He just walked away after that.

"What a jerk," Roxas said, his face had turned to anger.

Kirux sat back down, exhaling heavily. Xion just said, "Don't listen to him. As Roxas said, he's just a jerk."

Kirux shook his head, "Whatever. So, what happened with you guys?"

Xion smiled, and said proudly, "Well, Roxas and I went to Beasts' Castle, and..."

She put her hand out, and her Keyblade appeared. She, Roxas, and Axel all smiled proudly.

Kirux was in awe for a second, then smiled with them, "You got it back! That's awesome!"

"Yeah, and you missed the celebration. It didn't feel right without you, y'know." Axel said.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'll make up for it. I'll buy ice cream for everyone tomorrow."

"Kirux, you don't need to do that. Right now, I'm just glad to have it back." Xion said, dismissing her Keyblade.

Roxas spoke up, "I had to let Xion use mine for today so she could get it back."

"Oh yeah! You should've seen it! Roxas went the entire mission using a stick ."

Kirux burst out laughing, "A stick?! That's amazing! Roxas, did you do that?"

"Yeah, and it worked too! So I don't care what you have to say!"

They all laughed.

…

…

…

Xion and Kirux were walking back to their rooms, Roxas and Axel having already reached theirs.

When Kirux walked up to his door, he paused.

Xion noticed, and turned back to him, "Something wrong?"

"I know what I saw today..."

"Oh...you're talking about that guy."

"Something he said has been sticking with me. He said, "A lot is going on that you don't know about. So do everyone a favor and stay out of it." What does that mean?"

Xion shrugged, "I don't know, Ki. Maybe one day, if you run into him again, you can ask."

"Yeah, maybe."

Kirux opened his door, saying, "Goodnight Xion."

Xion smiled and said, "Goodnight Kirux."

She walked down the hall, and Kirux entered his room, shutting the door behind him.

Chapter Text

"Are you that worried about him? Come on, he's barely been with us for a month."

"You do not understand the seriousness of what he claims."

"So you do believe him! I knew it. Not even you would be one to deny a story like that."

Saïx glared at Axel, and he backed down.

"Seriously though, why are you so worried?"

Saïx crossed his arms, "If Kirux has made contact with his human self, then it means that Riku is not gone like we once thought he was."

"And his presence is a problem because he might try to swing Kirux away? I don't think that's happening any time soon, chief."

"Even if it doesn't happen soon, Riku's existence raises questions. If he and Kirux were to continue making contact, it would only spell trouble for our plans."

He looked back up at Axel, "I'm putting it on your shoulders to keep track of him. Make sure you watch him closely, and if he does anything out of sorts, you will report it to me."

Axel put his hands on his hips, scowling at him. Saïx scowled right back at him.

A few seconds later, Axel scoffed and said, "Fine. But you'll see. He's got nothin' to hide from us."

Saïx said nothing as Axel walked away. Once he was out of earshot he said, "You still do not understand..."

He turned back towards where Axel walked away, "You're letting these fake friends control your actions."

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

When Kirux was on his way to the Grey Area, Xion walked up behind him.

"Hey Ki," she said, grabbing his arm to slow him down.

Kirux turned back and smiled, "Hey Xion. Good morning."

"Huh. That's not what I expected."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Every time Axel calls you "Ki", you get all upset and tell him to not call you that. But if I ever do it, you never have a problem with it."

She then hustled to walk next to him, "Why do you do that?"

Kirux shrugged, "I dunno. I guess hearing it from Axel, it kinda sounds like a pet name or somethin'. Y'know what I mean?"

"I guess. Xigbar's been calling me "Poppet" lately if that counts."

"Does it annoy you?"

Xion shook her head, "No, not really. That's just how Xigbar is. I'm surprised he doesn't have a nickname for you yet, to be honest."

"Hey, don't go giving him any ideas."

Xion giggled, "Maybe I will..."

"You better not."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Do you really wanna find out?"

Xion just smirked at him, and they both laughed loudly.

…

The two of them entered the Grey Area, which was surprisingly empty. Everyone except for Saïx, who was standing in his usual spot.

"Huh. We must be the last two to head out." Xion said to him.

"Sure looks that way. Unless Axel is sleeping in super late."

Xion giggled at that as they continued to approach Saïx.

When they reached him, he turned back and glared down at them, "You're both late."

Kirux looked at his wrist, "Funny. Cuz there's no set time we need to head out for our missions."

Xion had to hide her grin, while Saïx continued to just glare at him.

…

"You two will be working together. Go to Hollow Bastion."

Kirux frowned, "Seriously? Again? Dude, there's nothing else there. I've explored the castle there more times than I can count on my two hands."

"Are you done complaining or will you finally leave?"

Kirux slumped his shoulders down, and summoned a dark corridor, "Let's go, Xion. We've got a job to do."

Xion nodded, not speaking. She followed Kirux through the portal.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux sighed, as they both exited outside of the main exit, "I hate coming here."

Xion walked a few steps ahead of it, "Come on. This place doesn't look so bad."

"You haven't been here as many times as I have. Trust me, when you come here every day for a week straight, you tend to realize just how boring this place really is."

"But didn't you go to Twilight Town yesterday?"

Kirux raised his hand but stopped when he realized she was right.

Xion grinned, "Well then, show me around. You know this place soooo well, right? Take me on a tour."

Kirux shot her a half -fake annoyed look and opened the main entrance.

He waved her along, "Ladies first."

Xion smiled at him, and she entered, Kirux following closely behind.

As Kirux was closing the main entrance, one of the lifts was reaching the top. The passengers got off, right as he closed the main gate.

…

…

…

When they entered the entrance hall, Kirux spoke, "Remember about that guy I told you about?"

"Yeah. The one you said looked just like you."

"Well, this is the place that I ran into him at. Y'know, after I had to chase him down all over the castle."

"Right. And this is where he kicked you into the corridors?"

"Yep. Sent me flying through the corridors-,"

"-for thirty minutes." She interrupted, giggling lightly, "Y'know, it was funny when you popped up out of nowhere. We were starting to question if you were okay."

"It wasn't very funny for me , y'know."

Xion just laughed even harder.

"You gonna continue to laugh at my expense, or are we gonna keep going?"

She stopped laughing, but the smile was still very much there, "Sorry. But it's just...it was so funny. We were all just-"

Kirux put his hand up and said, "Nope! I don't wanna hear it again."

He started walking off without her, and she yelled and ran to catch up, "Hey! Wait up!"

…

"What a cool library..." Xion said, running her hand along the spines of books, "Although, it's not nearly as big as the one back at the castle."

Kirux was holding a book in his hand, looking over at her, "Yeah. But there's probably some here that you wouldn't be able to find."

"Really? Luxord says that every book in existence is there."

"But there could be millions of books in all of the worlds. I doubt Xemnas or Saïx would be walking around searching for books."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Saïx doesn't seem like he'd sit down to enjoy a book."

Kirux put the book he was holding back on the shelf and walked past Xion, "Honestly though, can you see Saïx enjoying anything ?"

"Apart from giving orders constantly? No, not really."

Kirux pushed the exit door open, "Yeah, me neither. Doesn't suit him if you ask me."

They exited the library, while the other entrance door opened on the floor beneath them.

A girl's voice said, "Are you sure they came this way?"

Her voice was followed by a male, "I'm sure of it."

...

...

...

The two of them were taking the large lift. Xion was resting her arms on one of the bars, looking out on the horizon, past the blue rolling hills. Kirux was leaning on the same pole but had his back turned from the horizon.

"You ever thought of what's over there?"

"Beyond the castle? No."

She looked over at him, "Why don't we go explore it a little bit? You said it yourself. You've explored this castle a bunch before, so what's the point of continuing?"

"You've got a point, but," he said as he turned to look out with her, "I think if Saïx found out we didn't check the entire castle, he'd go off on us."

He then looked over at her, "Let's just check the rest of the castle out, then we can go explore out there if you still want."

"Yeah, you're right about that...fine, we'll check the rest and the,"

Before she could finish, the lift stopped in the middle of its route. It then began going back in the other direction.

Xion was looking back, but Kirux grabbed her shoulder and nudged his head toward a dark corridor. The two entered, reappearing at the platform where the lift was supposed to take them.

"Someone is following us." Kirux said before looking back at Xion, "Keep going. It'll take them a little while to catch up with us."

He started jogging past her, and Xion followed asking, "What are we gonna do?"

"Just follow me. I know where we can lose them."

...

The large heart was still pulsating electricity, the only sound in the large hall coming from it.

Kirux peaked out from his hiding spot, looking over to where Xion was stationed. He saw her peak out as well, giving him a thumbs up.

He gave her one back before turning his attention towards the entrance.

The doors opened, and two figures entered the room. Kirux wanted to look at who they might be, but doing so would've ruined their plan.

The two came towards the massive heart, Kirux moving closer into the shadows to avoid being seen. When they got closer to the heart, they stopped and looked around.

...

One of the two spoke, a male, "They're not here. Whoever it was must have bailed."

"But that's impossible. We would have seen them." The other person, a girl this time, said, "Are you sure you even saw someone come in here in the first place?"

"I know I did. The front doors of the castle were open when we got here."

"Well, we searched the whole castle. Nobody is here."

The two of them started exiting, "I'll say, ever since Sora left you've been more and more paranoid, Squall."

"Squall" opened the door for them to leave, huffing and saying, "It's Leon."

The door shut behind them.

...

Kirux peaked out, just to make sure. He then whistled over to Xion, hopping down to where the two strangers had convened.

Xion came out of her hiding spot and joined him, saying as she approached, "I didn't expect that. Have you seen those people before?"

"Nope. Normally, all I see here are Heartless. Weird how we didn't see a single one today."

"You think we should follow them?"

Kirux crossed his arms and thought for a second, "Nah, not today. It'd be too suspicious. If we get sent back here one day, we'll go beyond the castle and check things out."

"Okay. So, now we head back?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Xion summoned a dark corridor, and the two of them exited shortly after.

Stop: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

"Did you find him?"

"No. Either they left before we could find them or they were never there at all."

Riku let out a soft exhale, looking down and crossing his arms.

He turned to the girl at the castle, Yuffie, "Keep a close eye on that castle. If you see anyone from the Organization, especially the guy I told you about, I need you to let me know immediately."

Yuffie gave him a nod, "No problem. We'll have Cid send you a message if we see him again."

"Thank you," Riku said before putting his hood back on.

...

"Wait," Leon said, "you never explained one thing. How are those two connected to helping Sora?"

Riku stopped before he could enter his dark corridor.

He looked back slightly, and said, "He...is the key. If we want to help Sora, then we need to get to him before it's too late."

Riku entered his dark corridor and left them.

Chapter Text

The knocking on his door was what woke him up.

Kirux sat up, the soreness in his shoulder flaring up.

"Come in," he said, stretching his arms out before moving to stand.

His door opened and Xion peaked her head through, "Sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Kirux shook his head, "Nah, not really. Just gave me the signal that I needed to get up."

He went to stand but had to grab his shoulder as it flared in pain again. Xion noticed and moved to help.

"Whoa, are you okay? What's the matter?"

"I'm fine. Just slept on my shoulder last night."

"You sure? You've been coming back from work banged up these last few days."

Kirux opened his door without looking back, "I'm good, Xion. Trust me. Once I get out there and I'm moving, I'll be back to normal."

He went down the hall, Xion standing in his doorway and watching him with a worried expression.

...

"What's up with you?" She heard Axel say from behind her, "And what are you doing at Kirux's door?"

Xion looked at him, the same expression still lingering, "Sorry Axel. I just came to get Kirux, but...I'm worried about him."

"Worried? About what?"

"You've seen how he's been coming back from his missions lately. Every day, it looks like he's getting more and more worn down. If he keeps pushing himself, then I'm afraid..."

She didn't finish initially, but Axel prompted her by tapping her shoulder, "Then you're afraid of what?"

"That he'll go out on a mission, and he won't come back..."

Riku stood at the ledge, his black coat fluttering in the wind.

"This is where they go. He and his..."friends"."

He looked out at Twilight Town's sunset.

It reminded him of his home.

The islands.

...

His mind flashed back to home. To his two best friends.

Life was much simpler back then. The three had ambitions of building a raft, and then sailing the great ocean in the search of other worlds.

They wouldn't even need a raft before the worlds would welcome them.

Riku only wished that things hadn't gone the way that they had.

Now, here he stood.

One of his friends had returned home, awaiting their return.

The other lay asleep, with his memory in a jumbled mess, while a witch tried to repair what was left.

He exhaled lightly, not speaking or moving an inch.

What he wouldn't give to have things like they were before...

...

There was a buzz in his pocket.

Riku pulled out the device DiZ had given him, some sort of old cell phone.

There was a single message as he flipped it open and looked at the screen.

"He's in the town. Move-in."

Riku closed the phone and pocketed it as he stepped off the ledge. He raised his hood over his head.

Today, they took the next step.

One step closer to getting Sora back.

"Why is the wind starting to pick up? Is there a storm coming?"

Kirux passed through the entrance to the forest, seeing the fallen leaves scattering across the ground as the wind pulled them off.

He saw a Shadow Heartless scrambling behind a tree.

"There you are..." he said as he pulled his sword out.

Advancing slowly, the wind started blowing again. He saw the Heartless stumble as the wind almost picked it up.

...

Kirux stopped at the other side of the tree the Heartless hid behind, twisting his blade in his hand.

He stepped around, but...the Heartless was gone.

Confused, he looked up and saw what had happened.

The wind had blown the Heartless up into the tree. It was sitting on one of the branches, hugging the tree tightly.

Kirux frowned, and yelled up, "Hey, come down from there!"

The Heartless ignored him, just tightening its grip on the tree.

"Come on! I can't just let you go, y'know!"

Once again, the Heartless just stayed.

...

Eventually, Kirux just sighed and dismissed his sword.

"Fine," he yelled up, "But if someone else comes for you, don't be surprised about it."

He walked away, just as the wind blew and a bunch of leaves hit him in the face.

Kirux huffed and quietly said to himself, "Stupid wind."

...

...

...

Just as he was getting back to Tram Common, he heard a voice behind him.

"Don't you have questions?"

He stopped and turned back.

It was him. The guy that looked just like him.

Kirux immediately pulled his sword back out, "You again?! What are you following me around?"

"If you want to know the truth, then you'll put that weapon down and come with me."

"Why not just tell me now? You can start by telling me who you are."

"Isn't that obvious? I'm you. Or really, it's the other way around."

Kirux cocked his eyebrow, "What does that mean?"

"You don't know what you truly are, do you...Kirux?"

Kirux was a bit surprised he somehow knew his name, but he didn't let that phase him.

...

Kirux gritted his teeth and yelled, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about and I don't care! I'm Kirux, through and through! Now stop talking nonsense or I'll beat it out of you!"

The guy said nothing, and that only upset him more.

"Fine then. Have it your way!"

Kirux ran at him and prepared himself to swing.

The wind blew a bunch of leaves in between the two of them, and Kirux's swing ended up going through the leaves.

But the guy was gone.

Kirux looked around, yelling, "Where did you go?"

The wind picked up again, but it didn't stop this time. It kept blowing, and the leaves just kept fluttering around the area. Some were picked up and flew into the air, all while the wind seemed to blow in a circle around Kirux.

...

He held his blade up, looking around for the guy.

He then started speaking to Kirux, "It's like I said before-,"

Kirux turned to where he heard the voice but saw nothing.

"-a lot is going on that you don't know about."

"And if you want you and your friends to live-,"

Kirux just stood his ground and held his sword tightly as the wind continued to whirl around him.

The voice came back directly behind him, "-then you'd better come along and play nice."

...

Before Kirux could say anything, he was hit in the back of the head. He collapsed immediately, dropping his sword.

He was out before hitting the ground. The guy then walked up to him and threw him over his shoulder.

He sighed, and said lightly, "I hate doing DiZ's dirty work."

With Kirux's unconscious body, he walked towards the Twilight Town mansion.

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

"Hey, you guys."

Xion slid onto the ledge next to Roxas as he and Axel paused their conversation.

"Hey, Xion. How was your day?"

Xion shrugged, "Fine, I guess. Saïx had me go to Beasts' Castle and track down these Heartless."

"That all? Doesn't sound too difficult."

"And it wasn't. But," she said as she pulled out her ice cream bar, "They were these annoying things that would move really fast and almost impossible to take down. Took me forever, and I was exhausted when I finally got them all."

"Well, you got the mission done. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"Yeah...anyway, what did you guys do?"

Roxas started explaining their missions for the day, but while Xion acted engaged, she was more interested in what was next to her.

Or lack thereof.

As Roxas kept talking, Xion waited for Kirux to show up and interrupt him by making some jab at how his workload was harder just 'cause he had a Keyblade or something about how Axel ate too much ice cream.

But that never happened. Kirux didn't show.

And something about that didn't sit right with Xion.

...

After she started zoning out and Roxas's words went in one ear and out the other, Axel stopped him and spoke to her, "Something up, Xion? You've barely said a word since you got here."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, but...just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"If Kirux was coming today, then he would've been here by now. But he still hasn't shown up."

Axel shrugged, "So, he couldn't make it one day. Not a big deal. We all need a day off from friends, y'know?"

"Yeah I get that, but...I dunno, something just doesn't seem right about it."

"You think something happened to him on his mission?"

She turned to Roxas and nodded, "Maybe. This morning, he looked like his shoulder or something was bothering him. He's been coming home a lot more banged up recently. I can only hope that he didn't have to do anything too physically demanding."

"You know he would just fight through the pain though."

Roxas laughed lightly, "Yeah. That's just how Kirux is. He pushes himself hard when he's working. You know that."

"I do, but...I just hope him doing it doesn't cause him to permanently damage himself."

Axel took the last bite of his ice cream, and shrugged, "Relax. It's Kirux. He's smart enough not to push too hard."

"Yeah...I hope so."

...

Just after that, Axel pulled out another ice cream bar.

Xion looked over and giggled, "Geez Axel. How many have you had?"

"Y'know, just because Kirux isn't here doesn't mean that you now have to scold me on my eating habits!"

She and Roxas both laughed together.

Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Xion was walking through the halls of the castle when she overheard a conversation between Saïx and Xigbar.

"You think he would just up and run?"

"I cannot say for sure. But a member not returning from his or her mission one day is not uncommon."

"Then why even bother worrying about it? He'll come back in a day or two and it'll be like he was never gone."

Xion continued to eavesdrop as Saïx continued, "Of course. It's probably nothing. But if Kirux does not return soon, then I'll be putting it on you or Axel to bring him back. He's too valuable an asset to lose at this time."

The two of them walked further away, and slowly went out of Xion's earshot.

She looked down at the ground and whispered to herself, "I knew something would have happened to him."

...

Xion headed back to the Grey Area and found Axel lying on one of the couches.

"Axel, have you heard?"

"About Kirux? Yeah, I got the rundown from Saïx."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

He shrugged, "For now, nothing. I mean, for all we know his mission is just taking him longer than it normally should. It happens pretty often."

"But what about-,"

"Xion, listen to me," Axel said as he sat up, "I know you're worried about him, but honestly, you gotta just chill out. You're acting way too paranoid right now."

"I just-," she was going to say, but she didn't. She just looked down and said "Sorry" quietly.

"Hey, there's no need to be sorry. You're just worried about a friend, is all."

Axel rubbed her hair, which she quickly stopped by swatting his hand away.

"Don't worry about Kirux. If he's gone for too long, then we'll go out and find him. Saïx has already assigned Xigbar and me to do it if need be."

He then stood up and walked past her.

Xion just looked up and out the large windows.

"Kirux, I don't know where you are, just...stay safe."

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

There was a soft scratching sound in the room when he woke up.

When he opened his eyes, it was almost as dark as it was when he had his eyes closed. From what little he could see, he was sitting in the corner of some room. Apart from the chair on the other side and the door to his far left, it was empty. There was no light in the room, apart from the little bit coming from underneath the door.

The guy that looked like him was sitting in the chair across from Kirux. He could barely tell what he was doing, but it looked like he was sharpening some blade.

He looked away from his blade and up at Kirux, "Finally awake? Good."

Kirux raised his arm to do something, but he couldn't lift it all the way. He looked down and saw that he was handcuffed.

He let out a small laugh, "That scared of me, huh?"

"That would be an understatement."

"That's why you're sharpening my sword? You gonna use it against me or somethin'?"

"It's not yours. It's my own. Don't believe me then try summoning your own."

Kirux was confused, but he did it anyway. Sure enough, his sword, the same one sitting in the other guy's lap, appeared in his hand.

He sighed and just said lightly, "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Still don't think we're the same?" The guy said, going back to his blade.

...

"So, if you and I are so similar, then what's your name?"

The guy stopped sharpening his blade again.

"You really wanna know?"

"No, I asked because I was bored. Of course I wanna know."

The guy sighed, placed his blade on the ground, and went to speak.

"My name...is Riku. You could say that I'm...the human version of you."

Chapter Text

Play: Scent of Silence - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

For a while, you could hear a pin drop.

The two just sat there in silence. Riku just focused on the weapon that was back in his hand. Kirux was just staring down at the ground.

The silence was deafening, and after a while, Kirux couldn't stand it anymore.

"Okay, answer me this."

Riku didn't bother to look at Kirux, just waving his hand while lightly saying, "Talk."

"I'm you, or is it that you're me? Whatever. But that doesn't tell me why you attacked me and brought me to...wherever the hell we're at right now."

Not getting a response, Kirux continued, "So, what is it that you even want me for?"

…

Before Riku could give Kirux an answer, a door opened. The light blinded Kirux's eyes, but he did see the new figure entering the room. The door shut behind them.

Riku nudged his head toward the new figure, "That's what I brought you here for."

Kirux looked up at the new figure. With hardly any light in the room, he couldn't make out what they looked like at all.

He could, however, tell by the voice that they were male when they spoke loudly, "So you are the one that they call..."Kirux.""

Kirux shrugged, "That's what people have been calling me. So yeah, you could say I'm Kirux."

The figure looked over at Riku, who just gave him his own shrug.

"My apologies for having him bring you here by force. Judging your first encounter, we felt a simple request would've been denied."

"Noooooo way. Ya think so? If you had just sent an invitation, I would've considered it."

Neither Riku nor the figure replied to him after he said that, just continuing with their spiel, "Believe it or not, Kirux, we brought you here for a reason."

"Well, seeing as how I'm handcuffed to this wall, then I guess I can accommodate your time. Please. Ask anything you'd like."

Judging by the no-reaction a second time, he assumed that they were getting angry with his antics.

…

The new figure started, "Where did you come from?"

"Dunno. One day, I just woke up in an alley and boom. That was it."

"You do not remember anything beforehand?"

"Not a thing. Although, I hear your memory gets hazy after you have too much to drink. Or was it eating too much? Not sure-"

"Enough of your jokes, boy!" The new figure yelled quite loudly, "Do I need to remind you of the situation you're in?"

Kirux just grinned as he continued, "I will not be made a fool of and joked at by a worthless Nobody."

When he finished, Kirux chuckled, "Well, guess what, shadow man., I don't give a damn about whether you think I'm "worthless" or not. Cuz once I get out of this," he said as he shook the handcuffs, "I'm gonna bust outta here, beat the crap out of anyone who tries to stop me, and then call up my pals in the Organization."

"So go ahead. Ask your questions. Who you are and what you're doing doesn't mean a thing to me."

Kirux reclined back against the wall, knowing he had pissed the new guy off.

He didn't say anything, just turning back and leaving the room. Riku followed right after him, locking the door behind him.

"Insolent creature..." DiZ grumbled, walking back towards his computer.

"We're just gonna have to keep trying," Riku said as he entered behind, "He's not invincible. He'll crack eventually."

"I should've just had you destroy him."

"And lose our only way of getting inside the Organization? No chance I'm doin' that."

"This plan is nothing but a joke! We have no means of guaranteeing he won't get caught!"

"He's our only shot of getting the rest of Sora's memories back! I've been watching him as much as you have. He's already befriended the two targets."

DiZ just sat in his chair with his hand on his head. Riku stood there, quietly crossing his arms.

…

…

…

After a long silence, Riku spoke again, "Remember DiZ. That moment he unleashed the darkness."

"If he's able to use the darkness like that, then it could only be one thing..."

DiZ looked over at Riku, "You're saying..."

"Yeah. Ansem."

DiZ sighed heavily, looking down at the ground and holding his head.

"What are we going to do?"

Stop: Scent of Silence - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux was just relaxing in the room Riku and the other guy had left him in before. He tried whistling to himself to pass the time, but very quickly realized that he didn't know how to.

So, he was just humming to himself quietly when he heard...something.

It wasn't anything like a footstep or a voice. Just...the ambiance changed.

Almost as if someone was in the room with him.

"Uh...hello?" He said quietly.

He didn't get a response, but there was a presence moving closer to him.

…

Then, out of nowhere, the handcuffs on his wrist lightened. Whoever was in the room with him had somehow uncuffed him from the wall.

Then a voice, "There is little time...we must go..."

"Who's there? Who are you?"

"No time to answer...please...step forward..."

Kirux stood up and heard a clicking sound from the door.

Was it...just unlocked?

…

The voice returned, "Please...step forward...the door is open..."

Kirux, although slightly uneasy, did so. He turned the nob on the door and pushed it open before being blinded by a bright light.

Play: Destati - Third Inception - Kingdom Hearts III

When his eyesight returned, he was standing in the middle of an empty void. Every direction was just darkness. He at least could see himself.

"Okay...weird." He thought right before he heard the voice again.

"I have seen the path you are destined for..." they said, "I can see the darkness inside of you..."

Right as it finished that last sentence, a "pathway" of sorts opened up in front of Kirux.

"Walk forward...and you shall see the path set out for you..."

Not seeing anywhere else to go, Kirux did as the voice said. He started walking.

…

…

…

"So, who are you, mystery voice?"

"I'm nobody...just a watcher...a guide..."

"A guide? A guide for what?"

"I am a guide...of fate..."

"A guide of fate?"

"It is my duty...to be sure you stick...to the path..."

"Care to explain what that path is?"

The voice didn't respond.

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

No response again.

Kirux just scoffed, "Fine. Don't talk, oh-so-mysterious-voice."

…

After walking for a good while, Kirux looked up and to his side. He could see...strange boxes floating around. The boxes had images in them, memories.

His memories.

The time he got his name. When he officially met Axel, then Roxas, and finally Xion. The moment when he first encountered Riku in Hollow Bastion. His mission with Axel was when he unleashed those strange dark powers.

"What's with the slideshow?" He said out loud, hoping to hear the voice respond. They didn't.

So, Kirux continued to walk until the path stopped.

"Okay. The path is stopped. You got anything else you wanna show me?"

…

The area opened again, but this time it was different. There was a split.

"I see two paths in your future..." the voice started, "one of light...one of dark..."

"The path of light will lead you to a long, fulfilling life. However, on your path of life...you will lose everything you hold dear, and you'll have to travel it alone..."

"What? How?"

Suddenly, his mind flashed. Kirux grabbed his head in pain, as more "memories" began to flood his head.

He saw...horrible things. Horrible things that were happening to Axel, Roxas, and Xion. Things that he could never imagine happening.

When the pain had mostly subsided, and he got to one knee, he spoke through gritted teeth, "How is that...the path of light?"

"Because the path of the dark will lead to your destruction at the hands of someone you hold dear."

And just like that, the pain returned. This time, new memories appeared.

One, in particular, stood out. Kirux was fighting someone, but he couldn't tell who. When he went in for an attack, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

When he looked down, he had been stabbed right through the abdomen...

...by a Keyblade .

…

Kirux yelled out in pain, "Stop! Enough! I've seen enough..."

"So...what path will you choose...? The path of light...and the path of dark...?"

"Why in the world would I wanna pick either?"

"These are the paths the universe has chosen for you...you may only choose one..."

He shook his head, "I don't want to go down either path..."

"It is impossible...fate cannot be changed..."

"No! I don't believe it!"

"What...?"

Kirux started slowly rising back to his feet, "I don't know who you are or whatever your "fate" decided, but I-"

He pulled his sword out, "I'm not gonna let it decide what my future is like."

"No, wait..!"

…

Kirux slashed his sword through the two memory "screens" he had seen, the two disappearing into the void. The two paths closed soon after.

For a while, he just stood there in silence.

Then, the voice came back.

Actually...no. It was different this time.

…

"Very good."

Kirux looked around in shock, "Who's there? You're not the same voice from before."

"No. I am not the voice you heard before. But worry not. It was only a figment of your imagination."

"A figment of my imagination?" He said that before rubbing his head, "Did I trip and hit my head or something?"

"Relax. What you're seeing is only a dream."

Right after the mystery voice said that, a figure appeared in the pathway ahead of Kirux. They were a hooded figure in a brown robe. No other details were noticeable.

"Follow this pathway. It will lead you out of here."

While he was confused, Kirux didn't see any other way to go. So, he started to walk forward, the hooded figure disappearing as he approached.

…

"So what, am I...sleeping? Did I enter some sort of portal when I entered that portal?"

"The answer is yes and no."

"Uhh...how?"

"This isn't a dream, as you're not asleep. This is just...a vision, you could say. A view into your mind."

Kirux looked around again, "Not much to see for a vision..."

"You are still young...there is not much to see because there is much you have yet to experience."

"You've got a point there, but...if this is my mind, then how in the world are you here?"

…

"Well, Kirux...you and I share a closer bond than you might know."

"What kinda bond is that? I've never met you before, have I?" Kirux said as he came to a stop.

"No, and it shall stay that way for a while. But for now, the secret will have to stay that way. It's still too early to determine your fate and too early to reveal who I am."

The hooded figure appeared once again, and the voice returned, "It is time for you to awaken. After all, your window to escape is closing fast."

"Wait, what-" Kirux was cut off when the hooded figure put his hand up and hit him with a strange blast of energy. Before Kirux could even react, he was out and hitting the floor.

Stop: Destati - Third Inception - Kingdom Hearts III

Kirux woke back up right where he was before—sitting in his dark room, all alone.

He lifted his arms to stretch, pulling his right behind his head before realizing it.

The handcuffs were off.

Wait...so had it not been a dream?

He immediately got up and walked to the door. He grabbed the handle and tried twisting it slowly.

Unlocked.

He sighed quietly, "This doesn't make any sense..."

Play: Castle Oblivion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux pushed open the door, peering out into the hallway outside. It was nearly pitched darkness, but he had been used to being stuck in his "cell".

"Alright, exit," he said quietly to himself, "Need to find an exit."

"In this dark and creepy building," he continued as he snuck out of the room and down the hall, "No biggie. No biggie at all."

…

It became very clear, very quickly, that Kirux had no idea where he was going.

He would turn a corner from a hallway only to find more hallways. He found himself constantly going in circles. Every area looked the same.

Kirux was just about to say, "screw it, I'll just jump out of a window or something," before he heard footsteps coming in his direction.

"OH crap." He whispered before very quickly opening the door and hiding inside. He didn't shut the door entirely, but the low light in the hallway wouldn't give him away.

He saw Riku walk into the hall and past the door, down towards Kirux's "cell".

"Not good..." He thought, "Gotta hurry it up and get out of here."

Quickly but quietly, he re-opened the door and scuffled his way down the hall.

…

Meanwhile, Riku was just reproaching his clone's door. DiZ insisted on doing some sort of research on Sora while he went back to check on their new guest.

Unfortunately, Riku noticed it right as he got there.

The door was not only unlocked, it was open .

Riku immediately pushed the door open, slamming it into the wall hard.

The handcuffs lay empty on the floor. His clone had escaped.

Riku felt his fists clenching, and he immediately turned and punched a massive hole into the wall.

"DAMMNIT!" He yelled. Everyone in the mansion had definitely heard it, including his clone.

He calmed down quickly, though. After all, the mansion only had one exit.

…

Kirux heard Riku's scream from what he thought the front of the mansion was.

He grinned and whispered, "That's whatcha get." as he continued down the hall until he heard footsteps again.

Although they were lighter, he still hid while they passed by.

Just as he was going back out into the hall, he bumped into someone. They fell to the ground, making a loud thump sound.

Kirux snapped over to see who it was he had run into. To his surprise, it was a girl.

She was small and thin, the white dress and blonde hair very noticeable in the dark.

She looked up at Kirux, and he thought he saw a familiar face...

Was that...Xion? No, it couldn't be. But...she looked so similar to Xion...

"Who the hell are you?" He asked a bit too loudly.

...

Before the girl could answer, loud footsteps were approaching from behind.

Riku turned and saw the two of them.

Kirux's eyes widened, and he let out an "Oh crap" before pushing past the girl and running down the hall.

Riku, not even bothering with the girl, ran after him.

The girl just stood up and followed quickly after them. After all, if Riku got his hands on Kirux for too long...

Stop: Castle Oblivion - KH Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux finally found the exit and immediately sprinted for the door. He grabbed the handle...

...and it was locked.

"Aww, come on, not now!" He said as he heard Riku very quickly gaining on him.

He tried busting it down with his shoulder and even kicked the door a few times. Nothing worked.

...

Before he could try to find another way, he heard Riku call out behind him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Chapter Text

Kirux glanced back and saw Riku standing there, looking angry.

"Okay, what to do. What to do...Relax, just try and talk your way out of this."

With that, Kirux turned slowly back towards him, who still looked like he was going to smash the table separating them in half.

"Oh, uh...hey. I was just um, wandering around and I..."

"You were trying to escape..."

Kirux faked surprise, "What? No! I was just, uh...testing the uh, sturdiness of your front door."

He gave the door a couple more shoves, and then looked back and said, "It's all good. Although I noticed that this lock is pretty finicky. You mind if I-,"

Before Kirux could finish, Riku brought his fist up and slammed it through the table in the center of the room, shattering it in half.

Kirux very quickly turned back towards him and stayed up against the door, "Whoa whoa! Okay, I know you're mad. How about I just...go back to my room. Does that sound good to you?"

Riku didn't answer Kirux's question, only stepping over the shattered remains of the table he had smashed.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pummel you into the ground right now." He said with a snarl.

"Uhh...because I'm offering to go back without a fight?" It was the only response that Kirux could come up with.

Riku began slowly approaching Kirux, who continued to panic.

"How about this? I go back to my cell, you don't beat me to a pulp, and we all forget that this ever happened. Sound good?"

His words fell on deaf ears as Riku continued to approach.

…

Kirux's desperation kicked into gear, and he continued to pound himself against the door, still to no avail.

As he slammed himself into the door once again, he was suddenly grabbed from behind and lifted off the ground.

Before Kirux could do anything, Riku slammed him forward into the door. Even with that last slam, the door still didn't budge.

"Did you think that escaping would be that easy?" Riku said quietly, the rage in his voice pretty poorly hidden.

"No, but...you're not making it any easier..."

"I'm trying to stop DiZ from making me kill you, y'know."

"Appreciate that, but is slamming me into the door doing me any good?"

Riku pressed him harder against the wall, "I wouldn't push me if I were you."

Kirux gritted his teeth, pushing out a "Noted" weakly as the pain to his rib cage was flaring.

…

Kirux was then spun around to face Riku, who was very pissed (even with the blindfold).

"Ever since I brought you here, you've been nothing but a pain in the ass. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here right now. You would've disappeared, back into whatever dark hole you crawled out of!"

Kirux ground his teeth through the pain in his ribs to say, "Guess you shoulda left me alone in the forest, huh?"

That earned him a punch to the stomach, causing him to cough a few times.

"Are you so stubborn that you don't realize I'm trying to help you?"

""Help" me? You kidnapped me off the streets!"

"I've seen the things that are happening to you! The dark powers, the memories? Where do you think it all came from?!"

...

As Riku kept talking, a small aura of darkness started forming in his hand, down and away from Riku's gaze. It continued to grow and gain power as Riku yelled at Kirux.

Kirux caught a glance of it in the corner of his eyes and waited for the right moment.

The girl in white, who stood on the stairway, saw it and yelled down, "Riku, look out!"

Riku looked down, saw what was in Kirux's hand, but wasn't able to react.

Before he could have, Kirux reached up and punched Riku hard in the chest, the dark energy blasting him back. Kirux fell to the ground, barely landing on his own feet.

Riku skidded across the floor, through the scraps of the table he had shattered. The girl started running down the stairs towards him, but he put a hand up before she could reach him.

Kirux looked at his hand, seeing the remnants of the dark magic still flowing around his hand.

He then looked back to Riku, who was starting to stand back up, "How'd you like that?!"

Riku got back onto his feet, hands on his knees, "You can control it now...?"

"I can do a lot more than that!"

"Can you now...?"

...

Riku stood up straight, speaking lightly, "Alright then. If it's a fight you want..."

He summoned Soul Eater, the weapon they shared, into his right hand, "Show me what you've got, clone."

Ignoring the insult, Kirux ground his teeth, "You asked for it."

He summoned the same sword into his hand and readied himself to fight.

Play: The Force in You - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux immediately ran straight for Riku, who only stood in the same position. He swung hard from his right, straight at Riku.

Only for his strike to be blocked. Not by Riku, but by an invisible barrier.

As he stumbled backward, a small explosion appeared around Riku and sent Kirux back towards the door. He slammed into it hard, his injuries flaring back up.

"Okay, now I'm convinced this door is secretly made of metal."

Riku shook his head, saying, "You shouldn't just run straight at your enemy. Gotta think before you act."

"Don't mock me."

Kirux got back up and went towards Riku again, but he tried something else. He fired a blast of fire at Riku, who deflected it.

However, the fireball went into the air and exploded right above him. A smokescreen enveloped the area, taking away whatever vision Riku may have had.

Kirux then moved towards Riku's side, concealing himself in the smoke. He moved fast and dashed at Riku, going to strike him again.

Without missing a beat, Riku brought his weapon up and caught Kirux's before he could make contact. Their blades collided and held in contact.

Kirux tried to hold his surprise and push at him, but Riku was surprisingly strong, even with only one arm.

"Smart, but not gonna be enough."

Riku threw his arm forward, knocking Kirux off balance. He then used his sword to blast him with an Aero spell, sending Kirux back to the door and dispersing the smokescreen.

...

By this time, Kirux's injuries were starting to catch up with him. His ribcage was flaring up even more, causing him to keep his arm on his side.

Riku noticed it (seriously, how could he see with the blindfold), and spoke, "You're lookin' a little rough. Want to give up?"

Kirux just glared at him and said, through gritted teeth, "Not on your life..."

He went to stand but struggled. He barely managed to get to his feet.

In that time, Riku had lowered his sword for a moment, "I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to, Kirux. Trust me, just stand down."

Kirux, unfortunately, did not listen to him.

The dark aura returned to his hand, charging and growing. Riku stood there, unmoved.

Finally, the aura stopped growing, and Kirux launched a massive blast of dark energy towards Riku.

...

Riku blocked the attack with his sword and seemingly struggled to hold it back.

But eventually, he held his stance, set his feet, and started to push back.

Then, he "looked" towards Kirux, who was standing there, stunned.

And with that, Riku pushed back again.

Only this time, the dark energy flew back.

Straight towards Kirux.

...

It was flying too fast for him to react, and it hit Kirux right in the chest.

He flew back into the door (which still didn't open), bounced off, and landed on his face on the floor. His sword was dispersed from his hand, as he barely stayed conscious.

Stop: The Force in You - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Riku, despite winning the fight, didn't look amused or impressed. The girl in white stayed on the stairway, having watched the whole thing.

After a few seconds, Riku just sighed as Kirux struggled to raise himself from the floor.

"Naminé, get the pod ready," Riku said without diverting his gaze, "I think I've got an idea to..."convince" him."

Naminé, who Kirux could only assume was the girl in white he had run into earlier, said quietly, "Are you sure about that? DiZ has strictly said to not touch the pod under any circumstances."

"Just do it. If it'll get this guy," he motioned towards Kirux, who had moved to one knee, "to cooperate, he'll buy in."

Riku then turned back to Kirux and started walking over. Once he reached him, he grabbed his hood and lifted him to his feet.

"Walk." That was all he said before he poked the tip of his sword into his back.

And while Kirux would've said something snarky back at him, he didn't this time.

Instead, he complied. He walked forward, following after where that "Naminé" had gone.

...

...

...

The door to the basement opened. DiZ sat at his computer, thoroughly scanning each screen. He had ignored Naminé, who had just run past and towards the pod room.

However, when he heard the door open behind him once again, he didn't ignore it this time.

He turned in his chair, noticing their "guest" with Riku following closely behind him, weapon in hand.

DiZ immediately shot out of his chair, "What do you think you're doing? He can't be down here!"

Despite DiZ's tone, Riku was calm, "Relax. He's not gonna try anything. Isn't that right, Kirux?"

Kirux said nothing. His gaze was on the ground, and DiZ could notice how battered he looked.

Oh. So that's what all that racket was upstairs.

"What do you plan on doing?" DiZ asked Riku.

"You'll see..."

He poked at Kirux again, "That way. Through that door."

Kirux, once again, complied without resistance.

He and Riku passed through the doorway towards the pod room.

DiZ didn't follow. He simply stayed in his chair.

Riku had handled him already. He could handle him for a bit longer.

...

Kirux and Riku entered a white room. The floors, the walls, the lights, all white. There was a large pod(?) in the center of the room with a console on the side, where Naminé was standing.

"Stop." Riku said, and Kirux did so.

And for the first time in the last few minutes, he spoke, "You gonna tell me why we're in here?"

"You're about to see why."

Riku looked towards Naminé, "Do it."

She hesitated again but did do as he asked.

The pod came to life. The doors began to shift and started to open.

Play: Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts II

When the doors on the pod parted, Kirux saw someone. A boy with really spiky brown hair, a red jumpsuit with a black and white jacket, and large yellow boots. He was floating in the pod, sleeping.

Kirux asked quietly, "Who is that?"

Riku let his sword disperse, and walked in front of Kirux, "This...is Sora. Sora is my best friend, and...he's a Keyblade wielder, the chosen Keyblade wielder."

"A few months back, Sora's memories became...disjointed. A few members of Organization XIII, the group you've been working for, used Naminé to break his memory to turn Sora into their little pet. Thankfully, he put a stop to that, and now, we're trying to piece his memories back together."

"That's great and all, but what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting there. While Naminé has been doing a good job, we've hit a bit of a snag. Some of his memories are...missing."

"Missing?"

Riku turned back to Kirux, "Yes. And we think we know where to find them. We think they might be hidden away, inside his Nobody and...well, you get the idea."

...

"So, why does this involve me?"

"Well...I hate to say it, but..."

Riku stopped, "Never mind. It's not important right now. All I can say...is that we think your "friends" might be involved in all of this, whether they like it or not."

When Kirux didn't respond, Riku continued, "If we're gonna get those memories back, we're gonna need someone on the inside. Someone...in the Organization..."

...

...

...

"So you want me to be your spy?"

Riku shook his head, "I'm not asking you to, at least not now."

"So why even bother showing me this? You just beat the crap out of me, and now you want me to help you?"

Kirux sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, "I can't believe I'm even slightly related to you..."

"It's like I kept telling you. A lot is going on that you don't know about. You may not see it now, but that group you're with is not what it seems."

Riku then took a small step towards him, "You have a lot to learn, Kirux. Now-,"

A dark corridor appeared in the ground behind Kirux as Riku continued to walk towards him, "-think about it, and don't tell anyone what you saw here."

He put his hand up and hit Kirux with a sleep spell. Kirux began to stumble back and forth and eventually fell into the dark corridor.

Once it closed, Riku sighed.

He turned back to Naminé, "Go ahead and close up, Naminé. We're done here."

"What are we gonna do if he refuses?" She asked Riku as she closed the door to Sora's pod.

"He won't. I know it..."

Stop: Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts II

His eyes were heavy. His body ached, but the surface beneath him was soft.

When he was finally able to open his eyes, he was hit with the lights in the ceiling above him.

Kirux put a hand up to his eyes, but immediately lowered it when the pain flared up again.

Then, a female voice to his left, "Whoa whoa, don't move."

He looked over and saw Xion there, standing at the bedside.

In his head, he thought, "Wait...where'd she come from...?"

"Xion...? Wait...where..."

Xion put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, you're safe."

Kirux was able to sit up and examine his surroundings. "Am I...back at the castle?"

"Yeah. Axel found you in some back alley in town. Your injuries were really bad. Luxord did his best to treat you, but..."

She trailed off, and Kirux asked, "What was the damage?"

Xion looked up at him, "Three bruised ribs, a bruised shoulder, and a concussion."

Kirux's head fell back against his bed frame, "Wow..."

"What did you do? Did you get into a fight?"

...

Kirux remembered what Riku said right before he passed out.

"-that group you're with is not what it seems."

"What did he mean by that?" He thought.

"Uhh...Kirux?"

"Huh?"

Xion was still there, now even more concerned, "You...didn't answer my question."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Uhh..."

Now, he had a decision to make.

Tell Xion the truth...or lie.

Kirux chose...

...

...

...

...to lie.

"I...ran into this big Heartless on my last mission. Looks like it roughed me up pretty well, huh?"

Xion giggled, "Yeah, I guess so."

The two of them laughed together.

"Well," Xion said once they stopped, "Saïx says with your injuries that you'll be off duty for a while. He put me in charge of taking care of you while you're healing."

"I can't come to the clock tower with you guys?"

She grinned, "Sorry, but doctor's orders. No leaving the castle for three weeks, at least."

Kirux sighed, "Fiiiiiiine. But you'd better bring me ice cream. I'm not goin' without that."

Xion laughed again, "Deal."

Chapter Text

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kirux was not allowed to leave the castle during his recovery time, but he didn't go without trying to sneak out. There were multiple days when he would try to summon a corridor to leave, but he would always end up right back in his room at the castle.

He didn't know if the other members were manipulating his corridors or something, but nothing he did would get him out of that room or the castle in general.

Although he was not able to leave the castle, he still had free rein of it all. The library was at least well stocked with material that could keep him entertained. Occasionally, he'd run into Luxord skimming over books about card games and strategies. While Kirux wasn't "friends" with him, he was always up for an interesting conversation. Kirux didn't forget to thank him for treating his injuries, as well.

Another bright side was Xion. To her word, she was at his side whenever she wasn't out on missions. She would check his injuries, do whatever she needed, and then they would spend their time chatting together over sea-salt ice cream. Xion would tell him about the missions she went on and whatever may have happened at the clock tower that day with Roxas and Axel (who also did come check on him on days when he didn't leave his room). It wasn't the same, but it was better than nothing at all.

It had given him and Xion time to grow closer as friends, and for that, Kirux was thankful.

…

Eventually, the three weeks were finally up. Kirux woke up that morning feeling great, the best he had felt in a while.

As he walked through the halls, his mind raced through various thoughts. What kind of world he'd be going to see, how nice it would be to finally go back up to the clock tower with his friends.

And most of all, what would happen if he had run into Riku again?

It was then that his grin faded, and his walk slowed.

The whole ordeal with Riku was still fresh in his mind. From their fight (which had hardly felt like a fight due to how badly Riku had beaten him) up to the end, when he had been sent away again.

There was only one thing that Kirux just couldn't understand. Despite everything: the fact that he was his doppelgänger, their whole fight, and Kirux's general apathetic nature towards him and his objective, Riku still wanted Kirux to work with him.

And that was the part that Kirux could not figure out, not now and not anytime before in the last few weeks.

That didn't even answer the other questions he had. What did Roxas and Xion have to do with this "Sora" character? Better yet, who was Sora, and what made him so special? Yeah, he was supposedly the "chosen" Keyblade wielder (according to Riku), but Roxas and Xion both had Keyblades. What made Sora so special?

Kirux had way too many questions and not nearly enough answers, and yet all Riku would probably give him was a "you wouldn't understand" if he wanted to ask anymore. Not that he would, given their last encounter.

But by the time his head was wrapping itself around these thoughts again, he had reached the Grey Area and smiled when he saw a familiar face, one that had become his favorite familiar face.

...

...

...

When he walked in, Xion immediately ran up to greet him.

"There you are. I've been waiting for you to get off your butt."

"You were the one who kept me in that place for the last three weeks. If anything, it's your fault."

"Watch it, or I'll tell Saïx that you haven't fully recovered yet."

"Hehe, please don't."

Xion giggled at him as they approached Saïx, who remained in his normal place, staring into the night sky. The two of them reached him, and he didn't bother to turn and face them.

"It is good to see you back on your feet, Kirux. Have you fully recovered from your injuries?"

Kirux nodded, "Yep, I'm all revved up and ready to roll."

"Good. There's been a development in Hollow Bastion. I'm sending the two of you to investigate it."

And just like that, Kirux's mood immediately soured, "Not again..."

Saïx finally turned his head. "You will not be investigating the castle this time. There is a new area I need you two to look into."

He put his arm up and summoned a dark corridor, continuing, "Proceed through here and take the closest lift. From there, move forward until you reach your target. It will be marked with an emblem."

With that, he waved his arm towards the corridor.

Kirux and Xion looked at each other, the former shrugging lightly before entering the corridor together.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

Play: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux and Xion exited the corridor to the sound of the howling wind. When Kirux took the time to examine their new surroundings, he noticed that they were at the castle of Hollow Bastion.

Only this time, they were in a different area. Somewhere that he had not even been.

"Huh, this is a new part of the castle."

"A "new" part?" Xion questioned him.

He turned to her, "Believe it or not, I haven't been up here before. At least, not to this part of the castle."

He looked around, seeing a lift gate and an opening in the wall nearby, "Looks like we just haven't taken the lift up here yet."

Xion walked over to the ledge with him, looking out over the horizon, "Well, Saïx said to take the closest lift. Should we head over there?"

"That would take us right back into the castle, though. He said we're investigating somewhere else."

He then looked along the ledge and saw a lift tower to their left. The blue light on the top was shining brightly.

"That's probably the one we've gotta take. I am curious about where it's gonna take us, though."

The two of them walked over to the tower, and Kirux reached up and touched the light on the lift. The color changed to yellow, and soon a lift appeared for them.

Kirux motioned for Xion to enter, saying, "Ladies first".

"Did you teach yourself manners while you were on bed rest?"

"Hey, I've always known manners."

The two stepped onto the lift, and it soon began moving along its rail.

...

...

...

Kirux watched as the lift took them away from the castle, watching as it grew smaller and the lift took them away.

"You know," he said, leaning against the railing of the lift as Xion gazed into the distance, "You said last time we were here that you wanted to explore the areas outside of the castle. Well, looks like your wish was granted."

He turned towards her, as she had her arms resting on the railing, with her chin laying on top, and was looking off into the distance.

She gave him a "Yeah, I guess."

It was at that point that Kirux found himself...staring at her. Much like he had been when the two of them first met, he seemingly could not take his eyes off of her.

"Damn, she's pretty..." he thought to himself.

And he immediately changed that thought to "looks pretty...tired. Man, she must not have gotten enough sleep last night."

With that crisis averted, he said, "You guess ?"

"I wanted to go out there, but not because Saïx told us to."

He stood up straight, sliding his hands into his coat pockets, "Whaddya mean by that?"

"I wanted to go explore the world, just to...y'know, explore. Day in and day out, we go to worlds, do our jobs, and go back home. Don't you ever want to just walk around and meet some of the locals they tell us to avoid? Learn more about the worlds we go to? Just...do more than work?"

She looked over at him, "Do you get what I'm saying?"

For a second, Kirux wished that she had not looked at him, because all of those thoughts were starting to come back.

"She's so...man, pretty may not be enough to describe it."

As much as Kirux didn't like it, he couldn't get rid of these thoughts of...whatever it was. Maybe he should ask Axel about it later.

For now, though, he just shrugged and said, "I guess so. If you want, then...maybe one day, we can do that. It doesn't have to be here. We can go wherever you want."

After hearing that, she smiled at him, saying, "Thank you. I'd like that a lot."

"Ahhhhhhhh, she needs to stop doing that."

...

The lift finally reached its destination, stopping on the side of a cliff of blue rock.

Kirux was the first to step off, with Xion immediately following behind him.

"Is this place what he wanted us to investigate?"

Xion shook her head, "I don't think so. Remember, he said it would be marked by some sort of emblem."

"Well, in that case, let's get going. It can't be too far."

And with that, they set off.

...

After a good while of walking through blue rocks and cliffsides, they reached a small clearing with a curvy road leading down to a river. The river flowed to the castle that they had just left.

Kirux looked down the road, examining it and the river as far as he could see. And then, he looked to his side and saw an emblem on the side of the cliff.

It was in the shape of the Organization's logo. Kirux grabbed it, ripping it out of the cliffside.

"Well, we found the emblem, but..."

He looked around again, "I don't see anything of importance here."

"That's because you aren't looking well enough."

Xion stepped up and pointed out, "Look, you see that?"

Kirux looked again, this time to where she was pointing.

And he saw them. Boats, on the riverside.

"Are those...boats?"

"Yep. Looks like they're being used to head into the castle."

"But...by who?"

Xion crossed her arms. "I'm not sure. Maybe there's a camp nearby?"

"Probably, but..." he said as he looked towards the sky, "It's gonna get dark soon. We should probably head back home for now. Let's come back tomorrow and do some more scouting."

"Okay."

Stop: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

As Kirux and Xion were walking through the halls, they ran into Roxas and Axel.

"There you two are. We've been looking for you." Axel said as they all converged together.

"Huh? What for?"

"The big boss is calling for us to the Altar. Says there's a big announcement. Now come on."

Despite their confused looks at one another, Kirux and Xion followed the two of them to the top of the castle.

Once they had arrived, they noticed all of the other members were there, including Xemnas. They were all gathered together.

At one point, Kirux leaned over to whisper to Xion, "What do you think this is about?"

She whispered back, "I don't know. We're about to find out."

...

...

...

Finally, Xemnas spoke, "My fellow Nobodies, rejoice...for this is a momentous occasion."

He lifted his head towards the sky, "Look to the stars..."

Play: Organization XIII - Kingdom Hearts II

They all looked to the stars, and they finally saw it.

Something new had appeared in the sky. A large, heart-shaped moon now loomed over the castle. Its light gazed down at them all.

Kirux could only stare in awe as Xemnas's speech began, "The time has arrived."

He put his arms up, "And at long last, we see before us the great collection of hearts. Hearts full of rage...hate...sadness...and bliss. Shining down upon us is the crystallization of all hearts - Kingdom Hearts."

"There, in the sky, hangs the promise of a new world," Xemnas continued, as he lowered his arms and turned back to the rest of the members, "My friends! Let us gain further power, to conquer the human heart, and reclaim it as our own. Let us remember why we are here and what we hope to achieve. Hearts shall be gathered, and made our own. Hearts shall never again have power over us."

Xemnas finally finished his speech and turned his gaze back to Kingdom Hearts. Over time, the members would all disperse.

But not Kirux. He continued to look into the sky.

"Kingdom Hearts...gathered and made our own..."

...

He put his hand over his chest, "If I have to fight to gain a heart of my own, then..."

He clenched his hand, "I'll give it everything I have. For my heart-to-be, and my friends."

Chapter Text

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You… - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“All this fighting...I wonder what it’s for.”

Kirux stopped before he could take another bite of ice cream to look over at Roxas, as had both Axel and Xion.

Axel was the first of them all to respond, “Come on, you know what it’s for. We have to complete the great Kingdom Hearts. You saw it too, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but...what is Kingdom Hearts?” Roxas asked while looking towards Xion and Kirux.

“It’s the gathering place of hearts...isn’t it?”

“It’s where all of the hearts wind up after they’re released by you, minus you, Kirux.”

Despite the displeased look he got from Kirux, he continued, “Once we collect enough, we might finally get hearts of our own.”

Xion looked back out in front of her, “Hearts be made our own…”

Kirux seemed like he wanted to speak, but Roxas did before he had the opportunity: “Is Kingdom Hearts really that important?”

“Are you crazy?” Axel asked in response.

“I just don’t see why having a heart is that important, you know.”

“Come on, you’re worrying about that now?”

Roxas’s eyes went down to his feet, “Well, I don’t understand because I don’t have a heart.”

“Roxas…”

…

…

…

“But...shouldn’t gaining a heart be what every Nobody wants?”

Everyone’s eyes were on Kirux now, who was just staring at the bar of ice cream that he held.

“What do you mean by that, Kirux?”

“Think about it. We were created because our real selves lost their hearts, or...I guess in my case, it’s different…”

“But, wouldn’t you rather just...keep living the life that you have right now? Say one of us was to be destroyed. Where do we go, just back to our human selves? And what about our memories? Do they become part of the memories of our human selves?”

“If they don’t, then...what’s the point of even becoming human again? If everything we experience now is just gonna be lost to the wind, then...shouldn’t we want to have hearts? So that we could end up becoming our own people?”

Xion noticed Kirux clutching his ice cream stick much tighter as he finished, “I may not know what it’s like to have a heart, but...when I think about what might happen to me if I go back to my human self, then...I don’t want to bear the thought of all of me disappearing forever. At least if I have a heart...I can still be me. We all can.”

…

Kirux then rubbed the back of his head, “But, I’m probably just overthinking it.”

“No, not at all.”

The three other Nobodies then looked back up at Axel, “But we’ll understand it more once we all have hearts. Remember: that’s why we fight, to find out what it’s all about.”

“I...guess you’re right…”

…

…

…

Kirux had decided to leave the clock tower early that day. The feeling of awkwardness he had felt after his whole spiel about the heart was something he just could not shake. He had just descended the stairway and reached the ticket stand for the station.

“Way to go, Kirux. You had to go and make it weird. Brilliant.”

He slid his hands into his pockets and walked towards the exit, continuously contemplating what he had said back there in his mind. Whether or not he should have stuck by it, or if he should have back-tracked and just followed with what Axel had said.

Did it not matter to him? Maybe it was because Axel was older, and he probably would have retained some memories of being human. But Axel probably hadn’t come face to face with his human self, so there was a part he just wouldn’t understand.

…

And although his mind raced, he didn’t get much time to think about it because he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and towards him. He stopped and turned to see Xion coming towards him.

“Hey,” she said before stopping, taking a few seconds to catch her breath, “I’m…glad that I…caught up to you…”

“Uhhhh…okay…?” Kirux responded as his head cocked slightly to the side.

“Why’d she leave so early? Normally, she’s one of the last out.”

He decided to ask, “Is there something you wanted? If it’s ice cream, I’ll pay for you to get another one. Or three, depending on if the other guys asked for more as well-,”

“I didn’t come for more ice cream, Ki,” Xion said sternly, having finally caught her breath, “I came to talk to you.”

“About…?”

“About what you said. About having a heart and all.”

“Oh, that…look, I know. It was weird, I shouldn’t have said all of tha-,”

“Ki, I didn’t think it was weird.”

“Wait, you…didn’t?”

“No, not at all. I thought about it, and…I kinda agree.”

He turned to face her directly. “Really?”

“Yeah. Also, I…saw what you were doing with your hands, as you were talking…it looked like this is something you’ve been thinking of for a while, huh.”

Kirux took a deep breath and looked out towards the sun again, “To be honest…yeah. Ever since I ran into Riku-,”

“Riku? Is that his name?”

“Yeah, I ended up finding that out. But ever since I ran into him, it’s made me think about a lot. Made me wonder if…I’m even a real Nobody. Out of everyone in the Organization, my human self is the only one still alive…at least as far as I know.”

He continued as Xion stared at him, “So if my human self is still around, then…should I even be around? Am I…supposed to exist?”

During that last part, he had pulled a hand out of his pocket, staring at it intently for a few seconds after finishing.

…

Eventually, he brought his hand up, pinched his forehead, and sighed heavily, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you leave early, and have to listen to all of that. I’ve just…had a lot on my mind lately.”

His hand fell back to his side, but he was stunned when Xion reached out and took it, giving it a tight squeeze.

“Nobody or not Ki, you’re still our friend. You’re still my friend. And you are supposed to exist, and although I don’t have the answers as to what’s up with this Riku guy, we’ll get our own hearts, and then you don’t have to worry about becoming him again. You can be Kirux, through and through.”

…

Kirux didn’t know where it came from, what he was supposed to do, or how he was supposed to react, but this was certainly new for him.

“She’s holding my hand. She is HOLDING my hand.”

“Okay, Kirux, chill out. This is normal, right? Friends hold hands all the time. It’s cool and chill and nobody is being weird about it and…why is my face hot?”

His face was hot because of the giant red blush that was growing on his face.

“Ahh crap! She didn’t notice that, right?”

His eyes quickly flashed to her face, and she had, indeed, noticed.

“Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot-”

As Kirux continued to freak out in his mind, Xion just giggled at him.

She let go of his hand and said lightly, “I’m telling Axel about that.”

“ Please don’t” was all he could manage to get out as he tried to hide his blush from her, and failed…quite miserably.

Xion just laughed even harder, patting him on the arm lightly.

Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You… - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The sunset was nice today, as it always was.

He stared through the open window, listening to the wind howl through the trees as birds sang their normal tunes.

It was moments like these where he had time to reflect, take his mind away from the current situation he had found himself in.

The view from the clock tower, the nature and environment of the mansion, the liveliness of the town during the day. It was moments like these that had given him his sense of adventure, the urge to branch out from the islands and explore what other worlds the realm of light had to offer.

He sometimes imagined what it would have been like, had their home not been attacked that faithful night. Would he had still fallen to the darkness? Would Sora and Kairi be in the situations that they were currently in? Would he have remained the chosen wielder of the Keyblade, had it not passed on to Sora? Not that Sora didn’t deserve to wield it, he very well may have stumbled his way into wielding one in the future had Riku not chosen the path he chose.

But there was a memory that Riku had kept in the back of his mind, of a man who came to the island when he was just a boy.

“So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking...its wielder you shall one day be,” had been what he said, something along those lines. The rest was hazy.

“Guess I didn’t have the makings, huh,” he said to himself in his mind, the corner of his mouth tugging itself into a small smile.

…

…

…

He heard the door to the room open and heard the light footsteps of Naminé entering.

“What are you doing up here?”

Riku answered without looking back at her, “Just enjoying some fresh air.”

He heard Naminé slowly close the door behind her and walk closer to him, “DiZ is worried about your plan. He doubts that he’s going to come willingly, you know.”

…

“Of course, he doesn’t trust the plan. He never does.”

Riku sighed and stood from his seat.

Just like that, back to reality. Back to work, trying to get Sora’s memories back.

“Maybe he won’t, but I have faith in him. He may not realize it now, but he’s going to need to help us, for his and his friends’ sake.”

“And…what if he doesn’t? What if he stays on their side?”

He noticed she was holding her sketchbook, where she had scribbled a new drawing. He saw two figures, both in black robes, one of which had long silver hair…much like his. The other had hair in a similar style, although brown and much shorter. Different yet the same.

It was he and Kirux.

“I only fear that…if he doesn’t go along with this, then…we may never get the memories back.”

Riku sighed, picking up the blindfold that was resting on the windowsill and putting it back on, “If things come to that…then I’ll do what needs to be done. And if he gets in the way…well, I hope he makes it.”

Play: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories

“So you guys saw those boats over there?”

“Yeah, they were by the river. We don’t know who put them there or where they’re coming from.”

“Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, right?”

Kirux nodded, standing up straight, with Roxas standing up with him. Saïx had sent him with Roxas instead of Xion today, as she was needed in some other world or…something. To be honest, Kirux wasn’t paying attention outside of the “Xion isn’t coming with you” part, in which he was trying (and failing) to hide his discontent.

Even then, they still had a job to do. And even if Xion wasn’t here, Roxas was still perfectly capable, and a Keyblade wielder to boot.

“I say we sweep the area, try and find any signs of people nearby. If there’s a camp or something, we can report it to Saïx when we get back. We’ll just need to be careful not to run into anybody.”

“Sounds good.”

With that, the two of them walked away, further into the mountains of blue rock and crystal.

…

…

…

“So, I gotta ask,” Roxas said, as he was helping Kirux up from a cliffside, “What’s up with you and Xion?”

“Whaddya mean by that?”

“Come on, don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“What is there for you to notice?”

“Come on man, you two go on missions together more than anyone, she took care of you for those three weeks you were injured and wouldn’t let anyone else do it, and from what I can tell, you two are clearly way better friends with one another than with Axel and me.”

Kirux felt a sense of embarrassment begin to well up, but he did his best to hide it and try to answer his question.

“Well, the mission thing I can’t help. That’s Saïx’s decision, not mine.”

“True, but I saw your face when you found out it was me and you and not you and her. You didn’t look too happy.”

“I…have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Roxas laughed, “Sure, buddy, but anyways, back to the question. What’s up with you two?”

“I dunno, we’re just…good friends.”

“Yeah, like he’s gonna believe that one.” His mind said to himself.

“Suuuuuuure.”

“Told you.”

“Look, man, I don’t know what you want me to say. Besides, this whole exploring outside of the castle grounds was her idea, so…I was upset on her behalf.”

“Well, what about the thing when you were injured? She was adamant about nobody else handling that, by the way.”

“Take that up with Xion. I didn’t get to choose.”

“But you also didn’t object.”

“Would you have?”

“Heh, you got me there.”

…

They slid down another cliffside into a gorge while still keeping the river in sight.

Roxas then continued with his interrogation, “So, you’re telling me nothing is going on between you and Xion.”

“Nothing”

“Nothing at all?”

“Zilch.”

“Absolutely, positively, one-hundred and ten percent nothing?”

“Cross my nonexistent heart.”

That last one got Roxas to laugh, and he responded with, “Okay, I believe you.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“Just because I say I believe you doesn’t mean that I necessarily do.”

“So…do you?”

Roxas looked back and grinned at Kirux, “Hehe, wouldn’t you like to know.”

Kirux sighed and shook his head, causing Roxas to laugh again.

Stop: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories

Eventually, after enough exploring and circling the river, they had made their way back to their original destination. The lift control was still shining on the ledge, waiting for its next passenger, while the sounds of the river could be heard from where they stood. 

Kirux kicked a rock down into the valley, watching as it fell into the river. “Well, that was a complete waste of time.”

“You think we’re not looking in the right place?”

“Where else is there to look? We checked the whole area around here, and there’s nothing.”

“Well, uhh…yeah, that’s a good point.”

Kirux rested a hand on his hip and turned back to Roxas, “So, what should we do? Stay longer and hope somebody or something comes around…or go back to the castle and tell Saïx that there’s nothing here?”

Before Roxas could respond, he noticed something.

Behind Kirux, pools of darkness had started forming in the ground. A second later, Shadows started to pop out of the ground and start meandering towards the two of them.

“Look out, Heartless!” Roxas called out, immediately summoning his Keyblade while Kirux turned back to face them.

“Well, at least we found something today.”

…

Roxas had started to run towards the Heartless, and Kirux was about to join him, but just as he had been passed, somebody new called out to them.

“Knew someone was watching us, but I didn’t think it would be you.”

Roxas stopped, and he and Kirux both turned back, and Kirux thought recognized who it was.

“Wait a minute…that guy…”

It took him a second to think it over, but he did say out loud, “You. You were trailing Xion and me that one time when we were in the castle.”

The man nodded his head, “Didn’t think you would come back, especially not with your Keyblade wielder friend.”

“Hey, Xion can wield a Keyblade too, y’know!” Roxas blurted out without thinking.

“Really…didn’t know that there were two of you.”

The next part, the man whispered, but Kirux could faintly hear it. He said, “I’ll have to let Riku know about this…”

…

That got Kirux’s attention, and he then blurted out loud, “Wait…you know Riku?”

The man didn’t say anything, but he was eyeing the Heartless behind Kirux and Roxas. Kirux noticed, turned towards Roxas, and said, “You take care of the Heartless. I’ll deal with this.”

“You sure?”

“You’ve got a Keyblade. You’re the one who should take them out.”

Roxas looked back at the Heartless quickly and then nodded to Kirux, giving him a “Be careful” before turning and running at the Heartless.

…

…

…

There was a tense silence. The only sounds could be the wind blowing through the rocks, the river crashing into the banks, and the ruckus of Roxas dealing with the Heartless that had appeared. Kirux stared at the man with narrowed eyes, while he received a blank stare from the man.

“How do you know Riku?” Kirux asked, finally breaking the silence.

“He and I are…loose acquaintances. He needed a favor, and I was willing to oblige.”

“So that favor involved spying on me and my friend?”

“You two, moreso you, have been snooping around the castle and disrupting my team’s work. If anything, you’re trespassing.”

“You have a “team”?”

“Yes, and they’re of no concern to you.”

Kirux scoffed, “If you’re involved with Riku, then it is a concern of mine. So if you don’t mind…”

…

He put his right arm up, summoning his sword to his hand, spinning it around, and setting his stance.

“What was your name again? I believe the girl you were with said it was “Squall”?”

“Leon.”

“Right. Leon. So “Leon”, you gonna tell me what you’re doing with Riku…or am I gonna have to beat it out of you?”

Leon grinned, “You’ve got guts, kid. I can see why he’s got his eyes on you.”

“That’s great. Now answer the question.”

Leon pulled something from his belt, which almost looked like a grip from a gun of some kind. He then pressed a button, and a sword appeared out of nowhere from that grip.

Kirux kept up the stern face, but in his head, he was thinking, “Holy crap, gunsword. He has a gunsword. Kirux, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“If it’s a fight you wanted, then I guess I’ll oblige.”

Leon lifted his “gunsword” onto his shoulder, and although Kirux took a step back, he was at the ready.

Play: Scherzo di Notte - Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux acted first, charging up a blast of dark fire and shooting it at Leon. Leon, who looked all too casual for what was meant to be a fight, simply just took his sword and slashed through the blast. He then followed by shooting his own fireball at Kirux, without the darkness.

Kirux dodged it with ease and started to run towards Leon. He readied himself to swing, all while Leon…just casually walked towards him. As Kirux got close, Leon prepared to swing his sword to parry Kirux’s attack.

Well, Kirux attacked, and their blades collided. The ricochet made Kirux stumble backward, while Leon was fairly undisturbed.

“Holy crap, he’s strong.” Kirux was thinking, “This is alright, just try to keep your distance. Use more magic and be quick.”

He then got an idea and went back in to attack. Leon saw it and was preparing to swing at Kirux.

He did swing downwards, and Kirux was able to dodge, with Leon’s sword getting stuck into the ground. Kirux then took this opportunity, pointed at the sword in the ground, and yelled “Freeze!” before shards of ice (with little strands of darkness sprinkled in, for flavor) shot out of his sword and enveloped Leon’s sword, encasing it in ice and trapping it in the ground.

Leon looked stunned and tried his hardest to pull his weapon out of the ice and ground, but Kirux was right on it. He swiped at Leon’s hand, causing Leon to let go of the handle, followed by a kick to the gut from Kirux, causing Leon to stumble back.

…

Despite the kick, Leon was smiling and laughing, “You’re better than I thought. I’m impressed.”

Kirux didn’t respond, and just watched as Leon stood back up, walked back to his sword, and, almost with too much ease, pulled it out of the ground and shattered the ice holding it down.

“Riku was right about you. Using Blizzard magic in that way? Clever.”

“Are you trying to gain brownie points or something?”

“Just giving credit where it’s due, kid.”

And just like that, Leon…started walking away.

“Wha-hey! Where are you going?”

“I’ve seen all I’ve needed to see. Although…I’ll say that if you want an actual fight, then come back another time.”

“No way, man! This isn’t how this works! I’m not done with you!”

Leon just waved his hand, saying, “See you later, Kirux .”

“Oh, of COURSE he knows my name!”

“Oh no! You’re not getting away that easily.”

…

Kirux then ran at Leon, jumping towards him and swinging to strike. Leon just turned, swung back, and knocked Kirux back, watching as he landed and slid backward away from him.

Leon just smiled, “Still got a lot to learn…”

Stop: Scherzo di Notte - Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux’s sword dispersed from his hand as he didn’t bother to try and chase after Leon.

His mind was whirling, thoughts like “What was that all about?” and “What was the point of him showing up just for him to leave?” .

It all ended when he said, out loud, “Man, why is my life so weird?”

…

He heard footsteps, and then Roxas entered his eyesight.

“You doin’ good, bud?”

Kirux shut his eyes and sighed, “I don’t need this right now, man.”

“Hehe, well…you got a good few hits in, I’ll say,” Roxas said as he put a hand forward for Kirux to take.

Kirux did take it, and Roxas helped him back to his feet.

“Did you have any problems with the Heartless?”

“None at all. Did you have any problems with…that guy?”

“Fighting him? No. Everything else? Well…I don’t even know anymore.”

“He’s gone, though, right? So at least there’s that.”

Kirux shrugged, “If you say so.”

…

…

…

“So, what are we gonna tell Saïx when we get back?”

“We did get spotted by locals…”

“True, but that’s happened before with me and Xion. It happened when we were in Agrabah once.”

“Really? Huh.”

“Yeah, it was weird, but…kinda cool.”

“Well, maybe if we tell him, he’ll stop sending me here every other day.”

“I’ll let you deal with that. So, clock tower?”

“Sure. Wonder if Xion and Axel are done.”

A grin appeared on Roxas’s face, “Wanna bet on who’s first?”

“What’s the wager?”

“The loser has to buy ice cream for the winner for the rest of the week.”

Kirux contemplated it, but then said, “Deal. My bet’s on Xion.”

The two shook hands and then entered a dark corridor to Twilight Town.

…

Sure enough, Kirux won the bet, and Roxas paid for his ice cream that day.

Unfortunately for Kirux, he forgot that it was Saturday and thus, the last day of the week.

He was not happy when Axel told him that later.

Chapter Text

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Kirux was expecting the typical sights and sounds of the Grey Area when he first arrived that morning. The other members would be lounging about, one of his friends would be there and they’d talk for a brief bit, and Saïx would be brooding or ogling at Kingdom Hearts before giving him his mission, in which Kirux would depart.

But today was different.

Instead, Kirux was greeted by a poster that had been taped to the glass. As he approached, he noticed the writing on said poster.

The text read: “Operations Closed for Vacation”.

“A vacation? Well sweet…” he initially thought.

But after a little more thought, he said in his mind, “ Wait, what’s a “vacation”? ”

He stopped right before reaching the exit, taking the time to process his thoughts.

“ Vacation. Surely you’ve heard of this at least once, Kirux. ”

And yet, the more he racked his brain, he still could not find an answer.

Soon, he saw Roxas coming towards the Grey Area, with Xion not far behind him. Surely they would have an idea, right?

Kirux waved them down, “Hey guys! Come check this out!”

Roxas and Xion both ran up, and Kirux pointed them toward the poster.

“Look. It says “Closed for Vacation”. Do you guys have any idea what that means?”

Roxas and Xion read the poster, and then looked at each other.

…

…

…

Axel didn’t know what he was supposed to expect when he entered the Grey Area, but what he got was not on the list.

As soon as he entered, he saw his three friends all there. That sounds like a good thing, right?

Wrong.

Because his three friends were all strewn about on the couches and chairs, laying down in ways that they were not meant for. What was even weirder was that all three of them had somehow found different ways to use the furniture incorrectly.

Roxas had somehow managed to position himself upside-down in a chair, which was somewhat impressive. Kirux was sitting on one of the couches with his head hanging over the armrest, his legs dangling over the front in a way that made Axel question his flexibility. Xion, despite being the most normal of the three with how they were sitting, still had her head rested in the middle of the couch while her legs dangled over the other armrest (she and Kirux were on the same couch).

The only thing Axel could think to say was, “Okay, what in the world happened?”

All three of them lifted an arm and pointed toward the poster in some way. Axel read it over and simply smacked himself in the face from the pure insanity.

“Seriously? THAT’S what you’re all…doing whatever it is you’re doing over?”

“What does it mean, Axel?” Roxas asked first.

“Huh?”

Xion responded next, “None of us have ever had a vacation before. We don’t know what that means.”

Kirux was the last one to speak, “We all thought it over and couldn’t figure it out. Now, we don’t know what to do with ourselves.”

…

If there were ever a moment when Axel most wanted to go and slam his head into a wall, this was that moment. However, he needed to be the one (and only) Nobody in this group with a level head, so he decided against the concussion. He didn’t want to deal with that on his day off.

“Okay you three,” he said while pinching his forehead, “Everyone up. Time for Axel to teach you three how a vacation day works.”

That sentence made the three younger Nobodies perk up, and they all began to get up from their various positions. Hilariously enough, Roxas went to sit up and ended up just rolling off of the chair and falling straight to the floor. Kirux and Xion started snickering together as he got up, earning Kirux an elbow to the shoulder.

“Alright, that’s enough. Now, time for me to explain.”

He looked down at the three younglings, all staring at him attentively, waiting for the “Axel Words of Wisdom” that they so desperately needed right now. He could see the curiosity in their eyes, and for a moment, it reminded him that they were all, technically speaking, children. Their knowledge of the world outside of “do missions, fight Heartless, eat ice cream” was pretty much nonexistent, and it was his job to help them learn about it all.

He was both proud and loathful of this job that the universe had bestowed upon him. Nonetheless, it was his job.

“Now, you three wanna know what you’re supposed to do today, right?”

The three of them nodded.

“Well, it’s simple: whatever you want. That’s the point of a vacation. It’s a day off.”

“So…we don’t have any missions today?”

“Nope.”

“We don’t have to go and fight any Heartless?”

“Not unless you want to.”

“Then what should we do?”

Axel shrugged, “As I said, do whatever you want. Anything you can think of, go ahead. Nobody is going to stop you.”

…

The three young ones all took time to think this over, with Axel only standing over them and watching.

“Well, if you three doofuses need any more help, find someone else, because I,” he yawned in the middle of his sentence, “have my day all planned out already.”

“What are you going to do, Axel?” Xion asked him as he walked out of the Grey Area.

“First, I’m going to sleep. Then, I’m going to sleep again. And then, once I’m done doing both, I’ll sleep once more.”

“You’re just gonna spend your whole day in bed?”

“Like I said, kids. Spend the day how you like it, and this…is how I like it.”

With that, Axel left, leaving the three other Nobodies behind to figure out their days for themselves.

…

…

…

“So…” Xion said as they had all taken a seat, properly this time, “What do you guys wanna do?”

“What exactly are we supposed to do? It doesn’t feel right to sit around and do nothing all day.” Roxas answered her, with him leaning back in his chair so much that he looked like he was going to slide off of it.

“Axel said we can do whatever we want. So, what do each of us want to do?”

“Is it possible to sit and just eat ice cream all day?”

“Uhhh…” Kirux had to think for a second before he answered, “I don’t see why it wouldn’t?”

“Okay…how long do you think it would take me to burn it all off?”

“I dunno. Maybe a couple of missions?”

After hearing this, Roxas rose from his chair, stood up straight, and proclaimed, “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Twilight Town to spend my day eating as much ice cream as I possibly can.”

Despite the look of triumph on Roxas’s face, Xion herself looked concerned, “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Roxas? What if you get sick?”

“Trust me, Xion. I think I’ve eaten enough ice cream in my short life to understand my limits.”

“That makes no sense.”

Roxas ignored their comments, and was already departing, “I’ll be going now. Have fun with whatever you two end up doing.”

Soon enough, he was gone, and Kirux and Xion were the only ones left in the Grey Area.

…

“And then there were two…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kirux shrugged, “I dunno, I just…can’t think of anything.”

The two of them settled into silence, with Xion still thinking and Kirux just staring at the ceiling, unable to think of anything.

“ Seriously, it shouldn’t be this hard to think of something to do, right? Surely there has to be something…literally anything… ”

It was then that Xion broke the silence, asking him, “What about training?”

Kirux looked back at her, “Huh?”

“You know…we could do some training? It would be a good way to pass time. Besides, I’ve been wanting to get better at using the Keyblade, and…”

She trailed off and looked away from him, brushing some hair out of her eyes, “And it would be nice to…have a partner…you know…?”

Kirux could see that on her face, she had a small blush forming on her cheeks, which she was trying to hide from him.

Now, in a normal situation, somebody would see this and smile, see what they were doing, and feign ignorance while understanding and buying into the situation.

There’s only one problem: Kirux is a doofus.

Instead of, you know, the normal reaction, Kirux got flustered himself for literally no reason.

“Oh, uhh…I mean, I guess…” he stammered, his own blush starting to form.

Kirux was internally thanking that Axel wasn’t here to see this. He didn’t want to deal with whatever he would have said about this.

…

“So…what do you think…?”

Kirux was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t register what Xion had said at first. He looked back at her, and she had turned to meet his eyes again, still blushing.

“Oh, right, uhh…”

“ Come on, man. What’s with you? She asked you to train with her, not to do something…inappropriate. Besides, what else are you going to do? ”

“Y’know what…training sounds good. I’ll join you if you’d like…”

Xion nodded, “I would…like that very much…”

“Cool, well…where were you thinking?

“We could go to Twilight Town? The forest by the mansion is pretty open.”

“Sounds good.”

With that, the two of them stood from their respective chairs and headed out of the Grey Area.

Kirux’s mind was still going on about that last moment of what he liked to call “Kirux and Xion Moments to Soon Be Forgotten”, as he was thinking to himself, “ I am never bringing this up with Axel. Ever. That conversation would be the death of me. ”

Despite this, the two of them exited the castle through a dark corridor.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“So, you got anything specific in mind you want to do?”

They had made their way to a semi-open area of the woods, where the rooftops of the town could barely be seen through the trees. The pathway to the old mansion wasn’t far off, either. With the sunlight barely breaking through the trees, it seemed like a nice relaxation spot

But neither of them was here for rest or relaxation.

Kirux was standing a few feet away from Xion, who was pacing back and forth, thinking.

“I’m not sure. Did you have anything in mind?”

“Uhh…not really, no.”

“ Man, we’re off to a great start. ”

…

As Kirux was thinking about something specific for them to do, he heard Xion say, “Oh! I’ve got it!” immediately followed by the sound of a Keyblade appearing.

When Kirux turned to her, he noticed that Xion had indeed summoned her Keyblade to her hand, and she had this…weird look on her face.

“Whoa whoa,” he said, trying to potentially de-escalate the situation, “I hope you didn’t drag me out here just to kill me.”

“Wait, what- Kirux, are you dumb? Why would I ask you out here just to kill you?”

“The inconspicuous location, the fact that we got this day off, and nobody would expect it if-”

Xion physically face-palmed while shaking her head, “Goodness Kirux, you’re so dumb sometimes… and that’s what I like about you.”

She did whisper that last part, but Kirux heard her (not the words, just the whispers), and asked, “Huh?”

“Oh, uhh-nothing! It was nothing! Seriously!”

She looked away from him, trying to regain her composure.

In her mind, she was yelling at herself, “ Come on Shi! Don’t be stupid! Just tell him what you wanted to do. ”

…

“Okay, so…I had an idea. That we could just…kinda spar? Or something? How about this? We go until…one person is knocked down or gets their weapon knocked out, or something like that. Best two out of three wins?”

Kirux took a second to think it over, while Xion stood there nervously.

“Alright, I’m in. Best two out of three. What does the winner get?”

“Winner gets…ice cream paid for for a week.”

“Oh hell no, I’m not falling for that again.”

“Relax! Unlike Roxas, I will keep my word. Promise.”

Although he looked skeptical, Kirux did agree, and summoned his sword. He twirled it around in his hand before finally readying himself, “Don’t go easy on me, Shi.”

Xion smirked, also readied herself, and responded, “I don’t plan on it.”

Play: Sinister Sundown - Kingdom Hearts II

Xion was the one that made the first move in this “fight”, moving up to attack Kirux. He stood his ground and got himself prepared to block her attack.

She swung from the ground up to him, and he swung downwards to meet her. Their blades collided, the powerful “clang” ringing out through the woods around them.

They held firm, both trying to overpower the other. Eventually, Kirux was able to shove Xion away and lightly stab towards her, which she dodged. From there, he finally moved and went on the offensive, taking multiple swings and jabs at Xion, who parried and dodged it all. She then swung at him to get him to back off, which worked.

“Do you always only fight with one hand?”

“I rarely need to use both.”

“You will need to soon enough.”

…

Xion pointed her Keyblade to the sky and shouted “Water!”. Small streams of water appeared at her sides and swirled up and around her before meeting at the tip of her blade. They combined into one large projectile that was heading straight towards Kirux.

“Uh oh,” he murmured before diving out of the way, rolling, and ending up on his knees. The water projectile hit the ground and a wave engulfed where he had once stood, soaking the grass in a near-perfect circle.

Kirux was so enamored by her use of that magic that he didn’t see Xion coming, and was unable to get his sword up properly to defend himself. She swiftly knocked it out of his hand with a quick strike and pointed her Keyblade at his head and face.

Xion was smirking at him, “I win.”

“You said best two out of three.”

“I’m aware of that,” Xion backed away and backed away so he could stand up again, “Now hurry up and get ready again so I can beat you again.”

“Well someone’s getting cocky. Where did you even learn water magic?”

“Demyx taught me it one day when we were on a mission together. He used it against a group of Heartless and agreed to teach me…in exchange for me picking up the rest of the slack that day.”

Kirux summoned his sword back to him and got ready to go again, “Yep, I would expect that out of Demyx.”

“Yeah. Anyways, ready to lose again?”

“I could ask you the same…minus the ‘again’ part.”

…

This time, Kirux was the one that moved first, but he didn’t go straight for Xion. Instead, he tried a trick that he had used against Riku.

He shot a fireball towards Xion, which burst before it could reach her and created a smokescreen, limiting her vision in the clearing.

Xion stood there confused, frantically looking in each direction. She could faintly hear Kirux’s footsteps in the smoke, but they were sporadic and were coming from all directions.

Finally, Kirux appeared again, or at least his sword did. He had thrown it through the smoke and towards Xion, who was barely able to deflect it away and into a tree, right before a blast of dark fire came flying towards her as well.

Xion was able to block the attack, but the force was enough to send her backward and stumbling off of her feet.

Kirux then repeated what she had done to him not a few minutes prior: knock her Keyblade out of her hand, and point his weapon at her.

This time, he was the one doing the smirking, “All tied up now.”

“Oh come on, that’s not fair.”

“How so?”

“ I can’t use darkness with my magic, you cheater.”

“Hey, you were the one that made the stakes so high. I mean, free ice cream for a week?”

Kirux had back off so that she could stand again, just as she was grumbling out loud, “Oh yeah? Well, I wanna win that ice cream too. So don’t be surprised when I go extra hard against you right now.”

He heard her summon her Keyblade back, “Oh, I would hope that you do.”

…

The atmosphere had changed, seemingly out of nowhere. What had once become a light-hearted scrum between friends had now become a full-on duel over a treasured prize.

Now, with that treasured prize being ice cream for a week, you would think that the two assailants wouldn’t be taking this that seriously.

But then you wouldn’t know Kirux and Xion.

Now, the two of them had seemingly pulled out all of the stops to win this fight. Xion ramped up her attacks heavily, while Kirux found himself more often than not using dark magic.

It was a cycle. Xion would move to attack him, Kirux would defend. He would use dark magic to try and throw her off and gain an opening, but she would repel it and attack again. Repeat this over and over.

Xion had just begun another barrage of strikes against Kirux’s sword, and he was beginning to wear down. It came to a point where even after he had jumped away from her, with his back against a tree, Xion had immediately started coming to attack him again.

“ Man, this is getting way too intense. Maybe she is trying to kill me now. ”

Kirux wasn’t able to get his sword up, but he did have another idea. Like with the smokescreen, he had taken bits from his fight with Riku, specifically things that Riku had done himself.

He put his hand up, and a barrier had formed around him, causing Xion’s Keyblade to bounce off and having her stumble backward.

Kirux took the opportunity he was given, not to try and beat her, but to get her to calm down.

“Okay, time out. Isn’t this getting a little out of hand?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Shi. If I hadn’t gotten that barrier up, you could’ve taken my head off.”

“Relax, I wasn’t gonna actually hit you.”

“As the one who would’ve been the recipient of that strike, I disagree.”

Xion just scoffed, “Relax Ki, it’s not a big deal. Now let’s finish this.”

…

She started running towards him and pulled back to swing again. Kirux rolled away before she got to him, with her Keyblade striking the tree and cutting straight through the wood.

Kirux turned back to Xion, who looked like she was about to keep going, but the tree that she had just slashed through was teetering, and then, it started to slowly tilt in her direction.

He immediately jumped into action, running towards Xion as it started falling. He yelled out “Look out!” as he dispersed his sword, dove forward, and tackled Xion out of the way before the tree collapsed onto the ground, a small cloud of dirt and dust filling the air.

Stop: Sinister Sundown - Kingdom Hearts II

After a few seconds of lying there, Kirux pushed himself up and looked towards Xion, who still held her Keyblade and had a few blades of grass stuck in her hair.

“Are you alright?” He asked her with a poorly hidden hint of concern.

She groaned audibly, eventually answering with, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She looked back towards him, and their eyes met.

And it was only now that they realized the situation they were now in.

On the ground, with Kirux on top of her, and with their faces only inches away from one another.

It was earlier at the castle all over again.

…

Kirux immediately pushed himself up and away from her, taking a spot on the grass next to Xion, “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! I just…I was just trying to…get you out of the way and…!”

Xion didn’t answer him verbally, but she was covering her face with her hands, trying to hide the blush that was somehow larger than the one from that morning.

Kirux was blushing as well, but he was trying to avoid her seeing it again by looking away. His mind was also racing, with thoughts that he really wished he wasn’t having right now.

“ I know that was a weird situation and there was nothing behind it, but man…she’s just so…I say pretty too often because it’s beyond that. What was that other word for it that I heard about? Wasn’t it…beautiful? Yeah, I think it was that. Beautiful. Her eyes, I could just-, ”

Kirux physically smacked himself upside the head to try and get those thoughts away and think something else.

“ It’s only with her, ” he was thinking now, “ Why is it only with her? This never happens with Roxas and Axel, so why is it always Xion? Maybe I really should ask Axel about this… ”

…

…

…

The two had settled down now, regaining their composures while still laying in the grass together. Things were silent, as the birds and the wind gave the only sound they needed at that moment.

Kirux was the one that broke the silence, “Well, that was…”

“...intense?” Xion finished for him, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I…don’t know what came over me.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal.”

“Okay, and umm…Ki?”

“Yeah?”

He heard Xion turning towards him, so he did as well. She still had a small blush lingering on her cheeks, but she didn’t look away or anything this time. This time, her eyes were intently focused on his…and Kirux was losing it in his head.

“I’m…glad you came out here with me, and…that I got to spend my day with you. It was…nice, all things considered.”

“ Damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnit ” was what was going through Kirux’s head, repeated over and over again.

But on the outside, he just smiled at her, “It was my pleasure, Shi.” He then sat up and asked, “You wanna head home or see if Roxas and Axel are at the clock tower?”

“I’m not feeling the clock tower today. Let’s go home.”

“Okay.”

Kirux stood and offered Xion a hand, which she gladly took. The two then left the forest, but there was one thing neither of them noticed.

They hadn’t let go of one another’s hand.

Chapter Text

“How long are we going to sit here and do nothing?”

DiZ was ignoring his words, as per usual. He was typing in some information on the computer, the other monitors displaying graphics of Sora, the pod, and images of various Twilight Town locations.

Riku didn’t like to admit it, but he was growing restless. The longer they let Kirux galavant around with the Nobodies and keep Sora from regaining his memories, the worse it was for them. Not to mention whatever the Organization had been plotting for Sora’s Nobody.

He knew just as much as DiZ knew: they needed Kirux. Without him, they were better off declaring Sora a lost cause and letting Organization XIII get their way.

And even yet, DiZ seemed content with this. He made that clear with his response, “I assumed this was all part of your plan.”

“As if yours would have been any better.”

“We will regain Sora’s memories with or without Kirux. If I remember correctly, you wanted him to get involved, to have someone on the “inside”.”

“Yeah, and what would you have done? Had me kill him?”

“As I said, we will regain the memories with or without him. If that means that you must eliminate him, then you’ll do what you’ll need to do.”

“Then why haven’t you by now?”

“I’m honoring our agreement to try your plan, and look at how far it’s gotten us. Have you seen the boy since you showed him the pod?”

Riku looked away and didn’t answer.

He knew DiZ was right, this was his idea. And he hadn’t seen Kirux since that time they had captured him. Riku had told Kirux to think things over, and well…Kirux sure seemed to be taking his time.

“So, you’re just gonna put this all on me? You know, I haven’t heard any other ideas from you in these last few weeks.”

“Allow me to repeat myself: I am honoring our agreement. We are following your plan. However, if you want something to be done, you already know what needs to be done.”

“I’m not gonna kill Kirux to save time for you . Besides, you know as much as I do that without him, it’ll be near impossible to get those memories back.”

DiZ finally turned back to face him, “Then face it. That boy will never come to us willingly as long as he’s with those Nobodies. He has two options: learn the truth and help us or be eliminated. And now, his fate rests in your hands, Riku…”

…

It took Riku a lot of restraint to not move forward and punch DiZ in the face, but they already had enough problems. A fight between the two of them would only make things worse.

And as much as Riku hated it, DiZ was right. Kirux was, at least for now, firmly on the Organization’s side. If they wanted any hope of getting his help, they would have to do…something. Anything.

So, Riku decided to take action.

“I’m heading out,” he said as he put the hood on over his head, “Don’t expect me back for at least the next few days.”

“And where will you be going?”

“Anywhere. I’ll go to some world, make myself known, and try and draw him out. Maybe he’ll listen to me, maybe he’ll try to kill me. We’ll find out what happens.”

“And if Kirux eliminates you?”

Riku stopped, turned back to DiZ, and answered, “Then find King Mickey. He’s strong enough to get the rest of the memories.”

With that, Riku left the basement and soon the mansion altogether. If DiZ wanted action, then he was going to take action.

Now, it was up to Kirux and how he would react.

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“Maaan. I’m still working off all of that ice cream from our vacation day.”

“Seriously? It’s been a month, dude. How much did you eat?”

“Looking back…maybe a bit too much. But I sure did fund the vacation the woman running the ice cream stand is going to take next.”

That made Kirux and Xion laugh as the two of them, along with Roxas, walked to the Grey Area. Saïx was in his usual position, and Axel was standing by the couches and chairs on the right side. He smiled and approached the trio when they entered.

“Nice of you three to show up. Was beginning to think you all had decided to sleep through your missions for the day.”

“Says the one that spent his whole vacation day in bed.”

Despite the snickering from Roxas and Xion, Axel took it in stride and proudly stated, “And I do not regret it for a second. Better than stuffing my face with ice cream or boring old training.”

“I wouldn’t say it was…boring…” Xion responded, averting her eyes from the group.

Kirux knew immediately what she was talking about, and he also averted his eyes. 

He still hadn’t talked to Axel about what had happened on their vacation day, and he didn’t know how to bring it up, to be honest.

“ Hey, Axel. I’ve been having these weird feelings when I’m around Xion, even though I’m technically not supposed to have feelings. Can you explain it all to me? ”

Despite him wanting to understand it at this point, Kirux would wait. At least a little bit longer. It would be better to not have the distraction on his mind.

Besides, they had had multiple other training sessions together since then, so surely it was just a one-time thing, right? That’s what Kirux wanted to believe.

…

Without any further discussion, they all approached Saïx for their missions for the day.

“If you’re going to come in late every day, then why bother coming in at all?”

Axel replied wittily, “Well which would you rather we do? Not complete our missions at all or complete them late? At least if it’s the latter, we’re still getting them done.”

Saïx shot him a look before turning his attention to the rest of the group, “An imposter (among us?) has been spotted. I will be sending one of you to eliminate him.”

All four of them were stunned to hear this, but none more than Kirux.

“ Riku? Did they find Riku? Oh-ho-ho, it’s gonna feel nice when I get my hands on him this time. ”

Immediately, he stepped forward, “Send me. I can handle him. Besides, I’ve got some unfinished business with that guy.”

Despite this, Saïx shook his head, “No. Your connection to the suspect makes you too vulnerable. Xion, you will be going.”

Kirux’s mood soured, “What?!”

Xion was just as surprised as he was, and questioned Saïx’s decision, “You’re sure about this? Do you really want me to do it?”

“Are you saying that you can’t?”

“No! I can!”

“Then there will be no further questions. The imposter was last spotted at Beasts’ Castle. Roxas and Kirux, I need you both to investigate a new world. Axel, you’ll be tracking and gathering intel on a large Heartless in Agrabah. Depart soon. Dismissed.”

Saïx walked away from them all, leaving them to take in his words.

…

When he was gone, Kirux ran up and punched the glass while yelling, “DAMN IT!”

Axel was quick to react, as Roxas and Xion looked shocked at Kirux’s anger, “Hey, calm down!”

“It should be me…he knows that.”

“Kirux, I’m sure he has a good reason for-,”

“You don’t get it, guys! When was the last time any of you ran into your human selves, huh? This is personal, and he knows that.”

“Thus why he didn’t send you and chose Xion. Do you think he’d change his mind if he saw the way you were acting now? Besides, we don’t even know if it’s who you think!”

“ Yeah, because there are so many people outside of this group wearing our coat… ”

Despite this though, Kirux knew that Axel was right. 

That doesn’t mean he agreed with Saïx’s decision still. Don’t get him wrong, Kirux fully trusted Xion to handle Riku if need be.

But Riku was his Somebody, his human self that still managed to live after Kirux’s creation. This was his mission and Saïx was keeping him from it because he was “too vulnerable”? What a load of you-know-what.

…

Kirux took a deep breath, turned around, and slumped back against the glass.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Xion said, “I get it.”

“Are you gonna be alright, man?” Roxas asked him.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. We should all head out soon.”

Axel agreed and said as much, “Xion, be careful with that imposter guy. Roxas and Kirux, take care of that new world. You know the drill by now.”

“Yeah, we’ve got it. See you later, Axel.”

With that, Axel disappeared into a dark corridor, just as Roxas his own for Kirux and him.

Kirux stood from his spot on the wall but walked up to Xion before going towards the corridor.

“We’ll get this done as fast as we can. Once we’re done, I’ll come to help you.”

Xion looked surprised, but gave him a nod, “Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Kirux then walked into the dark corridor with Roxas, off to their mission.

“ Just you wait, Riku. When I’m done and if Xion can hold you off, I’m coming for you… ”

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The wind was howling that night.

He stood just above the gate to Beasts’ Castle, watching and waiting.

Soon, the Organization was going to send someone to find him. He was hoping for Kirux, but they could send anyone, so Riku had to be prepared for anyone.

And although he was fairly confident in his abilities, it had been a while since he had had a proper fight. The one he had against Kirux was more of a beatdown by Riku, and he knew it.

Maybe this time he would put up more of a fight.

…

…

…

Eventually, Riku noticed a dark corridor appear at the far end of the bridge, followed by a dark-coated figure exiting.

A member of Organization XIII had finally arrived.

…

Xion had just emerged from the corridor at Beasts’ Castle, where the imposter was supposedly spotted. She figured the bridge would be the best place to start, as she could search the whole castle after checking here and the main courtyard.

“Okay…Saïx said that guy would be here…”

In her mind, she was still questioning why Saïx chose her to do this. Not that she wasn’t confident that she should be able to do this, but it was well-known that she wasn’t the greatest fighter in the Organization, although she could hold her own.

Regardless, she had her mission, and she was going to do it to the best of her abilities.

…

Just as she reached the middle of the bridge, a voice called out from above.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Xion looked up and saw a man jump down from above the main gate, landing only a few feet in front of her. Much like Saïx had said, he wore their very coat. The man immediately removed his hood, revealing his very much Kirux-esque face, only with longer, silver hair, and a blindfold over his eyes.

“ Wow. He really does look just like Kirux. ”

The man before her (Kirux had said his name was Riku) looked Xion up and down, “You don’t look like Kirux. Did he get cold feet?”

“He did not. I was sent here.”

“A girl, huh? Wasn’t expecting that.”

Xion flinched but didn’t back down.

“I have been sent here to eliminate you,” she responded to him, summoning her Keyblade to her hand and pointing it at Riku, “And I intend to do so.”

Riku didn’t focus on her words, just the blade she held in front of him.

“ A Keyblade…? Wait, is this…no, it can’t be. Sora’s Nobody wouldn’t be a girl, right? ”

He decided to ask this mystery girl, “You’re a Keyblade wielder?”

“Why? You scared?”

“No…but I should be.”

…

A small mass of energy started to form in Riku’s right hand, which eventually turned into a sword, the same that Kirux wielded. Xion took a step back but kept her Keyblade pointed toward him.

“You say you were sent here to kill me, and I understand why they’d want me gone. Unfortunately for you…”

Riku spun his blade around his hand a few times before settling into his fighting stance, “I cannot allow you to do that.”

“ Well, here we go. ”

When Xion prepared herself, she gave herself a quick pep talk in her head, “ You’ve got this, Xion. You didn’t spend that time training with Kirux for nothing. Time to put that work to use. ”

Play: The Force in You - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Riku attacked Xion first, quickly dashing forward and slashing at her. She quickly got her Keybalde up to block the attack, pushing back and knocking him slightly off-balance. She then tried to stab him, which he spun to dodge and knock her Keyblade away from him.

Xion went on the attack, going after Riku with a long series of attempted strikes and slashes, all of which he either deflected or dodged. She eventually made him jump back, but he followed that up by shooting a blast of dark fire at her.

She was able to block the attack, but the shock of it coming from him was what got to her.

“ So that’s where Kirux got it from.” Was what she thought after she had blocked the blast, but she wasn’t able to think for long, as Riku immediately fired off three more at her.

She blocked two of them, but the last one hit her in the stomach, blasting her backward. She, luckily, was able to land on her feet, but the pain in her abdomen area was immense, and she pressed her left hand to it.

Riku had looked blank-faced the entire fight thus far, and it was no different when he spoke to her from afar.

…

“I’ve gotta give you some credit. You’re putting up way more of a fight than Kirux did the last time I saw him.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Riku stood up straight, letting his guard down for a moment, “You mean he didn’t tell you?”

“Didn’t tell me what? Did you do something to him?”

“Only what I’m doing right now. Defending myself.”

Xion missed that statement, as her mind was racing.

“ What is he saying? Did he and Kirux fight at some point? Is he…hold on. When Kirux went missing, he came back with all of those injuries. He said it was from a large Heartless he had to fight, but his injuries said otherwise. Did he get all of those injuries…from this guy? And if he did, why didn’t Kirux tell me? Did he lie? ”

“Thought you could trust your friend, huh?”

She was knocked out of her trance by Riku’s taunt, and he continued, “Have to wonder what else he’s hiding from you. Can’t be sure if he’s really your friend now, can you?”

Xion shook her head, “Shut up! What would you know?!”

Riku said nothing.

…

“I’m ending this.”

She pointed her Keyblade at Riku, charging up a simple Fire spell, but as it continued to grow, she wouldn’t release it. Riku remained prepared, but the fireball just kept growing.

Finally, she released it into the air above them, and the massive orb of fire rested itself above the bridge. Right after, it began shooting smaller fireballs down towards Riku, honing in on his position.

Riku did his best to avoid the attack, both using his sword to swat fireballs away or to dodge them entirely. However, one fireball did manage to hit him in the arm. It burned but wasn’t anything too serious.

He didn’t have much time to process that attack before Xion pounced on him, attempting to strike from above. He managed to block the attack but had to deal with a flurry of oncoming strikes from Xion. What he had said had had its intended effect, what was to tick her off enough to make her lower her guard. Now, all Riku had to do was wait for an opening.

It came when Xion attempted another strike from above, but made on costly error: she was holding her Keyblade with only one hand.

With a quick strike to her wrist, Riku was able to knock her Keyblade from her hand, sending it sky-high. Xion stumbled backward and earned a swift kick straight to the gut that sent her back even further.

She had landed on her knees but was unable to get back up after that kick.

Riku had won, and she had failed.

Stop: The Force in You - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Quick cut to Halloween Town, the new world that Kirux and Roxas had been sent to investigate. They had been preparing to leave after a strange encounter with the locals that involved bombs being thrown into their faces, and while Kirux was able to dodge it this last time, Roxas had gotten his second face full of explosives that day, much to Kirux’s amusement.

Roxas had just summoned a dark corridor when Kirux stepped away, lifting his hand to summon his own.

“You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Beasts’ Castle.”

“Are you seriously going over there? Xion is fine, she can handle it.”

“I know she can, but it’s like I said earlier Rox. This is personal, and I need to be there. I’m going. Don’t wait for me.”

With that, Kirux summoned his dark corridor and entered, heading for Beasts’ Castle and hoping he wasn’t too late.

…

…

…

Meanwhile, Xion’s Keyblade came flying back down, impaling itself into the stone of the bridge. Xion had collapsed to the ground from her injuries, while Riku just stared.

Eventually, he sighed, dismissing his sword while whispering to himself “Some Keyblade wielder…”

He approached Xion, walking up and crouching down next to her.

“Now to see who you really are…”

He grabbed her hood and removed it enough so he could see her face, then lifted his blindfold to look at her.

What he saw, who he saw, shocked him to his core.

“ No…it can’t be… ”

Play: Riku’s Theme - Kingdom Hearts II

He immediately jumped back, slowly backing away from this girl as she rose back up.

“Your face…” was all he could muster, “Who are you really? And why do you have a Keyblade?”

Xion slid her hood back to its original position and responded, “Tell me first why you are dressed as one of us.”

Riku turned away from her and walked back to the girl’s Keyblade, which remained ingrained with the ground.

“To make sure my best friend sleeps in peace.”

He grabbed the Keyblade and pulled it out, taking a moment to look it over.

Identical to every detail. No doubt.

This was Sora’s Keyblade. Well, it was Sora’s Keyblade, and now it “belonged” to whoever, or whatever , this girl was.

“I don’t know who you are or what you’re supposed to be, but I can tell a copycat when I see one.”

“Huh?”

Riku shook his head, “This Keyblade? Nothing but a sham.”

He tossed it aside with a “Worthless”, as it landed back in front of Xion.

…

“ My Keyblade…a sham? But… ”

Her fists clenched and started shaking with anger.

“My Keyblade is not a sham…What gives you the right to say something like that?!”

Riku didn’t respond, so she grabbed her Keyblade and ran at him once again, despite her weakened state.

Needless to say, it didn’t go any better than the rest of the fight had.

Riku was quick to duck down and dodge her attack, before spinning around and hitting her in her side, the side she had been hit with magic and kicked at by now.

Xion collapsed once again, with her Keyblade fading away from her hand. She heard Riku stand and turn back towards her.

“You should find a new crowd. Trust me, those guys are bad news. For everyone , including your friend.”

…

It was then Riku saw a dark corridor appear by the castle gate, and watched as Kirux exited.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Why don’t you ask him what really happened when he went missing? I’m sure he’ll explain it for real this time.”

Riku then went to leave, just as Kirux had started running over with sword in hand.

He heard Kirux yell “Wait!”, but by the time he had reached Xion, Riku was already gone through his own corridor.

Kirux stopped, threw his sword on the ground, and yelled “Fuck!” right where he stood.

He had him. Riku was right there , and Kirux had been too slow.

…

Kirux had been so caught up with Riku that he didn’t hear Xion slowly raise herself to her feet. He immediately turned back to help, putting his arms out towards her.

“Hey, are you oka-,”

Before he could even touch her, she had shoved him back, keeping her eyes away from his.

“Don’t touch me.” Was all she could let out, her voice low and weak.

“Xion?” He reached out again, another shove.

“I said…don’t touch me!”

“I just wanna help-,”

“To help me? Fine, if you want to help so bad, then start with this.”

She looked up and met his eyes, and he could see it. The pain, the hurt, the tears . He didn’t expect to see tears, but they were there.

“Tell me…what really happened to you when you went missing? It wasn’t a Heartless that did all of that stuff to you, was it?”

…

Kirux didn’t answer her, he just stared back in shock.

How did she know? Did she know? Who had…

Then, it clicked.

Riku.

“Xion, I…I’m sorry, it was…”

“It was what, Ki? A mistake? No, lying to your friends, lying to me . That’s not a mistake, Kirux. That’s a choice .”

She walked away from him, leaving through a dark corridor.

He stood there, still trying to process what had happened.

“ That bastard…he told her… ”

As mad as Kirux wanted to be right now, there wasn’t much he could do about it. So, he just summoned a corridor and returned home.

But he vowed that he would make Riku pay, once he got another shot.

Chapter Text

Play: Xion’s Theme (Musique Pour La Tristesse De Xion) - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The wind ripped through her hair and coat, causing the metallic drawstrings to jingle in the air. She was leaning against the wall, looking out into the abyss at Naught’s Skyway. Other castle pieces floated before her, with Kingdom Hearts barely visible through the pillars.

Xion stood there with her arms as a headrest, simply content to watch the emptiness and listen as the wind howled. Today, nobody had come to bother her in this spot, which is what she had wanted. Simply to be alone with nothing but the wind and her thoughts.

And after the last few days, she had quite a lot to think about. It especially involved a certain man who had the same face as her friend.

Specific words of his had stuck with her, even days later.

"This Keyblade? Nothing but a sham. Worthless."

"You should find a new crowd. Trust me, those guys are bad news. For everyone, including your friend."

“Why don't you ask him what really happened when he went missing? I'm sure he'll explain it for real this time."

That last one had made her begin avoiding Kirux, despite his best efforts to try and speak with her. She had too many questions running through her head and had not been ready to question him on it just yet.

The main question was why. Why did he lie? What had happened during that time that he had gone missing? And why did this “Riku” guy know before she and any of their other friends had?

…

As if the universe was listening, she was getting an opportunity to ask, with footsteps approaching from her right. When Xion glanced over, she caught the timid eyes of Kirux as he slowly approached. He stopped when their eyes met and awkwardly raised a hand with a slight wave.

“Hi,” Was all he could muster as Xion’s eyes returned to the view before her.

All she gave in response to him was a quick and quiet “Hello.”

Xion purposely kept her eyes away as Kirux walked closer, stopping about three feet away from her.

“Listen, I know I messed up and you’re mad at me-,”

“Very much so.”

“-and you have every right to be. I would just like a chance to explain myself. So…please?”

…

Xion did not give him a verbal answer, only waving her hand dismissively. It was only after Kirux muttered, “Is that a yes?” that she sighed and answered with words, “Yes, you may. Now, hurry up before I change my mind.”

Kirux was a bit surprised by her reaction but took the opportunity nonetheless. He walked over and stood beside her, almost mimicking her position. The two of them were both looking out in front of them when he started explaining.

“The day I got captured, I was on a mission in Twilight Town. I had chased this Heartless out into the woods, but it…got caught in the wind and blown up into a tree, if you can believe that. I was leaving when he showed up, the guy you fought on the bridge.”

“Him? Riku?”

“Yeah, Riku. He showed up that day, said a bunch of cryptic crap, that there was a lot more going on that I don’t know about, whatever that means. After that, he knocked me out, and I woke up in a dark room in a who-knows-what world. There was another guy there, who said that they brought me there for a reason, but-,”

He paused, looking down at his hands and contemplating what to say next. After a few seconds, he continued, “But they never did say what they brought me there for.”

“So, how did you get all of those injuries?”

“I managed to bust out of the cell they held me in, and nearly escaped the building. The front door wouldn’t open, Riku tried to fight me, and he won pretty easily.”

“I’ll say.”

…

“So if that’s what really happened, why lie?”

Kirux avoided her gaze, shrugging his shoulders, “I dunno, I just…you were worried about me enough as is. I don’t want to give you another reason to do so with my human self running around beating me up.”

“I thought friends were supposed to be worried about one another.”

“We are, and I worry about you just as much as you worry about me. But Xion, I…”

He stood from the wall and fully turned to face her, “Ever since I ran into Riku for the first time, he’s been following me around, stalking me behind my back, and taking any chance he has to spout a whole bunch of nonsense about “a lot going on I don’t know about”. He’s been bad news anytime we have interacted with him, whether it’s been you or me. I don’t know what he wants or how I tie into it, but…I just know that it isn’t good. It won’t be good for you, me, or our friends. And I…”

Xion turned to face him, and their eyes met once again. Kirux stumbled upon his words but finally found them.

“I don’t want him to hurt you again, Xion.”

…

…

…

Xion wanted to stay mad at him. Her brain was even telling her as much.

 “ He lied to you, majorly. That isn’t something that you can so easily forgive. ”

And yet, after a long silence between them, she sighed and said, “I…I’m sorry.”

Kirux was not expecting that response, as his face showed bewilderment and confusion, “You what now?”

“I said I’m sorry. For being mad.”

“No, you don’t have to say sorry. I’m the one that screwed up. If anything, I should be apologizing to you.”

Xion looked out toward the open air, “You’re right, but I need to apologize too. I just…I fought Riku on that bridge, and he beat me. I dunno if I fared any better than you did, but he was too strong for me too.”

Kirux wanted to comment on his experience but wisely did not, allowing Xion to continue.

“He said a lot of things to me after that. He…called my Keyblade a sham, that it was worthless.”

“He what ?”

Xion noticed Kirux’s fists were clenching, to which she shook her head, “Don’t. It’s not worth getting mad over.”

“I think that’s something plenty worth getting mad over.”

“It…” she stopped herself, pinched her forehead tightly, and resumed, “What he said to me, about my Keyblade, it…it hurt. I wasn’t in the best state of mind then, and after hearing that you had lied to me, I lashed out. That is what I’m sorry for.”

Her head turned, and their eyes met again. “But that isn’t all that he said.”

“What else was there?”

…

“He said a lot of things about us. The Organization.”

An eyebrow cocked up, and Kirux immediately questioned her, “Us? What exactly are we doing wrong?”

“I don’t know, but he called us a 'bad crowd'. I don’t know what he meant by that or anything else.”

“You shouldn’t listen to him. He’s just screwing with us. All he does is lie to people and mess with their heads.”

“Well, you two have that lying part in common.”

Kirux gasped and put a hand over his chest indignantly, “How da-, alright, you’ve got me there.”

She giggled at his response.

“Got you to laugh. Guess I’m making progress.”

“Sure you are.”

…

…

…

“Soooo…are we good now?”

She turned to meet his eyes, “Are we good ?”

“Well, I thought since we-,”

“Since we’ve been talking, that you now are suddenly completely forgiven?”

Kirux’s posture sank, his eyes almost reflecting the look of a sad puppy busted for misbehaving, “...maybe?”

Xion sighed heavily at his response, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Ki, listen. Just because you apologized doesn’t mean I fully forgive you yet. A simple “I'm sorry” doesn’t make up for that instantaneously.”

Kirux said nothing as Xion continued, “If you want me to forgive you for lying to me like that, then there’s one thing I want you to do.”

“Okay, what’s that? Pay for your ice cream for a week?”

When all he got was a glare, he frowned and answered again, “...two weeks?”

…

Xion stood up from her spot on the wall, turning to face a confused Kirux, “You wanna know what you can do? Here.”

And then, she put her hand before her, with her pinky pointed toward her confused friend.

“Uhhhhh…what is this? What are you doing?”

“It’s called a 'pinky promise'. I read about it once. It’s something that people do when they want to form an unbreakable promise.”

“And…this is what you want me to do?”

“Correct. I want you to promise that from this point forward, we are going to be honest with one another. No more lies, no more deceptions. Got it?”

Kirux stared at her outstretched hand for a few seconds, still seemingly confused about what to do. Xion was about to pull her hand back before he finally responded, “Okay. Promise.”

With that, he stuck his hand out, linked his pinky with hers, and they shook like a handshake.

…

When that was done, they put their hands back down, met each other’s eyes, then began laughing.

“So, was that it?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Good, because I’m running low on munny right now, and can’t afford to buy even more ice cream than I already do.”

Xion then had a devious grin, and Kirux’s mood immediately soured upon seeing it, “Well, since you brought it up…”

“Can you at least limit it to one bar per day?”

Stop: Xion’s Theme (Musique Pour La Tristesse De Xion) - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Nearly three weeks had passed since that day, and while Kirux’s munny pouch continued to shrink, his relationship with Xion had only grown stronger.

The day after they had made up, they were paired on a mission together, and the two clicked working together much differently than before. It was as if the promise they made had somehow brought them closer.

For Kirux, it was a major relief. Having the thought of her being angry at him, like she was before, no matter how much he deserved it. 

Although one thing had evaded him during this time, and that was his wanting to ask Axel about those “feelings” that he had been experiencing. While it was nice that he and Xion had made up, he had also had plenty of moments just like he had had with her in the woods during training.

He had had plenty of times when he could have asked, yet he always hesitated and ended up leaving it be. Something was holding him back, and Kirux could never quite figure out what it was.

Regardless, he still planned on bringing it up with Axel. Sometime. Maybe soon.

…

…

…

It was nighttime, or whatever counted as “night” in The World That Never Was. On the outside, Kirux was in his room, fast asleep after a long day of work.

However, what one was not able to see was the dream he was currently having. A particularly vivid one at that.

Much like he had had in the past, his eyes opened to an endless void, with only the platform he stood on having any discernible shape. From a far-out view, it was a circular stained glass platform, featuring a large image of himself. All of his friends’ faces had special circles for themselves up near his head, as well as a shot of the Twilight Town skyline, the clock tower front and center.

Kirux looked around to see if he was alone, and to his surprise, he wasn’t. Directly behind him, cloaked in a strange, shadowy silhouette, was a figure in a brown cloak. The hood covered any facial features, and the figure walked with a low hunch.

It took him a second to realize, but it dawned on him that he knew who this was. This was one of the voices that had spoken to him in that dream when he was captured by Riku.

“You again?” Kirux said out loud as he turned to face his mysterious visitor.

Play: What Lies Within - Final Fantasy XV

(Note: From here forward, this will be the “official” theme for Kirux.)

Even though this man(?) was standing directly in front of Kirux, their voice boomed all around him when they spoke, “ I am surprised that you remembered who I am. ”

“Well, I do still owe you for helping me escape Riku. That was you, right?”

“ Indeed. A keen eye, you have. ”

“It wasn’t that difficult to deduce. Now,”

He looked away from the hooded man, “You wanna explain what this place is?”

“ This place is the deepest depths of your mind. When you first arrived, all that time ago, it was still taking form. Now that you have experienced more and grown, it’s taken shape. ”

Kirux’s eyes drifted down to the platform they stood on, noticing the image of himself and all of his friends.

“That’s…me.”

“ It is. This is your mind, Kirux. What you live through, what you experience, takes form right here. ”

“That’s cool and all, but I doubt that’s why you brought me here.”

His eyes returned to the cloaked figure, who had remained in place since the beginning.

…

“ The reason you are here tonight is to discuss the power within you, and how you have yet to take advantage of what it can bring. ”

Kirux crossed his arms over his chest. “What power?”

“ You are one of the lucky few in this world who can wield the power of pure darkness. You have used it in the past on occasion, but I have noticed your hesitation. ”

“Oh, you mean that…”

He put a hand up and stared into his palm. He never forgot the first time he used that power, while on a mission with Axel. He had used it that time in an act of desperation, and then again when captured by Riku. However, a part of Kirux was hesitant to even try and conjure that kind of energy again.

“I’ve thought about using it from time to time, but anytime I have, it hasn’t gone well for me. Trust me, I’ve seen what it can do. But I’m not entirely sure if using it is good for me. Physically, I mean.”

“ It is understandable to be hesitant. However, the only way to grow tolerance when using your dark power is to continue harnessing it. ”

The figure then started moving toward Kirux, “ As you grow stronger, your powers will grow alongside you. Only through harnessing the darkness can one learn how to control it properly. ”

He stopped only a foot away from Kirux, lifting one of his robed arms toward his chest, “ You have a gift that not many hold, Kirux. It would be a mistake not to cherish such a gift. ”

…

…

…

“ A gift, huh? ” He said to himself.

He wouldn’t lie; the prospect of having that kind of power was hard to ignore. Kirux was not blind to the kind of power that energy had.

But when he thought back on all of the times that he had used it, it made him hesitant. There was also a nagging feeling in the back of his head that always told him, “ No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous .” He didn’t know who to listen to in those times.

…

Kirux took a step back, letting his arms fall to his sides, “I’ll think about it. Besides, what’s it to you? Why are you even in my mind?”

“ I’m just a simple advisor. Nothing more. I only exist in your mind to help guide you on your journey. ”

“My journey to what , exactly?”

The robed man then started walking backward, “ You shall see. We will speak again soon, Kirux. Remember my words. ”

He disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke, leaving Kirux alone on the stained glass pedestal. It was not long before Kirux was enveloped by a similar smoke, and his vision went dark.

Stop: What Lies Within - Final Fantasy XV

Play: Waltz of the Damned - Kingdom Hearts II

Of all the places to be at this moment, on a mission was the last on Kirux’s preferred list.

He had been attentive enough to know where he was (Beasts’ Castle), what he needed to do (eliminate a giant Heartless), and who he was going with (Roxas). Aside from all of that, his mind had always been in a different place.

The words he had heard from that man in his dream still stuck with him. What was it about his powers did that guy want him to use them so badly? It could only end badly, right?

Then again, it wasn’t like that guy had any sort of power over Kirux. He only appeared in dreams or sometimes in his head at random points. Kirux didn’t need to worry about him doing anything to his body or mind or anything.

…

Regardless, his mind was keeping him preoccupied, and it finally caught the attention of Roxas.

“Yo, Kirux. You in there, bud?”

A hand appeared in Kirux’s vision, and it snapped him out of his thoughts. He and Roxas were standing in the middle of the ballroom, having only just arrived in this world for their mission.

“Huh? Wha? What is it?”

Roxas placed his hand on his hip. “I was wondering if you were doing okay. You’ve been out of it all morning.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” he started walking as he talked, “I’ve just got a lot on my mind lately.”

“Is it about you and Xion again?” Roxas questioned as he followed behind.

“No. I told you, we’re past that already.”

Kirux opened the door to the main entrance hall, as Roxas continued with their conversation, “I mean after all of that. For two days, she wouldn’t talk to you. Then all of a sudden, you two are as close as ever. What changed?”

Lifting his arms behind his head, Kirux continued while walking, “We talked it out. I dunno why that’s such a big deal.”

“Come on, it wasn’t that simple. Xion made you do something, didn’t she?”

The nagging from his friend was getting on Kirux’s nerves, but he held in his anger. Instead, he just sighed heavily and answered, “Listen, man. It’s complicated. All I’ll say is that Xion and I had an issue, we talked it out, and settled everything. That’s why we’re cool now. Is that answer good for you?”

“I was just curious. Not trying to start any issues.”

“It’s fine. Let’s just focus on the mission for right now, alright?”

“Sure.”

…

…

…

Roxas opened the door to the courtyard, and the two descended the small staircase.

“So, what kind of Heartless do you think it’ll be?”

“Dunno. The last one I took down was a giant robot thing. Any ideas?”

“What if it’s like…a giant gargoyle, and it shoots fire out of its mouth, and it’s carrying a giant spear that has-,”

Kirux’s rambling was interrupted by a thunderous roar, and then something came flying over the front gate to the bridge. It was the Beast, the one who owned this castle. He had been knocked unconscious from whatever had sent him flying.

Kirux and Roxas both exchanged stunned looks, with Roxas adding, “What could have done this to him?”

“I don’t know. But we'd better get out there and deal with it.”

The two decided to leave the Beast there, not that they didn’t want to help. Whatever had done this to him needed to be taken out immediately.

They ran up to the door to the bridge and out to meet their target.

Stop: Waltz of the Damned - Kingdom Hearts II

Kirux and Roxas ran forward together, looking up to see what was ahead of them. When the two of them saw it, they both stopped.

Play: Vim and Vigor - Kingdom Hearts II

In front of them, taking up the entire length of the bridge, was a massive Heartless that rolled toward them on wheels. Its face took up the entire front, with its eyes behind pieces of metal just above the wood of its mouth. Standing on its roof were three much smaller armored Heartless, each carrying a bow. One of them even fired an arrow over the gate and into the castle courtyard.

The Heartless finally stopped a few feet away from Kirux and Roxas. They both stared up in awe for a few seconds before the situation kicked in, both summoning their weapons in hand.

…

The two of them ran towards the Heartless, with Roxas stopping once to blast it in the face with a fireball. The blast made contact directly in the mouth, and it sent the Heartless back a few inches.

As the smoke cleared, Kirux jumped up and started attacking. He struck the face of the Heartless multiple times with his sword, ending his spree by shooting his own fireball. Again, the Heartless retreated but would then begin rolling forward again.

The smaller Heartless began shooting down at Roxas and Kirux with their bows. The arrows would almost always miss, but one shot did manage to get Kirux in the shoulder. It didn’t impale itself into his skin, but it did cause quite a jolt.

It was then that the larger Heartless began attacking. Its mouth opened, and large bombs began rolling toward Kirux and Roxas. The two both dove to the sides to escape the first one, but soon more were being sent out directly toward them. Roxas was able to strike one away with his Keyblade, but Kirux wasn’t as lucky. He got his sword up, but the explosion still sent him backward.

Despite the knockback, Kirux landed on his feet, skidding backward before stopping a few feet before the door. More arrows continued to rain down around him, which he had had enough of.

“Those guys up top are gonna cause us trouble.”

“I’ll keep the big one distracted if you can take them out.”

The only issue for Kirux stood in how he was going to get up there, and the Heartless wasn’t going to give him much of a chance to figure it out. Its mouth opened up, and a massive hammer appeared, slamming the ground as the Heartless advanced.

The shockwaves from the impacts knocked both Kirux and Roxas off their feet, and another swing landed even closer to the two, sending them both flying toward the edge of the bridge. Roxas landed against the wall, but Kirux flew over the edge, only barely grabbing on and dangling above the long fall below.

“You okay?!”

“I’m fine! Focus on the Heartless!”

Roxas got back up and ran back toward the Heartless, which had started rolling forward again. It completely ignored Kirux, and he was soon near the back of the Heartless.

He looked up and saw that he was next to one of the bridge’s statues, the peak standing just above the top of the Heartless. Kirux started thinking to himself.

“ If I can get up there, I can take down those archers… ”

So, Kirux pulled himself onto the ledge and then up the statue. He noticed Roxas was deflecting fireballs coming from the large Heartless, all the while dodging arrows. But he was in bad shape and needed help.

Kirux got to the top of the statue and then jumped onto the roof of the Heartless. He immediately summoned his sword back, just as the archers noticed what had happened.

He kicked the closest one down toward the front, then quickly dispatched the others with two quick slashes. Roxas struck down the last one when it fell right in front of him. The two met eyes, and Kirux gave him a thumbs up.

…

However, the Heartless wasn’t done. It quickly accelerated backward, hitting the edge of the bridge on the far side. Kirux had flown off quickly, landing directly in the center.

“Kirux!”

Roxas was about to run forward to help him, but the Heartless had opened its mouth again. A large battering ram appeared and began charging energy. Kirux was stumbling to get up, while Roxas stood firmly back by the main gate.

“Kirux, you need to move! Now!”

But Kirux knew that he wasn’t going to be able to get out of the way. Not in his current state.

Suddenly, a voice flashed in his head.

“You have a gift. It would be a mistake not to cherish such a gift.”

“Fine, if that’s what you want…then that’s what you’ll get…”

…

Kirux dug in his heels, and firmly stood his ground with sword in hand. He closed his eyes and focused hard, trying to conjure any sort of dark energy.

Although he couldn’t see it, Roxas could see as darkness began to flow around Kirux, even seeping into his body at points. He stared in awe at what he was seeing, just as the Heartless’ battering ram finished charging its energy.

The Heartless shot forward, with the battering ram leading the charge. It was heading straight for Kirux. Just as it was about to make impact, Kirux opened his eyes and shot his hand up. 

A blast of dark energy shot out from his hand, sending out a shockwave that knocked back the Heartless, as well as slowing time down in the area of effect.

Roxas had covered his eyes, but he reopened them once Kirux started striking the battering ram relentlessly. There was no precision to his attacks, just blind swinging and rage. 

Eventually, Kirux corked back, grabbed his sword his both hands and swung as hard as physically possible. The contact unfroze the Heartless, sending it flying backward and back into the wall.

Kirux was breathing slowly and heavily as he collapsed to the ground. His sword disappeared from his hands. He could barely hold himself up by his arms, as his whole body was weak.

In his mind, he heard the same voice. The one from his dream again. It chuckled and then muttered a “ Good… ”

…

Roxas ran up to Kirux’s side, frantically asking, “Are you okay?”

Kirux croaked out a response, “The Heartless…take it out…”

“What…?”

“You have…a Keyblade…take out the Heartless…”

Roxas hesitated to leave him behind, but they still had a mission to do. So, he ran over to the Heartless, pulled out his Keyblade, and struck it one more time.

…

The Heartless thrashed around before settling when the wheels popped off. In a burst of light, it disappeared, and a large pink heart floated away into the sky.

Stop: Vim and Vigor - Kingdom Hearts II

Roxas sent his Keyblade away and then ran back to Kirux, who was trying (and failing) to stand back up.

“Whoa dude, relax. I got you.”

He slung one of Kirux’s arms over his shoulders and carried them back toward the main castle gate.

“I’ve never seen anything like that. How did you do that?”

Kirux’s response was light, as his energy was slowly returning, “I…was just trying to stop it. Y’know?”

Roxas laughed lightly, “Well, you sure did. And a lot more.”

“No thanks to you…”

“Keep talking like that and you can walk back to the corridor.”

“Please don’t.”

…

…

…

The two had returned to the main courtyard, where they had left the Beast behind earlier. This time, however, he wasn’t alone. A woman in a blue dress had come to his side, trying to help him.

“Who’s that?” Kirux questioned.

“I don’t know. I think she lives in the castle with him.”

“Coying nonsense.”

The two looked over, where Xaldin had appeared out of literally nowhere.

“Xaldin? Where did you come from?”

Xaldin didn’t even bother to look in their direction. “It’s none of your concern.”

“You know, if you were here the whole time, we could’ve used your help.”

Kirux got no response from that statement, as Xaldin was staring at the Beast and the women in front of them.

“Love, from a beast? How utterly ridiculous.”

“Love? What is love?” ( Baby don’t hurt me )

“An emotion. The very thing that deludes those two as we speak.”

Kirux was able to stand on his own, although holding his side, as he pressed Xaldin for more, “What does this 'love' emotion mean for people?”

“It doesn’t matter. We Nobodies do not possess hearts, so we will never understand the stranglehold this emotion has over people’s hearts.”

Xaldin turned away from them, “We have no further business here. Return to the castle and complete your mission.”

With that, he disappeared into a corridor, leaving both Roxas and Kirux confused. Roxas just shrugged it off, saying that they could ask Axel about it, but Kirux was thinking to himself.

“Love…”

Chapter Text

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You… - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Axel was all by himself at the clock tower when Roxas and Kirux arrived, greeting them as they sat in their respective spots.

He looked at the two, saluting them with his ice cream bar, “So, job well done today?”

Roxas quickly took a bite of his bar, “Yep, no sweat!”

“Speak for yourself,” Kirux said as he winced in pain. His free hand was grabbing at this side, just above his abdomen, “Has Xion been here?”

Axel shook his head, “Haven’t seen her. What happened to you? The Heartless mess you up?”

“Yeah, it got me a couple of times. I got the last laugh, though.”

“Wanna tell me how that went?”

Roxas turned to Axel, “Before we do that, can Kirux and I ask you something? It’s been on our minds since leaving our mission.”

With an eyebrow perked Axel intently listened, ready to give some “Axel the Wise” knowledge on his younger Nobody friends, “What’s that?”

…

“Axel, do you know what love is?”

After hearing the question from Kirux, he nearly choked on his ice cream, “Excuse me?”

Roxas explained their question, “We learned about love on our mission today, from Xaldin of all people. He said it’s something powerful.”

Axel was gathering himself to answer, clearly not ready for the question he had been asked.

“Well, it is, but…”

“But we’ll never get to experience it.”

Kirux asked the next question, “Why is that?”

“You need a heart, guys.”

That fact made both the young Nobodies sulk, an action that perplexed their fireheaded friend, “Don’t sound so disappointed. I thought you two would know this by now.”

Roxas was the one to answer this time, “Well, it’s kind of disappointing to ask about something and always be told, 'You need a heart to understand’, y’know?”

“Exactly why you two should focus on your missions and keep your minds off of things like this.”

…

Roxas just shook his head and looked away, taking another bite of his ice cream. Kirux, however, continued to push for answers.

“So, is love something you experience with those you’re close to? Like friends?”

Axel sighed and looked back over to explain, “It’s a bit more than just being friends, Kirux. It’s more about being close between two people.”

“We’re all pretty close. Does that mean we could all love each other?”

“Well, yes and no. Love between friends is certainly a thing, but it’s not the kind of love I think you two saw today. Love is a…special feeling. You’ll both understand it more one day when we get hearts of our own.”

Roxas was focused on his ice cream by now, shrugging while muttering, “If you say so.” Kirux, however, was deep in thought.

“ Something special between two people. Like…me and Xion? ”

He put a hand up to his chest, and absentmindedly asked out loud, “Do you think if we had hearts, we could love? Like you said?”

“Who knows? We have to get hearts first before that can happen.”

…

After that conversation ended, the trio sat in silence for a good while. Until Axel finished his ice cream and questioned the two on their mission.

“So, what exactly did you do that’s got you all hurting, Kirux?”

Roxas eagerly turned to Axel, “Oh man, you should have seen it. He stopped a Heartless attack head-on and then froze it in place. Then he smashed it into a wall with only one hit! It was awesome!”

“Alright, alright! I get it! Where’d you even get the power to do that?”

Kirux, wanting to keep his use of darkness a secret, would have given Axel a fake answer. However, Roxas spoke over him and drowned out any words he could have said.

“He used this sort of dark energy. I’ve never seen it before. Now that I think about it, where did you learn to do that, Kirux?”

…

Axel’s face changed after hearing Roxas’s words, his smile fading and his eyes narrowing on a face-palming Kirux.

“Is this true, Kirux?”

The younger Nobody’s only response was him lightly grumbling under his breath, “Goddamnit Roxas…”

His blonde friend could only respond indignantly, “What did I do?”

“Kirux, you know what happened last time you used the darkness like that?”

“Yes, I do. And I know I didn’t pass out immediately this time, so it’s fine.”

“Oh really? Is it fine that you were nursing your side as you walked up today?”

Kirux looked down at his right hand, which was still holding the area just above his abdomen. The pain flared when he pulled it away to adjust his seating, and his hand soon returned to its spot.

“I’m fine. I can take care of myself, you know.”

Axel was now absentmindedly pointing his finished ice cream stick in Kirux’s direction, “You know what can happen if you use the darkness too much. It’s going to get worse if you start running around blasting everything in your path with it.”

Kirux scoffed, “Oh, come on. It was one time against one Heartless! I can handle using it every once in a while.”

“Not until it starts consuming your mind and corrupting your body, Kirux. Seriously, you should know better than to do that.”

“If using that is so bad, then why is using the dark corridors no issue?”

Roxas was the one to answer, “Our coats ward off the darkness. It protects us when we traverse the corridors.”

“Well then, problem solved! I got the coat, so I’ll be fine!”

Axel sighed heavily at that, which only made Kirux even angrier, “Kirux, it doesn’t work like that, and you know it. I’m just trying to,”

“To help me. Yeah, I get it. But trust me, Axel. I’ve got this under control. You don’t need to worry about me falling into the darkness or anything. I’ll keep it in check.”

He didn’t get a verbal response at first. Axel just sighed and looked away from him back to the sunset. After about a minute, all Kirux got back from him was a “If you say so.”

Kirux frowned at that and looked down at his dangling feet, regretting what he had said at that moment.

“ Maybe using that power wasn’t such a good idea… ”

…

…

…

Kirux decided to leave the clock tower early that day, unable to take the awkwardness in the air after his short argument with Axel. He didn’t have any ideas on where to go, other than knowing that he didn’t want to go back to the castle just yet.

So, he decided to hop on the tram to the southern side of town, an area he hardly got to see due to his missions. Once he departed the station, he went on a quick stroll through this area, taking in the sights. The area itself was nothing special, but his ending destination was what caught his attention.

It was only a small clearing at the top of a hill with a fence lining the peak with a couple of benches. However, it included a recreation of the clock tower he was so familiar with. And it had a perfect view of the sunset, much like that clock tower. A sign on the side of the path on the way up told Kirux that this was called “Sunset Hill”, and he could see why.

He was leaning against the fence, watching the sunset. His mind was stuck thinking back on what Axel had told them earlier, about love.

“ Love is a special feeling. Something that is felt between two people. ”

He then went to think about the one friend he hadn’t seen that day, one that had been occupying his mind frequently since he and Roxas left their mission earlier.

“ The day I first met Xion, I remember feeling something. I remember feeling nervous and…I dunno, entranced? Maybe that’s not the right word for it, but I felt it then. I’ve felt it plenty of times with her ever since then. ”

Those memories continued to go through his mind. Their missions together, the day they were training in the woods of Twilight Town, the pinky promise they made to one another. So many memories that have been made in such a short time between the two of them.

“ That feeling I felt when we first met, and all those other times I’ve felt it with her. Was that love? Is that what love feels like? ”

He put a hand up to his chest, continuing to think, “ But…aren’t we Nobodies not supposed to have emotions? Feel emotions? If we don’t have hearts, then how can I truly know whatever it is that I feel? ”

…

…

…

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard voices approaching, familiar voices, but not the ones of his dear friends. He turned back and saw a trio approaching him, a group he had not seen in what felt like ages.

It took him a second to remember, and another second for them to notice his presence, but it finally clicked for him.

“ I met these three. The day I was…”born”? Let’s go with born. ”

As it turned out, the girl in the group remembered him, “Oh, it’s you!”

The larger of the two guys also spoke up, “It’s been a while! Where have you been?”

Kirux had been caught off guard by their arrival and was flubbing a response. He did eventually get out the words, “I’ve…been all over the place, it seems.”

The last guy, the one he distinctly remembered was hostile in their first encounter, decided to chime in, “You ever figure out what your name was, by the way?”

“ Oh yeah. I didn’t have my name when I met them. ”

“Kirux. You guys are Hayner, Pence, and Olette.”

Hayner gave Pence an elbow to the forearm, “Told you he would remember us.”

…

Olette came up to Kirux and offered him a hand, “It’s nice to officially meet you, Kirux.”

Kirux took her hand and shook it. “Yeah, likewise.”

“Like the new look, by the way. Where’d you get it?”

“Let’s just say I found a group of people just like me. They took me in and gave me this coat.”

Hayner and Pence also walked up to him, with Pence asking, “Just like you? What does that mean?”

Kirux hesitated with his answer, “It’s…complicated. I think it’s best if I spare you the details.”

“Well, it’s good to know you’re safe. We were starting to worry we wouldn’t see you again.”

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were now leaning on the fence, much like Kirux was a minute ago. He turned back to the fence and leaned forward onto it with them.

“Is that so?”

Olette interjected before Hayner could speak again, “What Hayner meant is that he was worried you had forgotten about us.”

“Hey! You didn’t have to go and tell him that!”

Olette and Pence both laughed, even Kirux chuckling along with them before speaking to the group, “I didn’t forget you guys. If I’m honest, I should be thanking you. You sending me towards the mansion that day led to me getting to where I’m at now.”

Hayner smiled and gave him a thumbs up, “Glad we could help.”

…

“So, Kirux. What’s got you over on this side of town?”

Kirux shrugged, not looking up to meet the eyes of the other three, “Not much. I was in the area and decided to check it out. Haven’t been to this side of town before. What about you guys?”

“We come up here most afternoons to watch the sunset. It’s a nice spot and pretty quiet during this time of day.”

“We would go to the clock tower, but there are always people up there. I always wonder who else would be crazy enough to do something like that.”

Kirux just laughed awkwardly at that, “Hehe, yeah…I wonder.”

“But you still haven’t answered Olette’s question. About what you were doing up here.”

…

He felt Hayner, Pence, and Olette all staring at him, as his eyes remained forward on the setting sun, as it was now barely peaking over the distant mountains.

“I needed a place to think, somewhere quiet and away from everything. Seems like almost every day, something weird or strange has been happening in my life, and I have had to process most of it on the fly.”

“The day I met you all, I woke up with no memories and no idea what my name even was. But since then, I’ve met all sorts of people, made new friends, and seen all sorts of places. And yet as more time passes, it’s almost as if my place in the world gets more and more…I dunno, confusing? Murky? Something like that.”

He then looked down at his hands, “To put it simply and as least confusingly as I can, I got a lot going on and I’m just trying to figure things out. This place just…seemed like the best spot to think things over.”

…

There was a minute of silence before anyone spoke again, which ended up being Kirux, “Sorry for dumping all of that on you guys. I just…have a lot on my mind.”

“Well,” Olette started, “I hope you figure it all out. And remember: if things get too tough, you can always rely on your friends for support.”

She gestured towards Hayner and Pence, “You can rely on us whenever you need.”

The two boys nodded in agreement, and that made Kirux smile.

“Thanks, you guys. I…appreciate that.”

Although Kirux hardly knew these three, he had to admit. It did feel good to have other friends in the world. Especially friends outside of the Organization.

After his last statement, Kirux stood from his spot on the fence and turned away, “I gotta go. I’ll see you guys around, okay?”

All three of them gave their pleasantries as he walked off. Olette turned and said, “Bye Kirux!” while Hayner and Pence shouted over their shoulders, “Don’t forget about us!” and “See you soon!”, respectively.

Kirux waited until he reached the bottom of the hill and ducked inside an alley before summoning a corridor to the castle. Part of him was hoping that he could stay longer, but he knew he really shouldn’t.

Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You… - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The wind was cold tonight, something you would not expect from a tropical island in the middle of the ocean. A small rainstorm had just come through, and it brought with it a cold front that chilled the air and winds.

As he stood on the secluded rooftop, overlooking his familiar hometown, he was reminded of why he had come here. It was something that he had picked up since his mission on waking Sora had started, but today was different.

Of all the days he could have picked to come and check on her, this was the worst possible one.

Play: Kairi - Kingdom Hearts II

He watched from the roof as a group of teens gathered on the beach, huddled around a campfire. They were all chatting away, occasionally laughing at a joke one of the group had told.

Among those teens was a girl, one whom Riku knew vehemently. They had, at one time, been close friends and dreamed of sailing the seas between worlds. Then the darkness came, and it ruined everything.

Her name was Kairi.

Riku had taken up the task of checking on Kairi (and his home by proxy) every so often. Just to make sure the Organization or Heartless weren’t causing any trouble. He always kept a distance, never once even thinking about going down to talk to her or anyone he had once known. This place was his home, after all. He would be recognized almost instantly if he tried.

But tonight, his mind wasn’t fully on Kairi. As he watched her and her group, his mind was on someone he had met recently.

That girl with the Organization, the one with the Keyblade.

He knew Organization XIII had a Keyblade wielder. That could not be denied. But it was not the fact that she was wielding such a sacred weapon that bothered him. It was the fact that when he saw her face, it was one that he already knew.

He saw Kairi’s face that day. Only it was not Kairi under that coat, fighting him on that bridge.

“ So why did she look just like her? ”

…

Then, much like with many of his problems, there came the issue of Kirux. Kirux, the Organization member who somehow looked just like him.

He had seen Kirux and that girl together numerous times before. If anything, he could not think of anyone else that he had seen Kirux with more than that girl. It was not a coincidence that he had shown up to try and help her after Riku beat her.

And as much as Riku hated to admit it, this only made their needing Kirux’s help even more of a priority.

…

Riku decided enough time had passed, and stood from his spot. He watched as Kairi and her group put out their fire and began returning home.

He watched them walk away and sighed.

“Hang in there, Kairi,” he whispered to himself, “Soon, I’ll fix this. And then I’ll bring him home.”

Stop: Kairi - Kingdom Hearts II

Kirux was walking on his own when he overheard a quite loud conversation. Around the corner from him were Demyx and Luxord, talking in the halls toward the Grey Area.

“What do you mean she just collapsed?”

The term “she” piqued his interest, and he walked closer to listen in.

“It’s just as I said,” Luxord answered, “She returned after failing her mission, and fell into a deep sleep afterward. Nothing to wake her thus far has worked.”

Kirux’s eyes widened, and he, quite quickly, turned the corner to yell, “Xion collapsed?”

Luxord and Demyx both looked over, one not surprised to see him and the other very surprised. Luxord spoke loudly, “I should have known you would be close by. She’s in her room if you dare to check.”

Kirux did not wait for Demyx to say anything. He turned and sprinted toward Xion’s room, repeating the words “Please be okay” over and over again under his breath.

…

When he arrived, he basically kicked the door open and entered, stopping only when he saw her.

Play: Missing You - Kingdom Hearts II

Luxord had been telling the truth. Xion was there sleeping soundly, completely undeterred by Kirux’s sudden intrusion. 

He walked over to her bedside, taking a moment to look over her. She was simply breathing slowly, her right hand on her stomach and her left outstretched next to her. She had no signs of physical injury, thankfully.

Kirux put a hand on her shoulder, shaking it lightly as he called out to her, “Xion? Xion, you okay? It’s me, Kirux. I’m here.”

She didn’t react, neither to his touch nor his words.

Kirux felt a sinking feeling in his chest as he sighed and said aloud, “How did this happen to you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

…

He looked to her doorway and saw Saïx standing there, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. Almost as if he was upset Kirux even existed in this moment.

“Its failures should mean nothing to you. Leave it be.”

Kirux clenched his fist and turned toward him fully, “”It”? SHE has a name! How could you say that about one of your comrades?”

“Up in arms over a Nobody. What’s gotten into you, Kirux?”

He walked over to her door, keeping his eyes on the taller Nobody, “She’s my friend. You would know how it feels if you actually had any. Now leave her alone, or you’ll have to deal with me.”

With that, he grabbed Xion’s door and slammed it in Saïx’s face. He stood there, holding the door for a minute to make sure he didn’t try to enter, and when he didn’t, Kirux sighed.

“I really hate that guy…” he said as he turned away and returned to Xion’s side. He grabbed the chair from her desk and sat next to her bed.

He spent the next few minutes just watching her sleep, thinking about his thoughts from earlier. He was getting the feeling again, just like he had many times before with her.

Although he didn’t understand it, he was pretty sure what this was. This was love. Or at least as close to love as he could feel.

Did that mean he loved Xion? He didn’t know, there was a lot he did not truly understand about it still.

Regardless, he reached over and grabbed her hand, taking it into his own two and holding it tightly.

“Xion, I dunno what I’m feeling right now. I…have an idea, but I don’t really understand it all that well. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m right here. And I’m always going to be right here. No matter what.”

And although he knew it was impossible, he could have sworn he felt Xion’s hand squeeze his own.

Chapter Text

Xion’s collapse into slumber had a strange effect on Kirux. His attitude and the way he acted around others had all wholly changed. He went about his days with a sense of determination that none of the Organization’s other members had seen.

He started completing his missions at a breakneck speed, being sure not to waste a single second on things that weren’t the immediate task at hand. When on a mission with Demyx in Agrabah, the pair had to enter a building with a locked door. Demyx was beside himself, saying things such as “How will we ever get in? Oh well.” and “Guess we’d better head home and call this mission a failure.”

Kirux responded by summoning a ball of dark fire and blowing the door off its hinges. He then stepped in, obtained what they had come for, gave it to Demyx, and left without another word.

Another change in Kirux was his use of his dark powers. He was using them more frequently, often in less-than-necessary circumstances. He and Roxas were ambushed by a group of Heartless in Halloween Town one day, and Kirux dealt with them by releasing a large burst of dark energy all around them, expelling them all in one blow. It had taken quite a physical toll, but he shrugged off any attempt from his friend for aid.

…

Speaking of his friends, they had begun to notice his change as early as the first day. After returning from the clock tower (a day Kirux did not show up), Axel spotted Kirux carrying something large into Xion’s bedroom. When he checked after the boy had left, he noticed a foldable cot on the other side of the room, across from Xion’s bed. He asked Kirux about it, but he barely got any response, only the boy saying, “I don’t want her to be alone.”

Roxas had noticed about a week later when Kirux was perusing the castle library, carefully examining the shelves and taking some books down on occasion. He was then seen striking something off a piece of paper, likely a list.

Axel approached the younger Nobody as he watched, asking his friend, “What is he doing? He’s been acting weird since Xion went to sleep.”

The redhead could only shake his head and respond, “I wish I knew, bud.”

Axel did know, though. He could tell very clearly what was going on. What he didn’t know was how to confront Kirux about it.

Play: Xion’s Theme (Musique Pour La Tristesse De Xion) - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Three weeks had gone by since Xion collapsed. The days had gone on with lightning speed, but for Kirux, it had felt a lot longer.

Tonight, he was in what had become his new usual spot: the cot in Xion’s room that he had bought right after she fell asleep. He had been questioned on it multiple times by his fellow Nobodies, but he had stayed here every night since it had happened. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t alone, not at night at least.

Xion’s room was a lot bigger than he had realized, much larger than his own. She had a full desk where she kept various books, her journal, and a rather large bookshelf on the opposite wall. It was here where she kept a lot of her personal belongings: books on the heart, some “WINNER” ice cream sticks, and her seashell collection.

On the desk between her bed and his cot, Kirux had a rather large stack of books and a piece of paper with various titles listed. It was a list of books Xion had wanted to find and read, and Kirux had made it his secondary mission most days to find as many as he could. A few were in the castle library, but he sometimes had to go to other worlds to find them.

As the nights went on, he found himself reading what she had found, often reading out loud so she could listen in. Tonight was no different, as he was reading a novel on her list. As he was reading, he would often laugh at some of the dialogue, bantering to Xion many times about lines she would think were funny.

At one point, he just sighed and said, “If you were awake, Shi, you would love this book. I can see why it’s on your list.”

He looked at her sleeping figure, “You know how to pick the good ones.”

…

With a smile, he returned to the book, continuing to read to her like normal. However, he got to one particular line and had to stop and reread it.

“Because I’m starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.”

For whatever reason, Kirux could not continue after reading that line. He looked up to the ceiling, placing the open book on his chest.

He started thinking to himself, “ Ripping yourself to shreds so the other person can stay whole… ”

Kirux looked back over to Xion, who continued to sleep peacefully. She hadn’t moved a muscle in the past few weeks, only the continued rise and fall of her chest, and as Kirux stared, he started to wonder.

During all of this time, he thought about what these past few weeks had done to him. He was sleep-deprived because of this cot (the store salesman boasting about its comfort had lied to him), taking tons of hits from fighting the Heartless day in and day out, and his dark powers continued to have an adverse reaction whenever he harnessed them. And then every day, he returned here, where Xion continued to rest.

“ I guess I’m the one ripping myself to shreds so she can stay whole…and if that means she’s okay, then I’m okay with it. ”

At that thought, he smiled.

…

Deciding it was time to retire for the night, he marked the page and placed it on Xion’s desk. He looked back over to his friend and said, “Good night, Xion,” before he lay back on his cot. As he closed his eyes, one last thought crossed his mind.

“ I can only hope you’ll wake up soon, Shi. ”

Stop: Xion’s Theme (Musique Pour La Tristesse De Xion) - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The memories continued to flash, over and over.

The boy with the key, stabbing it into his chest and releasing an orb of light. The girl with red hair had that same light enter her chest, her eyes opening. That same boy falling backward into the girl's arms, as he disappears into a burst of light…

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Xion shot upward in her bed, causing the figure standing beside her bed to stumble backward and fall onto the floor. She looked over and saw Kirux, a group of books having fallen on top of him.

When she noticed it was him, her head cocked to the side, “Kirux?”

Kirux looked completely bewildered when he saw her face, as if he had just seen a ghost, “X-Xion?”

When he noticed it was her, he stood up very quickly to meet her eye level, “You’re finally awake!”

Xion stretched her arms out, yawning while saying to Kirux, “Good morning.” When she settled, she turned her body toward him, remaining seated on her bed. “How long was I asleep?”

“A…a long time. It’s been three weeks.”

“That long?”

“Yeah. We were getting worried about you. Roxas, Axel, and I have missed having you around.”

While Kirux was saying that, Xion’s eyes gravitated away from him and toward the state of her room. She noticed the cot, the piles of books, and was finally beginning to question why Kirux was in her room right now.

“So…what’s with all of this?”’

…

The question clearly caught Kirux off guard, as he stammered between his words trying to come up with a response.

“Well, I uhh…you see…you were asleep, and I…”

After a minute of fumbling words, he finally sighed and uttered, “I didn’t want you to be alone, so I…stayed in here. I wanted to be there in case you ever woke up.”

Kirux was purposely avoiding eye contact, clearly hiding his embarrassment from her. Meanwhile, Xion was just staring at him.

“You…did all of that for me?”

She saw a rather large blush forming on his face, and Kirux quickly hid it away, “That’s…what friends are for, right?”

“ Friends…sure. If that’s what you want to call it, Ki. ”

…

Xion moved again, this time swinging her legs off the bed and sitting on the edge. She looked back up to Kirux, who had turned to face her, his blush having eroded.

“Don’t you have a mission today?”

“Yeah, I do. I was about to head out before you woke up.”

“Can I come with you?”

Kirux’s eyebrows widened. “Come with me? You just woke up…”

“So? All the more reason for me to come.”

“Don’t you think you need more re-,”

Xion gave him a sour look and stood up firmly, “I’ve been resting for three weeks now, Ki. I’m coming with you. That’s final.”

By the look on his face, Kirux was not entirely convinced, but he knew better than to try and argue with her about this further. So, he caved.

“All right, sure. Come on, let’s go talk with Saïx.”

Xion smiled, and together, they left her room and headed toward the Grey Area.

…

…

…

Kirux and Xion entered together, and their presence was immediately greeted by a man neither was very fond of.

“Well, well, it lives on. There is just no keeping you down, is there?”

Saïx approached the two of them, not looking too happy to see Xion up and at ‘em. Without thinking, Kirux stepped between him and Xion, putting an arm out in front of her.

Despite this, Xion stepped back to Kirux’s side, and sternly spoke to Saïx, “I want to go with Kirux on his mission today.”

“Absolutely not. You belong in your room.”

“Hey, Xion!”

Roxas and Axel approached the group, with Roxas immediately walking up to Xion.

“We’re glad you’re okay.”

“About time you got up out of bed.”

Saïx paid the interruption no mind, speaking directly to Xion, “Kirux is already scheduled to go with Roxas today. I did not think to pencil you in anywhere, Xion.”

“That doesn’t matter. Let me go with Kirux and Roxas. I don’t want to be pent up in here any longer.”

Kirux spoke up once she was finished, “Roxas and I will look after her. It’ll be fine.”

Saïx, in his usual fashion, gave what he said no mind, only turning away and saying, “Fine. If that’s what suits you, then go. But don’t come running to me if it breaks again.”

He walked away from the group, the realization of what he said finally dawning on Kirux, who took a step toward the blue-haired Nobody, but Xion stopped him.

“Don’t. It’s not worth fighting over.”

“I disagree.”

Roxas stepped in, “Let’s just go. I don’t think sticking around for too long will be good for any of us.”

He summoned a corridor after saying that, then turned to Axel, “Think you can handle him for us?”

Axel gave them a thumbs up and a smile, “Of course. Don’t push yourself too hard, Xion.”

“I won’t. Thank you, Axel.”

Xion quickly jogged through the corridor, with Roxas following behind. Kirux lingered, staring intently at Saïx as he stared out the window. Axel noticed and placed his hand on the younger Nobody’s shoulder.

“Don’t let him get to you. Go on, I’ll talk him down.”

“One day, I’m gonna set him straight…” Kirux gritted as he clenched his fist, and where neither could see, a small aura of dark energy formed in his hand.

However, Kirux did not act on what he was thinking in his head, instead turning away and walking through the dark corridor. Axel sighed as it dispersed, stretching his arms forward and cracking his fingers.

…

He approached Saïx slowly, attempting to play things cool, as was usual.

“So, a three-man team, huh? That’s a first.”

“Don’t think you’re the only one who has noticed.”

Axel’s demeanor completely shifted, as did the look on his face, going from his typical smile to a stern neutral expression.

“Noticed what exactly?”

“The boy and the puppet. You understand what is happening between them.”

He was talking about Kirux and Xion. Yeah, of course he knew. How could anyone not know about them by this point?

Regardless, he remained steadfast, “What about them?”

“You know exactly what. If it is allowed to grow and fester as it is now, it will only cause us more problems. And you know exactly what will happen when it causes us problems.”

Axel gulped, understanding what he was saying. However, he still tried to defuse the situation, “Relax. It’ll be fine. They’ll get over it eventually.”

All Saïx did in response was grunt and quietly let out, “I would not be so sure about that…”

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: Sinister Sunset - Kingdom Hearts II

The trio had barely any time to settle in on themselves before being thrust into action. Their mission was to track down and eliminate two large Heartless. They found the first one almost immediately, and it was giving them all they could handle.

The Heartless slammed its blades into the ground, creating a shockwave of fire that all three Nobodies had to jump to avoid. Kirux and Roxas landed on their feet, but Xion stumbled a bit.

“You good, Xi?” Kirux yelled over just as she regained her footing.

“I’m fine! Just gotta kick off the rust, is all.”

“Well, kick it off quick. It’s coming back!”

The Heartless had rushed them, quickly slashing both arms toward Roxas, who jumped out of the way, before immediately attacking Kirux. Kirux parried the attack, and he and Xion were able to smack the Heartless with their respective weapons, knocking it off balance. Roxas came in with another strike, and the Heartless was sent spiraling to the ground.

…

It quickly regained its footing, and before any of them could react, a second Heartless appeared behind it, carrying a massive book. It waved its arms around, and an aura of light appeared around the larger Heartless.

Roxas stood from his stance, shouting out to the others, “I’ve seen this before. It’s a shield. We have to take the other one down before we can do anything to the big one.”

“Right. You two distract the big one. I’ll deal with the shield guy.”

Roxas and Xion both nodded, with Roxas throwing his Keyblade at the Heartless and yelling, “Hey, come get us!” Xion simply led it toward a corner of the Sandlot, while Kirux ran toward the Heartless with the book.

Their target went after Roxas and Xion as the second Heartless floated around at a distance, maintaining the spell. Kirux was fast approaching and jumped to strike, but his attack missed as the Heartless quickly dodged. It continued to dodge his subsequent attacks, with a speed he could not keep up with.

“Oh, come on! Just hold still!”

The target Heartless slammed its blade hand into the ground, creating a smoldering cut. It had been aiming for Roxas and Xion, who had both quickly dodged. However, Xion stumbled over and was barely able to get her blade up and block the next coming attack.

“Kirux, could you hurry up? I dunno how much longer we can distract this thing!”

…

Kirux was growing increasingly frustrated, as yet another of his attacks did nothing but split the air before him. The Heartless floated away from him, mimicking a laughing gesture.

His anger started growing, and although he had been holding back to this point, he couldn’t help as dark energy began growing in his left hand.

He threw his left hand out toward the Heartless, summoning a bundle of tendrils made of darkness toward the Heartless. The creature was grabbed and pulled toward Kirux, who stabbed it and planted his sword into the ground. The tendrils retreated into Kirux’s arm, and the Heartless disappeared. Meanwhile, behind him, the shield dropped on the target Heartless, of which Roxas immediately took advantage and blasted it with a Blizzard spell.

“Thanks, Kirux!” He immediately yelled over to his friend, who was standing to the side, staring at his hand.

“ That was new. Where did that one come from? That felt…good. Should use that more often. ”

While he was contemplating this new ability, Roxas and Xion struck the Heartless simultaneously with their Keyblades. It fell backward onto its back before bursting into a cloud of light, the heart it contained flying into the air.

Stop: Sinister Sundown - Kingdom Hearts II

Play: Lazy Afternoon - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

The two Keyblade wielders dispersed their weapons and walked toward Kirux, the three meeting near the center of the Sandlot.

“That was awesome, dude! Where did you learn to do that move?”

“I dunno. It just kinda came to me…”

“It always 'just comes to you’. You sure you’re not practicing this stuff when Axel doesn’t know?”

Xion’s interest was piqued after hearing what Roxas said, “When Axel doesn’t know what? That you’re using the darkness?”

Kirux crossed his arms, “Look, it’s just like using any other power, okay? Nothing more than when you guys use fire and ice magic. I can handle-,”

“You’re leaving out quite a bit, you know,” Roxas cut in, “You always come back exhausted after using powers like that, you always complain about soreness, and then there’s the fact that your-,”

Now it was Kirux’s turn to interrupt, throwing his hands into the air and turning away, “Okay! That’s enough out of you! Can we please just keep going?”

Roxas was grinning, patting his friend on the shoulder as he walked past, “Relax a little. I know your girl is back and you wanna act tough, but you gotta be honest.”

Kirux scoffed indignantly, “My WHAT?!”

His friend laughed, picking up the pace and walking ahead of a flustered Kirux and a grinning Xion. She walked next to her friend, nudging him with her elbow.

“You missed me, didn’t you?” She teased, which Kirux turned away to hide his blush. Xion laughed and went to follow Roxas toward the clock tower. Kirux composed himself, thinking, “ Really regretting bringing Xion along right now. ”

Once better composed, he ran to catch up with his friends.

…

Kirux caught up with Roxas and Xion, the former walking ahead with his arms behind his head. Xion slowed down to walk side-by-side with Kirux, who urgently asked her, “How’re you feeling? All good?”

“I’m okay. Getting back up to speed slowly but surely. I’m glad I’ve got you guys to help me, though.”

“It’s the least we can do. We were all really worried about you.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you all.”

Kirux reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, “You don’t need to apologize to us. We’re just happy you’re okay.”

“Some of us more than others.”

Roxas could feel Kirux’s glare burning a hole in his back, only reacting by laughing. Xion giggled, but Kirux ignored it.

Stop: Lazy Afternoon - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

The three of them arrived at the top of the hill, at Station Square. Roxas and Kirux walked forward, but Xion trailed behind. Her walking slowed, and Kirux heard her exhale before turning around, seeing her just as she hit the ground.

“Xion!” He shouted as Roxas also turned back to see what had happened. They both crouched down to her sides, with Kirux rolling her over and onto her back, keeping her head lifted with his arm.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. One minute she was up, the next she was falling over.”

“Did the Heartless do anything to her?”

“We haven’t seen any since the Sandlot!”

“Maybe one of them hit her, I dunno.”

While the two discussed, Xion was mumbling in her sleep. It was quiet and indiscernible, neither Kirux nor Roxas picking it up. However, what they did pick up was the sound of Heartless appearing behind them.

Play: Fight and Away - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Their next target appeared, a large robotic Heartless with smaller versions of it also appearing around it. The largest one, their target, charged up a large laser blast. It aimed and fired at Kirux, who rolled backward while Roxas used his body to protect Xion.

Kirux rolled onto his feet, as Roxas picked up Xion in his arms and yelled over to him, “I’ll take care of Xion! You just focus on taking down that thing!”

“But you have a Keyblade. I ca-,”

“Forget about it! We’ll deal with that later! We need to protect Xion!”

“ Protect Xion… ”

Kirux looked toward the Heartless, and although it had no proper face, he could tell it was glaring at him, ready to fight. The smaller ones all gathered around him, too.

“ That laser nearly hit me. It could have hurt Roxas, or Xion… ”

Out of nowhere, he heard the all-too-familiar voice in his head.

“ It tried to hurt your friends…make it pay… ”

Kirux threw his hand out and summoned his sword, as dark energy began to flow throughout his whole body, seeping in and out of his skin.

“Back…the hell…away from my friends…”

He closed his eyes and continued to build up dark energy, as the smaller Heartless began to swoop down toward him.

…

The Heartless fired smaller lasers around Kirux, all of them missing and landing all around him. Once they were only a few feet away, his eyes reopened, and the darkness finally released. Kirux screamed as it erupted around him, enveloping his body in a purple and black haze. The Heartless that swooped toward him vaporized instantly, while the target Heartless was knocked back before recovering.

More of the smaller Heartless appeared, surrounding Kirux and charging their blasters. He just watched, only finally reacting by speaking quietly, “Come and get me…”

…

The Heartless all fired their lasers at once, each blasting on a path to make contact with Kirux. However, he lifted his arm, of which the dark energy formed a shield that absorbed all of the lasers before firing them back out toward one of the Heartless, destroying it. He then bounded forward, striking down two with two quick slashes before they could even react.

Two more Heartless remained, and one began to charge another attack, but Kirux interrupted when his left arm reached out and the tendrils returned, grabbing the Heartless and pulling it back toward him. He discharged his sword, and with his bare hand wrapped in dark energy, punched the Heartless into the ground. He resummoned his sword immediately after, turning his attention back to the last Heartless.

The final small Heartless tried to fire another flurry of lasers, but Kirux reached it before it could. He grabbed the Heartless and slammed it into the ground, leaving only him and their target, which left only him and the target Heartless. Kirux stared it down, as it rotated its blasters and returned the stare.

Kirux said nothing, only running forward as the Heartless charged its major laser blast. It fired at him, who stopped, slammed his arm into the ground, and a shield of dark energy surrounded him. It protected him from the blast, and he began rushing the Heartless again before it could charge another attack.

He jumped up and, with a single slice, cut one of the Heartless’s arms off. When he landed on the other side, he immediately jumped up once again and repeated the move, eliminating the Heartless’s other arm. The Heartless started sputtering and spazzing before it collapsed on the ground, the bottom wheel part of the body having stopped spinning.

Kirux jumped up onto the Heartless, standing on its “chest” and staring into its eyes. Without another word, he brought his sword up and stabbed the Heartless, implanting his sword down to the hilt within its metal body. He jumped off the side as the Heartless burst into light. He put his hand back out, and his sword reappeared in his hand, as the dark energy began to fade from around his body.

Stop: Fight and Away - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

As soon as all of the energy faded from around him, Kirux dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees. His body was incredibly weak, still feeling the dark energy flowing through him. It was normal for him to feel tired like this after using his powers, but he had never gone that far before.

Despite it all, though, he was able to stand and walk over to Roxas, who was holding Xion in his arms. She was sleeping, but as Kirux approached, she whispered something that neither Kirux nor Roxas could hear.

“Sora…”

Kirux reached them and crouched next to them, asking Roxas without looking at him, “Is she okay?”

Roxas answered quietly, “Yeah, she’s fine. She’s not harmed. But…”

He looked up to Kirux, who kept his eyes on Xion, “But Kirux, are… you okay?”

Kirux kept his eyes low, focusing only on Xion. He shook his head after hearing what his friend said, “You don’t need to worry about me. Let’s just get Xion back home.”

“You sure?”

He did not get an answer from Kirux, who only stood up and summoned a corridor of darkness, turning back to Roxas and saying, “Let’s go.”

Roxas, although skeptical about his friend’s condition, did agree that getting Xion back home was best. So, he picked Xion up, and the two of them went through the corridor back to the castle.

…

…

…

The two of them were walking back to Xion’s room at the castle, passing through Twilight’s View, when they were stopped by a familiar face.

“Now that didn’t take long. Did it break again?”

Saïx was standing in their pathway, his arms crossed and his signature look of neutral anger on his face. As soon as Kirux saw him, his fist clenched. He was about to take a step toward Saïx, but Roxas stopped him.

“ She isn’t an it.” Was all either of them said, the words having come from Roxas. He advanced, past their blue-haired superior with Kirux, who glared at Saïx the entire way as they walked past.

Saïx watched them sternly, not saying anything as they continued on their path. After a few seconds, he shook his head and walked away.

…

They finally reached Xion’s room after a while, with her now resting in her bed. Kirux was seated in a chair directly next to her, while Roxas was going over some of the books that were on Xion’s desk.

“So, you grabbed all of these for her while she was asleep?”

“She had a list of ones she wanted. I thought she would appreciate it.”

“How long did it take you to find them?”

“Not that long.”

Roxas put the book down, then walked back to stand next to Kirux. “Any change?”

Kirux didn’t speak, only shaking his head. Right after that, the door opened and Axel entered. He rushed in, stopping right next to Roxas to catch his breath.

He breathlessly asked Roxas, “What happened? Is she okay?”

Kirux responded, keeping his eyes on Xion, “We don’t know. We were just walking in town and she collapsed.”

“Did the Heartless get to her at all?”

“No, it wasn’t them. She just collapsed all of a sudden.”

Kirux took his eyes away from her and looked up at Axel, “It’s weird for you to be worried about her.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not true. I worry about all three of you all the time.”

Roxas crossed his arms and grinned at Axel, “I thought you hated complications.”

“Look, guys…I meet up with you three every day for ice cream, right? I don’t have to do that, do I?”

“No, not really.”

Axel then walked between Roxas and Kirux, dragging the latter out of his seat, and wrapped his arms around the two of them, “You two wanna know why?”

Kirux, bitter about being dragged up against his will, “Why’s that?”

Play: Friends in My Heart - Kingdom Hearts II

“It’s because you all are my best friends. And for you guys, I will deal with complications.”

Kirux had been thinking things over to himself while Axel was talking, but when he said that, his mind started thinking on it further.

“ Best friends…you know, that sounds about right. Whatever that means. ”

Roxas shared a similar sentiment, as he was smiling and he elbowed Axel, “Yeah, that’s right. We’re all best friends!”

Then, the three of them heard giggling and saw Xion sitting up and laughing at them, “That’s sweet of you, Axel.”

She had woken up while they were talking to one another and was now sitting up on her bed. Kirux smiled at her, asking, “How’re you feeling?”

“I just got a little dizzy. Sorry to worry you guys.”

Axel released Kirux and Roxas from his grip before he reached over and ruffled Xion’s hair, “Don’t go and scare us like that again, you hear?”

“I won’t. Sorry again.”

“It’s okay. Now, we guys will get out of your hair and report back to Saïx. Kirux, Roxas, let’s go.”

“Right. See you, Xion. Come find us if you need anything.”

…

Roxas and Axel began leaving, while Kirux and Xion’s eyes met. Kirux smiled at her and turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he heard Xion scuttle out of the bed and call out to him.

“Kirux, wait.”

He stopped and turned back to her, asking, “What’s up Xi-,”

He was interrupted by Xion quickly closing the gap between them, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and pulling him into her. For a few seconds, this is how they stayed, as Kirux had no idea what she was doing or how to react.

Eventually, he did speak to her, “Wha-what is this, what are you doing?”

He could feel Xion laugh lightly, “It’s called a hug. I read about it. It’s something people do with those they’re close to. And…I’m just really thankful that you’ve been here for me for so many things.”

Kirux remained frozen for a few more seconds while he processed what she was saying, but when it finally clicked, he reciprocated the gesture, tightly squeezing Xion into his chest.

“Of course, Xion. Any time.”

For the next few minutes, this is how they stood. Silent, enjoying the moment they found themselves in. Yet another moment that brought them even closer, neither wanting to be the one to break it apart.

Stop: Friends in My Heart - Kingdom Hearts II

Eventually, however, they did part. It was then that Xion noticed something different about Kirux.

“Hey Ki…”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Were your eyes always that color?”

Perplexed, Kirux blinked a few times. “What do you mean?”

“Your eyes, they’re…different.”

He walked over to her desk, where she had a small mirror, and sure enough, he noticed the same difference. His eyes had turned a dark shade of orange now.

“What in the…?”

“ How in the world did this happen? My eyes are brown. They wouldn’t have just changed like that. What did you do, Kirux? ”

Xion walked up next to him as he was staring into the mirror, “It wasn’t like that this morning.”

“No, it wasn’t…”

“Did…something happen after I fell? During the mission today?”

“Well, you fell, then the Heartless showed up. I dealt with it by…”

It was then that it clicked, and his eyes widened. He looked down at his hand, seeing a very tiny speck of dark energy still lingering in his palm.

“ The darkness… ”

Chapter Text

“Kirux?”

She pushed his door open and immediately noticed his empty bedroom. The bed was neat and well-made, and his desk was clean, which was rare for Kirux. The room looked as if it had been abandoned for weeks.

Xion frowned, sighing before she shut the door. “Where is he?”

“Lookin’ for Kirux again?”

She looked up and saw Axel walking toward her, as he continued to talk, “It’s late, y’know. You should be heading to bed soon.”

“I know. I just wanted to check on Kirux. He hasn’t been the same since his eyes changed.”

Axel’s face changed, his smile disappearing and his arms crossing over his chest, “Well, he can’t say I never warned him something would happen. I told him to keep that stuff in check.”

Although deep down she knew he was right, Xion still scowled at him, “Don’t be like that. Besides, the last time he did it was to protect Roxas and me. Shouldn’t you be a little more concerned about your friend?”

“Of course I’m concerned about him, but I also warned him about what could happen if he kept using that power. And now look at what’s happening.”

She wanted to speak up again, but had no rebuttal this time. She and Kirux have been on plenty of missions since his eyes changed colors, and despite knowing that his dark powers had caused the change, Kirux continued to use the powers. He even started showing even less restraint when using it.

However, Xion pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She focused on finding Kirux right now, as she looked back to Axel, “Either way, I’m going to find him. Have you seen him since getting back to the castle?”

“Only once, he was heading toward the library. Looked like he was in a hurry, too.”

“The library. Got it. Thanks, Axel.”

She walked past her friend, only to stop as he called out to her just before she reached the end of the hall.

“Xion, when you find him, tell him to try and lighten up with those powers. I know he may doubt it, but…the rest of us are still worried for him. He won’t listen to me about this ordeal, but he’ll probably listen to you…maybe.”

Axel ran his hand through his hair as he said that last part, causing Xion to giggle. Axel still had a soft spot for her, Kirux, and Roxas.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him.”

“Thanks.”

With that settled, Xion turned away and left, heading toward the castle library. Axel’s smile faded, and he sighed before walking toward his room.

“Please listen to her, Kirux…”

…

…

…

It took her a few minutes to reach the library, but once she opened the door, she wasn’t expecting to find Kirux immediately.

He was at a table, passed out with his head resting on an open book. He was fast asleep and looked like he had been for a while, multiple other books strewn about on the table he was resting at.

Once Xion saw him, she smiled as she approached, stopping by his side. She touched his back, speaking aloud as if he could hear her.

“You lazy bum…”

She looked down at the table to see what he was reading, noticing the long lengths of text and the many images of a heart on its pages. She carefully slid it out from underneath Kirux’s sleeping head, sure to keep him from slumping down forcefully. Once he was settled, she turned her attention to what Kirux was reading.

Saving the page he was on with her finger, she checked the cover, reading the title.

“Ansem Reports: Discovering the Secrets of the Heart”

…

The title piqued her interest immediately, so she returned to the last page Kirux was on and read a part of it. One particular section stood out.

“I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times. Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.”

“ He was reading about the darkness and the heart. ”

She glanced over at his still-sleeping figure before returning to the book, deciding to read further. It talked about the darkness and the heart quite often, detailing the author’s many experiments on both subjects. Each part went into every minor detail of the experiments, some on topics Xion would not dare to consider. The thought of why Kirux was reading such a book crossed her mind many times, but she figured it was pointless to speculate. She would ask another time.

…

Once she reached a point where she felt it appropriate to stop, she closed the book and turned to return it to Kirux, only to turn back toward him and find him awake and staring at her.

She jumped when they made eye contact, eliciting a light chuckle from her friend as he said, “You better have saved my page in that. I wasn’t done with it.”

“Sorry. I found you asleep with this and wanted to know what you were reading. It’s…interesting, to say the least.”

Kirux stood from the table and walked over to her, taking the book from her offering hands, and speaking again while reading the cover, “I just thought it might have some answers as to what’s been happening with me. Or at least give me a better idea on how to deal with it.”

He returned to the table and started gathering the other books he had collected, then moved toward the shelves to return them to their correct places. Xion fidgeted with her hands awkwardly, remembering what Axel had asked her earlier, but unable to find the words.

Eventually, while Kirux was still returning his books, she found the right words, “Kirux, wouldn’t the best idea be just to stop using your powers?”

He had just slid the final book back into its proper place and sighed while his hand lingered on the shelf, “I’m gonna assume Axel told you to say that.”

She gulped, “ How in the world did he know that? ”. However, she remained composed, slowly moving toward him, “Even if I did, you must admit he’s right. Everything started as soon as you started using those dark powers more frequently, and if what you told me is true, then wouldn’t the best idea be to stop?”

Kirux turned away from the bookshelf, but kept his eyes away from Xion, “I know all of that, I just…We risk our lives daily to fight Heartless and complete our missions, I wish he would just trust me enough to handle myself.”

“He does, but Ki…he’s just worried about you. You’re not…uhh…”

She tapered off, causing Kirux to look in her direction, “I’m not what?”

“I don’t want to offend you, Ki. But you’re not exactly the most…y’know…”

Xion struggled to find the right word for what she was trying to say, either piquing Kirux’s curiosity or his concern, as he began to reach toward her just as she found the right word.

“...careful.”

“What? I’m plenty careful.”

“Kirux, you had to jump across a massive gap on one of your first missions and nearly fell to your death.”

“I was chasing someone!”

“And then you went out on a mission while visibly injured, which led to you getting captured by Riku.”

“He got the jump on me. If it were one-on-one, I would’ve beaten him.”

“And then there are all the times I’ve heard of you using your dark powers indiscriminately, despite Axel and the rest of us expressing concern about your health and safety.”

This time, Kirux needed help finding a rebuttal. He looked away from Xion, putting a hand in his hair and whispering, “I’ve gotten better with it…”

She crossed her arms over her chest, cocking an eyebrow up at him, “You sure about that?”

He didn’t respond to her.

“Listen, Ki. The last thing I want is to be intrusive and try to tell you how to live your life, but if you continue down the path you’re currently on, then…”

Xion trailed off, fiddling with her hands and repeatedly repeating the word “then” under her breath. Kirux’s concern grew, and he approached his friend, reaching out and lightly putting a hand on her arm, hoping that would help her regain her composure.

Xion stopped her rambling and looked back up at him, taking a long moment to gaze into his eyes.

Kirux had asked, “What is it?” at some point, but Xion’s mind had wandered away and was focused intently on his eyes.

Something about the change in his eyes had always given her a feeling of unease, a feeling she could never pinpoint perfectly. Before Kirux’s eyes had changed, looking at him felt calming and brought her ease. But since the change, it has been the opposite.

Worst of all, it didn’t feel like Kirux. It felt like whenever she looked into his eyes, she was being stared back at by someone else.

With these thoughts running through her head, she sighed, looking down at their feet, “I fear that eventually…you won’t be yourself anymore.”

Play: Melancholia - Final Fantasy XV

Kirux tried to say many things after Xion gave her last statement. He struggled to find the correct words, much like before she had spoken. He let go of her arm, but his hand still lingered.

He had something he wanted to say, but the words continued to evade him. Eventually, though, after some long thought, he found the right words and turned his attention back toward Xion. He moved his hand from her arm to her shoulder, tightly holding on as he spoke again.

“Xion, look at me,” which she did, and they made eye contact again. After a few seconds, Kirux continued.

“No matter what happens, I will always be me. This power and whatever it does to my body won’t change anything. I’m still Kirux, through and through, and that won’t change.”

She had heard that before, a few times now from him. Each time he said it, however, it started to become less and less believable.

Xion reached a hand up and took hold of his hand, the one on her shoulder. She whispered his name in a calm tone barely loud enough for him to hear.

Her eyes went back down, as she began speaking louder this time, “Just promise me…that no matter what happens…let me be there for you. Please . You don’t have to go through all of this alone, and I…”

“I know. I understand. We’ll figure it out together.”

With all that said, he pulled Xion toward him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a hug. Xion reciprocated, winding her arms under his and burying her face into his shoulder. Kirux could feel her holding him extra tight, so he stroked her hair softly. For a while, they stood just like that. There were no words exchanged during that time. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

After a while, they pulled away from one another, with Kirux saying, “Come on, let’s go. We've got work to do tomorrow.”

“Okay…”

They left the library together, splitting off once they reached Xion’s room. Kirux wished her a good night before walking toward his room. He didn’t notice that Xion didn’t enter her room immediately, but stared at him as he walked away. She watched as Kirux rounded the corner, out of her eyesight.

She sighed before entering her room, her thoughts still on Kirux even as she went to sleep.

Stop: Melancholia - Final Fantasy XV

Kirux skidded back, his boots making a deep indentation into the dirt. He gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the sword in his hand. The four Heartless, a group of Neoshadows, had surrounded him in the Twilight Town forest, just barely in sight of the mansion.

“ Man, I hate these guys, ” he thought as he watched the Heartless’ movements, keeping a close eye on them. One did jump toward him, trying to slash him across the neck. Kirux dodged it, slashing the Heartless on the chest, then again at the neck. The Heartless disappeared, causing the other three to (literally) jump into action.

Kirux was able to roll out of the way, firing a blast of dark fire toward all three of the Neoshadows. Two shots met their targets, but the third missed and hit a tree. The final Heartless dove into the ground, creating a dark pool in the earth as it slid toward Kirux.

“Oh no you don’t,” he whispered as he reached into the pool, grabbing the Heartless and ripping it out and into the air. It dangled from his hand as he held it by the neck, taking swipes at him to no avail.

Kirux said nothing, as dark energy flowed through his arm toward the Heartless. The energy started to engulf the Heartless, and when Kirux tightened his grip once, the Heartless practically shattered. It evaporated into a cloud of black and purple fog, quickly dissipating with the wind.

…

He took a second to relax, although not dispersing his sword from his hands. That was a good decision, as a familiar face soon approached him.

“You know, I’ve never seen someone pull a Heartless out of the ground like that. Takes a certain kind of power to do that.”

Kirux turned to see Riku, who was casually walking up to him as if they were longtime friends. He kept his guard up, scowling at his taller twin, who put a hand up in response to Kirux’s clear hostility.

“Relax. I’m not here to fight. I just wanna talk.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve wanting to 'talk' after what you did.”

“From my perspective, your friend was the one who attacked me first. I was just defending myself.”

“You’re gonna have to again if you don’t get to the point.”

Riku sighed, shaking his head. He took a few steps closer to Kirux, only causing the Nobody to tense up again. With that, he stopped.

“Listen, believe it or not, I want to help you and your friends. I hate to keep repeating myself, but a lot is going on that you don’t understand. The group you’re with isn’t telling you the whole story. Just…”

Riku put his hand up, summoning a dark corridor, “Come on, there’s somewhere I want to show you. Someplace where they won’t be watching or listening.”

He walked toward the corridor, but Kirux protested, “Whoa whoa, last time I went anywhere with you, I ended up with a concussion and three bruised ribs. Why would I go anywhere with you after last time?”

Riku stopped, looking down at his feet before turning back toward Kirux, “Do you wanna help that girl you’re always with or not?”

Xion. He meant Xion.

Kirux froze when he brought her up, but before he could question Riku about it, he stepped through the corridor to wherever he wanted Kirux to follow.

“ What does he want with Xion? ”

His sword faded away, and now he debated what to do with himself. He didn’t want to trust Riku, not for any reason. But what if he knew something about Xion? What if he could help Xion?

Kirux paced back and forth, contemplating his options before stopping right in front of the corridor. He stood there for a few more seconds, thinking about an answer before finally making one.

He whispered “goddamnit” under his breath before walking forward, entering the corridor. It closed right behind him, leaving the forest empty and quiet.

Kirux emerged from the corridors in a world that he had never seen before. He had emerged on a beach, the sound of the waves slamming the pale, white sand echoing across the island. Some palm trees were a few feet away from him, one curved over the side with some star-shaped fruit hanging from the leaves.

He took a look around, not finding Riku at first until he heard the footsteps from behind.

“I knew you’d come around.”

Plays: Destiny Islands - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kirux turned to him, still keeping his guard up. It was Riku, after all, “What is this place?”

Riku walked toward him, walking past him and toward the curved palm tree, “This is the Destiny Islands. It’s my home world, mine and my friends.”

“You were born here?”

“Well, not here, to be exact. There are a couple of other islands to the west of here, where we all lived. But my friends and I spent just about every free moment we had on this island here.”

Riku stopped at the base of the tree, leaning back against it and facing the sunset. He beckoned over to Kirux, saying, “Come on, sit down. Let’s have a chat.”

Kirux, despite Riku having not done anything thus far, remained cautious as he got closer to his other self. He eventually passed him by, then boosted himself up onto the curved tree, also facing out toward the sunset. The view, while he could admit it was nice, had nothing on Twilight Town. However, the way the sun gleamed over the ocean as it descended on the horizon was a sight to behold.

…

After about a minute of Kirux staring off at the sun, Riku finally spoke, “So, I see that the transition has started for you.”

“The what?”

“Your eyes. They changed color. Don’t think I didn’t notice it, Kirux.”

“You know, I’m starting to wonder if you’ve just been screwing with people with that blindfold.”

Riku chuckled, “Maybe I am. Anyways, the transition. How long and how often have you been using the dark powers?”

Kirux’s eyes moved away from the sunset to his hands, which he had raised so he could look at them. When he didn’t answer Riku, he continued talking.

“I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you the problems with what you’re doing.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Then why continue? Look at what it’s doing to you. You know, it doesn’t just stop when your eyes change colors. It’ll keep getting worse, Kirux. Until eventually, you’ll end up becoming someone or some thing completely different.”

“I know!”

…

…

…

“I…I know. I don’t like having these powers, but sometimes they come out of nowhere. One minute I’m fine, the next I’m shooting darkness out of my hand like it’s nothing. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not even in control of my own body. I know these powers are bad for me and that I shouldn’t be using them…”

He hesitated, then clenched his fists, “But at the same time, it feels…good. When I use these powers, I’m basically unstoppable. They make me stronger, and with that strength, I can keep the ones I care about safe. And if keeping them safe means tearing myself apart…then, I’m okay with that.”

Riku stood up straight and turned to face him. “You would willingly let yourself be consumed like that?”

Kirux scowled at him, tossing himself off the tree so he could stand to face him, “Yes, I would. What would you know about it?”

Riku crossed his arms, “More than you would know, Kirux.”

“Sure.”

…

…

…

Kirux shook his head, “This isn’t getting us anywhere. You mentioned Xion before we came here. What about her? Tell me now or I’m gone.”

Riku sighed, drooping his head and whispering to himself something Kirux didn’t catch. Eventually, he did speak again, “Remember when I told you about Sora? And his memories?”

“Yeah. What about him?”

“Well…some of his memories have started to…leave Sora. And to be frank, I think they’re going from him to one of your friends.”

“How is that possible?”

“I’m not sure. But, if what I think is true, then I need you to understand. I don’t want to be your enemy. I want to help you and your friends, you just have to trust me, Kirux.”

Riku dropped his arms, turning away from Kirux and summoning a dark corridor, “I’ll come find you again if anything comes up. For now, keep an eye on your friends. I have a feeling your superiors are gonna start ramping things up soon.”

He turned to walk away, but Kirux stopped him by saying, “Wait, so you think we’re cool all of a sudden? You still hurt Xion, and I haven’t quite forgiven you for that.”

Riku turned back to Kirux, “If you were smart, you’d be more afraid of what your superiors are going to do to her.”

That caused Kirux’s demeanor to change. Where there was once anger and a certain cockiness had vanished to fear. He whispered, “What?”, but Riku ignored it.

“I’ll see you soon, Kirux. Whether you like it or not.”

And then he walked into the dark corridor, leaving Kirux alone on the islands.

Stop: Destiny Islands - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

After Riku left, Kirux had felt like he’d been hit by fifteen trucks all at once.

Sora’s memories were leaving him? To be honest, Kirux had completely forgotten all about Riku telling him about Sora and his issues. But somehow, Xion was connected to all of this now, maybe Roxas too. And what did Xemnas and Saïx have to do with all of this?

It was all way too confusing for him right now. What he needed was to lie down and relax. Clear his head for now. Then, figure out how to fix all of this later.

So, he summoned a dark corridor back to the castle, and once he got there and entered his bedroom, he plopped down onto his bed, pinching his forehead as he lay there.

“That guy always has to give me a headache…”

…

…

…

Meanwhile, in another area of the castle, Xion woke up, sitting up in her bed. She put a hand up to her forehead, whispering to herself.

“Another dream about him…”

Her eyes opened, then moved to her window. She stared up at Kingdom Hearts, its iridescent glow shining down on the castle and the Dark City around it.

“These are my memories, from when I was human. They have to be…right?”

Chapter Text

The soft hum of the sleeping pod and her fingers tapping on the console kept her from slowly going crazy. Not that the current situation wasn’t giving her a constant headache.

Naminé continued to tap away at her console, continuing to shuffle around the pieces on screen. A display of Sora was on the screen, and the “pieces” were the memories she was trying to piece back together. However, recent events have made that process much more difficult.

She heard the door open behind her, and the heavy footsteps of DiZ approached her from behind. His booming voice bounced off the walls, reverberating and causing a slight echo.

“You seem to be struggling,” he said as he approached, stopping next to her at the same time that she ceased her work on the console.

The girl sighed, putting her hands over her chest, “The interference of the Nobodies is not making this easy. It’s as if every time I put one of the pieces back together, another one is lost. If he continues to lose memories, then I won’t be able to finish. And if they were to somehow make their way to someone else, then Sora would never get them back.”

DiZ seemed uninterested in what she had just said, speaking without concern or care, “Oh, I think he could go without a memory or two. No matter if he loses a few. Perhaps it might do him a bit of good.”

Naminé was unwavered by his words, insisting to him, “But what if he needs some of those memories to wake up? What if they are the key?”

…

“Naminé, you are a witch with power over Sora's memories and those connected to him. Are you seeing something I cannot?”

She looked away from the man and back to the console, the small, flashing red sign in the top right corner taunting her. It signified that some of the necessary requirements were missing, and despite DiZ’s lack of knowledge, Naminé had a theory on where they could be going.

“If his memories become her memories, then I fear she may not survive it.”

“She?”

Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

The morning for Xion was a slog. Over these past few weeks, she had been losing more and more sleep due to these utterly strange dreams.

For some reason, she was having flashbacks in her dreams, memories from her past as a human. However, even though they were possibly her memories, Xion was never in them. At least, not that she could tell.

There was one constant in all of those dreams, though. There was this one boy she constantly saw.

He looked nothing like anyone Xion had seen or met. His hair was extremely spiky, only rivaled by maybe Axel. His outfit was quite strange too: a red jumpsuit, a black hoodie with blue on the interior and white on the arms, and massive yellow shoes. That boy was in every single dream she had, a recurring character.

Yet Xion couldn’t for the life of her remember his name. She had one name in mind, but could not confirm whether it was his.

“Sora” was that name. But whether or not it was Sora remained a mystery to her.

…

Xion slumped her way to the Grey Area, rubbing her eyes and yawning on the way before stretching her arms above her head. Immediately, she saw all three of her friends (Kirux, Roxas, and Axel) gathered around at the far set of chairs and couches. Kirux and Roxas were chatting while Axel watched, the oldest of their group being the first to notice her approaching.

“Yo Xion! Good to see you.”

“Hey guys,” she said as she slid onto the couch beside Kirux, “Whatcha doin’?”

“Just talking about our missions for the day before we head out. Saïx put Axel on emblem duty.”

Kirux laughed, earning a scoff from the oldest Nobody, “Hey, you’re going to have to do it too. Don’t dish it out now if you won’t be able to take it later.”

“What’s your mission today, Roxas?”

“Not much better, honestly. They got me hunting down shining shards in Twilight Town. Xemnas wants a bunch of them for something.”

“You and I are actually together today, Xion. They uncovered this new section in that old cave in Agrabah, and want us to go check it out.”

“You mean that cave with the giant lion head as the entrance?” She crossed her arms before continuing, “I’ve always hated going in there. The thought of that thing closing and us being trapped in there freaks me out.”

Kirux leaned back, putting his arms behind his head, “Relax. We’ve been going to that world for months now, and it’s never closed. We’ll be fine.”

“I dunno…”

Axel patted her on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about that stuff, Xion. Get in and get your job done quickly enough, and you’ll be out of there in no time. It should be a walk in the park with the two of you there.”

The girl shrugged, unconvinced by Axel’s attempt at comforting, “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. Now up and at ‘em. We all got work to do. And remember, ice cream’s on me today.”

Axel walked away from the group, as Roxas stood up from his chair, stretching out his arms before wishing Kirux and Xion good luck and departing. The two leaving meant Kirux and Xion were now alone in the Grey Area.

…

Kirux stood up from the couch and turned toward Xion, who still had her arms crossed over and a worried expression. Noticing this, he leaned down to ask.

“Is everything okay?”

Xion had been distracted again, her mind had wandered back to her dreams/memories. However, Kirux’s question had brought her back to reality, and she quickly stood up with him.

“Yep, all good. You ready to go?”

Despite her answer, Kirux looked the furthest from convinced, “You’re sure? You looked completely out of it right then.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just…was thinking about the mission. That’s all. Let’s get going before Saïx notices we’re still here.”

She turned away from him, summoning a dark corridor and walking through it. Kirux stood there for a few seconds, confused, but resigned to shaking his head and following after Xion. Right after he entered, the dark corridor closed.

In Xion’s mind, as they traversed the dark corridors to Agrabah, she continued to wonder when the memory flashes would stop, but she resigned herself to work that day. Besides, she was with Kirux, and that made every mission with him better for her.

Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: A Day in Agrabah - Kingdom Hearts