Intruders in a Fake Land

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

In the far reaches of a brick walled alleyway; a purple haze began to form out of the wall.
“Checkers? Checkers?” a little child called from the distance, most likely to the scrawny form of a dog that pondered forth now.
Beguiled by what mysteries the strangely scented air brought from the shadows, its nose extended curiously at the new shape forming from the wall.

Without warning, a large black boot stepped out of the shadows. Curtained by the lower form of a trench-coat which dutifully blended in with the rest of the black clothed shape- making it a appear a perfect form of darkness… aside from his Flaming red spikes, and brightly gleaming jade pupils.

Number Eight’s toothy grin (or perhaps his eye-patch-wearing colleague) sent the little dog scrambling out of the alley as fast as its furry legs could take it!

The "intruder's" jester eyes darted to the dog, but he made no attempt to stop it.
The mutt was of no importance; if it could somehow give his presence away then let it! Let this whole place try and challenge him!

Simply put, Axel was in much better spirits than he had been.

"So we’ve returned to Twilight Town,” he spoke more to himself, rather than to the other member.
He breathed it all in, already feeling engulfed with the memories of his last visit here. The filtered orange glow that befell the town made it seem somewhat eerie, like a faded picture.

Axel hadn’t been too taken with the idea that Xigbar came along, but in the end this did seem like the better end of the deal. Even if this was a ruse by the higher members to have him lead them to the Keyblader’s whereabouts; Axel didn’t much care at the moment. Regardless of the scheme; he was gonna see Roxas again. Even if No.8 was unsure how he’d taken this; being forbidden to “feel” had its uses- so it troubled him little.

“Or rather….”

Axel waved his fingers with esteemed interest as he pieced together the information about him

“I trust you’ve noticed it now too.”

This place… it was fake.

Subtle perhaps, but with a little extra effort, Axel could notice the little bits of digital coding floating about. Glitches appeared in certain fragments of the wall the two had just traveled through. The brick even started “blinking” as it overloaded with the concept that two “errors” had just walked through it.

“So, perhaps even if this “is” Twilight Town- we have not returned to it after all-"

"?!"

Axel’s long fingers quickly grasped his hood; obscuring his face from view. He’d thought something seemed wrong since he first stepped in…

Axel recognized it now, the sensation of being watched. Digital this place may be; but not without a Puppet-Master to pull its strings- That being was real enough!

Even if wearing a hood did little to hide Axel’s identity, in situations like these you needed every precaution available. Axel looked to his partner to do the same.

His voice dropped to a serious tone
“….what do you make of this?”

[Naminé]

(Post by korky)

The rocky wall in that back alley began to warp, a swirling mass of purple and black streams of darkness creeping along its surface. A strange cold tingle swept up Xigbar’s chest, and he suddenly found it difficult to form comprehensible thought. His mind churned, drifting into shadow, into instincts he’d never known he had. Something was amiss. Number two stumbled from the portal, clumsily scrambling to stand upright once he felt the rough cobblestones beneath his feet. The area itself surrendered enough information for him to begin putting the pieces to this insane jigsaw puzzle together. Ah, DiZ. That sick son of a pregnant dog. Coupled with the knowledge only the higher ups possessed, suddenly, everything began to make perfect sense! There were still questions regarding why Roxas hadn’t struggled, or attempted to find his way back home. That’s why HE was here now: to observe, to find the answer to those inquires, and to discover whether or not they could truly deem the kid a traitor.

With a triumphant grin, Xigbar pumped a fist into the air at the small victory he and his companion clenched. They had successfully managed to convert their physical beings into data with little to no problems at all! Good thing Axel stepped through the barrier first. There were a Mildred of possible outcomes if the transfer to this encoded world had failed, all equally as gory and disgusting. Meh, the red-head was expendable… Well, he WOULD be after they got Roxas back.

“Wow, aren’t you observant? You really ARE a Melvin, geez, hope it doesn‘t start rubbin‘ off on me. That crap’s contagious.” The man uttered with a thick sarcastic undertone, stepping back to stand in the shadows by his side, “This is HIS world. No doubt he already spotted us. Which means we gotta haul ass and find Roxas as quickly as possible. On the count of three: One….two---” Sooner then he could blink his eyes, the small percentage of people moving about their daily routines froze mid-stride, not a single strand of hair moved on the tops of their heads.

“Uh-oh.”

In a flash of brilliant light, a digital representation of DiZ took shape, his cold golden eyes peering out toward the two cloaked Organization members speaking in hushed tones. Braig, or Xigbar as he called himself now, and Axel… two normal looking young men, but also… a product of his research. It made him sick to his stomach to think that his precious work had unleashed such abominations upon the worlds, affecting many good people across the lands. In his mind, it was no fault of his, but of the young students he had taken under his wing. They had stolen everything from him, and crushed his pride irreversibly. Now revenge was his motivation, blinding him from seeing the very obvious truth: that he too played a horrible part in creating these heartless beings. They were here to “steal” his last, lingering hope: Roxas. If he could lead the young blond back to his other half, his BETTER half, a force would be born that could combat against those same evils, and rid the worlds of this unneeded darkness.

Admittedly, the process was not going entirely as planned. Curiosity hindered the young witch Naminé’s actions. She wished to meet Roxas, to soothe his fears by telling him the truth behind who... and what he really was. She wanted him to know that he truly did have a purpose in this world, however undesirable it may be at first. Ridiculous. Roxas had no rights. He was nothing but a sully black toxin on that world. DiZ's lips pursed together, impatience plaguing his own heart. He knew linking Sora's memories together was a tedious and delicate process that could not be rushed. The risk was far too great. One broken chain, and the boy could very well die. If that happened, then.. all would be lost. The Key of Destiny had already begun to experience dreams, memories belonging to his Somebody. Right now, that's all it was to him: strange dreams he didn't entirely understand. DiZ was hell-bent on making sure it remained that way. He would not allow his foolish apprentices to interfere.

“You are not welcome here. Leave now.---” DiZ spoke in a dangerous tone, his eye unblinking as he stared toward the intruders. “---or I will CAST you out.”

Xigbar shoved his elbow against Axel’ ribs, silently prompting him to hurry up and get his skinny ass moving, while he stayed behind and dealt with the old man. How he was supposed to keep an illusion busy was another story entirely, but there was no other choice. Now that their old mentor knew they were capable of breeching the program he had installed, this could be the last chance they had to meet with the youngest Organization member.

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

“Uh-oh-”

Uh-oh was right! For maybe 5 minutes things had been going well- but no longer. Axel found himself face to face with perhaps the Organization’s greatest enemy: DiZ. A true enigma, that man.
One wondered how he knew so much about the Nobodies without having taken them apart piece by piece… and then there was the sickening thought that he just might have.

The Higher up’s had more information than Axel cared to know. It didn’t really matter who the monster was or where he came from, one thing was for sure: the one known as DiZ was a definite threat!

And now that he was here of all places… didn’t look good.

Was there a leak in the Organization?

Left to dwell on these thoughts Axel stood motionless- until Xigbar dealt him a blow to the ribs!
The redhead staggered forward, conjuring up his chakrams as he regained balance; he didn’t need eye contact to guess his comrade’s intentions: It was time to make a break for it!!

With a moment of hesitation, the Flurry of Dancing Flames leapt forward; attempting to swipe with everything he had! After-all, if the world registered Axel’s movements, then even if DiZ was just data; a small attack on him should do something. Whether he injured the man or not, didn’t matter to Axel, as long as he could at least mess with the programming!

‘Gotta make this good!’

To finish the escape plan: without looking to see if his hit even worked, Axel vertically shot flames inches from where he stood, completely enshrouding himself with the inferno while he crept back to the darkness….


A little further down the streets, Axel remerged. Panting whilst he leaned against the wall. At last it seemed he was out of the Madman’s sight.

“So it’s down to me.”

If Xigbar chose to stay behind it meant he either a) knew what he was doing, or b) that he a was a fool! When you’re dealing with a thingyy one-eyed shooter; sometimes the distinction wasn’t always clear, but Axel would have to trust him for the moment.

“You could’ve at least given me the picture!” he cursed at his teammate. It’s not that he wouldn’t know Roxas when he saw him, but at least an idea of what he wore would have been helpful to guess his whereabouts…

Axel got his wish. With quick blur of white, a Dusk floated over to him with another photo in its pitiful excuse for hands

“More?!”

Well… he never really had told them to “stop.” Of course there was likely more than one photo!

The malicious grin that crept up on No.8’s face made the Dusk almost doubt having relinquished its quarry.

“You!-” He picked it up by the thin skin of its neck “You're showing me whe-”

Axel’s surroundings seemed to ripple, like a piece of paper blowing in the wind. The atmosphere suddenly seemed a lot heavier. Time in this realm was beginning to move again!

“That can’t be good…” How much time did he have left?! The Organization member’s eyes quickly darted about, finding a dog as the only creature in sight…. That same dog as before....

Axel’s eyes narrowed, perhaps there was a reason he should have stopped that beast. DiZ’s eyes could be anywhere!

With a snap of his fingers, Axel sent a few Dusks after the dog. One hesitantly stayed for more specific orders

“Oh just… put it in a bag or something!” he shook his head at its incompetence.

“Better yet-” Axel scratched his head thoughtfully

“All of you- go a different way- But don’t let yourselves be seen!” Confused, the 20 or so servants scattered wherever they could

Axel felt rather pleased at this idea. Now even if Xigbar wasn’t successful in buying enough time; these distractions would hopefully misguide the “Puppet Master” from finding him before his mission was complete.

“Hehe, Lets see ole DiZ find me now”

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

"So, where do you guys think we should go? How about the beach, or maybe we could stay in another town for a day! You know, get away from this place, even if it is just for a little while." Pence walked alongside his two best friends, holding his hands behind his head. The teens were thinking big; though they knew very well that the woman kind enough to give their friend a job did not have enough munny to fund this little end-of-summer outing. With their combined earnings for the season, including what Roxas made today, no doubt they would have enough for at least ONE trip SOMEWHERE.

Olette sighed heavily, wagging a finger toward the eager boy, "This is something we should discuss when Roxas can join us. Before we decide WHAT to do, we really need to know how much munny we have to spare. Maybe I can pack us some snac---"

“Look at the freak in the black cloak.” interjected Hayner, standing several paces behind his friends, eyes locked on something across the street. He dragged himself along in silence during the course of the entire conversation, failing to add any input at all to the important topic at hand - quite an unusual display for the outspoken young man. Now the two friends accompanying him knew the reasoning behind the actions.

Pence and Olette lifted their eyes, following his gaze to the man standing in the town square, fully garbed in dark clothing. He seemed to be scanning the area for something... looking intently in all directions.

"...tell me, what kind of person wears something like that in eighty degree weather?"

"I'll tell you who--" Pence spoke, inching to stand closer to his friends, "--someone we don't want to associate ourselves with. Listen, I gotta show you guys something! Meet me back at the bulletin boards as soon as you snag Rox!” Although he would not normally relish in the idea of working out his already sore calves, this prize was well worth the pain he would feel afterwards.

Hayner stare lingered for a moment longer on the strange man before he relented, sticking his hands down into the pockets of his baggy pants, “I bet I know where Roxas is. Let’s go.”

---

Dizzying vertigo ripped away all sense of direction as Roxas descended into never-ending darkness: falling, falling, falling through the void for what seemed like hours on end. The warm familiarity of the twilit streets of his hometown melted away, leaving behind only the blackest nothing in the depths of his subconscious. No longer would he be able to recall memories of old to remind him that he had a home to go back to if this headstrong mission of his somehow failed. Bit by bit, everything that made him who he was was gradually being rewritten with lies and deceit, taking away the very freedom he had so desperately sought. Nothing was his own now: not his mind, his personality… all belonged to the man many would call a genius while others found themselves referring to him as the truth epitome of that which was heartless. How ironic. A nonexistent being living in a nonexistent reality, a world where everything around him played an important role in his destruction.

The dreams started out as nothing more than faint, swirling half-images, molding to resemble faces and places he had never seen before. None of this meant anything to him, yet… he had been suffering these reoccurring images for weeks to the point that it became… tiresome… Honestly, was his creativity lacking so much initiative that there couldn’t be a little…VARIETY every once in a while? Sleep without hindrance - why was that so far out of reach?

“Hey, think he’s awake?”

“So what if he isn‘t? Let him rest, Hayner. Besides, there’s no way you’ll be able to throw that rock far enough to hit the window.”

“Ooooh, is that a challenge, Olette? Well, you know I can’t turn down a test of skill. Watch a master at work.”

The girls’ eyes rolled upwards, her foot tapping impatiently against the ground. Boys… always out to prove SOMETHING.

“Steady. Careful aim---” Hayner closed one eye for effect, positioning the rock in what he perceived to be the center of the target. “---and… FIRE!” Soaring high above their heads, the pebble flew, missing its destination completely. In fact, it smashed through a vase sitting on the balcony ABOVE Roxas’ room, sending down shards of glass upon the street below.

With half-lidded eyes, Olette turned to face her thingyy friend now reduced to a blushing jackass, “I see, Hayner, wow, very impressive.” She expected him to blame the miscalculation on the wind, or some other absurdity. However, the stunt did manage to achieve the intended goal.

Roxas abruptly sat upright, warm bed sheets tumbling around him. Tousle-haired, he pressed the palms of his hands flat against the window, shoving it open with a quick motion.

“HEEEEY!” Hayner yelled, hands cupped over his mouth, “You were supposed to meet us an HOUR ago! Get your lazy ass out of bed! We got work to do! Oh, and don‘t worry about missing work this morning! We got ya covered!”

“Huh?” Oh! The job!! How could he have slept in AGAIN? He was SURE he set the alarm correctly this time… Truth be known, he wasn’t feeling all that great. The boy sighed heavily, slumping down over the sill - he should have known his best friend was behind the ruckus that woke him from a much needed slumber. Being jerked out of bed in such a rude manner did not lift the exhaustion he felt, apparent by the slight crack of his voice when he spoke, “…I have a throbbing headache this morning… Can this wai--- AAUGH!” A rock flew in the window THAT time, hitting him right between the eyes. Another fact about Hayner: ’no’ was not an option unless he was truly lying on his death bed.

“HAH! See, Olette? I saved the best shot for last.”

Roxas rubbed his forehead, knowing fully well that there was no way he could wiggle his way out of this one. Maybe a bit of fresh air was exactly what he needed…

“ROXAS! SANDLOT! TEN MINUTES!”

…not that he had a choice in the matter…

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé stood up from her chair, setting her sketchbook down. She walked over to the large window of her white room and pushed back the curtain so she could look out. She could sense that something was going on in the small, synthetic town. And she had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was.

She opened up a small portal out of the mansion and stepped through it, taking herself into the town and into a back alley. She wandered down the street in a hurry, until she saw a tall man with fiery red hair. She walked up behind him, reached up, and tapped him on the shoulder.

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

The tousled blonde sat eagerly on top of a rock, one hand forming the always-photo-appropriate “Peace” sign, the other hand holding a dripping blue ice-cream bar, of which the heat had likely made his finger-band-wearing hands sticky.

To Axel, this photo seemed even stranger than the first. Not just because of the odd choice of rather “cow-boyish” attire, but because of the exhilarated grin on Roxas’ face. The last picture held a hint of a smile, but this one surely portrayed no.13 as “happy”- no mistake.

‘You still like that horrible snack even now, Roxas?’ Axel’s green eyes found themselves staring at exactly what was in the picture; a stand selling sea-salt ice-cream bars
>.>
<.<
The world still seemed to be partially frozen- no one would notice if he took just one to ‘sample’…
The powers of darkness served Axel well, as the wrapped blue snack treat sailed over to hooded Organization member’s hands.

There was something nostalgic about this all…

Even if this was only a digital fragmentation, Roxas had first been found in Twilight town- the REAL Twilight town.

Axel could recall the first conversation he’d had with his new teammate about this strange snack. It may possibly have been the most in depth topic the cold-eyed enigma had ever conversed over.
Axel could almost see the mysterious Keyblader before him, huddled on the ground with that horrid frozen substance

“You’re eating that stuff again? Why do you like doing that so much?”

Roxas didn’t turn around. He remained unfazed by the fact the redhead had just accumulated behind him out of thin air. He seemed too preoccupied by the tart droplets falling onto his
“I know this…It tastes…familiar-" he muttered quietly

“It tastes SALTY” Axel bluntly interrupted, hoping to discourage his friend’s views.

“No, not just salty... Once you get past the cold bitterness there’s a different flavor; kinda sweet- it reminds me of something…”

“…Reminds you?” Axel frowned, he had been hoping not to get into one of these conversations; the higher-ups might take disciplinary measures against such anti- ideals.

“Like a far off memory… even if it isn’t this exact flavor, the refreshing state of it feels like something I once knew. I know this taste, this sensation.”

Axel looked at his friend, half tempted to say “dude it’s a Popsicle” but also intrigued to listen on.

“I only tasted salt….” He scratched his head pathetically, a bit ashamed at his lack of comprehension

Roxas continued with his hypothesis; almost amazed at his own analysis

“Maybe it’s that you just don’t know it. We Nobodies are able to grasp emotion from what little we remember of it, right? I’ll bet it affects the senses too. The fact you taste so little probably means you have no recollection of such a thing…. You’re only able to taste it because it has such a strong flavor.
...Tell me Axel; do you remember anything?”

“…….”

“Axel?”

He waved a submissive hand, turning away.
“What does it matter? Like Xemnas said, we’re not trying to become who we once were; we’re doing this to become ourselves.”

The frozen treat fell to the ground, splattering on the pavement. It’s thick form still stuck in one lump rather than oozing in all directions.
The hooded member felt dejected now at recalling such a memory. The boy had never spoken so outwardly before- and he hadn’t ever since.
Regretfully, Axel found himself wondering if even those trivial moments led up to the blonde’s disappearance. He hadn’t answered him then… and he hadn’t stopped him from leaving either.
A few pixilated ants worked away at the decaying confectionery not even half-gone.
Axel heaved a sigh, tucking the picture away for “safe-keeping”

“… I still only tasted salt”

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru; continued from previous)

“Look at the freak in the black cloak.” Axel’s eyes shifted slightly as he realized the banter in the background was directed at himself.
‘They can see me?- of course the can see me! >.< Time’s unfrozen!!’

d**n. And here he’d wanted to keep a low profile. Fortunately for Axel, that comment seemed to be the only attention he received. The rest of the inhabitants were too busily concerned with their lives to notice a newcomer… or perhaps their “programming” didn’t give them the possibility to be burdened with such a minimal problem.
Not that all the citizens in this little world were entirely normal themselves. Axel noted in particular a little child whose rather large hat seemed to compose the whole of his face- and with bright yellow eyes no less!
Yet despite his clearly different genetic make-up the non-humanistic being fit perfectly along with the rest of the little mirage! So how could an Organization member stick out so much?…
well, Axel was “foreign” to the town to say the least…

?!

‘from behind?!’ Axel whipped around in surprise as he felt a sudden hand on his shoulder. His hood almost flew off as he spun around to lay eyes on the culprit… one he wasn’t really expecting to see so soon

“You…” he muttered staring at the girl wide-eyed.
They had met before; though not under the best circumstances. They could consider themselves mutual acquaintances at best.
Even if she appeared a simple-minded child; Naminé’ was clearly one not to be judged by her cover!
The girl held incredible power, such that she could even take apart a person’s mind piece by piece until they were nothing. The Organization; or rather a half of the Organization had once sought to use it to their advantage….but…no longer.
The witch of memories, the weaver of dreams, enchantress of minds; All of this... was Naminé’
A dark feeling of dread crept into Axel’s gut as he considered the possibility of the girl messing with his head at this very moment.
Roxas being gone… Naminé’ being here… something was starting to feel very wrong about this scenario…

‘First DiZ…and now this.’

“Why are you here?….”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

The girl closed her bright blue eyes and gave a smile. Her arms linked behind her back as she smiled up at Axel. "I think I could ask the same question of you, Number VIII."

Oh, Naminé had her suspicions, but she might as well get the answer from the red-head. She opened her eyes and looked directly into Axel's. "What would two members of Organization XIII be doing here? Is there something you're searching for? Or someone?"

Having once been held amongst the members of Organization XIII, Naminé knew much about the individuals within the group. She had noticed several things about them, things that many of them likely had no clue that she knew about them. But she had never quite figured Axel out.

"You can't possibly be here simply for the popsicles," Naminé continued. "Not when this is the town that DiZ created. I'm sure there's something else." She put a finger to her chin in question and another smile spread over her lips. "Is it because of him?"

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

Axel stared uneasily as the girl’s eyes locked with his. It felt as though Naminé’s vision seared through him like a laser; her words only deepened the intensity

‘Roxas?! Naminé knows about Roxas?’

As deeply as Axel wanted to answer; he had to remember he was on duty. There was no telling what the enemy might do- and now that he knew there was someone as powerful as Naminé behind the whole operation, he had to be careful about what he let slip.
‘I almost wish you were here Xigbar’ No doubt in his mind, Axel could tell this was far bigger than he and No.2 first anticipated…. And judging by the seemingly innocent comment, Naminé already knew about Xigbar too.

"Is it because of him?"

He had to keep calm, play the poker face.
When you lack a heart and have no emotions, you make up for these losses by training your body to follow the behavior "feelings" create. That and from the best you can make from your scrambled head, try to recall how you acted at those certain moments. Therefore, to toss all that work away, and act as nature truly intended- empty and numb, can be very hard to do… simply because you’re afraid you might never regain those things again.
Axel couldn’t bring himself to disregard his emotional balance, but he had other ways put up an “act”...

“Him?…“ he smiled wryly, stepping forward like a menacing shadow
“Well, maybe I am here for someone…” Axel’s eyes flashed dangerously as he advanced

“But honestly I’m surprised you’d come to me so eagerly Naminé; who’s to say I’m not here for you?”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé looked at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were here for me, but I don't think you are."

She smiled at the red-head. "But you know, DiZ isn't going to let him out of his sight that easily. He's always watching him." She looked around. "He's probably watching me right now, too." She put her hands together, pressing her fingertips against each other and holding them up. "Which means, I'd better get going. I want to meet him..." A smile crossed the blonde girl's lips. "Just thought I'd say 'hi,'" she giggled.

With that, she disappeared, leaving the red-head when he stood. This time, she was heading for the sandlot. Hopefully, she would be able to find the other Nobody that lived in the synthetic Twilight Town, before DiZ managed to stop her. She had had enough waiting and she wanted to see the Nobody she felt a connection to. He would be at the Sandlot. He was always there, if he wasn't at the Usual Spot. There was only a short time before she completed what DiZ had asked her to do and when she was done, there was likely no chance of seeing the other Nobody.

[Naminé]

(Post by korky)

Sleep; A luxury DiZ had not indulged in since the worlds began to deteriorate. Darkness spread across the lands, snuffing out the light in the hearts of many, until only empty shells remained, cruel, terrible beings with one purpose in mind: to reclaim what had been so wrongfully stolen from them in whatever way possible. Foolish ignorance. The very essence they were so desperately trying to grasp was not taken from them by force, they WILLINGLY relinquished all that made them human the moment they banished him into the World of Nothingness. They kept his life's research in their hands alone, tossing him out in the cold streets where he would surely die. But he didn't. He marched on, lost in thought for longer than any man should, somehow able to keep his sanity intact even as darkness began infiltrating his own heart and mind.

Xehanort, Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Elaeus became Xemnas, Vexen, Zexion, Xigbar, Xaldin and Lexaeus.... they were no longer human, no longer the eager students he had taken under his wing all those years ago. Now DiZ, Darkness In Zero, a fitting name for the man who had played a part in creating such abominations, suffered from his own debilitating obsession: REVENGE. He would not rest until his pupils were punished for the terrible crimes they had committed, even if it drove him mad.

A chakram caressed by the sweltering touch of flame sliced through the mid-section of the man standing in plain view, a killing blow, but in this case, managing only to cause the illusion to visibly warp. Several streams of data filled the area assaulted by the unyielding weapon, restoring the image to its full quality in a matter of seconds. Biiiiig surprise. In reality, Ansem was too much of a coward to make himself known fully, he had to rely on copies of himself to do what had to be done.

Show time.

Xigbar clapped his hands together, taking a few steps out of the shadowed alleyway to face his old fool of a mentor, “Wow, this act you’re putting on is really, REALLY convincing! One might actually believe you were an ally to the side of purity and light. Heh, riiiight, I disagree you are. NICE work, old man, impressive even!”

‘Do yer thing, Axel.’ he thought silently to himself. Now that Ansem knew they were capable of penetrating the barriers of this intricately designed program of his, their chances of breaking through AGAIN became that much more doubtful. They had a single chance to convince Roxas to rejoin their ranks, or risk losing him for good. That did NOT bode well with him, not at all. So, he placed himself in the path of danger without complaint in hopes that the wild red-head would be able to retrieve the one who wandered away.

“But you see…” Xigbar tapped a finger against his jaw line, pacing around the cloaked form, “…I know better than that. I know you’re nothing more than a selfish bastard who just can’t WAIT to witness the union of a human and a Nobody.” To watch them merge into a single entity right in front of his very eyes. Roxas was an anomaly... as was Naminé. None of the others would ever have the pleasure of meeting their original selves... they had all died when their hearts broke free of their writhing shells. This was his only chance to watch such a display. “That’s just SICK! Tch, I bet you kill kittens too.”

The most miniscule hint of a smile tugged at the corners of DiZ’s lips, new interest filling the normally dull, listless irises of his eyes, “You’ll meet Roxas again soon enough, apprentice. Only, not the way you remember him. System purge. Run an in-depth scan of any OTHER abnormalities. The paradigm contamination ends here.”

“Shiiiit.” Did he buy Axel enough time? Doubtful. Number Eight had a horrible case of ADD, rarely did he complete a task in one sitting. Xigbar felt an odd pressure enclose around his sides, lifting him upward until the tips of his boots just barely grazed the ground. Behind the walls of this program, his body was an imperfection, a VIRUS, and it treated him as such.

“What did you do to ROXAS?” He growled, teeth bared in anger even as his physical body began to break up into tiny blocks of encoded data, “An eye for an eye, Ansem. If something happens to OUR key, we’ll just take YOURS.”

Before he knew it, he was kissing the floor of their humble abode, lying sprawled out in the very spot where they had taken their leave in the first place. “Ah.” He groaned, rolling over onto his back, “Lame. LAME!!! Stupid old, friggen coot.”

d**n. Seemed their situation was FAR more critical then he had originally anticipated.

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

Fresh wintergreen and mint intermingled in an interesting union, exploding against the boys taste buds. Uugh, he hated that bitter aftertaste it left. To an outsider, Twilight Town might appear rather large in size, housing enough people to warrant their own transit system. Older citizens relied on the vehicle to transport them to the different sectors split apart by the bay. It was that body of water that caused the size to appear deceptively larger than it really was. In reality, the community was as close-knit as those small hometowns shown in the movies. They didn’t offer much variety when it came to goods, or toothpaste for that matter, so most were stuck with whatever product the personal businesses preferred - like it or not.

Swish. And. Spit. Roxas ran one sleeve of the plain blue pajamas across his mouth, studying the reflection staring back at him. The nasty red welt in the middle of his forehead looked alluring… it matched the circles under his eyes quite nicely.

The reflection sighed heavily, brows furrowing into a look depicting mild concern. ‘E ancora una volta. Apriranno le porte.” A distant voice echoed in his mind seconds before Hayner rudely yanked him from sleep in his usual LOUD way, “‘And once again They will open the doors.’ What’s that supposed to mean?” People in primal societies viewed dreams as extensions of reality itself. The explanation behind the reoccurring images could be the simple fact that he had yet to confront and resolve an issue that had been bugging him on some weird subconscious level. More than likely, he was doing nothing more than wasting time dissecting something that really had no meaning at all. Lighten up. Golden advice to follow.

Five more minutes were lost as he quickly threw on clothing, sliding his fingers back through the wild locks of blonde hair to get the strands to fall into a sort of strange order. So. The purpose behind this early morning meeting in the Sandlot was to find a job, even if that meant they had to scrap the bottom of the barrel to do so. The quality work would not likely hire temporary help on such short notice - the options were not going to be vast. One afternoon of not-so-glamorous labor, and they would have enough munny for an entire day’s excursion. That was the plan, any way, as simple-minded as it sounded.

With just enough time to grab a brown sugar cinnamon poptart on the way out the door, Roxas strolled forth, rhythmically tapping his feet against the stoop of his apartment complex to force his shoes into place. When that didn’t work out quite as planned, he plopped down, breakfast awkwardly sticking out of his mouth while he took another moment out of Hayner's strict order to finish dressing himself properly.

That air was more stagnant then usual. Being a town situated along the shoreline of the ocean, there was always a constant breeze rustling through the leaves.. but not today. It was actually kind of funny, the small details he took note of..

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé waited impatiently. She was running out of time. DiZ could find her any moment and have her brought back to the mansion. Was it really too much to ask that she meet him just once? She looked around and smiled. There he was.

Using a trick she had learned from watching DiZ, Naminé froze the surrounding area. She watched Roxas closely for a moment before walking over to him.

"Hello, Roxas," she said.

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

Out of the corner of Roxas’ eye, he spotted movement that he wouldn’t normally acknowledge as relevant had it not been for the obvious glare cast in his general direction. Attempting to appear as oblivious as possible, he stole a quick peek, immediately recognizing the old mug of Mrs. Caine speaking to the young female owner of the herbal medication vendor.

They seemed to be in a rather heated discussion that he was involuntarily a part of. Why did she believe with every fiber of her being that he had been the perpetrator who stole her pi---, her pho---, that THING in the intricately, hand-carved golden frame made by her nephew. The accusation tossed at him in the streets the previous day proved her confidence in ascertaining the one responsible: and unfortunately, he was her target. Apparently, they didn’t think too highly of him. Did he honestly look like the kind of kid who went around seeking cheap thrills by meaninglessly vandalizing private property?

Roxas lowered his gaze, teeth sinking down into the frosted first layer of the poptart sticking unceremoniously from his mouth. It was when he rose to stand fully upright that he became painfully aware of more than two sets of eyes glued on his thin frame. Everyone who casually passed by the apartment complex he called home, felt compelled to look at the one on the unusual thieving spree. Several of the boy’s closest neighbors discovered their own ____ missing, the only evidence being broken glass lying scattered across the ground where the event occurred. And he suddenly felt ashamed for no reason at all, his face flushing of its color.

“WHOA! Heads up!”

“Huh?” Roxas’ gaze shot upward, catching sight of a volleyball spinning out of control right toward his head, traveling much to fast to block. GREAT. Another nasty welt against the face was exactly what he needed to top off this wonderful day. And to THINK, it was only NOON! Tightly squeezing his eyes shut, he prepared himself for a sting that didn’t come. The balls movement came to an abrupt halt, hovering mid-air inches in front of him. Time ceased to flow any further, people caught frozen in their daily activities. There were absolutely no signs of life, no sound, nothing.

Breath caught short in the back of the boy’s throat, words of confusion and fear refusing to emerge from his parted lips. W-WHAT happened?

‘Hello, Roxas.’

The blonde boy whipped around at the utterance of his name, eyes falling on a girl surrounded in unnatural pale light. She glowed against the background of a town plunged in perpetual twilight, standing out above all else against the dull atmosphere. In that moment when their eyes locked, he could have sworn that he was looking straight back at himself. There was a familiar air surrounding this stranger, one that made him feel… uncomfortable. Did she---?

“….h…hi.” he managed to say, watching her closely, “Who…?”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

"I wanted to so much to meet you," Naminé smiled softly. "There isn't much time left and this might be the only chance I get."

She took in the sight of the other. Roxas had spiky blond hair, a few shades darker than her own and was slightly taller, but there was a definite similarity between the two.

"Your eyes are the same," she giggled. Whether she meant that they were the same as hers or as his, she didn't mention. She'd keep it to herself for the time being.

Clasping her hands together behind her back, Naminé stepped forward, closer to Roxas. "I really hope things turn out well for you in the future, Roxas. I'd hate it if you were unhappy, in any sense, even if you can't feel it."

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

The beautiful girl spoke a simple salutation, followed by equivocations that confused him more than he already was. The two of them were the only ones granted life outside the paradox, an invisible force keeping the surroundings frozen in time. Didn’t that concern her? Who was to say the same condition would not befall them next? The young blonde would have every right to freak out, to run away from the mysterious stranger who displayed no real emotion other than mild interest and the tiniest hint of laughter glimmering behind those vivid blue eyes.

But he didn’t. For whatever reason, the soles of his shoes remained glued to the streets, the muscles in his legs refusing to budge. Silence settling over the two once her words faded back into nothingness, now running like a broken record over and over again in his head. There was no way to analyze the ambiguous phrases uttered, no definite implication to go by.

A thousand or more possible solutions indiscriminately jumbled together in his mind, making it nearly impossible to form a comprehensible thought to explain exactly what was plaguing him about this entire situation. How could he possibly put his concerns into conventional words? The throbbing pain in his temples quickly dashed away any possibility of this being just another dream his mind had concocted. This was not something pulled out of his imagination. There was no miracle that would somehow make everything okay. He was in the present. And he was on his own.

A slight flush drained the color from his face and he nervously shifted his weight to the opposite leg, feeling very much like he was in a zoo being observed like some dirty animal.

“I…” He swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat, trying his very best to keep his words steady, “…I don’t understand. Who ARE you? And how do you know my name?”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

"I can't stay long," Naminé told him, avoiding his question. "He might find me out here and become upset. I'm really not supposed to leave the mansion."

She looked at him again. Down to every feature, Roxas' face was just like his. It made complete sense. She knew who Roxas really was, after all. Even if he didn't remember, she did. She had been trying recently to send Roxas some of the memories she had been chaining together, oh so carefully.

"There's only so much I can do for you," the young blonde whispered.

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

“STEP AWAY FROM HER ROXAS!”
A trail of black began to form, spiraling behind the girl in white.

“Well, well, thank you Naminé’; You’ve led me right to him.” The sadistic voice spoke to the witch; but the speaker was nowhere to be found.

“Unfortunately I can’t have you getting in the way. You should just sit back and RELAX!”

Without warning the dark grew in size, completely engulfing and dragging Naminé into the unknown realm...
But no one was there to greet her at the other side.

In the already frozen semblance of the scenery, an array of black flames rose from the ground revealing No.8, looking more malicious than ever. His green eyes fondly gazed at his quest’s end.

Even Axel had to admit he wasn’t entirely sure where the portal would lead to; most likely to where he had first encountered the memory-controller in this digital asylum.
Maybe Naminé was powerful, but as long as this earned even a few minutes the gesture was worth it.
The lord of this hell-house DiZ, probably had advised against such a meeting anyhow. With any luck he’d personally reclaim his tool and keep her from wandering off.

But now…all of that was a thing of the past, because at last the moment that had plagued the Chakram-wielder’s head for the past months was finally in reach.

It was hard to tell just when the unconscious yearning for Roxas began. Perhaps it was weeks after the blonde’s disappearance, or the time spent alone in Castle Oblivion.
Maybe it was the second Axel had realized his teammate was not going to turn around… Or earlier still.
Regardless, what had once been a mere happy thought now defined a psychotic obsession the redhead could not pull away from. He choked on the memories of the missing member...
But no longer!

From his large baggy pants to his finger-banded hands, the boy was the living image of the photo. Once again his face portrayed rather uncharacteristic emotions for the once cold-hearted chosen one.

Was it anger or glee Axel wanted to mimic upon seeing those spacious blue eyes? His uncertainty rather like an animal's; not knowing whether to befriend or devour its prey.

He smirked, shaking away his mind from the rushing thoughts

“We meet again, Roxas.”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé

Naminé fell through the portal and closed her eyes as she hit the floor on the other side. She groaned in pain and cracked an eye open. She was back in the white room.

"Axel, you jerk!"

Pushing herself up, the blonde went over to the window and pushed the curtain aside. She looked out over the woods that separated the mansion and Twilight Town. Her blue eyes filled with a sadness that couldn't truly exist.

"Roxas..."

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

Not a single aspect of this incident made any kind of logical sense. No matter how many times he wracked his brain, he could not form a theory that would explain the encounter or the strange concern she had for his wellbeing. Who… was the man she mentioned offhand and what would happen if he discovered her conversing outside the confines of the mansion he apparently forbade her from leaving? The continued usage of ambiguous language was very telling, more so than the pacific actions she displayed before him. He sensed no aggressive hostility, yet, she purposely spouted off cryptic phrases that would only amplify his already immeasurable confusion. What WERE her true intentions for approaching the lone blonde-haired boy temporarily stuck in a suspended reality if not to help him understand what was happening?

The air thickened behind the girl encased in warm light, unbeknownst to the youngster who stood scrutinizing her features down to the most miniscule detail. He examined every facet of her being with the most critical attention until she abruptly left his line of vision, pulled backwards into a swirling mass of black and blue flame.

"HEY! Wait a second! I don't even know your name!"

Out of the fog, a looming shape appeared, moving with an odd stepping grace toward the teenaged figure. Roxas heaved a sharp gasp, stumbling a few paces back away from the new, and far more threatening arrival. Standing in full view was a man clothed entirely in black garb, a hood pulled up to conceal his external guise. Two piercing green eyes glowed from the shadow cast by the material, locked on the quivering mass of a boy. The Grim Reaper, he couldn't bar the imaginary from infiltrating his thoughts.

"Who are you people?!” Mystification gave way to deep animosity, he was no longer interested in participating in whatever sick game this was. "What is going ON??"

Visible energy sparked to life in his fingertips, and in a flash of blinding illumination, shards of data floated down from the heavens, forming an awkwardly shaped yet powerful weapon. A key.

"Wha?" He flinched, tossing it away. It skid along the ground, coming to a stop by the boot of the strange man. He made no effort to retrieve it.

“Stay away from me.”

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

As unsure as he was about whatever went on in that spiky child’s mind. Axel had thought many times about how this scene would transpire; would Roxas be happy to see him? Angry perhaps? A bit alarmed? Yet out of all of these choices, what was this expression plastered on the blonde’s face now?
FEAR
This boy was definitely Roxas; even Naminé recognized it as so! So then…
The sick hypothesis that had been muddled in the pit of Axel’s stomach finally came to light.

“You really don’t remember…” In one last hope his theory wasn’t correct, he removed his hood, red spiked locks flailing in whichever way gravity could force them to obey. He Popped his knees for effect.

“It’s me, ya know, Axel?”

No reaction; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Axel sighed, as the boy seemed to be edging even further away. Life was just too cruel sometimes; even when you didn’t have it!
Nobodies didn't change their appearance much; unless you accounted for Riku- but there was more than one or two problems with that one. So it all made sense now... his strange clothes, his lack of escaping the computerized prison on his own...

“Man oh man, talk about Blank with a capital B. Even the Dusk’s aren’t gonna crack this one”
For something this serious… he’d have to take matters into his own hands
He mused to himself for a moment, completely disregarding the boy's panicked pleas.

"Who are you people?!”
"What is going ON??"
“Wha-?”

The key of destiny… the ultimate weapon and tool necessary to open kingdom Hearts. Whatever doubts Axel may have had about the child’s identity certainly were allayed now that he saw that object.
“Number 13. Roxas: The Keyblade’s chosen one.” He narrated; having stared at the stats so many times to have it memorized.
Although Roxas only tossed it onto the ground, Axel kept his guard up around the weapon.

Spinning out of the void, Axel’s Chakrams took their places at his side. His body readily swung into fighting position.

“uh-oh-” A ripple in the scenery reminded Axel that he could not idly take his time. He had to retrieve the Keyblader in the most efficient manner possible. Talking just wouldn’t get through to him.

Well…whatever. Whether Roxas fully understood the consequences of what was happening or not was irrelevant. It didn’t stop him from being no.13; and the point of this whole wild chase.
Didn’t Axel have to “liberate his disposition” anyhow?

“We don’t have time for a Q + A. You’re coming with me, Conscious or not- then you’ll hear the whole story”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé pulled down one of the pictures she had drawn a while ago. It depicted Roxas and Axel, with a couple of the other Organization members in the background. She studied it for a few moments, then turned to another recent drawing; one of Roxas and Sora. She knew what DiZ wanted, and currently, she was blindly obeying him, much as she had obeyed Marluxia and the other Organization members before.

Now, however, upon finally meeting the thirteenth Nobody, she couldn't think that this was what she wanted. Though she knew the fate of Nobodies, she wanted that fate to be warded off for as long as possible. She knew that one day, she and the others would melt back into the darkness. For Roxas, fate might have a different plan. She didn't know.

What she did know was that she didn't want to see Roxas disappear.

Throwing her drawings to the side, Naminé ran as fast as she could back to the Sandlot. A stitch grew in her side as she ran through the frozen town. Upon arriving at the Sandlot, she paused momentarily to catch her breath. Then, she looked up and saw Axel, his fiery Chakrams spinning in his hands.

"Axel!" she called. "Please! Don't...!"

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

“Axel?” Red hair as tame as the flickering flames shooting up and down his long, lanky arms revealed itself when he removed the hood shadowing the features of his face. Those emerald eyes did not lose their intensity even as the twilit golden glow of the town shined down on him from above. The boy’s fingertips burned, his senses registering the coldness of the keyblade seconds before it reformed in his hand, a rush of air ruffling his own spiky locks.

“….” A sudden epiphany manifested in his gut, fingers curling tightly around the hilt of the unusual weapon. Whatever enemy he now faced would not turn tail and run back into the darkness from whence he came unless forced to do so. If he wanted to escape the fate planned out FOR him, then he had to take control back into his own hands.

“Fine.” Brows dipped low over his eyes, teeth bared in annoyed anger, “I’m going to take you down.”

The scenery shifted again, visibly contorting into unrecognizable shapes, even to the naked eye. This was the SECOND time DiZ had to project his image into the computer system in single day, threatening the very outcome of this vital mission. The more Roxas remembered, the more Sora would forget, forever remaining unbalanced as long as they continued to exist in the same dimension. It might have been better to transport his physical form within the confines of the program - avoiding direct confrontation with the Nobody intruder was not the only reason he decided against it.

How he hated using that instantaneous teleportation method. To wield the darkness itself meant putting the heart in its most vulnerable state. This...nothingness began to corrupt the mind of the user each and every time they called upon the power, no matter how noble their intentions may be. The individual foolish enough to continue to test fate would begin to lose themselves, gradually becoming just like the forces they were so desperately trying to defeat - mindless... and heartless.

Taking a breath, DiZ made himself known, an angry glare cast at the girl Naminé as if silently telling her to get back to work. He was getting too old for this, but his fight was far from over. In fact, it had barely even begun.

“Roxas, he’s deceiving you, you mustn’t listen. You must disconnect yourself in his presence, for he would do anything to pull you into that dark pit where you would never again emerge back into the light. Roxas, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? Listen to me, Roxas.”

The boy was being emotionally tugged in three different directions and his mind was near the breaking point. “Shut UP!” His hands flew up to the sides of his head, eyes closed tightly. He could barely catch his breath, “SHUT UP!!”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé stamped her foot in a sudden display of childishness. "No!" She glared at DiZ. "You can't take him away!"

DiZ turned to face her. "Naminé, you have a job to be doing. All rests in your hands."

He glared at her from underneath the red bandages that covered his face. If Naminé refused to finish putting together the pieces of Sora's memories, then everything he had worked for was in vain. The revenge that he had so carefully planned would fall to ruin. The girl who he faced now was so key in his plan and now she was refusing to finish what she began.

Naminé returned DiZ's glare. "I won't. Sora's memories will stay unchained. I've given him back what he needs. You say he needs Roxas, but look at what he's done already. He's perfectly fine without him."

She turned to Roxas. "Please don't take any offense to this, Roxas."

DiZ gave a sigh. "Very well. You've forced me to do this, Naminé."

With that, the cloaked man put out a hand and bits of data streamed around the girl. Naminé let out a small shriek as she was put into data and thrown back into the mansion. DiZ would lock her in there this time, have her guarded. The girl would finish chaining Sora's memories, even if he himself had to supervise.

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

“That’s it Roxas.” The corners of No.8’s mouth shifted to a wide grin. Time was up; and Axel was prepared to use whatever means necessary to drag his stubborn friend back to the depths of the Nobody realm. He glanced over to Naminé scream something inaudibly in his direction- but he paid no mind to it.
It was time to jar the kid’s head… hopefully it would stay on its shoulder’s by the time Axel was through with it!

A small bead of sweat dripped down Axel’s face upon hearing that rumbling baritone
“You again?!-“ Axel clenched his teeth as he hurled the Chakram into computerized form of his much hated enemy. Yup…didn’t do a thing; at least some kind of pleasure derived from pretending he’d succeeded in cleaving such a maniac in half.
Xigbar wasn’t here to save him this time…

“Roxas, he’s deceiving you, you mustn’t listen. You must disconnect yourself in his presence, for he would do anything to pull you into that dark pit where you would never again emerge back into the light. Roxas, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? Listen to me, Roxas.”

Although words would do nothing for a Nobody who’s brain had already been so scrambled, Axel couldn’t help himself.
“Roxas! He’s trying to trick you! Don’t be a fool!” Urgency marked the chords in his voice. He tried to argue over the bandaged interrogator but it only seemed to be making things worse. “Listen to me; Roxas- Don’t-“

“SHUT UP!!”
The redhead bit his tongue to silence himself.
damn… how did DiZ find him so fast? It was one thing to have escaped once- but to take leave again; and not just alone but with a confused teammate- it couldn’t work…

"Naminé, you have a job to be doing. All rests in your hands."

"I won't. Sora's memories will stay unchained. I've given him back what he needs. You say he needs Roxas, but look at what he's done already. He's perfectly fine without him."

“Sora?..If Sora’s here then…” An idea took light in Axel’s head. DiZ could only find him or ban him completely if he was a “Virus in the program”- but if he actually belonged couldn’t he at least throw the madman off a few steps?

Axel smirked, “I’ve won.”
“Your too late Bandage-man; Roxas sees me, he’s talked to me- Even if he forgot once, I’m not foreign to this place anymore!!”

In a grandiose movement, the Chakram left his hands- but not to vanish back to their safety- this time they shot straight to the ground to torch the place!
What was once the “Sandlot” now became a fiery pit. A blazing inferno even to a place frozen in time. Only one path lay untouched… The line between Roxas and Axel

"Ugh-" Axel hunched over a little; so much magic had worn him out more than he had thought. Still, it would only have been worse had he tried to fight DiZ. No time for a breather- had to keep moving...
His gloved hand shivered as it feebly ripped a hole into the vortex to create another portal
To where? It didn’t matter this time- anywhere but here!

He glanced back over in last attempt to make amends. The waving flames above the untouched-sand cast a fiery hue on all of the general surroundings. Like flames upon the sea; lit only by the surface but not touching the world beneath.
The colored shadows in the blonde’s hair appeared as flames of their own accord, the shades of light dancing across the Keyblader’s face distorting his features

Axel outstretched his hand one last time, his expression almost sympathetic
“Please…Roxas”

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

The keyblade. There were numerous legends attached to the dangerous weapon, some uncovered in ancient scripts DiZ found during his travels, and still other theories written in foreign tongues unfamiliar to him. The text he did manage to interpret shared common themes continually mentioned in all the passages his eyes scanned: the heart, the soul and spirit, the world, all somehow connected to the Chosen One selected to wield such immense power.

It was said the planet itself forged special tools to combat against the growing darkness threatening to overthrow its delicate balance. Because of its unique creation, many believed it to hold spiritual attributes, not a conviction he was particularly taken with - scientists needed solid proof, not the word of a mortal man whose mind was easily convinced of even of the most ridiculous notion. Still, he could not ignore that of which he witnessed first hand. This tool, this… weapon… unlocked HEARTS, a subject far too profound and complex to be discussed with conventional words. The answer he had been seeking all this time may lay behind that mysterious silvery blade and yet… he could not touch it to within an inch of himself.

The Chosen was a boy sixteen years of age with little experience in the ways of war and true evils. Beings void of heart and soul feared crossing paths with the warrior of light, the only force capable of resetting the planets equilibrium to its original disposition. Sora. He possessed a proclivity that prevented him from striking out until there were no other options leading up to a peaceful resolution. If the wielder lacked the skill required to take on a task of this magnitude, the keyblade was no more special than the spinning chakram in Axel’s hands.

The boy was courageous and strong of spirit - but that would not save him from the threat plaguing their worlds now. In this instance, bravery and good judgment were not enough. He needed more. He NEEDED… Roxas. Keeping the young Nobody in captivity relinquished far more information than he originally anticipated. The program had done well to preserve every second of the boys gradual change, his body unconsciously preparing to accept the summoning from his Other. DiZ knew…. when Sora called, Roxas would respond whether he still walked down the painstakingly crafted streets of the digital Twilight Town or… in the blackest pits of the World That Never Was.

‘Roxas, he’s deceiving you---!’

‘Roxas! He’s trying to trick you!’

‘You can't take him away!’

‘Please don't take any offense to this, Roxas.’

Axel… Naminé…SORA, memories and duty, the young blonde standing in the middle of the onslaught: the shouting and confusion and panic and anger could do NOTHING to silence it. His perceptions regarding what was real and what were merely images his mind concocted to protect him from painful truths were becoming as warped as the town around him. He saw the imperfections: solid, blinking walls, black voids… He just didn’t know what caused such frightening spectacles. Was it that red-head in black, or the old man in the crimson cloak?

An eruption of flame swallowed the world whole, charring the rocks under the soles of his shoes. He barely evaded the wall of flickering fire seeping from the cracks to encase him in that small area, forcing him to face the magically enhanced psychopath head on. Roxas could hold his own in just about any battle, but there was something different about this confrontation. He was SEVERELY outclassed in the power division. The two stood separated from outside influence, giving them both the freedom to say what had to be said. And yet he stood silent, watching the man hunch forward in obvious fatigue, those deep emerald irises losing all hostility he sensed when he first stepped into view.

“Please…Roxas.”

Actions spoke much louder than words. This was no ally. A friend did not draw their weapon to those closest to them no matter how frustrated they found themselves to be. He was happy… and he had no intentions of leaving his home to head into the unknown with a stranger who refused to explain himself without idle threats.

“No.” Roxas rejected the man’s plea, all fear absent from the tone backing the short response. The boys knuckles were white with the pressure he exerted on the hilt of the blade, a weapon now pointed directly toward the intruder.

“I’m not going any where.”

[Naminé]

(Post by Akuseru)

The redhead sighed; he was at a moral dilemma

Being the “hothead,” of the group, Axel wasn’t as much of the team player as other members were. He may not have joined in with the remarkable scientific intellect many of the higher ups possessed, but when it came to an order, he saw to it that it was accomplished in the most efficient of ways… The ones that mattered at least.

The boy held the Keyblade with surprising grace; though he leaned in somewhat of an awkward balance his stance was perfect. Amnesia may have dulled his mind, but his instincts remained as sharp as ever.
Despite the grin he found himself forming to see such color and hostility in No.13’s eyes, Axel didn’t quite fancy testing just how much Roxas still remembered of his fighting skills.

No.8 found himself pausing occasionally the take in an extra gulp of air. His hand still felt a little shaky, even if he had the strength to stand.

“I’m not going anywhere.” His inviting hand fell dejectedly

Axel needn’t remind the boy that with one snap of the fingers he could scorch the entire pathway in which he presently stood. There would be no need against such fierce determination and opposition. As much as the flared up agent wanted to lash out in anger at the stubborn opponent, he also couldn’t help but admire the sheer will of the sixteen-year-old. But were he to fight…

As Axel currently stood he risked the possibility of defeat… a chance he couldn’t afford to take.

Humans may be able to battle with their lives on the lines, but Nobodies were different. When even the sense of the pain is dulled, it’s too difficult to judge just when you’ve pushed the body too far. He’d seen it happen before, Nobodies bursting into flames and fading away to nothingness all because they didn’t know when to quit.
He was worth more to the Organization alive, and what’s more destroying Roxas wouldn’t complete the objective either,

Yes… There was no choice but to temporarily retreat.
The flames began to dwindle down, along with Axel’s fighting resolve
He locked eyes with the fellow Keyblader

“Heh…Silly. You’re not anywhere as it is.”
‘ I swear… I’ll find some way to make you remember me!’

But first, there was something he didn’t like about the odds of a certain orange-eyed fellow watching.

“I’d be careful if I were you DiZ” he grinned through his teeth, clearly enjoying the state of anxiety he’d sent the old man through. “If Naminés so hesitant to help Sora- don’t you think there’s a problem leaving him alone with her?”

The man couldn’t be at two places at once after all- even if he COULD project himself. Such a perfectionist would never settle to not give his full attention to one or the other.

“She could be tampering with Sora right now- actually… Perhaps I better do that”
If DiZ had left any Dusk still in the system; he’d sure regret it now!
Roxas or Naminé- if he had one he could get the other.

Stepping back into the shadows he smiled one last sympathetic simper at the child.
“Don’t forget me again Roxas… Remember, it’s Axel..."
He tapped the temple of his head before the whole of him vanished
"Get it memorized!” >)

[Naminé]

(post by Naminé)

Naminé was locked in her white room. It was unlikely that she would be able to leave again. She was under constant watch by DiZ’s guard; if she were to attempt to portal herself out of the mansion again, the guard would undoubtedly meet her in the world of Betwixt and Between and cut off her escape route. She knew she’d be forced now to finish her work and complete the chain of Sora’s memories. Roxas would forget everything that he had learned and remembered and be back to square one of knowing the truth about who he was.

“Roxas…” she murmured. She tightened her fists over the hem of her white dress and lowered her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. She knew that even these tears were fake; one without a heart could not truly feel sadness, but Nobodies remembered, with such vividness, the emotions that their Others had felt during their lives, that the displays of so-called emotion could trick even the most knowledgeable about the beings called Nobodies. For Naminé, the tears felt real.

The door to her room opened and a cloaked figure approached the small blonde. She turned her face away from DiZ, refusing to move from her chair. A small rush breeze moved throughout the room as the door shut behind the man.

“Naminé,” the man said, his voice deep, dripping with fury at the girl. “I told you that you were not to leave the mansion. You disobeyed me. Because of the time you wasted in town, Sora’s awakening will take even longer--”

“Maybe I don’t want Sora to wake up,” Naminé told him. She wiped away the false tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “There are others that can unlock potential to use the Keyblade. Sora’s done his part; he locked Kingdom Hearts. He’s stopped the Heatless from multiplying.”

“Kingdom Heart will not remained locked forever, Naminé,” DiZ told her. “The Organization seeks to unlock it again and use it. I cannot allow that.”

“And I cannot allow you to take Roxas away,” Naminé retorted. “He’s the only thing I have here. You think Sora needs him, but he doesn’t. Sora is strong enough as he is. He doesn’t need Roxas. I need Roxas.”

“Nobodies need nothing,” DiZ said sternly, turning to leave the room.

Naminé watched him leave and gave a small sigh when he was gone. She still had so much she wanted to talk to Roxas about and she had hoped that she'd get her chance when she went into the town earlier that day. Now she couldn't leave the mansion and Roxas would never hear her explanations.

Unless...

Maybe she could bring him to the mansion.

[Naminé]

(Post by lexxeii)

‘Don’t forget me again Roxas… Remember, it’s Axel…’

Commit it to memory…

“Wait! A-Axel!”

Don’t go. Like before, the red-head’s body became enveloped in the bubbling mass of darkness, fading from his line of vision just as quickly as he had materialized in the streets of his hometown. And then he was gone, leaving the blonde haired youngster alone in the frozen world, more confused than he had ever been in his entire life.

‘Why is this happening to me?’

Roxas threw every ounce of wiry muscle into propelling his thin frame forward, away from the charred grounds. This route he traveled on a daily basis stretched on forever, becoming a wedge between him and the safe company of his friends. The sooner he arrived at the Usual Spot, the better. His mind raced almost as quickly as the breath flowing from his slightly parted lips, long strides putting at least a short distance between him and the Sandlot. Axel’s brows had furrowed into a look of disapproval at the boys open display of objection…. He almost appeared…disappointed at the hostile rejection of his desperate plea. He acted as though he had finally reunited with his long, lost brother, only to have him once again slip through his fingers like delicate grains of sand.

“Hey, ROXAS! Geez, my eighty year old grandmother moves faster than you do.”

Blue eyes widened to the size of large saucers at the comforting, WELCOME call.. the one familiar voice that could break through the growing distress in his gut. He came to an abrupt halt, hands pressed firmly against his knees. They were moving.. They were SPEAKING to him!

“What took you so---- What’s wrong? Dude, you all right?” Hayner and Olette quickly moved off to where their friend stood, out of breath and pale.

“I, uh--” He began in between breaths, gesturing in the direction he had come, “…was… chased by a weird guy in a black cloak. Over there.”

“You were?” The two standing at his side stole quick glances toward each other before lifting their gaze to look down the path he indicated with the simple motion.

Hayner placed a hand against his hip, one eyebrow arching upward, “Well, I don’t see anything, Rox. Know what I think this is? I think this is a poor attempt to get out of work!” He growled playfully, grabbing Roxas in an uncomfortable headlock to rub his knuckles hard against the boys scalp.

“Wha? Hey, get off!” He quickly scrambled to his feet, finally gaining enough courage to take a quick peek himself. “…really? You don’t see anything?”

“Nope, but I DID find you the PERFECT job. Check it out.” He grabbed his best friends hand, roughly pulling him over to the billboard where all the local vendors posted recent positions: part, full time and temporarily tasks alike.

“See, look. Crazy old Mrs. B needs someone to muck the stall of her five horses. Guess how much she’s offering.”

“Uh…” Roxas reached up, scratching the back of his head in confusion. What was he getting at? “I don’t know, how much?”

“Three munny.” Blank stare. Aside from the disgusting nature of it all, the pay was ridiculous considering how much energy it would take to complete it. “But you see, no matter how bad the pay is, Rox, it’s the job for you. I mean, you deal out crap all the time any way, like that story you just told.”

“Hey, that was SERIOUS!”

“Come ON you guys!” Olette grabbed both their hands, pulling them however unwilling toward the street that would lead them to the train station, “Pence is going to meet us at the other bulletin board. Let’s hope we have better luck there or we’ll never be able to go on this e-end-end-end of s-sum-mer t-t-t-t-rip.”

“Not again…please, not AGAIN! AH! Augh!” Roxas’ hands flew up to his throbbing temples, an incredible pain erupting in his head. He couldn’t even see straight any more. It hurt… so bad.

Tentacles of darkness began to creep up over the toe of his shoe, gradually expanding until it had swallowed his foot entirely. The shadow moved at an incredible rate, pulling him down into the abyss from whence it had sprung forth - struggling proved fruitless.

All went silent.

When he gathered enough courage to open his eyes, he found himself laying flat on a shimmering white floor in an equally as white room. Yet another unfamiliar location. “Ggn…aah…” Ever so slowly, he rose to sit upright, rubbing the back of his head as he took a moment to regain his composure. Maybe he passed out and this was ALL just one crazy nightmare. For being nothing short of a dream, it sure was… realistic….

“W-where am I?”

[Naminé]

(Post by Naminé)

Naminé stood in front of the door, listening carefully in case DiZ decided to return. Hearing nothing from the other side, she approached Roxas cautiously, in case Roxas might become nervous and freak out on her, though she knew that the fear he might "feel" wouldn't be real.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here without warning," she said. "I didn't know what else I could do."

She went over to the long table and sat down, gesturing for Roxas to do the same.

"Roxas. There are things you must know. I don't know really how to explain it to you. But I'll do my best."

Naminé looked up at the other person in the room. Her brilliant blue eyes met with his equally luminescent ones and she clenched her fists over her skirt. "The things that have been happening today, the dreams you've been having...they're all because of who you are, Roxas. Or rather...who you were."

Another pause.

"Roxas, do you remember your true name?"