Souls & Hearts:Underground

[Quillion9000]

Roxas' Diary
Day 7: Entry 1
It's been a week since I got here. Saix told me to keep a diary, but what am I supposed to write about? Well, today they told us to go to the Round Room where we met our new member, No. XIV. Was I like that when I first got here? I think I was, but I don't remember too well.

Day 8: Entry 2
Axel and I went to Twilight Town today. He taught me a lot. Before we RTC'd (Returned To the Castle), we swung by the clock tower and had some sea-salt ice cream. Axel called it the "icing on the cake" after a successful mission, except there was no cake just the ice cream.

I don't know what to write in this thing!

Day 9: Entry 3
The past few days, the other members have been showing me how to fight and do mission stuff. They also told me more about the Organization and myself. I still don't really get what a 'heart' is. Apparently, it's a vital piece to who I am, so I've decided to cooperate. If I collect enough hearts, I can complete Kingdom Hearts. Then, I'll be whole.

Day 14: Entry 4
Axel and I went on a mission to Twilight Town. Afterwards, we had ice cream again up on the clock tower. He said friends do stuff like that, or they laugh together. Does that mean we are friends?

Day 15: Entry 5
The other members have been teaching me more about fighting and stuff. It's going well, I guess. Every day, after work, I've been meeting Axel at the clock tower to have sea-salt ice cream. It really is salty yet sweet. How come it tastes so familiar?

Day 22: Entry 6
Axel is going to some place called Castle Oblivion. He told me because we're friends. He had to go home early to get ready. After he left, I noticed the word 'WINNER' on my ice cream stick. I wonder what I won? I'll ask Axel when I see him tomorrow.

Day 23: Entry 7
Axel left before I woke this morning. I never got to ask him about the ice cream stick. I was partnered with No. XIV for today's mission. Xion wore a hood the whole time and wouldn't say a word. Come to think of it, I didn't have a lot to say. Afterwards, I had ice cream by myself.

Day 24: Entry 8
I teamed up with No. XIV again today, and we finally talked a little. Xion even said my name for the first time. Afterwards, I had ice cream by myself again. The lady at the shop said you can trade the WINNER stick for an extra bar, but I can't eat more than one.

Day 25: Entry 9
Today was my third day with Xion, and I've gotten to know a little more about her. That's right! She's a girl with black hair and can even use the Keyblade like me! I took her out for ice cream afterwards, but I'm saving the WINNER stick. Axel deserves a reward when he gets back. Xion wants to have ice cream with us from now on, so maybe we'll all be friends.

Day 26: How Long?
I heard somebody sent to Castle Oblivion was terminated. Saix said it may have been Axel. I tried to ask Xigbar about it on today's mission, and he said nothing's left of Nobodies once we're gone. It's because we have no hearts to leave behind. I don't remember much after that.

They say I then collapsed and wouldn't wake up…

Day 50: Xion's Seashells
I woke up to find a bunch of seashells by my pillow. I counted them, one for each day I was asleep. I wondered who left them, but when I got to the clock tower, Xion gave me another. I held it up to my ear and could hear the ocean…

Why did it sound familiar?

The stuff I dreamed about felt strangely familiar to. I remember being in a white room with somebody in red. Then, he disappeared into the white. There was also this girl's voice. She said she knew I'd be "snoozing." Why would she know that?

The voice sounded a little like Xion's.

Day 51: Annihilated
It sounds like the worst has come to pass. The whole C.O. team, wiped from existence. It's hard to come to grips with the idea Axel is gone. I feel…choked up? I don't know what you'd call it. I went up to the clock tower to have ice cream, but no one else showed up.

Day 52: Ice Cream Alone
I sit up on the clock tower, but no one comes. Not Axel, not even Xion. That weird lump in my throat won't go away. Something else is bothering me. This is going to sound crazy (good thing this is a private diary!), but these pictures keep flashing through my head. Not all the time, just sometimes since I collapsed. It happens when I'm awake too, so I don't think they're dreams.

Where do the pictures coming from?

Day 71: Axel's Back
After work, Axel turned up out of nowhere. I didn't know what to say. I thought we'd lost him for good. We went up to the clock tower and talked for a while. I told him about Xion. The choked-up sensation has gone away.

Day 72: Ice Cream with Axel
Axel and I went to Agrabah. He seems different now that he's back from C.O. Ice cream was just the two of us today.

I wonder when Axel, Xion, and I will get to have ice cream together?

Day 73: Where's Xion?
After I finished my mission, I wanted all three of us to have ice cream, but I couldn't find Xion. It's been at least ten days since I've last seen her. Axel said he'd ask Saix what was going on. Speaking of Axel, I didn't see him at the clock tower today.

Day 74: The Three of Us
Today, my job was to help Axel find Xion. It turns out she had gone missing, but we managed to find her. We finally got to have ice cream together, which was nice, but Xion can't use her Keyblade anymore. Axel says friends help each other, so I'm going on missions with her until she remembers how to work the Keyblade herself.

Day 75: Inseparable
Xion and I are working together now. The Genie we met in Agrabah said he and his friend Al are "inseparable." Axel told us best friends can be inseparable even if they're not always together, but it sounded like he wasn't sure about it himself.

I thought Axel knew everything.

That reminds me, those weird pictures flashed through my head again while I was in Agrabah. The boy in red I wrote about before…

Has he been to Agrabah or something?

Day 94: Kingdom Hearts
Xemnas summoned us. Nothing he says ever makes sense to me. He showed us Kingdom Hearts, a big heart-shaped moon floating up there in the night sky. He said the human heart will never have power over us. Great, I guess? So, why are we trying to get hearts again?

Axel said I'll understand once I have a heart, but I'm not sure…

Day 95: My Past
I went to Agrabah today with Xion. We make a pretty good team now. Afterwards, we spoke with Axel about the other Nobodies. The ones who make it into the Organization are powerful enough to keep their memories, yet Xion and I can't remember our pasts.

What was I like?

Day 96: Out of Trouble
Today's mission was with Xion, in Beast's Castle. I tried loaning her my Keyblade, and she had no problem using it. That meant I had to fight without it, but we got the job done. Afterwards, Xion remembered how to summon her own Keyblade, so I guess we're out of trouble. When we were done, we all had ice cream together.

Day 97: Our Place
Every day, after work, the three of us have been going to our place on top of the clock tower to have ice cream. We don't talk about much, but I wouldn't miss these conversations for the world. I wonder if Axel and Xion feel the same…

Do the other Organization members have their own routines? It's hard to picture.

Day 117: Special Nobodies
Today, it was Xigbar and me while Axel and Xion went out on their own mission. Xigbar told me Xion and I are "exceptional." You know, special Nobodies. Because we can use the Keyblade? Work dragged on late, so I didn't make it up to the clock tower.

I wonder if Xion and Axel made it. Those pictures started flashing through my head again on the mission. The boy in red…What's it all about? Maybe when Xigbar called me "special" he meant "crazy." Seriously, though, is Xion experiencing the same thing? It feels weird to ask.

Day 118: Vacation
Today was my first vacation ever. I didn't know what to do with it, and all Axel would say was to do what I like. Well, all I like is having ice cream with my friends, so that's what I ended up doing. Axel leaves tomorrow for a mission.

That reminds me, I still haven't given him the WINNER stick!

Day 119: Something to Protect
Today, Xaldin and I explored Beast's Castle and found something he wants to protect. Xaldin says that's a weakness, but I'm not sure. What does it mean to care about something that much? I don't, so it's hard to wrap my head around the whole idea.

Day 149: WINNER
Today's mission took me to a new world. It was a weird place. I was up on the clock tower afterwards when Axel turned up after being away forever. He said he finished that long mission, but this time Xion didn't show. I was going to give Axel that WINNER stick, but I should wait until I get another. It wouldn't be fair to leave Xion out.

Day 150: Too Precious to Lose
Xion didn't come to the clock tower again today. She and Saix had some kind of argument. Axel and I talked for a while about the things we can't bear to lose. Axel thinks for Nobodies it's our past because that's all we have to remember the pain of losing something.

I don't remember my past, but the idea of losing the present, Axel or Xion, scares me.

Day 151: What Makes Us Different?
I ran into Xion in Twilight Town. I guess she messed up a mission bad the other day, and it's been bugging her. We went up to the clock tower afterwards. She said we're different. That's obvious if you look at us, but I don't think that's what she meant.

A lot seems to be on her mind, and it's not the same as what's on mine.

Day 152: I Don't Get It
I think Xion might be mad at me, but I don't know why. Axel says girls are complicated. You can't press the wrong buttons.

Like I'm supposed to know what the right ones are!

Day 153: No Taste for It
It's hard spending time with Xion, and Axel seems busy too. I've been having ice cream alone, but it's just not the same. All I taste is the salt, and my hands get sticky. It's like I'm going through the motions of eating it just to throw the stick out and get on with life.

I must've had about a hundred of these things, yet I still haven't found another WINNER. I never did find a way to ask Xion about the pictures going through my head. I don't really know what to do about anything right now.

Day 171: What's Love?
On my mission to Beast's Castle, Xaldin told me about 'love,' and the special power it has over people. I tried to ask Axel about it, but his explanation didn't make any sense to me. Every time I ask him about this, he tells me I need a heart to understand. It's like he's dodging the question.

Day 172: Xion Collapsed
Xion failed her mission and now she's in a deep sleep. I thought they were lying to me when they told me, but I went to see her. She really was just asleep. I left a seashell by her pillow, just like she did for me. Saix hates her, and I don't know why.

Maybe he knows more about her than the rest of us do. Those pictures flashed through my mind again on today's mission (the same boy in red as usual). I guess he's been to Wonderland. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm seeing.

Day 173: Picking Up the Slack
I've decided to work harder while Xion is asleep and pick up the slack. Axel said he asked Saix about her, but no dice. He did say Saix was having second thoughts about calling her broken, though.

I just hope we get this drama ironed out before she wakes.

Day 174: Seashells for Her
Xion hasn't woken up, but I'm pulling double duty to make up for it. Axel and I talk about the dumbest stuff now, up at the clock tower. Afterwards, we head back to the castle, and I leave a seashell by Xion's pillow.

It would please me to see her smile when she finds them. Pictures flashed through my head again in Never Land, and when I flew, it felt like I'd done it prior. Has the guy in red flown before, is that it?

Day 193: Best Friends
Xion's awake! The three of us were going to get ice cream after our mission; however, she passed out again, so we had to take her home. I talked with Axel in her room until she woke. He said the three of us were best friends, inseparable.

Day 194: Even Far Apart
We've all started going back to our usual spot after work. Sometimes, Axel and Xion are there waiting for me. Other times, I get there first. Things have gotten busier for us, so we can't all make it every day.

But even if they're not there, at least now it seems like we're together again. I wonder if it seems that way to them, too. I forgot to ask Xion about the pictures in my head again…It was the same kid in red.

Who is he, and what does he have to do with me?

Day 224: What's Gotten Into Her?
I think something's wrong with Xion. Is she not feeling well again? Axel said we should all go to the beach next time we get a vacation. I think he senses something is wrong too. That's why he suggested the beach, to make her feel better.

Day 225: Something Must Be Wrong
Okay, now I'm really worried about Xion. I told Axel, but all he said was that she'll get through it. He knows something is wrong. I bet he's just telling me that to put my mind at ease. Well, it's not working.

Day 255: Now Axel's Acting Weird
I had ice cream with Axel after work today, but Xion didn't show. Axel said she got sent on an important mission, but he wouldn't look at me when he said it. I've been wondering what's wrong with Xion all this time, but now that I think about it, Axel's not himself either.

Day 256: Xion's Gone Missing
Xion has gone missing. Nobody has said anything about her being hurt, so that's good…I guess. Did she run off? That doesn't make sense. Xemnas told us not to go after her. The way Saix explained it, it's almost like they don't think she's worth getting back.

What is going on?

Day 257: He's Avoiding Me
I want to talk to Axel about Xion, but I can't seem to get ten seconds with the guy. What am I supposed to do? I can't believe he's avoiding me.

We're supposed to be friends.

Day 276: By the Sea
I don't remember much about today's mission, just that it was by the beach. Or was it? The mission didn't even feel real. Axel and I agreed to start looking for Xion tomorrow.

Day 277: No Sign of Her
I've looked everywhere for Xion, in every world, but there's just no sign of her. Where is she? Why did she leave the Organization?

I don't get it, any of it…

Day 296: Castle Oblivion
There's one place we haven't checked for Xion, Castle Oblivion. When I brought it up with Axel, he surprised me by saying C.O. is where she comes from. I guess he just found out himself.

Is that where she is?

Day 297: Who is That Guy?
I went to Castle Oblivion to find Xion, but I don't remember anything about it. Axel said I collapsed as soon as I got there. I woke up in Twilight Town. Incredibly enough, Xion was there, but she wasn't alone. There was this guy wearing our cloak, yet he wasn't one of us.

Who is he?

Day 298: Some Other Way
I don't believe it! Axel attacked Xion. There must have been some other way. I know she's acting weird, but I hardly recognize Axel these days either. What's going through their heads?

I feel so left out…

Day 299: Sora?
Xemnas told me 'Sora' is the connection between Xion and me.

Who exactly is Sora?

Day 300: No Words
For the first time in a while, the three of us met up on the clock tower. None of us really knew what to say. We used to talk each other's ears off, but I guess those days are gone. So much has happened lately.

I've even been forgetting to write about those pictures in my head. They now happen even when I'm not on missions. More often too. They even show up in my dreams. Xion told me she has dreams too.

Is all of this connected?

Day 301: My Dream
I dream all the time now, but I don't sleep well. I wake up tired every day. I guess that makes them nightmares, not dreams. Xion and Axel don't come to the clock tower anymore. I thought maybe if I got everything off my chest with them, I might stop having the nightmares.

So much for testing that theory…

Day 321: No Energy Left
I feel so tired, almost disconnected from my body. The dreams have gotten stranger. Now, I wake up with water on my cheeks. I don't know how it got there, but I think there's something wrong with me. Today, I was teamed up with Xion. She seems to be in better shape than me. We had ice cream together, something we hadn't done in a while.

Day 322: Another Dream
I had another dream. My head feels heavy. I want to have ice cream with Xion and Axel again.

Day 352: Us and the Sunset
Xion, Axel, and I had ice cream. The sunset was beautiful. I don't have to write anything else down because I'll never forget this day.

Day 353: Broken Trust
Axel let Xion leave the Organization, like he wanted her to go. She's a puppet? A mirror that reflects me? He's talking nonsense.

I can't trust him anymore.

Day 354: Who Am I?
I don't understand the Organization. I don't understand Axel…I understand myself least of all. Why do I keep coming back to the castle? Xion and I are special, connected by "Sora." If she's a puppet, maybe I am too.

I don't know what I am.

Day 355: I Am
I must know who I am…

I am DONE WITH THIS.

Day 357: Three Again?
I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free and find my way to Sora. I'm going to get Xion back. The three of us will have ice cream together again…

I know it.

The World That Never Was: Day 358…
It was stormy within the World That Never Was when Roxas came into the neon-lit city. Typically, one could see he was Sora's Nobody by his facial features which closely resembled the island boy. This included his bright blue eyes, build, and spiky hair.

In contrast to Sora's brown hair, Roxas' was a golden blond and styled more windswept. None of this could be seen due to the black coat he wore with the hood up. Roxas was now making his way through the landscape.

"All those hearts I've captured…Kingdom Hearts…Set them free." It was that which echoed in Roxas' mind as he tore through Neo Shadow after Neo Shadow.

His keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, moved in accordance with his thoughts in a deadly dance. He never stopped nor hesitated. With each felled Heartless rose an inky black mist, their lifeblood. His blades moved so quickly it yanked the mist forth to fill its wake.

"I'll make them pay, Xion." Roxas thought.

He clung to that with all his might. He didn't care what she claimed, he would never forget. She was his friend, and he was hers. Once he was done fulfilling her last wish, once everyone paid for what they had done to her, he would go to…Static.

"No." Roxas muttered, shaking his head. "Her name is Xion. Her name is Xion. Her name…"

He had reached the base of Memory's Skyscraper. With his focus elsewhere, he didn't see the Neo Shadows pop up behind him, following him stealthily. That did not last as Roxas soon came to notice he was surrounded. He spun his Keyblades, accepting their challenge of opposition.

Roxas proceeded to tear through the Heartless, eliminating each foe with his deadly dance. Thunder crashed as he ripped through the last Neo Shadow, illuminating a figure high above. It was that unknown figure who wore the same cloak yet wasn't part of the Organization.

His hood was down, showing silvery hair blowing in the breeze and a blindfold which covered his eyes. Roxas jumped to the side of Memory's Skyscraper and dashed up its surface as more incoming Neo Shadows attempted to attack him. Roxas slashed through them, barely impeded.

He then threw one of his Keyblades, Oblivion, at the figure who jumped down and dived to catch it. Upon grasping the blade, memories of Xion came to his mind. He remembered when he met the wounded girl on the bridge as he held her in his arms.

The figure and Roxas passed each other, one falling while the other rose. While Roxas reached the top of the skyscraper, the figure gracefully landed. He stumbled and held his head as more Neo Shadows surrounded him. When one lunged for the figure, he easily dispatched it.

Roxas then jumped off the top of the building and landed. Wordlessly, they took the remaining Heartless down before jumping back and facing each other. Memories of Xion flickered through the figure's mind.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked.

"Why does it matter?" The figured asked. "I'm here for you."

Roxas' blue eyes angrily glimmered beneath his hood. "Why are you trying to stop me?"

"Because I want the rest of Sora's memories." The figure answered.

"Sora!?" Roxas exclaimed, sick of that name by now. "Enough about him!"

"Do you have some kind of plan?" The figure asked.

"I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free." Roxas replied firmly. "Then, everything can go back to the way it was. Xion will return, and the three of us can be together again."

"Xion…" The figured looked at Oblivion. "You're managing to remember her, yet it's a struggle for me to recall her name. Regardless, I can't let you do anything crazy."

"I'm freeing Kingdom Hearts." Roxas held his Keyblade out. "Then, I'm finding this Sora person and bringing Xion back. "

The figure sighed, shaking his head. "The Organization will destroy you well before you reach Kingdom Hearts."

"Enough!" Roxas shouted, swinging Oathkeeper.

He then charged the figure, striking him only to hit a barrier. Despite his anger, that was enough to see Roxas exercising caution. As the figure struck, Roxas blocked. Both now circled each other before clashing. They blocked each other's strikes, though occasionally got a hit in.

The figure was sturdier than Roxas, resulting in him utilizing his magic and limit break to strike back fiercely. This managed to even up the battle before overcoming the figure and knocking him on his butt. Roxas now towered over his opponent, panting from what he had used to win.

"Why!? Why do you have the Keyblade?" The figure asked.

Roxas stared at Oathkeeper before shaking his head. "Shut up."

Roxas tried to attack the figure again, but he was the one knocked away this time through a powerful clash. Oathkeeper was sent flying as Roxas lost his grip on the blade. The boy who laid on the ground now thought back to his memories of himself, Axel and Xion.

The figure approached and slammed Oblivion into the ground beside him. He was taken aback when Roxas struggled to rise, using the blade as support. He managed to slash it out, forcing the figure back before charging forward.

The figure shot off a Dark Firaga, but Roxas slashed through the spell as he lunged at the figure. He slashed his blade, forcing his opponent to evade him before eventually hopping back. The two faced off once more, both clearly winded.

"Why don't you quit!?" Roxas yelled.

"Come on, Sora." The figure decided to try something. "I thought you were stronger than this."

"Huh? Get real." Roxas spoke, though his tone was lighter than normal. "Look which one of us is winning."

The duel wielder was surprised, covering his mouth at the outburst in confusion.

"So, it's true." The figure was somewhat pleased. "You really are his Nobody. Guess DiZ was right after all."

"What are you talking about?" Roxas questioned, frustrated. "I am me!" He summoned Oathkeeper to his free hand, brandishing both Keyblades once more. "Nobody else!"

Roxas then charged his opponent again. The figure managed to dodge the first slash, but he could only cross his arms and take the attack which followed. He was sent skidding back and brought to his knees, darn near out of juice as he currently was.

"Riku, please!" Xion's voice rang out, only for the figure to hear. "You must stop him!"

Roxas' breathing was shaky. "How many times do I have to beat you?"

"Alright." Riku had some issues standing. "You've left me no other choice."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I have to release the power in my heart." Riku removed his blindfold. "The dark power I've been holding back. Even…if it changes me forever."

He let out a scream as pillars of dark energy surrounded him.

"It can't end here!" Roxas' eyes widened at the display of power. "I-I don't have the magic or energy to combat him further."

He had to use a lot of what he had to bring Riku down the first time. This guy wasn't even as unpredictable as Xion had been; however, his skill was undeniable. To see this outpouring of powerful darkness…

"I can still fight." Roxas firmly clenched his Keyblades. "That's a lot of darkness though, and if I do fall, I won't achieve…Wait! There is something else I can do." He held out his hand behind him. "I need to regroup anywhere but here."

The dark, flame-like corridor opened behind him as the darkness around Riku faded. He was now a taller man with silver hair and tan skin. Roxas didn't waste time as he lept back into his corridor, deciding he had to escape now.

Riku saw this in shock before lunging forward in desperation. "No!"

Roxas made it through the corridor. It closed before Riku could follow, seeing him hitting the ground stomach first.