Kingdom Hearts 358-2 Days

by Tomoco Kanemaki

  What was that all about?

  “Heh-heh-heh. So you wanna be a hero, huh?” A chuckle sounded from right behind him.

  Startled, Roxas spun around, and now Xigbar was here. “Where did you go?!”

  “To hide?” his teammate drawled, like it was patently obvious. “Organization XIII doesn’t exactly work out in the open, remember?”

  “Well, yeah, but…,” Roxas mumbled. I wasn’t stealthy, so now what?

  “It worked out just fine, though,” Xigbar added.

  “How do you figure?” It seemed like Xigbar always had him confused.

  “If they think you’re one of them, you don’t have to sneak around. Heh, I bet you’ll be the best wannabe they’ve ever had.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Whatever you think it means.” Still laughing, Xigbar opened a portal to the corridors.

  “Hey, you’re bailing on me?”

  “As if. I’d only get in the way of your training. It’s all you!”

  Now thoroughly confused, Roxas just watched him leave.

  Axel blinked at the sunset and took a bite of sea-salt ice cream.

  “Roxas must be working late,” said Xion. She had already finished her ice cream.

  Their mission hadn’t been too complicated. Plus, they were already in Twilight Town, so coming to the clock tower was a foregone conclusion. They knew they’d arrive before Roxas, but he should have been here by now.

  “Hope Xigbar’s not bullying him too much,” Axel remarked.

  “Yeah.”

  They fell quiet for a bit. Xion realized that this might be the first time she had been alone with him like this. “You know, Axel…”

  “Hmm?”

  “When I sit here watching the sunset with you guys, I get the strangest feeling…like I used to watch the sunset and talk about nothing with someone else.” She’d never brought this up before; her gaze dropped as she gathered her thoughts. “…I get the same feeling when I look at the sea.”

  Then she reached into her pocket and took out a shell.

  “When I stand at the water’s edge, listening to the waves…it’s almost like I can hear other voices.”

  She stared at the little object in the palm of her hand.

  “So…it’s like you’re remembering something?” said Axel.

  “No, not quite…” Xion shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe it is a memory.”

  “I couldn’t tell you, either.”

  The conversation trailed off again.

  The sea… A seashell. To Axel, there was only one person that brought to mind. Sora.

  He thought he knew a thing or two about Sora’s memories, scattered as they were by Naminé’s handiwork in Castle Oblivion. You could hardly get away from the sea back where he was from—the Destiny Islands.

  And that good luck charm, the symbol of Sora’s promise to Kairi… Wasn’t it made of seashells?

  So it wasn’t just Sora. It also made him think of Kairi, a Princess of Heart.

  If Xion had some connection to Naminé, then naturally, that memory of hers pertained to Kairi somehow. Naminé was Kairi’s Nobody, after all.

  Or maybe it meant that Xion was related to Kairi herself.

  So whose Nobody was Xion?

  Now that he was thinking about this, he had to wonder if seeing Naminé in Xion during the mission was more than just random hallucination.

  “But, Axel, you have memories, don’t you?” Xion asked.

  “More or less. Not that they’ve ever done me any good,” he replied, looking over at her.

  Xion seemed unsure. “I’m like Roxas. Neither of us remembers anything. I wonder if we had so much in common before we were Nobodies…”

  Axel had no answer for that. He had a guess, but he certainly couldn’t tell anyone about it.

  The Organization’s plans, the machinations he was involved in, and the time with Xion and Roxas—everything was starting to clash. He squinted into the sunset.

  All of them were nothing but pawns to Organization XIII—well, to Xemnas, specifically. Only Axel and Saïx were trying to use him right back.

  But now…

  The train sped away out of town with the lonely cry of the whistle. Xion and Axel both sat there, lost in thought, until finally Roxas arrived.

  “Hey. Sorry I took so long.”

  “You sure did,” Xion told him with a grin, slipping the seashell back in her pocket. “We finished our ice cream ages ago.”

  Roxas sat down beside her. “Xigbar cut and run. I had to finish the mission on my own.”

  “Sounds like you earned yourself the treat,” said Axel.

  Not wasting any more time, Roxas dug in. Axel pocketed the stick from his own ice cream.

  “Xigbar is such a jerk!” Roxas complained between bites.

  As always, the trio talked about nothing and everything, laughing all the while.

  Every day passed like the one before it. Roxas opened his eyes, blinked away the dreams, and went to the Grey Area. He had been going on solo missions lately, which was a bit tiring.

  “Morning…,” he said, then realized he was greeting an empty lobby. The light from Kingdom Hearts shone down into the cavernous room.

  Where Saïx would usually be found, he saw a piece of paper tacked on the wall.

  OPERATIONS CLOSED FOR VACATION.

  “Vacation…?” Roxas mumbled. He wasn’t clear on the concept. What was he supposed to do with himself?

  Anyway, there was certainly no one here. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to be in here, either.

  Then he recalled something Demyx had said not too long ago about needing a vacation or he’d go insane.

  He walked back up the hallway and found Axel.

  “Oh, hey, Roxas. Been a while since we’ve had some time off.”

  Axel seemed to be in higher spirits than usual, but maybe it was just his imagination. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a vacation before.”

  “Really? Huh.” Axel shrugged.

  “Um, Axel…” Looking up at him, Roxas frowned briefly, then asked the question. “What am I supposed to do during vacation?”

  “Supposed to do? What kind of question is that?”

  Roxas hung his head, unable to fake his way out of ignorance. “But…I really don’t know.”

  Without a mission, he honestly had no idea what he should be doing.

  “You just do what you want,” said Axel.

  “What I want…? I don’t know what I want to do.”

  Axel let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. Sleep. And then maybe have a catnap and a snooze after that.”

  “But you do that anyway,” said Roxas, still confused.

  “Hey, I’d nap six times a day if they’d let me.”

  How could anyone sleep that much? Roxas thought. I’d just have dreams that wear me out even more.

  “Speaking of, I’d better get to it. Enjoy the break.”

  As he turned to go, Roxas grabbed his sleeve. “Wait, Axel…”

  “Hey, c’mon, let me get some sleep.” Axel yawned, stretching his arms to emphasize his point.

  That was when Xion happened to turn the corner, stopping in her tracks to stare at them. “Uh, what are you two doing?”

  “Did you see that paper?” said Roxas.

  “Yeah.”

  “What are you gonna do, Xion?”

  Axel yawned again through Roxas’s question. “If anyone cares, I was just getting back to bed.”

  “Wh—? Oh. Okay.” Roxas nodded uncertainly as Axel sauntered off without another word. How can he be that sleepy…?

  “Roxas?” Xion prompted.

  “Oh yeah—what are you up to?”

  She grinned. “I thought I’d get in some practice.”

  “Practice?”

  “I want to get better with my Keyblade. Why don’t you join me?”

  Roxas didn’t really get why she needed to do anything with the Keyblade
when they were on a break. “No thanks… I’ll pass.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll see you around, then. You can come find me if you feel up to it later.”

  Then Xion was leaving, too, her steps brisk and energetic.

  Alone in the deserted hallway, Roxas sighed. Do what I want, Axel said… But what would that be? I mean, what do I like…? Ice cream, I guess?

  He couldn’t think of anything else. So he started walking.

  Roxas emerged in the usual back alley of Twilight Town and headed for the sweets shop in the common. He’d never been here so early in the day before without even a mission to finish.

  As he descended the stairs toward the sandlot, he heard a girl’s voice cheering. “Whoo-hoo! Go, Hayner!”

  “Keep it up!” another voice called.

  That trio Roxas kept seeing was playing some kind of ball game down there.

  “Ugh! No more! Guys, I’m done.” The spiky-haired boy tumbled on the ground, his limbs splayed. “Oof… I am bushed.”

  What sort of game was it?

  Roxas hadn’t meant to stop and watch, but they noticed him.

  “Huh? Who’s that?” The girl looked up. Olette, that was her name.

  “Oh, hey, I know you.” The heavyset boy came trotting his way—Pence, the one who had provided local intelligence to help in the search for Xion. “How’s it going?”

  “Um…hi,” Roxas faltered, wondering how to get out of this. He was supposed to avoid having contact with a world’s denizens. But on the other hand, their game had caught his curiosity.

  “On your own today, huh?” Pence asked. “Did you find your friend?”

  Roxas nodded. “Yeah…”

  Olette came closer. “How do you know him, Pence?”

  “We ran into each other not too long ago.”

  “Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to Roxas. “I’m Olette.”

  Now what? Roxas hesitated.

  “And I’m Pence. Wait, you knew that already. That’s Hayner over there.” Pence gestured toward the third member of their group. The other boy had finally dragged himself to his feet, but he was giving Roxas a rather unfriendly look.

  A bit intimidated, Roxas turned back to Pence. “So what were you all doing?”

  “Watching Hayner practice his Grandstander act,” Pence replied.

  “You keep hitting a ball in the air and don’t let it touch the ground,” Olette explained. “It’s harder than it sounds. Timing is everything.”

  “Hayner’s one of the best in town,” Pence added, glancing behind him. “Right, Hayner?”

  The boy in question marched toward them, holding his bat like a sword. “You new? What d’you want with us?”

  “Nothing… I mean, I’m just passing by.” Roxas didn’t know how else to respond to open hostility.

  “Oh yeah? Well, keep passing,” Hayner snapped. “We’re busy.”

  “Hayner!” Olette scolded him. “That was uncalled for! What’s the matter with you?”

  “Um, sorry about that,” Pence told Roxas. “He doesn’t mean anything by it.”

  Hayner’s glare, however, suggested that he meant every word.

  Maybe I’d better just go, Roxas thought, but then Hayner spoke up.

  “You try it. Let’s see your Grandstander.”

  “What’s that going to prove?” Olette groaned.

  “C’mon, just let him try. Here.” Hayner handed Roxas the bat, and then Pence passed him the ball.

  “You just bounce the ball off that, and whoever gets the most hits wins.”

  “Okay. Here goes.” Roxas smacked the ball into the air and ran to stay under it. Then he struck it again, and again…

  “That’s it! Keep going!” Olette called.

  It was fun, actually—finding just the right timing and sending the ball up in the air again. Roxas got in a few dozen hits before sweat made his hand slip on the bat, and the ball dropped to the ground.

  Olette and Pence both ran up to him.

  “Was that seriously your first try? You’re good!”

  “Yeah, that was awesome!”

  Just as Roxas wondered what Hayner himself would have to say about that, the latter slowly stepped toward him.

  “Huh, you’re not bad. Are we cool?”

  “Um, I guess. Thanks…”

  Hayner looked away to mumble, “Sorry I jumped on you before.”

  Jumped on? What was he talking about?

  “Hayner was just tetchy because Seifer beat his record,” Pence explained, snickering.

  “Hey! He doesn’t need to know that!” Hayner complained.

  “Hee-hee-hee,” Olette giggled.

  Fuming, Hayner turned crimson. “That includes you!”

  It was kinda funny. Roxas found himself breaking into a grin, too.

  “Come on, now you’re laughing at me, too?” Hayner sulked.

  Now all four of them were giggling together. This really was nice.

  Roxas said his good-byes and got himself his daily treat, then climbed up to his perch on the clock tower.

  Right below him, in the station plaza, the same three were now running around playing something like tag.

  “There he goes!”

  “I got him!”

  “Huff… Guys, I can’t take this anymore…,” Pence wheezed, doggedly trying to evade the other two.

  Roxas took a bite of sea-salt ice cream.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” said a familiar voice. Roxas turned to find Axel behind him, stretching and yawning. “Slept like a baby.”

  He sat down beside Roxas just as Hayner’s voice rang out from below. “Ha! Gotcha!”

  “Aw, man… I’m not gonna be able to walk tomorrow…” Pence collapsed to the plaza’s paving stones.

  “What are those kids doing? Is it summer vacation? Nah, can’t be. It’s too early…,” Axel murmured.

  Roxas glanced up at that. “Summer vacation? What’s that?”

  “The kind of perk only humans get.” Axel laughed. “A whole month off.”

  “A month? What do they do with themselves?” Roxas looked down at Hayner and his friends again. “I can’t even figure out how to fill a day…”

  It was nice running into them and playing around for a bit, Roxas thought, but all day every day? For a whole month? He’d go insane.

  “Well, they don’t have to look far for things to do. The teachers give them a ton of homework, and they’ve gotta hang out every day. Trust me, it’s over before you can blink.”

  “I dunno… I could deal with a week, maybe.” Roxas finished his ice cream and distractedly hugged his knees.

  But that would be fun—a whole week like today.

  “Most kids spend the time just messing around with their friends. They put off the homework until the end and then help one another finish it.”

  He was apparently speaking from personal experience. Was Axel referring to his own memories of summer vacation as a human?

  “It’s not a bad way to spend your time. I hadn’t really thought about it since I became a Nobody…,” he murmured, almost to himself, before turning the conversation back to Roxas. “So what’d you end up doing today?”

  “How did I know you guys would be here?” another voice asked at the same time.

  Roxas turned to see Xion sitting down beside him. “Hey, so where’d you go?”

  “Nowhere. I was just practicing in the castle…and finally I got bored,” said Xion. “Why, did you two go somewhere without me?”

  “Does going to sleep count?”

  “What?! Axel, you wasted your whole day?”

  “Hey, I needed the rest! I work hard on the job, unlike some people.”

  “It’s not our fault you get tired so quick,” Xion shot back, and the three of them cracked up together.

  “Well, back to work tomorrow,” said Axel.

  “Yeah,” Xion replied. “I hope we get another day off soon.”

  The far-off call of a bird broke through
the stillness.

  “Oh, by the way, it looks like they’re shipping me off again,” said Axel, a bit subdued. “I won’t see you guys for a bit.”

  “What?” Xion and Roxas both chorused.

  “Yeah, I’ll be going out on recon for a few days.”

  “Where?” Xion demanded.

  Axel stretched his shoulders as usual and smirked. “Can’t tell ya.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Roxas pressed.

  “It’s classified,” Axel said with a shrug.

  Xion was entirely unsatisfied with this. “I thought we were friends.”

  “Doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything. Everybody’s got secrets.” The smirk hadn’t left Axel’s face, but his voice was low and solemn. “Got it memorized?”

  “Secrets…?” Roxas repeated to himself. Do I have any of those?

  Xion’s gaze dropped, as if her thoughts were wandering, too.

  “Geez, you two. I’m kidding!” Axel laughed, dispelling the pensive mood. “I just gotta keep my mouth shut about this, or I’ll have Saïx on my case. You know how he gets. Watch your step with him, okay?”

  If that was a warning, he probably meant it.

  Roxas didn’t know what they would have done without Axel when Xion lost the use of her Keyblade. They would have been out of luck on their own.

  He nodded, taking the advice seriously. “Okay.”

  “Try not to bungle everything while I’m gone,” Axel added.

  “Why would we do that?” said Xion.

  “Well, considering your track record…”

  “Excuse me? Don’t make me come over there!”

  At Xion’s mock threats, Roxas lost it.

  She turned on him. “Come on, Roxas, back me up…! Pfft.”

  But she couldn’t hold back the giggles, either, and then nor could Axel.

  I wish it could always be like this, Roxas thought. The three of us laughing together.

  Like those three friends here in Twilight Town…

  Back at the castle, Axel ambled through the halls back to his room by himself.

  It was nice to have a little break.

  “Where have you been?”

  Axel turned, but he already knew who it was. No one else would be so brusque. “What, now I have to report every detail of my day off to you?”

  Saïx had no response for that. A moment went by before he spoke again. “You’re letting yourself get too attached to them.”