Kingdom Hearts II Vol 1

by Tomoco Kanemaki

  He flung his arm out in frustration and hit a chair, and a single drawing fell from the jostled table.

  It was a picture of Roxas and Sora holding hands.

  DiZ released Naminé’s arm and shoved her away. She fell to the floor of the computer room.

  On the screen there was an image of Sora.

  “To think a mere Nobody would act so selfishly…,” DiZ grumbled under his breath.

  Meanwhile, he helped Naminé to her feet.

  “Why…were Nobodies born? Why did we have to exist at all? You know the answers, don’t you?” Naminé demanded, holding his hand as she pulled herself up.

  “I bear no obligation to give them to you,” DiZ replied without looking at her.

  “Don’t you remember? I’m a witch.”

  He burst out laughing at her and spun around, his cape fluttering behind him. “You think you can compel me? Didn’t you make a ‘promise’ to Sora and Riku?”

  “I didn’t promise you anything,” Naminé retorted.

  She hadn’t. Naminé had not made any promises to DiZ.

  The promise I made was…

  “I shall tell you one more thing,” DiZ said. “If you hadn’t gone to such lengths in the first place, Roxas would not be in so much pain. Isn’t that so?”

  “Knowing something painful is still better than not knowing. Being able to help someone is better, even if it hurts. I have no memories at all. I don’t know anything, just like the Replica. So I want to know. Roxas is the same way.”

  “And what good will that do you?!”

  Just as DiZ shot down her argument, he noticed that behind him the screen was alerting them to something. Naminé did, too.

  An intruder in the mansion—most likely Axel.

  “What do you know, DiZ?” Naminé demanded.

  When he realized what she was doing, he instinctively sensed that he shouldn’t inform DiZ.

  She kept interrogating him. “What are you trying to do?”

  “Revenge,” he replied, even before DiZ could answer her.

  Behind DiZ, the screen told them that Roxas had infiltrated the computer room in the simulated mansion. And Axel was lying in wait for him.

  Axel, Roxas’s best friend… He’d said that he and Naminé both wanted the same thing.

  The same and not the same, she’d told him.

  If he were in Axel’s place, he wouldn’t be able to destroy Roxas. He knew that much.

  That meant they were buying Roxas time right now. It shouldn’t cause any problems.

  “This old man is using us just to get his own personal revenge,” he said. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Do you really intend to betray me, Ansem?” DiZ’s voice shook with anger.

  But then, DiZ reflected, if Ansem was going to betray him…it wouldn’t be the first time.

  On the second story of the mansion, in a room opposite from the white room Naminé had occupied, Roxas was running down a hidden staircase that led down to the basement.

  There was only one thing he knew. They led me here, and now I have to keep going. Even if I turn back, I won’t regain anything that’s important to me.

  Beyond the basement door, there was an enormous computer setup.

  The monitor showed an image of Sora. The headache came back—more memories were returning.

  “Shut up!”

  I brought down the Keyblade—and darkness surged from him, unbelievably strong.

  He was on his feet again, and he looked like someone else.

  But I didn’t have the chance to see who. The fierce rush of darkness threw me back.

  And then he brought me into the computer room in the basement.

  My head was pounding, and I could hear two people talking.

  “Will it work?” asked the man in the black coat, the one who defeated me.

  “If we can maintain the simulated town until Naminé finishes chaining together Sora’s memories.” That was the man in the red cape.

  “What’ll happen to Roxas?”

  “He holds half of Sora’s power within him. In the end, he’ll have to give it back. Until then, he’ll need another personality to throw off his pursuers.”

  Another personality? Did I become someone else?

  “Simulated town”? Is that Twilight Town?

  Then what about Hayner, Pence, and Olette?

  “Poor thing…,” murmured the man in black.

  “It’s only a Nobody,” said the one in red.

  Only a Nobody?

  What is a Nobody?!

  The memory that returned so painfully to his head was a horribly unwelcome truth.

  In Roxas’s hand, the Keyblade shone.

  He winced, holding back the tears stinging his eyes, and struck out at the computer with the Keyblade, over and over.

  All his memories were fake—and not just his memories. His friends, even the town—everything. It was all fake.

  How…?

  Roxas stared at the smashed computer.

  Then, behind him, a door opened. He ran to it, and Axel was waiting. Roxas mumbled his name.

  “You really do remember me this time? I’m flattered!” A mean, twisted smile came to Axel’s face as he conjured his chakrams.

  I really don’t, though, Roxas thought. And I don’t know why you’re following me.

  Naminé had said Axel was his best friend. Then why was Axel trying to destroy him?

  But more than that—everything about his situation was so disgusting.

  He was so upset it made him sick.

  “Too late, though!” Axel yelled. Flames erupted in the air around him.

  If Axel wants to destroy me… Fine! He can try!

  The moment Roxas felt the power coursing into him, with a flash of light a Keyblade appeared in each of his hands.

  “Two?!” Axel fumed and rushed in to attack, but Roxas crossed the Keyblades and blocked. “Huh. Not bad, Roxas…”

  Axel grinned, and then another memory came flooding back.

  In that city lit only by neon lights, Axel shouted at me. “You get on their bad side, and they’ll destroy you!”

  This happened right after the memory that came to me in the white room.

  “No one would miss me,” I retorted, and started to walk away.

  “That’s not true…,” Axel mumbled. “I would.”

  At the time, I pretended not to hear him.

  We Nobodies have no hearts. How would we be able to “miss” someone?

  But now, I understand how he felt.

  Roxas flung Axel back with the Keyblades so that he fell to his knees.

  Roxas couldn’t bring himself to deal the final blow. “Axel…”

  That’s right—we were the only pair of best friends in the organization.

  “Let’s meet again in the next life.” A dark mist rose around Axel as he spoke.

  “Yeah. I’ll be waiting.”

  “Silly. Just because you have a next life…”

  Axel was breathing hard, his shoulders heaving, as the darkness swallowed him up. Roxas didn’t look away until well after he disappeared.

  A train pulled sedately into Twilight Town—the ghost train, decorated violet. The passenger who disembarked wore a black cloak like the organization members. He was fairly short, and the hood of his cloak couldn’t quite hide his two big ears.

  King Mickey hopped swiftly down the stairs from the platform and dashed out into town.

  As DiZ trembled with rage, he answered quietly. “No, I’m not betraying you. You said our alliance would hold until Sora wakes up. Well, that’s about to happen. Everything until then is up to you. But after that, I…we can take care of things on our own.”

  He had no intention of getting involved in someone else’s revenge plot.

  Besides, he wanted to help Naminé, who was her Nobody, and Roxas, who was Sora’s Nobody. What her Nobody wanted was probably the same as what she herself wanted. What Sora’s Nobody wanted was probably the same as what Sora himse
lf wanted.

  Were Nobodies really not supposed to exist…? Did that mean none of them could be allowed to exist?

  It was like the duality of light and darkness.

  The worlds weren’t made only of light—and darkness wasn’t always evil. I found those answers for myself.

  And even if Nobodies weren’t supposed to exist, that didn’t mean it was okay to hurt them.

  Naminé called him by his name. “……Riku.”

  “I’m not Riku,” he said. “I’m Ansem. Let’s go, Naminé.”

  Riku took Naminé by the hand and made to leave.

  “Where?” she asked uncertainly.

  I’m a Nobody, she thought. Where could I possibly go…?

  “Well…it looks like someone’s here to tell us,” Riku said.

  “Huh?” Naminé could sense that Riku was smiling under his hood, and she looked up at him.

  “You, make sure Sora wakes up properly,” he told DiZ. “Look at the screen. Roxas is about to reach the room where Sora is. Weren’t you planning to leave the rest to Sora himself?”

  He didn’t know what had happened between Roxas and Axel, but they’d been right not to interfere with it. Roxas heading for the pod room told them that much.

  DiZ laughed softly.

  Riku didn’t like it. “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh—nothing. I’ll go and meet Roxas.” With those parting words, DiZ vanished.

  “Come on, Naminé,” Riku said, squeezing her hand.

  “…Okay.”

  The reality is harsh, he thought. But still…we have to keep going.

  Riku and Naminé left the room in silence.

  This place looked like the room where Naminé had been. White walls, white ceiling, even a white floor.

  In the middle of that floor was some kind of pod shaped like a flower bud. And in front of it, the man in the red cape stood silently.

  “At last,” DiZ said. “The Keyblade’s chosen one.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Roxas snapped, glaring at him. “Me or Sora?”

  “To half of Sora, of course. You reside in darkness. What I need is someone who can move about the realm of light and destroy Organization XIII.” DiZ’s voice was a low rumble.

  “Why? Who are you?”

  “I am a servant of the world. And if I’m a servant, you are at best a tool.” As if his own words amused him, DiZ started to chuckle.

  “Was…was that supposed to be a joke? ’Cos I’m not laughing!” Roxas lunged at DiZ, swinging the Keyblade, but it passed right through him with no impact.

  “Sorry to disappoint,” DiZ said, “but this is only a projection made of data.”

  Roxas screamed in wordless fury.

  Sorrow…rage…hate. What was he supposed to do with these feelings?

  The best he could do was to hack wildly at DiZ with the Keyblade. Even if it was just an illusion, he had to take out those feelings on it or else he would explode.

  “Over here.” DiZ vanished and reappeared, his back up against the pod, looking down at Roxas.

  “I—I hate you so much…,” Roxas spat.

  “You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He’s far too kind.”

  “No! My heart belongs to me!” Roxas brought the Keyblade down on him—but DiZ vanished again, and the Keyblade struck the pod.

  “…Huh?”

  The petals came quietly open.

  “Sora…”

  Sora floated inside the pod like a cloud, his eyes closed.

  My other half… My—

  The boy sleeping there wasn’t a dream. He was real.

  “I’m jealous…,” Roxas murmured. Sora looked so peaceful, it made him sad.

  He stepped closer to the boy in the pod.

  “Looks like my summer vacation…is over.”

  As he spoke softly, light engulfed them.

  A sweet, peaceful light. A light that was complete.

  “Sora…”

  At Roxas’s whisper, he awoke.

  CHAPTER 7

  THE LAST DAY

  SOMEONE WAS CALLING HIM.

  Who…?

  Who was saying his name?

  “Sora!”

  “Sora, wake up!”

  The voices were familiar. He blinked his eyes open, and in front of him were Donald and Goofy.

  Sora took a moment to stretch and then lazily jumped out of the pod, where he hugged the two waiting to see him. “Donald! Goofy!”

  They all embraced and then kept their hands linked, so glad to be reunited.

  “Goodness, that was some nap!” Jiminy Cricket poked out of Sora’s hood and hopped down to the floor.

  “You mean we were asleep?” Sora said.

  Jiminy cocked his little head. “I think we must’ve been. Or we wouldn’t be so drowsy…”

  “When do ya think we went to sleep?” Goofy wondered. Sora was confused, too.

  When did we fall asleep? What were we doing before that? He couldn’t quite remember.

  “Let’s see,” Sora thought aloud. “We defeated Ansem, right?”

  “Yup.” Goofy nodded.

  “Restored peace to the world… Found Kairi… Oh yeah—and then we went to look for Riku.”

  “Then what?” Donald said.

  “And then…,” Sora started. “Um, and then… Hmm.”

  The four of them sank into thought.

  It was fair to say they really had no memory of what had happened after that.

  “What’s your journal say, Jiminy?” Goofy asked.

  If it had happened on their journey, Jiminy would have written it down.

  “Gee, there’s only one sentence,” Jiminy told them.

  The others peered at the tiny journal. It was cricket-sized, and the letters were too small for them to read, but they could see that there was indeed just one short sentence on the page.

  “‘Thank Naminé’…,” Jiminy read. “Hmm. I wonder who that is.”

  Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at one another. Naminé… They couldn’t remember hearing a name like that.

  “Welp, if we meet any Naminés, then we gotta tell ’em thanks.”

  Sora nodded to Goofy’s sensible statement.

  “For now, why don’t we go outside and see where we are?” Jiminy suggested, and sprang back up to Sora’s shoulder.

  Donald and Goofy checked their effects—Donald’s wand and Goofy’s shield—and began looking for a way out.

  The floor, the ceiling, the walls were all white, and at one end of the room there was a grand door. When they opened it, brilliant light streamed in…and outside was a mansion’s spacious garden, dotted with crumbling stone pillars.

  “What’s this place supposed to be?” Donald said, squinting in the sunlight.

  “Dunno, but it’s kinda excitin’.” Goofy looked around with intense curiosity.

  They went through the garden to a massive gate that had been left open, and beyond that was a gloomy forest.

  Sora hung back nervously. “It’s pretty dark up ahead…”

  “Should we go back to the mansion?” Goofy asked.

  “You turn into a fraidycat while you were asleep, Sora?” Donald teased.

  “Yeah, right! C’mon, let’s go! Donald! Goofy!” Sora charged into the woods.

  Donald hid behind him. “Looks like something’s gonna come out at us…”

  “Look who’s the fraidycat now,” Sora said, laughing.

  And yet, this forest… Not only the forest. The garden, too. They felt vaguely familiar. Have I been here before? Sora wondered.

  “There’s light up thataway!” Goofy ran toward it, with Sora and Donald close behind him.

  Axel stared vacantly at the sun sinking into the sea.

  The never-ending sound of the waves was beginning to grate on him. He was far outside Twilight Town, as far as the trains went, at a deserted beach. It was the same beach Roxas and his friends had meant to visit.

  He stood up from the hunk of driftwood he’d pe
rched on and flinched as pain shot through his ribs. “Ouuuch… He could’ve gone a little easier on me…”

  Axel still hadn’t quite healed from his fight with Roxas. He sat himself back down on the driftwood, resting his elbows on his knees, and watched the waves rush in and out.

  He wasn’t sure what to do yet. He would already be branded a traitor. He hadn’t exactly disobeyed orders…but he had failed to carry them out.

  The other members were already suspicious of him as the lone survivor from Castle Oblivion. He couldn’t imagine that it was safe for him to return to the organization.

  “Oh man, what do I do…?” He stretched carefully and got up again, his eyes narrowed against the setting sun. It turned the sea red, and the sky. The waves lapped at his feet, getting them wet.

  “Axel,” said a voice from behind him.

  Startled, he turned. It was…

  “Naminé…”

  He stiffened warily, but she only gave him an awkward smile.

  And there was a man standing behind her. He wore the same black cloak, but he wasn’t in the organization—Axel knew that much. He had a feeling it was the man he’d met outside the mansion.

  Forcing his injured body to move, Axel readied his chakrams.

  “Axel, don’t…” Naminé looked back at the other man, whose empty hands were resting at his sides, trying to show that he wasn’t an enemy.

  Axel sucked in a breath and sat down once more on the hunk of driftwood. “So, what’s your name?”

  “…Ansem.”

  “Ansem? Somehow I doubt that.”

  Ansem—or rather, Riku—shrugged off the question. “Never mind my name. I want to offer you a bargain.”

  Axel pretended that this didn’t rattle him as he stared back at Riku.

  Through the forest, there was a town built mostly of brick.

  “There’s people here! We can ask somebody where we are.” Donald ran toward them to ask.

  Watching him, Sora cocked his head. “Hmm…”

  “What’s the matter, Sora?” Goofy asked, concerned.

  “You know…I think I’ve been to this town.”

  He didn’t know why, but he felt it—something in him knew this place.

  “Quack! Sora! It’s called Twilight Town!” Donald shouted back to them.

  Twilight Town… That name was familiar, too.

  Just then, the toll of enormous bells sounded through the town.