Kingdom Hearts: Xion the Puppet

Chapter 9

Distress

Day 19

Xion opened her eyes to yet another new day, but it seemed different. She had no lack of energy and shot out of bed immediately. She ran to the door and down the hallway. She thought to herself, "The sooner I finish my mission, the sooner I can talk to Roxas." She sprinted until she ran into an unexpecting Xaldin emerging from his room. Xion tripped onto the ground and just laid there for a few moments.

Xaldin walked over to her shaking his head. The man with braided hair asked, "Can I ask what you were doing? It's morning and missions were just assigned. There's no rush. You and I have been put on a recon mission through Twilight Town."

Xion got herself back to her feat and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you like that, but could we go on our mission right now? I'd like to have the day mostly off."

Xaldin gave a no-hearted chuckle saying, "Well you picked the wrong day for it. We need to gather some information about the Realm Between. We're looking for someone."

The girl put the pieces together from yesterday's conversation, "Is it Riku? You were talking to Xemnas about him last night correct?"

Xaldin nodded and started walking towards the lobby, and then stopped to say, "Just heard an update about Castle Oblivion too. They've gone dark. Expect the worst." After saying this the man continued to the lobby.

Xion followed as she thought, "The worst? What could have happened? I'm sure they're doing well on their mission. There are six of them after all." Once she entered the lobby however, she was immediately struck by a conversation that Roxas and Saix were having.

Roxas asked, "So is it true? Did someone disappear at castle Oblivion?"

Saix responded, "That is none of your concern Roxas, focus on your own missions for now."

The boy then asked, "What about Axel?"

Saix shot back immediately, "Gone, and maybe for good. It doesn't matter. He's a Nobody right?"

Roxas shot back only a face of confusion and uncertainty. Xion walked to him and said, "Axel is tough. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Roxas looked at her, still clearly unknowing what to do. He just sighed and said, "Yeah, you're right." He pulled himself together before saying, "Looks like we aren't partnered up today, huh?"

Xion shrugged and said, "It looks like it. Bot don't worry. I'll be waiting for you in Twilight Town when we're both done ok?"

Roxas gave a small laugh as he said, "It sounds like you think you'll beat me there."

The girl nodded and said, "Well, I only have to do some recon. I'll see you there." She waved and walked over to Xaldin and said, "I'm ready to go when you are."

Xaldin put his hand out and a black portal appeared in the ground and the two walked through it. While inside the Realm of Darkness, Xion asked, "So what's the Realm Between like?"

Xaldin stated, "Don't be expecting much of anything. Most of the Realm is just a colorless mess of nothingness." The portal on the other end opened and Xion walked through to see a sight unlike any other. There was nothing but grayness as far as the eye could see. She walked out and noticed that the gray was actually solid. She said, "If there's nothing here, then shouldn't it be easy to find this Riku? He'd be the only thing here."

The black haired man put out his hand and it looked as though he touched something. He motioned for Xion to do the same. She reached out and felt a solid invisible object. She was surprised, but before she could ask Xaldin began to explain, "The Realm Between is a labyrinth with multiple different exit points. Three lead into the Realm of Darkness, two into the World of Light, and one…" The man pointed at the black Corridor he created and finished, "To the World that Never Was."

Xion Then began to ask, "So the reason you were sent on this mission specifically is because…"

Xaldin answered before she finished, "Because with my wind magic, I can navigate the Realm Between better than any of the others. Why your here is to simply assist with the retrieval of Riku. I don't believe he'll come with us willingly, so having two people to combat him seemed like the best option."

Xion finally asked, "Why do we need him? He isn't a Nobody, is he?"

Xaldin sated plainly, "Not yet. But when we find him we'll leave him in the Realm of Darkness until he loses himself to the Darkness. He'll then become one of us. He has the same worth as you and Roxas to the Organization."

The girl summoned her Keyblade and said, "He's a key bearer too then…"

Xaldin nodded and said, "Now let's start this search." He put his hand into the air and cast aero into the nothingness. The wind began to echo through the cracks of the labyrinth. The man started to walk, and Xion followed. They weaved in and out for hours it seemed like before Xaldin finally stopped in his tracks, Xion wasn't paying any attention and kept walking, only to be pulled back behind a wall with her mouth covered. She look at Xaldin who put his finger to his mouth to signal her to be quiet before letting her go. The girl peaked around the wall to see a large mouse dressed in a red and black button up shirt with bright yellow shoes on. He looked like he was desperately looking for something. Quickly enough, he jumped over something and was faded out into the nothingness.

Xion asked, "Who was that?"

Xaldin answered, "Someone I'd prefer not to fight right now."

Xion was puzzled and asked, "Fight? Why would we fight him. He just looks lost."

Xaldin quickly explained, "He's most likely trying to find our target currently. He was the reason we made so much haste in preparing this mission. If he finds Riku before us, we'll have no chance to recruit him." He held out his hand and created the Dark Corridor and said, "Let's hurry and try another entry point.

Xion entered the portal and saw in front of her a dark beach with an ocean spanning out over it. She looked on in amazement as she heard the waves crashing against the shore. She was also rushed with a strange sense of nostalgia. The moment was quickly ruined by Xaldin creating another portal and pushing the girl through. Again greeted with the grayness of the Realm Between, this time Xion saw something in the distance. It was a boy dressed in a yellow jacket and blue overalls.

Xaldin sighed and said, "Well, we've found our target. Let's retrieve him and…" as he was speaking a light circled around the boy. He reached out and grabbed it as it turned into a light blue card. A moment afterwards, a blinding flash sprung from the boy. Xion covered her eyes, but when she opened them again, there was just the dark beach again.

She looked side to side and saw no one. She thought to herself, "What's even going on? Everything's happening so fast." She sighed and walked out to the beach. The nostalgia returned immediately when she heard the waves. She breathed in the salty air as she closed her eyes. She just stood there, motionless and calm. As the waves crashed she was slowly soothed from the nonstop shift in events that just occured. All panic numbed. The breeze, the water, the sand, she couldn't help but think, "Is this my home? Is this where I belong?" Her mind trailed off on these thoughts for what seemed to be hours before finally opening her eyes. At some point in time she must have sat down because her feat and her hands were buried into the dark gray sand. When she pulled her hand out, she noticed she was holding a light blue shell. She stared at it for a while before thinking, "I bet Sora would love this." She quickly put her other hand to her head and thought, "Wait what? Who… no. I mean Roxas. Why did I..? Wait Roxas!" She shot to her feat and said aloud, "I'm on a mission! I need to find Xaldin!" She started to run down the beach yelling for her comrade, but no one responded.

She continued until she heard a menacing sound of something rising from the ground behind her. Xion slowly turned around to see a large skinny heartless with lightning shaped antena springing from its head. The girl quickly summoned her Keyblade and prepared to fight the monster. The shadow jumped into the air and started to spin before launching itself towards Xion. The girl reacted just in time to duck and swing above her head and split the heartless in two. As she was recovering her stance, she noticed to more springing from the ground. She readied herself again but then saw two blue spears pierce her targets and then diminished to nothing but black smoke. The spears fell to the ground before fading into the wind. Xion heard Xaldin's voice, "Having fun are we?"

Xion saw the man and sighed with relief. She asked, "What just happened? All I saw was a light spring from Riku and then I was back here."

Xaldin explained, "Simple. Riku re emerged into the World of Light. We were too late to stop it. Nothing to do now but RTC and report in." He held out his hand and the Dark Corridor appeared again and Xaldin walked through.

Xion nodded in agreement and started to walk towards the portal. As she did, she once again felt the urge to turn back to the beach. She didn't but instead opened her right hand to see it was still holding the shell. She closed her eyes and brought her hand to her chest and wondered, "What is this? Did I used to live on the beach. It's warm, whatever it is these thoughts are. Almost like I want to be there again with… them?" She had a fleeting memory of her dream of that girl that looked like her on the beach. The black haired girl then followed through the portal to reappear in the Castle that Never Was.

She saw Xaldin already talking to Saix about their mission. Oddly enough, Saix seemed calm about the news. He just nodded and walked away. Xaldin then approached Xion one last time and said, "You're done for the day. Get some rest and be ready for tomorrow." The man then walked down the hallway and turned out of sight.

Xion smiled and extended her own hand to open a Dark Corridor and thought, "Ok then. I'll wait for Roxas at the clock tower." She walked into the portal and the second opening brought her to the gate at the top of the tower in Twilight Town. She walked out to the overview and saw that Roxas wasn't there. She thought to herself, "He's probably still on his mission. Which ultimately means that I won." She looked at the shell in her hand again and thought, "Just another thing I can boast over him when he arrives." She took her seat over the town with its beautiful sunset in the background.

Hours rolled by and the sun finally set in the distance. Xion rationally thought, "Roxas did say that he wouldn't always be here yesterday so he probably was just really tired after his mission and got some rest."

She sighed as she stood up and RTC'd to the lobby once again. She walked down the hall and was about to enter her room before she was stopped by the unsettling sight of Saix and Xemnas leaving Roxas' room. Xion walked over to the two and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Saix snarled, "Check for yourself." His menacing tone brought Xion to rush into Roxas' room to see the boy sleeping. The girl knelt by his side and urgently announced the boy's name, "Roxas!" She started to shake him, but there was no reaction at all from the boy.

Xion turned to the door to see the other two still standing there and inquired, "What's happening to him?"

Xemnas explained, "An unfortunate side effect of our mission to Castle Oblivion. I'm told that he will wake eventually, but only if the plan at our second base of operations is a success."

Xion then shot, "Then let me go there. I'll make sure everything works out."

Saix retaliated, "What an idiotic idea. With Roxas out of commission, it will be up to you to collect hearts on your own. Our plans as a whole must not be set back just because of a single incapacitation."

Xion closed her eyes and started to breath normally again and thought to herself, "He's right. I'm a nobody, and I'm lucky enough to still have a purpose. That has to come first." She looked back down at her sleeping comrade and thought, "Looks like I'll be making up for your laziness you bum. You'll owe me some ice cream when you wake back up." She laid the shell that was in her hand on his nightstand and smiled at the boy.

Xion then walked out of the room and Xemnas assured her, "You must have faith in our Organization at Castle Oblivion will succeed." Xion nodded and continued to her own room. The lights were already dim as she lay down in her bed. She thought, "So starting tomorrow I'll be collecting hearts… Wish me luck Roxas." She then closed her eyes and was overtaken by slumber.