Chapter 11

“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 himself 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.