Memory: ??/ "They'll turn me into a Dusk..."
Type: NeuNeu

DAY 74.

This memory starts abruptly. You've been fighting on your own.

There's a Heartless you're supposed to defeat and you're charging it now when a voice catches your ears.

"[XION!]"

Stopping with a start you turn to him. "Roxas?!" You shout in surprise, but it's the wrong move. It's this opening the Heartless takes and it attacks. You go flying and that's the last thing you remember...

...When you begin to wake up Roxas and Axel have already defeated the Heartless.

"[Xion]," Roxas starts in concern rushing towards your side, "are you okay?"

Groaning, your body feels heavy as you pick yourself up. Everything aches but this voice is familiar. "Roxas..." Your response is more than a little uncertain.

"Easy," Roxas responds kindly offering you a hand, "are you hurt?"

You take it with very little hesitation. Grunting as you pull yourself up you shake your head, "I'm fine... Thank you." You take a breath not quite looking at him yet, "...It's just..."

"You can tell us all about it," someone cuts in and you turn to him at that, "but why don't you head back first?"

This is Axel. You know this, but you've never met him before today. Or at least you don't remember meeting him because back then, before he left, you were too blank to really have a memory. This was Roxas' best friend, but still... You're a little hesitant.

You find yourselves on top of a familiar clock tower. Axel takes the time to separate the ice cream and holds them out to the two of you.

"Here you go."

You hesitate again, unsure of what to do in this unfamiliar situation. You're used to Roxas being up here with you, but even after all of your talks you don't know this person. Still. "Thank you..." you offer quietly.

The other two begin to eat their ice cream, but your thoughts are running rampant. You just watch the sunset, clutching the ice cream in your gloved hand. Not quite focusing on any one thing. Roxas takes notice.

"Eat up," he orders gently, "it's going to melt."

"Yeah..." Your respond slowly with a nod, no affliction to your tone. That doesn't really matter right now.

"What's wrong?" Axel finally asks, "I thought you'd wolf it down!"

"Did something happen?" Roxas continues to implore.

Still you don't meet their eyes. You're not sure what to say or how to say it. Especially not with someone here who is such a stranger to you.

"We're here for you if you want to get it off your chest," Axel promises, "right, Roxas?"

Roxas grunts a sound of affirmation, but doesn't say anything. It's only after you look up at the two of them that he begins to speak. "He's right," Roxas says encouragingly, "that's what friends are for." You can't bring yourself to look at him anymore and thus turn away once more.

"I can't..." your voice breaks, "...I can't use the Keyblade anymore. And without the Keyblade... I can't do my job."

"What exactly happened?"

"I don't know..." you whisper, more than a little brokenly, "but if I don't defeat Heartless with the Keyblade... the hearts they release... will just go into another Heartless instead. I swat them in one place and they just pop up in another. My mission is to go out and collect hearts... If I'm unable to use the Keyblade... I'll... I'll be useless."

Roxas turns away from you now, to Axel, "Is there anything you can do, Axel?"

"I wish there was," he admits, waving a hand, "...but it's exactly as she said. Without the Keyblade she can't collect hearts."

You clutch the ice cream in your hand, "And once they find out, they're gonna turn me into a Dusk."

"We can't do anything?" Roxas exclaims.

Axel grunts, letting off a breath. He's trying quickly to formulate a plan of action, any plan. "I already told you, there's nothing we ca--" He stops abruptly, thinking of something. "Hold on...!"

"Did you think of something?" Roxas asks.

"Roxas," he starts with somewhat of a sneaky grin, "you can work double duty!"

"Huh?" Both you and Roxas look at him at this point, not quite understanding his implication.

"What do you mean?"

"[Xion] make sure your missions are with Roxas until you can use the Keyblade again. That way. He can collect the hearts and no one will know that you can't use the Keyblade."

Roxas grins happily at that, with an excited, "That's it!"

"But," Axel interrupts, "that means you have to collect twice as many hearts."

"Yeah," Roxas gives, pumped, "I can do it!"

"Would you?" You ask him the question full of worry and concern. Not just out of surprise for yourself, but knowing that would be a lot of work-- too much work for him alone, you're sure. You don't want to burden him.

"Of course I would!"

You hesitate, "but..."

"Friends need to lean on each other every now and then," Axel remarks simply, "ain't that right, Roxas?"

"We're friends..." the idea still seems odd on your tongue. A concept your still not fully has a real meaning. Friends help each other? Friends... eat ice cream together? This is all you know. But you don't know this other person yet so the idea is even more of a surprise than it is with Roxas. You have to ask. "Axel... Does that mean you and I are friends, too?"

He gasps in surprise at that before looking away sheepishly.

"Well," he starts, "if you're friends with Roxas then, yeah, of course you're my friend."

Of course, now he's too embarrassed to look at you. But this feels you with an indescribable feeling. One you're not familiar with, a sort of burst of butterflies tumbling in your stomach. One day you will learn this was joy.

"Thank you... Roxas, Axel!"

"Just," Axel grumbles, "eat your ice cream!"

And on that note the three of you look forwards towards the sunset and just enjoy each other's company.