itsjustagamerp | Mission 3

Sora hadn't wandered down this far in the ship for awhile (mostly because it could be a bit of a pain trying to get past the deck full of Tom Servos in one piece.) But simple curiosity and the need for a bit more exercise brought him down to the weapons deck.

Upon arriving there, however, he spotted Xion practicing...and was again struck with that weird uncanny resemblance to Kairi. At least she wasn't wearing the hood anymore. But still, it just served as a reminder that he had to talk to her about...mostly the fact that Xion knew who he was, but he didn't know her. "Uh...hey there," he said with a wave.

Xion froze for a moment. She hadn't expected to see Sora here, though she knew he was here and logic told her he probably came down to this deck sometimes. Reflexively she reached for her coat, belatedly remembering that it was useless. He already knew what she looked like. If she put it on, he'd at least want her hood down. No need for the coat if she wasn't going to use the hood. Dropping it, she turned to face him more fully. "Hello...Sora."

She wasn't ready for this, which surprised her. For all that she'd been ready to return to her place as part of him, now that she was faced with him she was nervous. No time to dwell on that. He was here now and if he wanted to talk, well. They'd talk.

At first, he didn't know at all what to say. How do you ask someone why they look almost exactly like one of your best friends, except they remember you and you don't remember them? And Axel never brought her up at all? It was all confusing to him.

But staying in the dark wouldn't do him any good, either. He stepped forward more, rubbing at the back of his head with nervousness. "Hey! So..." He hesitated again, a little bit afraid of where this could go. "I guess I should just ask. How do you know all this stuff about me? I mean, I went all over the Organization's stronghold, and...I just never saw any mention of you."

He's direct, at least, she'll give him that. Xion thinks she knows the answer to that question, but isn't quite sure of the best way to give it. How do you tell someone that you were meant to be their copy, leaving them an empty shell? That nobody remembered you because you were made from memories, so when you faded, there was nothing left behind?

To buy herself time to think, she busied herself putting away the sword she'd been practicing with and bundling her coat into a sort of cushion to sit on against a wall. Sitting down, she gestured to the floor beside her. "This could take a while. We might as well be comfortable." She waited while he settled in then began again. "Sora, do you remember meeting Xemnas in Hollow Bastion?"

[ooc: Xion's exact knowledge of what went into her creation is all headcanon; the game tells us she figured out enough to know the truth, but not how detailed the information got, AFAIK.]

Sora hadn't really wanted to interrupt Xion too much in her practicing, but he guessed that couldn't be helped right now. He took up her invitation to sit down next to her.

At her question, he at first thought of the times that the Organization had attacked Hollow Bastion when he was last there. But he'd never really met Xemnas there. So he thought back even further, to before he had gone to sleep for about a year. He had run into that Organization member, although he hadn't known who it was at the time, or even what a Nobody was. But stopping to think about it...that enemy had used the same weapons that Xemnas did. "I think...wait, that was Xemnas, wasn't it?" Sora exclaimed. He'd never stopped to make the connection, but now it made sense. "I guess I do..."

Xion nodded. If he remembered that much, then maybe she could just start at the beginning. That would be the easiest way to tell things. "That was him. While you fought, he took some of your memories. I don't know how, but he did. Vexen was working on creating Replicas of people using memories and they wanted to test their work so far. They wanted--needed--someone who could use the Keyblade, so they decided to see if they could make a Replica of you." She paused, taking a deep breath. "It worked, in a way. I'm that Replica. I look like Kairi because the memories Xemnas took were of her."

There. She'd said it.

Sora tried to let that info sink in, but it still didn't quite make sense to him. If it was a replica of him, why did she look exactly like Kairi, even if she was based on those memories? And...where did that leave Roxas? He knew he'd been in the Organization, and he could use the Keyblade, too. And if they wanted to use someone who could use the Keyblade...well, they certainly were doing that with him until Sora went and stopped them. Why would Xemnas try to be roundabout and get Roxas and apparently also Xion involved?

"But...I still had those memories," Sora said. At least, he definitely remembered Kairi up to Castle Oblivion, and then once they got out of there. The whole idea of someone just taking his memories and using them to make a whole new person seemed weird, and made him a bit uncomfortable. "And I've still got them all now." Did this also mean that Xion also had all his memories? But she said she knew Axel and Roxas, so that had to at least be different than what he knew.

"And what about Roxas?"

Xion sighed. She probably wasn't going about this the right way--if there was one. After all, some of it didn't make sense to her.

"I'm not sure how they did it--the only way I found out was Vexen's records from Castle Oblivion, and I couldn't follow all the details. Besides, I was an incomplete Replica. A failure."

She drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them and wrapping her arms around her legs. "Roxas was one of my best friends. He helped me out with missions, and we'd sit on the clock tower and eat ice cream with Axel. If it hadn't been for them, I'd have been in a lot of trouble when I couldn't use my keyblade for a while.

"To Xemnas, I guess he was just another pawn. We were allowed to become close so I could take your memories through him. He was your Nobody, after all; he was supposed to have memories of who he was. I was just made to be your copy--maybe even become you, if I got enough memories."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction. She wished she could tell him more of the why behind Xemnas's plan, or how she'd been created in the first place.

Xemnas had never given reasons for the things he did. So much of the information in Vexen's records was hidden in data and complex science words she couldn't understand.

If Xion couldn't follow all the details, there was probably little chance of him getting it, either...all that technical science stuff tended to fly over his head.

The only sides he'd seen of Roxas (and of Axel, for that matter) had mostly been when they had been fighting. But just hanging out with friends, eating ice cream, or helping each other...that was something he could understand. And it seemed like Xion was really beating herself up over what had happened, when in actuality, it was mostly Xemnas's fault. Why did he have to mess around with him like this? "I don't...see why you have to think you're a failure," Sora said. That just didn't seem fair to her.

Roxas was supposed to have his memories, but didn't? Well, then again, he'd turned into a Heartless at Hollow Bastion, but still had all of his memories up until Castle Oblivion. So perhaps Roxas hadn't started out with them.

There was still something else he was wondering...he didn't really want to ask it, but he still needed to know. "But...if you were supposed to take all my memories, what would've happened to me?"

And if he was here now, having defeated the whole Organization with no problems...then what happened to Xion?

Xion looked at Sora in surprise. She'd never considered what she thought. Whether or not she'd done the best she could, that hadn't mattered--only others' evaluation of her work. "It's...what Saix used to call me when I'd made a mistake, or had trouble with a mission."

She took a deep breath. Better to just get it all said. "You would have stayed asleep. At least, that's what Riku and Namine thought. Because I did start taking your memories--so much that there wasn't enough a chain for Namine to fix. Without your chain of memories, you couldn't have woken up. On the other hand, the more of your memories I had, the stronger I got."

Her voice faltered. When she continued she spoke more softly, her gaze distant. "But Roxas was getting weaker. When I found out it was because of me...That they were planning to wait until we were almost equal strength and then have us fight until one faded...If Axel hadn't stopped us that one time." She swallowed hard. "I couldn't stay. I decided to give you your memories back, even if I faded and everyone else forgot me. Namine and I were about to go see you when we got interrupted and I came here."

She let her forehead rest on her knees for a moment. She was talking more today than she had any other day she could remember. Or maybe it was just talking so much at once that made her so tired.

Sora frowned at that. That did sound a lot like Saix, to use cruel words on those depending on him, just because. "I think Saix would do that to anybody..."

The rest, however...was a lot to absorb. The idea of having to have stayed asleep forever, of never getting to wake up and see his friends again...that was a pretty terrifying thought. But on the other hand, this meant that Xion had to fight one of her only friends just because someone made them. And if he had woken up with all his memories back, but with no one remembering Xion...did that mean that she had had to give them all up, and then fade away?

None of it seemed fair at all. Did it really have to be that if he was awake and existed, that Xion (and perhaps Roxas) couldn't either? It wasn't like Xion had done anything wrong.

Sora tried to bring up words for what he was thinking, but he just couldn't pin down any thoughts enough to say them. When he looked up again, he noticed that Xion seemed to be hiding her face from him. "H-hey...I'm really sorry! I just didn't know any of this..."

Xion perked up a little at Sora's evaluation of Saix. It sounded like something Roxas might say. Before she could start down that path of thought, though, Sora's next words made her sit up straight, eyes wide in surprise.

Of course he hadn't known, he'd been asleep. Saying he was sorry...did he think she blamed him? That made about as much sense as blaming Roxas (none at all). "It...It's not your fault."

At least he wasn't angry, and he believed her. Though if she was honest with herself, she had enough of his memories to know, deep down, that he'd probably react this way. Knowing and feeling were two different things, however. Even for Replicas that didn't have hearts to feel with.

It was kind of him to worry, but, well. Fair had never been a luxury she was allowed.

"If you didn't find any sign of me at the castle, then I think that by the time you got there, I'd given your memories back."

While Sora didn't think it was his fault (since he had been asleep the whole time, and it had been the Organization that started it all), he still couldn't help feeling a little...well, responsible. It was his memories that had been used for Xion, after all.

"Oh..." Sora said, hanging his head a little. So that confirmed it...in Xion's future, she'd fade away so that he could wake up again.

While Xion considered fair as a luxury, to Sora is a right that you had to fight for. He saw no reason not to fight for it now. "Well...there's gotta be some way to fix that, right? In the future?" Even if he didn't remember her in his present, maybe now that he'd met here here, that could help him in the future.

Riku was sauntering down the stairs towards the weapons deck. He'd had an idea for something he and Sora could do to entertain everyone, but he needed to see what they had to work with first. As he neared, however, he picked up bits for Sora's voice and... Kairi? ...No, it couldn't be, it had to be that girl from the Organization. However, the bits of voice that came to him held key words that caused him to pause.

"'Memories back?'" he lipped. Riku wasn't one to just eavesdrop on a friend. After a moment's thought and hearing Sora's words, he stepped into the doorway. There was that hint of suspicion still in his face, as he was still unsure what to make of Xion. However there was also a degree of concern.

It sounded like the state of Sora's memories were still a hot topic.

Xion shook her head, smiling sadly. She appreciated the thought, but this was one instance where Sora's habit of trying to fix things wouldn't work. "Not that I know of. Namine said that, since I'm made out of memories, not even she could do anything about it. When I fade, it'll be like I was never there."

That was the price she paid for taking something that was never hers to take, even if unknowingly. She'd go back to her place in Sora's heart. It was what was best for everybody, after all. It wasn't as if she could exist alongside Sora and Roxas. At least, not without putting their existences at risk.

The arrival of a newcomer caused her to stand quickly, coat in hand. She dropped it when she realized who had come in. "Riku."

How much had he heard? He still looked suspicious, but not as much as the last time they'd spoken.

Sora wasn't at all sure what to make of Xion's complete resignation to the fact that she had to disappear completely. "But...you can't be made of all my memories. If you have memories of being friends with Roxas and Axel, then those are your memories, not mine."

Even if that part of Xion had to return to him in order for him to wake up, there still had to be some part of Xion that was just herself. After all, she was talking to him now about these different experiences. Shouldn't there be some way to take the part of her that was her own and let her still exist?

Just as Sora finished, Riku entered the area, looking concerned. It certainly startled Xion...she jumped for her coat at first. What had he heard from their conversation? And what if Riku had met Xion during the year that he'd been asleep...but now didn't even remember it?

As he stepped in, Riku heard a little more, but not much that made sense. How could a Nobody be made of memories, especially someone else's? They were a mystery enough that they usually retained them so clearly despite not having a heart to contain them. What connection did she have to Namine, aside from one with Kairi?

Crossing his arms, he looked from one to another. In pressing matters, Riku wasn't about to beat around the bush. "Is there still something going on with Sora's memories?" He stepped into the room completely. Regardless, before he arrived this had been a delicate conversation, and standing in a doorway was a great way to make individuals feel trapped.

Given two questions answer at once, Xion stood for a moment, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she thought. Then she sighed and sat down, gesturing for Riku to join her and Sora.

While he was settling in, she answered Sora's question. "They are, but I don't think that's enough."

What Sora thought of as resignation Xion thought of as acceptance of a truth. It wasn't that she wouldn't be glad of a way to be her own separate self and stay with her friends. There just a wasn't a way do so that didn't hurt Roxas or Sora. Which meant she had to go back to where she belonged.

That Riku didn't remember her was evidence that, at some point, she had done so. Time to answer him. "I don't think so. It looks like at some point, I gave his memories back and Namine finished fixing them."

"I think my memories are okay...except for Castle Oblivion, I mean." But Riku had already told him about how those memories had gone missing, and Sora didn't expect to ever get them back. It didn't sound like Xion had them, either.

"But that's something, though..." he responded to Xion. It was better than nothing, anyway.

Sora hung his head, partially in sadness at Xion's situation, but also partially in thought. It was just very hard for him to accept that things had to go a certain way, especially if it wasn't a good way. Even if he couldn't do anything for Xion itself, there had to be a way to at least remember her the way he did Roxas, wasn't there?

Riku's eyes narrowed as he looked to Xion. At Sora's reply, he gave his friend a slight nod before lookign back to the Organization member. "'Gave his memories back.' ...How'd you get hold of Sora's memories?" He had little idea what the other two were talking about, but he knew he'd find out soon enough.

Had there been a plot to keep Sora from waking? That didn't surprise Riku much, though if that were the case, they'd known more about the situation than he'd ever been aware, meaning that they'd let their guard down.

Seeing Sora's expression, Xion reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "It is, but...Sora, there was no happy ending possible. I just did what I could to stop the Organization from using me anymore. To save one of my best friends."

She turned to Riku. "It's a long story."

As best she could, she went over what she'd already explained to Sora. This time, she made it more clear that she and Riku had met. He'd helped her, after all. It wasn't his fault that he'd forgotten.

"So, if you don't remember me, and Sora's awake, it means that at some point I gave those memories back, and faded."

It still didn't seem right at all that Xion's reward for stopping the Organization and saving one of her friends was to disappear forever and not be remembered by anyone. Forget happy endings; he just wanted things to be fair. "Well...maybe we can still try and think of a way!" He definitely didn't know what way that was, since he did not like the idea of staying asleep forever...but there had to be something that would present itself in the future.

Listening again through Xion's story as she told it to Riku helped him a little more on understanding...it had still all seemed kind of overwhelming to him the first time. He watched Riku's expression carefully through the whole story...it was one thing to just not be aware that any of this had gone on at all. But it was another to have remembered those events, and then forgotten them completely.

Taking a seat, Riku turned to face Xion, arms still crossed. "I got time."

Throughout the story Riku's face stayed primarily the same, eyes widening or narrowing slightly as he listened and thought with gaining and ebbing suspicion. It was a convenient story. But it did fit. And what was eerie is that what she described him doing... He knew he would have in those situations. Either she'd stalked him to form a lie, not the best use of Organization time, or she was telling the truth. Given he had almost forgotten Sora himself, struggling to fight through that fog as he fought for his friend... Tis was believable.

Now that things were in context, Riku lowered his gaze again, thinking. "...Sora's got a good point. We're making new memories of you, right now. Memories don't go away. They just fade into the darkness." He slowly put his hand over his chest.

Xion had watched Riku carefully as she spoke. She was glad that he was willing to listen to her, at least. Even if he still looked as if he had some doubts, it was better than their first conversation here. She'd explained herself, at least.

After she finished, she leaned against the wall as she mulled over what they'd said. "Maybe we can think of something...If the memories are always there..." She didn't sound very confident, but she tried to smile. "Maybe you'll remember me from our time here, at least."

She'd meant to be more positive in her response, but she wasn't quite sure how to deal with Sora's determine to "fix" what she'd thought of as the inevitable. She'd been so certain of the way things had to be, and while the possibility of finding a way for her to still exist was exciting...It was also scary.

Riku seemed to take things well, or at least as well as they could be taken, although he looked a bit suspicious. Sora himself had never been much for being that suspicious of anyone, and he hadn't seen much reason to distrust Xion yet, even if she had shown up in an Organization coat.

"Yeah! Memories won't go away forever." At least seeing Xion have a little bit of hope encouraged Sora. He had no ideas now, and wasn't sure who to ask about getting good ideas to fix this, but just because they didn't have any now didn't mean they wouldn't later. Life had a way of presenting solutions when you least expected them. "And I don't see why we would forget you after meeting you here."

True, it was probably messing with time this way, but Sora figured they'd worry about that when they got to it.

There was still plenty to be cautious about... But for now everything seemed to fit. And if Sora trusted her, it said a lot. Most people whom he trusted didn't betray them like...

"Namine used my memories to shape another replica. If we could find information about making another replica, it would be Namine to restore Xion. But there are two problems. Xion's different from my replica. She's made out of memories, not shaped by them. ...We might not remember her again. The other problem... Is Namine."

There was a third problem. Riku wondered if they actually would remember her when they left. If Namine and Xion were from the past, let alone Ienzo, Lea and Isa, events here could influence the future. Yet he and Sora were still here, and they knew Kairi must, hopefully be back home. Nothing seemed unusual. That could mean they would never remember this place. But that was simple speculation, just like everything else. Right now, even more guessing was a pointless endeavor. There were enough problems in the idea as is. If they didn't remember, then they'd never know anyway, and there was nothing to be done.

Xion could think of reasons why they wouldn't remember her after leaving the satellite. Mostly they were the same reasons nobody would remember her after she faded, but they'd already been over that. No need to hash it out again. "I guess we'll know when it happens."

Or, in a way, not know, depending on the outcome.

She vaguely remembered reading about Riku's replica, and the differences between her and him. Not that she'd understood much. Riku's explanation makes far better sense than what Vexen had written. She's so busy focusing on that that she almost doesn't hear him mention the second issue. "Wait...Why would Namine be a problem?"

Namine had seemed willing to help, so hearing Riku name her as a potential obstacle was confusing. Also, it looked like he was holding some of his thoughts back. If he could remember her, she would ask what was on his mind. They'd been close enough then. Now, though, she wasn't so sure how he'd take that coming from her.

While Sora didn't like the idea, he supposed Riku's bit of realism was necessary...there was a chance that they wouldn't remember Xion after leaving this satellite, too. That was another strange and disturbing thought...not remembering someone he'd met here, and also being completely unaware that he had forgotten her, too. He really hoped that wouldn't happen. "And we'll have some time to work it out before then!"

Sora didn't know what other problem there was with Namine, but one thing came to mind for him. "Well, none of our have our powers here, including Namine." Even if they found the information to restore Xion, then it was still a matter of whether Namine could manage that here or not...

"Whether or not Namine has her powers here or not doesn't matter. We don't have the information, and Xion's already here. The problem is, when we go home... Namine may not be around."

It was kind of a sad thought. Seeing Namine on the SOL had made him remember what it was like to have her around. As important as it was for Kairi to also be whole, it was also sad to have seen her go. Given they were all from different times, would Namine even be able to follow them home to help restore Xion?

"We have time, after all." Xion nodded in agreement with Sora's statement.

They weren't sure how long they had, but until they were somehow returned home, they were stuck here. There was no reason they couldn't use that chance to make a plan. It would hinge on her remaining in Sora and Riku's memories, but...maybe it would be better than completely fading.

Her eyes widened when Sora reminded her that they were without their powers. Of course. The problem wasn't with Namine's willingness to help, but her lack of ability to do so. It made sense, and she felt bad for thinking there might be any other reason. When Riku added to what Sora said, her expression grew more serious. "Why would she not be?"

Did they know about something that happened to Namine after Xion had faded? If so..then what about Axel and Roxas?

"Oh yeah..." Sora said. He'd forgotten about the fact that Namine normally was a part of Kairi, too. But it seemed Xion didn't know about that, which caught him off-guard, since so far it seemed like Xion knew a lot more than he and Riku did. "Namine's Kairi's Nobody, and by the time we faced Xemnas, she'd already gone back to Kairi's heart, too..." Just like Roxas had to him. And she wouldn't be able to do anything about Xion if she was back in Kairi's heart by the time they got home.

Sora thought a little more. "I guess then maybe we can find a way to restore our abilities while we're still on this Satellite..." The problem was that they didn't even know what had taken them away in the first place.

Riku slowly nodded at Sora's explanation. "If Kairi can tap into Namine somehow, it could work, but... I doubt she could do that any more than you could tap into..." He trailed off, looking to Sora.

Uncrossing his arms, he shifted a little. He put a knuckle thoughtfully to his lips. "Except we still don't have the information to make a replica. Or even store memories outside of a heart." His gaze went to Xion. "And you don't have any idea where to start either on that, do you?"

Xion shook her head in response to Riku's question. The part of Vexen's research that dealt with the actual creation of a Replica had been beyond her. "I barely understood enough to figure out what he'd used to make me and why."

She relaxed a bit when she heard the explanation. She'd known that Namine was a Nobody, just not whose. It made since that she'd want to return to her Other. If Namine had returned though..."And Roxas? You said you'd met him and Axel."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer, but it would be good to know.

"Ohh..." If Xion didn't know how to keep those memories outside of him, then Sora definitely had no clue. It seemed like the only one who would know how to do that was Vexen, and even with no abilities, Sora didn't really think he wanted to see him show up on this satellite.

But then came that next question. So Xion didn't know about either of those at all...and it looked like it was on him to explain it. Sora didn't know which part was worse to explain...the fact that Roxas was back in his heart and he was barely aware of his existence, or the fact that he'd watch Axel fade away after helping them into the World That Never Was. How would he feel if someone had to explain those sorts of things happening to Riku or Kairi?

He swallowed before responding...if he'd asked for that hard explanation from Xion, then he had to give some hard explanations of his own. "Roxas, um...the only time I saw him, he wasn't exactly...really there." It was difficult to explain their meeting in his heart, since Sora hadn't realized what it was at the time. "...He was already back in my heart by the time I woke up again."

Sora hadn't thought that much about Axel after he died...he barely knew anything of Axel, and had just been too busy fighting the rest of the Organization. But knowing he'd left a friend behind made this a lot harder. "I just ran into Axel in this in-between place. He helped us get into the World That Never Was...before he faded." He glanced back up at Xion, afraid of what reaction he'd get. "I'm really sorry..."

Riku looked down a few seconds, sticking his thumb in his pocket. "Then all we can do is have whatever time we'll spend here... And wait and see what happens when we get home."

Xion's inquiry gave Riku reason to pause. If her stories were true, this wasn't something to keep secret. He leaned against a crate as Sora replied, looking off somewhere thoughtfully. The only indication that he was listening was the occasional glance back to Xion, watching her reaction. Heart or not, it would make sense that even a Nobody could find the demise of a colleague... unwelcome. Even after dealing with Nobodies for this long it was still hard for Riku to quantify how events affected them. And then there were those who never quite behaved as expected...

But something didn't add up. She was supposed to be Sora's Replica. Vexen proved himself capable of making a Replica with a heart... Did Vexen fail to form both a heart and a likeness? Either way, it was ironic this replica was connected to two Nobodies he'd been told to eliminate. ...Something he'd left undone and never regretted. Maybe then, she did deserve to know one thing. He spoke in a low tone, underscoring that he was serious.

"I'd met him too. ...I'll give Axel this. ...In Castle Oblivion, according to DiZ, he faked his death. He was a hard Organization member to track. Which made keeping you safe a real challenge." He looked from Xion to Sora.

Xion's eyes widened at Sora's news.

Her best friends had faded. Well, Roxas hadn't faded exactly, just gone back to his other (whatever that entailed). Axel, though...He'd faded while helping Sora, probably thinking that by doing that, he was helping Roxas.

How much longer had they lasted, after she'd left? She'd meant for Roxas to live...Had she managed to buy him any time?

"It's not," she tried to answer Sora only to realize her voice was shaky and there was..water running from her eyes down her cheeks? She wiped them, blinked, then swallowed hard. "It's not your fault."

She looked at Riku, giving him a sad smile. "Thanks."

Axel had said he'd look out for Roxas. So maybe, between the two of them, they'd given him more time than he might have otherwise.

The more Sora heard from both Riku and Xion, the more he felt like he missed a lot while he'd been asleep. Was all this really going on because of him...just to get him to wake up again?

"Sorry..." Sora responded to Riku, even if Xion had just told him that things weren't his fault. He wanted to be able to handle these challenges for people, not to have them suffer loss in trying to help him. Or to suffer loss at all, if he could help it.

But then Sora noticed her crying. If there was anything he really didn't know how to handle, and therefore did not want to deal with, it was having a girl cry. How was he supposed to fix this? "H-hey!..." He reached a hand out to her as if he wanted to say something else, but he couldn't find the words.

"Why?" Riku replied frankly. "I was cleaning up the mess I caused." If he had chosen a different, brighter path, many things would have been different. This, he was certain, would have been one, even if indirectly.

Tears? From a Nobody? ...What is she? Riku raised his brows a little. It was hard to see someone who looked and sounded so much like Kairi cry. He felt himself torn between how to react. Riku took the middle road between true compassion and indifference. Gently he placed a hand on her shoulder. ...Many Nobodies were excellent at faking emotions. But how does anyone fake tears without feeling anything at all?

One thing was certain. She was reacting just like any real person should.

At the thanks from Xion, he pressed his brows closer. After a long pause, he fished in one of his over-sized pockets to pull out a handkerchief for her. Are we walking into a trap? His head was trying to pull him clear of how that familiar face, looking so sad, made him feel.

Xion was so focused on trying to mop herself up that she almost startled at the hand on her shoulder. Seeing who it was, she managed another small smile and accepted the handkerchief. Her eyes weren't leaking as much as they had been, but there were still some drips. A tissue pulled from one of her own pockets helped with taking care of her suddenly stuffy nose.

A deep breath and she's back to normal, if feeling a little tired. Seeing the boys' concerned expressions, she tried to reassure them. "I'm okay, really. I'm not sure why that happened..."

She'd never done anything like that before. She might have come close to it, talking to MakubeX--there was that same feeling of stinging at her eyes, now that she thought about it. Was it the "homesick" thing, again? He'd said it had something to do with missing her friends.

At least Riku was a little quicker on the uptake and gave her a handkerchief when she started crying.

Had she never actually cried before? Sora didn't know if it was better, or worse than just having her cry now. It didn't much occur to Sora that Xion might be faking these emotions...the only time he had seen Nobodies trying to fake emotions, they'd never been very good at it, anyway. If Xion was putting on false emotions, then she was doing a very good job of it.

"Well...because you miss him, right?" Sora said. He didn't want to rub it in or make her feel worse, but it only seemed fair that she knew why she was crying if she never had before.

"It's... A normal reaction," he added. Riku's eyes were narrowed, but only slightly, his brows lowered. The ambivalence clashed within him like duelists. A Nobody meant to be a copy of his best friend, taking on the appearance of a very good friend, seemed to be feeling real emotions. If he wasn't being deceived... Xion was a pile of contradictions. And had he really done all the things she said he'd done?

Still, Riku kept a hand on her shoulder... Because he felt like it.

When she answered Sora, Xion's expression was wistful, but no more sad than it had been. "I guess I do."

Which was strange, considering that she didn't have a heart to miss her friends with. Not to mention that this wasn't like the flash of "homesick" she had when talking to MakubeX. She couldn't think of why, but it seemed different.

Riku's words jerked her out of her thoughts and she looked at him in surprise. It was the first time anything about her had been called normal. "R-Really?"

If it was normal for humans, though, maybe it was strange for her.

"Yeah, it's normal," Sora added. "When you miss your friends...it can make you sad." Sometimes even sad enough to make you cry, although Sora didn't like crying or seeing anyone he knew sad enough to get to that point. If she was having these reactions, she definitely seemed 'real' enough to Sora to deserve them trying to do something about her predicament.

However, for now, Sora wanted to do something about the fact that she was sad. If they couldn't figure out what to do to keep her from fading now, they could at least fix her mood a little now. It wouldn't do any good to stay sad about it.

Sora stood, and offered a hand back to her. "But we'll figure out something! One way or another. Do you wanna...maybe get ice cream or something?" Ice cream had a way of making so many things a bit better.

At Xion's inquiry Riku nodded gently. He still wasn't sure what to make of all this, only that it was. He'd have questions for her later, but for now it was time to simply think it over. Or perhaps wait to talk to her later. ...Perhaps a fake related to something that didn't exist actually did exist after all.

He smiled a little when Sora brought up ice cream. It was a typical Sora suggestion. Still, they might as well. There was little they could do right now about this, and it'd be better if they mulled it over an evening at least, anyway. "Tell me you've had ice cream, right?"

Xion perked up a little at Sora's suggestion. She did like ice cream, and there were so many kinds here to try. Part of her wants to ask for more details on what happened to her friends, but a slightly bigger part is demanding time to take in what she's heard so far. "Okay, but maybe we can talk more later?"

Riku's comment left her a little confused, until she remembered similar sorts of comments from the others. She smiled slightly. "If sea-salt ice cream counts. We got some almost every day."

"Sure, we can talk more later," Sora replied. He wasn't sure what else he could tell her in terms of Roxas and Axel, considering the brief time he had spent with most of them...heck, at this point, he had seen far more of Lea than he had of Axel. But he'd help in whatever way he could.

Sora remembered getting the sea salt ice-cream bar and the photo from Riku when they were still searching for him...and that had been connected to Roxas, and now Roxas was connected to Xion. So it made sense that she knew that flavor and that it was special to her. At least it was making her smile a little more! "Okay, let's go see if it's there!"

[OOC: Icon should be "introspective."]

Riku nodded. He wanted to talk more later as well, but given the delicacy of the subject, he felt that the information they exchanged should be mulled over before anything else was said. This was true for all sides, theirs and hers alike.

Nobodies? Going out to get ice cream? Riku raised his brows, not really expecting for them to do something so non-practical. But then again, Axel never did act as expected, and Roxas seemed to express emotions, though given his other... Xion was the wildest card of the bunch.

"It probably is." Riku smiled slightly. "Considering the stuff I've seen come out of the replicators, I wouldn't be surprised."

Xion felt a little bit lighter to know that they were all mutually agreed in saving more serious conversation for later. They could talk again when they'd had some time to think.

She hadn't realized that the boys didn't know how to get sea-salt ice cream on the satellite, though. That was one of the first things she'd figured out in the cafeteria! At least she could tell them now. "You can get it from the food synthesizer."

She pulled on her coat to prepare to go, but paused with her hands on her hood. Riku and Sora had already seen her face, and she could hear anyone coming before she saw them in these metal halls...

She left the hood down.

Mission 3

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SORRY, I posted like Paixao...

NP~

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This references a KH2FM+ cutscene with Namine, Riku and Axel.

It's a good scene. And once again I'm late with the tagging--Sorry

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Annnndddd....We've been carrying on this conversation for over a month. You two rock, thank you~

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