⊕ 03 [action]

[erodingearth]

[This takes place on Friday, the last day of the experiment.

Terra's been feeling a strong desire to train today. Pullups and pushups in the clearing, combat training in the battle dome... He's got stamina to spare, but there's no doubt he's pushing himself; usually he has the sense to stop once in awhile.

He can be seen in the forest near house 39 exercising in the morning or over in the battle dome past noon. ...Or maybe even passed out on the grass on his way back to the house, towards midnight.]

Comments

[erodingearth]

If Sora's as strong as you say, and you're his Nobody, there shouldn't be any guessing about it. [But wait, that's not what Roxas was getting at.] When you were ... created, you didn't have any of Sora's skills?

[perplexme]

I had to learn them just like he did. The only thing I was born with was the ability to wield the Keyblade, but I didn't understand why at first.

Xion was able to use it, too.

[erodingearth]

[... ...So was that the same as Vanitas? Then how had he picked up all of his skills?

He's so wrapped up in that disconcerting thought that he almost misses what Roxas is saying.] Xion too?

[perplexme]

Yeah, Xion too. We didn't understand it at the time, but because of how she came to existence she could wield the Keyblade with me.

[erodingearth]

She's... [The way that Roxas said that is a little ominous.] She's different, isn't she?

[perplexme]

Yes. She's not a true Nobody. She's...a replica.

[erodingearth]

[Though his expression doesn't really change, Terra's confusion is visible in the way he blinks several times.]

Some kind of backup plan then. [That's the only reason he can imagine anyone going to such lengths.] But she's ... a girl.

[perplexme]

Yeah, she is. [A+ for figuring that out, boys.] She was meant to be a replica of Sora if Sora and I didn't go through with what the Organization wanted, but she ended up taking on the form of someone else. Someone really important to Sora.

[erodingearth]

Not much success on the whole "replicating" part, huh? [The only friends he knew of Sora's were the ones in Luceti, so...] She's supposed to resemble Kairi?

[perplexme]

No, she replicated enough to where she started regaining Sora's memories, too. And she had Sora's powers but like me she had to learn. [He nods though.] Sora's strongest memories were of her, so that's why when they created Xion, she took that form.

[erodingearth]

Replicating memories. That sounds like it'd cause a lot of trouble. [Anything about tampering with memories troubled him. What if memories were all you had?]

[perplexme]

...a friend of mine was busy trying to put all of Sora's memories back together. She messed them up and had to fix her mistakes. While she was doing that though, Xion and I started getting all of Sora's memories. That was the first hint that there was something more to our existence.

[erodingearth]

So all three of you were that closely connected. [How strange. He'd never thought of memories as something that far-reaching between people.] What happened?

[perplexme]

I don't know all of the details...and all of Sora's memories of that whole year are erased. All I know is what Naminé told me and what Axel's told me. Do you still want to know?

[erodingearth]

[Well, considering what they were talking about before...]

Now I'm not so sure. We're far off from our original topic, aren't we? Organization XIII?

[perplexme]

Considering that Naminé was working under Organization XIII's orders? Not entirely off the mark. But what do you want to know about the Organization? We'll start there.

[erodingearth]

You said you stayed with them, and it sounds like you worked for them too. Are they also Nobodies?

[perplexme]

Every single one of them. That's what the point of the Organization was; it functioned as a group of Nobodies who all had the same goal of creating and fulfilling Kingdom Hearts.

[erodingearth]

But you don't work with them now.

[perplexme]

After everything that happened with Xion...I left. I had to leave to find answers. The Organization wasn't giving them to me fast enough.

[erodingearth]

You said both of you were getting Sora's memories. [And the way Roxas had just explained...] Your experiences were different from hers?

[perplexme]

Seems that way. We were both having connections to Sora, but even now...I share a lot of his memories. She doesn't. I think it's just because I'm half of him, and she was meant to be him. It never worked out the way it was supposed to, but I'm glad. Sort of.

[erodingearth]

Because it makes you two more different? [There's a lot of different ways he could take Roxas' sentiment, but it's the first that comes to mind.]

[perplexme]

Not only from each other, but from him, too. Besides, if things had gone according to plan...who knows what the Organization would have done to her.

[erodingearth]

You mean, if you had stayed on track with the Organization? [If Xion was only meant to be there in case Roxas somehow failed...]