Roxas - Somewhere in Time

[Seiramu]

My friend, a big Kingdom Hearts fan like me, sent this to me today.I tought it would be nice to share this with you. It's the translation of a part of one of the novels (not the whole novel), dunno which one though. She wasn't the one that translated it, just so you know. I'm not sure if the translation is 100% correct ..and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it here, but hey, enjoy is while you can. THIS IS NOT A FANFIC, just in case someone thinks that.


The ©Disney and Square Enix.
translation was by Nyaasu; nyaasu.deviantart.com

***
Roxas - Somewhere in Time
Author: Tomoko Kanemaki
Original Concept: Tetsuya Nomura

Warning: May contain spoilers?

His vision slowly came into focus as he left the haze between sleep and consciousness. His dreams contained that same sort of haze, as did this castle, said to be midway between worlds, so Roxas never regarded his dreams as anything out of the ordinary.
He'd often dreamt over the past several nights. However, he had not been able to see the content of these dreams clearly. The dreams brought feelings of happiness, but also stirred those of pain and heartache. In any case, what remained in his memories was only the fact that he'd had these nightly dreams at all. Spending his days as busily as he did, however, the amount of things he'd been forgetting was understandable.
Due to his dreams, his sleep had been shallow, and his head felt terribly clouded and heavy. As he was about to rise from his bed, he was suddenly startled by a face that had been looking into his, and he sat straight up.
"Ouch--!"
What resulted was a full-strength, accidental head-butt with this visitor of his. The red-haired young man recoiled, hunched over and rubbed his forehead to relieve the pain. Roxas, obviously annoyed, breathed a sigh.
"Things like that wouldn't happen if you'd stop popping up at random, Axel."
"What? I get no apology?"
The red-haired young man, Axel, frowned and straightened himself up, then leaned over the edge of the bed and looked down at Roxas in his current state.
"I don't think I have to give one," Roxas replied. "It was a bad idea to startle me when I was just waking up."
"Is that any way to treat a friend who has--at great pains, mind you--come back to help complete the tasks we've been tending to for so long?"
"I don't remember ever becoming friends with you."
Roxas rose from the bed, turned his back to Axel with an air of disregard, and wrapped himself in his black coat.
A "friend", Axel had called himself. But that sort of thing was a concept that Nobodies like he and Roxas, possesing no heart, could only have in jest, in mockery of those which true humans had. However, within the Organization, he and Axel did seem to have a special bond. ...No. Though it was indeed true that he was closer to Axel than to any of the other members, he did not know exactly how real this bond truly was.
"So, what's this about?"
"Xemnas has called for us," Axel replied, sitting down on Roxas' bed.
"...And Marluxia's gang?"
At Roxas' questioning response, Axel lowered his head slightly, frowning.
"Didn't they come back with you?"
As Roxas continued to question him, Axel slowly raised his head, looking fixedly at him. The look on Axel's face made him feel ill at ease, so Roxas turned away.
Several months earlier, Axel had gone to a place known as Castle Oblivion, as he had been ordered. Along with Axel, many other members of the Organization, with Marluxia assigned as their leader, had also made their way to the castle. The Organization had been doing some kind of research in this strange castle, which contained a seemingly endless amount of white rooms. Roxas did not know what this research entailed, and he did not think he would not be finding out, either. Axel had only told him that he had come back--but what happened at Castle Oblivion?
"Well then, shall we go meet with Xemnas?"
"I'd say so," Roxas replied.
Axel stood and performed an exagerrated stretch. He then walked over to Roxas and knelt slightly so that the two were shoulder-to-shoulder.
"When this is all said and done, want to go have some ice cream in Twilight Town?"
"Sounds good to me."
As Roxas looked at Axel face-to-face, though only for a brief moment, he smiled. Ice cream in Twilight Town sounded very good to him.

Sitting in his cold marble chair, Roxas listened patiently to Xemnas' lecture. This time, it was about Marluxia and the five others with him at Castle Oblivion, and how they had been terminated at the hands of the Keyblade bearer.
"But didn't you say that the Keybearer's progression has been halted?" Xaldin asked, his arms folded.
"It is not in our favor that Naminé has escaped us," Saix replied. "I lay blame for that upon you, Axel."
"The situation was hopeless, I fled for my life," Axel replied. "Can you really blame me for that?"
"Perhaps it would be best," Xigbar suggested, turning to Roxas, "if we heard the Keyblade's Chosen One's opinion on the matter."
"I've got nothing..."
Roxas had no opinion on the matter. The Keyblade--The Key to all Worlds...
Roxas was indeed also able to wield that very same special key, and he was called the "Keyblade's Chosen One", but was considered merely an ally who happened to have this same ability -- nothing more than that. He was in the Organization because he had nowhere else to go, and was not yet sure if he really wanted to regain the heart he'd lost.
"Sora."
At this sudden murmur from Xigbar, Roxas raised his head.
Sora?
He felt as though he'd heard it somewhere before.
"What's this, now?" Demyx asked in response.
"Heh heh, so, you really don't know, do you?" Xigbar chuckled with a smirk. At his side, Saix gave a slight sigh. Axel frowned, and Demyx tilted his head doubtfully. Luxord, Xaldin, and Xemnas remained unfazed.
Their varying responses were worrysome.
"The Keybearer has been put under sleep, but this will not interfere with our plans," Xigbar went on. "We must continue towards our goal."
At these words, the space where Xigbar had been standing blanked out to white once more.
"Axel," Xemnas called. "Take Roxas with you to Hollow Bastion. There seems to be some kind of disturbance around the keyhole there."
"But I just got back!" Axel cried in protest.
"Consider it punishment for letting Naminé escape."
That said, Xemnas vanished from sight.

Roxas and Axel were now making their way through a portal of darkness. Their destination was Hollow Bastion. The ability to open portals to corridors of darkness connecting all parts of all worlds was yet another special power granted to members of the Organization.
"Sheesh--I never get a break."
While Axel grumbled his complaints, Roxas pulled up his hood and followed behind him.
Sora...the keyblade...it worried him.
"Well, after this, we'll get ourselves some ice cream, Roxas! Got it memorized?"
Axel looked over his shoulder at Roxas.
"...Sora..."
As Roxas muttered this name, Axel frowned.
"Don't worry about what Xigbar said," he entreated.
"I just feel trapped," Roxas replied, "between things I should worry about, and things I'm told not to worry about." He paused.
"Axel...do you know about Sora?"
At Roxas' question, a look of worry quickly flashed across Axel's face, and he met Roxas' gaze.
"I don't," Axel replied. "If I did, I'd tell ya."
"Why don't you?" Roxas continued.
"Because...it isn't necessary for me to know."
His response given, Axel turned his back to Roxas once more. Roxas did not need to know the connection between him and Sora just yet -- No, Axel did not want him to know it at all.
'Roxas is a very special Nobody -- and also, the bearer of the Keyblade', Axel thought to himself.
'Can Xemnas see straight through my lies...?'
"Axel!"
"What is it?"
Axel's tone was severe as he rounded on Roxas again.
"I want to know, " Roxas stated.
"Want to know what?"
"...I don't know," Roxas faltered, and he cast his eyes downward again.
There was nothing he knew about himself, nothing at all. He felt as though something was stirring somewhere inside him, and it didn't feel good.
"Why does the Organization exist?" Roxas said finally.
"To acquire hearts."
The answers Axel was giving to Roxas' questions seemed fluid, as though they'd been practiced. However, Roxas' head remained bowed.
"Heeey, don't bother yourself with such meaningless stuff...let's go," Axel said. "There's ice cream waiting for us at the end of all this."
Axel put his hand on Roxas' shoulder, and looked ahead.
Before them, the corridor of darkness which lead to Hollow Bastion stood open.

Now, Roxas and Axel were walking through a decrepit castle.
"And just what are we suppossed to find here?"
Just as Axel muttered this, he felt the prescence of something unpleasant.
"...Heartless."
Roxas gripped the Keyblade in his hand. All at once, as though this was the signal they'd been waiting for, countless numbers of Heartless surrounded him and Axel.
"What a pain."
Standing poised, back to back with Roxas, Axel gripped his chakrams in his hands.
"Don't tell me our mission is to wipe these guys out?"
"Looks like it!"
Roxas' reply to Axel was more like a shout as he leapt, flashing his Keyblade. At this, Axel whistled his approval.
"Alriiight, Roxas!"
"Quit the chatter and you get moving too!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Axel now also rushed headlong into the flock of Heartless. Neither slowed down until the Heartless were completely swept away. In no time at all, the usual silence had returned to the castle. Any sign of their presence was no longer felt.
"Could that really have been the reason they sent us here?"
Axel turned his head upward, hearing a sound from high above like bird wings rustling.
"What's that?"
Roxas looked up as well, and there he saw a solitary birdcage swinging in the breeze. The rustling sound seemed to be coming from there.
"Should we let it go?" Axel asked.
Roxas nodded his reply and Axel took up his chakrams, aiming for the cage.

The sun was sinking below the horizon in Twilight Town. From far off, the voices of children playing could be heard. After buying a popsicle each, the two of them headed in a fast pace towards the station.
"Are we going...there?"
"Yeah."
Roxas nodded, and started to nibble at his ice cream.
"Don't eat it before I can, Roxas," Axel complained. Just then, a ball rolled towards them, colliding with Roxas' foot.
"Sorry 'bout that!"
A boy was running up to them.
"Aw, c'mon, Hayner!"
From behind him, a girl appeared, and after her, another, somewhat chubby boy as well. Roxas picked up the ball at his feet, and tossed it towards the boy and his friends. The three paused, lowered their heads and bowed to him quickly before taking their ball and running off once again.
"They're about my age, aren't they...?"
"Huh?"
Axel hadn't quite caught what Roxas had mumbled.
"...Never mind," Roxas said, shaking his head slightly and continuing forward. A dove that had been sitting above them took flight, and Roxas turned to gaze at it.
The castle where he and the rest of the Organization lived seemed quite like a birdcage, itself. He was told nothing, and would spend his every day in that castle, performing any tasks deemed suitable for him.
'Yeah...they don't tell me anything', Roxas thought.
'Am I even really here?'
"Quit spacing out and sit down."
"Huh? ...Oh, right."
The two had arrived at the clock tower high above Twilight Town's train station. From here, they were able to look down on every sector of the town. The day Roxas had first met Axel they had eaten ice cream here, and ever since it remained a special place for the both of them.
"Your ice cream, it's melting."
At Axel's warning, Roxas quickly licked his popsicle.
"Well that wasn't much of a mission."
"Yeah..."
Roxas was looking downward.
"I wonder what was up with that crow," Axel continued.
"Yeah..."
Getting nothing but vague replies from Roxas, Axel sighed loudly.
"You're not still worried about those things Xigbar said...are you?"
"Not really..."
Another dove streaked past, practically skimming Roxas' nose.
"Must be fun to soar on the wind like that, don't you think?"
"...that's your idea of fun?" Axel replied, chewing at his ice cream.
"I wonder when I'll ever be able to try it."
At these words, Axel took a good look at Roxas. Perhaps Roxas was starting to feel the effects of carrying out all of the practically identical tasks that he was set to every day. In fact, the only task he was given, every single day, was to destroy and suppress the Heartless. Axel considered this to be something that could not be helped. Roxas was very special. Very special to the Organization, and also very special to Axel. But in the same way that the Organization had been keeping Roxas in the dark about everything, so were there things that Axel himself was keeping from him.
'In this way, am I betraying Roxas, too?'
"I guess we won't always be together."
"Huh?"
Axel had accidentally spoken aloud, although softly, and this time, it was Roxas who took a good look at Axel.
"What gives? Don't make such a serious face!"
Axel turned away from Roxas and bit into his ice cream. Roxas was not aware of Axel's unease. Nor was Axel aware of Roxas' anxieties.
"You don't think we'll be together forever, is that it...?" Roxas asked, quietly.
"Haven't we made enough memories by now?" Axel asked, smiling.
"What do you mean...by that?"
As though it had been coaxed from him, Roxas smiled, too.
But how could things like memories even exist for those without hearts, like themselves?
"No, they must exist, somehow."
Somehow...yes, somehow, no matter where Roxas ended up, he could feel something stirring, in his chest, where his heart should have been, when he thought of Axel.
"Is that...a memory...?"
Roxas' voice trailed off as he turned to gaze towards the setting sun. Following suit, Axel took a mouthful of ice cream, and, in the same way as Roxas, looked off into the sunset.

[SuperNova]

It's a spoiler and many here don't want spoilers,but some people can read from this if they want to.

[Seiramu]

Originally Posted by M.o.N

It's a spoiler and many here don't want spoilers,but some people can read from this if they want to.

Well, maybe people shouldn't come to FUTURE of Kingdom Hearts, if they don't want to be spoiled? But alright, I will post some spoiler tags.

[KCDjedi]

Hmmm.... How is it that I've read this before a long time ago? ..... When was this first released?

[kyblade24]

I want to know where your friend got this. please post a link

[odamin]

Originally Posted by KCDjedi

Hmmm.... How is it that I've read this before a long time ago? ..... When was this first released?

Yes, I agree, I had a very strong sence of deja vu when I read it, I think this is pretty old.

[Seiramu]

Originally Posted by kyblade24

I want to know where your friend got this. please post a link

See the deviantartsite I posted, she got it from there

[KCDjedi]

Originally Posted by odamin

Yes, I agree, I had a very strong sence of deja vu when I read it, I think this is pretty old.

Same here. I'm thinking I read something like this around the time that the first details came trickling out about 358/2 Days. I'm not too sure about that though, but I do clearly remember reading at least a few parts of this before... The headbut, the birdcage, the meeting, and the corridor of darkness are very very familiar.

[blader94]

thats cool and i think that we can all agree that the bird was malaficient.

[RikusGaurdian]

This is from Kingdom Hearts: Another Report, a book that came with KH2: Final Mix+ in Japan.

[EmoprinceofKH]

oooohhh i think i read this before..its cool

[DarkSoldier85]

I saw this in Another Report, but didn't take the time to read it. Thanks for posting it.

[OmniChaos]

Originally Posted by blader94

thats cool and i think that we can all agree that the bird was malaficient.

No... The bird is Diablo, Maleficent's pet from the movie Sleeping Beauty...

[incognito]

This seems familiar...
Got anything else? (I don't give a damn about spoilers) :lol:

[Ragnarocker]

It's a spoiler. I think this is part of KH 358/2 Days.
But the novel is great.

~ragnarok