Volume 6
Chapters
Story
Chapter 20: You Are You
The group spends the second day trying to collect munny for a trip to the beach. They're able to make enough, but before they can get on the train, Riku steals the munny pouch from Roxas. With no explanation to provide his friends, Roxas and the rest of the group go home disappointed.
Hayner was able to make up the Munny they need for the trip, and the group plans on meeting near the station. However, when Roxas meets with Olette and Pence, they are suddenly frozen in time. Naminé walks by him and tells him to go to the abandoned mansion. On his way he runs into Seifer, Fuu, Rai, Vivi, and a handful of nobodies. During the battle, he is thrown to his Dive to the Heart. Naminé saves him from the Twilight Thorn, but before she can explain anything, Riku stops her and gets rid of Roxas. When Roxas wakes up, he is surrounded by Seifer's gang. He sees his group off in the distance, once again disappointed. Rei tries to stop them, but they don't listen. Roxas runs after them to the Usual Spot. He tries asking how the beach trip went, only to find out they didn't want to go without him. Roxas, guilt ridden, decides to go home early. Once he leaves, Rei, frustrated and angry, yells at Hayner, Pence, and Olette for pushing him away and not giving him a chance to explain. She is interrupted by Riku, who snaps her to her senses as she realizes she was yelling at no one.
Rei finds Roxas at home, quiet and reserved. She tries to cheer him up by asking him to train with her in order to prepare for the Struggle Tournament the next day. She convinces him that it'll help him blow off some steam and keep his mind off of things. It's late in the day, and the sandlot is empty. The training starts out normal enough, but as they're fighting, Roxas' vision begins to change, his reality once again melding with Sora's memories. The training gets mixed up with fights from Sora's past. Scared and confused, Roxas keeps fighting, trying to defend himself. His vision ends with his first meeting with Rei, and he is snapped back to reality when he hears Rei call out to him. He realizes Rei is on the ground with scratches and a busted lip. Relieved that he was back to himself, she tells him that she's fine and it wasn't a big deal. Roxas refuses to believe her and takes her back to his place to bandage her up.
Once they were finished treating Rei's wounds, Roxas finally breaks down, unable to comprehend how he could mess up the beach and beat up his best friend. He tells Rei that he doesn't feel real and how confused he is. It feels like he's going crazy, and he can barely stand it. Rei pulls him to an embrace and tries to comfort him.
"You are kind. You are courageous. You always take time to help others, and
you don’t like leaving people out. You love the color red because it’s the color of the sunset.
You’re really bad at talking about yourself, because you’d rather learn more about other people.
You like hearing stories. You like sleeping in. You dislike having extra time, because you never know what to do with it.
You love ice cream, but you can only eat one a day and don’t like eating it by yourself…
you are Roxas…you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be your own person."
She puts her hand on his chest and tells him that he's alive, just as she did on the night of the lanterns.
Chapter 21: The Struggle
It's the day of the Struggle Tournament, the biggest event of the summer. Hayner and Roxas go up against each other with Rei, Pence, and Olette cheering for both of them. Roxas manages to win, and the two of them are able to make up. As they're preparing for the next battle, Rei is alerted by DiZ of the recent glitches. She excuses herself from the sandlot, apologizing to Roxas for missing his next fight. In his fight with Vivi, time freezes and Vivi is revealed to be nobody in disguise. Once Vivi is defeated, Axel reveals himself, asking Roxas to remember his past. Out of frustration and confusion, he violently throws his Keyblade to the ground, but it reappears in his hands. Before Axel can attack him, a person in a black coat blocks him. Axel recognizes the blade, and calls out to Rei.
Roxas is shocked to hear her name, but the person denies it. Axel is disgusted. Roxas had told him about her when he came back from Castle Oblivion, and to see her now helping the people trying to destroy him? He couldn't believe it. He again criticizes her motives, and Rei desperately tries to deny it. Sick of her lies, they begin to fight. He knocks her down to try and reveal her face to Roxas. Before he can see though, DiZ manages to disguise her face to resemble her nobody. He appears himself as he makes Rei disappear. Both DiZ and Axel tell Roxas to not believe the other. Roxas is eventually overwhelmed and calls out his friends' names. When he opens his eyes, the Struggle Tournament resumes as if nothing happened. Roxas looks around, not seeing Rei anywhere in sight, and he questions if the person that appeared was really her. Before he begins his fight with Setzer he hears her call his name and sees her in the front row ready to cheer him on.
The friends are on the clock tower with the champion's prize, the Four Crystal Trophy, and congratulate Roxas with their usual treat. Roxas however loses his footing, and falls off the clock tower. Rei jumps after him and uses materia to activate a zero gravity spell. It manages to stop them right before they hit the ground, and they are able to land safely. Rei desperately calls his name to make sure he's okay, but he is unresponsive. Riku appears to check on them both, assuming that Roxas' condition is again because his connection to Sora is getting stronger.
After they return Roxas to his home, Naminé goes to Rei and encourages her to rest as well, knowing she's been pushing herself too hard throughout this whole operation. She promises to come wake her up when they need her. When Riku returns to the computer room, DiZ mentions that Rei jumped off of the clock tower with no hesitation and was even willing to use her body as a shield. It causes him to question what her reaction will be when he ultimately disappears, and he begins to doubt Rei's alliance with them.
Roxas wakes up, remembering the clock tower and Rei jumping after him. It feels like a dream, but it's later in the day and he doesn't remember how he got home. He decides to go to Rei's place to go check on her. When he arrives, he notices that the place looks barely used and furnished. Outside, Naminé is being restrained by Riku despite her protests. DiZ watches through the computer screen, waiting to see the scene play out.
As Rei sleeps, she is once again plagued by nightmares, fueled by her fears of Roxas' inevitable disappearance. In her dreams, Rin taunts her and amplifies her fears. She hears her name being called out. It becomes overwhelming. She wakes up in a panic and draws out her sword only to see an equally frightened Roxas. He begins to see visions again, this time of his first meeting with Rei. Rei recalls her sword and attempts to calm him, but his headaches overpower him and he passes out. DiZ appears before her, telling her it was her own fault and that her relationship with Roxas had complicated the mission.
Naminé tries to comfort Rei afterwards, but Rei comes to accept that it was a consequence of her choices. She can't keep pretending in front of Roxas. It's not fair to either of them. She tells Naminé that she wishes to tell Roxas the truth, and Naminé agrees to help her.
Chapter 22: Truth
Roxas groggily wakes up. He realizes that Rei is sitting on the floor next to his bed, her back to him. He rolls over to talk to her, asking her how long it's been. She tells her it's early in the morning, and that she doesn't have much time. He asks if best friends are suppose to be honest with each other, and Rei nods her head. He begins to ask question about who he is, and if he's actually a person. He asks how they actually met. When Rei reveals that she knows who Axel is, Roxas realizes that she is working for whoever is keeping him there. Rei tells Roxas that she doesn't want to keep lying to him, but to do that she has to leave. He asks which side she's on, and she admits that she doesn't know anymore. She tells him that she means what she says, that he deserves to be his own person. Before he can say anything else, Roxas head begins to hurt again, and his vision blurs. Naminé appears, telling Rei that they're out of time. Before he passes out, he sees Rei look back at him one last time before she disappears in the portal of darkness.
He wakes up again alone in his bedroom. He makes his way to Rei's place, only to find it completely empty and abandoned. He goes to the Usual Spot to see if she's there, but only Hayner, Pence, and Olette are waiting for him. Upon asking where she is, Roxas says he couldn't find her. Olette offers to call her, and to everyone's surprise, Rei answers. Olette asks where she is since they were suppose to work on their homework today. Rei tells her that she went to the city to pick up a few things for school, and that she had already finished the homework at the beginning of the summer. Olette tells her that Roxas was worried and hands the phone to him. There's a moment of silence between them. He asks if she'll be home later today, and she says no. She gives Roxas a final goodbye and apologizes to him before hanging up the phone. Looking dejected, his friends try to cheer him up thinking he's sad just because Rei can't make it today. They decide to go to head to Sunset Station to explore the Seven Wonders. Outside, Rei is on the rooftops in a black coat looking down at the Usual Spot.
Rei criticizes DiZ's use of the ghost train, telling him at this point he's using Roxas for his own personal amusement. DiZ tells Rei not to be hypocritical, and warns her of her sympathy towards nobodies. Rei excuses herself from the conversation. Once she leaves, DiZ tells Riku that once this is all over and Sora's memories are restored, it'll be time to dispose of Naminé as well.
Chapter 23: The Final Day
Roxas returns to the Usual Spot with some ice cream. When he calls out to his friends, they don't respond. As they leave, they phase through Roxas, not noticing him. When he runs outside, he is greeted by Axel, who tells him his world is fake. Roxas still decides to stand against him, but before Axel can continue his attack, he's frozen. Roxas takes this chance to return to the mansion.
Rei appears and unfreezes Axel. When he comes to, he confronts Rei, asking her if she's come to try and stop him. She tells him no, saying she no longer wants to play her part in DiZ's revenge. He then asks her if she'll stop Roxas. She hesitates and says that ultimately it is not her decision. Roxas deserves to make his own choice. She can at least give him that. If Axel does try to destroy Roxas, she'll stop him. Axel tells her that is something he'd like to avoid as well, but the Organization has given him their ultimatum. Rei tells him that he has the choice to leave, and then makes her way to the mansion.
Roxas is at the mansion gates, locked out. When he is suddenly surrounded by nobodies, Riku and Rei appear. Despite his protests, they tell him to go ahead, and he rushes towards the mansion. Riku and Rei fight off the nobodies, but they are overwhelmed. Riku tells Rei they need to report to DiZ, but instead Rei leaves Riku and heads into the mansion. Riku is unable to stop her, and has no other choice but to retreat.
Roxas finds the main computer within the mansion. With the return of his memories, he smashes the computer to pieces, now realizing everything was a lie. Axel reveals himself and congratulates him on his returned memory. However, he tells him that it's too late. He launches a fireball at Roxas, but it is interrupted by Rei. Axel is angered by her interference, and they begin battling. Eventually Axel gets the upper hand, delivering a damaging hit, and he reveals her face to Roxas.
"Is this what you call a real friend? Someone who played a part in their lies? Who let them lock you up in this fake town?"
Axel throws her aside and isolates Roxas in a ring of fire. Rei is on the sidelines, unable to see the battle. Roxas is able to summon two Keyblades, and fights of Axel. He is able to deal one final blow, and Axel's spells dissipate. Axel tells him he looks forward to see him in the next life and disappears. Roxas confronts Rei, who sits still on the basement floor.
"So what lie are you going to feed me next? Everything's going to be okay? You won't let em get hurt? You'll always be there?
I want to believe everything you said to me. I want to believe you're my friend, but I'm just a nobody to you, aren't I?
...
I trusted you! You were the last thing that felt real."
Rei tells him that he has every right to be angry with her. That no matter how much she wanted to tell the truth, she chose not to. She even had Naminé to alter her own memories so the lie was more believable. She took advantage of everyone, and she became the very person she didn't want to be. Roxas begins recalling the fake memories they have together. She tries to tell him they were fake, but he interrupts her by recalling the night they had with the lanterns and how hat made him feel. He tells her when he thinks of these memories, everything he felt, the warmth that he feels when he remembers them, it's all real to him. To him their friendship is real. He turns around crying, asking Rei if they are real to her too. She nods, saying that they are her most treasured memories.
The door to the next room opens, and Rei tells Roxas that DiZ wants them to move forward. Roxas, trembling, asks Rei if she'll come with him. Rei agrees. As he's helping her up, he hands her one of his rings, saying that as someone who wasn't supposed to exist, it'd be nice to leave behind proof that he was real. Together they walk through the door and make their way to Sora.
As they pass by Goofy and Donald's pods, Rei stops Roxas and tells him that he doesn't need to return to Sora. She tells him that they could just leave, and he can finally live the life that he deserves to have. He doesn't have to go away. Roxas smiles, agreeing that it is something that he'd like to have. However, Riku suddenly appears behind them and separates them, telling Rei that she has overstepped her boundaries. He throws her into the portal, and they both disappear before Roxas can stop him.
Rei is released into the mansion basement of the real Twilight Town. She yells at Riku, asking why she should sacrifice her best friend with his. Riku stifles her outburst, saying that Rei knows nothing of friendship and how her view on nobodies has clouded her judgement.
"Nobodies were never meant to exist. They don’t have a right to be. Why should I value that over Sora?
The person who has affected hundreds of people’s lives and saved the worlds from plunging into darkness?
Roxas must return to Sora. It’s what’s best for everyone. You’re just thinking of what’s best for your temporary feelings.
What gives Roxas the right to live his own happy life while Sora is left in eternal sleep? How is that fair?
Unlike you, my friendship is real, and I won’t let your little forged friendship
keep us from completing our mission."
Roxas finds himself in a large white room with a single large pod in the middle. DiZ telling him that it's time to return to Sora. Roxas expresses his hatred for him, and desperately yells that his heart belongs to him. DiZ disappears as the pod opens up to reveal a sleeping Sora. With tears streaming down his face, Roxas tells Sora that his summer vacation is over. Slowly he fades into light and disappears.
References
Original Characters
Rei • Rin The Forsaken
Kingdom Hearts Characters
Riku • Roxas • Hayner • Pence • Olette • Naminé • DiZ • Sora
Final Fantasy Characters
Seifer • Fuu • Rai • Vivi • Setzer
Disney Characters
Locations
Simulated Twilight Town • Twilight Town