Volume 9
Chapters
Chapter 35: Searching for Answers
Story
Chapter 32: Only Half
Lius combines the fragments of Rei's heart with the replica. As Rin emerges, she is overcome by a sense of separation and anxiety, feeling the missing pieces of her heart.
Rei floats down into darkness, slowly forgetting herself and her memories. She sees a hooded figure, and asks who it is. He hugs her, and tells her that he can't believe she forgot him already. At the sound of his voice, she remembers Roxas and sees a bright shining light.
Chapter 33: I Need You Here
It's a lively evening in New Orleans. It's masquerade night at Tiana's Palace. Vibrant music fills the air as the Firefly Five Plus Lou perform jazz on stage. Rei is at a table sharing a meal with Naminé. All the visitors are on the dance floor enjoying the music. Naminé encourages Rei to join her with the others despite her hesitation. The party music shifts to slow dance as the band begins playing a waltz. Naminé and Rei form a pair and dance to the music. As they're dancing, Naminé points out that someone's been eyeing her since the beginning of the night, which Rei brushes off. Naminé tells her that it's fine, and that it doesn't matter since everyone's wearing masks. She encourages her to have fun and try new things. It's at this point that everyone switches partners. Despite Rei's protests, Naminé switches partners with a tall red-headed man, and Rei finds herself dancing with a blonde boy.
The blonde boy's movements are clunky and clumsy, and he admits that he's never danced before. Rei's amused and takes the time to try and teach him. Before they know it, they're ballroom dancing perfectly in sync all the way until the end of the song. The two have a nice conversation as they make their way to the rooftop. To Rei's surprise, the boy takes off his mask and is revealed to be Roxas.
The two reminisce about the night of the lanterns and their days in Twilight Town. Rei tells Roxas that she feels bad. There's a whole side about him that she didn't know. She realized that when she met Axel. Roxas laughs it off, saying that he's the one that really knows nothing. He says he never knew that she lived in a castle, let alone raised by actual animals. He barely knows anything about her childhood and how she grew up. Rei starts telling him about Disney Castle, about the Million Dream Festival and all the fun activities they do. She tells him about how she left, and how she got mixed up with Maleficent. She ran away from the darkness until she had met him. Roxas also tells her about his life in the Organization, how he became friends with Axel, and how he ultimately decided to leave.
There's a moment of silence between them as they enjoy the night stars and the peaceful flow of the river. Rei tells Roxas that she wishes he was real, that they could do this all the time. Roxas tells her that it is him. He's really there. She denies it, saying she knows it's just a dream, an illusion like it is every other time. She starts crying, saying she's trying so hard to stay strong, but it's not enough imagining that he's telling her everything will be okay. She tells him she needs him here with her. She's scared that she made everything up. Roxas pulls her into an embrace calming her down. He tells her he's sorry, but reassures her that he's there and always will be.
Rei wakes up in her old bedroom at Disney Castle, someone is asleep next to her holding her hand. At first it looks like Roxas, but then she realizes it is Sora.
Chapter 34: To Have a Home
Rei nudges Sora awake. He had accidentally fallen asleep as he was waiting for her to wake up. He asks how she's doing and if she remembers anything. She said the last thing she remembered was Hollow Bastion, and that everything else was a blur. Sora tells her that she's been out for a day. They had found her during the aftermath of the Heartless battle, and they took her back to Disney Castle to rest. There's an awkward silence between them.
Rei expresses to Sora that she doesn't belong there, that she doesn't deserve to come back. She's worried that they hate her, especially after what Maleficent said. He tells her otherwise and tries to comfort her.
"Look around you. This is your room, right? They left
everything the way it was, but you can tell they kept everything
clean and tidy. They didn't abandon you.
They were waiting for you this whole time."
Sora laughs a bit, telling Rei that she reminds him a lot of his friend Riku. He tells them that everyone else is waiting downstairs. The Queen had the castle chefs whip up something before they left. He reminds Rei that they're her family, and they're overjoyed to have her back.
Chapter 35: Searching for Answers
Sora, Donald, and Goofy take their leave, and Rei decides to stay at Disney Castle a bit longer. She's still spacey and can't seem to understand why. Something about her didn't seem right. When she found Sora sleeping next to her, she didn't get mad. When she reunited with Queen Minnie, she wasn't scared, but she wasn't happy either. She knew that she felt like she didn't belong there, but she wasn't quite sure why. It's not like she didn't care. She knew what she would normally feel and how she would normally react, except now, she can't feel anything. She felt empty.
She tries to trigger something, anything. She makes her way to the Gizmo Gallery. Her secret hideout, her favorite spot. It use to fill her with happiness and nostalgia, yet when she puts her hand on the generator, she feels no emotional attachment. Suddenly the memories flood back to her. Lius stabbing her, seeing the heart before he left. What was she? What has she become?
Behind her, she hears footsteps. When she turns around, she sees Rin full of rage.
Chapter 36: Unwanted
Rin, the embodiment of Rei's emotions, it overwhelmed. She blames Rei for everything, for making her feel everything. Rin's style is extremely erratic, but hard hitting. Rei maintains her dexterity and speed. Despite the difference in fighting styles, they are evenly matched. Rei aims for Rin's heart, but Lius manages to deflect it at the last second, protecting Rin. He warns her, saying that a stab through the heart with her particular blade will shatter it. With the fragments of her heart already divided between the two, any more damage and it could keep it from coming back together.
Lius mentions his curiosity. He was expecting Rei to be completely lifeless, but was somehow able to maintain a form of her personality. He tells her it was due to Sora and conveniently the fake memories that were set up in her heart. It managed to stitch itself together in something coherent instead of completely fading away. He proposes a question of whose will is stronger, Rei's or Rin's? He tells her to find the answer in the world of the nobodies, The World that Never Was.
References
Original Characters
Lius • Rin The Forsaken • Rei
Kingdom Hearts Characters
Disney Characters
Queen Minnie Mouse • Donald Duck • Goofy
Locations
Tiana's Palace • Disney Castle • Disney Town