Days Novel Vol 2: Chapter 5 (part 2)
Written by: Kanemaki Tomoco
Original Plan: Nomura Tetsuya and Nojima Kazushige
Illustration: Amano Shiro
Copyrighted by Disney, Square Enix and Touchstone Pictures
Translations: gold_panner
Notes: No profit is gained from these translations unless you count meeting and befriending amazing people profit. Every effort is made to make them as accurate as possible.
Chapter 5: Sleeping Xion (cont'd)
Just as always, I wasn’t able to find any information relating to news of Riku. I haven’t even been able to find rumours. It’s nough to make me wonder if maybe he’s already gone somewhere we can’t go. Is there any point to keeping up this idle searching?
Thinking such things, Axel finished up his investigation a little early, and headed for the usual spot. He should have been a bit early, but Roxas was already sitting there.
“You already finished your mission for today?”
“Yeah.”
Roxas’ expression is weirdly cheery. Is it just cause of this morning’s exchange?
“Listen, Axel. Today, I flew.”
Roxas was sounding a little crazy. “What do you mean?” Axel asked, critically.
“I don’t really understand it really well but I was flying in the air.”
Roxas is pretty worked up, and I don’t really understand, but for now I’d better answer. “…That’s pretty awesome.” I sure haven’t ever flown in the air before-but, Roxas’ expression is full of life, enough to be strange, speaking about it.
“It felt so good, I just wanted to talk about it.” Roxas gazed out into the distance, his fringe moving in the wind. “Flying in the sky gave me this kind of familiar-… that kind of feeling.”
Familiar… That’s the first time I’ve ever heard Roxas use that word.
Then Roxas said, “Xion… I wonder when she’ll wake up…,” and his excitement finally faded.
xxx
Who is calling me?
xxx
“Wahh?!”
That was Roxas there. But the one who was calling me… wasn’t Roxas, was it.
“….M-morning. Xion.”
“M-morning…”
When she’d opened her eyes and sat up, Xion had seen Roxas before her.
“Um… you woke up so quickly, you surprised me.”
“S-sorry…,” Xion apologised, looking away. She then saw the sea shells. “…You left these here for me, didn’t you.” She picked one up, and held it to her ear. Yeah… It feels like I was hearing it constantly, the sound of waves. Maybe it was coming from these?
“Can you hear it?”
“Yeah… I can hear the sound of waves.” I wonder why. When I hear the sound of waves, why do I get this strange feeling. Xion opened the eyes she had closed for a moment, and asked Roxas, “How long was I asleep?”
“About twenty days, I think.”
“That long?” That’s a little surprising. To have slept for that long… And on top of that, why was I sleeping…? No, I don’t really remember if I collapsed. The last memory I have is-Oh yeah, I was thinking about how I can’t lose. I can’t lose to Riku. But I wonder why I fainted?
“Yeah… You weren’t waking up, and Axel and I were worried.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you…” Roxas and Axel being worried about me makes my chest squeeze painfully, much more than the fact that I was sleeping for so long.
“We aren’t meant to have hearts, so I wonder how we can feel like this…,” she murmured. I’m not meant to have a heart, so why does it hurt like this? But, there’s definitely no answer to that.
She looked up. “Hey, I just remembered. What about your mission for today?” she asked Roxas.
“Huh? I was planning to go after this, but…”
“I want to go with you,” she said, clearly. Roxas frowned, troubled.
“Don’t you think you should rest a little longer?”
That may be a worry… But, I want to hurry up and get moving. “It’s okay. Hey, take me with you.”
Roxas hesitated for a moment, then accepted Xion’s plea. “Okay, I got it.”
Xion jumped right out of bed.
xxx
Let’s persuade Saïx together, they decided together, and so Roxas and Xion called out and stopped Saïx just before he entered the lobby.
“Saïx!”
“So you’ve finally woken up,” said Saïx, glancing at Xion. Xion looked up at Saïx. She took a small breath, and said, “I want to go out with Roxas on his mission. It’s okay if the two of us do, right, Saïx?”
Saïx missed a beat, as if thinking for a moment about Xion’s words. “It’s better if you don’t move around quite yet.”
That’s… not what I imagined he’d say. He’s probably not actually worried or anything like that, but it does feel as if he’s concerned about me physically.
Just as they were lost as to what to say, Axel appeared. “Oh, so you’ve finally woken up, Xion.”
“Good morning, Axel.” Xion smiled at Axel. Axel will definitely help us.
“Today, Axel, you and Roxas are scheduled to go together. Your companion hasn’t been put on the schedule.” It seemed that Saïx was also happy that Axel had arrived.
“I want to go too,” complained Xion, desperately. “I want to stretch my muscles.”
A moment of silence descended upon them, then, Axel opened his mouth. “What if I act as the guardian of these minors?” he said, trying to smooth things over. But, Saïx stayed silent even in the face of those words.
Axel and Saïx looked at each other. It felt as if they were glaring at each other a little, and Xion was anxious.
“I see. Do as you like,” Saïx folded, and went into the lobby straight away. The three of them watched his retreating back, then looked at each other, smiling.
It must be the first time the three of us have gone on a mission together.
xxx
The place they had headed to for their mission was Twilight Town. The usual town, where their usual spot was.
“Hee hee… It’s kind of fun, having a mission the three of us,” Xion smiled.
Roxas returned her smile. “It’s the first time isn’t it? The three of us, I mean.”
“Hey hey, this isn’t a game,” Axel reproached them, jokingly.
That’s right-missions aren’t games. “I know. I just want to make sure I can move properly,” said Xion, and Axel’s expression turned serious.
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Xion nodded. “Okay.” I won’t push myself. If I were to faint again, it would be totally useless. But if I’m with Axel and Roxas, it will definitely be okay. If anything happens to me those two will help me, I have faith.
“Our mission is to put down a giant Heartless-Looks like a pretty tough Heartless, yanno,” said Axel, scratching his head.
“Yeah-But thanks to that, we can narrow down the places it will appear. Maybe at the vacant lot, or in front of the station, I’m thinking,” guessed Roxas.
“That’s true,” Xion agreed. There are big spaces at the tram plaza and in front of the haunted mansion, too, but with huge Heartless, generally if we check those two places first, the odds of finding it there are high.
“Let’s hurry and finish, so we can go have some ice cream.” Roxas started walking
“Since we’re in Twilight Town, we can eat as soon as we’re done, can’t we,” said Xion, chasing after him.
“Yeah, that’s true, but… Don’t be careless,” Axel warned their backs as he followed behind.
“Axel is such a worry-wart, isn’t he.”
“Worry-wart-Maybe that’s cause you two worry me far too much.”
Xion and Roxas looked at each other, and laughed.
“So, where are you two heading off to anyway?”
“Station plaza,” Roxas replied.
“Because?”
“No matter what we do, we have to head back to the tram plaza to buy the ice cream, right?” Roxas explained.
“Huh?” Axel tilted his head.
“So, if we start with the station plaza, which is far away from the tram plaza, it’ll be easier later. Or that’s what I was thinking.”
“Roxas, you’re so smart!”
“Really…?”
Xion thought that Axel didn’t really seem to understand very well. But, the reason doesn’t really matter. Just the fact of being on a mission in this town all together is pretty fun.
But-the instant she set foot into the station plaza. The world-span. It span round and round and went black.
Is something happening? What’s wrong? I don’t understand.
--It’s a promise.
Who are you?
--It’s my precious charm, so you have to bring it back to me.
Charm…? Is that, these shells…?
--Xion!
I can hear Roxas’ voice. What on earth is happening?
xxx
Just before Xion fainted onto the ground, Axel caught her.
“Xion!” Roxas yelled, panicked. At that moment, something howled behind him.
It was the target Heartless. Roxas turned. Behind him, Axel picked Xion up. “Leave Xion to me,” he yelled.
Roxas nodded. “Got it.” His keyblade appeared in his hand, and he headed for the Heartless.
Keeping an eye on it, Axel dashed towards the corner of the station, a safe blind spot to the monster, holding Xion.
“Xion!” he called, after gently putting her down, but Xion didn’t react.
I was careless. I don’t have a clear answer as to why Xion faints so often in the first place. Why was she allowed to go on a mission in this condition? The thoughts floated up along with regret. Other than his warning not to get involved, Saïx has pretty much indicated that he doesn’t intend to offer more information regarding Xion. In that case, I’ll just have to find out on my own…
Just then, Xion stirred in his arms.
“Xion?”
At almost the exact same time, Axel could see Roxas dealing the last blow to the giant Heartless. A heart floated up from its’ body, and was swallowed into the air.
And then-
“Sora…,” Xion murmured.
Axel couldn’t believe his ears. Sora…? Why would Xion know that name?
“Xion!”
Right afterwards, Roxas came running over, and peered into Xion’s face.
“It’s okay. She’s not injured.”
“But…!”
Silencing Roxas, who still seemed worried, Axel stood up with Xion in his arms.
“Let’s RTC,” he said in a strong voice to Roxas, and began walking.
xxx
Upon returning, the castle was as silent as the grave. Axel walked through the hallways, carrying Xion. Roxas walked beside him, pressing in close.
Xion’s face was a limpid white. It was worrisome.
“So in the end it fainted again, the defective failure.”
There’s only one person who’d say something like that. Roxas turned in rage. “That’s no way to speak about someone…!” he said, accusingly.
He lunged, and Axel, still holding Xion, restrained him. “Silence,” Axel shot at Saïx, without even turning around.
I’ve never heard Axel speak in that cold voice.
Saïx said nothing in return.
Roxas glared at Saïx for a moment, then chased after Axel, who had started walking briskly away.
“Axel!”
“What.”
“…Was it okay to have said that?”
“What do you mean.”
Axel’s tone is a little lower than usual. “I mean… you and Saïx are usually pretty close, aren’t you?”
“Close, whatever. You’re the one who went and flared up in the first place.”
“Yeah, but…” It feels like some sort of mistake, for there to be a distance between Axel and Saïx like the one Saïx has between Xion and I. And even so…
“Look, open the door,” Axel said, stopping in front of Xion’s door, and indicating with his chin.
“Ah, yeah-”
Axel hurried to open the door, and there was Xion’s room, just as it was when they had left that morning. Axel gently lay Xion down on the bed.
Xion stirred a little. “Mm…”
It looks like she’s not unconscious.
Axel was staring hard at Xion.
Words slipped unthinkingly out of Roxas’ mouth. “…Axel, are you worried about Xion too?”
Axel looked at Roxas, slightly surprised. “Of course,” he replied in that low voice, the atmosphere since he had seen Saïx-the scary atmosphere-unchanged.
“Something feels weird.”
“What do you mean?”
Even asked, I don’t think I can explain what I’m feeling now very well at all. What do I do… “You hate troublesome things, right, Axel?” continued Roxas. That’s not exactly how I meant the words to feel-but, I can’t explain it right.
As he searched for words to continue with, Axel began to speak this time. “Well, Roxas-why do the three of us eat ice cream together every day in that place?"
“….Huh?” I don’t really get what he’s trying to say.
“I have no use in doing that either, do I? If you think about it, it’s troublesome, right?”
Certainly, if you think about it like that, it does sound troublesome. But… rather than troublesome of it, it’s fun to eat ice cream the three of us, so… so, that’s why we go there. But, I wonder why it’s fun?
“Do you want me to tell you?”
Roxas looked at Axel, and waited for his answer.
“It’s because we are best friends.”
That’s not what I was expecting him to say. Once, Axel said that he didn’t have a best friend. But, we’re best friends, that’s…
“Get that memorised, good and proper. We’re best friends.”
“Oh, okay… you’re right…”
Seeing a smile playing on Axel’s lips, Roxas began to smile too. Just then, they heard a small laugh. “Hee hee…" It was Xion, awake.
“Thank you… Axel,” said Xion, still lying on the bed. Axel scratched his head, seeming a little self-conscious.
“Are you okay now?”
Xion nodded, seeing Roxas’ worried state. “Just a little dizzy. I’m sorry for worrying you,” she replied.
“Don’t scare us like that, yeah?” Axel said, sounding tired.
“Okay,” Xion replied.
“Just take it easy for today,” Axel continued.
“Got it,” Xion said, obeying mildly.
“…The two of you, thank you.” A smile was on her lips. Axel and Roxas exchanged glances.
Surely-in this condition, she may take a while yet to recover, but it will be okay.
xxx
The white room was a little like the rooms in Castle Oblivion.
It was the first time she’d turned to her sketchbook since arriving at the mansion. Naminé drew slowly in the sketchbook. First she’d drawn a golden-haired boy wearing black. Then she’d drawn a red-haired youth. And then one more-a black-haired girl.
Naminé stopped drawing as she went to fill in the girl’s face.
She-Yes, since when did I know she was there?
I realised recently that she is a special Nobody. But I don’t really know much more than that. What on earth is she?
TBC in Chapter 6: Tell a Lie
Translation notes
+ Uwurgle-----The literal sound was ‘ununununu’ and I have no idea whether it’s meant to be a weird laugh or a sound of being consumed by darkness or what the hell ever. So I said dammit, he’s saying uwurgle.
Criticism, suggestions, questions and comments always welcome ♥