Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Kingdom Hearts II

Sailor Moon

"The True Heart of Kingdom Hearts"

They all call me names. Names that are meant to hurt and cut me. They say horrible things about me and my world. I thought I was just like them but they continue to whisper behind my back. I thought they were my friends, my family. I guess I thought wrong…

They call me "monster" because of my power. They call me "demon" because of my weapon. They call me "beast" because of my history. They call me "Heartless" because I don't fear the darkness. They call me "Nobody" because of the way I fight. They call me "Remnant" because of the way I act.

They never let me have any peace. Not even my heart won't let me be. I feel like something is very, VERY wrong. But what it is exactly escapes me. I watch the stars and every night, there seems to be one less and my heart aches. What is happening?

I had better go ask someone about this…

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Oh, Xen-lookie what I got you." A boy's sing-song voice said to a girl with light brown hair in a semi ponytail. She turned, her white hair bow, white t-shirt and denim jumper skirt rustling in the gentle wind with her hair. Tucking her 2 braids behind her ear, she smiled at her friend with bright eyes framed by glasses.

"What is it, Roxas?" Xen asked the blond boy who had his hands behind his back as she got off the wall she had been standing on. Her white thigh high socks and blue ankle boots made her look more like she was dressed for school than the boy. "What are you hiding behind your back?"

"Ta-da! Sea salt ice cream!" Roxas showed her a light blue ice cream bar.

"Olette, Pence and Hayner couldn't come today. You know that, Roxas." Xen told him, leaning against the wall. Roxas's big grin faded a bit.

"That's okay. I only got two bars." Roxas showed her the other one. "Here, I got it for you."

Xen was surprised but she took the ice cream Roxas offered her as he began licking the other one. The salty sweet chill touched her tongue as soon as she got a taste. She returned to looking out at the people milling about below, staring off into space.

"Is there something wrong, Xen?" Roxas asked softly.

"It's…it's nothing." Xen mumbled, looking down. He had known Xen too long to buy that lie for a second.

Roxas nudged her with his elbow. "Come on, you know you can tell me." Xen bit into her ice cream, trying to avoid answering. "I promise on my heart, mind and soul that I won't slip to Pence, Hayner or Olette whatever you tell me. It'll be our little secret, no matter how big it is."

Xen took another bite of ice cream, trying to find the right words. "I…I keep…I keep having this dream…and it's the same dream every night."

"A dream can't hurt you. You know that." Roxas assured her as they started to walk around Twilight Town, still eating their ice cream. "You're usually the one telling me that."

"I know, I know-but I can't shake the feeling that it's more of a memory. Like-like I've lived it before." She explained with a sigh as they eventually reached the clock tower that over looked their hometown.

"Well, tell me what it's about. Maybe I can help." Roxas sat on the edge of the wall, facing the clock.

"It starts out the same way. I'm about 6 or 7 years old and I'm running around a big house with a child the same age as I am. I think it's a boy but I can't be sure." Xen sat next to Roxas but faced away from the clock face, looking out over the town. "He and I are then running around in a garden with pillars and arches. More than one person was watching he and I play. I trip and fall on the rock path leading to the house and the boy goes back to help me up before the guards can even get one step from their posts."

Roxas put his hand on her shoulder to urge her to continue. "And then we rush into the future. That boy is older now but he's helping my up from falling on the ground like when we were children. He has this weird sword in one hand and is helping me up with the other. I can only see the lower half of his face but I know it's him. He and I are dressed in black and he reaches behind me and pulls something over my head." Xen fiddled with her bare ice cream stick, staring off into the distance. "He then escorts me somewhere with my hand on top of his, like I'm important or something. I take a step forward and the ground disappears from beneath my feet. The boy reaches for me as I drop and I can hear him call my name…"

"Then what happens, Xen?" Roxas put his hands on hers, facing the same way as her, looking at Twilight Town before looking at her. "What happened while you fell?"

"I keep falling and suddenly the ocean is below me with a storm raging above it. I fall from the storm and towards a massive wave that starts to become a monster. As I fall into its jaws…" Xen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "…the terror that makes my heart pound like crazy, makes me choke and I fall out of bed coughing my head off."

"That's pretty bad, Xen." Roxas put his arm around her shoulders. "But it was only a dream. Even if it wasn't a dream, I'll protect you. I'll always protect you. I promise." He cupped her cheek with his hand and turned her face so she'd look at him. "I'll never let anything happen to you. I promise forever and eternity."

He crashed his lips into hers, sealing his promise to her. Pulling away, Roxas realized they were standing and he was holding her hands in his. Xen had a blush coloring her cheeks but Roxas only smiled, tucking her braids behind her ear. Suddenly she jerked back from him and pushed to the side. Roxas didn't see anyone beside him but he dropped to his stomach and reached for her.

"XEN!"