She stared back at the aquatic blues eyes that seem more like they belong to a stranger then her own in the mirror. Despite how in her young age of 12 and how she shouldn't be able to tell the difference, she could see it clearly. Her eyes used to be brighter, full of life and joy, but have been reduced to a lightless blue and with deep sadness. Her eyes are red and puffy after an obvious cry and she didn't want to go into detail at her waxed, pale skin. The only bright color on her was her black dress that her aunt bought her for today. The black cotton dress cut opened, showing her collar bone, and black lace decorated the front over each other in a layer. The skirt of the dress was pleated and reminded Xion of flowers petals. Xion admitted that she liked the dress, it was rather pretty...she just wished the circumstances for it were different.

"Xion." came a voice behind her and she turned to see her Aunt, wearing black too and her hair up. A concerned look crossed her Aunt's face, she saw the difference in Xion as well. "Are you ready?" Xion looked away, to the ground. She was ready in the sense of how she appeared, but inside, deep inside of her, she wasn't willing to go. She wished she could tell her Aunt this, but Xion can see the new bags that formed under her eyes, tired from taking care of her and her four other children. She knew better then to trouble her Aunt any further. "Can I have three more minutes?" she said, more of a whisper.

"Alright then. I have to get back to Alex and James and make sure they didn't dirty their suits." she said and walked away to the source of the loud noise of kids screaming and laughing. She closed the door of the bedroom she was in, her cousin's room, and sat on the bed. She let herself fall back, arms spread and stare at the ceiling. She was grateful for this one moment of peace since coming to live with her Aunt and Uncle's home. With their four kids it was hard to find a place to finally just think quietly. But her thoughts turned quickly to what she had to do today and who she'll say goodbye to. Her heart sank and a few hot tears threatened to escape.

Today, she was going to a funeral. It wasn't her first sadly. Her first funeral were for her parents, who died in a car accident when she was five and Rinoa, her older sister, who was nineteen. On the day of the funeral, she held Rinoa's hand, and stared at the dark brown boxes where her parents lied in. She asked Rinoa why mommy and daddy were in the boxes. "Is it a surprise for us?" she asked and Rinoa tried to smile, tried to say something that would make Xion's mind understand what's happening. But her lips quivered and she bent down to hug her, her arms wrapped around small shoulders and tears running down her cheeks. When they lowered the coffins, Xion wanted to yell to them stop. She got scared to see her dear parents being put somewhere dark. But she didn't tell them to stop because Rinoa put her hand at the back of her head and thought it would be better to comfort her sister instead. Even then, she wondered what would have happened if she told them to stop. Would they have? She knows now that it wouldn't have made a difference.

She didn't remember too much about how it happened, but her sister ended up selling their house and used the money to buy them a small apartment by Xion's school. It was only a one bedroom apartment and the only thing separating the kitchen with the living room was a table and two chairs. But they called it home nonetheless. Her sister, despite the protests of their relatives, worked to keep them living decently and make Xion's life running as normally as possible. Before, Rinoa wouldn't know how to cook, much less boil water, but she forced herself to learn. With time, her food that was wasn't allowed to be labeled as edible soon became good enough to sustain them. Tasting good was unfortunately another level Rinao didn't master. With the money from selling the house and their inheritance from their parents, Rinoa was able to manage their money so that Xion can afford the necessities of school books, clothes, money for groceries, and paying the rent on time. Rinao saved and scrimped every penny she could ever get and made sure it was put away for their future.

Seven years passed for them since their parent's death. Twenty five year old Rinoa was Xion's, twelve years old, full time guardian. To say the years together were easy would be an extreme exaggeration. Rinoa's work schedule made it difficult at times to rearrange so that she could be home to make dinner or to arrange it so that she'll be home enough for Xion. Xion tried to be as helpful to her sister as possible. At the age of seven, she began to read cooking books, trying to make some food without the use of the stove or oven. She only was able to use the stove so long as Rinoa was around to make sure she didn't get hurt. But Xion proved to be a better cook then her sister. Xion smiled to herself as she remembered the look on Rinoa's face when she cooked a guinea fowl with garlic roasted potatoes and steamed string beans on the side after watching a cooking show on the Food Network. Rinoa was both impressed and envious.

But these pleasant memories just made her heart ache and the tears leak from the corners of her eyes. Today's funeral, the one she dreaded to go to, is for Rinoa. Her older sister, her best friend, her guardian, her family. Gone in one fell swoop. She remembered how she was that day. She had finished her last day of school that day and she was excited to spend it with her sister. She wanted to ask Rinoa to go to the beach, maybe stay over night there. She'd get to look over her cook books and experiment with recipes. She can start today and surprise her sister with some good food. Xion ran home, it wasn't very far, but just down the block. After she closed the apartment door behind her, she picked up the wireless phone and rang her sister. Rinoa always reminded Xion to call her after school. Rinoa picked up after two rings. "Hey Xi*." she said and Xion could hear the sound of the photo copy machine in the background. Rinoa must be talking to her in the secluded copy room so that her manager doesn't yell at her.

"Summer vacation officially starts today!" Xion said excitedly, putting her backpack down on the kitchen table and pulling open a drawer for her cookbook. She put the book on the kitchen counter and opened it to a bookmarked page. "I'll be spending it cooking and playing outside." Xion looked at the recipe she wanted to try out, homemade pizza. She made sure Rinoa bought the ingredients for her the other weekend.

"That sounds fine so long as you tell me when you go out and where." Xion has already come to understand and, at times, tolerate her sister's over protective nature.

"Fine with me. I'm making pizza tonight, can I use the oven?" Xion could practically hear the worry Rinoa was showing in the silence. "You know I'll follow the book's recipe and not set the oven any higher or lower." When Rinoa didn't answer, Xion said "Please? Please!"

Rinoa sighed "Ok. Just wear the oven mitts and be careful! I'll be home at six. Love you."

"I love you too." Xion said and hung up. Xion, while staring at the ceiling, wondered why she didn't know. Why didn't she know that that was going to be the last time she was going to hear her sister? Why didn't she know it was going to be the last day she was going to see Rinoa alive? Or why while she waited, the pizza she made getting cold and time passing from when Rinoa promised to return...why didn't she get some kind of feeling or something that just told her something horrible happened? But she didn't know it was going to happen. Just like how she didn't know the police were going to call her and tell her that Rinoa's car was hit. Or how she called her aunt and sobbed over the phone, telling her what happened. Or how her aunt picked her up and dropped her off at her home to go to the hospital where Rinoa was. That night she stayed awake, sleeping with her cousin James and heard the door open and close, her aunt coming home. She listened to their muffled conversation, but couldn't make out anything other then "was too late."

She spent that night wondering what was going to happen to her. When her parents died, Rinoa was there to pick her up and be not only her sister, but a parent as well. Now with her gone...it was like a hole being ripped open in Xion. It was painful and each throb of her heart made the hole ache to the point where she'll cry in the bathroom. Even now, the hole ached much harder. A sudden bang on the door and her heart jumped, she bolted up. She wiped the tears from her eyes, the door opens to her seven year old cousin Henry. His brown eyes looked at her behind his long brown bangs. Next to Henry was Walter, wearing his blue raincoat and staring at Xion. "Whatcha doing Xi?" Walter asked, his blonde hair falling over his face. He and Henry walked to her side and she rubbed her eyes of any more tears. "Nothing. Just thinking" she said hastily. She already had her aunt and uncle worried, she didn't want to worry her little cousins.

Henry sat on the bed next to her and put his head on her arm. Xion put her hand on his head and tousled his brown locks. Henry was much more reserve then any of his brothers and was always one to do the comforting when they cried. Xion figured he was trying to comfort her too. Walter jumped onto the bed at her other side and stared at Xion. "You were crying again." Walter said and got an immediate disapproval look from Henry. Walter turned away, pouting, and muttering "Well she was." Henry looked up at Xion, his brown eyes onto her blue.

"It'll be ok Xi. Rinoa is in heaven now as an angel." he said so softly and innocently that Xion couldn't help the smile that spread to her face. It was one she hadn't had since she heard her sister's death. She gave him a hug and a kiss on his forehead, said boy got tints of pink on his cheek for it. She heard the clacks of heels coming down the hallway and her aunt stood a the doorway. "Xion it's...Walter, what have I told you about that coat! You can't wear it to the funeral."

"But mom!" he whined, clutching the jacket to his chest. "I like it!" he whined again. Her aunt took Walter's arm and dragged him out the room, he was still protesting on wearing his blue jacket. Henry got off the bed and followed them, knowing his comforting skills will be needed again. Xion rose off the bed and watched from the doorway, all four of her cousins surrounding their mother, a last inspection of their appearance. Walter, jacket off and moping, stood next to Henry, holding his hand. Alex and James were playing with action figures, hitting them against each other and fake screaming. Her uncle came out of the room next to his wife, kneeling down and fixing Alex's tie. The scene before Xion are what she always see on TV or in books. That perfect family scene which made that hole ache and burn. Xion, as much as she loved them, knew she didn't belong in that picture. Leaning her head on the doorway, closing her eyes and she pictured the only family scene she wanted. And that was with Rinoa.


They drove to the funeral, Xion tried to bear the cramped backseat and the constant fidgeting of her cousins. But as soon as they parked the car on the other side of the funeral home, she took a moment to enjoy the space once out of the car. She walked behind her aunt and her cousins, her stomach coiling and making her feel sick. "Um," she started and her aunt looks back at her. "I-I just needed a minute. I think I got a little...car sick." she said and clutched her stomach. Her cousins and aunt stood by the door, her aunt nodded to her, "Sure. We'll wait for you inside." As soon as Xion could see her everyone's figure disappear did she clutch her chest and moan.

Xion sat on the steps, her elbows on her knees and she put a hand on her forehead. Her legs trembled, she didn't want to go inside. She actually wanted to go back home to that one bedroom apartment. She didn't want to say goodbye.

'I shouldn't even be saying goodbye!' she thought to herself angrily. The anger quickly subsided, replaced with heartache. 'Rinoa...why? Why did you have to die?' Xion pressed her hands to her eyes, seeing colors form fireworks behind her eyelids. She didn't know how long she sat there, how long her legs shook, or how long she thought about entering, but she got up. She dusted off any specks of dirt on her dress and faced the funeral home. Each step on the stairs were heavy, like her feet turned into stone. She entered the building, dim lighting and vases of flowers on pedestals lined the walls down a long hallway. She followed the persian rug down the hallway to a split, to her right she could hear the sound of faint talking where her relatives waited. She would have headed straight to them, but she looked to her left, down the other hallway to see double doors. She should have gone to her right, to her waiting aunt, but she turned to her left.

She could never control her own curiosity at times. A trait her sister said was both good and bad, worrying her at times of any possible dangers Xion could put herself in. But Xion didn't see any 'danger' of walking into a room. Worse case scenario would be to walk into an office and in that would lead to someone escort her to her relatives. She opened the doors, a slight crack so she could see what or who was inside. A small gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened to see what was beyond the doors. She opened the door slightly, entering and forgetting to close the door behind her. Passing rows of empty chairs, flower wreaths of orchids propped on opposite sides, and a black coffin right in the middle. Xion's eyes stared at the open coffin, Rinoa lying inside.

She controlled her lip quiver and the possible sob that hitched in throat with a hard bite on the lips and clenched fists. She couldn't explain why she was so angry. Why the anger boiled inside her. But she was. Rinoa, her long sleek black hair with brown streaks she dyed when she was a teenager held with a white headband and a few strands of black hair on her forehead. She wore a white tank dress against her ivory skin and she was beautiful. But what made Xion upset was that her sister looked so peaceful, like she was asleep. And for a moment that's what Xion thought she was just doing, sleeping. She watched Rinoa and wanted her to wake up. For Rinoa to get up and smile, acting like this was all a joke (a cruel joke at that). She'd laugh at her surprised relatives and take Xion home. Knowing Rinoa, she'd suggest going to karaoke and she'd sing Madonna's Hung Up (A/N: I just picked a random song on my sister's ipod for Rinoa. le sigh) But she didn't move nor sleep and Xion knew that she wasn't going to get up and smile for her anymore. The door creaked behind her and she spun around.

Xion turned to see a man at the doorway, a surprised look on his face when he met with Xion's eyes. The man had steel blue hair, almost gray, which made Xion wonder about his age. His hair was nearly covering half of his face and watching her with one visible eye. Xion's eyes drew down to his arms where he held a bouquet of anemones in hues of pink. A forced flashback came into her mind of a random night and a random conversation. Rinoa sat on the couch next to Xion while she did her math homework and Rinoa brushing her hair. How the conversation steered this way Xion long forgot, but she remembered her sister say "I wouldn't want roses as my first bouquet."

Xion wrote the answer to a problem down before she looked at Rinoa and said "Why not? You don't like roses?" Rinoa shrugged and said "I like roses, but I just want my first bouquet to be something out of the ordinary." Xion nodded, but still didn't understand what Rinoa meant. She looked at the next math problem and grimaced, a word problem. She closed her math book, but Rinoa caught Xion's look. "Something wrong?"

"I'm just going to do it later." Xion said and looked away from her sister. Rinoa cranked her head, trying to look at her sister's face and she grinned. "More like do it in the morning before school." Rinoa leaned back and brushed her hair some more. Xion turned back to her sister and smiled innocently. "Then what flowers do you want?" Xion knew that Rinoa knew she changed the topic on purpose by the way she smiled. But she answered Xion anyway.

"Do you know the flowers Miss Sullivan has? The ones she calls her 'babies?'" Xion thought of the elderly woman taking care of flowers with round petals in colors of red, white, purple and fuchsia. "Ani-...um, anemones right?" Rinoa nodded, putting her hair brush down."Yeah. I'd like those, but in my favorite color."

Xion didn't understand why she had that flashback or the point of it, but it just reminded her that moments like that with her sister will never happen again. She looked back at the man, who was looking over her shoulder at Rinoa. His somber eyes stared at Rinoa, his head hung low. She didn't know him or have ever seen him before today. Did he know her sister? He must have though or else he wouldn't be here. But Xion thought she knew all of Rinoa's friends. Her mind made a list of her friends. 'She might have met him at work.' she thought.

"You must be Xion." he said calmly. Xion, so lost in her thoughts, didn't realize he was standing right in front of her. She stared up at him, seeing that he was young despite the gray/blue color his hair is. But she was struck by his handsome face, a flush creeping on her face and a held breath. She realized that she hasn't answered him yet and was just gaping.

"Y-yes." she said and looked to the wall. She wanted to look anywhere other then him or else she would be staring. "And you?" she raised her eyes. "Who are you?" The man's hand crinkled the tissue paper that wrapped over the flowers. He didn't answer right away too. The door behind him opened again and the man stepped aside. Her aunt's head popped in and her eyes rested on Xion.

"Xion! What are you-?" her aunt stopped mid sentence once she saw the man. After a look up and down at the man beside Xion, she waved her hand, meaning to stand beside her. Xion walked past the man and tried to get a look at his face, but all she could see was his hair covering it. She stood in front of her aunt and her aunt took her hand, pulling Xion out of the door and down the hallway. "I went to go look for you and I almost got a heart-" she paused, thinking up better words after thinking about where she is. "I couldn't find you. And you were talking to a strange man! You know better then to talk to strangers." She let her aunt drag her to the other side, but she wasn't paying attention to her scolding. She wondered why the man didn't answer her question. She entered a waiting room where her relatives are talking in hush voices. Once her relatives saw Xion, all the talking stopped and everyone was staring at her. She spotted all of her relatives, but she didn't have many.

Her uncle was with her Aunt Cheryl (on her mother's side) and her four little cousins sitting against the wall, bored. Her grandfather on his wheelchair with his nurse aid, who respectfully wore a black shirt and blue faded jeans, they stood with his grandmother (on her father's side). Her cousin Alessa was with some guy Xion didn't know, she assumed was her boyfriend, and Rinoa's friend Selphie. Alessa had this look on her face that Xion could tell was pity. But she spotted Leon right away, leaning against the wall in the corner of the room with Cloud.

"Poor thing." she heard someone say, but couldn't tell who. Her Aunt Cheryl walked up to her, pulling her into her bosom and patting her back. "It'll be ok Xion. If you want to cry, you go ahead and cry." she said, her long black hair curtained her face. She wasn't really comfortable in this hug, but to be polite she wrapped her arms around her Aunt Cheryl. "Thanks Aunt Cheryl. I'm fine." Xion was glad when Aunt Cheryl let go. The rest of her relatives bombarded her with "I'm sorry's" and "It'll be ok." It wasn't that Xion wasn't grateful for their support in this horrible time, but she just felt awkward...awkward from all of this attention. They made her out to be the victim out of this, instead of her sister.

A priest came in and told everyone to start getting seated in the main room. She followed her aunt and uncle back into that room where Rinoa's coffin stood. Xion looked around for the blue haired man, but didn't see him. She sat at the front, a row of five chairs and she sat on the first chair by the aisle. Her four cousins sat next to her and her aunt sat last, her husband sat behind her. She had a close seat in front of Rinoa, able to see her fully up close. The priest entered into a monotone speech of how God had plans for all of us. How he plans for the many good to occur in this world, but just as equally plans the bad. And yes, he even sought for Rinoa to enter his kingdom. Xion's fists clenched and knitted her brows together. Xion wanted to know what was God's plan for taking Rinoa so early from her. He already had her parents...what more was he trying to do to her?

But he spoke next of a warm and gentle place, his holy land. A place where serenity and peace surrounded everything like air. No pain, but just a pure bliss of love. Xion pictured a place above the clouds where the sun's ray reached every corner and it was a warm thought to think for Rinoa. The priest allowed her aunt to take the podium for her eulogy and she nervously took out note cards from her purse. My aunt spoke read off the note cards for Rinoa, but Xion tuned it out since she helped her aunt fill in information. Xion just stared at Rinoa, taking everything about her in one last time. Her peach colored lips, the strands of hair parted on the left side of her face, and her thin arms, arms that have hugged her more times then she can count. She replayed the small gestures Rinoa had in her head. From combing her hair to her crinkling her noise when she laughed.

Her vision started to blur while the tears ran down her cheeks, her shoulders shook and she wrapped her arms around herself to steady them. She could feel the eyes of her aunt and all of her relatives on her, but she continued to keep her eyes on Rinoa. She heard a creak again and footsteps. A pair of black shoes stood in front of her, this person knelt down and she realized that it was the blue haired man from before. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief, holding it out for her to use. Xion stared at the man, taking the offered handkerchief, dabbing her cheeks of her tears and blowing her nose. She took note of how it smelled like nice and wondered if it's the because of some kind of fabric softener or it's the smell of the man himself. He put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze, and her face blushed again. He dropped his hand, leaving a warm spot on her shoulder, and walked back down the aisle. Only now does Xion realize that her aunt's eulogy ended and the priest taking over again.

Xion still held the handkerchief in her hand and she turned over her shoulder to see the blue haired man sitting all the way in the back. His eyes were on Rinoa and he too had this deep anguished look on his face. If he was crying, Xion couldn't see. She faced forward again when the priest wanted everyone to lower their heads in prayer for Rinoa. Xion didn't pray...for some reason, she couldn't find herself to want to talk to God. She instead made a mental goodbye to Rinoa.

'Thank you for always putting up with me. For always taking care of me. Thank you for being my sister. I'm going to miss you. But if the priest said you're somewhere good and in peace, then I'm happy for you. I...love you so much. I hope you know that.'

"Amen." the priest finished and Xion whispered "Bye."


Her aunt and uncle took Xion to an office building a mile away from the funeral him, to an attorney. Xion last saw this attorney when her parents died. He spoke with Rinoa and her relatives while she stayed outside with her cousin Alessa who was a teenager then. Her aunt and uncle entered, but Xion was asked to watch her cousins who all looked at the National Geographic magazines in the waiting room. She sat on the chair by the door her ears strained for anything interesting being said. Seeing her cousins were too busy looking at magazines and the secretary typing at the computer, she put her ear on the door and listened.

"-it's what she wanted, Mrs. Hikan." said by a man who Xion thinks is the attorney. "But-but that shouldn't be right. I mean who is he? Why him?" And Xion recognized that to be her aunt's voice.

'Who are they talking about?' Xion thought. A door opened in the waiting room and Xion looked to see the blue haired man walk in. He looked at Xion, her head still pressed to the door and raised an eyebrow. She pulled back, embarrassed, and got up from the chair. She stood in front of him and held his handkerchief. "Thank you for giving this to me." she said and held it up to him. Xion stared in amazement when he gave her a small smile and put his hand on hers. "Keep it." She lowered he hand and eyes, her face flushing, the door to the attorney's office open again. A middle aged man, in tie and suit, looking over to the blue haired man.

"Ah yes, Zexion Ishida. Please enter, we have much to discuss." Her aunt and uncle stared at, as Xion learned, Zexion Ishida while he followed the attorney. The door closed again and Xion walked back to her chair so she could listen again. "Xion," a hand pulled at her dress skirt, her cousin Alex having this pained look on his face. "I need the bathroom." he said and fidgeted legs. Xion looked back at the door, she won't be able to listen now.

"Ok, I'll take you." she turned to her three other cousins. "Does anyone else need the bathroom?" And all three shot their hands up in the air. She took them into the girl's bathroom, but they protested on how they shoudl go into the boy's bathroom. "I can't go in there with you guys then." she stated.

"We'll be fine Xi." Walter said and pushed his way inside first, his brothers followed after him. Xion stood back and waited for them to finish up. She thought back to Zexion Ishida. Apparently he not only knew Rinoa, but he had some kind of business with her family and attorney. She had to admit that she was curious and with that a need to find out more. Her cousins came out of the bathroom and lined up in front of her.

"You guys wash your hands?" she asked and they all nodded, Henry wiping his hands on his suit. She lead them back to the waiting room, the door opened again for the attorney's office and her aunt, uncle, and Zexion exited. The attorney, his hand on his aunt's shoulder and the other on Zexion's shoulder, said. "We'll meet back here in a week after getting everything checked out. For the time being will you-" he said turning to her aunt. Her aunt nodded and gave a glare to Zexion, taking it unfazed. They all turned to look down at Xion who stared back at them, confused. Her aunt took Xion by her hand and lead them out of the office. Xion looked back to Zexion, he was talking to the attorney and she wished she could have said goodbye at least. Her aunt was upset about something, her frown deepening over the car ride back home. When they entered the apartment, she told her four children to go to their room.

They protested, complained that a TV show was going to be on and they wanted to watch. But she gave them a look, one that was already past her tolerance level, and the boys walked into their rooms, still complaining. "Xion," her aunt said and Xion turned. Her aunt held her husband's hand and they gave each others looks, leaving her out of some loop. "Do you know who that blue haired man was? The one that came into the office at the attorney's?"

"No. But I saw him at the funeral. He was holding flowers for Rinoa and he gave me a this." Xion pulled out the handkerchief, showing it to her aunt.

"But you don't remember if he was ever with your sister? Or did she ever mention him?" her aunt asked, nearly looking desperate for Xion's answer. She shook her head and her aunt and uncle exchanged another look. Xion opened her mouth to ask what's going on, but her aunt cut her off by telling her to go play with her cousins. She walked slowly, looking over her shoulder while her aunt and uncle walk to their bedroom and close it behind them. She stopped walking. Curiosity always getting the best of her. She turned and tiptoed back, making sure her footsteps can't be heard. She pressed her ear to the door. She could hear the bed squeak and then footsteps.

"I refuse. I simply refuse to let him take her! Who does he think he is?" That was definitely her aunt talking. But Xion still didn't understand. Who's going to take her?

"Calm down Mary, I understand." Another bed squeak and a deep sigh. "I just don't understand. Why did Rinoa want this? What was she thinking?" Xion wanted to hear more. What did Rinoa want and why did her aunt disapprove? But a tap on her back, startling her enough to make a sound, but her hand covered her mouth, she turned. It was Henry staring up at her curiously and holding a book he wanted read to him. Xion noted that it wasn't a book to read, but a book on photography and just had photos. She turned back and sighed lightly. She supposed that she'll have to wait a week to understand this whole thing. She took Henry's hand and walked back to their room.


After another week of stay at her aunt and uncle's home, the attorny called for them to visit his office. Xion was surprised to be asked to tag along with them and they left her four cousins with a babysitter. She sat in the back seat and can see her aunt's worried face. Her uncle, keeping one hand on the steering wheel, held her hand and squeezed. They entered the attorney's office and Xion couldn't hold back the gasp of seeing Zexion in the office as well. After everyone was seated, Xion sitting next to her aunt, but she glanced at Zexion every few seconds. The attorney, whose name Xion learned to be Mr. Amedeo, pulled out a vanilla folder and opened it in front of him.

"The screen test you asked for passed through. He has no police records, no criminal records what so ever, and passed all back ground checks with flying colors." Xion looked to her aunt, confused. Her aunt' s wide eyes and hold on her husband's hand were enough for Xion to finally ask them. "What? What is he talking about?" She touched her aunt's arm, her aunt blinked and held her hand. "No. I can't let this happen." Mr. Amedeo sighed and said.

"I'm sorry. The paperwork has already passed through and they are the deceased's last wishes that must be carried out."

"What's going on?" Xion said loudly, sick and tired of being left out in affairs that were about her. Everyone in that office turned to her and Mr. Amedeo folded his hands on his desk. "As requested by your late sister, your sole guardian, the rights of supervision and guardian ship are to be given to your godfather, Zexion Ishida."

Xion's mouth flew open into a large 'O.' She looked at Zexion and he stared back, emotionless. Her older sister put him as her guardian. Why wasn't she ever told of this? That she had a godfather! She felt a bit betrayed that her sister kept this from her. And how she wished she could ask why, but the only person who had those answers were her sisters and she was gone.

"Xion," Mr. Amedeo started and this time he had a soft look on his face when he spoke to her. "What do you want? Do you want to stay with your aunt and uncle? Or go with Mr. Ishida?"

She looked from Mr. Amedeo to her aunt and uncles's smiling faces to Zexion. She wouldn't mind staying with her aunt and uncle, she knew that they would make room for her. And she didn't know this man, Zexion. He just came into her life out of the blue and she'd have to live with him. The only thing she knew about him was that Rinoa knew him. But that's the thing, Rinoa knew him. Knew him enough her little sister, the most important person in her life, to him. Her sister wanted this for some reason. Rinoa wanted her to live with him, even though she didn't know him at all. But Rinoa has never been wrong to Xion. She must have had a good reason not to have told her and put her under his care. She looked at Zexion, his arms folded over his chest and nodded. Her aunt gasped her name next to her, but she kept a lock on Zexion's faded blue eyes.

"If it's what Rinoa wanted, then I'll do it."


Author's Note:

* Said like Zee. I honestly pronounce her name like "Ze-on" and I've heard others say it more like "Shion." But I'll go at it my way.

Special little Easter Egg: All of Xion's cousins & relatives are named and based after Silent Hill characters. I'm kinda re-obsessing over it.

- Another story. Even though I have five others that I haven't finished yet...and I add another to the list. But I suppose it doesn't matter to me. I do like to keep myself busy and I've wanted this story out here at least instead of in my head where it would most likely be forgotten.

-My first Xion & Zexion paired story. I already feel a little proud of this one even if it doesn't have a review...yet. Xion's sister is Rinoa from FFVIII. I know it's random, but I saw her picture and thought that they could be sisters. But minus the brown eyes.

Thanks for reading~! Please review.

p.s. Bryan, for a guy with such a high SAT score, you didn't get it. The reason I was able to talk was because I trust you enough to talk. Yes it was hard and I even thought of not telling you, but I wanted someone to talk to. I knew you were a person I can turn to about this. I'm not mad, if you're wondering. I'll write to you in the review reply.