My name is Xion. My life was perfect up until two years ago. I have a huge, caring, but very dysfunctional family. They really weren't my family. My older brother and I were adopted. My brother was two years older then me.
Unfortunately, my brother died two years ago. He died protecting me.
I was walking in an alley late at night with my brother. Then this serial killer came after me to try and kill me. My brother stabbed the killer in the stomach, but the killer stabbed him in the chest right before he died.
The sad thing was the day my brother died was also the day he was born. That's right. He died on his eighteenth birthday. I watched him die. Now I cry every night.
*~*~*~*
I woke up turning off my alarm clock and stretching. I looked at the calendar.
"Hmm… June 13…" I said to myself. Axel and Demyx were taking me out for shopping today. After realizing this fact I had a quick shower and put on a black shirt and some dark blue jeans.
I went downstairs and ate a quick breakfast. Axel and Demyx came down dressed and ready.
I picked up my plate and got up.
"Alright let's go to the mall!" Demyx said excited. Axel and Demyx are best friends. The two of them always hung out with my brother. Axel grabbed his car keys and we got in to his red sports car. Axel had flames painted on the side. What a pyromaniac…
*~*~*~*
We got out of the car and I wasn't surprised that there was a crowd of people on the sidewalks leading to the mall.
"Ow… Oh I'm sor- Huh?" I accidently bumped into someone. I only saw his clothes before he walked down the sidewalk. He wore a black jacket and a black muscle shirt. The hood of his jacket was up covering his face. He wore blue faded jeans. That was weird. My brother had the same clothes. I ran to catch up with Axel and Demyx.
*~*~*~*
We decided to eat lunch at the mall. I was sort of a klutz. I missed the wet floor sign while walking to the table. I tripped on the wet floor. I closed my eyes and waited for my head to make contact with the floor. It never did. When I opened my eyes, there was a boy with blue eyes. He lifted me to my feet and I stared. He walked off just as Axel and Demyx came running over to me.
"Xion!" Demyx cried out.
"Are you ok?" Axel asked gently.
"Yeah. The boy helped me up." I said referring to the boy with blue eyes.
"Boy?" Demyx asked confused.
"What boy?" Axel asked looking at me like I was crazy.
"Huh? You didn't see him? But you were looking right at me when he helped me up!" I said getting irritated.
"Xion…" Axel said gently.
"There was no one there." Demyx said in a matter of fact kind of voice.
"What? But he was there. I saw him," I said more to myself than to them.
"I think you need a nap, Xion." Demyx said ushering me toward the entrance.
*~*~*~*
It couldn't be possible. The boy was there. I felt him, looked at him, and felt his breath on my face. I saw him. He was real. So why couldn't Axel and Demyx see him? Could I be having hallucinations? No I felt him and I didn't crack my head wide open. He is real.
I looked over the calendar once more. I felt salt water prick my eyes. "June 13th…" Today, my brother would have been nineteen. It was the most horrible day of my life. The day my brother died.
I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I remembered all the times my brother and I shared together.
"What's wrong, Xion?" I looked up and I saw the same boy who helped me in the mall. I screamed. And I screamed bloody murder, because I finally saw his face.
He looked like my brother. He… he was my brother…
"Roxas…" The name came out as a hushed whisper. My entire family came to see if I was ok. They nearly fainted when they saw him.
He ignored them and stared straight at me.
"How a-are you here? Y-you're dead…" I was shaking slightly.
"You're right. I am dead. But I wanted to see you one last time." He said.
"I-I don't understand." I said still having trouble getting the words out.
"I know you think the way I died was your fault, Xion. Nothing lasts forever. Lives defiantly don't. It was just my time to go. No one can make you do something you don't want to do. I gave my life for you because I love you. I chose to do it. I did a lot of stupid stuff. I forgave myself and the ones that didn't stop me from doing them. If I lost you, it would have been the worst pain than getting tortured everyday and every night."
"But if I hadn't gone in the alley, you wouldn't have had to give your life for me." I said getting some courage back.
"Xion. I knew I was going to die. I accepted it. I chose to give my life for you. I promised I would always protect you. Even if I died doing protecting you. It's one of my jobs as your big brother. I don't regret doing it either. I lived my life. I don't regret anything. I was happy with my life, knowing that I made you happy, Xion. I lived my life with no regrets, now it's time for you to live yours."
I stayed silent. He really did love and care about me.
"Can you promise me something?" He said looking out the window. I didn't realize it was raining.
"Anything." I said.
"Promise you will live your life with no regrets. Promise you will leave the past in the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future. Promise me, Xion?" It was more of a command than a question.
"I promise." I said.
"Good. If you can't live up to the promise, I'm going to annoy you to no end!" He said grinning and smiling.
"You never change!" I said as I hit him and smiled for the first time since the day Roxas died.
"Nope! Another of my jobs as an older brother is to annoy and embarrass you to no end." He said laughing and I laughed along with him. Everyone left after they got over their shock and let us have the conversation alone.
Roxas looked out the window one last time and smiled sadly.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's time for me to go. I wanted to have this conversation with you before I rest in peace." He said as he walked to the front door.
"Do you have to go?" I asked with pleading eyes praying he said no. Instead, he sighed and kissed me on the forehead.
"Sorry. I love you." That was the last thing he said before he walked out into the rain, and he disappeared.
"The rain stopped." I looked up at the sun. I saw his smiling face one last time, and I smiled.
"Even the sun shines for you… big bother."
*~*~*~*
This kind of popped in my head. I always wanted an older brother. Then I realized that so many people take their older brothers for granted. So this is a tribute for all the big brothers out there! ^_^
