This is my second oneshot in two days, haha. Although, I guess I'm kinda cheating, since both of them are based on cutscenes. But, y'know, whatever. Sham was practice at action, this is a practice for emotion.
Y'know, I think this game converted me from a Roxas/Namine fan into a Roxas/Xion fan. ._. That's never happened to me before.
-SPOILER ALERT-
I you haven't reached the 350's yet, don't read this. Unless, of course, you're like me and don't mind spoilers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything associated with it. All rights to Kingdom Hearts and affiliated characters belong to Disney and Square Enix.
Summary: I want to comfort him; he looks so confused. "You'll be… better off now… Roxas." As I say it, I know that it's true. He and I can't exist in the same world, as much as we want to. That's what hurts most.
Rating: K
Genre: Friendship/Tragedy
KH Quote that inspired this fic: "Who else will I have ice cream with?" -Roxas
Kingdom Hearts
358/2 Days
(-Spoiler Alert-)
Seashell
I feel the dark corruption from Xemnas disappear around me as I stagger forward; Roxas yields his Keyblade, now that the fight is over. I feel relief as I sink to my knees, knowing that, finally, it will all be over and that I will be going back to Sora's heart, where I belong. My body aches, but that's okay. I knew it wasn't going to be a comfortable end; but if I had to choose, I would rather die by Roxas' hand than anyone else's. I would rather have him with me in my final moments than surrender myself to Riku and Naminé, as nice as they've been to me recently. Roxas means more to me than I can possibly say, and since I am technically a part of him, it seems so much more fitting for my life to end with him. My essence will travel across town to re-enter Sora's heart once I'm gone. I just hope that he'll be able to wake now. I hope this is enough.
Roxas staggers forward, obviously tired. I hope I didn't hurt him too much, but there was no other way to make sure that he'd defeat me. "Who are you…again?" He asks. "It's weird. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important." I swallow the tears that want to come to the surface. Naminé told me that everyone would forget me, so I'm okay with Roxas' memories fading. I know that they're still there, in Sora's heart, even if neither of them can remember. That's good enough for me; forgotten, but not lost.
I want to comfort him; he looks so confused. "You'll be… better off now… Roxas." As I say it, I know that it's true. He and I can't exist in the same world, as much as we want to. That's what hurts most.
I feel the world spinning as I fall sideways. I expect to feel my head strike the ground, but he catches me instead. Opening my eyes, I see him staring down at me in horror; my body has already started to fade away, shards of my essence glowing in the air around us as they fly toward Sora – I have only moments left. I watch the comprehension dawn on his face, as he realises that there is only one reason that I would be in such a position. "Am I…" he hesitates, "the one who did this to you?"
"No…" I shake my head; if anyone is to be blamed for this, it's not Roxas, "it was my choice… to go away now." I tell him. He only continues to look at me, not understanding. "Better that, than to do nothing…" I explain, "and let Xemnas have his way." I see some small flicker of understanding in his eyes. "I belong with Sora." As I say this, I feel a massive weight lift itself from my chest; the greatest relief that I've ever known. "And now, I am going back… to be with him." That's a comforting thought. I wont disappear; not completely.
My limbs feel like lead, but I manage to touch the hand that Roxas has wrapped around my shoulder, forcing him to look back at my face. "Roxas…" I breathe, "I need you… to do me a favour." If there is one thing that I'll leave this life regretting, it is my role in the building up of Kingdom Hearts. I can't do anything about it now, but I don't feel right leaving all those hearts trapped in the darkness. This is all I need to die peacefully. "All those hearts that I've captured…" I stare into his eyes, pleading, "Kingdom Hearts… set them free."
"Kingdom Hearts…" he murmurs, watching my body sparkle in the twilight, "free them?"
His face changes to one of shock as my legs crystallise. "It's too late…" I try to get his attention again; this isn't how I want him to remember me, if he remembers anything at all, "for me to undo my mistakes." He looks back to my face; I can see an echo of pain in his eyes, and I'm not so sure that being a Nobody stops him from really feeling it. It makes me ache to see him in such anguish; I don't want him to be in pain. "But you can't let Xemnas…" I continue, trying to distract him, even if for a moment, "have Kingdom Hearts. You can't." I insist.
I only have seconds left; I can feel it. I have to tell him. "Good-bye, Roxas." His eyes snap to my face again. "See you again." I know that can never really happen, but I still manage a smile. It's getting so hard to speak now, but there's something that I have to tell him before I go. "I'm glad… I got to meet you. Oh…" a flash of red hair and green eyes passes through my mind, and I manage to keep the tears in, "and of course, Axel, too." It's almost impossible to speak, but I still haven't told him the most important thing. "You're both my best friends." I lift my hand; it takes more strength than I realised it would. "Never forget." I lay it against his cheek. "That's the truth." My eyes flutter closed; the last glimpse of his face fading away into the darkness.
"No!" His voice comes down a long tunnel, but I feel his hand grab at mine, shards flying everywhere; it must have slipped away from his face, but I can't control my movements anymore. I just hope I'm still smiling. "Xion…" he sounds choked up, almost desperate, and I wish there was something I could do to make it better; but I can already feel myself fading away completely… I can't answer him. "Who else will I have ice cream with?"
I'm glad I can't cry now; I couldn't have kept it in after hearing that. All he'd ever really had to look forward to were our evenings on the clock tower, eating our ice cream with Axel – and those were the times I loved, too. Hearing the grief in his voice just now… it almost makes me wish I'd made a different decision. But still, I know this is right. I'm not even in pain anymore.
I know it's selfish of me, but I don't want to leave him with nothing. I figure that whatever memory it is that I leave behind will eventually go back to Sora when Roxas himself does – and I know he will, because I believe he'll do what's right.
"Xion."
That echo of my name is the last thing I ever hear… but that's ok, because I know we'll be together forever, inside Sora's heart… even if it is just in the memory of what I leave behind…
… a simple seashell.
I am such a girl. I cried watching the scene (bawled, really, the first time), cried again writing this, cried again checking it against the video to make sure I got it right, and then I cried re-reading it for proof-reading. I doubt the writing's even that sad. I've never been good with tragedy. I mean, I cried when Axel died in KH2, but I don't think a video game has ever made me cry that hard ever. Period.
Anyway, my first present tense fic ever, I think. I really wanted to do a first-person, but I started it in past tense and then realised that it wouldn't make any sense; how could she tell us the story if she's already gone? So, I switched to present tense and tried to make it work. I think I did ok…
Anyway, even if it's not spectacular, I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks for reading!
Sparkly Faerie