He would watch her sometimes. There wasn't much else to do. She was so… curious. When he looked at her he was searching. Searching for the parts of Sora or Kairi that he knew were buried within her… but it got more and more difficult over time. He knew that she had free will, but to develop into something more? More than an empty puppet that kept his best friend from him? No. He was simply imagining things.
It got more and more difficult to deny her identity as time passed. It was strange. Even her appearance seemed to change. He no longer looked at her and saw a copy of Kairi. He could no longer deny that her personality was independent of the memories within her. She was just Xion. There were brief moments where he could have sworn that he felt light from her heart… if only she had one.
Near the end he noticed her watching him as well. If he caught her she would often blush and look away. She also began to smile, as though she'd found some kind of peace. She took trips to the beach alone often. It wasn't until after the trip she'd asked him to go with her on that he found out about the shells. She kept them in a small jar beside her bed. She was preparing to give up what he'd come to realize was more important to her that her own life. He should have realized that when she'd asked if he hated her. Maybe if he did it would make things easier. Knowing that she would give up her best friends so that he could have his back. She said it was for the good of everyone, but he could see it in her eyes. The unfairness of it all grew more and more as he spent those last days with her.
Her last night with him was the hardest. He wanted to talk to her, remind himself of why it was all necessary. But when he walked into her room she was crying silently. Her jar that she'd held so close was broken, the shells scattered carelessly as though she'd smashed it herself. She was sitting on the floor beside her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. She tried to wipe her tears away, as though she could pretend they'd never been there to begin with.
"R-Riku! I… I accidentally knocked the jar over and I just-,"
"Xion… it's okay," he said softly.
"I… I was just…" her voice wavered and he crossed the room, avoiding the broken glass and sitting beside her.
"I understand," he whispered.
She fell silent, but he felt her shoulders shaking. Reluctantly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She turned and hugged him tightly, surprising him. Unsure of how to react he just relaxed into the hug, returning the gesture, and gently ran his fingers through her hair. Slowly she began to calm down, and her breathing evened out. He shifted, trying to move away from the sleeping girl, but her grip on him tightened. Gently, still holding her, he managed to climb onto the bed. She seemed to have fallen asleep, but her grip didn't loosen. Giving in, he stayed, eventually falling asleep as well.
When he woke up she was gone. The glass had been cleaned up and only one shell remained on the bedside table. He picked it up, examining it closely. He left the room, finding the young girl sitting by a window with a light smile on her face. She turned to him, her smile widening. She was ready.
He left her in front of the mansion gate. Her goodbye sounded so… alive. He left silently. Any response he could provide would be unfitting.
He sat by the window she'd been at before, turning the shell over a million times. It was taking longer than he'd hoped. He couldn't shake that smile of hers off as he usually could. The feeling of her in his arms wouldn't leave. He needed to save Sora. It would all be worth it then. He would forget her and continue as he always had. He stood and began pacing. It would be over soon. One step closer to getting his best friend back. He stopped in front of the room she'd slept in, stepping in slowly. He half expected her to appear with her sad smile. Nothing. He sat on the bed, staring at the shell in his hand.
'I don't want to forget,' he realized. His heartbeat quickened. 'I don't want to. I can't. I won-,'
...
...
...
Riku looked down at the shell in his hand curiously. He couldn't explain it, but something about it made him… sad… He placed in in his pocket and stood. It was time. He'd have his friend back soon.
He felt something wet on his cheek. Reaching up, Riku wiped it away. Was he… crying? How strange… And yet, it felt… right somehow.