Hey everyone! I haven't taken my hiatus yet, sorry ^^; I'm working on updating as fast as I can, but I've been busy (that's no excuse!) so please enjoy this creepy and tragic story while I go back to typing some more! I hope it'll stave you off for a bit longer. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the opening lyrics from the song Got a Secret by The Pierces (No, I don't watch Gossip Girl, but yes, it was featured in it), and I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Zexion would not have died! (Neither would have Marluxia or Demyx.)

Shoutouts!: WeDidItForTheDead, zexion12, Hope Eternal, Obsidian Rush!

Got a secret

Can you keep it?

Swear this one you'll save

Better lock it in your pocket

Taking this one to the grave.

If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said

'Cause two can keep a secret

If one of them is dead.

Xion and Sora were sitting by themselves on the wooden dock, watching the crystal blue ocean shift and sway beneath the afternoon sun. It was a beautiful clear day-

(A beautiful day to die)

–and the two friends were sharing it happily. They had bought some ice cream for lunch, then had taken a walk around the tropical island, and were now enjoying the scenery of the endless sea and sky.

Sora looked over at Xion, his third best friend for four years, and eyed the black ribbon around her neck curiously. She had worn it every single day, regardless of whether it matched her outfit or not, and everyone had always wondered why. Several people had already asked her, but each time they did, she would smile and tilt her head wonderingly, with a knowing smile worthy of Naminé. Sora burned to ask her as well, for didn't best friends tell their best friends their secrets? But he had no inclination to pry, and had stayed silent for years.

However, this day was so nice, so beautiful-

(A beautiful day to die)

–that maybe, just this once, she would tell him.

Xion glanced at Sora as well, having noticed his eyes on her choker, and winked at him. The friendly teen blushed at being caught, and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." The black-haired girl smiled as well.

"That's okay. I know what you're wondering." Sora looked taken aback.

"Er..."

Xion leaned back on her hands, staring up at the sky, before she spoke again.

"Is it really that important? Do you really want to know? Because it's a secret. You can't tell anyone. Not even Kairi or Riku."

(Especially not Kairi or Riku)

Her tone hardened slightly at Sora's other best friends' names, but the brunet did not notice, and merely nodded.

"Of course!" he said cheerfully. "I'd never tell. But why do you wear a ribbon around your neck all the time?"

(Why, Sora? Why indeed? Do you really want to know?)

Xion sighed and shifted her posture so that her legs no longer dangled off the dock, and were now folded underneath her, and she faced her companion fully.

"Do you remember? Four years ago?" she asked.

(Four, dark years ago?)

"There was a... a war, in another world, a different world, and I was caught up in it. My best friend then, your brother, Roxas, was fighting there with me, and we were winning the war, until..." She giggled lightly at Sora's expression of shock and awe. He had known that his brother had been overworlds, yes, but this was the first he had ever heard of a war. It was exciting. Sora blushed again at her giggles, but regained his pride quickly enough.

"Until...? What happened next?" Xion merely smiled again, but this smile was slightly sinister; it was hiding something and taunting him with it. She reached back and began to undo her ribbon.

"A man... Marluxia, he did... something...to me for trying to switch sides with your brother. We found out that we were fighting for the wrong side, and that everything we had known was a lie. Roxas helped me and fixed me up; he gave me this ribbon, saying that it matched my hair, and went wonderful with our eyes. And then, he teleported us here, at night, four years ago, and went to your house to shelter me."

Sora nodded, but curious though he was for the rest of her story, knew not to interrupt. The girl's smile grew into a smirk.

"Then that Kairi," she said with contempt, "asked me why I had this on, if I was so hurt and bleeding. Roxas decided to tell her, but then he disappeared before he had a chance to." Her tone hushed to a whisper. Sora unconsciously leaned closer in, to better hear her.

Does Xion know where Roxas went?

The girl glanced at her nails and began examining them nonchalantly.

"Your friend Naminé could tell what I did, and stayed away from me. What she didn't know was where the body was, and whether there was any proof."

The brunet became increasingly disturbed and uncomfortable at the conversation, and opened his mouth to speak. Xion saw the danger of interruption and placed her finger on his lips.

"I'm not done yet," she whispered. Her cerulean eyes darkened, and she continued her story.

"I left Naminé alone, since she only had an inkling, nothing more, of what was happening and had happened, but I made sure no one else knew. I disposed of Axel after I had him kill Marluxia. So now I had two murders on my hands, and many more deaths, but no matter, no matter. I was safe, here, and no one would ever suspect me."

Sora began panicking slightly: he couldn't move his limbs, but out of fear or some dark magic, he could not tell which. He tried to squirm, but Xion pretended not to notice.

"I really liked you, Sora. I knew that one day I would have to tell you, but I thank you for waiting for four years. It gave me so much time to prepare and plan, and now, you'll have the perfect last day ever." She smiled sweetly and leaned in closer; Sora could feel her soft breath ghost his lips.

"Would you like to know what Marluxia did?"

Sora felt his mouth open once more, but this time out of no free will of his own, and heard words that were not his emit from his throat.

"What did he do?"

Xion smiled and, with the one hand still left holding onto her ribbon, began slipping it off.

"Tell me I'm pretty, Sora," she said softly. Sora, once again, heard words that were not his pour out of his mouth.

"You're pretty, Xion."

(You're so sweet, Sora. I'm glad your last day will be perfect.)

Xion's expression turned sad, and the ribbon, at last, fluttered down from her pale hands, revealing a thick red line on her throat. Sora's gaze was drawn to it.

"Am I still pretty now?" came her soft voice, as, with both hands, she lifted off her head and revealed a black, gory mess inside her neck. A single porcelain doll-joint was visible in the blackness. Sora looked at her in horror.

I think I'm gonna be sick...

"Well?"

There was no answer, but Xion smiled anyways. She fixed her head back on, and tied the ribbon around the wound.

"I didn't think you would think so. Only your brother did, but then again, he knew what I was. I was only ever a puppet, Sora. I only wanted a friend. But Roxas betrayed me. You'll betray me. And I can't let that happen."

Sora's eyes widened as he saw what was coming next.

Xion...

Cerulean eyes behind chocolate brown hair looked up at the now standing girl impassively, accepting defeat, accepting death, as he took a deep breath and tried to enjoy what was left of his life, before Xion killed him. The poor girl had lost her mind, but there was nothing he could do, frozen as he was. A tear slipped out of Xion's eye.

"Don't look at me like that! You look just like Roxas did when I... when I..." She groaned in frustration, and held the back of her palm to her forehead. "Quit it!"

Xion... leave him alone.

"Roxas?" both voices said in surprise.

Don't do it.

"Shut up! You know I have to!" Xion yelled.

Are you still a puppet?

Sora's eyes darted around in an attempt to find the source of his brother's disembodied voice, and squirmed. To his immense shock, he found that he could move again. Maybe, with Xion's concentration broken, he could escape and get help. He managed to stand up, before he collapsed again.

His legs had fallen asleep.

Comeoncomeoncomeon! He silently pleaded with his legs and forced them to move, receiving pins and needles pricking his skin in return. Slowly, he stumbled his way towards the beach, but Xion noticed.

"NO!" Running, she tackled him and knocked him to the ground.

"You'll tell! I know you'll tell! Everybody tells!"

"No! Xion, let go!"

Stop it, Xion! Let go of him!

"NO! I want him to die! He has to die today! It was so perfect!"

On the anniversary of my death? In the same way I died?

Sora's eyes widened again.

"You drowned your best friend? You murdered my brother!" Xion's eyes were full of fear, anger, and tears.

"I had to, weren't you listening? Once everyone knows, they'll destroy me, or worse, return me to Him! I'm a monster, I brought the darkness! I was the cause of the war! Naminé, Kairi, Riku... I had friends for once! They couldn't know!"

You had me, for a time.

"You tried to BETRAY me!" Xion angrily shouted at the sky. Sora took this opportunity to squirm away faster. A sort of invisible force began helping him along.

"NO! Roxas, stop!"

You won't hurt Sora!

"No!" With a single lunge, Xion tackled the young brunet once more, and began dragging him to the edge of the dock. Sora could feel the invisible force trying to pull him back. It felt vaguely of hands...

"Roxas..." he said, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry..."

NO! XION!

Xion, grinning insanely, pulled Sora up and hugged him tightly.

"This is the way it has to be..." she murmured softly into his ear. "Don't worry, I'll be with you."

Shifting her weight at the edge of the dock, Xion pulled Sora down, crashing underneath the waves.

SORA!

Beneath the surface of the ocean, the water was cool, clear, and light. Xion, his best friend for four years, smiled at him as they drifted apart under the sea. She was still holding onto him, and was pulling him down, down, deeper under the ocean, and Sora could feel his lungs bursting, he had to have air...

...When an idea hit him. It was unexpected, risky, and most likely a failure, but it was worth a try. Besides, it had the element of surprise.

Sora swam over to Xion, whose eyes widened slightly in surprise-

(Eyes the same shade as his...)

and with one yank, tore her ribbon off. Xion's eyes widened at the sudden tactic, and she glared at him for a moment as her head floated off, but then her gaze turned serene, and Sora was left drowning, drowning, drowning down the ocean with a head and her body. Bubbles began streaming out of the brunet's mouth, and his body began to go limp.

Roxas desperately reached to grab Sora's hand, and caught it; with a tremendous force, he pulled his brother up-

(No, Sora, don't close your eyes. Keep your mouth shut, you'll make it! Promise!)

-and the boy broke the surface. Coughing and sputtering, and shaking his head, Sora gasped for air as he treaded water, held up by the unseen arms of his deceased brother.

"Sora! Sora!"

Sora squinted at the dock: a young blonde girl was waving frantically at him, her white dress fluttering in the breeze.

"Naminé!"

Roxas began dragging Sora to the dock, and, with the help of Naminé's outstretched hand, lifted his younger brother up to safety. Sora, still sputtering, gasped and coughed as Naminé hugged him tightly.

"Thank goodness you're alright!"

Tears slipped down her face, and she held on to him for a few seconds before she remembered that Sora needed air.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized, but Sora smiled at her, and she smiled back. He coughed up more seawater from his lungs, before hugging her back.

"It's okay. Thank you, Naminé." The blonde nodded, tears streaming out of her lighter blue eyes, and sighed happily at his safety.

Naminé. Keep him safe.

The blond looked up, and she could have sworn that she heard her old friend's voice, but there was nothing there, only silence.

"I will," she promised, even if only to his memory, and led Sora to his house, away from the dock, away from the beach, and away from the broken body of the puppet staring lifelessly at the ocean-filtered sun from the bottom of the sea.

A/N: OOOOH. Creepy. Yes, I was bored, and was taking a break from writing Chapter Two of Hellfire Seas when I listened to some music and THIS popped into my head. I apologize ^^;

I would greatly appreciate a review, if you were so inclined to write one. Just tell me what you think of it, because I'm not psychic and cannot tell if you liked it or hated it without your feedback :)