While I clutched my head, Xion stumbled from the darkness that wafted around her. There was a pulsing migraine that nearly caused me to squint my eyes shut.
"Who are you, again?" I asked, barely knowing who this girl was. Only her name stood out in my memory. "It's weird. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."
"You'll be... better off now... Roxas," she whispered as she tumbled into my arms, starting to dissolve away in sparkles of light.
"Am I... the one who did this to you?" I asked again. I couldn't believe it, yet it sounded so true.
"No..." Xion shook her head, trying to reassure me. I knew she was partially lying: the scrapes and cuts of battle were still fresh on my body and coat. "It was my choice, to go away now. Better that, than to do nothing... and let Xemnas have his way." She looked skyward "I belong with Sora. And now... I'm going back... to be with him." She turned back to me
"Roxas... I need you... to do me a favor." I nodded slightly, letting her know I was listening "All those hearts I've captured..." She closed her eyes like it was hard to say much more "Kingdom Hearts... set them free."
"Kingdom Hearts...?" I repeated blankly, "Free them...?" I gasped when ice gathered around her legs, and she groaned in pain a little.
"It's too late... for me to undo my mistakes..." she looked so pained, how could I have done this to someone I barely knew? "but you can't let Xemnas... have Kingdom Hearts... you can't." Xion's head started lolling back into my outstretched hand. Her frown melded into a smile, trying to reassure me that she'd be fine.
"Goodbye Roxas, see you again..." No, she couldn't be! She can't be! "I'm glad... I got to meet you. Oh..." she weakly laughed "and of course, Axel, too. You are both my best friends," Her hand reached to cup my face; her touch was so gentle, "never forget... that's the truth."
Her hand slipped away, becoming limp.
Suddenly, all the foggy memories of her came speeding back, crisp and clear. Xion, the 14th member, the quiet girl who was my friend and who I couldn't live without.
"No!" I could barely form the word. It was like my body was trying to strangle itself with that choked feeling in my throat. I grasped her limp hand in mine. "Xion, who else will I have ice-cream with?" I don't care what it sounded like, they were my honest words, my feelings... If I had any...
But she was already gone, her eyes closed, a smile still lingering. The ice finally consumed her, and the light twinkled away into the eternal twilit sky. I held my gaze on the quickly vanishing lights of my dear friend.
Disbelieving all of this, my throat barely able to breathe, I looked down:
A seashell.
One seashell, that she gave to me ages ago. A Thalassa shell, I believe she called it.
The weird liquid gathered in my eyes again, and I gently grasped the remains of Xion.
I saw her, in memory, still smiling, still happy, and still my friend.
"Xion..." I choked the word out, my cheeks stinging and wet. I took a struggling breath, finding my throat so tight and constricted.
"Xion..." I said lamely again. The liquid that poured from my eyes showed no sign of stopping. What had Axel called them? Tears? Either way, I was probably pushing the boundaries of Nobody emotion. This was pure grief, I could tell that much thanks to the memories that weren't mine.
"Please... Not Xion..." I sobbed, clutching the small shell to my chest.
Why...? Why her...?
I felt sick: a runny nose, eyes that wouldn't stop crying, the sensation that I was being strangled, it was too much for me.
Then I remembered her last words.
"Xemnas... That... That..." I hissed, but it was still cut short by my sobs. They had been planning this from the start! They had been ready for me to kill my friend just to have Kingdom Hearts! My grief melted away into a sensation that boiled me from the inside, that steamed the watery feeling of sorrow with pure fire.
My fist tightened, and the shell cut into my hand. But what did I care? My friend was dead, and I was the one to blame for that. And those bastard Superiors... It wouldn't surprise me if they wanted Kingdom Hearts for themselves.
And those naysayers, the ones who said I couldn't feel, just because I'm a Nobody. It fueled my rage even more. What right do they have to say I can't feel? What right do they have to say I'm nothing? I knew, just from these moments that I could. Those idiots couldn't look inside me, they couldn't know anything about me.
I suddenly stood, fueled by a raging grief. I thrust my hand forward, practically demanding a Dark Corridor to open. I tugged my hood over my still grieving face, and allowed the numbing darkness to take me away from this bittersweet place.
My boots echoed dully in the raining World That Never Was. But I didn't care: I was only here to free Kingdom Hearts, fulfilling Xion's wish, and to kill the fiends that caused my suffering.
Neoshadows slithered from the ground, eying me like a tasty treat.
Underneath my hood, I scowled in anger. I don't know how, and I couldn't care less, but I summoned two Kingdom Keys. I held them in a X, and scraped them together, metal screeching in a mournful cry. They transformed into two unique Keyblades: one looked and felt steady and dark, the other dainty and bright like the light. Both would suffice for my vengeance.
I threatened the Neoshadows with them, and only a few backed off. I needed a vent for my anger anyways. They vanished with only one strike, and I needed more to truly purge the hate and wrath inside me.
Seconds later I was at the square, not even breaking a sweat, tears for... for Xion still pouring. I looked up, and saw him.
That Organization imposter, sitting there atop the skyscraper like some king. What was his name? My unknown memories said Riku, but I didn't trust that source. Those memories were laced with a brotherly care for this jerk that couldn't have been there.
My anger flowing freely, I dashed through the crowd of Neoshadows and up the building itself. When he decided to fall and get equal ground with me, I threw my darker Keyblade at him. Who cared if that pretty face of his was messed up?
He grabbed the Keyblade easily.
He ruined everything! He took her away! If he hadn't interfered with the Organization, I'd still have a life! A life with friends and people who care for me! Sunsets and ice cream, goofing off without a care... I felt tears start to lightly fall again, either that or more rain found it's way underneath my hood.
He suddenly gasped, still falling, still clutching my Keyblade. Then I felt some strange sensation; a buzzing like someone put a jar of bugs into my head.
I stopped at the top, barely panting. A glared at the Impostor below. He suddenly clutched his head. I resisted the urge to do the same when the buzzing escalated to an unbearable pain.
A Neoshadow leaped at him. I felt a little hopeful: maybe that brat can die-
he easily killed the thing. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.
I jumped down, still furious, still fighting. For moments, it was just us, our Keyblades, and the Heartless they slayed. I glanced behind myself, finding him suddenly back to back with me. We both jumped away.
"Who are you?" I demanded. The Impostor shook his head.
"What does it matter? I'm here for you."
I shook with rage, and swung my Keyblade to vent out some of it.
"Why are you trying to stop me?"
The Impostor put it simply. "Because I want back the rest of Sora's memories."
"Sora, Sora, Sora!" I yelled, tired of hearing that name "Enough about Sora!" The Impostor remained calm and collected while I was losing myself in anger.
"Do you have some kind of plan?" what a stupid question.
"I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free! Then everything can go back to the way it was! Me and Axel and..." I trailed off briefly, the buzzing in my skull preventing her name to surface. "and her can go on having ice cream together..."
The Impostor laughed a bit. "Her?" he asked, "You mean Xion?" Yes, that was her name... "It's a struggle just to remember the name now, isn't it?" He waved his Keyblade around absently. "Either way, I can't let you go doing anything crazy."
I was getting frustrated with this idiot "I have to find this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way!" I felt grateful for the privacy of my hood, feeling my tears burst over again.
"I want Xion back!" I practically screamed, "I WANT MY LIFE BACK!"
The Impostor shook his head. "If you try and make contact with Kingdom Hearts, the last thing you'll get is your life back." He pointed his Keyblade at me "The Organization will destroy you."
I had enough with him. I dashed, Keyblade bared, yelling "Shut up!"
My Keyblade clashed into some sort of barrier. "Sloppy," he said with a small shake of his head before plunging his Keyblade into me, sending me flying across the square. I crashed against a building. I pulled myself back up, and dashed at him again, casting spells like crazy.
"Fire! Thunder! Blizzard!" While he was preoccupied, I took the opportunity to strike. Hard.
"You're finished!" I hissed, feeling my body empowering itself for a limit break. I hacked and slashed at Riku. Pure loathing and hatred guided my blade.
Before I knew it, he was on the ground, panting.
"Why?" he demanded, "Why do you have the Keyblade?"
"Shut up!" I barked, tired of him and his smart mouthing. Maybe because I didn't know why either. I rushed at him, ready to strike his existence away-
He blocked, the sudden force causing my hood to fly off, and my consciousness to start drifting away. I looked weakly at him, before slumping back into darkness.
A thud, dangerously close to my ear, caused me to awaken.
He tried to kill me, but didn't have the guts. I sat up, groaning slightly. I grabbed the Keyblade at my side, and slashed at him. He used more darkness, trying to stop me still, but I persevered.
"Why don't you quit?" I yelled, threateningly swinging my Keyblade.
He paused, hesitant. So unworthy of a Keyblade.
"Come on, Sora," he said in a taunting manner. "I thought you were stronger than that."
A cocky, bright personality rushed forth, and I found myself replying
"Get real! Look which one of us is winning!"
I held a hand to my throat gasping, confused.
"So it's true." The Impostor said. "You really are his Nobody. Guess DiZ was right after all."
I was tired of his cryptic talking. "What are you talking about? I am me! Nobody else!" I lunged at him, but he blocked again, and only ended up sliding a few feet back. He collapsed to one knee. Finally, he was getting tired of this as well.
"How many times do I have to beat you?" I was sick of his resistance.
"Alright, you've left me with no other choice," He said
"What?" This idiot was finally resigning?
"I have to release the power in my heart. The dark power that I've been holding back." He removed his blindfold, revealing his eyes, stark and piercing teal. "Even, if it changes me forever!" He bellowed, being consumed by darkness.
He transformed into a tall, muscular man with a Heartless guarding behind him. I barely had time to react before he disappeared.
He reappeared in front of me, and I gasped before the Heartless grabbed me. My arms were pinned to my sides, the grasp of this dark creature causing almost unbearable pain.
"Agh! Ugh! Eurgh!" I groaned, trying to resist. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything except squirm while my life was squandered away. I let out one last sigh, before my Keyblades fell out of my grip, clattering and breaking to bits of light and dark against the ground.
I fell into darkness, unknowing if he intended to kill me or not.
My friend... her voice was barely discernible, fading in and out, garbled. What was she saying? My friend's last words, what were they? I thought of Axel, how I treated him so harshly. I wondered if he would forgive me. I'd never see either of my friends again...
I woke up, same bed, same clothes, same me. It was all a dream. None of it was real... I think...
I sat up, murmuring
"Another dream about him..."
I was still, pondering the meaning of the life I lived in the dream. So familiar...
I turned and threw open the windows to my room, trying to hold onto the feelings and images,
wondering what was the dream, and what was the reality.