Author's Note: Whoa! I did not realize this chapter was turning out this long! Honestly, I feel like the chapters are gonna start possibly getting longer as we get farther in the fic, but I'm curious, do you guys prefer medium-length chapters like the previous ones or longer chapters like this one?
Chapter 4: The Heart's Path
The night I spent in Twilight Town, I had a dream. It was unlike any dream I ever had. It felt familiar, yet I had no idea what was going on. It was then, that I realized what Sora had tried to tell me about that day on the island a couple years ago, the day we chose to build a raft and go sailing to different worlds. It wasn't a dream, it was a warning of what was to come.
Kairi's resting body floated through what appeared to be a dark abyss. In a flash of light, she found herself in a place that felt surreal, yet familiar at the same time. She was standing on a platform that had what she would consider a beautiful stained glass design on it. What...is this? She thought to herself as her head travelled all around. There seemed to be no other sign of life in this…'realm' other than herself. Kairi's eyes travelled down to the platform and focused on a part of it that looked familiar to her. There was a boy on the platform's design. It wasn't just any boy, but one that she was immediately drawn to thanks to the familiar spiky brown hair that he had.
It's...Sora! Kairi thought to herself as her eyes focused on the boy's face. Surrounding him were profiles of others. Riku, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Ven, and Xion, all in addition to herself.. Kairi slowly stepped ahead and stared up almost as if she were looking for an opening in the atmosphere that would allow her to escape. She sighed, still having no clue where she was, how she got there, or why she was there. The sound of a heartbeat began to echo through her ears. Kairi quickly turned around as she began to wonder if there was somebody behind her. There was nobody else.
Sky...Sea...Where hearts return.
A gasp escaped Kairi's mouth as a soothing voice that spoke those words echoed around her. Who was this mysterious voice? Why was this voice talking to her? What did this voice mean by what they said?
First, you must choose which path you will take.
Path? Kairi thought as she saw three pillars rise in front of her. One of them contained a shield, one of them contained a staff, and one contained a sword. A sword, a staff, and a shield. She walked ahead and began to examine each one of the weapons. Am I supposed to choose one of these? Kairi's eyes studied each of the weapons before they were drawn to the sword. She slowly walked up to the pillar and rested her hand against the sword. She took the sword and held it out in front of her, staring upon her confused reflection in the sharpened blade. It had all seemed to easy for her to just take a sword, but according to her, the voice was in charge at the moment.
The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Will you travel the path of the warrior?
"Yes."
Kairi gripped the sword tightly as she saw the other pillars and weapons sink back into the ground. The ground started to vibrate as she saw a set of steps form in front of the platform and work their way up to what appeared to be another in the distance. Instinctively, Kairi ran forward and followed the stained glass steps. It had felt she was running forever seeing as how the steps just continued to keep forming and the next station was quite a distance. Kairi stopped and looked back in her tracks. The previous platform had disappeared. I guess I have no choice but to keep going forward. She ran up the steps until she was able to reach the next platform.
This next platform, much like the previous one, also had a familiar feel to it. Kairi looked down and saw that there was someone new on the stained glass portrait. It was a girl. Much like the platform before, there were profiles of those who were connected to this girl. One of them was Sora, the others were Riku and Namine. Circling her body profile were six different colored hearts that represented the Princesses of Heart. This is me? She thought, studying the image.
To find is to receive, and to receive is to find. But first, you must decide the heart's path.
Kairi looked up and saw what appeared to be numerous projections that illustrated her life's moments. She recognized these moments. They were moments such as her spending time with her grandmother in the library of Radiant Garden, the last time she and Sora watched the sunset together before taking off on their raft voyage, bumming out on the beach with Sora and Riku, among many others. Her eyes followed three projections that floated down right in front of her. One of them was a memory of her fighting against a hooded Xion in the Keyblade Graveyard, the second one was the memory from when Namine rescued her from the castle dungeon in The World That Never Was, and the third one was a memory of her, Sora, and Riku all sitting at the paopu tree.
Assuming she was meant to interact with one of these, Kairi dragged her feet across the platforms. If these were anything like the weapons, then she would have to pick one. Which one looked the most appealing to her? Namine was a very good friend of Kairi's and Xion was a newer friend that she was becoming close with, but nothing could come close to her bond with Sora and Riku. As she came upon the memory, Kairi reached out and rested her hand, feeling a surge of energy flow through her.
Balance...A body and mind of equal merit and equal potential. Is this the path you choose?
"Yes."
You value strength, and you want balance. Your adventure begins in the dead of night. Your road won't be easy, but a rising sun awaits you.
"Okay…?"
Your path is set. Stray too far from it, and you will find yourself in the endless abyss between light and dark.
Kairi gasped as she watched all of the memories disappear before her eyes. In front of her, a decent-sized door appear. To Kairi, it looked like just a door with nothing in front of it. Then again, this obviously had to be a dream, right? Which meant that there was something strange about this door, right? This only pushed Kairi to keep going. She walked up to the door, gripping both handles, and yanking the door open towards her.
A bright light shone from the other side nearly blinding her. Kairi, shielding her eyes with her hand, walked through the door. Her surroundings seemed to be filled with that light. She looked behind and saw that the previous platform had disappeared. Now what? I'm stuck in this...light. Is this really it? Kairi watched as the light faded. She was still in the same area. In fact, it looked like she was back on the same platform that Sora was on, only this time, the color was red as opposed to blue.
Your heart holds the brightest light of all.
The sword Kairi had chosen transformed into Destiny's Embrace and appeared in her hand. She gripped it tight and gave it a swing before stepping forward. In a matter of seconds, Shadow Heartless began to appear here. Kairi felt her heart skip beats and her arms shaking as she crouched into a battle stance ready to fight the creatures much like how she did back in Twilight Town.
There will come a time when you will need to fight for all that matters. Keep your light burning strong.
Kairi gripped the blade tightly before charging at the Heartless. Starting to feel more confident than she did back in Twilight Town, she swung her Keyblade and took out multiple Heartless with a single combo. Yeah! She thought as she watched a couple of the Shadows disappear. I'm already feeling warmed up! Kairi sprinted towards the corner of the platform where a couple Shadows lurked and sent them flying into the air with a stab from a slide dash. She looked up and jumped into an aerial combo to easily off the Shadows. From the corner of her eye, Kairi saw a Shadow lunge towards Kairi as she fell back down and guarded against the lunging Heartless, taking the Shadow out immediately after landing back on her feet.
When it seemed like the first wave of creatures were destroyed, another wave appeared. Kairi grunted as she felt one knock into her back. She immediately whirled around and sliced at the Shadow, taking it out. How many of these are there? Kairi thought to herself as she guarded against another Shadow charging towards her. While fighting the Shadows, Kairi noticed that there were multiple platforms ahead of her, each connected by a familiar set of steps. Once the second wave of creatures were wiped out and a third wave appeared, she came to the conclusion that these creatures would just keep appearing and there was no ridding them.
Kairi threw her Keyblade over her shoulder and began to jog up the steps. As she went the distance, more Shadows began to appear, almost as if they were stalking her, desperate and hungry for her heart. Kairi would typically ignore them unless one jumped in front of her, to which she would take out with one heavy swing. No point wasting my time and energy on you small fries, she thought to herself as she slid forward and wiped out a couple Shadows with a slide dash into a ground combo, continuing her way up the steps and not looking back at the now large number of Shadows that had infested the Station of Awakening.
After travelling up two sets of steps and one additional platform, identical to the previous one that had her profile on it except it was green this time around, Kairi found herself on a final one. This time, it looked different than the rest. Kairi focused on the ground and saw that it didn't have just Sora or Kairi on it. It had both of them. They were set up in a yin and yang sort of formation with what looked like a paopu fruit in between them. Having recalled the legend of the paopu, Kairi studied this formation of them and the star-shaped fruit. Our hearts are connected, she cited to herself.
In front of Kairi, a light shone through, similar to the one in the secret place. Feeling her heart being drawing to it, she stepped forward and stared right up, hoping she would find the one this voice belonged to.
As you get closer to the light, your power will only grow. There is beauty, yet there is also great danger. Fear will be your greatest enemy.
The ground began to shake, causing Kairi to turn and look back at what looked like to be dark matter forming from the paopu fruit on the platform. Her eyes widened, an involuntary gasp escaping her as what looked like to be a stream of Shadow Heartless erupted from the ground and began to swirl around as if it were a twister. Kairi nearly felt all of the blood rush from her face. She remembered this. It was a Demon Tide. It wasn't just a swarm of Heartless. It was a monster, a monster that was responsible for nearly killing not just her, but everyone she loved.
As the Demon Tide continued to swirl, Kairi took a few steps, never losing intense eye contact with the nightmare creature. The Demon Tide swirled in place before beginning to swirl towards her. Kairi, giving into her first instinct, turned and began running away from it only to find she wasn't getting very far when she reached the edge of the platform and nearly fell off. She regained her balance from her close call and turned, finding her face to face with the Demon Tide once again. Kairi's twisting stomach began cease as soon as Destiny's Embrace appeared in her hands again. It throbbed almost as if it were telling her to fight the Demon Tide. Despite her body trembling from the reminders of the traumatic events that were caused by this creature, Kairi gripped her Keyblade with both hands and charged in towards the Demon Tide. Any Shadows that were flung at her from the swarm were swung at and taken out instantly.
You did this...you will pay for what you did! Kairi's thoughts yelled inside her head. The only thing on her mind was cold revenge on the damage the Demon Tide caused for her and her friends. She started off by charging towards the bottom of the Demon Tide. If I can take out the bottom, maybe that'll do some good? She asked herself. Unfortunately, she didn't have the same luck as Sora did when he fought the Demon Tide in the Keyblade Graveyard and received help from Keyblade wielders of the past, nor did Kairi even have her friends by her side, she was on her own. With a couple ground combos, Kairi began wailing attacks on the bottom, only to find that more Shadows seemed to appear in the defeated ones' places. What the…? She thought as she saw her attacks were basically doing no good. Becoming distracted with her confusion, the Demon Tide lunged forward and struck her, sending her flying across. Kairi was able to aerial recover and land right on her feet.
How did Sora do this last time? Before the 'help from the past' showed up? Kairi asked herself as the Demon Tide started chasing her around the platform. There has to be a weak point...She paused in her tracks and studied the creature until she could barely see through the topmost area and saw that there was a large orb with a magnetic force in it. That! That must be what's holding the Shadows together! The core! Kairi nodded affirmatively as she readied herself for her infiltration strategy. She stared intensely at the Demon Tide while it swirled in place as if it were returning the intense eye contact, despite not technically having any one set of eyes. It lunged forward while Kairi began dashing towards it.
During her charge, Kairi noticed that the Demon Tide was flinging Shadows towards her, almost as if it were using them as weapons. With one handed swings, she would take out the flung Shadows easily, yet she noticed that they had a particular weight to them. Her eyes darted between the Demon Tide and the flung Shadows. I wonder...she thought to herself. Kairi jumped up and used flung Shadows as support to help bounce her way up to the top. As dangerous as it was, she rode on top of the Demon Tide, hoping it would give her easier access to the core. Kairi carefully stepped up towards the front of the stream, where the core was located, occasionally having to hold on for dear life while the Demon Tide shook violently.
Kairi grunted as she used all the physical strength she had to climb by hand towards the core. She winced in pain as a couple Shadows leapt from the stream and clawed at her, only for the Shadows to receive a strong swing to the faces by her Keyblade. Once reaching the top, Kairi stood up, attempting to keep her balance, and began wailing on the Demon Tide with combos until enough Shadows were wiped out to reveal the dark red core. Tightly gripping her Keyblade, Kairi thrust it into the core, causing the Demon Tide to react even harsher. It shook even too much for Kairi to hold herself on it and she was flung off.
Landing on her feet, Kairi only had a split second to keep eye contact with the Demon Tide before it lunged forward and swept her off the ground. Her entire body scrambled in attempt to escape the harsh clutches. It had appeared that when she was snatched by the Demon Tide, the platform she was standing on also began to sink into darkness. She gasped as the force of darkness started to swallow her. It wasn't enough that a Demon Tide snatched her again, but now she was falling to the darkness and failing in her attempt to fight against it.
The most powerful oath has been made. You are the one who will keep it.
Kairi's arms jerked around as she attempted to prevent herself from completely losing herself. She looked up and past the ripples of darkness, a light appeared. From it, a very familiar figure began flying down towards her with his hand reaching out, almost as if he were trying to grab her. Kairi gasped as she recognized who the figure was. Sora! She cried in her mind. Her arms struggled even more as she attempted to reach out and grab Sora's hand. With the darkness overpowering Kairi's body, she was unable to make contact with him. Her helpless eyes stared into Sora's saddened eyes as the limited view of him was slowly obstructed by dark matter.
"Kairi!" Sora shouted in anguish.
"Sora!"
Oathkeeper…it is time to awaken…
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"Kairi...Kairi…"
Kairi continued to shake her head as she remained in a deep sleep, mumbling Sora's name over and over again. Axel, who was only whispering her name in attempt to wake her up from her nightmare, placed a hand on her shoulder and began to lightly shake her, causing her to shoot up in bed nearly shouting. Her hands gripped the blanket tightly as her sweaty body continued to tremble and her breathing became heavier. The nightmare had hit her hard enough that she could barely get a word out. Instead, Axel sat on the edge of the couch she was crashing on and waited for Kairi to catch her breath.
"Axel!" She choked out his name.
"You okay? You sounded like you were having a freaky dream." He asked, rubbing the side of his temple.
Kairi held the sides of her face as her breathing continued to stay heavy, not making eye contact with Axel. "There were these platforms...and memories...and Heartless...and a Demon Tide! It swallowed me up!" Her body started trembling at the mention of the latter.
Axel lightly held Kairi by the arms. "Kairi, calm down…"
"I saw him Axel…" She choked out as she crumbled into Axel's arms. "He was there...I saw him." Her voice shook as tears fell down her face. "He slipped away...again."
Hearing Kairi's soft cries, Axel didn't have to think twice about who she was talking about. Between hearing her mumbled Sora's name repeatedly towards the end of her dream, and seeing her heartbreaking reaction, Axel couldn't help but sympathize with her. He never was the softest guy on the block, nor the best at providing comfort, but when the moment called for it, he always put his heart into making sure his friends were taken care of. Kairi was no different, especially with how they bonded over the time they had spent together during their Keyblade training. Axel sighed heavily as he lightly wrapped his arms around Kairi, rubbing her back.
"It was only a nightmare." He softly said. "You're safe now, it's okay."
Kairi quickly lifted herself up and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"Eh, I was on my way to the bathroom, so it's no biggie. I'm more concerned about Isa wa-"
"Too late…" The dark voice of Isa cut him off.
Axel scratched the back of his head. "Sorry…it's nothing, go back to bed."
"Believe me, that's the plan. I'd like to get through one night of sleep without you waking me up." He said going into the kitchen and having a glass of water.
"You're one to talk! You practically kick me off the bed every night!"
Isa shushed Axel. "You're gonna wake up the other two, Lea." He walked over to Kairi with her own glass of water and handed it to her. "Here. I know we're not on the best of terms, but this should make you feel better."
Kairi sipped the water, allowing the ice to rest on her lips. "Thanks." She whispered with a weak smile. While it was true that she and Isa were on weird terms considering previous events such as her imprisonment in The World That Never Was and the battle in the Keyblade Graveyard where her lucky charm was shattered by him, this was the ice breaking moment that had Isa and Kairi actually set aside their differences and past grudges.
Isa nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my mission to sleep still stands." He held up a hand waved before walking back to the bedroom, nearly walking smack into Roxas and Xion, who both emerged from their bedrooms.
"Guys?" Kairi asked as she took notice of their presence.
"Kairi? We thought we heard you." Xion said as she came over and sat next to her on the couch.
"What's going on here?" Roxas asked sitting on the coffee table.
Axel playfully patted Kairi on the head. "Little Red here had a bad dream." She couldn't help but smile weakly at the nickname he had given her back during their training.
"You okay?" Xion asked resting a hand on her shoulder.
Kairi nodded. "I'll be okay." She placed a hand on her chest. "It always helps having good friends around."
Roxas curled his hand into a fist. "Hey, we all know what you're going through."
"Thanks you guys. You came in at the right time."
"By the way," Axel raised an eyebrow. "You never did tell us why you left the island. We kinda asked you earlier and you just shrugged it off. Something on your mind?"
Kairi shook her head. "You'd think I'm crazy. Everyone else does, even Riku. I think it's better if I just try and sleep and then I'll be on my way tomorrow."
"But Kairi, if you're in trouble or something, we want to help you." Roxas offered.
Xion nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're all in your corner."
"Well, this may sound crazy, but I think I found a way to save Sora." She walked over to her knapsack and pulled out the charm piece. Returning to the couch, Kairi held out the piece for everyone surrounding her to see. "This is a piece of a-"
"It's a piece of a thalassa shell!" Xion exclaimed, cutting Kairi off.
Roxas looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Xion?"
"Wait here for a sec!"
The other three watched Xion jump from the couch and rush back into her bedroom, leaving confused looks on the boys' faces. Kairi couldn't help but wonder if Xion knew something about this. That was the only explanation for her reacting the way she did. All three sets of eyes followed Xion as she stepped back outside from room and hurried back over to the couch.
"So...what's this all about, Xion?" Axel asked.
Xion's expression grew serious. "Axel, Roxas, remember a couple days ago when I showed you what I found at the old mansion?" The boys nodded in reply. "Well…" She held out what looked like a piece of thalassa shell that looked identical to the one Kairi had. "Look at this, they're identical."
"Whoa! So I'm not crazy after all!" Kairi exclaimed as she held her piece next to Xion's. "They're identical!"
"I was strange, Kairi. When I found it, I just knew it was important. My mind started to flash back through various memories that you and Sora shared together, with a special emphasis on the ones involving your lucky charm." She curled her hand into a fist and held the piece tightly. "I also could never forget this seashell's unique design. It was my favorite seashell from your island and…" Xion looked at Roxas, sweetly smiling at him. "I remembered always bringing them back for Roxas during his extended slumber."
Roxas smiled back at her and nodded. "Yeah...I remember those."
Kairi nodded in agreement. "Xion, I felt something powerful in my heart when I found this piece too. It was almost as if Sora's heart was reacting to it. Maybe he was reacting to your piece too."
"I wouldn't be surprised. Even as my own person, I still hold a strong connection to Sora."
Axel listened intensely, understanding what the girls were saying, but still also trying to wrap his head around the whole idea. "So, are you girls thinking this can somehow save Sora?" He asked, earning smiles and nods from both of them. "Well, I still have yet to grasp the context of all these 'connections' Sora has, but if that lucky charm of yours really was that important to you two, then I guess it should help."
"But...it's in pieces, and judging by the size of the two pieces you have, it looks like it might be in a lot of pieces." Roxas pointed out as he took Xion's piece and examined it.
Kairi sighed, brushing her fingertips against her piece. "I know, and if another piece ended up all the way here in Twilight Town, then the pieces are probably scattered across different worlds. Honestly, I still believe this can save Sora, but I'm not completely sure either. I don't even know where to begin with this."
"Hmm…" Axel thought for a moment. "Wait, why don't you go see Yen Sid at his tower? He seems to know everything. Maybe he can offer you some direction. He was right about Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. No reason why he wouldn't know anything about this?"
"Master Yen Sid! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Kairi asked, mentally smacking herself in the forehead. "Tomorrow, I'll go see him! Axel, didn't we take the train from here to Yen Sid's tower after we finished our training from Merlin?" She asked, Axel nodded in reply. "Then tomorrow, I'll take the train to Master Yen Sid's tower."
Xion watched Kairi stand up at her declaration and followed her lead. "I'll go with you."
Roxas softly gasped as he and Axel both locked eye contact with her. "Xion?"
"Roxas, I owe my life and existence to Sora, and to an extent, Kairi too. It's because of him that all three of us were brought together again. The least I can do, is look after Kairi for him."
Axel and Roxas exchanged worried looks with each other. Sure, Xion was strong, and they could trust her to look after Kairi during her journey, yet it had seemed like the three of them had only just gotten back together after being separated from each other for so long. Were the guys really okay with letting Xion leave their side again only to endure the risk of possibly losing her again? Of course they didn't want to, especially Roxas. They wanted to just keep things simple in life and just stay on the clock tower eating ice cream every day, but Kairi was their friend and someone very important to Sora, and they knew deep down that Xion was the perfect person to accompany her thanks to her connection to Sora and Kairi.
"Well, it's like I always say, when it comes to Keyblade wielding, you're the old hands." Axel said with a heavy sigh.
Xion smiled at her two most important people. "Thank you, Axel. Roxas?" She looked over at her blonde friend that was obviously lost in deep thought. "Roxas?" She walked over shook him lightly.
"Huh?" Roxas asked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Sorry…" He stood up, feeling his stomach twisting into a knot at the thought that he and Xion would actually be separated again. While the average joe wouldn't mind their friend going on a long adventure, Roxas hated the idea that Xion was wanting to go on a journey that put her life in danger. "I...I just need a minute…" He excused himself and walked out of the living room and back into his room.
"Roxas…" Xion reached out for him.
Axel shook his head. "Don't mind him." He waved it off. "So, this is gonna be a ladies' trip, huh?"
Kairi smiled and giggled softly. "I guess so." She looked over at a distressed Xion. "Roxas will be okay."
Xion sighed, sadness in her heart. "Yeah…" She sat back down and focused on Kairi for the time being. "Okay, we need to take the train tomorrow. How much munny do you have?"
"I had 200, but I spent most of it on food today…You?"
"I have 300, but one ticket costs 900 munny."
"I'd offer to help you two out, but I just paid the rent for the apartment, so I'm tight." Axel said scratching the back of his head.
Xion laughed and shook her head. "No need, Axel. You already let me and Roxas live here for free. You've done more than enough for us." She thought for a moment before coming up with an idea. "It seems like our only option is get temporary jobs tomorrow to earn the munny. It'll put us back a day, but better late than never. We can visit the bistro tomorrow and talk to the owner about letting us temporarily work for him."
"Good idea, Xion." Kairi agreed.
Axel tapped his chest with a fist. "Alright then, it's settled. You two have a long day tomorrow and should get some rest then."
"Yeah, but I'm gonna go talk to Roxas first." Xion said standing up and walking towards his bedroom.
Kairi sighed as she watched Xion step into his room. "I appreciate Xion's help, but I can't blame Roxas' reaction. I know what it's like from his end. Being left on the island knowing that Sora and Riku were both risking their lives out there without me knowing whether they were alive or not…"
Axel studied Kairi's empathetic face. While their history together was bumpy in the beginning, he truly did come around and found a little sister in Kairi. With that in mind, he started to care about her as much as he cared about Roxas, Xion, and even Isa. The idea of her going on such a dangerous journey without as much experience as the other guardians only worried him, the more he thought back to what he went through with Xion before. All jokes aside, Axel knew Kairi's heart was strong and it was going to carry her through, whether she was successful or not in her mission.
"You know...I'm gonna be worried sick about you too, Kairi." Axel stammered.
Kairi laughed. "Where did this 'Mr. Sensitive' Axel come from?"
"When a man has experienced enough loss in his life, sometimes it's time to just set aside the ego and 'cool' attitude and just speak from the heart."
"Well, I always knew you were a softy deep down." She poked her temple with her index finger. "I always kept that memorized."
Axel chuckled before standing up. "Well, Little Red, you've got a long day tomorrow. Get some rest, and no more nightmares, got it memorized?"
Kairi lay down back on the couch. "Yep...got it memorized." She softly muttered as she instantly began to drift back to sleep.
Axel laughed and shook his head before leaving Kairi to drift back into her deep slumber. He walked past Roxas' bedroom that was shut and knew the two of them were talking. Part of him wanted to intervene, but he also knew deep down that the two had to talk in private. Axel sighed heavily as he let his two friends be and walked into his and Isa's bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
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After confirming her plans with Kairi, Xion excused herself to go speak with Roxas. She knocked on the door a few times, letting him know she was coming in. Cracking the door open, she silently stepped into the dark bedroom and saw Roxas sitting on the edge of his bed, hiding his face in his hands. Xion dragged her bare feet across the carpeted floor and sat next to him, resting a hand on his back. He jumped at her touch and looked into her concern-filled eyes.
Even Roxas hated seeing her with a worried expression on her face. He started to remember back to the first time she smiled and how alive he felt. It was almost like he knew she was special to him right then and there, but couldn't describe what he was feeling. Even now, his ever growing anxiety over possibly losing Xion again confused him. He had never expressed such emotions like this with anyone else, even with Axel. What was this powerful feeling circulating throughout his heart and his body?
"You okay?" Xion asked, smiling weakly.
Roxas smiled softly at her. "Yeah, thanks Xion." He broke eye contact and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry...It's strange, I can't seem to figure out why I reacted the way I did."
"You're worried about me, I understand."
"Xion...I feel like we only just found each other, and now you're leaving again."
"But it's not forever, Roxas." Xion reached for Roxas' hand and locked it with hers, eliciting a soft involuntary gasp from him. "You know I'll be back."
Roxas nodded. "Yeah, and we'll go have ice cream on the clock tower."
"Just like always, promise."
"Right, promise." He said before letting out a yawn. "Should I come with you and Kairi? You guys might be able to use the extra protection."
Xion shook her head. "You and Axel need to stay here and keep Twilight Town safe in case the Heartless come back. We'll be fine."
Roxas sighed, smiling sweetly. "I always knew you were strong, Xion." He complimented, earning a soft giggle and a blushing face. He couldn't help but smile widely knowing how he made her feel.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I always feel better talking to you." He answered with a nod. "Well, I should probably let you go sleep. You and Kairi have a long day tomorrow."
Xion nodded in agreement. "Yeah." She watched as he shifted his body and got under the blanket, getting comfortable in his bed. "Goodnight, Roxas."
"Goodnight, Xion." He returned with a big yawn.
Xion laughed as she pulled the blanket over the drifting Roxas. She brushed her hand through his spiked hair one last time before shifting to stand up from the bed. Before she could start walking out, something was holding her back. Her stomach started twisting as she turned back and looked at Roxas. Even the sight of him sleeping seemed to make her smile. You're not the only one scared of what's gonna happen, she thought to herself as the horrible thought of the two of them being torn apart rushed through her mind.
Tears built up as one fell down Xion's face. She quickly wiped it before turning to walk back out. Once again, the same something held her back. Xion looked back at Roxas one more time before finally doing what her racing heart was telling her to do. She softly stepped over towards his bed and climbed into it, sliding under the blanket before scooting closer to him. Xion looked down and smiled at Roxas' sleeping face once more before lying down next to him, resting her head on his racing chest and wrapping an arm around him. Her heart continued to race, but her stomach stopped twisting as soon as she started holding him. Xion's blue eyes grew heavy and she started to drift to sleep.
Roxas stirred in his sleep at the sudden extra weight on his chest. His head moved around until he caught sight of a sleeping Xion right next to him. Part of him felt very flustered over this, but part of him felt...right. His heart was leaning more towards it feeling right. To Roxas, it didn't just feel right, but his heart started to crave for more. He slowly extended his arm out and rested it around Xion, instinctively tightening his grip and holding her close to him. As much as he enjoyed it, this enjoyment only confused him more. Why was it that Xion was the only one he felt this strongly about and what was this strong feeling?
"You'll come back...I know you will." Roxas muttered as he rested his hand on Xion's arm and drifted back to sleep.
