Part 10: What Is Love?
Day 300
Xeeres and Xion are in the Grey Area, on the right side. Toxin is on the other side in the couch while Demyx is on the chair facing the entrance. Xeeres looks over at her, wrapped in his thought. He hadn't seen Toxin too much. In fact, this was the first time he had seen her on "free time" since they joined. Why did she have such long missions? Nobody else had missions that long, save the people that went with her. She never went alone either, or with any of them, Axel, Xion Roxas or himself, or Demyx for that matter.
He shakes his head. Whatever it was, it obviously didn't concern him, why should he think about it? Saix walks in and calls Xeeres.
Saix: I want you to go to Tomorrow Land and collect hearts.
Yet another new world discovered on one of Toxin's "special missions", which was infested with heartless. Xeeres didn't read too deeply into it though. Heartless were everywhere, why should these places be any different?
Xeeres: Alright.
He looks back at Xion and nods. She gets up and walks over and they go through a dark corridor.
Meanwhile, Roxas is fighting a giant heartless in Halloween Town. It looks like the Pumpkinator from The Fairly Odd Parents without the head part. Roxas jumps and swings down at it. It swings its hand out, blocking the attack and sending Roxas into the ground. A small crater forms around him when he lands, sending up clouds of dirt and debris. It stomps down and Roxas dives out of the way, landing on his stomach. He rolls over and shoots a Fira spell at it. It grabs the ball and it explodes in its massive hand. The smoke clears and the Pumpkinator is completely unaffected.
Roxas, who's hidden himself behind a rock in the smoke, looks back at it. He's panting from the exhaustion, wiping sweat from his forehead
Roxas: This thing is impossible! I'm convinced that Saix hates me. Why else would he send me to fight this thing alone? I gotta get out of here.
He looks past it and sees his exit. Roxas dashes between the Pumpkinator's legs and slides into the stream outside the area they're fighting in, the area being Oogie's Manor ruins. The stream drops him at Halloween Town Square. He sits on the edge of the fountain, exhausted. He sighs in relief.
Roxas: Man, I need a break. I really hope Saix won't be too mad.
He goes back to the castle to find the, not too shocking, answer. Saix is, in his own cold way, furious with him. Roxas looks down as Saix chastises him.
Saix: You couldn't handle a lone heartless by yourself? Maybe you're just as useless as Xion. I find it difficult to see what Xemnas sees in you with a performance like that.
Axel: Cut him a break.
Roxas looks over his shoulder to see Axel walk into the room. Saix glares at him, Axel does the same.
Axel: This is the first time he's ever aborted a mission. Judging by his track record, you should be able to come to the conclusion that hey, maybe he needs some help
Saix: And who would I send? As the Keyblade's chosen he should be able to handle it alone.
Axel: Well he couldn't! So get your head out of your anus and get him some backup. Heck, I'll go.
Saix: Well you can't, you can't. You have your own mission.
Just then, Xeeres and Xion come back from their mission. Axel looks over at them and smirks.
Axel: What about them?
Xion and Xeeres look up shocked and exhausted. Saix scowls at them.
Saix: This is hardly a three person task. No.
Axel: Well, you want Roxas to finish it, and Xeeres is available. Also, Xemnas wants Xion with Xeeres on all missions so, the way I see it, you don't have much of a choice here. Since my mission can't wait that is.
Saix: It can't. Xemnas wants you to take Toxin to a newly discovered world on a special assignment. As for those three, I'll authorize this, just this once, now go.
They leave on their respective missions. The three of them arrive in Halloween Town. Xeeres tilts his head back and moans.
Xeeres: Aaaarrrgh! I don't wanna do this!
Roxas: You don't wanna do this!? That thing kicked the crap out of me.
Xion: Let's just get this over with so we can go.
They go back to Oogie's Manor and see the Pumpkinator sitting there, disguised as a giant pumpkin, which in this place wouldn't be that strange. It gets up and Xion and Xeeres stare in shock and amazement.
Xeeres Holy. Crap.
Roxas: Told you.
Xion runs at it. Roxas looks shocked and chases after her. She swings at it and it kicks her into the cliff wall surrounding the area. Roxas jumps at it and it throws him over a boulder into the gate. Roxas lies there, to sore to move. It rushes and punches down at him. Xeeres appears in front of it, blowing up dust with his speed. The gauntlets appear on his arms as he pulls his right fist back into a "Falcon Punch" stance. His fist vibrates so fast that it looks normal, but Roxas can feel the wind it's generating. Xeeres throws the punch at the heartless.
The Pumpkinator and Xeeres' fists clash. There's a massive, thunderous "Boom" as their fists meet. Xeeres forces his fist into the Pumpkinator's, straining against the strength of the massive heartless. The sound barrier shatters creating a massive, and extremely loud, shock-wave that jettisons Xeeres into the gate and sends the Pumpkinator sliding back. Xion, having regained her coordination, rushes to Xeeres as Roxas attacks the seemingly stunned heartless. He jumps, swinging down. It swats him away with the same fist it used against Xeeres. Roxas notices its hand, or rather the armor around its hand, is cracked as he flies into the wall.
Xion helps Xeeres up as he tries dazedly to stand. He gets to his hands and knees, his arms shaking. Xion supports him and he rests his head on her shoulder. She blushes a little, but realizes that this isn't the time for that, or her question. She leans him against the gate as the Pumpkinator rushes them. It closes its hands together and swings them down. Xion looks up shocked and guards, dropping to one knee under the force. Xeeres hunches forward and kicks its attack into the air, knocking it off balance. He falls back onto Xion, grabbing his foot.
Xeeres (in pain): Aaaahhh! Son of a…. (He bites his hand) That hurt!!
Xion helps him up as Roxas rushes and swings as hard as he can at the Pumpkinator, throwing it into the wall. He lands in front of them and looks over at them.
Roxas: You okay?
Xion: I'm fine.
Xeeres (panting): Just peachy.
Roxas: I've got a plan. Xeeres, you think you can do what you did to its fist on its back?
Xeeres: Sure, why?
Roxas: Whatever you did cracked its shell or something. If you hit it like that on its back, we should have a good opening.
Xeeres (getting to his feet): Alright then, let's get this sucker.
It starts walking towards them and they turn to it. Xeeres holds out his hand to stop them from moving. They look at him funny as he smirks.
Xeeres: Get back and cover your ears. I'm gonna turn this next one up a little.
They step back and he disappears, blowing up dust as he moves. He appears behind it, knees forward, both fists cocked back, like he's sliding down the air into it. His fists vibrate and he lunges forward. Driving them into the Pumpkinator's back. He forces himself harder, straining his fists against its shell. Suddenly, the shock-wave hits again, only this time it's much bigger and way louder. It rockets Xeeres up into the air and drives the Pumpkinator into the ground. Roxas jumps above it, Keyblade raised above his head, and swings down. The shell breaks and Xion, who was directly behind Roxas, stabs her Keyblade into the opening.
Xeeres lands with a loud "thud" as the heartless roars in agony. Xion falls under it as it steps back and fades away, releasing the shiny crystal heart. Xeeres watches it as it goes up, smiling in spite of the pain.
Xeeres (weakly): I'll never get tired of that.
Roxas helps Xion up and they all go back to the RTC. On the way out of the ruin, Xion notices Xeeres' locket, which had fallen out after the first shock-wave. She picks it up and puts it in her pocket.
At the clock tower, Roxas is sitting by himself. He looks around confused.
Roxas: Why aren't they here today? Maybe Axel got saddled with one of those long missions with Toxin, but where's Xion?
He takes a bite out of his ice cream and thinks. Why do Toxin's missions take so long?
Xeeres is sitting under the tree in Moonlit Gardens. He sighs and leans his head back, feeling for the locket. His eyes widen with shock when he feels nothing and he looks down his coat, frantically searching for it.
Xion: Looking for this?
He looks behind him as Xion walks from behind the tree. He had told her before that he liked to be alone here, but she was determined to find an answer, and knew he could give it to her. Besides, she had a perfectly legitimate reason to be here. He takes the locket as she sits beside him.
Xeeres: Where'd you get this?
Xion: It came off of you at Halloween Town.
Xeeres: Oh, thanks.
They sit in awkward silence for a while. Xion looks up at him.
Xion: Xeeres?
Xeeres: Hm?
Xion: What's love? I hear people talk about it and wonder what it is, but no one can give me an answer. And, from what I've gathered about it, you're the only one I know who can tell me from experience.
Xeeres laughs to himself. He looks at her and sees the determination in her eyes.
Xeeres: You're serious about this?
She nods. He smiles to himself
Xeeres: Let's see, how can I explain this? Well… To love someone is to care for them very much. It's kinda what you and Axel and Roxas share. How you three feel about each other, that's pretty much what love is.
She sighs disappointed. Was that it? Was that all there was?
Xeeres: But, there's another type of love that you share with one person…
Her face lights up and she looks at him. There's more? More than just one kind of love? More than just caring about your friends and having that bond?
Xeeres: Granted, both types are important, the other is more, special. It's when you care about someone so much; their existence means the world to you. You'd do anything, just to make them happy. Just being around her gives you a great feeling inside, and being away from her… Is like someone destroyed your entire world.
Xion looks at him curiously as he stares out into the garden, the same look of longing in his eyes, only much more severe. She looks down at his hand and he's clutching the locket so tightly his hand is trembling. Xion looks back at his face and his eyes are shiny for some reason.
Xion: You love her, don't you? The girl from the garden?
Xeeres (saddened): I did, but you and I both know we can't love for real. Love is an emotion, which we without hearts don't have.
Xion: Yea, but you remember what it's like, and it hurts you just the same. Doesn't it?
Xeeres' eyes widen I shock. She was right, it did. But, did that change anything?