Warning: This chapter contains a very flashy battle sequence. Please wear some kind of protection, such as sunglasses, 3D glasses or a Xion cosplay outfit. :) This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and I'm quite proud of it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Note that it does not have Kairi or Lea as promised, because it is so darn long. Don't worry, they'll get their chapters soon. Anyway! Enough hyping! Have at it!
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Unforgettable
Chapter XXI
With You
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"It seems our hand is the winning one this round. The enemy is spread thin, and their leader is demoralized."
"All as I planned. Now, I have a task for you, my Gambler."
"And what would that be?"
"It seems that the Princess has traveled in time. I need you to…guide her."
"…You truly are good at this game."
"I played many games of chess as a child. And I often won. Is conspiracy not simply chess with more pieces?"
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Pain. Simple, pure, unrelenting pain. This was the only thing that Roxas felt. Well, there was one other thing. Purpose.
He walked through the jungle with slow precision, as if the ground shook with every step. Behind him was a troop of Shadows and Unversed. Roxas found that he could understand them. Although the Heartless just made animal growls and murmurs of killing and feasting, the Unversed were a bit more expressive. They shouted tactical orders to each other and the Heartless, making them a single cohesive unit, marching forward and tearing apart all life in its path.
Roxas could hear one of the Unversed speaking in his mind. Nobody likes you. Even our Creator despises you. But we like you.
Roxas adjusted his hood and kept staring straight ahead. "Be quiet and find Xion," he whispered.
We last sensed Puppet and its friend moving toward the other side of the island.
Roxas clenched his fists. "Don't call her Puppet."
But it is what Creator calls it.
Without hesitation, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and sliced the weak Unversed clean in half, making it disappear. He snapped his fingers to call another over. "Tell the others that they'll get the same treatment as that one if they keep calling her that."
Having dealt with that problem, Roxas kept walking. For the millionth time since he started walking, he mentally ran over his memories. He figured that Vanitas' continued use of the term 'Puppet' was an attempt to dehumanize her and foster obedience…but he had never associated the name with her for a second. Whenever someone used the term, he just imagined a literal puppet in his mind, which he was watching Xion smash to bits while screaming NOT ME. He had studied several books on the psychology of memory since he met Xion again, and he was bringing all the tricks to bear now.
He emerged from the jungle. He had only been to this part of the island once before. It was basically a playground, and he didn't play games. But Namine loved this place, so he figured it was as good a place as any to check. He climbed up the main tower and took a look around.
And there they were, Xion and Namine, just coming around the corner or the rocks. Roxas silently steeled himself for the task, snapped his fingers and teleported in front of the two, along with a dozen Shadows. He had to admit, the Darkness was at least convenient.
Namine gasped. "Roxas?!"
Roxas sighed. "Yes. Vanitas needs you two to come back."
Xion stepped back, shielding Namine with one hand and brandishing the claws of the other. "Roxas, I told you to fight!"
Roxas closed his eyes. "I know. But if you don't do it voluntarily, I'll have to hurt you. I don't have a choice. Please don't make me do that…"
"Don't give me that!" Xion shoved Roxas so hard that he fell to the ground. She looked like she didn't mean to push that hard, but she didn't look sorry, either. "It's Vanitas you need to be hurting! And you do have a choice!"
Roxas felt tears coming to his eyes, but he pushed them back as best he could and got up. "Xion…I can't…I can't forget you again. Please. He'll take away my memories if I don't bring you back." He reached for Xion, even as she stepped away. "Please, please, please come back…"
For a moment, Xion seemed to waver, and Roxas had hope. But then her face contorted into an expression of betrayal. She shook her head. "Roxas…I love you…I really do…but you are being selfish. So, so selfish."
Roxas stepped back. "What…?"
"You aren't keeping those memories for me. You know full well there are lots of other people who can still hold those memories. No, you want those memories for yourself." Xion's voice cracked, and words she emphasized echoed. "You think that if you lose those memories, you'll lose your own sanity, and you rationalize it by saying it's all for me."
Roxas shook his head. "No…that's not it…no…"
"You've told yourself the lie so many times that you've started to believe it!" All of Xion's voice echoed now. "I'm going to tell you something right now. Those memories aren't for YOU. They're for US. And I need you to forget me so that we'll ALL be safe!"
Roxas' head was swirling. "But…if I forget you…"
"Roxas. You remembered me the first time. You can remember me again. The heart never forgets, Roxas."
Roxas felt something deep down inside himself, something he didn't want to accept. It was the sense that Xion was right. He stuttered. "I…I…I just…I'm just trying to…"
Xion stared straight into Roxas' eyes. The echo left her voice as she calmed down. "I never thought I'd say this. But please forget me. You'll remember me soon…but right now, forgetting me is for the best. I know it hurts, but if you bring us to that Vanitas guy, you'll just hurt us. Roxas, please forget me."
Roxas closed his eyes. Several flashbacks were coming to him now, but the one that mattered most now shone through.
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*BZZT*
Her…her…I want her…I just want her…
"Roxas, don't be sad."
Who…you!
"I came from you and Sora. I am you, the same way that I am Sora."
But…okay. If you're okay with that…so am I.
"You'll forget me…"
No, no, no, no…
"…But the memories themselves will never go away."
…
"Memories of you and me will always be together…forever, inside him."
…Okay.
Hey…goodbye.
Xion.
*BZZT*
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Roxas could hear the whispers of the Unversed in his mind. If you forget her, she will surely vanish. She has gone mad. Do not let her fade away.
Roxas turned to the whole group, now behind him. A few more had spawned, seeming to react to his fear and anguish.
Save the girl with the seashells.
He took his seashell out of his pocket and stared at it, taking in every detail, remembering the time he had gotten it well.
SAVE HER.
Then he gripped it tight and summoned his Keyblade. "Shut up!"
He threw the seashell into the air and raised up the Keyblade. A beam of light shot down from the seashell, enwrapping the three Nobodies in a dome of light. Roxas could feel power rising in him, new knowledge entering his mind. And he heard Xion's voice. Don't be scared. I'm going to help you.
Roxas closed his eyes. "Okay. I love you."
I love you, too.
The dome of light subsided. Roxas raised his hand in the air, and a new Keyblade appeared. It was not the familiar Oblivion. It's handle was similar, but it was blue on one side and white on the other. The shaft continued with this color scheme, with little hearts instead of Oblivion's chains. The main edge was the same seashell that Roxas had held before, enlarged. It's keychain was the original seashell, with a new word printed on it.
Remembrance.
Roxas smiled. "Perfect." He turned around. "Namine, you should—huh?"
Namine had summoned her own Keybalde now. "I'll back you up…but I'm not good with it, okay?"
"That's fine with me."
Roxas looked back at the group. He estimated about a thousand Heartless and a thousand Unversed. He was not scared one bit. Determination against impossible odds, after all, was a Sora trait. And he was one with Sora.
This was a battle for Sora. For everyone.
For Xion.
Roxas charged, tearing into the group with Oathkeeper and Remembrance. The Keyblades cut down the front line immediately. Ten, twenty, thirty, more and more. Roxas never lost count. Namine, he noticed, was doing better than she thought she would. When a Novashadow pounced toward her, she stabbed at it, causing it to vanish just like the rest of them. Still, Roxas was doing most of the work. But he was fine with that.
A few of the Shadows formed a vertical wall and rushed at him, but he simply sliced through the lower group, bringing the whole pile toppling down and allowing easy pickings. When four of these walls were formed to all sides of him and charged him all at once, he jumped up and threw both Keyblades into the ground, creating a shockwave and destroying enemies for fifty feet around him. He added them to the kill count—270 now.
Roxas realized that Namine wasn't doing so well. Some of the Unversed were whispering into her mind, stunning her. Roxas could hear them. You're nothing but a witch. You don't belong here. Go away, Witch. Go away.
Just before Roxas could jump in and slice through the Unversed like butter, Namine pulled her Keyblade close. "You go away!"
A wave of light shot out from Namine. The Unversed made the sound of paper ruffling just before exploding into little drawings of themselves. Roxas couldn't help but smile, partially because he found it slightly comical, but mostly because he could tell that Namine was going to make it through this. He added the destroyed Unversed to the count—497—and continued the rampage.
Roxas dashed from enemy to enemy, slicing through them one by one. He was moving so fast that a trail of sparks was following him, making him look like a human comet. He had done this during his battle with Sora. It was exhilarating. But three Novashadows stabbed at him and broke his chain. He grimaced and raised up Remembrance. It transformed, becoming a blue, glowing silhouette of Xion. The 'ghost' held Roxas' hand, and he lead her through the battlefield. She shot out beams of light at enemies when directed.
Roxas grinned. He really liked Remembrance.
When the charge was complete, the silhouette transformed back into a Keyblade and reentered Roxas' hand. He did a quick mental count—1,314 down, 686 to go—and kept chopping away at the enemy, turning them into cat food. By now, most of the smaller enemies were down. All the Shadows were gone, and it was just Novashadows in the Heartless group. Just like old times.
Six of the Novashadows pushed Namine toward the ocean, but she didn't look scared. In fact, it was almost as if she was leading them to the water. When her sandals actually entered it, she stuck her Keyblade out toward it. "Come," she whispered.
Within seconds, giant dolphins shot out of the water, a whole pod of them. They flew through the air, raining down beams of light on whatever unfortunate opponent happened to be underneath them at the time. When they hit the jungle, they turned around and did it again. They repeated this seven times before splashing back into the water.
Roxas called to Namine. "You're doing great!"
Namine called back. "Thanks!"
There weren't many opponents left now—just 342 more. But they were getting more organized and aggressive, clearly realizing that their situation was worsening at an exponential rate. They started tearing into Roxas and Namine, actually doing good damage. Both Nobodies were pushed into the center, surrounded.
Roxas cast Cure on both of them. "I have an idea that is half fun, half stupid."
Namine got into guard position. "Those are usually the best ideas, I hear."
"Then I'm doing it."
Roxas stabbed his Keyblades into the ground. Two large teacups, strung with multicolored lights, rose up out of the ground. Roxas and Namine hopped in, and the teacups spun around with incredible speed, ripping the remaining enemies to shreds. Roxas considered himself a very mature person, but in this case, the little child still in him took over, and he laughed a real laugh at the speed.
The teacups vanished, and the Nobodies got ready to charge into battle again. The reason for this was simple.
Nothing left to charge at.
Roxas sent his Keyblades off, and he felt something leaving his body. Xion popped out and fell to her knees, laughing. Roxas held her shoulder. "Xion?"
Xion didn't stop laughing. "I feel great! You two…you're amazing!"
Roxas looked at Namine, who just gave him a shrug, then back down at Xion. "Thanks. I'm…pretty proud of myself, to be honest."
"Good!" Xion laughed even more. "Can you tell I'm nuts yet?"
Roxas snorted. "Maybe a little."
"A little? But I'm a lot nuts! And it's the best!"
Roxas pulled her up and gave her a hug. "I'm just glad your okay."
Xion returned the hug. "Don't be scared, okay? Whatever happens, I'm with you. Always. Don't be scared. Promise me."
"I promise."
With that, Xion summoned Remembrance to her hand and pointed it at the door to the large shack at the end of the beach. The door creaked open, revealing a strange elevator. All three walked toward the elevator, and Xion stepped in.
Namine nodded to both of them. "I have to go back to Kairi now. Stay safe, okay, Xion? Don't push yourself too much. Do what the people there say. Promise?"
Xion grinned. "On doctor's orders!"
Namine smiled. "And an apple a day," she chirped as she opened a pink portal.
"Got it!"
As Namine left, she held Roxas' arm and whispered into his ear. "Be strong, okay?"
Roxas nodded. "Okay."
Namine left, and Roxas held Xion's hand. "Can I go with you?" he asked.
Xion shook her head. "I wish you could. But Ventus needs help. I need you to save him for me."
Roxas gripped Xion's hand a little tighter, not wanting to close his eyes. "…All right. I'll save Ventus."
"Good." She pulled a seashell out of her pocket, carved a few words into it with her claws (even though they weren't nearly as pronounced as before) and handed it to Roxas. It read The girl you're thinking of is Shion. "So you won't be scared," she said, smiling. "Right pronunciation, wrong spelling. That way, your brain won't filter it out. Does that make you feel better?"
Roxas read the words a few times, then stuck the shell in his pocket. "Yeah…that actually makes me feel a lot better."
"Perfect." Xion planted a tiny kiss on Roxas' forehead. "I love you."
Roxas blushed and smiled. "I love you, too."
And with that, Xion stepped back and let the elevator doors close. The door to the shack closed and locked shut, and suddenly, Roxas noticed how alone he was.
He clutched his chest. "I'm with you too, Xion. I'm with you, too."
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You may now take off your protective gear, unless it's a Xion cosplay, in which case you are to take pictures and send them to me in a package with the materials and instructions for wearing them. I don't even care that I'm a boy, I'm doing that cosplay. :D
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, reviews are always appreciated. Thanks for reading, and keep watching for chapter twenty-two!