The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

65. Wayward Wind

Chapter 65: Wayward Wind

With an uneasy nervousness in her gut, Aqua tilted her head upward. The Land of Departure—or rather, Castle Oblivion—stood before her. Some of her old home was still visible in the twisted, contorted spires of the ominous castle, but only to one who had seen the Land of Departure before Xehanort attacked it. She imagined that to anyone else they would only see a lonely castle in a shattered world teetering on the brink of darkness. The thin rays of light escaping through the gray clouds behind it were the only warmth in this place. It was cold and dead, too much like the Realm of Darkness for comfort. She couldn't believe she had ever willingly left Ventus here, no matter how safe it was.

"It looks exactly like I left it," Aqua said softly.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Lea asked beside her.

"…I'm not sure."

They had arrived as planned via Lea's star shard only moments ago. As Lea had warned, it had left Aqua nauseous and with a headache, not to mention painfully crashed into the earth for a mouthful of dirt. Still, they had bigger things to worry about, and that was all right inside this castle. Aqua tore her eyes away from Castle Oblivion and looked over to Lea, who was running a hand through his hair, trying to spike up some of it that had flattened in the crash. However, he quickly grumbled something under his breath and stopped; at a guess, Aqua figured he gave up without a mirror. Lea tossed the star shard up and down in his palm a couple times before slipping it into his back pocket.

"I have to say, it'll be good to finally wrap things up here."

There he was again, saying things like that. The reason he had tagged along with Aqua was for closure, in his own words, not to mention he clearly doubted that Aqua would even be able to find Ven inside. How much did he know about Castle Oblivion? Of everyone Aqua had met since leaving the Realm of Darkness, Lea seemed to be the one most involved in it. She certainly wasn't complaining that he came with her, it wasn't like she herself knew much about how the Master's spell changed the castle, but it was odd to her that someone completely unrelated to the Land of Departure would have so much investment in Castle Oblivion.

"So what's your story with this place, Lea?"

"Hm?" With his hands in his pockets, Lea's eyes shifted to Aqua. "Ah, well… It's a long story." He motioned for her to follow him toward the front doors and spoke as they walked. "Like I said when we met, my Nobody Axel used to be in Organization XIII."

"The one Xion said she had ice cream with?"

"What, she told you that? Man… Well, yeah, the same." Lea rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed, then shook his head. "But there was more to him…me…than just good looks and ice cream. The Organization used Castle Oblivion as a second base for research, where they conducted experiments like the Replica Program—don't give me that look, it's not something worth going into. It's…all in the past. Anyway, I was assigned to Castle Oblivion."

"Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look much like any researcher I've ever seen."

Lea snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, me being on the research team would probably give Vexen a heart attack. You know, if he had one." He came to a stop in front of the doors to the castle and shook his head. "No, that wasn't why I was here. Xemnas had an agenda he didn't tell any of the Organization's members, but Saïx—his left hand—figured it out and had me searching the castle. …Of course, looking back, Saïx sending me was probably all a part of Xehanort's plan anyway."

A nervousness was already crawling the way up Aqua's spine, and she suppressed a shudder. "What was Xemnas looking for?"

Lea turned around and faced her, looking her right in the eyes. "The Chamber of Waking. That was the real reason that Organization XIII was in Castle Oblivion, and I was the one they had looking for it. I was looking for Ventus, because Xemnas was looking for Ventus."

"Xemnas…wanted to find Ven…?" Aqua's left hand clutched at her Wayfinder, and her right at her chest. Her heartbeat quickened, she gulped. "Because of Terra, or…?"

"I doubt it."

Lea's cold tone could have frozen Aqua's heart. Those simple words sent her small hope spot spiraling downward and shattering into a thousand pieces. Still, it was probably better that way. She absolutely, one hundred percent believed that there was still some of Terra left in Xehanort. There had to be. But Aqua refused to believe that if Terra had any sort of influence over Xehanort, then Xehanort would still have done all that he had. But what was worse: that Terra had influence over him but couldn't stop the bad things from happening, or that he was unable to do anything but watch from the inside?

"Anyway, I hope you got that memorized," Lea said. "I don't like loose ends, and after everything I've been through at this place I want to see it all wrapped up tight."

"I can understand that." Aqua placed a hand on Lea's shoulder, and though he tried to shrug her off he did crack a faint smile. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't share quite every reason this place is important." Lea sighed and rubbed his face. "I wasn't sure this was worth telling, but it probably is something you should know about as long as I'm blabbing." He thrust his thumb back over his shoulder, to the doors. "Xion comes from Castle Oblivion too."

"Xion is?" Aqua turned from Lea and looked up at the towers once more. "So this is her home too?"

"No." Aqua looked back down and Lea was turning away, his eyes downcast and voice soft. "It's not her home. This place holds nothing but bad memories for every one of us."

"Sorr—" Aqua stopped herself and shook her head. She was sorry, and she was saddened that her choices had hurt others, but it did no good to dwell on them. Isn't that the very thing she had told Xion and her friends back in the Realm of Darkness? So why was it that she doubting and second-guessing herself lately? I suppose it's because I don't need to keep my heart on the defensive anymore, to stop the Realm of Darkness from breaking me. But still…

"Well, anyway." Aqua looked back to Lea, who seemed to have caught on to her internal debate and decided to move on. She was thankful for that. "Let's go get Ventus."

"Yes. Let's." Aqua stepped forward and pushed against the massive doors with all her strength, creaking them open inch by inch until there was room enough for her and Lea to enter Castle Oblivion single-file.

"Aqua."

"Yes?"

Master Eraqus's voice rang out in Aqua's memory as she and Lea entered the bright white entrance hall. The door slowly shut on its own behind the two of them, but Aqua kept making her way toward the golden doors sitting atop a small flight of stairs at the far end of the hall. Hers and Lea's echoing footsteps were the only sounds, besides those in her head.

"Now that you are a Master, there is one secret in particular you must know. Should anything happen to me, and you find the legion of darkness at our doorstep...I ask that you take my Keyblade and use it to lock this land away."

"What?"

As Lea lingered behind her, Aqua lifted her foot onto the first step. On that lowest step she hesitated, gulped to wet her drying throat, and the continued forward. Aqua was so nervous that her stomach felt like it was turning inside out, but she continued on.

"Generations of Keyblade Masters have been charged with keeping this land safe. Light and darkness exist in balance here, and there are those who would abuse such neutral ground. This is why our predecessors devised a certain...trick."

"You sure you know how to do…this?" Lea asked from the foot of the stairs. "Because I'd rather not walk through my memories again."

Aqua nodded. She stood straight and held her hand out, calling on Master's Defender in a flash of light. "I'm not sure what you meant by the memory comment, but I think I do know how to handle the castle."

"Just use the key, and this land will be transformed. From that day forward, all who visit this land will be lost to oblivion, none ever able to solve the mystery."

Taking hold of the Keyblade with both hands, Aqua held it out before her. Immediately a powerful wind swept up around her, starting from her feet and blowing up and back. Aqua could hear Lea grunt behind her as the winds buffeted him, though she spared no time looking over her shoulder. Light erupted out of the floor, golden waves of particles rising up and taking on the familiar shape of the mark on her chest: the Mark of light began to gather at the Keyblade's tip.

"None, Aqua, except you."

Taking in a deep breath, Aqua pulled her arms and the Keyblade back. She spread her legs apart, planted her feet as firmly on the ground as possible, leaned forward slightly…and thrust. She thrust the Keyblade toward the door as hard as she could. The wind and light grew stronger, and a ring emanated out from the orb at the end of Master's Defender. A melodious hum rose up with it, continuing even as the ring faded away. As soon as the ring vanished, a ray of light fired from her weapon and made contact with the golden doors in the dead center between their handles.

As the light and wind died down, Aqua lowered her Keyblade. Lea was absolutely silent behind her, but Aqua did not check on him because she herself was frozen in apprehension, still to the point that she didn't even draw breath. Finally, after what felt like hours, the doors began to react. They opened of their own volition, magic propelling them slowly but effortlessly to reveal the room beyond. Gasping, Aqua brought a hand to her mouth as her eyes began to water.

Lea stepped up beside her and whispered to himself. "Isn't this a blast from the past…"

It was no memory or maze that stood before them, but a single blue-white chamber decorated with the Mark of Mastery. Glowing white chain patterns flowed from the Marks, down the walls and across the floor to the single white throne sitting in the middle. And on the throne…

Ventus.

He looked exactly as she remembered, despite all the years appearing to be still only a fifteen-year-old boy. His hands rested in his lap, and his dirty blond hair covered his eyes as his head dipped low. He was completely and utterly still, not breathing and probably not dreaming, but he was alive. Alive. Aqua wiped at the tears freely sliding down her cheeks and walked over to the sleeping boy, lovingly running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry it wasn't as soon as I thought. But I'm finally home, Ven."

x-x-x

"Is he here?"

"Yeah, Aqua and Lea arrived just a few minutes ago."

Riku and Xion walked at a brisk pace through the halls of Traverse Town's hotel. Word from the King had arrived as they had been eating dinner in the First District, and they had left at the drop of a hat, even nearly forgetting to leave munny behind. Nervousness and anxiety filled Xion to the point that she had to vomit, but they were pushed aside—though still definitely there—by the desire and curiosity. She had to see him. She had to see Ventus.

They arrived at the door to the green room, and Riku pushed it open without a second thought. It was crowded inside: Sora, Donald, Goofy, the King, Lea, and even Leon, Yuffie, and Cissnei had all found room within it. Not to mention Aqua, of course, who was on her knees before the bed with one hand holding Ven's and the other placing a wet cloth on his forehead. Riku and Xion slipped inside quietly without anyone noticing them, their attention all on the sleeping boy. With everyone crowding around him, Xion couldn't get a clear look.

"He's not sick, Aqua," King Mickey said. "That's not goin' to do a whole lot."

Still sitting on her knees, Aqua brought both hands to Ven's. She held his wrist as if checking his pulse and shook her head. "I know he's not, Mickey. But I just have to do something… I can't just leave him like this. This isn't the first time he's slept like this, either." She sighed and turned to look at the assembled crowd. "Can we at least give him some space, everyone? Let him breathe a little?"

"Gosh, it doesn't even seem like he has to breathe to me," Yuffie said. But despite her words she, and everyone else, complied. They backed up and moved apart, spreading out all over the room instead of focusing solely on the bed. Aqua and King Mickey, though, remained at Ven's side. With the crowd clearing, Riku let out a low whistle as Ven's face became visible to him.

"I had known what to expect, but still, this is really strange."

"I'm worried," Aqua said. "I had hoped that Ven being close to his heart would have some sort of reaction, but…nothing."

"Let me see him," Xion said, putting her hand on Riku's arm and getting him to step aside. She spared a moment's glance at Sora, who smiled back at her before turning his full, undivided attention back to Ventus. Everyone was like that, from Leon to Aqua. Taking a deep breath, Xion squeezed her eyes shut then turned toward the bed and slowly opened them one at a time.

Her blood froze in her veins.

Resting in the bed, completely still, was Roxas. Of course she knew it was Ventus, but—that was Roxas! He had the exact same face, it even scrunched up the same way as he slept. His blond hair was spiked up exactly the same, and strands of it fell between his eyesexactly the same. He was exactly the same. Xion wasn't stupid, she knew that Ven looked like Ro— …that Roxas looked like Ven. That had been established. But to actually see it, to seem him…

"…just like…" she murmured, in a daze. Xion brought a hand up to her suddenly aching heart.

"Just like Kairi was, right?" Sora suggested.

"What?" Aqua's head turned to Sora, though her body did not budge from Ven's side. "Kairi was like this? When?"

Xion let out a low groan and rubbed her face. She stepped back, away from Ventus, and bumped into someone who put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Lea watching her with concern through her slowly blurring vision.

"It was during our first journey," Riku explained. "When the Heartless attacked the Destiny Islands, Kairi's heart wasn't consumed by darkness and found its way inside of Sora instead. He held on to her the entire time, while I had her sleeping body. She was like Ven is now, in every way."

"Of course, I didn't know about it," Sora continued. "Neither of us did, actually. All we knew was that Kairi had lost her heart, and so Riku had worked with Maleficent and her goons to get Kingdom Hearts to try and save her. In the end how we really saved Kairi was…"

Sora hesitated. Xion barely noticed as his eyes flickered to her for a moment, she was too preoccupied by the increasing pain in her head and tightness in her chest. A chill ran down her spine and she hugged her arms close to her body while letting out another pained groan. Her breathing growing shallower by the moment, she took a deep breath that did nothing.

"How?" Aqua's voice sounded distant, and it was hard for Xion to focus on her as she spoke. "How did you save Kairi then? I need to know! I have to save Ven!"

Nobody answered her.

Someone—Xion thought it was Leon but couldn't be sure—started to talk about focusing on Xehanort before Ven. She wasn't paying attention. Brief images flashed in Xion's mind, so quickly that they physically hurt and she had to squeeze her eyes shut while clutching at her head. Silver armor, two keys, a boy plunging a key into his chest, a girl standing on a clock tower and removing her hood to reveal the spiky brown hair beneath it.

Everyone's voices were more distant now, and muffled as well. She thought she heard Lea saying her name and shaking her, but it was so, so far away. The pain in her head was overwhelming, it and her aching heart were the only things that Xion could focus on. Grasping at the sides of her head, fingernails digging into her skin, Xion cried out in pain. The image of the boy lying there in front of her burned her eyes, and she squeezed them shut once more but it wouldn't go away. Why wouldn't it leave her alone?! Her head hurt, her heart was burning.

Xion screamed.

Everything went black.

x-x-x

Xion's body grew numb as her armor vanished, the magic that had formed it flying up into the air as ribbons of light. She panted heavily as her legs gave out beneath her and she fell to the ground, barely registering the color of the strands of hair hanging in front of her eyes; black, not brown as it was earlier. She glanced up to the only other person in the plaza and brought her hands up to her head, letting out a desperate, broken scream before rapidly shaking her head back and forth. Her mind was creaming, crying, begging as salty tears began to streak down her face and splash against the orange pavement.

Before her lay the body of her best friend—maybe more. His breathing was shallow to the point of being almost nonexistent. His black leather cloak was in tatters, some shreds scattered around them but most of them vaporized by the light and heat from their battle. Scars and burns coated his exposed skin, and black and white wisps were already beginning to rise from the wounds. Struggling to her feet, Xion forced herself to limp over to the blond boy only to collapse onto her knees once more beside him.

"Roxas!" Xion cried, her voice breaking. His face hardened for a moment before his eyes flickered open, and he tilted his head back to look at her, squinting in the light of sunset. "I'm sorry, this wasn't what I intended…" Xion shut her eyes and hugged herself as she began to cry again. "Why didn't you fight back?!"

"Fight back? How…could I fight against you, Xion?" Roxas's eyes barely seemed able to focus on her, and they flickered to the wisps escaping his body. He looked ready to fall back into unconsciousness or worse at a moment's notice.

"You were supposed to stop me! I was supposed to join with you… This wasn't what I…" Xion stopped as he raised a hand to her cheek. His glove had been burned off, and his bare fingers brushed her skin. She froze up and stared at him in complete silence.

"You are my best friend, Xion… I could never…kill you…" Roxas's hand fell and Xion caught it. Her gloved fingers shook as she wrapped them tight around his own, and she almost wished she had lost her glove in that battle as well, so she could feel his skin on hers. "I don't care…what they all say. You're more than just a puppet…to me…"

As Roxas's voice trailed off, Xion blinked away tears that began to flow stronger. His body was growing translucent, the wisps of black and white were rising off of him faster. The air around him was beginning to ripple and distort. She had seen this before, when the lesser Nobodies fell. She couldn't— Not now—

x-x-x

"You want me to stop hiding? You want me to face you?" Vanitas moved forward, his Keyblade tight in his grip. With each step he took, Xion moved back another. She gulped and shook her head, trying to ignore the nervous sweat forming on her forehead, sticking her hair to her face.

"Then you need to come at me," Vanitas continued with a dangerous edge in his voice. "Prove to me you're not just a scared little girl cowering in the corner. Show me your anguish and turn it into rage! Make the light in Ventus's heart grow!"

"I—" Xion shut her eyes and shook her head. "I—"

Damn it all. She had to be brave, not just for her sake but Sora's as well. She was beyond brave, she knew. She had been willing to kill herself for Roxas's sake after all, back when this had all started. And despite worry she had faced Sora, and then gone on to fight Xemnas despite all the odds being against them. Xion knew she was no coward

And yet…she couldn't shake the images away. Her breathing grew erratic just seeing the Unversed symbol on Vanitas's mask. Her vision grew blurry. Her heart was pounding—Ven's heart was pounding.

She wasn't a coward, but she was still terrified.

Vanitas had somehow caught up with Xion despite her backtracking, and was now so close that had he not been wearing a mask she would have felt his breath on her face. She took one more step back, her Keyblade held in front of her with both hands but visibly shaking. Her throat felt like cotton.

"Forge the χ-blade."

x-x-x

From below they watched at Xemnas was once again hit head-on by a building. But if the one Sora rode hadn't stopped him, it was foolish to think this one would. The two of them stood ready and sure enough Xemnas appeared. He knocked Sora aside and grabbed Xion's throat, staring into her eyes with a tranquil fury. A sadistic smile came to his lips.

"Can you spare a heart?" Xemnas placed a hand on Xion's chest and then pulled away, leaving lightning flowing between his fingers and her. She didn't even have the strength to scream, groaning as it felt like something was squeezing her heart. Everything was starting to fade to black, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Sora charge to Xemnas. He was promptly knocked away by some unseen force, tossed so high into the nothingness above them that he was just a speck.

"You have proven to be quite a willful puppet, Xion." Xemnas's voiced was the only thing she was aware of; that and the unbelievable, indescribable pain in her chest. "You had not started out that way, but through the power of Roxas's heart 'it' was shaped into 'her.' And now Roxas's heart rests within your body." The squeezing tightened and Xion gasped out a faint, pitiful scream. "Oh, but it is not truly Roxas's heart, is it? I am not as blind as Braig believed. True, I have no memories of my past, but I do know this: when I saw Roxas, I received a feeling of déjà vu unlike any I had ever had before. And so I knew, without knowing how, that our number XIII held the heart of my dear friend."

What was he even talking about? She couldn't think… So tired… so…

"I have been searching for years for the boy, and I have never come close. But I will take your heart, I will find him…" Xemnas chuckled slowly. "And I will accept him into a new Organization XIII. Together we will rebuild Kingdom Hearts, one heart at a time. Thank you for delivering my friend's heart to me. This has proven to be a worthy closing assignment for our dear XIV…"

What… was gonna happen… to her…?

"So light gives way to darkness. Good night, Xion."

x-x-x

Within the darkness, something stirred.

Slowly but surely, Xion awoke to find herself lying in a bed in one of the hotel rooms at Traverse Town. What was she doing here? She pushed herself up, supporting her body with her arms, and rubbed a hand over her face. It was a small room. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were all here as well, sleeping soundly in beds of their own. Otherwise, it was empty, and silent save for their snoring. No—she heard something else. Ticking. A clock? Still only half awake, Xion searched left and right for it until her eyes fell on a small clock in the corner of the room. It was six in the morning.

"What happened…?" she murmured to herself. But even as the words passed her lips, she remembered. Ventus had been brought back, and he was still asleep. Getting near him had hurt so, so much. Pain had wracked her head and it felt like somebody had been squeezing her inside. Xion brushed her fingers against her shirt and stared down at her chest. She was remembering enough, now, to know where that conversation had gone. And it…terrified her.

As quietly as she could, Xion pushed herself out of bed and grabbed her jacket that was resting on the back of a nearby chair. She looked back over her shoulder at her friends and hesitated…but shook her head and slipped the jacket on. This wasn't something they should be worrying about, not right now. Xehanort was the bigger problem. She'd tell them after he was dealt with, and only then. But, what if there wasn't time…? Xion shook her head. She quickly undid the lock on the door and shut it silently behind her.

She stood there quietly in the hall, staying with her hands and back pressed against the door for a long time. Ventus hadn't woken up just by getting near to his heart inside of Xion, as she had hoped. If anything, that proximity is what had caused Xion to black out in the first place. She wouldn't be surprised if Roxas's blackout back when he had entered Castle Oblivion while they were in Organization XIII was also because of proximity to Ventus. But Xion knew now what would wake Ventus up. In fact, she had always known.

"Do you hate me for taking your friend away from you?"

A conversation that she had a lifetime ago came up to her, and Xion clenched her hands into fists. Just like Riku back then, she sincerely doubted that Aqua harbored any ill will toward her. But still, she felt like she was letting everyone down now, just as she had when she had prevented Sora from awakening. And back then, Xion had been ready and willing to sacrifice everything for him, a person she had never met. But…now…?

"…I need to get some air."

She walked down the hall and out the front door, not even acknowledging the service Moogle when he gave her an early-morning 'kupo'. Outside, Traverse Town was as dark as always, and impossible to tell whether it was five in the morning or two in the afternoon. The chilly air, only added to by the Second District's nearby fountain, eased Xion's concerns somewhat, but not enough. Just standing out here wasn't going to do any good.

Xion's eyes were on the ground and her feet as she moved through what small (for Traverse Town) crowds there were in the morning. She moved on autopilot, though, and her mind was far, far away from here. She was thinking about Organization XIII, about Ven, about Sora, about Castle Oblivion. And perhaps most of all, about the Replica Program.

The Replica Program had haunted Xion for her entire existence; before she even knew about it, she knew something was different between her and other Nobodies. Vexen's notes that she had found on day two hundred and fifty five—like Roxas, she had memorized them perfectly and still remembered to this day—had said that the Replica Program's purpose was to take a piece of Sora's memory and copy it, making his powers the Organization's. She had known that, she had come to terms with it, and eventually she had overcome it. Xion had long since forged her own identity beyond simply being Sora's Replica.

But now everybody seemed to be basing Xion's worth entirely on Ven. Braig and especially Vanitas didn't see Xion, they saw a puppet under their thumb whose only purpose was to hold Ven's heart. With Vanitas especially, the only thing Xion was to him was a way to forge the χ-blade. And she knew she shouldn't care what they thought; they were her enemies, they wanted her to doubt herself and break. She knew that. But... Aqua hadn't even acknowledged Xion either. She had been so focused on Ven, had mentioned Ven being near his heart, and in the Realm of Darkness she had embraced Xion as soon as she heard about Ven. Of course Aqua had said she'd known the difference, but Xion hadn't felt so sure. To Braig and Vanitas, she was a puppet. To Aqua, she seemed to only be a way to save Ventus. To Xehanort and Xemnas, she was Sora.

So…who was she?

Did Xion even have a heart to call her own? Because that much was true. She wasn't a normal person, she was a Nobody—not even a real Nobody, a Replica—who was simply holding onto the heart of someone else. Did that mean she wasn't a person, though? What was identity? Was it your heart or something else?

Aqua. Aqua was strong, she had an amazingly strong heart. She was a Keyblade Master! And she had lasted so, so long inside the Realm of Darkness. But did those define who Aqua was? They barely knew each other, but Xion supposed not. But Aqua's heart was still her heart, not somebody else's.

Just the same, Xion supposed, she was defined beyond her heart. She was strong, and she had friends. Her memories defined her, too, a lot. She put so much stock into her memories, they were everything she was. She also knew that she could get angry easily, and she had a habit of not sharing her problems with people. But despite those words, there was more to it than just her concerns about identity. There was still the fact that there was only one way to wake Ventus up.

Xion drew back into the present and looked around at where she stood now, the First District. Right outside a familiar little house, in fact, with a familiar old man sweeping the porch.

"Well hello there, Xion! You're up early." Geppetto greeted with a grin and a wave. He set the broom aside and walked over to her. As he got closer and saw her own expression, his face was immediately laced with a fatherly concern. "Goodness, are you alright? You look like you've been crying."

"Have I?" Xion reached up and brushed her cheek with two fingers. Sure enough, she found that her skin was wet. Sniffling a little bit, she looked down at her feet. "Sorry, Mister Geppetto. I just had a bad night."

"Well I was just making some early morning hot cocoa. Would you like to talk about it over a cup?"

"I can't intrude—"

Geppetto smiled, his wrinkly old face growing bright with it. "Now Xion, don't you remember? I said you're always welcome here. So you wait here, and I'll go fetch the cocoa."

"I— …Okay. Thank you." She didn't have to wait long. The kind old woodcarver returned only a moment later with two mugs of hot chocolate, and plenty of marshmallows in them. Sitting down on a hand-crafted bench outside his tiny house, he motioned for Xion to join him.

"So what's bothering you, then?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"I'm an old man, Xion. I have plenty of time."

Xion hesitated. Could she burden Geppetto with her own problems? He was offering, but it also wasn't something he needed to get involved with. But on the other hand, it was also something he had experience with. She glanced through the window, where she could see the door in the back of the house that led into their single bedroom. Pinocchio was like, her, a puppet with a heart. And he had even gone past that. Maybe Geppetto could help after all.

And so staring down at the marshmallows floating in her hands, Xion shared what was on her mind. She told Geppetto everything, from the very beginning. She told him about Replicas, about Roxas, Xemnas, Ventus, Vanitas… And how Sora saved Kairi. And she broke as she did so. The tears flowed freely, to the point that she had to set down the cup and bury her face in her hands. Geppetto could do little to comfort her, but he offered a handkerchief and patted her back while offering words of encouragement.

Xion didn't stop crying until well after she had finished telling her tale and her drink had turned cold. When the last sniff had passed and Xion finished rubbing her eyes, she stared down in her hands at her lap and offered an apology to Geppetto for having him listen to her. But to her surprise, Geppetto wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"I hope I wasn't being too intimate there, but it was something you needed," he said as they pulled apart. But then he shook his head and sighed. "Though I'm afraid that I can't offer you much help beyond that small comfort. Pinocchio may have started as a puppet as well, but all I did was watch from the sidelines as he moved beyond that."

Xion shook her head and stood up. She felt a little bit better regardless. "Thanks for listening anyway. I just had to talk to somebody and I couldn't worry my friends, not when Xehanort is a bigger problem."

Geppetto once more smiled that smile that seemed to just warm up the entire area. "My dear, there will never be a problem too small for your friends to help you with. Trust me on that."

"I guess so. Thank you, Geppetto." She smiled and waved as she left, but the instant she was out of sight of Geppetto Xion's face fell and she hugged herself tightly. She leaned against a nearby brick wall and took several deep breaths while shivering. She did feel better after getting it all off her chest, that much was true, but she certainly didn't feel good. It was only a small relief, and she was still terrified. She wasn't going to go back to the others, not yet.

Xion wandered more around Traverse Town even as it grew later into the morning and the crowds grew thicker. Eventually she found herself at the very height of the clock tower atop the Gizmo Shop. It wasn't Twilight Town's tower, but it would have to do. Dangling her legs from the edge, Xion shut her eyes and titled her head back.

"What is it that you're so afraid of?"

Xion's eyes snapped open and she sat up straight in one swift motion. She almost didn't look, for fear she had just imagined that voice saying those words. But curiosity, and more to the point hope, got the better of Xion and she turned her head to the person sitting there beside her. But even thinking she had known the voice who spoke, Xion wasn't prepared for who it was she saw.

The white jacket with a checkerboard pattern was exactly the same. As she remembered, down to the way the collar folded back to reveal red on the inside. The two-toned pants were exactly the same, the sneakers had had the same red straps. The checkerboard wristband, the black and white rings, the spiky blond hair…the sparkling blue eyes and bright smile, all exactly the same as she remembered.

"Roxas?!" Xion managed through a choking gasp, dangerously on the verge of tears once again—tears of joy this time. She didn't give him so much as a second to reply, immediately throwing her arms around his neck and taking her best friend into a deep hug. She tightened her grip on him, and Roxas hugged her back, she could feel his arms embracing her. "This is real…"

Real, yes, but how real? This close, Xion saw that Roxas, well, he wasn't all there. His body shimmered slightly, and while she could touch him and feel him holding her, she could also see through him if she looked hard enough. Roxas was real, that much was beyond any doubt—but he wasn't physically there. But did that really matter? It was Roxas, and he was here with her after so long. Xion released her chokehold on him and pulled her arms back, but scooted closer to her friend.

Roxas smiled at her, his hair seemingly blowing in the morning breeze even though it shouldn't have been. "Well?" he asked.

Xion took a minute to register what he was asking about. His earlier question, she had almost not noticed it in the shock of having him pop up in front of her. What was she so afraid of? It wasn't actually the identity thing that was bothering her, and it wasn't the thought of giving herself up either—well, okay, no. That scared her, down to her very core. But it wasn't what was holding her back. She had been ready and willing to go through with that to wake Sora up when he had been sleeping as well. No… Xion knew what the real problem was, and she had known all along. She just hadn't wanted to admit it to herself.

"…Fading away." Her voice was soft, she didn't want Roxas to hear.

But he did hear, and she knew he would. He sighed and shook his head. "Come on Xion, can't you be a bit more specific?"

"Don't pretend you don't know already!" Xion snapped in agitation. But she pulled back as soon as she said it and saw Roxas's unfaltering face.

"You and I both know that getting our problems out there in the open is something we both need to work on."

"I…" Xion looked aside and bit her lip. She moved her hands from her side to her lap and looked up at Traverse Town's cityscape, imagining for a moment that they were back in Twilight Town eating ice cream together. "I guess… I know how to save Ventus, and so do Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Riku too. But, if I go through with it, then…everyone's memories."

Xion curled her hands up, twining her fingers together. Her shoulders shuddered and she squeezed her eyes tight, just wanting everything to leave. A warmth passed over her, though, and she opened her eyes back up to see Roxas's hand over her own. "Come on Xion, why are you so depressed? You've become so cheerful since you met Sora! Don't let this get to you."

But Xion shook her head. "Roxas, that's just it. I'm friends with Sora and everyone now. And after seeing everything after going through everything? After making friends with everyone, and after living my own life… Being forgotten…terrifies me."

"Kai… who?"

"Elise, right? Right, right. Sorry about that, Jeanne."

"But wasn't that something that you came to terms with?"

"How do you— Never mind. I forgot; you've been with me for so long, you probably know everything now, don't you?" Xion shrugged helplessly and slumped slightly. "It's true that I told Naminé I was ready for that, but so much has changed since then. Too much. I'm sorry, I know I'm being selfish-"

"You are absolutely not being selfish," Roxas quickly interrupted. "Xion, look at me." When she didn't comply, he reached forward and cupped her chin his hand, forcing her to look him in the eyes. He was inches from her own face and leaned in closer, tapping his forehead against hers. "Xion, it's not selfish to want to live! If anything, I'm the selfish one for wanting to stop the choice you made on your own back then. But that was back then. So listen up, okay? You're not being forced into anything. It's all your choice."

"I-I…" She took his arm in her hands and pulled away from his hand, but she didn't turn her face away. "You're right, Roxas. I'm sorry, I was being stupid."

"You were being human," Roxas corrected. "Anyway, well, uh…" He laughed awkwardly. "I don't suppose you have any ice cream, do you?"

Xion giggled. "Sorry, all out. Not sure you'd be able to eat it anyway." Pulling her legs up, she crossed her arms over her knees and rested her head on them. "But we can pretend like I do, just for a little while."

"It's not the same without Axel."

"Lea now."

"Right, yeah. Lea." Roxas broke into a wide grin. "Have you told him that's totally a girl's name yet, by the way?"

Xion burst out laughing. "No, and no one else has either. But I've been thinking it!"

"Hard not to, especially with the way it's spelled. Makes me think I should be pronouncing his name 'Leia' instead!"

"Right?" Xion couldn't hide the laughter as their conversation went on. "I honestly still call him Axel every now and then not because I forget, but just because it sounds better."

"Hey, I can't blame you! I'd do the same thing!" The two best friends laughed for a little while longer before calming down, and Roxas took a deep breath. He looked out over Traverse Town well absentmindedly adjusting his wristband. "Xion…"

"Hm?" she asked, only half paying attention—the other half was on the city. She brushed a bit of hair behind her ear."

"I can't stay around here forever, so there's just one thing I…I really have to say. I need to tell you this. I've been meaning to for too long."

Now he had her full attention. Xion lowered her legs back down and pressed her hands onto the floor as she leaned over toward him slightly. "What's that?"

Xion's proximity seemed to do something to Roxas, because his confidence before was gone. "Well, um, it's just that… Xion, I want you to know that—that you're, well, my best friend. But Axel is too, and there's something…different between you and him. I just…"

Xion's heartbeat quickened, and Roxas's face was growing red even though he was fading—wait, what? "Roxas, what's happening?"

"What?" Roxas looked down at his hands, shimmering and growing more translucent by the minute, and his lips grew into a thin, straight line. "Time to go, huh…"

"What?! No, Roxas you can't leave! You're…I…" She shook her head vehemently, her hair whipping back and forth. "What were you about to say?!" Then, warmth. Xion gasped and looked to Roxas, his outstretched arm…stretching toward her. His hand brushed her cheek, wiping at the single tear falling down her face.

"Xion, just remember one thing. No matter what happens, memories of you and them will always be together. Just like memories of you and me. So don't sweat it!" He pointed at the side of his head. "Got it memorized?"

Eyes watering, Xion smiled right back at him. She held his hand in hers and nodded. "I've got it memorized, all up here."

Roxas stood up and pulled Xion to her feet. His hand in hers already felt more ethereal than before. "Then look sharp! You've got a big day ahead of you. And you're not going in there alone. No matter what happens, we'll be there—all of us."

And with that, Roxas vanished in a shower of fading light. Xion stared at the spot he had stood for a good, long while. She couldn't say how long, not with Traverse Town's eternally night sky. But she didn't feel so scared anymore, even if she still didn't plan on sharing her problems right now. There were bigger fish to fry, and they could worry about Ven after Xehanort was dealt with.

Eventually, maybe minutes later, maybe hours, Xion heard someone approach from the old iron ladder that led up to the Gizmo Shop's roof. "How did I know I'd find you up here?"

She turned around to face Lea, who was watching her warily but with a light grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "You missing Twilight Town too?"

"You know…not as much as I have been."

"That right?" Lea walked up beside her and looked out over the city. "Well, I came to get you because Squall made a decision."

"And what decision would that be?"

"We're moving out." Xion looked up at Lea, and he looked down at her. "Pack your bags, Xion. We're off to Hollow Bastion."