A.N.) This will be the final chapter. I don't think this story desperately needs an epilogue. This might be a little lackluster but trust me, I love this pairing over all other OTPs. I'd never intentionally stir them wrong.
I hope you enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer) I do not own Kingdom Hearts. (I've been doing this disclaimer. Always will do it.)
At First Sight
Chapter 13: Passion
Roxas wandered back and forth around the lone stained glass representation of Sora's heart in a dark plane, trying to rack his brain on how he could move forward. There was no stairs or anyone to greet him. Peculiar, considering it never took long for something to happen when he finds himself standing at this Station of Awakening.
All the same, there was a picture of Sora with Kingdom Key in hand, asleep over the contents that made him who he was. In some wheel of faces that signified those closest to Sora, Roxas saw Kairi, Riku, himself, Donald, Goofy, Ventus, The King…
It seemed something did changed, Roxas discovered. There were more faces that took over the wheel, even passing those boarders to the very edges, as if Sora would include everyone no matter what. Naminé, Lea, Aqua, Terra, their parents, Neku Sakaraba, Rhyme, Leon, Yuffie, Queen Minnie… the list kept going. Even people like Tron, Pinocchio, the Beast, and Simba had their place, as they overlapped a lovely landscape of The Destiny Islands, translucent, but still there.
They all made Sora stronger.
It made him feel at home here—and that was dangerous. For him, the Nobody that was supposed to be there—extremely dangerous. He just wanted to get Xion and leave as soon as possible.
So you have decided to return?
There was that voice again, from beyond space, sound. It was the voice that just seemed to be there when it wanted.
Roxas looked around a bit more before summoning his Oathkeeper, eyes burning with determination.
"Tell me where Xion is! How do I get to her?"
What matter the most was remembered the least.
Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts. [1]
Grunting, he swung his Keyblade once hoping to release a speck of the annoyance this voice was already grading. "I know that! But I'll never neglect her like that again! I'll never forget her…"
The path you are asking for will lead to suffering and resistance. Do you still wish to proceed?
"Yes."
He didn't need to be asked twice.
Ahead of his gaze, a pathway of stained-glass stairs manifested from the dark.
He walked the path, boots clapping, to another stained-glass pillar, one tinted entirely in shades of blue with splashes of yellow that took shape as little objects or toys kids played with on the Destiny Islands. This felt like a part of Sora that was much more innocent and young.
But this time, people were there too.
Not people, Roxas corrected. Shadows. Mere shadows of people he knew. That itty bit of darkness that dwelled in Sora's heart was assuming the forms of Sora himself, Lea, and Naminé, trying to "trip him up" as Lea would put it.
He paced to them unafraid of what they planned, because once he'd get through it, he'd be that much closer to see Xion again.
What could they be thinking as the surrounded him?
"What are you so afraid of?" this Lea asked, chuckling lightly.
Just the question threw Roxas off. His worst nightmare already happened again, though he supposed if he was here in the first place because it wasn't permanent.
"To lose someone very important to me," he answered, with a melancholic smile from briefly picturing her face.
"Lea" laughed harder. "Hate to break it to ya, but that someone is going to go forever sometime!"
And the shadow faded away. Only two left.
Roxas turned to "Naminé".
"What do you wish for?" she smiled.
No brainer.
"Xion, at my side, to live long and happy together."
"That's sweet," she giggled. "But what she doesn't want that or changes her mind and crushes your heart to a billion pieces?"
"You're usually so gentle," Roxas sweatdropped as she faded too.
Only Sora was left.
For a shadow, it had Sora's signature grin down.
"Why do you love Xion so much?"
"Uh?" he gaped. Why did he love Xion? He love Xion completely, but that wasn't the question. Exactly?
"I… I guess I don't even know precisely… I just know that I do love her more than anyone, and it's all of her I love from her faults to great assets. She's Xion, and she's the only one for me. It's like we're meant to be or something…"
"You know, when someone loves, they risk learning hatred and gaining a lot of pain," the Sora-copy said so nonchalant before disappearing.
Roxas was alone again to process all that the spirits told him, and all he could get out of it was that they were mocking him and constantly reminding him of all the suffering that had and would come.
It bothered him because they were wasting his time!
"I already know about the problems love can bring! I've already felt it plenty!" he shouted to the darkness and all that would think of trying rive his love with fear. "I know that my love has driven me to act… savage, but I know about all the good that comes from love. It makes Xion and I truly whole! When I'm with her… I'm better."
Never let go of your strength.
"Huh?"
Roxas felt a startling chill roll up him spine. He slowly turned and lit up with happiness, seeing the all-in-white Xion shifting timid.
"Xion!" he cheered and kissed so passionately as every speck of sadness in his heart melted in to an ocean of love. To hold her again, to smell her—it felt so good! "I love you! I love you so much. I'm so sorry— Never again, Xion! I'm never letting you go again!" He kissed between sentences, sobering with each peck.
She stayed so tense. "But you'll have too."
Roxas froze, as if she just slapped him.
"I don't want you to stay, Roxas," she whispered, trying to untangle herself from the XIII-th's arms.
He pulled her back, crushing her to his chest. Grit surfacing in his eyes. "Of course, that's why we're leaving. Now that I've found you, I'll reopen the keyhole in Sora's heart, and Naminé will let us out!"
"No," she sighed "I mean, I don't want you with me…"
His heart… was cracking.
Dread flashed across his face. "What do you mean, Xi-Xi?" He forced an oblivious smile.
"I'm scared, Roxas…" she said, still trying to push herself out of Roxas's grasp. "I saw you look so hurt, and through Sora I saw you become so violent. I mean, maybe our love does do more harm than good to us… Because of all the trouble I've put you through before. And Seifer put you through so much too, and in a way, Seifer's crimes are indirectly my fault too. You should leave me. Just… forget me. Like how things should have been."
"No."
Stunned by his blunt tone, she looked up to see him actually glaring at her. She knew he'd be upset when she brought this, but he looked so fierce.
"Do you love me, Xion?"
"Y-Yes, very much."
He smiled, though his sapphire pupils showed gentle sadness. When he pressed his lips to hers, it sent a tremor of indulgence across her senses despite the kiss itself to be so soft and kind. It felt free. Free from all those stupid problems that made them act reckless, aggressive, or defiant. That one gesture made Xion's inner hysteria about a negative future quiet to at least humor Roxas's persistence for a positive one.
After a moment of bliss, Roxas pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
He had come here ready fight darkness, mind-games, and any kind of dragon that could possibly stand in his way, but not her. He was glad that she wasn't calling for physical force, but if he couldn't scoop up some kind of charisma to persuade her against this stubborn outlook, then who knew how this boss fight could turn.
"Let's go home, Xion…" he murmured, begging her to comply. "I won't leave without you."
"I'm not worth wandering here forever! Roxas, we plunged into this never thoroughly considering the consequences! What if this is wrong? We're not supposed to be together because I'm not supposed to exist? What if we change? What if down the line one of us doesn't love the other anymore? Will are friends become distant? Will we—?"
He slowly leaned for a timed kiss, cutting her off early in her rant. Relaxing her again, he held her as tight as humanly possible and whispered near her ear:
"I'm not afraid. Our love is a never-ending ocean; remember? Sure, water ripples and there are occasional thrashing waves, but the sea will always settle again to that gentle nature it always was. It's malleable, strong, near immortal. I think every relationship is supposed to be like that actually…" he trailed off, wondering. "I guess we just need to hang tough. No matter what happens, I'll never be scared because I'll always fight for you, and from this point forth, I vow to win."
Pulling away, he still grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes, spotting the doubt depleting.
"We have each other, Xion. I'd say we're pretty lucky for that, and it'd be a shame to waste it," he added a bit sheepish.
For what seemed to be a while, Xion stared back at him with a sort of blankness, thinking. She was still internally questioning everything he said, trying to see if her pessimism could poke holes.
"I want to agree with you… I don't know…"
"C'mon, Xi," he started, holding her hands with a dorky grin. "I can't go to sleep without you."
It was quiet again. She was thinking, but this time, instead of holding back, she surprised him by attack-glomping him and granting a feathery kiss on his check.
"The darkness here really can get you discouraged, but leave it to Roxas to help me see the light," she laughed with a smile as carefree as when they played games at the Tram Common together. "Let's go! (It's very uncomfortable here.)"
The joy of finally overcoming this treacherous obstacle was clear on his face. He was the happiest guy in the universe.
Eager to get on with their future, Roxas bundled his dear Xion close with one arm, while the other called forth the Keyblade and aimed it to the darkness beyond. A string of light trailed from the tip to Keyhole in the sky, saluting to the world that this level of their journey was about to be completed. Gusting winds of power encircled the couple. Blinding white light grew at their feet and worked its way up.
Before it was over, they figured one more kiss before exiting wouldn't hurt.
When they opened their eyes, they saw sparkled of left over light flickering around them. The tiny crowd Roxas left behind of Naminé, Riku, Lea, and Kairi stared in awe, as if worrying everything would have crumbled. Lea and Naminé instantly smiled, taking in that they had succeeded, while Kairi and Riku were slightly more interested in taking in the official meeting of this beloved Xion.
Roxas looked to Xion and saw everything worth wanting. She glanced to him to with a smile that declared definitively—
"You made it!"
The duo turned to get jumped by a jubilant Sora, awake and well.
"Hi, Xion! I'm Sora! Glad to finally meet you! I really should know you, sense you're my future sister-in-law and everything!"
Later, on the Destiny Islands, a gummi ship emerged from the sky, out of view of civilians and cloaked by the sheen of medium blue that still made the sky. Once parked, a group of kids leaped out onto the grains of earth that caked the shore alongside an ocean lapping and receding.
Sora, Lea, and the rest eventually disbursed. Some walking together, some solo. All of them went on to say they'd had one hell of night and desperately need beauty rest. Everyone except the couple, once so troubled, Roxas and Xion.
They stayed on the beach, walking about, holding hands, and even stealing a kiss here and there. It felt like heaven.
Everything had wrapped up nicely. Despite the tidbits of Roxas and Seifer almost slipping back into a hostile rivalry.
Seifer grabbed one of Xion's hands as an attempt at peaceful unity. "I'm really sorry, Xion. For everything. Even the Tower thing (though that was an accident)."
"Pushing her over the edge of the fatal height, and he calls it the 'Tower thing'?" Roxas muttered under his breath, clearly seething with rage at the arrogance Seifer may just never shake. Plus Roxas didn't like the way Seifer's fingers stroked her palm.
Innocently charmed, Xion nodded, acknowledging and accepting Seifer's apology. But then she gestured to Roxas, not noticing the XIII-th was clearly fuming. "But you need to apologized to Roxas too."
It'd be best just to say there was an argument of the homicidal kind between the two boys, until Xion eventually threatened both of them just to get them to shake hands.
At least everyone had steadied out of lines of fighting and hatred by this point.
They stopped to sit on a random, cozy spot of sand. Zipping away, the seconds ticked to oblivion. Roxas had his arms wrapped around the lady of his affection. He happily figured he was hitting two targets with one dart: keeping her close and keeping her warm.
"Lea said I can stay with him till I figure out exactly what I'm going to do," Xion said in a harmonious sigh, eyes locked on the horizon.
"Okay. I'll walk you there whenever you're ready."
"Sounds good," she murmured.
A whim bloomed in Xion's head. Complying with it, she took off her cloche hat and placed it aside. She looked over to Roxas, who curiously asked with his eyes why.
She shrugged. A big smile graced her face. "I don't think I need it anymore."
Once again, the couple found themselves content with the perfect silence of just being together. Xion would let Roxas run his hands through her ebony tresses, giggling at how obviously pleased he was that she finally let the hat go.
"I love you, Roxas!" she squealed, squeezing his torso in her python-sturdy arms.
"I love you too," he chuckled.
It wasn't long then until red glow peaked over the distance, introducing a golden glow to the couple's faces.
Xion gaped; almost scared to believe it was real. Concluding it was, she beamed her happiness to her partner, who seemed easier about the sunrise but just as thankful.
"The sun! Roxas, the night's over! We've made it!" she cheered, tackling him to the sand and giving him a sweet, sweet kiss.
He smiled. "Good because I need sleep. Longest. Night. Ever."
A.N.) Alright! It's done! Finally.
Thank you everyone that stuck with the story, favorite, followed and/or reviewed, positive or negative. I truly am grateful for that support!
Special Thanks to these lovely people for the equally lovely reviews:
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Happy holidays, Everyone! :3
[1]: Quoted from Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. The game is awesome.