Chapter 19: The Other Promise
The boy turned at the sound of his name, pausing to stare at her in surprise. "What the... Kairi?!"
Xion didn't correct him, lost in taking in the sight of him...
Brown, messy, and super spiky. His eyes were blue, kind, yet heavily sad at the moment, ignoring the surprise at seeing her. He had a white haori on that was lined black. Underneath the haori was a dark red shirt with a white zipper going all the way down to his pants. The zipper was shaped like the Keyblade symbol. His bottom was baggy, and stopped at his knees. On his hands were two white finger-less gloves with a blue buckle wrapped around them, that same symbol, one she was starting to think had something to do with the Keyblade, on the top of the gloves. She also noticed a brown piece of armor seeming to be attached to his shoulder with a button on it.
Sora's eyes furrowed. "No, your not..."
"I'm... Xion," she offered quietly.
Xion... just go... now...
There was a pained and remorseful edge to the Voice's tone that made Xion feel a bit sad.
Sora's eyes went wide and then narrowed. "Wait, your Xion?"
It hurt Xion, to see the distrust in the boys eyes. "..."
The boy closed his eyes for a moment before sighing. "Thank you."
She was caught offguard. "Huh? For what?"
Sora opened his eyes, which were softer than they were before. "Riku's my best friend. You could have let Riku die. But, you got the other Nobody to stop and spare him."
Xion smiled a little at that. "I didn't really want to fight him to begin with."
She pouted a little. "If you could call it a fight, he kinda trashed me."
Sora smirked and put his hands behind the back of his head. "Yeah, he still wins most of our spars too."
Xion couldn't help but giggle a little. It was... comforting... to be around the boy. He came off as kind and carefree almost immediately, regardless of the bits and pieces of memories she had gained about him.
Slowly, the boys smirk faded, and his hands lowered to his side, he gazed intently at Xion, looking her over. "They were right. You look and feel like her, though, they said your hair was mostly black, not mostly red."
Xion sighed. "You mean like Kairi? I get that a lot."
Sora had a hint of a smile on his face, but, there was worry in his eyes.
"As for the red part, I don't really know why it started changing, it just did," she admitted.
Xion... your not... taking him seriously... enough... stop wasting time... and go before... he acts...
Xion was hesitant to listen, she had a hard time believing this boy would suddenly just attack her out of nowhere.
Sora slowly lowered his eyes to her chest and stared, making her feel a little awkward.
Xion... Xion go... now...
Sora closed his eyes and sighed. "So Riku was right after all, I can feel it, I can feel her."
Xion's eyebrows furrowed. "Her? What do you mean?"
Sora opened his eyes, anger in them. "I can feel her pain."
Xion took a hesitant step back. "I don't... understand..."
Sora's eyes searched hers. "Kairi... are you still in there somewhere...?"
Sora... I...
Xion frowned. "That's right, the memories... you know her, don't you?"
Sora blinked a few times. "Memories?"
"I've been getting Kairi's memories for some reason," she admitted to him.
That seemed to alarm him, his fists tightening. "Getting? Or taking?"
She glared at him. "I never asked for them! If I'm somehow taking them, I don't want them!"
Sora blinked a few times, his fists relaxing. He studied her for a moment.
"Would you give them back then, willingly?" he asked quietly.
She shrugged. "They're not mine to begin with."
That appeared to put the boy at ease.
She hesitated. "You know who she is, really who she is, right?"
He nodded.
"I've been asking so many people, about who she is, why I look like her, what my connection is to her, why all of this is happening, but I just keep getting lied to or people dance around the truth," she admitted with frustration, "So I wanna know, who is she?"
"My friend," he answered, "Someone who means a lot to me."
Sora...
"Xion... I don't think you're as bad as the Masters seem to think you are," he said, "So please, come with me."
"As bad?!" she exclaimed, "Excuse me?!"
Sora winced a little. "Uh... wrong choice of words..."
She glared at him. "Hmph..."
"Oh wow, you even have her glare," said Sora, taking a little nervous step back, "And a bit of her temper..."
Pff...
"Sora, I have something I have to do," she said, forcing her irritation at the boy away, "I can't go with you right now."
"Xion, please, come with me," he tried again, "Come see Kairi."
She froze. "S-see Kairi? You know where she is?!"
He nodded. "I do. If you come with me, maybe... maybe Aurora can find a way to..."
He trailed off, as if uncertain of his words...
Xion... it's a trap... don't... if you go with him... there will be... six Keybearers... and an old wizard... to keep you imprisoned... and even with the Cornerstone's power... those odds aren't good...
She felt uncertain... she wanted to see Kairi... but...
You... you can always... go see her later... right?
Well... that was true.
"Sora, I'll go see her later, alright? I have something I have to go do," she said.
"I can't let you go Xion," said Sora, "You have to come back with me."
Now she was starting to get a little miffed. "I don't have to go with you anywhere actually."
Sora narrowed his eyes. "I made a promise Xion, I promised that I'd protect Kairi, and I intend to fulfill it. If I don't protect her now, I don't think I'll get another chance."
Xion narrowed her eyes right back at him. "And I made a promise too Sora, I promised to stop Xehanort and free Kingdom Hearts, and I intend to fulfill it. If I don't stop him now, none of us might get a chance to do anything."
Sora was surprised at her words. "Wait what? Your not with the Organization?"
"Not anymore, I left, kind of had to fight my way out," she admitted.
Slowly, he offered a hand. "If you're really against them... then come with me. Come see Kairi, and together, all of us will take down Xehanort."
She shook her head. "If I wanted help, I would have had Aqua, Axel, and Xigbar come with me. I don't want to put anyone else in danger."
"Aqua...," he murmured, "I never thought to check with her..."
He shook his head. "Xion... please come back with me."
She rolled her eyes. "We've been over this Sora, the answer is N O, no."
Sora sighed and summoned his Keyblade, Oblivion. "Guess were doing this the hard way then."
Xion summoned both Oathkeeper and Two-Became One. "Guess we are."
Sora's eyes went wide with surprise. "Two Keyblades?!"
He froze, glancing at Oathkeeper. "What the?"
She followed his eyes, and noted Oathkeeper looked even more broken than before.
Sora tensed and gripped his Keyblade tightly. "If that means what I think it does, she has even less time than I thought."
She glared at him. "What are you talking about?"
A light, a powerful and intense light began to surround Sora, flickers of blue lightning coursing over his body. Damn... that was a lot of power for someone that age. He could have probably taken Saix head on himself. Still though... compared to what she felt churning within herself...
Try not... to hurt him... too much... and please... don't kill him...
"I wont kill him, can't promise on the hurt too much part though," she added in cheekily.
Yeah... his overly cheery attitude... does make you want... to punch him sometimes...
"Know from experience?" she asked.
Yeah...
She smirked at that and focused on channeling her own power. Light erupted around her in a shockwave, making Sora flinch a little, his eyes going wide.
"What? Kairi was strong, but... nowhere near this strong!" he said in disbelief.
Xion frowned. "What does Kairi's strength have to do with mine?"
Sora said nothing, eying her warily.
Xion grumbled quietly about people always hiding things from her before raising her voice, "Sora, I'm giving you a chance to give up and go."
Sora slowly shook his head. "I won't abandon Kairi. Even if the odds are against me, I won't give up on her."
Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't understand, why did he want her to meet Kairi so badly as to fight her? Why did he act as if meeting someone was life or death?
A disturbing thought hit her: Was it?
Sora didn't give her a chance to think on it anymore, blitzing forward with unbridled determination and starting off with Ars Arcanium, his Keyblade becoming blur. Xion backpeddled and parried aside each strike, wincing at the ferocity. He was serious...
Xion countered after blocking the finishing blow, kicking out his knee and swinging for his shoulder. The boy rolled with the kick, coming away from her blow then surging at her with a Sonic Blade. She barely managed to parry the blow before turning, expecting him to be zooming at her again. She gave a yelp when she found he had ended the move early and instead launched a Strike Raid at her. She staggered to block, stumbling away, and gave a surprised gasp of pain when he resumed his earlier Sonic Blade as if he had never stopped, taking advantage of her unbalanced state to come at her again and again, the final blow flooring her to the ground.
That was... crafty of him... to mix moves like that...
Xion rolled and sprung up, aiming a Keyblade at him. "Shock!"
"Reflect!" he countered.
Xion was sent flying by her own attack, landing on her back. She ground her teeth and rose to her feet, frowning at him.
"Thunderga!" he yelled, aiming his keyblade into the sky.
Xion's eyes went wide, and she raised her keyblade to block as the lightning crashed down from above, cringing at the shocking sensation.
"Ragnorak!" cried out Sora.
Before she could react, he was upon her, slashing her again and again before booting her into the air and unleashing a circle of homing energy bolts at her.
"Enough!" she cried out.
She swung her keyblades in an arc, unleashing twin waves of light that blasted aside the missiles. She landed clumsily on her feet, before staggering a bit, cradling her stomach painfully. She healed off the wounds with a bit of light and narrowed her eyes at the boy as he rushed at her, ice starting to coat his keyblade. He had an incredible assortment of abilities, and fast too...
He's a... jack of all trades... good with everything... but not specialized... we have one advantage... our light and raw power... he has everything else...
Xion blocked his blow, wincing as the ice around his keyblade shattered and nicked her. She brought her other keyblade around to swipe at his shoulder, he ducked and dragged his keyblade down against hers, slashing it below her guard and into her knees. She yelped in pain and fell back onto her butt.
SWAT!
Sora swung twice and smashed her Keyblades out of her hands before pointing his Keyblade at her face. "Enough!"
But she wasn't done.
Xion aimed her hands at him and unleashed a burst of light, throwing him back. She massaged her knee with light, healing it and rising to her feet. She tried to will her keyblades back to her, but was astonished when Sora held out his hands and called them to him instead, making them float behind him.
Did he... just STEAL... our keyblades?!
Sora blitzed at her, Keyblades swirling through the air.
XION! DO SOMETHING!
Seeing no way to really dodge, she did the only thing that came to mind. She met his charge head on and threw herself at him. He was taken off-guard as she tackled him into the ground, the clattering of keyblades ringing in her ears as they rolled and struggled. Xion pinned him below her, only to yelp as he smashed his head forward into hers. She was stunned for a moment, before he brought his knees up to kick her off. Xion's hands found a keyblade as she went, Two-Became One, and grabbed it as she rolled, springing to her feet.
Sora picked up Oathkeeper and Oblivion before charging at her.
Xion! Your stronger... than him... force it!
Sora swung Oblivion at her, and she blocked with her Keyblade. He brought Oathkeeper down to swipe at her leg, only for Xion's hand to lash out and grab the handle. They struggled for a moment, before slowly, she began to overpower his Keyblade, and then yanked Oathkeeper from his grip. He staggered a bit, and yelped when she tripped him, making him stagger. She swiped Oathkeeper across his back, making him cry out and sending him face-first into the square's floor.
Stock Break! End it!
Xion did as instructed and leaped into the air, coming down and stabbing her keyblades into the ground next to Sora. "Stock Break!
Light exploded from her weapons, washing over the boy with it's energy, sending Sora screaming through the air where he landed on his back in a heap, looking unconscious.
Xion stared at the boy. "Jeez..."
He's... a lot more talented... than I thought he was...
Xion stared down at Oblivion at her feet before putting Oathkeeper under her armpit and picking it up.
Uh... what are... you doing?
Xion walked over to Sora and raised Oblivion into the air...
X-xion!
She stabbed the keyblade down next to Sora's head and sighed, shaking her head and starting to walk away. She paused when she heard a rustling behind her. She turned, sighting Sora grabbing Oblivion and struggling to use it to pull himself up.
"You're a stubborn guy," Xion muttered.
"Yeah...," he muttered, "Me and Kairi have that... in common."
Sora took a deep breath and raised Oblivion into the air. "Curaga!"
Oh great... round two then.
Instead of fighting her head on like before, he leaped back and aimed a keyblade at her. "Mega Flare!"
Mega what?
A huge orb of fire burst out of his keyblade at her. Xion didn't hesitate, she threw Oathkeeper like a spear directly into it. The ball exploded in a massive torrent of fire that made Xion cry out and raise her arms to shield herself...
"Thunder Surge!" came a cry.
Xion screamed as Sora slammed into her, driving an elbow coated with lightning right into her stomach. She flew back and rolled along the ground, cringing and staggering to her feet. She was about sick of this...
"Blizzaga! Firega! Thundaga!" cried out the boy.
Oh come on!
Xion dodged, weaved, or batted aside spells with her Keyblades. Sora kept backing away, trying to pepper her with spells at a distance.
He lost... a bit of strength with... that Stock Break he took... can't fight you head on... anymore... close the distance... and you win...
Close the distance huh?
Xion aimed a hand, forming a Dark Corridor and blitzing through. She came out behind Sora and swung both keyblades, slashing into the back of his legs. The boy cried out and fell to his knees. He pitched forward, putting a hand out for support.
He struggled to raise a keyblade into the air. "C-cur..."
Xion swing and batted the Keyblade out of his hand and pointed the other at his face. "Enough Sora, you can't win."
Sora bowed his head, his hands going to his thighs...
Before bringing a potion of some kind out of his pocket and rolling away, guzzling it down.
That crafty... little shit!
Sora bolted to his feet and willed Oblivion back to him, tossing aside the empty potion bottle, flourishing his keyblade out before him. "Tornado Strike!"
Wait that's Ven's...
Xion didn't have a chance to react as wind blasted out of Sora, knocking her up into the air and bombarding her with energy. He kept it up, blasting her back up and down until it ended, dropping her to the ground with a heavy thud. Xion made up her mind then and there, as she slowly rose to her feet, that she did NOT like fighting against Sora.
She had told the Voice she wasn't going to kill him, but she was DONE with this!
Light engulfed her body in a heavy glow as she tapped fully into her power and blitzed at him at remarkable speeds, keyblades shinning heavily. Sora's eyes went wide and he started to backpedal. She tore into him, Keyblades smashing into his and ripping across him when he couldn't block. With a heavy 'Hiya!' she booted his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground, Oblivion sliding away from him.
Xion glared down at him. "Are you done yet?"
Sore panted, struggling to sit up, his face red with exertion and pain. He slowly rose to his feet, willed Oblivion back to him, and put his hands on his knees for support.
"C..curaga!" he cried out.
By the light... why?
"Why wont you quit?" she yelled.
He stared at her for a moment, face scrunched up in furious thought, before something appeared to dawn on him.
He grinned at her. "Come on Kairi, I thought you were stronger than that."
Xion blinked a few times, baffled. "What? Get real, look at which one of us is winning."
He looked at her, a desperate, but victorious smile on his face. "I knew you were still in there. Come on Kairi! Fight her and help me! We're a team! We can win this!"
That... idiot... he doesn't... understand...
It took Xion a second to catch up with what he had said, and what she had said back. She brought a hand up to her mouth, confused, and growing upset.
"What are you talking about?!" she yelled at him, brandishing her Keyblades, "I'm so sick of this! I'm not Kairi! I am me, nobody else!"
Sora's eyes went wide with panic as she charged him. "What? But I thought I got through to..."
She didn't give him a chance to finish, she blitzed passed him, slicing him heavily with Oathkeeper as she went before turning and slashing Two-Became One down his back. He cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground, Oblivion clattering to his side.
Xion... I'm sorry about this... but I need... to talk to him... one last time...
Xion blinked. "What are you..."
Kairi didn't give her a chance to finish. She pushed passed her and briefly incapacitated Xion's consciousness. It took way to much of her remaining strength to do so. She didn't think... after this... if Xion went right for Organization Thirteen... that she'd survive the day.
That... was fine though.
She had come to terms with her fate.
As much as she didn't want to...
She walked over to Sora and glanced down at him sadly. "Sora... I'm sorry."
Sora turned his head and weakly glanced up at her. "K...Kairi?"
She knelt down next to him. "This... is the way things have to be... Sora..."
He looked at her, confused. "What?"
"It's her... or me," she said softly, "And I won't... murder her for my own sake."
"Kairi... please...," he begged, tears in his eyes, "I don't want you to die..."
She chocked a little. "I... I don't want to either Sora... but... if it means sparing Xion... and beating Xehanort... I can be content."
"No... please no...," he begged again, starting to cry.
"Sora, you were... a good friend," she admitted, "The times you... helped and comforted me... after Aqua's Heartless kept damaging my heart, meant so much to me."
She smiled sadly at him. "Though, I never... really said it to you... I was to prideful I guess..."
She laughed a little. "How meaningless a thing that really is... when your in your last hours..."
"Kairi...," he said, speechless.
"What I'm trying to say Sora," she said, "Is thank you... for caring about me... as much as I didn't deserve it."
She watched, astonished, as Sora struggled to try and rise to his feet, grasping Oblivion. "You... stupid... insufferable..."
"Dammit Kairi!" he yelled, managing to stagger to his feet, "I'm not letting... you go off and die!"
Kairi sprang back as he swung his keyblade at her. "Really Sora? How many times do we have to beat you?"
"As many... as it takes," he snarled, "If I have to save you... from yourself, then so be it."
"I'm not letting you go," he whispered with such desperation it rattled her.
"Sora...," was all she could say.
"I care about you too much. To be honest, I think, even through the hell you put me through sometimes...," he began.
He gave her a cheeky grin. "Boot to the stomach included..."
He looked her dead in the eye and smiled. "I think... that I might lov..."
She blurred, surging behind him and slammed Oathkeeper into the back of his head to cut him off. She watched, pained as he collapsed to the ground. She chocked a bit, trying to hold back her tears. She had stopped him, right then and there, because if he had finished saying what she thought he was going to say, she might not have had it in her to go through with it.
She knelt down and rolled him over, staring down at his unconscious face. "S-sora... how could you even feel anything for... someone like me?"
"I was... mean, rude, downright cruel and so much of a bitch... to you on so many different occasions," she whispered, "How... how could you even think to... to..."
She couldn't bring herself to say it. She stared down at him, silently, tears going down her face. She hesitated before she slowly leaned down and kissed him. She pulled away, crying quietly. It was cruel to do to him, and to herself. But... if she was going to die soon... it would be nice, to have had her first kiss, even if it was through Xion. Though Sora would never know.
She had never even given love and relationships outside of family any serious thought. She treated them indifferently, thinking it was kind of adorable to watch others go through with them, or the occasional awkward boy who approached her back in Traverse Town. She didn't think they were worth it, with the chance to die at any time to the Heartless...
But this... to see him struggle so much for her... and all the times he had been there for her before... she could remember when he cried for her... to not go, when she had fallen... into sleep after Aqua's Heartless... had nearly destroyed her heart...
She sniffled a little bit and rose to her feet. "Goodbye Sora... please... don't be sad."
She closed her eyes. "If... things had been different... maybe you and I..."
She took a ragged breath and forced away the words and thoughts. Her fate was sealed, there was no going back. She receded her conscious, and fell back into her platform in her nearly depleted heart, figuring this would be the last time she ever saw him...
Xion staggered, coming to and blinked furiously. "What... just happened?
I... it's... nothing... we... we... won...
What the heck? The Voice sounded severely weaker than she had been mere minutes ago.
Xion's eyes furrowed. "Miss Voice? Are you okay?"
Y...yes... let's go... X-Xion...
Xion frowned before an she felt an odd sensation. She brought her hands up to her face and came away with teardrops. Had she been crying for some reason? And her lips... they felt... warm?
There was a heavy pained sob from the Voice at her thoughts.
"Miss Voice?" asked Xion, worried.
Just... go... and end... it...
She hesitated briefly, gave Sora one last look, before opening a Dark Corridor back to the World That Never Was...
Author's Notes:
Nope. No pulling a Riku happened here.
Xion's going to do what Roxas never was given the chance to really do. Go back and take on the Organization himself. (Though, Xion's not really alone, now is she?)
At least, unless Kairi fades away that is...