The Resolve of All
Chapter 15: Tears
Play Xion's Theme on a second tab.
"So... you found asylum in here too?"
Xion turned to meet her visitor and her eyes widened in surprise as to who it was...
"I don't belong anywhere else..." Xion responded.
"We have something in common then." Repliku stated.
"...Riku... What are you doing here?" She inquired.
"I'm not Riku." He firmly replied. "I am only a replica of him..."
"You're a replica too?" Xion asked.
"Yeah... and I guess you are one as well." Repliku deduced. "...Did you come here to find answers... or find sanctuary from others?"
"I... I killed the one person I really loved... and I hurt the other people I care about..." She confessed.
"Was it really you or did the Organization control you and make you do these things?" Repliku questioned. "Because I know what it's like..."
Xion began to shed tears. "It doesn't matter... what I've done is unforgivable..."
"...Really?" Repliku approached closer to the girl. "Tell me your name."
"...Xion." She answered.
"Xion... It must be nice... having your own name. To be honest...I've always been referred to as a puppet... a fake... or just less than a human being. ...I've beem thinking for a real long time... and I wonder if replicas are even real people... And even if they aren't... why does it still hurt inside...?" Repliku thought out loud.
"I'd still like to think that even replicas have hearts..." Xion replied.
"...Hmm... I hope you're right..." Repliku agreed. "Xion... What does it means to be your own person? To have your own heart...?"
"...I don't know... I wish... I could just look inside and find the answer..." Xion responded.
"Maybe... it's so simple that we don't even need to find it." He asked. "What do you think hearts are made up of?"
Xion thought hard on the simple question trying to contemplate a logical answer for such a seemingly easy subject. But then her mind just wandered back to her friends...
"I think... that hearts are made of the people we meet, and how we feel about them. They're what ties us together even when we're apart..."
"That's... so profound... I can't believe that you can put it in those words..." Repliku chuckled. "So those that are alone... have no hearts...?"
"No..." Xion shook her head. "You can be my friend, if you want..."
"...Heh... You're so kind... But I think I can serve a better purpose than a friend..." Repliku replied.
"What do you mean?" Xion retorted.
"I want you to make me a promise Xion." Repliku stated. "Please live the life you're given along with mine..."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Repliku quickly summoned his Soul Eater weapon and immediately stabbed himself in the chest to end his existence...
"What are you doing?!" Xion yelled in disbelief.
"I'm giving you everything... I have to offer... my life force... as you see fit... I'm satisfied knowing that you can be a better person for the both of us... a fellow replica..."
Then Repliku began to fall, but Xion caught him from hitting the ground and then he began to fade into sparkles of light...
Repliku stated. "Death doesn't frighten me... in fact, I welcome it because it will give me peace..."
"...Please don't go... you're the only one who could sympathize with me as a replica..." Xion cried as she clutched his head.
"But... you're not a replica anymore... you're Xion... you're your own person..." Repliku proclaimed.
Xion gasped at this statement. "How can I ever thank you...?"
"Just... live your life... please..." Repliku pleaded.
"Okay... I-I will." She agreed with a sob.
"Then everything should be alright... Go to your friends... prove your theory... and just... live..."
Then Repliku faded until he was just a body of light then the sparkles had separated and he faded from the large white room... and Xion was alone again... bawling from the sacrifice...holding the gift Repliku had given her...
"I promise you... I will take your words... and make them a reality..." Xion declared.
Then she collected herself and walked towards the exit of Castle Oblivion...
"Aqua... I see you have brought more visitors..." Ansem greeted.
"Hey... I've been here before..." Sora said as they all arrived at the Dark Margin.
"What...? How did you get out?!" Aqua eagerly inquired.
"Um... it was the Door to Light." He answered.
"The Door to Light..." Ansem repeated. "Just as I thought..."
"That voice... Hey... aren't you Ansem the Wise?" Sora deduced.
"...Perhaps. It's a good a name as any." Ansem grinned. "But you must be Sora. Thank you all for being our savior."
"Don't worry about it. But the thing is we're going to need your help." Sora replied.
"Yeah, you could say that again." Lea piped up as he placed the still sleeping Roxas back down.
"Now that we found you, we can all head back." Kairi stated. "The worlds are need you."
"We should wait a while until Roxas wakes back up." Lea responded.
"...I don't know who this Roxas guy is. But that's Ventus; he's one of my best friends." Aqua replied with a frustrated tone.
"Ventus?" Lea questioned. "No... He's my best friend and his name is Roxas!"
"I thought that was Roxas too." Sora chimed in.
"Me too." Kairi agreed.
"...Look, I'm not crazy. He has to be Ven. He looks just like him... the same hair... the same eyes..." Aqua shook her head and her eyes actually began to water. "It has to be him..."
"Hey... don't be sad." Sora tried to cheer her up. "How about I promise to help you find your friend, alright?"
"Everyone but you says this is Roxas. Got it memorized?" Lea added.
"Aqua..." Ansem consoled. "You need to believe that your friends can still be saved no matter what. Ventus and... Terra was it? They both are still waiting for you. Leave that boy be... it seems you were mistaken."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Aqua stood firm. "We're going straight to where I placed him. Where he's still safe... If Ven's still asleep... I'll let it go..."
"And where is this place at? Kairi inquired.
"My old home..." She replied.
"We should split up then." Lea suggested. "I can take Ansem and Roxas back to Radiant Garden then you three can head to wherever you're going. Meet back at Yen Sid's."
"Sounds like a plan." Sora nodded.
"I'd be lying if I said I'd miss this place..." Aqua stated. "So... let's finally get out here."
"Here, I'll create a corridor." Lea summoned an escape route. "That'll take you where you want to go. Come on Ansem."
And so they all left the Realm of Darkness, none of them hoping they would ever have to return later...
Play Master Xehanort's Theme Music on a second tab.
Here in this deep dark meeting room, a long rectangular table is set in the middle of the chamber. There were thirteen chairs, all of which including the table were a dark onyx black color.
Master Xehanort sat at the head of the table seemingly looking like he was meditating on some serious thoughts. Xigbar sat at his left and Xemnas and Saix sat on his right...
"I'm telling you, those guys are going to spring that Drex guy outta here." Xigbar warned.
"They wouldn't dare defy their Superiors..." Saix denied.
"As if... we're having the same problems with love and friendship just like last time. I mean didn't we form this new Organization so we wouldn't have this problem?" Xigbar argued. "Same heart and mind..."
"Indeed... Our later members are faulting in their loyalties and they are all resisting the transformation..." Xemnas stated.
"It seems you miscalculated... Master..." Saix coldly stated.
Master Xehanort finally looked up from his mediation apparently taking in all of the words that have been said thus far.
"...I'll admit..." Master Xehanort retorted. "I acted rashly in choosing these children as my vessels... But you cannot deny the strength of their hearts... which is why I've chosen them in the first place..."
"I don't understand Master..." Saix replied.
"He means that we have to work a little harder to get what we want. Isn't that right you old coot?" Xigbar chuckled.
"Yes..." Master Xehanort nodded. "If I recall, it took me several years to acquire you as a vessel Isa..."
Saix scoffed. "If you're so confident, why don't we do something about it?"
"It is interesting to see how these events have played out thus far..." Master Xehanort began to rant. "They will be important in the years to come when we survive the Second Keyblade War. ...But once we complete the X-blade and unlocked the power of the true Kingdom Hearts... we will attain the status of... gods..."
"Heh-heh sounds good enough for me." Xigbar grinned.
"Really...?" Saix wanted to focus back at the purpose of this meeting. "So what do we do about this little rebellion of ours?"
"If you're so concerned with such a meager matter, quell this yourself and do what you will with our prisoner. I don't think we'll need him alive anymore..." Master Xehanort curtly replied.
"Yes... Master." Saix bowed as he left the meeting room.
"That guy needs to learn to chill out." Xigbar chuckled again.
"How goes the capture of the seventh princess?" Master Xehanort inquired.
"Vanitas and Fate screwed up and now she's with Sora and Master Aqua." Xigbar informed them.
Master Xehanort exasperated. "And the machine that was to control the little mouse king?"
"That was a fail as well. I'm starting to notice a pattern here..." Xigbar laughed.
"Send someone who will not fail us in getting the girl..." Master Xehanort responded. "We must proceed with our plans without any more failures..."
"I know just the guy for the job..." Xigbar smirked.
In another part of the compound, Skyler went back into Mona's room and gave her a silent nod saying that it was time...
"I got some of the Dusks to let us guard him for a while." Skyler stated. "He should be asleep right now, let's just grab him and go."
"Sounds good." Mona agreed.
The two of them quietly exited the room and continued down into the hallway and made their way to the dungeons and prison cells below...
"Who's been watching over Drex?" Mona suddenly inquired.
"I don't know... I think the lesser Nobodies and some Heartless have been doing the job." Skyler guessed.
"I hope he's okay..." Mona said in concern.
"Don't worry, Drex is tough... he'll be fine." Skyler comforted.
"What about Fate, Mark, and Alliana? I heard they're all back here." Mona stated.
"I hope they don't get in our way..." Skyler said as he stopped next to a directory. "Looks like... he's down this corridor last cell on the right..."
"Drex! Are you down there?!" Mona shouted.
"Shut up Mona! We're supposed to be quiet." He silenced.
"Sorry, I just got a little excited there for a second..." She zipped her lips.
"Come on let's go..." Skyler motioned her to follow him.
The two friends walked up to the cell which housed the incarcerated Drexbann... but when they saw him... the horror on their faces was almost indescribable...
Play The Last of Us- All Gone (no escape) Music Extended on second tab.
"No..." Mona wept. "Get this thing open!"
There... in the middle of the cell... was Drex lying in a pool of his own... blood.
It looked like he was barely conscious... but there were just so many cuts and burns all over his body... His face was scarred and burned like no other...
"Those monsters! What did they do to him?!" Skyler bellowed as he finally opened the door.
Immediately, Mona went to Drex's side, checking his vitals and seeing if they could move him.
"His pulse is weak!" Mona stated in fear.
"Do you have any potions or elixirs?" Skyler inquired.
"He won't be able to drink anything like this!" Mona sobbed. "I'm going to try to heal his wounds."
"He's lost so much blood already..." Skyler gravely noted.
"I did the best I could... but he needs to get somewhere else!" Mona advised in a panicked tone.
"Please... no more..."
"Drex!" They said in unison.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He began to weep as well.
"Drex..." She embraced him gingerly. "It's going to be okay... It's going to be okay..."
"Stop... just stop... Mona?" He seemed delirious.
"I'm right here Drex..." She sobbed. "I'm right here..."
"His friends could help him." Skyler stated as moved towards him. "...We should start by getting him out of here."
"No... don't... I... I-I can't..." Drex sputtered up some blood.
"This isn't a discussion!" Mona fought back the tears but to no avail. "...Skyler, carry him..."
Skyler grabbed Drex and slung his arm around his shoulder motioning to his friend to put all of his weight on him, although Drex winced with every step they both made together.
"Let's get going." Skyler said. "Mona, you take down anything in our way..."
"Wait..." Drex stopped them. "Please..."
"What is it?" Mona replied.
"We don't have time for this!" Skyler hastened.
"Mona... I-I have to... tell you... something... I... I lov..." Drex choked on his own blood. "...I... love... you..."
And then he closed his eyes...
"No... No!" Mona cried as she tried to wake him up. "Drex... I love you too..."
"Come on we have too-!" Suddenly the cell door slammed shut and the lights went out in the small chamber.
"No!" Mona growled as she summoned her Keyblade. "Just let us go!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that..." Saix coldly responded from outside the locked door. "...Look at you... trapped like the rats that you are... disgraceful..."
"How... how could you do this to him...?" Skyler desperately demanded as he held onto his friend.
"That's not your concern... and even if was... why does it matter?" He coldly inquired.
"Because he's my friend!" He proclaimed.
"And I love him!" She declared.
"Disgusting... to think that things have gotten this bad..." Saix then came to a new revolution. "I don't care what the Master says... none of you are worthy of what lies ahead... I will have to dispose of you all... permanently!"
Suddenly, the chamber erupted with hot blue fire and those inside did not stand a chance of surviving... but little did Saix know that Skyler had hastily put up barrier to keep them from being cremated while Mona performed CPR on Drex...
"Come on! Breathe! Breathe! Please!" She begged.
"Mona... I can't hold this up for long..." Skyler cringed.
"No... he won't wake up... please... come back to us... come back to me..." Mona pleaded as the tears dripped down onto Drex's lifeless face... his eyes still closed.
"Do something Mona!"
And in that instant... the heat was too much... and the fiery blue flames engulfed them... everything was just dark and... cold...
A/N- ...Give you a moment to think, collect yourself, maybe get that tissue? How did this happen...? Will Xion find redemption? Will Aqua, Sora, and Kairi find Ventus? Who will Xigbar send to intercept them? Will Roxas and Ansem regain their entire memories? And finally... did anyone survive in that prison cell...? Give me your thoughts.