This is a rewrite for the ending of chapter fourteen, "Tears of the Light."
I constantly felt l like I could have done better with the ending for that chapter, and it's been eating at me for a while. So, here is this.
Enjoy, or don't. Unless you enjoy people losing loved ones. Then I'd have some concerns.
Play: Musique pour la tristesse de Xion (Xion's theme) - KH 358/2 Days
Riku was leaning against the wall by the stairwell. DiZ was in his chair, watching over the monitors.
Roxas' unconscious body was in the little tube close to DiZ.
...
Riku had returned with Roxas a few hours ago, just as Kirux was heading into the castle to go find Xion and bring her back.
Kirux still hadn't returned with her, and the two of them were starting to get concerned.
...
"DiZ," Riku started, "Do you really think Kirux will be willing to go through with this?"
"Of course he won't. But, does he really have a choice?"
"But you know how close he and Xion are, and you don't even try to say that you don't."
...
DiZ turned around, "Why the sudden concern for Kirux? He's nothing but an empty shell, a dark reflection of yourself."
Riku stood up straight, "That's not true, at least...not all of it."
"Kirux may be the embodiment of the darkness in my heart, but...I know for a fact that he has a heart. If he didn't, then how could he have developed those feelings for Xion?"
...
DiZ turned back towards the monitors, "Good observations, Riku. It appears you've learned to see through that blindfold of yours."
He chuckled, but Riku was not amused.
He was generally concerned about Kirux, and what he would do.
Would Riku have to fight to stop him from doing anything? Would Kirux give in, and let Xion go back to Sora?
Not even that, but what would they do with Kirux after that? What role would he play once Sora eventually woke up?
Or would DiZ have Riku get rid of him altogether?
He didn't want to think about all of the possible scenarios.
...
...
...
His thoughts were interrupted by DiZ, who gasped lightly.
"What's going on?"He said, taking a few steps towards him.
Naminé entered the room suddenly, "Is something going on? Where's Kirux?"
"Hold on, Naminé." Riku said, turning back to DiZ, "DiZ, what is it?"
...
"It's Sora's memories of Kairi. They have all returned out of nowhere."
...
Riku and Naminé were both shocked.
They knew what that meant.
...
Kirux had eliminated Xion.
Or at least someone had.
Regardless if it was Kirux or not, Xion was no more.
They had finally gotten all of Sora's memories back.
...
Part of Riku wanted to be happy that he would finally get his best friend back, but...
His concern had gone straight to sympathy.
...
Kirux (or someone) had just killed his only remaining friend.
No, not friend. Kirux and Xion were a lot more than that, and they all knew that.
...
...
...
A dark portal formed by the stairwell.
A man in a black coat walked out. Although their hood was down, they all knew who it was.
"Kirux?"
...
"Kirux, take the hood off. We need to know if it's you or not."
The man hesitated.
Riku thought to himself, "Does he really feel that bad?"
...
Kirux finally removed his hood fully, but did not look up.
Naminé noticed red circles around his eyes. She knew then that he had been crying.
...
"Kirux, say something."
...
...
...
He was silent.
He was too afraid to say anything.
Too ashamed of himself to even show his own face.
Too terrified to think of anyone or anything, because in the end, it would just remind him of her.
...
"Kirux," DiZ said, standing up from his chair, "Tell us. What happened?"
He was really hesitant still.
"I..." He said quietly.
"Speak up, boy."
...
"She's gone. I...destroyed her..."
The whole room fell into silence.
"She's...she's..."
Naminé noticed tears forming in his eyes again.
"She's all I had left, and now..."
...
...
...
"Kirux..."
He shook his head, "What have I done?"
Naminé walked closer to him, "Kirux, it's not your fault."
...
He looked up at Naminé.
Only it wasn't Naminé he saw.
He saw her...
...
Kirux took a step back, "I can't..."
He turned and ran up the stairwell, away from everyone.
"Kirux!"
...
...
...
DiZ sat back in his chair, "Quite unfortunate, if I must say."
"It's a lot more than unfortunate."
"What do we do about him?" Naminé asked.
...
"I'll go talk to him, see if I can get him to calm down, or something."
"I'm going with you," she said, "Kirux is my friend too."
Riku shook his head, "I don't think that's a good idea, Naminé."
"Why?"
"Well, let's just say that when he looked at you, I don't it was you he saw."
...
Naminé looked at the floor, "Okay. I'll...go and stay with Sora then."
She went back to Sora's pod.
Riku turned to DiZ, "You have to at least feel some sympathy for him."
"Of course I do. Losing a loved one is never anything you want to see."
...
"But, our main goal is finally completed. We cannot ignore that."
DiZ turned towards Riku, "Make sure Kirux knows that."
"I will."
Riku left with no intentions of telling Kirux that.
...
...
...
He found Kirux in his room, staring out the window towards the town.
Kirux's shoulders continued to shutter as he stared out.
"You want to know something, Riku?" He said out of nowhere, holding back his tears for a moment.
...
"When everything was over, I was going to tell her how I felt. Once Sora had woken up and defeated the Organization, I was gonna..."
He hesitated, "I wanted to run away with her. I wanted to leave it all behind, so we didn't have to deal with any of it anymore. No more Heartless. No more Nobodies. No more darkness."
"It would just be me and her."
...
Riku spoke up, "How long have you been holding it in?"
Kirux shrugged.
...
"Kirux, you...need to tell me what happened to her."
He shook his head, "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."
"It does, because I-,"
"I don't want to think about it anymore! There's no point! All you need to know is that she's gone!"
...
Kirux wiped his eyes.
Riku didn't back down, "At least...at least tell me what the Organization did."
He shook his head, "You never give up, do you?"
...
Kirux sighed, "They...they were controlling her, and turned her against me. I...I didn't want to fight, but..."
"Riku, they were hurting her. I could see the suffering in her eyes. I only fought because I wanted to break their control."
"But I-,"
He stopped there.
...
...
...
"She's all I had left, and I..."
Riku walked closer to him, "Kirux, you can't put all of the blame on yourself."
"Who am I supposed to blame?" He snapped, "I'm the one that struck her down! Not Xemnas, not Ansem, not ANYONE else! I did!"
Kirux didn't stop, the volume of his voice having increased, "I don't have any of my own light in my heart! Any light that was there came from Xion! And now, it's gone!"
...
A thalassa shell fell out of his pocket. Kirux quickly picked it up off of the ground.
Too quickly, for a normal person.
But this was not normal.
Nothing about any of this was normal.
...
"Kirux," Riku started, "I know you're upset about losing Xion, but..."
"There is a way to bring her back."
Kirux's eyes widened, "What?"
...
A Keyblade appeared in Riku's hand, and he put it out towards Kirux.
"Take it. It was Xion's, but...she left it here the day before. I think the reason why, is-,"
"Because she wants you to save her."
...
Kirux stared down in complete awe.
"You can save Xion, Kirux. But, not in your current condition."
"But I,"
"I know, you really want to, but you've done enough for one day. You need to rest."
"Trust me, Kirux. Give it a few days."
...
...
...
Kirux didn't know what to say.
In one instant, he hugged Riku tightly.
"Thank you Riku."
...
Riku just patted his shoulder, and smiled at him.
"Of course."
He turned and left the room.
...
...
...
Kirux looked down at the Keyblade.
"I'm coming for you, Xion."
So, was that any better? I honestly can't decide for myself. My writing is really never good enough for me.
I'll have the next chapter of "Warriors of the Light" up by the end of the week. Stay tuned for that.
I'll see you then.
-Broncozfan623