Xion walked slowly into the Land of Departure's dining hall with Even, a squirming feeling in her stomach that she was sure had nothing to do with food (or the injury she still had there).
Everyone was there together.
Her Master, Terra, and his Master, Eraqus; there was Sora, and Imra, and Ven was back now; Hermod, Urd and Vor were there - sitting next to the Xehanort from the past, who was sitting next to Skuld's friend Amaya. And Chirithy was there. Ven's friend Chirithy, and Amaya's friend who was also Chirithy?
The two Chirithy? Chirithies? were sitting on the table together, eating ice cream from big bowls and making high noises.
"Hey, so what should we call you guys?" Sora said, looking at the two - Chirithy? Chirithies? - as he ate his own ice cream desert. "I mean, you have to have names, right? You can't both just be 'Chirithy'...?"
The two- Chirithy? looked at him. Then at each other. Then Ven's Chirithy shook her head. "Oh, we don't really work like that."
"You guys might have been created, as Spirits and all, but you have your own Hearts, don't you?" Sora pressed. "All that time with Ven and Amaya and the others and you never...wanted names of your own? You're people too!"
Ven's Chirithy tilted her head at him. She raised a hand and waved it. "It's okay - really. Just Chirithy is fine!"
"What about you?" Sora said, to Amaya's Chirithy, leaning forward now. "You really never thought about it? Doesn't it at least get confusing if you were all called Chirithy...?"
Amaya's Chirithy stared at him. Then she looked at Amaya. She raised a stubby arm to her face.
Amaya smiled at her Chirithy friend, setting down her spoon and pushing at her curly brown hair in her face. "I think he does have a point there, you know. It was always so confusing, back then. And remember what I told you? We have to live our own lives now, and make our own way in these worlds. You're not just a companion, or a Spirit, or a creation. You're not a servant, Chirithy. You're my friend. And I'd like to be able to call my friend by their name. I think my friend deserves a name, just like anyone else. You're just as important and equal to the rest of us."
"Uuuhhhh..." Chirithy said uncertainly. "Weeeeeeellllll..."
"Why don't you just try it?" Amaya prompted quietly. "You don't have to make it permanent."
"I've never thought about it before, though! What kind of name would I even pick?" Chirithy said loudly.
"What about Star?" Sora said, gesturing. "You know, because of that star you've got on your bag there?"
Chirithy and Amaya both looked at Sora in surprise.
Sora flushed, grinning. He looked away, putting his hands behind his head. "What? I have good ideas sometimes!"
"Let's just go with the kid's idea," Chirithy said quickly. "Star's fine, I guess." Then she (they, hadn't Amaya said?) lunged forward and started to eat out of their bowl again with their face stuck in it.
"Um, Chirithy, are you sure you don't want a name, too?" Ven spoke quietly to his friend. "I mean, we were together for...years...and you- like they said: you deserve a name of your own. You're not just my partner or nothin'. You're my friend. And you've got every right to choose for yourself - your life, and your name. It just- doesn't feel right to just...call you Chirithy. Like you're some- disposable, replaceable...thing. 'Cause you're not. You never were."
Ven's Chirithy pulled her head up out of the bowl. She looked at him, blinking her blue eyes. She raised her hands to her mouth. Xion heard sniffles from her, as her eyes got all squinty. "I...I g-guess if you put it that way...? And it's not like I'll be stuck with one forever, right?"
"Right!" Ven encouraged, beaming.
"Alright..then I'll choose a name - for now!" Chirithy looked at the other one. "If they're going to be Star, then I'll be..."
"Sun?" Sora suggested.
"No..." Chirithy refuted.
"What about 'Moon?'" Ven said, smiling.
Chirithy looked at him, tilting her head. "I guess I like the sound of that? It's better than Sun, anyways...Moon it is?"
"Haha. Well, nice to meet you, Moon," Ven said softly.
"Sure?" His friend - Moon, now - said with a shrug of her shoulders. Then she was eating again, causing ice cream to fly everywhere.
"Hey, Xion, by the way!" Sora said, turning to wave to her. "And Even. What's up?"
Even flashed a thin smile to Sora as he strode forward. Xion held onto his arm for support (for her stomach stab wound). "Nothing of monumental importance, I can assure you all. Just a little matter Xion and I felt the need to inform you of - concerning herself."
"I...I'm going to stay with Even at Radiant Garden for a while - if dad says yes, I mean," Xion said quickly, blurting it out. "I just...after what happened in Imra's homeworld...after how I was..." She avoided Sora and Ven's faces. "and with all of this stuff that comes with- being a real girl now- I should have listened to Even. And to you, Sora. I shouldn't have tried to...go out and fight and stuff before I was ready. So...I'm going to stay with Even so I can...learn how to deal with all of this?"
"Hey, that's okay," Sora said, firm and instant. "Ven and I both could tell you weren't having the best time, you know. I didn't like seeing you so uncomfortable, or even hurting like that. So - just do whatever you think will help you! You know Kairi would say the same; she'd be behind you, all the way on this."
Xion felt relief flood her body. She nodded at him. "Right...she would. Thanks, Sora."
"No problem," Sora smiled at her. "I hope you figure it all out - and I hope you have fun, too."
Xion nodded again, silent. She looked to Imra, taking a breath. "Um...Imra...can I- talk to you? Please? Somewhere else? Alone?"
Imra stood up from the table immediately, walking over to her. "Sure, Xion."
Xion wished the other girl would have hesitated a little more...
She turned and hurried away out of the dining hall entryway, into the marble hallways. She walked away down it, then stopped.
Imra stopped too.
"What is it, Xion?" she asked quietly.
"Imra...I...I did something horrible in your world..." Xion started, shaking. "When we first got there...I met another girl who- looked like you. I thought she was you! But she wasn't. And she- we ended up fighting, and she wasn't- right, and I- I killed her, Imra, and I'm sorry! She was your sister and I took her away from you and I'm s-sorry...!"
Imra tilted her head, blinking. Then she shook it, her long red hair shimmering. She stepped forward and hugged Xion gently. She was hard and metal, but she actually felt kind of...warm and nice? "It's alright, Xion."
"H-how is it alright?!" Xion choked out, crying now.
"Do you know why I was locked up in that base? The way you found me?" Imra spoke quietly. "My makers weren't happy with me being able to think for myself, so after they captured me, they used my blueprints and neural net scans to create more of me - me's that aren't...so much trouble like me. That can't think or feel for themselves the way I can. They weren't like me, Xion; they weren't capable of that. They really were just true drones. Machines. What you destroyed wasn't different from a truck or a car."
Xion blinked. She pulled away, staring at the girl. Frowning. "But...how can you say that? How do you know? You don't know!"
"Xion, I do know-"
"NO!" Xion shouted, shaking her head firmly. She held her shaking hands to her chest. "When I- when I hurt her, so badly, after she- just before she... She touched my hand, she looked at me, she was confused and upset and it was REAL Imra! For a moment she was real! She wasn't all wrong anymore, whatever was controlling her - it went away! And I saw a girl! Just like you and me!"
Imra looked shocked. she stepped back, bowing her head. Her long hair fell forward. Her hands twitched at her sides, her fingers tapping at her thighs. After a minute she lifted her head again, looking at Xion. Her face had a deep frown. "I believe you, Xion...but this changes everything..."
"Not for m-me...what I did to her..." Xion whispered.
Imra stepped forward and grabbed Xion's hands, pulling them away from her chest. "If she was capable of thinking and feeling, just like me, and you say she was 'wrong', then...then you did break whatever was controlling her. Her programming, or something else. I don't know. But you did, and...and you were there for her when she woke up. I'm sure she was grateful for that, Xion. You said she touched your hand, didn't you? You were there for her, at the end, and that probably meant a lot to her...in the moment she finally found freedom. And when I go back to my world, I might be able to find her and help her," she concluded with a smile.
"R-really...?" Xion said hopefully. "But I- hurt her so badly- and she...she wasn't moving or anything after..."
Imra gave a small laugh, letting Xion's hands go. She brought her hand to her chest. "I told you we were built to withstand a lot of damage, Xion. And one of the advantages to being a robot at all is that shutting down doesn't necessarily mean the end of us - as long as her CPU and memory were intact enough...well, there's a chance I can repair her. Wake her up again. She might not remember a lot, or have other...problems...but she'd be awake and aware again."
"Are you- s-sure?"
"I'm sure!" Imra said brightly, giving her a swift hug again. "And thank you for telling me, Xion. I know it must have taken a lot of courage to."
Xion cried again - but she felt so relieved and happy, so how did that even make sense?!
She wiped at her eyes furiously - then stopped. Even would say something if he saw her doing that again!
Imra took her hand and they went back to the dining hall. They sat down next to Sora together.
Even was sitting tall and straight with Terra, his hands in his lap.
"...If you can make those Portals into Hearts and Dreams, could you find Kairi for us...if Luxu hasn't yet?" Sora was asking- Amaya's Chirithy, Star. Or was it Ven's, now named Moon? "Or at least just go check up on them...? There's a lot they probably should know about by now - like that Nightmare Chirithy we met in Imra's-"
"What?!" Amaya's Chirithy (probably) said, in a high voice, wobbling their arms on the table as they almost fell backwards.
They were probably Star - because Amaya reacted too.
The woman's face showed shock and fear, and she almost jumped right up from her seat! Then she sat down again, letting out a short, sharp breath as she looked at Sora. "A Nightmare Chirithy?" she said, in a tight voice. "Where did you see them? When? Please, tell me everything."
Sora looked taken aback. He blinked at her. Then he looked at Ven, and Ven's Chirithy - Moon! "It was when we went to go rescue Imra there. Uh, suddenly this purple Chirithy with red eyes showed up, and Ven said it was a Nightmare Chirithy. Then Moon and that purple one talked a bit-"
"What did they say?" Amaya interrupted, her lips forming a frown. A big, pursing frown. She looked to Ven's Chirithy - to Moon. "Please. This is very important."
Moon looked a little scared. She glanced at Ven, then looked at Amaya again. She put a hand to her chin. "They said they were the one spreading the Nightmares across all the worlds in this era. They said it was to try and draw out their wielder; they said their partner was one of the ones who survived, like mine."
Amaya's mouth opened, her eyes fluttering. Her hands gripped the table tightly. She dropped her head suddenly, her long curly hair falling over her shoulders.
Star hobbled across the table quickly and threw themselves at her, into her lap. They hugged her arm and patted at it, making high noises.
"I'm guessing you know whose partner this Nightmare Chirithy belongs to...?" Terra spoke softly, after a minute of silence from everyone.
Amaya sniffled and raised her head. She shook it, then wiped at her nose and eyes with a napkin. She drew a shaking breath and let it go. Then she looked out at them all. She looked really upset now still... Her lips opened, but she didn't talk. They closed again. She looked down at her Chirithy friend...
"It's okay to tell them the truth; I don't think these guys will blame you or anything..." Star said quietly, blinking up at her as they put their hands against her abdomen.
Amaya nodded silently, shakily. Then she looked up again. She looked at Terra - and then at the younger Xehanort for some reason. Her mouth opened again...
"I...I think they might be...mine."
Xion was happy to get away from Land of Departure, really...
It was less noisy and everything at Radiant Garden's castle.
After getting permission from dad, Master Terra had made her and Even a portal to Radiant Garden next - right into the castle.
Xion had wanted to carry her bag of stuff, but Even hadn't let her. It wasn't much, really, since the old house had gotten destroyed - just clothes and blankets and some seashells and tutoring textbooks (and other books), and a bunch of different menstrual items (dad had said "Just in case", and that it was because all the stress and fighting and stuff since she became a real girl might have "delayed it" or even "stopped her from actually getting her first period at all for a while").
Xion's stomach didn't even really hurt that much now, and she could walk and everything...but Even had still said no.
Even led her through the castle hallways in silence. They went up a lot of stairs and through a lot more hallways on higher levels, before he finally stopped in front of a door. There were a lot of identical doors up here, with a lot of windows spaced out that looked out onto the city. Down to the main square and the front gardens and the walls.
Xion felt weird the whole time, walking silently after him.
"Xion? Are you alright?" Even's voice came to her. He was staring at her with a frown.
Xion frowned too. She blinked, then looked up at him. "I..." She stopped as a thought came to her head. "I think it's- Kairi..." she whispered.
"What? What about her?"
Xion looked around her. She looked out the window. She raised her hand to her chest. "I think I'm feeling things from Kairi. Her memories, anyways? She used to live here."
"Yes...yes she did..." Even said quietly, looking uncomfortable. "I do recall- seeing her around the castle, once or twice, I believe. She was a regular visitor..."
"I have some of her memories," Xion said. "I remember this world, too. That's why we thought we were...biological sisters at first."
Even nodded, smiling down at her. "Yes, quite. It was a natural misunderstanding. Though, you did not have 'some of her memories', precisely: what you had were copies of her memories made into data, which was then input into your artificial Heart to-" He stopped suddenly. His cheeks went pink. He shook his head and quickly moved to grab the handle and open the door in front of them. "Ahem, at any rate: here we are. These are my quarters. Kana's already been residing here - though I use that term very loosely - but there is a space for you in here, as well. Fortunately, the construction workers and engineers were generous in their creation of such...upper level suites." He gave a snort. "Or rather, they were all prone to extravagance and over-designing..."
Even strode inside, and Xion followed him fast.
She had to blink a lot when she walked inside!
It was white and smooth, and really big inside. It was a living room, with a big fireplace and a large TV attached to the wall above it, and hanging lights, and several couches and chairs arranged around two tables. She looked past it all and saw into a dining room? It had a long table with chairs around it. And past that was a kitchen.
"This way, please," Even said, taking her shoulder and pulling her away in another direction.
He led her down a wide hallway with doors on either side of it. He opened the last door on the left, of three. It opened into a dark, large bedroom with a large bed with see-through curtains, and a desk, and a large wardrobe with glass doors on it. There was also two other doors inside it!
Xion stared in confusion. She'd never even known a bedroom could have other rooms inside it like this!
But Even opened up the doors anyways and peeked inside them, then gave her a look and a nod.
Xion went to look into them, too. One led into a narrow, long space that had lots of shelves...a very big closet? It could have been its own other room! And the other one led to a bathroom. It was big and square, and had a huge bathtub along the wall that was so tall she thought it went up to her chest!
"It's quite a lot of wasted space, in my opinion," Even said, waving a hand. "But, I suppose it's better to have the space and not need it, yes?"
"Yes?" Xion squeaked.
"Exactly." Even strode over to the bed and set her bag down on its end. "Now then...ahem: why don't you unpack all of your things, put them in their proper places, to start with, and then we'll...well, you can do some relaxing first. This is meant to be a quiet, peaceful place for you, after all. You can...break your new bed in? As far as I know, it's never been used - for obvious reasons."
Xion didn't really know what those obvious reasons were...but she nodded anyways. "Ok." She moved forward and got onto the bed carefully, sitting down at the end of it. She started to unpack her bag, pulling out her blankets and clothes. The bed already had blankets and everything though...
Even stood watching her for a minute, but then he gave her a smile and left.
Xion frowned, then focused on unpacking again.
She took out all her seashells and set them on her bed. She looked at the big desk, then to the nightstand with its tall white lamp. She gathered them all up and crawled up the bed toward it. She opened up the top two drawers and started to sort through her shells, putting the same ones on the top of the nightstand, others in the first drawer, and others in the one below that one. When she was happy with it, and feeling less strange and nervous, she sat back and closed the drawers carefully.
She slid off the bed and gathered up her clothes to sort out next, putting them all into the wardrobe and in the drawers below the big glass doors.
After that...she got her one of her sciency books out and went to lay on her bed with it. She opened it up and started reading - but mostly looking at the pictures. It wasn't a textbook: it was an extra book. She had a few of them. This one was about animals and stuff. Like the places they lived and what they did.
She just wanted to try to understand things better, and not be so stupid and useless, always looking at Kairi and others for answers and explanations...
She wanted to be smart and knowledgeable - like Even!
Xehanort stood in the Mysterious Tower, listening to the old Master (supposedly a future friend of his) speak with Amaya and Terra about recent events.
Concerning this Nightmare Chirithy, that rogue Darkness now in the Princess of Heart's empty body...and then, more specifically, events concerning himself.
"I understand you called a Keyblade to you, in nearly the same instant that you shattered the lock we had placed on your Heart," Yen Sid was saying now, gazing at Xehanort.
Xehanort simply nodded. "Yes...I suppose you're going to destroy it now, as you did to my older self's weapon - and replace the bind on my Heart, as well."
"That remains to be seen," Yen Sid spoke. "Your reasons for doing so - and capability to break the binding spell at all - could only have come from a place of true, desperate need. A pure Heart's desire to save, to rescue, and to protect - and so a miracle answered your desire in response."
"Hmph. Or perhaps I was just being incredibly selfish," Xehanort said idly. "I cared not for any of the rest - only my own friends."
Yen Sid gazed at him intently, with a force and a power that nearly made him break. Balk. Flinch. "Delude yourself no longer, my old, yet very young friend. Not that such attempts at after-the-fact deception and deflections could sway us; we have already seen the truth of your Heart, the power and light it shines in its most dire hour."
Xehanort froze. He looked away, twisting his lips. "I suppose you've already gone to the witch of memories and analyzed and picked apart my Heart, then?"
"No," Amaya spoke to him. "We know what we saw with our own eyes, Xehanort. You acted with bravery, with selflessness and true strength, and nothing else. Just the same as when you made the choice to save Skuld for no gain or benefit. And I'm truly, deeply proud of you for it. You saved not only us, but Riku, too...and potentially even his family and friends, if- Ansem was going to have his way. And you should be proud of that - not ashamed or embarrassed. You did so much good today."
Xehanort gazed resolutely at the far wall, his hands forming fists at his sides. His Heart seized, and his face grew warmer despite all attempts to just control it.
"And I know it can't have been easy to be around Cognis, either," Amaya added quietly.
Xehanort scoffed. "Is that what it's calling itself?"
"That's what she calls herself, yes," Terra spoke firmly.
"I don't know how that thing even convinced you, or Eraqus, of all people-"
"Then the only reasonable explanation is that she's telling the truth, isn't it?" Amaya cut across him. "A truth of intentions that even Eraqus saw in her. Something that made him willing to see reason, and give her a chance, at least. The same chance everyone here is giving you."
Xehanort drew in a sharp breath, digging his nails into his palms now. His shoulders shook...
"My Master is willing to have an open mind, and change his views and stances on things - long held beliefs and ideas," Terra spoke again. "I know that wasn't an easy thing for him. And it wouldn't be easy for you, either. Especially because you're kind of famous for that, aren't you? Stubborn, unwavering belief in your own beliefs. But your older self was willing to change, to reconsider things - and I'd thought so were you. If your friends can do it, why can't you? I guess they're just better people than you, is what it comes down to, isn't it?"
Xehanort remained silent, rage in his veins.
"You know your older self took Vanitas under his wing - as his apprentice - for four years straight," Terra went on. "He must have changed his stance a little, too, to do that, instead of just destroying him - and Ven along with him. If he could do that, I'm sure you can at least tolerate the existence of Cognis, can't you?"
Xehanort turned to glower at the man now, his lips shaking with cold fury. His new Keyblade appeared in his hand in a flash of light before he even registered it was there, honestly.
Terra simply looked at him - in the eye. Blue eyes hard, unyielding. Strong.
"How can any of you just accept this?" Xehanort hissed, rounding on Amaya, and then Yen Sid. "After your history with those creatures - after seeing one of our very enemies is one of them!"
"Cognis has proven her good intentions by helping Riku to save lives, and wake people from sleep," Amaya said firmly. "She also proved herself today again by not hesitating to shed that form he gave her to dive into his Heart and fight Ansem with him."
"As the Spirits prove, and as Riku and Terra prove to us, not all forms of darkness are malevolent," Yen Sid stated. "The world is not so simple - surely that is something you have always known, Xehanort. These Darknesses are as unique as any other being, and thus will be judged by their individual acts, not those of their entire species. Or should we indeed use such a measurement? Should we simply tar you with all the crimes and actions of your other selves, combined? Hm?"
"Do not compare me to those parasites!" Xehanort shouted, stepping forward. "They stole everything from me, they destroyed my home, shattered my very Heart itself with agony and misery! And you demand I make nice with one now?!"
"As we are all attempting to make nice with you, after all the misery and agony you have festered upon these multitudes of worlds and trillions of lives, yes!" Yen Sid responded, raising his voice to a thundering volume. It shocked Xehanort, as a magical force and wind flew out across the room along with the words! Sheer power. "If you are truly so incapable, truly still so blind, then we shall be done with this and return you to your proper time - and to what fate you have set for yourself, Xehanort! You are an unyieldingly arrogant, hypocritical, and supremely inept young man, as well as a fool of the highest order! We have granted you mercy, clemency, and generosity - yet you take it all for granted, and would not find it in yourself to give even a morsel of the same to another? One who has at least proven themselves with numerous good and selfless deeds - something which you cannot say for yourself! SO BE IT, THEN! THERE IS NO HELPING YOU, NO SAVING YOUR HEART! YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND HAS FOUND IT WITHIN HIMSELF TO CHANGE - THE ONE I WOULD HAVE LEAST THOUGHT ABLE TO DO SO!"
Yen Sid raised a hand - and energy burst up around Xehanort with an incredibly fury and power!
Xehanort raised his Keyblade-
Only to find himself frozen to the spot as a blue light flashed from his right.
Amaya! Why?! For this - for a Darkness - WHY?!
"WAIT! You can't just send me back like this!" Xehanort exclaimed, panic coursing in his Heart now. He turned his head to her - and was shocked that he even could. He looked at her - in the face - and saw a look of calm...calm and sadness.
"Why?" came her one word, quiet reply, over the whirling winds of Yen Sid's magical entrapment.
"I haven't even- had the chance to say goodbye to- it isn't fair!" Xehanort burst out.
"I didn't think you cared about what was fair," Amaya said quietly, remarkably calm still. "Why should we? It's just more of your double standards - rules for others, but not for you. But it's just like I told you before: what happens when you miscalculate, and others don't play by those rules you expect them to - just like yourself?"
A golden energy pooled around Xehanort's feet - and then it began to crawl its way up his body, aiming to envelop him in a heat and a squeezing- were they going to just entirely obliterate his body to loose his Heart from its vessel? They couldn't- they wouldn't-
"I did what you asked of me!" he yelled out. "I saved all of them - the boy, Riku - and I said nothing about that thing in his Heart! I fought against my own, future Heartless! Haven't I proven myself today?!"
"Perhaps you were doing it for selfish reasons," Amaya said simply, blinking at him. She took a step back, bowing her head. "How can I know? How can any of us?"
"I- what? You said it yourself, it was the same as with that Skuld woman - I saved her for no gain, no reason but- empathy, altruism! I felt the pain in her Heart, I knew what she feared, and I helped her!"
"Are you saying that you can change? That you can-"
"YES! Yes - god knows if Eraqus can do it, so can I!" Xehanort said loudly, beseeching her now with his eyes alone. That energy was nearly to his chest now... "If my friends, and you - those directly harmed and killed by Darknesses - can see something in one of their kind that's worthwhile, anything at all, then I- I will try, just the same! Just do not do this to me! Please! I will change, I will give- them a chance!"
Amaya looked to Terra. Terra looked at her. They looked to Yen Sid...
The old Master's hand lowered, and the energy circle died away - and so did the energy encasing Xehanort's very body.
Xehanort gasped in sheer, miraculous relief and whooping joy-
Amaya strode up to him, and reached out to place her hand on his cheek. "Tell me you realize the gravity of your future mistakes - tell me you know how wrong that path was. Tell me that you're truly willing to be better than that, here, and now. Not just talk - do it."
"Y-yes, I do - I realize...I know it all!" And he did know it, he realized. He truly did. Because- "Being around you, and mother, and these others, I've felt it all - in your Hearts! It ripples out and invades my own Heart, it seeps into me, it settles there, it's a weight and an anguish and a sorrow and it's more than anything I've ever felt or been capable of bearing! And I don't want to feel any of it anymore! I want to- make it stop! I don't want to feel it again in...in anyone's Heart, on any world out there! Like that man you had me help, and that girl - her name was Penny! I felt her Heart connect to mine, I felt her in there, even broken as she was, and I- I helped her, I saved her, i made her whole again. That is what I should be doing, not- what my current and future selves have done. That is what I- want to do. I want to do...to be...better. I want to walk a better path with you, and with Vor, and Urd, and Hermod, and Eraqus. I don't want to be alone, to regret! I want to walk with you all together, embracing it all! I- I won't take anything for granted...I swear it!"
Amaya's palm flared with a light, and Xehanort found himself able to move again. Her hand slid down his body - his arm - to his hand. The one grasping the Keyblade.
He felt the pulses of her emotions, strong and blinding.
"Then...let's walk together. Cognis has had her time to prove herself - now it's your turn, Xehanort. You're going to put that new weapon to use...for the right reasons."