Hey there everyone, good evening, and how’s it going?  Well then, here is a new story of mine that I shall be posting here, and as you can see, the title of the story is Bokutachi No Hibi, which means Our Days in Japanese!  This story is about Roxas and Xion, and it’ll be a high school life/drama story.  Before beginning to read the story, I wanted to tell you a bit about how I came to writing it.

 

So then, my inspirations for writing this story are Caelum Mare, for by reading his Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, titled Art of Attraction, I was able to get the basis for this story, so for that, I thank him very much!  And my dear Inori helped me flesh out my idea by searching for last names for the characters that will appear here, and by giving me suggestions for this story, and she even came up with the title!  So yeah, what you’ll see here is a collaboration between me and my dear Inori, so I’d like to thank her for supporting me in writing this story and for helping me out with it! This story is dedicated to her! Without further ado, here is the story!  Enjoy! 

 

Prologue: A Confusing Dream

(Start Song Here)

 

  “Can we stay together…?”

  “Is it too late?”

  “There’s no stopping this…I wish we could have stayed together…”

  “No!  Don’t go!”

  “Gaze up at the stars…and remember me…”

 

  I suddenly wake up, gasping for breath.  Sweat is dropping down from my brow.  My head hurts and I feel so confused…I look towards my alarm clock and notice that it’s 3:00am.  I slowly lean back on my bed, looking up at the ceiling, the whole room darkened and quiet.  My name is Roxas Harada, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had this same dream.  And in this dream, I always hear the voice of a girl, but I can never seem to picture who she is.  Someone from my past? Someone I’ve yet to meet?  Someone who only exists in my dreams?  The only clue I have from this dream is that it takes place in what seems to be an island, a beautiful island paradise, near a palm tree.  The images always blur whenever I try to focus on what I’m seeing in the dream.  I really don’t know what to make of it.  I’ve tried to talk to my brothers about it, but I don’t think they can help me.  So for all this time, all I’ve been able to do is wonder.  Wonder what the dream means…

(End Song Here)

 

  Not being able to fall asleep, I wake up and yawn and stretch my legs, and then I lazily open the door and walk downstairs to get myself a glass of milk.  Jeez, and tomorrow’s school!  Great…all I know is that tomorrow I won’t have a spectacular first day.  Anyways, I head down and then head towards the kitchen, opening the fridge, and then I spot the gallon of milk.  Just as I’m about to look for a glass, I suddenly feel something on my shoulder, and then I give out a startled yell.  When I turn around, I see my fraternal twin brother, Vanitas, laughing , but trying not to sound too loud.  “Ha, you should have seen the look on your face, it was priceless!”  he said, clearly enjoying himself.  “Uh-huh, yeah, I must have looked totally ridiculous!” I replied back to him sarcastically.

 

  Vanitas then put his arm around my shoulder and smiled, laughing continuously.  “You know, that’s what I love most about you Roxas!  You’ve got one great sense of humor!” he said, shaking his head while smiling.  I simply nodded and ran my hand through my spiky hair.  He noticed something was up, and then he leaned his back to the kitchen counter.  “Hey bro, what’s up?  You look down in the dumps.” he asked.  The way he asked it was in an “aw, what’s wrong with my brother?” kind of tone.  God, he sounded annoying.  But I knew he meant well, so I turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes.  It was a little intimidating looking at his eyes since they were yellow.  I mean seriously, his eyes were shining through the dark like a cat, and it was creepy!  And with all that spiky black hair, and black pajamas, all I could see were his eyes, and it gave me the creeps.

 

  To shake him off, I tried to come up with an excuse.  “Well, I just don’t feel sleepy, that’s all.  It also could be because I’m a little stressed out because of school tomorrow…” I said to him, hoping that he’d buy this.  I mean, sure, school wasn’t the problem, but I wasn’t a big fan of school either, so hopefully, he’d just buy this story and carry on.  But unfortunately, because he’s my brother, he knew that wasn’t the case.  “Uh-huh, sure.  You can’t fool me, goldilocks, something’s got you thinking, and I want to know what it is.” he said, this time saying it in a mischievous voice, like if I didn’t tell him, he’d probably give me a wedgie, or worse, he’d take my glass of milk and throw it to my face!  Oh, and I knew that he was capable of doing that!  He was that much of a jerk!  “Umm…” I began to say.

 

  “What is going on down there?” a voice echoed from upstairs.  The kitchen lights turned on, and I covered my face, for the sudden light made my vision blurry.  When my eyes adjusted, I saw my identical twin brother Ventus, standing in front of me and Vanitas with his arms crossed and with a very irritated expression on his face.  “Do you two know what time it is!?  What the heck are you doing down here!?  You two should be sleeping right now!”  he exclaimed.  Vanitas was about to explain what had happened, but Ventus cut him short.  “I don’t want to hear it.  Just go upstairs already!” he said.  Vanitas rolled his eyes and scoffed at him.  “Jeez, okay, okay, I’m going, Sergeant Killjoy!  Good night.” he said as he walked upstairs and went to his room.  Ventus then turned his attention to me.  I don’t know what was worse.  Having Vanitas give me a wedgie, or Ventus’ death stare.  Ventus, or Ven, how we liked to call him, was the mature one, always looking out for me and Vanitas.  “Well, isn’t it time you go to bed too?” Ven asked.  “I just came down for a glass of milk.” I said to him.

 

  And so with that, I quickly served myself the glass of milk, drank it, and then left the glass in the sink.  “Good night.” I said to Ven, giving him a hug, and then I turned around and headed upstairs.  “Hey Roxas.  Are you okay?” he asked me.  I wanted to turn around and tell him what was up, but I decided to ignore the question and I headed towards my room.  As soon as I opened the door to my room, I took a few seconds to go in.  I was still thinking about the dream.  After a few more seconds, I decided to dismiss my current thoughts.  I closed the door and headed for bed.  I needed to get some sleep for tomorrow.  We were going to start high school tomorrow.  A new school, new faces, tons of trouble, and a pack of evil students to complicate my existence.  Whoop dee doo…

 

  I tossed and turned in bed, trying to get some sleep, but I felt restless.  I hated when this happened.  I then sat on my bed, looking at my alarm clock.  It was now 4:00am.  Great…just perfect.  Only three and a half hours of sleep left before school. Well, for the heck of it, I just decided to take my IPad, which was on the night counter beside me, and I plugged my headphones in to listen to some music.  I had a few songs here and there.  Some from American bands and pop artists and some Japanese songs added in for good measure too.  Since I didn’t know what song I wanted to put, I pressed shuffle, and then suddenly, Everything Goes Black from Skillet began to play.  It was from their most recent album, Rise.  One of my favorites by far.  As I closed my eyes and listened to the rhythm of the guitar, bass and drums, the lyrics started to come in.  “Chasing these shadows…around this darkened room…I’ve lain here so long I don’t even want to move…I need a minute now to heal…I need a minute now, to remember how to feel…whenever you’re gone away…the darkness hides the day…whenever you’re gone, the bleeding won’t stop…it hurts till you come back…everything goes black…everything goes black…”

 

  And just like that, I closed my eyes listening to the song, and I started to get sleepier.  But instead of just sleeping, now I saw the faint, blurry image of a girl.  The same girl from the same dream.  “Huh, I guess I can’t help but dream of you.  That figures.” I said to myself, giving in to the gentle calmness of sleep, finally managing to fall into a deep sleep.

----------------------------------------

 

Who is the mysterious girl from Roxas’ dreams?  Why is it that he can’t stop having the same dream?  That is an answer that Roxas himself does not know, but he’ll have to leave those thoughts be for now, for he, Ventus and Vanitas will start high school the next day.  What will await them?  Find out in Chapter One: “The First Day.”

 

Well everyone, I hope that you all found this prologue to your liking!  This story will have fifty chapters, so I hope you stick around and enjoy it, for I’ll be posting chapters as often as I can!  Oh, and the story's perspective will shift from first person to third person views.  Thank you all very much for reading the prologue, and make sure to post your comments on what you thought of it!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter everyone! 

Whoa....that's all I can say right now....

Okay everyone, here’s another chapter, I hope that you all enjoy it! As always, thank you all for your comments, support and patience!  Now then, this chapter will be from Roxas’ perspective!  Enjoy!

 

Chapter Thirty Four: Hurt

 

  Today was a very boring day at school.  All of my friends were busy, thus, we couldn’t hang out today at lunchtime.  Apparently, I was the only one with nothing to do, so I just decided to aimlessly walk around school.  There was nothing better to do, so I figured, why not?  Something I had also noticed was that Xion hadn’t come to school.  It seemed odd to me, but at the same time, she might still be struggling with what happened with Even, so it’s understandable if she hadn’t come to school.  She probably just wanted to be alone.  And so, I kept walking around school, and some students were here and there, doing their own business.  Some of them were playing the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game, while others were competing in fighting games with their PSP systems, while others were simply just being lazy.  I then wondered if Namine was around, and so I decided to go search for her.  If she was around, she’d probably be with Kairi, since they both always seem to hang out.  I searched around the courtyard but didn’t find her, and then I went to the back of the school, and she wasn’t there either.  Then, when I walked along a hallway, that’s where I saw her.  She seemed to be alone.  She noticed me and waved.

 

  “Oh, hello Roxas, how are you doing today?” she asked while smiling.  I approached her and smiled and waved at her.

 

  “Well, I’m as bored as hell, with nothing to do, and all my friends are busy with schoolwork, so I’m the only one that didn’t have anything to do.” I explained, and she giggled.

 

  “Ah, I know how you feel.  Being bored can be so agonizing!” she replied.

 

  “I know, right?” I said to her as we both laughed, and then I sat down beside her, and it looks like she was in the middle of one of her recent drawings.

 

  “How come Xion’s not with you?” she asked, tilting her head.

 

  “Well, she didn’t come to school today, although I don’t know why.  I just hope she’s doing okay.” I answered, and then she nodded and continued to draw.

 

  I silently looked over her shoulder to see what she was drawing, and I have to tell you, it was really badass!  It was a beautiful landscape that had nothing but grass and a few trees here and there, and the sky was as blue as the real thing, with clouds dotted around for good measure.  She was also drawing a pathway, and she drew Donald and Goofy walking along said pathway with a spiky brown haired boy.  When I took a closer look, I noticed that the boy looked a lot like Sora, and I chuckled to myself.  Then, after she finished that drawing, she then proceeded to make another, where Donald, Goofy and the Sora look-alike were standing in front of a bizarre looking castle.  After that, she closed her sketchbook and then clung it to her chest and then she looked at me with her bright blue eyes.  She then smiled at me.

 

  “So, what did you think of my drawings?” she asked me.

 

  “Oh, what did I think?  That they’re really awesome!  You have an amazing talent, you know.  And you know, that boy you drew looked a lot like Sora!” I answered her.

 

  “That’s because he is Sora!” she said while giggling.  I then looked confused.

 

  “Oh, so it is him?  I have to say, he looks like he could fit really well with Donald and Goofy.” I said to her, and she nodded.

 

  “Yeah, that’s what he said too.  He wanted me to make these drawings for him, and well, here they are!  I’ll give the drawings to him the next time I see him.” she explained.

 

  “Ah, so that explains it!” I said, and then, as if on instinct, I looked towards the outside and saw Xion, who was walking with her head bowed down.

 

  “Hey, Namine…I have to go right now.  See you next time!” I said as I rushed off towards Xion.

 

  I knew it was kind of rude to leave Namine like that so suddenly, but Xion looked like she wasn’t doing okay.  I had to see what was wrong with her!  At first, I made sure to walk slowly so she wouldn’t be under the impression that I was following her, and then, when she got out of my sight, I walked a bit faster and then ended up running, and that’s when I saw her again.  I noticed that she wasn’t in her school uniform, so that means she hadn’t come to school today, and she was just wandering about.  Her arms were crossed, and she still had her head bowed down.  I then walked towards her, and as I was about to reach her, she crossed the street, and the streetlight became green, so the cars were passing through, and I had to wait until the streetlight would turn red.  She kept walking, and now she was getting out of my sight, so I decided I’d call out to her.

 

  “Xion!!!” I shouted.  She didn’t hear me.  I then put my hands together and gathered all the strength possible from the bottom of my lungs.

 

  “Xion!!!!!!” I shouted once again, and this time, her head raised up, and she searched for me, and then the streetlight turned red, so I ran as quickly as I could towards her.  She looked at me with a frown.

 

  “Xion…what’s wrong?  Why didn’t you come to school?” I asked after kissing her.  She pulled away from the kiss and looked away.

 

  “No reason…” she answered, almost in a whisper.

 

  “Xion, I know that you’re lying.  I can see it in your face…something’s wrong.  What is it?” I asked, and then she looked at me and sighed.

 

  “Things are complicated…” she answered bluntly, and I remained puzzled by her behavior.

 

  “Xion, why are you being so distant?” I asked.

 

  Then I remembered the lesson that Lea had taught me about knowing how to handle these kinds of situations, of making sure not to press the wrong buttons.  What could I do now?  Should I keep trying to insist her to tell me what’s wrong with her?  Should I just shut up and try to comfort her without asking any questions?  Gah, the pressure was building inside me nonstop, and I didn’t know what the hell to do!  I really hated feeling like this!  The mere seconds that passed when she spoke seemed to be like hours for me.  I then became slightly nervous, but I tried not to let it show.  I then thought to myself of what could possibly be causing Xion to behave this way.  Like I had assumed earlier, might she still be feeling sadness over the whole situation with Even?  Was that it?  As I looked at her expression, something in my heart told me that this wasn’t the case.  No, something far worse was gnawing away at Xion’s mind, something that she possibly discovered that left her like this.  And so, I decided I’d stick with this second theory.  There was indeed something that was troubling Xion deeply.  Now, all that remained was to find out what it was.

 

  “Look, Xion…whatever it is you’re going through right now, you know you can tell me, but if you don’t want to talk about it right now, then it’s okay.” I said to her reassuringly, and she simply stared at me.

 

  “Roxas…” she began to say.

 

  “Gah, I’m sorry, you don’t want to talk about it right now, don’t you?” I asked, accidentally cutting her off. She shook her head and sighed.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Xion…” I began to say, but at that, she put her hand on my lips and she bowed her head again.  Now she looked really depressed.

 

  “Roxas…we have to talk.” she said, and I shook my head.

 

  “Okay then, what is it?” I asked.  She remained silent for a bit before speaking.

 

  “Roxas…ever since I’ve met you, I’ve had the chance to go through so many wonderful experiences, and well, even though there have been rough times, we’ve been able to stick through them with our friends by our side.  I’ve really loved this entire time that we’ve shared, and all the things we’ve been through.  I really wouldn’t choose any other people than all of you to meet all over again.  All of you hold a special place in my heart, and you’ll always stay within my heart.  The thing is…Roxas…I’ve been thinking a lot lately about everything that’s happened, especially what happened between us and my creator.  It’s all been so difficult, and it’s been too much to bear…and I can’t live like this anymore.  I don’t want to have to cause other people to suffer on my behalf…because I’m sick of it!  I don’t want to keep hurting anyone!  I don’t want to a burden to anyone anymore.  All I want is to be able to live my life without having to be attached to these emotions.  I was going to tell you this when I was ready to…but well, it looks like it was best to tell you now…” she explained.  My heart pounded like crazy.  Why did she sound like she was saying goodbye?

 

  “Xion…what are you saying?” I asked, looking at her directly into her eyes.

 

  “Roxas…we can’t be together anymore…” she spoke out, her words loud and clear, and that’s when my heart stopped.

 

  “W-what did you say?” I asked while stuttering, making sure I heard her right.

 

  “It’s over Roxas…we’re done.” she said bluntly.  I then felt my whole world shatter before my very eyes.

 

  “Xion…do you realize what you’re saying!?” I asked her, feeling desperate.

 

  “Yes…I thought about this for a while now…I’m sorry Roxas…” she said silently.  That’s when I snapped.

 

  “N-no, Xion, this can’t be!  You can’t be serious!  If this is your idea of a joke, then it isn’t funny at all!  Please tell me this is nothing more than a joke!  Xion…how could you even say something like this?  After everything we’ve been through, after everything that’s happened, you just want to end things just like that!?  I can’t believe it…I can’t believe it and I won’t!  This just can’t be happening!” I yelled at her, and then I noticed that the people passing by were watching us.  But at this time, I could care less about who was watching.  I just still couldn’t believe what Xion had said!  I expected her to say something, but she remained silent, with her head bowed down and her arms crossed.  My heart pounded faster and I started feeling heavy.  I felt like everything around me had stopped. This was no joke…Xion was really breaking up with me…

 

  “It’s not a joke, Roxas…this is goodbye.” Xion whispered, and at that, I reached for her shoulders and held her close to me and gave her a passionate kiss with all my might.  She kissed back but then pulled away.

 

  “Roxas, stop!  Don’t make this any harder than it has to be!” she yelled out at me, and I remained silent.  I didn’t even know what to do right now…

 

  “Xion…please…this can’t be the end!” I said to her with pleading eyes.  She gazed into my eyes momentarily but quickly looked away.

 

  “It is the end…goodbye…Roxas…” she replied, and with that, she slowly walked away.

 

  The sky had darkened, and rainclouds were everywhere.  Most of the people had cleared away from the street as to not get wet by the water, but only I remained there, in that street, hurt and in disbelief.  I wanted to go after her, but my heart told me to leave her be.  I felt defeated and lost…and so, it began to rain. I just stood there, letting the rain wash over me.  A few thunderclaps could be heard here and there, and soon after, it rained down harder.  I just put my hands in my pockets and I started walking home.  There was nothing else for me to do.  I just still couldn’t grasp what had happened!  There had to be some other reason that Xion broke up with me, there just had to be another reason!  I kept trying to think what other possible reason she could have for ending things like this, but nothing popped into my head.  After a few seconds of walking, I arrived home and went inside and just went to my bedroom and fell on my bed instantly.

 

  “Xion…why?” I asked to myself, my tears rolling down my face. My heart ached and my body felt numb.  I felt empty inside.

 

  “Why did you break my heart?” I asked to myself as I clenched my hands on the blanket and continued to cry.  After crying for a long time, I felt sleep take over me, and I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Roxas!  Roxas!!!” I heard distant voices shouting.  I struggled to open my eyes, for all I wanted to do was remain asleep.

 

  “Roxas!” the voices said as they sounded much clearer.  When I opened my eyes, I noticed that it was Ven and Vanitas.  Their faces were awash with concern.

 

  “Hey, what happened to you?  You look like you’ve went through something big!” Vanitas exclaimed.

 

  “Guys…something terrible has happened.  I don’t even know how this all came to be…but Xion broke up with me.  She talked to me and she seemed to be saying goodbye, but I don’t even know why!  She just brought this out of nowhere, and she walked away…not even bothering to look back.  I know Xion’s been going through a lot of emotional problems right now, but that can’t be a reason for her to break up with me like that!  I was there for her, helping her overcome her situations!  I…I really don’t see why she’d have to end things just like that!  I tried to see if there was another reason for her doing this…but she never revealed anything else.  Guys…I really don’t know what to make of this.  My heart is broken, and my thoughts are a complete mess…I don’t even know what to think!  Guys, something is seriously wrong with her!  I can feel it in my heart, I know that there’s something eating away at her, but she closed herself up!  I just…don’t know…” I said as I explained everything to my brothers.  They looked at me with grim expression on their faces.  I remained silent and soon after started to cry again.  I couldn’t take this suffering…

 

                “Roxas…I don’t know what to say…I’m sorry.” Ven replied as he put his hand on my shoulder.  I looked at him and smiled sadly.

 

  “Yeah…” I said back to him as I sighed.

 

  “Well bro, you know that Vanitas and I are both here for you, so you’re not alone.  You know you can count on us for anything.” Ven said, and I nodded and looked at the floor.

 

  “Thanks…” I replied.

 

  “Okay, that’s it!” Vanitas yelled out, and Ven fell back, a bit alarmingly by Vanitas’ sudden outburst.

 

  “Vanitas, what are you doing!?” Ven asked, and when I looked up, Vanitas yanked me by the arm and made me stand up to look into his eyes.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Now you listen here Roxas, and listen good!  I’ve seen you mature during the time we’ve been at High School, and you’ve learned to overcome many situations, no matter how bad they are!  You’ve been able to always stick it out no matter what, and you’ve never let yourself fall down!  Think of everything you’ve been through, with all of us!  Everything that’s happened has been for a purpose!  You haven’t been through all of that just to end up crying like a baby in your room!  You’re better than that!  You’ve proven to be better than that!  Sure, Xion broke up with you, but it’s not the end of the world!  She may have had her reasons, but the bottom line is that it happened!  But are you going to let that defeat you!?  No!  Is this going to scar you!?  No!  What you’ve got to do is stand up and be strong!  Man up and face the situation as it is, and if you want to find out more about why she broke up with you, then go and ask her yourself!  Just stop sulking and feeling sorry for yourself and do something!” Vanitas said full heartedly.  I remained speechless.  I never expected him to burst out like this.  I had never seen Vanitas like this before in my life!

 

  “Vanitas…”Ven muttered, as a sudden silence came over the room.  I then clenched my fists and took a deep breath.

 

  “You know what, Vanitas?  You’re right…thank you so much.  I needed to hear those words.” I said to him, and Vanitas smiled and nodded.

 

  “Happy to help, bro.” he replied, and I looked at both of my brothers and sighed.

 

  “I’m going to look for Xion…and I’m going to get the truth about why she broke up with me.” I said to them, and they both nodded at me.

 

  “Good luck.” they both said in unison, and so, I left to look for Xion.

(End Song Here)

 

  As I walked out of my home and towards the street, I kept sharp eyes everywhere I went, trying to see if I could spot Xion anywhere.  I tried looking for her in the park, but she wasn’t there.  I then went to town and looked in every possible place where she might be, but no luck either.  I decided to go to school, although I seriously doubted that she’d be there, but still, it was worth checking out.  I went towards the courtyard, and then I went to the back of the school, and then I walked through the hallways, but no luck either.  Then, a police guard told me to get out because I wasn’t supposed to be in school afterhours.  I apologized to the police guard and went out of school, and then, for some strange reason, I decided to go to where Xion used to live.  Something in my heart was telling me to do this, though I didn’t know why.  Still, it was worth investigating.

 

  “Xion?” I called out as I reached the doorway to her old house.  No answer.  I then looked around the backyard to see if she was there, but she wasn’t.

 

  “Xion!” I called out again, waiting for a moment to see if she answered.  Still nothing.

 

  “Where could she be?” I asked to myself, and then, that’s when I decided to enter the house.  I slowly walked inside and looked around, and she was nowhere to be seen.

 

  “She has to be around here somewhere…” I whispered to myself as I searched every corner of the house.  Then I stopped for a moment.

 

(Start Song Here)

  Then, the flood of memories came.  Just in front of this house was the place where Xion had been hit by a car and had to be hospitalized.  And here, inside, was the place where I confronted her creator, Even.  I still remember the fight like it was just yesterday…I clenched my fists remembering that struggle.  I had been so close to losing Xion, that it frightened me just by remembering it!  I then took a deep breath and relaxed.  Xion and I had been able to overcome this ordeal, and that’s what mattered.  Suddenly, I felt the strange urge to look to my right, and as I looked to my right, I noticed that there was a dim light shining.  Curious to see what the light was, I went towards it, and when I got closer, I took a peek through the door, and that’s where I saw Xion!  She seemed to be sleeping, her head laying on a desk with a computer.  I took a closer look at the computer without disturbing Xion’s rest.

 

  “What’s in here?” I asked to myself in a whisper.  Then, the horror unveiled before my eyes.

 

  Even, Xion’s creator, had recorded video logs of himself doing his step by step experiments on making life work for humanoid bodies.  The experiments he did were sick, and I just don’t know how a human being could be so vile and cruel!  It made me sick!  I then looked at Xion, who was still sleeping, and I wondered to myself if this was the reason she had broken up with me.  I touched her face gently, and she slightly moved, only to move her head to the side.  I sighed of relief and continued watching the video logs.  Good lord, Even was really a crazed psychopath!  Then, I saw the video log of when he created Xion, and as I kept watching, then came the words that shook me to my core. “Her internal body is starting to decay, and once that happens, Xion will no longer live.  She’ll be nothing but an empty shell.” That’s when I stopped the video and gasped in shock.  Xion…was going to die!?  I kept repeating myself this same question, and I just couldn’t come to accept what I have discovered!  She was going to die…and she didn’t tell me a thing about this.  Then, that’s when it came to me.  This was the probable reason for the break up.  She didn’t want me to suffer…

 

  But now…the suffering is more than I can bear…

(End Song Here)

---------------------------

 

“Now you know…”

“You can’t give up!”

“There’s no hope left!”

“Life is something worth fighting for!”

 

Stay tuned for Chapter Thirty Five: “It’s Now Or Never.”

 

Okay then everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope that you all enjoyed it!  I figured that I’d go for over the top drama on this chapter, and well, I hope I managed to reach that goal!  What do you think will happen next?  Will these two lovebirds ever get a happy ending?  Find out in the coming chapters!  Haha, and well, as always everyone, thank you so much for reading my story, and well, please be sure to leave your comments on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one! ^^

I didn't want to read this chapter... But I saw some of it...

Oh, man. So much drama. I can't wait for the next chapter.

 

P.S. I wonder if the next chapter will start with Xion waking up to find Roxas right there after he just finished watching the video logs.

Good evening everyone, I hope you’re all doing okay!  Wow, this month is almost over, can you believe it!?  Soon, March will come, and with that, a whole new month to experience unexpected things!  And hopefully there’s the chance we’ll get some Kingdom Hearts III news!  Let’s keep our fingers crossed!  Anyways, here’s another chapter, and I hope that you all enjoy it!  It’ll be from Xion’s point of view.  Now then, without further delay, read on, my loyal followers!

 

Chapter Thirty Five: It’s Now Or Never

 

  I felt someone beside me.  I felt the presence for a while now, but for some reason, I hadn’t been able to open my eyes.  After a while of having struggled to wake up, I just ignored the presence and thought of it as nothing more than a figment of my imagination.  I was still heartbroken from having to end my relationship with Roxas…I really didn’t want to…but I had to.  I didn’t want him to suffer on my account, so I knew that breaking up with him was the best thing I could have done.  With time, I hope Roxas will come to understand that.  But still, I will say…it was very hard to keep myself calm and collected during the break up.  All I wanted to do was cry into his arms, to hold him tight so that he could steal my pain away…but I didn’t want to be a burden to him…so I had to contain my emotions.  Only when I had come to my creator’s lab had I been able to cry, and in so doing, I had fallen asleep.  But now, it was time for me to wake up.  As I slowly opened my eyes, I noticed the silhouette of someone standing beside me.  At that, I froze.  The presence I had felt a while back wasn’t my imagination after all!  When my eyes adjusted, that’s when I saw who it was…

 

  “R-Roxas!?” I exclaimed in shock, and Roxas fell aback.  Apparently, he hadn’t expected me to wake up.  I quickly looked away and gave him the cold shoulder.

 

  “W-what are you doing here…?  I told you that we’re done…” I told him in a rough tone, and I didn’t get an answer.  I wanted to look at him, but I just couldn’t!

 

  “Xion…I saw what was on that computer…” he said, almost in a whisper.  I flinched when he said that, and I sighed and looked down.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “So…now you know.” I replied, avoiding eye contact with him.  The air was filled with a saddening silence.

 

  “Yeah…Xion, why didn’t you just tell me what was happening?” he asked me.

 

  “Because I didn’t want you to know, that’s why!  When I discovered that this was my inevitable fate, I just didn’t know what to do.  I felt cornered and paralyzed.  I didn’t even know how I could be able to explain all of this to you and our friends!  I racked my mind at it, trying to find a way to tell you all about this…but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I then realized that I didn’t want to burden you with my troubles anymore, so I thought that the best decision was to keep you in the dark about this.  I didn’t want you to keep suffering on my account…I just couldn’t bear seeing you suffer for me!  Roxas…this is why I broke up with you…this is why I had to end things.  I’m going to die soon…and there’s nothing that can be done to change that fate.  So please…Roxas…just leave…” I said to him after explaining my true feelings.

 

  “Xion…please, don’t push me away!  I want to help you!” he replied, and I bit my lower lip and tried not to cry.

 

  “Damn it Roxas…just leave!” I yelled at him.  I knew I was being cruel, but I had to push him away.  I just had to!

 

  “No, I’m not going to leave!  You can’t just expect me to believe that you’re just going to give up just like that!” he exclaimed, and I clenched my fists and looked down.

 

  “Well, believe it!  Because there’s no longer any hope for me…” I said while turning around and turning my back on him.  I then felt his hands on my shoulders and he turned me around and made me look into his eyes.

 

  “Xion, you can’t give up!  You just can’t!  There has to be someway for you to keep on living!  Artifical life or not, you are your own person, and no one can say otherwise!  You have to understand that you have the right to keep on living just like any other person in this world does!  You can’t just give up on life without at least fighting!  You have to fight for your life, fight for it and claim it back!  I don’t know how, but I know that we’ll be able to fix this somehow!  I know that there can be some way for you to keep on living!  You will live, you must live!  We’ll find a way together!  You have to believe me when I say that I’ll be by your side on this!  I won’t abandon you to despair!  Please, Xion, let me help you!  Life is something worth fighting for!” he said while pleading to me.  I could feel the sincerity in his voice and the determination in his eyes.  He was that determined for me…

 

  “There’s no hope left!” I exclaimed, trying to shake him off, but he wouldn’t budge.

 

  “Oh yes there is!  The last thing that a person loses in life is hope.  As long as there’s hope, there’s still a chance for the unexpected!” he said, holding me closely.

 

  “Roxas…this is why I didn’t want to tell you about anything…you’re building false hopes…” I said to him.

 

  “Xion, why are you so convinced that there’s no hope for you?  Why do you think that there’s absolutely no way to save you!?” he asked me, and at that, I remained silent.

 

  Now I really didn’t know what to do.  I desperately wanted Roxas to help me find a way to avoid my fate, but at the same time, I didn’t want him to have part in any of this.  He wondered why I was so convinced that there’s no way to save me.  It’s because I am an artificial life form.  Only a copy of life, an imitation.  That is the sole reason why that I know that I am destined to perish.  Even though Roxas says that I have the right to live just as any other person, I believe that fakes like me don’t deserve the luxury that is life.  But I knew that if I were to answer that to Roxas, he would object in a heartbeat.  That’s what I loved about him the most.  The fact that he’d always try to find a way to save me…the fact that he’d always say just the right words to get me out of my pain.  I loved him even more than I had ever loved him before…which was all the more reason that I couldn’t allow him to help me.  For the sake of the love we shared, I had to push him out of my life so that he wouldn’t have to suffer for me anymore.  But as much as I attempted to push him out, he’d just push himself back in.  He refused to give up.  All I wanted was to hug him, but instead, I turned my back on him anew.

 

  “Just…leave.” I said bluntly, and after a long silence, I heard Roxas walk away.  I didn’t look back.  I didn’t have the strength to do so.

 

  I immediately felt regret for what I did.  But I wasn’t going to beg Roxas to come back either.  Instead, I just slowly walked towards a corner of the lab and started crying.  I just couldn’t take this anymore.  Why did this have to hurt so much?  Why was love so cruel!?  I found myself not receiving any answere, with only the silent walls looming at all sides.  I sighed and closed up the lab door and head outside.  It was late noon, and the sky was a redish color.  I remained outside the doorway of the house and looked up at the sky, losing myself in the wide expanse that lay upwards.  Sometimes, I wished that I could be able to simply soar high into the sky, so high that I wouldn’t be able to see the ground below me.  I wanted to be able to feel free from all of this hurt and suffering.  I wanted to make everyone feel free.  I then sighed and regained my attention towards my surroundings.  I noticed a commotion going on a little bit farther from where I was.  Curious about all the noise, I went towards the source of the commotion, and when I was able to see what was going on, I was shocked to see Tidus laying on the floor, bleeding!

 

  “Oh my God, Tidus!” I yelled as I ran towards him, but two policemen stopped me and shook their heads.

 

  “I’m sorry young lady, but you can’t pass right now, the paramedics are on their way to pick up this boy.” one of them explained, and I looked at them with distress.

 

  “What happened to him!?” I asked.

 

  “Well, before he fell into unconsciousness, he told us that he had been chasing down a thief who had stolen a purse from an old lady, and in the boy’s attempt to stop said thief, he was shot near the lungs.” the other policeman explained, and I remained shock.

 

  “W-will he be okay?” I asked, and one of the policemen made a doubtful gesture while the other one put his hand on my shoulder.

 

  “All I can say is that we have to hold out hope.” the policeman said, and soon after, the paramedics came.

 

  As they were about to leave, I asked if I could get in the ambulance so I could be by Tidus’ side, and they said it was okay.  And so, when I got on the ambulance, I saw Tidus, with a peaceful expression on his face.  The paramedics had already patched up his wounds, so he’d be okay, for now.  They said that he’d be able to recover from this wound, but that the bullet would be a bit tricky to extract, since it was dangerously near one of his lungs.  I still couldn’t believe that this had happened!  It had all been so sudden that I had to remain calm in order to take all of this in.  A few minutes later, we arrived to the hospital, and Tidus was immediately brought to emergency care, and the doctors took him to an operating room to extract the bullet inside him.  I remained in the waiting room, worried sick.  Soon after, Roxas and the others came.  Roxas in particular was surprised to see me.

 

  “How is he?” Lea asked as he hugged me, and I shook my head.

 

  “I don’t know…they took him to the operating room just before you all arrived.” I explained, and then Ven and Vanitas came and hugged me as well.

 

  “I just hope he makes it out of this okay…” Ven said as he paced nervously.  Roxas then came and hugged me and then quickly pulled away.

 

  “We’ll be here for him.  He won’t be alone.” he said to me, and I nodded silently.  Vanitas crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

 

  “He’ll make it out of this alive.  He’s a fighter.  I know he won’t give up on life!” he proclaimed, and everyone nodded in agreement.

(End Song Here)

 

  As an eerie silence loomed over all of us, I thought about what Vanitas just said right now.  About Tidus not giving up on life.  It reminded me about what Roxas told me about not giving up on life.  I pondered on the words to myself, and whenever Roxas wasn’t looking, I’d gaze at him.  He seemed to be calm and collected, and from the looks of things, he hadn’t told any of our friends about what happened earlier.  I appreciated him for not saying anything, but at the same time, I felt bad.  Looking at him reminded me of the pain I inflicted on him by refusing his help.  Deciding to stop thinking about this, I shook my head and turned my attention towards the door to the operating room, where the operation was still taking place.  I looked at the clock at the hallway and noticed that one whole hour had passed since the operation started  All of us were beginning to feel restless.  Then, the doctor came out.

 

  “Well?  How did it go?” Ven asked, and the doctor eyed us out and smiled.

 

  “The operation was a success!  We were able to extract the bullet and avoid injuring the patient’s lungs.  He’s asleep right now, but before long, he should be waking up.” the doctor explained, and at that, we all sighed of relief.

 

  “Oh, thank goodness!  Thank you so much, doctor! This is great news!” I said to the doctor as I bowed in appreciation, and the rest did the same.

 

  “Well then, based on the level of his injury, the patient will be staying for about two weeks hospitalized here so we can keep an eye on his condition.  In the meantime, all of you can visit him.” the doctor said.

 

  “Right.  Thanks again, doctor!” Roxas said as he bowed appreciatively at the doctor.

 

(Start Song Here)

  God, this was such a big relief for all of us.  At least now we knew that Tidus was going to be okay after all!  I felt so happy to hear that!  The tension that had been surrounding all of us had dissipated immediately, and now we were excited to see Tidus!  But, seeing as he was probably going to be sleeping for a while, we decided to go outside of the hospital and go eat at a fast food restaurant in the meantime.  I felt so relaxed and happy to be with everyone, and we all had a good time.  Roxas and I constantly exchanged glances, and at one point, Roxas smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back.  But then I reminded myself that I had to get out of here.  I couldn’t stay here with everyone…because it’d just hurt even more to be with them.  I didn’t want them to suffer.  But, for now, for the sake of my friends, I put on a mask and pretended to be happy, playing along with everything, at least for now.  I knew that I’d be dying soon, so I at least wanted to die leaving my friends a happy memory.  This memory would be deeply engraved into their hearts, of that much I was certain.  I felt satisfied with that, and I remained calm.

 

  “Well guys, I say it’s been just about enough time, so I figure that Tidus must already be awake!” Vanitas proclaimed. 

 

  “That’s right, he should be awake by now!  Let’s go see him!” Ven said encouragingly, and everyone followed suit.

 

  “Seeing all of us will cheer him right up, I’m sure of it!” Lea said, and I nodded.

 

  “Yes, I’m sure that it’ll be good for him.  Come on guys, let’s go!” I said as I walked ahead of them.  When we arrived to the hospital, we signed some paperwork and then went to see Tidus.  He was in room 010.

 

  “Hey, you guys!” Tidus said weakly, but with a smile.

 

  “Hey buddy.  We’re here for you!” Roxas said, and with that, we all gathered around him.

 

  You should have seen Tidus’ face.  His eyes were watery, and he started cryng nonstop.  We all smiled, and we also started to cry.  Thank God Tidus hadn’t died!  We were all so greatful that he was able to survive the ordeal he had to go through.  As I expected, I knew that Tidus would be happy to see us.  In fact, he was happier than I expected him to be.  This just proved how strong Tidus really was.  Even though he had gone through a life threatening experience, he was still able to smile like if nothing had happened to him.  I admired that trait about Tidus.  Ever since I had met him, he had always come across as a spirited boy.  He always had energy to spare, shining some light on us whenever we were in the dumps.  Tidus was truly an admirable person, and I found myself feeling inspired by him.  As the minutes passed, we all talked and reminisced about old times, and we told jokes and talked about different kinds of things, and then Tidus talked to us about his Blitzball idea, and how excited he was about it.  It was all a very blissful, happy moment.  It’s a memory that I’d cherish forevermore in my heart.  Always.

 

  “Haha, well guys, it’s been fun, but I have to get going home now.  I’m happy that you’re okay Tidus.” Lea said as he waved goodbye and left.

 

  “Speaking of home, we have to get going too.  See you, Tidus, we’re happy that you’re alive and well!” Ven said as he and Vanitas walked away

 

  “You coming, Roxas?” Vanitas asked, and Roxas waved his hand.

 

  “I’ll catch up in a bit!” he said, and now it was only Roxas and I with Tidus.

 

  “Guys…thank you so much for this.  You guys really made my day.” Tidus said as he laughed and looked at the ceiling.

 

  “You know that we’re always here for you.” I said to him, and Roxas nodded in agreement.

 

  “You know something?  It’s funny, how things can change in a single instant.  We have life, but it can be taken away from us just like that.  It’s really scary stuff.  I was scared sick when you and Roxas had been hospitalized, and well, when I was about to die, I panicked.  I didn’t know what to think!  As I felt death slowly embracing me, I wanted to desperately get out of death’s hold.  I had never had such a desire to live than at that moment.  I suddenly thought about how things changed so quickly.  And well, thank God that I was able to stay alive.  You know, these kinds of things just make you appreciate life more.  It makes you see the things that truly matter.  Things like these make life worth living, worth fighting for to the very end, you know?” Tidus explained, pouring his heart out.  Roxas and I remained silent as we listened to him.

 

  “Haha, sorry about that guys.  I guess I got a little too serious, didn’t I?” Tidus asked with a chuckle, and I quickly shook my head and held his hand.

 

  “No, not at all.  What you speak is the truth, and Roxas and I can relate to you.  You’re right.  Things like these really do make us appreciate life more.” I said to him, and he smiled and sighed.

 

  “Yeah.  That’s how it is.” Tidus replied, and then Roxas stood by my side.

 

  “Well Tidus, at least now you can officially say that you went through all this and made it out alive.” Roxas said with a smile, and at that, Tidus laughed.

 

  “Haha, yeah, you’re right!  And let me tell you, it feels good to be alive!” Tidus remarked, and then the doctor came in.

 

  “Excuse me, but now we must run some diagnostics on the patient, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” the doctor explained.

 

  “Yes, of course.  We’ll be going now.  Well Tidus, I’m so happy you’re okay!  I’ll see you again!” I said to him as he waved goodbye at me.

 

  “See you soon, buddy.  Thank God you’re alive.” Roxas said, and Tidus smiled and waved at us both.

 

  “Bye guys, thanks for dropping by!” Tidus said, and with that, we left the room and then walked towards the outside of the hospital.  Roxas and I stood side by side, and we remained silent.

(End Song Here)

 

  The silence felt awkward and saddening.  I knew that there were many things Roxas wanted to tell me, and I knew that all he wanted to do now was give me support, but he remained silent.  He didn’t say a word because he understood my feelings, and I appreciated him for that.  But…for a moment, I considered getting close to him and holding his hand, and I wanted to kiss him.  But I restrained myself and kept calm, and instead, I just kept my distance.  The awkward silence loomed, and it seemed as if we were waiting for one of us to say something.  Then, I decided that I’d be the one to act first, and I simply waved at Roxas and turned around and started to walk away.  I could hear Roxas’ footsteps following behind me, but he stopped, and I bit my lower lip, trying to keep myself calm.  I sighed and kept walking.

 

  “Goodbye…Roxas.” I said to him in a whisper.

------------------------------------

 

“Where did Xion go?”

“We’ll help you look for her!”

“Don’t give up on me, Xion…”

“Where is she?”

 

Be prepared for Chapter Thirty Six: “Xion’s Dissapearance.”

 

Well everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope that you all found it to your enjoyment!  I hope you’re all looking forward to the next one!  Only 14 more chapters to go and this story will reach its conclusion!  So then, what have you thought of the story so far?  Have you enjoyed it?  And what do you think will happen next?  Haha, please leave your comments on what you thought of tonight’s chapter, and as always, thank you very much for your patience and support!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

Well, this was interesting...

Oh, thank goodness Tidus is ok. I hope everything with Xion will turn out ok too.

Hey there everyone, and good evening!  I hope you’re all doing okay, and thank you for the comments!  So then, this is the final chapter of the month, so I hope you all find it to your enjoyment!  This chapter will be from Roxas’ perspective!  What do you think is going to happen?  What lies ahead for Roxas and Xion?  Read on and find out!

 

Chapter Thirty Six: Xion’s Dissaperance

(Start Song Here)

  Uneasiness.

 

  That’s all I’ve been feeling ever since I saw Xion walk away from the hospital yesterday.  I wanted to talk to her, to convince her that she doesn’t have to face her situation alone, that she doesn’t have to give up on life…but something in my heart was telling me that it wasn’t the right thing to do.  Xion was still obviously sorting things out, and as much as I wanted to help her out, I couldn’t do such a thing.  I had to let her do this by herself, even though it hurt to not be able to help her.  I couldn’t sleep at all last night.  I just couldn’t get to sleep, no matter how hard I tried.  I looked at the mirror and noticed that I had bags under my eyes.  Ugh, great, bags.  I really hated having bags under my eyes.  But, after not being able to sleep for a whole night, there was no avoiding the pesky things.  I sighed and opened the door.  I then went downstairs and saw Vanitas watching TV and Ven working on something in the dining room.  I was a bit puzzled at first, but then I remembered that today was Saturday, so there was no school.  I sighed and walked towards the living room and then sat down on the couch beside Vanitas, who took a glance at me. 

 

  “Whoa, what happened to you?  You look like you didn’t sleep at all last night!” Vanitas remarked.

 

  “You got that right…I couldn’t sleep.” I replied, and we both remained silent for a bit.

 

  “Xion?” Vanitas asked, and I nodded.

 

  “Yeah…I just…couldn’t stop thinking about her.  I’m worried about her Vanitas…and I can’t stop worrying about her.” I said as I put my hands on my face.

 

  “Hey…don’t beat yourself up about it, okay?  I’m sure she’s doing okay.  Just give her some time.” Vanitas said reassuringly, and I smiled and stroked my hair.

 

  “You’re right.  Thanks, bro.” I said, and then I watched TV with him.

 

  Vanitas was flipping over the channels every three minutes or so, so when I was starting to enjoy whatever show I was watching, Vanitas would change the channel.  It was quite irritating, but I really didn’t care much.  Then Vanitas flipped over to one of the Starz channels, and it looked like it was broadcasting Disney movies all day.  Right now the movie that was currently playing was Tangled.  A personal favorite of mine.  I just really loved the chemistry between Flynn and Rapunzel!  After finishing the movie, I decided to head over to Ven to see what he was up to.  He was still working on something, and when I took a closer look, I noticed that it was a school project.  Typical Ven.  He’d always work hard, even on weekends.  I then sat beside him, and he quickly lifted his eyes toward me, and then he looked at me with a glare.  I was a bit puzzled.

(End Song Here)

 

  “What?” I asked.

 

  “Roxas, just because you’re worried about Xion doesn’t mean that you have to lose a night of rest!  Rest is vital for the body!” Ven exclaimed.  I smiled and rolled my eyes.

 

  “Yeah, I know, I know.  Sleep is important.  I got that.  Anyways, why are you working on a project in the weekend?” I asked him, and then he looked at me quizzically.

 

  “Well, unlike some people here, I want to be able to have my work done before the return date of said work!  You know I’m not one to leave everything for the last day!” he answered.

 

  “Yeah, you are overly responsible.” I said with a chuckle.

 

  “There’s no such thing as overly responsible!” Ven replied with a glare.

 

  “Sure, sure, whatever you say bro.” I said to him, and then I went towards the kitchen and prepared myself a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, and I decided I’d eat it in the kitchen.

 

  As I ate, I felt a bit drowsy, and that’s when I turned on the water from the dishwasher and washed my face to remain awake.  After doing so, I kept eating my sandwich, and then I looked out the nearby window.  Today was a beautiful day.  I smiled and took in the rays of the sun, and then I finished eating my sandwich and served myself a glass of Orange Juice, and after that, I took a shower to wake me up better, and then I put on a pair of shorts and a graphic tee and some Converse sneakers, and then I walked outside.  I felt like listening to music, so I took my IPad Mini with me, and then I plugged in the earphones and put the music player to shuffle, and then I put the IPad Mini in my fanny pack.  I told my brothers I’d be out for a walk, and so I started walking.  I relaxed and let the music flow into me, and I found myself humming along with the songs that I was listening to.

 

  “Now then, let’s see…where will I walk to today?” I asked myself as I looked around.  I considered going to the park, but then decided not to.

 

  “Hmm…where to go?” I kept asking myself as I looked around, and suddenly, that’s when I noticed someone a few feet away from me.  I stopped in my tracks and took my earphones off.

 

  “Huh?  Who are you?” I asked to the person.  The person simply remained silent and kept pointing at me.  Whoever that person was, he or she was too far off for me to see, but I definitely knew that person was pointing at me.

 

  “Okay…I’ll get to you.” I whispered to myself, and so, I started walking quickly towards the person.

 

  “Just don’t wander off…” I whispered to myself, hoping the person wouldn’t just go away.

 

(Start Song Here)

  But, strangely enough, the closer I was getting to the person, the more far off I felt.  I wasn’t sure why this was happening, but I kept walking, as if on instinct.  It was a very strange feeling, but something in my heart was telling me to follow this person.  Then, I saw the world around me distort, and that’s when I realized what was happening.  Those strange dreams I used to have were now coming back.  This was bad.  If I was having a daydream now, this meant that something bad was about to happen.  But I had already decided to follow this person, so that was what I was going to do.  And so, I kept trudging onward, not bothering to hesitate.  If this person had something to tell me about Xion, I had to know what it was!  And just as I thought that, the landscape around me immediately changed, and now everything was a black and white color, even myself!  God, this was all so strange!  Then, I suddenly felt immobilized, but I didn’t take my eyes off of the person that was still pointing at me.  Slowly, the person started walking towards me, and then, in the blink of an eye, the person appeared right in front of me, turning out to be a female.

 

  “Roxas…” the female uttered, and I flinched slightly.  I then glared at her and expected her to say something.

 

  “Well, what is it?  What do you want from me?” I asked, demanding to know what it is she wanted.  She then turned around and pointed towards a forest.

 

  “You are searching for the girl, are you not?  You will find her there.” she answered me, and my heart pounded strongly against my chest.

 

  “Xion!  What happened to her!?” I asked, and the female simply turned around to look at me and then walk in circles around me, and then, she laughed.

 

  “You are definitely an entertaining one.” the female said, and with those final words, she disappeared, and I was thrust back into reality.

 

  I noticed I had fallen to the floor, and then I quickly stood up and looked around.  A forest…where could I find a forest around here?  That’s what I asked myself, and then that’s when I remembered the forest on the outskirts of town!  If that girl from my daydream was telling the truth, Xion should be there then!  And so, I started making a run for it, as if my life depended on getting to that forest!  I couldn’t stop, I just couldn’t!  I had the gnawing feeling that something bad was about to happen!  My heart beat faster against my chest, and I could feel my legs get heavy from running so much.  I started to feel weary, but I didn’t care.  I kept pressing onward, hoping I’d be able to find Xion before it was too late!  I kept running, until I made it to the outskirts of town.  The forest was lush and beautiful and vastly huge.  Before going in, I took a deep breath.  I just hope that Xion hadn’t gone too far in!  Growing ever more concerned for her, I started walking towards the forest when a nearby police guard came towards me.  Great, just what I needed!  But…on the other hand, this police might know what happened to Xion!

(End Song Here)

 

  “Hey, you there, boy!  What are you doing over there?  You look a bit nervous…” the police guard remarked as he looked at me with suspicion.

 

  “Good, you’re here.  Sir, have you seen a girl pass by through here?” I asked, and the police guard kept eyeing me out.

 

  “No, I haven’t seen any girl pass by…what are you doing here by yourself?” he asked, and I rolled my eyes and clenched my fists.

 

  “Well, isn’t it obvious?  I’m looking for the girl I asked you about!” I answered angrily, and then I regretted doing that, since the police guard looked at me with even more suspicion.

 

  “I don’t know…you seem like a suspicious fellow.” he said, and then ordered me to stay put.

 

  Now I was getting really desperate.  The minutes rolled on by and the police guard still wouldn’t let me go!  Did I look that much like a delincuent to him?  I mean good God, I had never come across a more suspicious looking cop in my life!  Damn it, it was irritating!  But, in order to not make a big, unnecessary mess, I forced myself to stay put.  All I had to do was just sit and wait until the police guard would let me go.  But, as the minutes kept passing by, I saw that this was going to be a tedious wait.  Then, a police car came and from it came out another cop and Claire!  I immediately felt relieved!  Claire would be able to clear things up with the stupid cop, and I’d be able to look for Xion!  At first, she didn’t seem to notice me, but after a few seconds, she saw me and quickly headed towards me and glanced over at the police guard giving me the suspicious look.

 

  “Roxas!  What are you doing here?” she asked, and then the police guard walked up to her.

 

  “Oh, so you know this kid, Claire?” he asked, and she nodded and crossed her arms.

 

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know him.  I’d like to know why you have him here.” she said while glaring at him.  The police guard fixed his tie and cleared his throat.

 

  “Well ma’am, he looked like a suspicious fellow, and he looked to be anxious, so I told him to stay put.” he explained.

 

  “Well, you don’t have to worry, because Roxas isn’t a threat to anyone, so let him go, understand?” she asked, and he nodded nervously.

 

  “Y-yes ma’am!  Right away!” he answered, and then he gestured for me to stand up, and I left with Claire and headed towards the entrance of the forest.  She then crossed her arms.

 

  “Okay, tell me, what’s up?” she asked.  I then took a deep breath.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Look Claire, the thing is that Xion has been pretty depressed lately, and let’s just say that right now she’s going through a particularly rough time, and she doesn’t want to be around us because she thinks she’s a burden, and she says she doesn’t want to make anyone suffer, so she’s been very distant to all of us, avoiding contact with us and well, just generally being alone.  Yesterday, after seeing Tidus in the hospital, she quickly left the minute we went outside.  I didn’t even get the chance to say something to her.  And well, I couldn’t sleep at all last night, and well, something told me that Xion is here in the forest.  Claire, I need to look for her and find her, before she does anything reckless!  I couldn’t stand it if she got hurt!” I exclaimed as I explained everything to Claire, and then she nodded and smiled and knelt in front of me.

 

  “Okay, I get it.  Go and get your girl back.  And in the meantime, I’ll gather up your friends, and we’ll help you look for her.” she replied, and I smiled.

 

  “Thanks Claire.  You always come through for me.  I don’t know how to repay you.” I said to her, and she shook her head.

 

  “Think nothing of it.  Now go, before it gets dark.” she said with a smile, and then I nodded and waved at her and ran towards the forest.

 

  “Thank you for this Claire…thank you so much!” I said yet again as I bid farewell to her.  Now, I could look for Xion without any delays!

 

  “I’ll find you Xion…please, just don’t do anything reckless!” I said to myself as I prayed that nothing bad had happened to Xion.

(End Song Here)

 

  As I ran through the forest, the trees were swaying back and forth as a strong wind was picking up.  As I looked up towards the sky, I noticed that it started to get cloudy.  And so, the forest seemed much darker, but still bright enough for me to see where I was going.  I kept my full focus on Xion, and I kept running, even though my mouth was dry, my lungs were about to explode, and my feet were about to give up and stop on me.  No matter what, I had to keep running!  Heading deeper into the forest, I noticed that the path diverged into three different pathways.  Great, this is just what I needed!  I didn’t even know which path I was supposed to take!  Closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of the forest, I calmed down and let my heart decide which path to take.  When I opened my eyes, I took the left path, and as I went through said path, it led me to a winding natural maze of vines and overgrown pine trees.  I took a deep breath and ran through as many thick groups of trees as I could, and my clothes started to get scraped by the tree branches.  Where did Xion go?  The sky was getting darker, and I picked up the pace, eventually coming to a clearing.

 

  “Xion!  Xion!!!” I called out, but no answer was given to me.  I then waited for a bit just in case, and when I heard no one reply, I put my hands together and shout again.

 

  “Xion!!!” I called out, and still nothing.  Where is she?

 

  “Where could you be?” I asked to myself as I felt desperate and anxious.  I didn’t know what to do now.  I then looked up toward the sky, and I closed my eyes and sighed.

 

  “God…why is this happening?” I asked in my mind.

 

  Then, all of a sudden, the strangest thing began to happen.  As I returned my gaze from the sky to the forest, I found myself confused.  Why was I here in the forest, and at this time, of all times?  It was going to get dark soon!  I crossed my arms and tried to think of why I was here.  The more I tried to think about the reason, the more confused I got.  Then, I started having a strong headache, and for a moment, my vision blurred.  What the hell was happening to me?  Then I suddenly remembered.  I was here in the forest because I had come chasing after someone.  But who that someone was, I don’t know.  It all felt weird and blurry.  As I walked through the clearing, I saw a set of boulders, and I sat on one of them, and all of a sudden, I heard someone crying.  It was a girl!  Looking around to see where the girl might be, I followed the sound of her crying, and when I got to the girl, I saw her there on the grass.  Her knees were on her chest, and she covered her head with her arms.  Then, my heart pounded instantly.  That’s when I remembered!  Xion!  But…why the hell had I suddenly forgotten her?  I immediately felt guilty for having forgotten her…

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Roxas…why did you come?” she asked as she stood up but avoided looking at me.

 

  “Why wouldn’t I come?  I came here to find you!  I was worried sick about you!” I answered her as I clenched my fists.

 

  “I wasn’t asking to be found!  You should have just left me be!” she suddenly blurted out, and I remained silent for a bit.

 

  “You’re seriously that desperate to disappear from everyone’s lives?” I asked her, looking down at the floor while holding back my tears.

 

  “Roxas…please, don’t.  I already made it clear that things can’t turn out for the better!  Roxas…I just…” she said but couldn’t finish.

 

  “Just what!?  You think that by going off on your own to disappear from everyone’s lives is a good thing?  You think that you’re doing everyone good by just thinking selfishly!?  Xion, you have to think about everyone that cares about you!  All of us have been worried about you!  Things aren’t the same without you!  I can’t even get a bit of sleep because I always worry about you!  Can’t you see how important you are to everyone?  Can’t you see how important you are to me?  If you left and never came back…I don’t know what I’d do!  I wouldn’t know how to live with myself knowing that you’d be gone from my life forever!  Xion, I am begging of you, stop thinking that you should carry your troubles and burdens alone.  Please let me help, let our friends help too!” I pleaded to her, tears rolling down my face.  I couldn’t remain composed anymore.  I had to let the tears out!

 

  “Roxas…I don’t know what to say…” Xion uttered, and from the look of her face, she was touched by my words.

 

  “Just say you’ll stay with me.  Say that you’ll stay with me and you won’t go…” I said to her as I pulled her towards me and held her close.  Our eyes met and we slowly leaned towards each other.

 

  “Roxas…I’ll just end up hurting you…more than you might think.” she whispered as she inched closer to me.

 

  “I’m willing to endure the pain.  I’m willing to endure whatever pain if it means I don’t have to lose you…” I whispered to her as I inched closer to her.

 

  “Roxas…I…” she began to say, but I put my finger to her lips.

 

  We then looked into each other’s eyes one more time, and soon after, we leaned fully into each other and kissed passionately.  Our lips collided and our bodies heated up.  God, I felt as if the whole world had frozen in time, and that it was just me and Xion, in this timeless moment.  I felt as if nothing could ever come close to this feeling.  My heart pounded insanely against my chest, and I felt my body heat up even more!  I could feel Xion heating up as well, and then we slowly pulled away from the kiss, and I gave out a gasp.  That had been one breathtaking kiss!  I looked at her and she blushed and bit her lip while looking down at the floor.  I smiled and chuckled softly and held her close to me, and I hugged her tight, and she hugged me back, and then I held her hands in mine.  I then looked into her eyes once more and smiled.

 

  Don’t give up on me Xion…because I won’t give up on you.  Not now.  Not ever!

(End Song Here)

-------------------------------------------------

 

“There has to be some record here that can help!”

“Can’t find anything…”

“Let’s keep looking!”

“Can there be a way to save me?”

 

Stay tuned for Chapter Thirty Seven: “Searching For A Hopeful Answer.”

 

Well then, that was the chapter everyone, I hope you all enjoyed it!  I wonder if you can all guess why Roxas momentarily forgot about Xion?   I won’t answer the question and I’ll leave it to your interpretation!  So then, are you all excited for what’s going to happen next?  As always, thank you for your comments, patience and support, and please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was great.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!!!! I loved this chapter and the orchestra version of Xion's theme went so perfectly with that part pf the chapter.

Evening there, everybody!  I hope you’re all doing okay!  So then, we’ve officially begun the month of March!  Boy, time sure does fly fast!  Anyways, happy March to all of you!  So then, here’s another chapter of the story, so I hope you all enjoy it!  It’ll be from Xion’s perspective.  Ooh, and on a side note, I’m really hoping that we get some Kingdom Hearts III news at Pax East this weekend!  Let’s cross our fingers!  Anyways, without further ado, here’s the chapter, everyone!

 

Chapter Thirty Seven: Searching For A Hopeful Answer

 

  After Roxas and I had made our way out of the forest, we walked for a long while around town.  It had been a while since I had walked like this with Roxas, and I felt really happy.  I still felt bad after the way I had tried to push him and everyone else away…but the fact of the matter is that Roxas wasn’t ready to give up on me, so he convinced me to let him help me.  I smiled and held his hand tightly as we walked together.  It was moments like these that really made me feel alive and loved!  We kept walking as the sun started to set slowly.  Claire and our friends had come to us, and from what Roxas explained, he told me that all of them had agreed to search for me.  I felt touched, and I felt a little embarrassed too!  But it was nice to know that my friends cared and worried about me.  But even with all the happiness, I still had the thought of my lingering death coming upon me, and it’s something that wouldn’t disappear from my thoughts.  Then, as we were heading towards my old house, I stopped for a moment and looked at the door to the house, and Roxas looked at me.  I let go of his hand and stared at the house intently.

 

  “Xion, you want to go in there, don’t you?” he asked, and I nodded.

 

  “Yes…if there is a way that I can prevent my death, then it should be in my creator’s research notes.  I’m sure there’s something there!” I answered to him with determination.

 

  “Okay then, let’s go look through the lab and see if we can dig something up!” he said as he smiled  enthusiastically at me.

 

  “Thank you Roxas…” I replied as I blushed.

 

  “Well, come on then, what are we waiting for?  Let’s go inside!” he said to me, and so, we went into the house and headed straight towards the lab.

 

  “Search thouroghly, there has to be something around here!” I proclaimed, and Roxas nodded.

 

  “Yeah, I got it!” he said as he walked towards the other end of the lab.

 

  And so, we began our search, and as Roxas and I kept looking through all the different research notes that my creator had left, none of them contained anything useful that could be of help.  I sighed and stood up for a moment and glanced over at Roxas, who was deeply concentrated on the research notes he was reading.  I considered telling him to stop searching, but he seemed so determined, that I just couldn’t tell him to stop.  With that in mind, I continued to search for more research notes myself, eyeing out every possible piece that contained information on his experiments with humanoid bodies.  The minutes passed into hours, and when I looked at the clock that was near one of the tables in the lab, I noticed that it had been three hours since we had begun our search here.  Three whole hours!  It was unbelieavable!  Suddenly, Roxas looked over at me and waved his hand at me.

 

  “So, I’m guessing you haven’t found anything then?” he asked, and I shook my head and sighed.

 

  “No…nothing at all.  Can’t find anything…it’s just depressing.” I answered while putting a strand of my hair behind my ear.

 

  “Well, we can’t give up!  There has to be some record here that can be of help!  There just has to!  Let’s keep looking!” he proclaimed, and I crossed my arms.

 

  “But what if there’s nothing at all to look for?” I asked him, and he rolled his eyes and held me by my shoulders.

 

  “Well, we won’t know until we’ve searched every single research note, am I right?” he asked me, and I smiled and nodded, feeling more confident.

 

  “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Roxas.” I said to him, and so, we continued our search.

 

(Start Song Here)

  While continuing our search, the sun set completely, and so I turned on the light of the lab so that we could be able to see, and so we put all the research notes we hadn’t examined on top of one of the tables.  We sat down on nearby chairs and started scouring through all the unexamined research notes, but the more I read, the less I seemed to find.  I ocassionaly looked at Roxas, who checked and rechecked every research note he was examining.  He was trying so hard to help me…it made me blush!  I then turned my attention back to the research notes I was examining, and then I came upon two folders that looked quite important.  I opened said folders and saw what seemed to be a chart for every single experiment he had undergone concerning the humanoid bodies.  I think I had finally hit the jackpot!

 

  “Roxas, I think I found something!” I said to him, and he quickly came to my side.

 

  “Well, what is it, what did you find?” he asked me with an excited expression on his face.

 

  “It seems to be a chart of all the experiments my creator did with the humanoid bodies!  There might be something here!” I answered him.

 

  “This could be it, Xion…the answer we’re looking for!” he said to me as he held my hand tightly.  My heart pounded at the hope that there was something here!

 

  “Okay…let’s see what we find here.” I said as I began to scour all the contents of the folders, and then I came upon an interesting document.

 

  “Roxas, this looks promising.” I said to him.

 

  “Read it out loud!” he replied, and so, I cleared my throat and began to read.

 

  “Okay, so get this.  According to this experiment report, my creator summed up his observations of each of his experiments.  Okay, so it goes like this. ‘As I have slowly been noticing during all of my experiments regarding humanoid bodies, there seems to be a pattern.  After each of my attempts lives a certain amount of time, the body deteriorates and the subconscious of the subject is no more.  Ever since my first failure, I observed each one I kept making, trying to see what was the pattern.  Of course, some of them died immediately after being created, so the results turned out unpredictable.  There is the possibility that one of my experiments could end up living a whole human life without having any complications…but on the other hand, they could die unexpectedly, as my subjects have proven to do.  But, with Xion, things seem different.  It seems that her body is able to adapt.  She’s lasted longer than any other one of my subjects, so she’s an intriguing one indeed.  Perhaps she is worthy of the Heart…but, that is something I shall explain further down the road.’  So, that’s basically it.” I said as I finished reading.

 

  “That last part…he said that you could be worthy of the Heart?  But what could he have meant by that?” Roxas asked, and I shrugged, just as clueless as he was.

 

  “I don’t know.  That’s the thing about my creator.  He was a very strange man.  And very secretive.” I replied, and Roxas looked at the document I was holding with hope in his eyes.

 

  “Still, something is something!  At least we’ve got a clue!  Now we just have to find out what this ‘Heart’ is!  Maybe it’s some kind of medical device!” he suggested, and I smiled and hugged him tight and kissed him on the lips.

 

  “We’ve done enough for today Roxas.  Tomorrow’s another day.  Let’s go to your house and call it a day, okay?” I asked as I looked at him, and then he nodded.

 

  “Yeah, okay.” he complied, and so, we closed up the lab and the house and left toward his house.

(End Song Here)

 

  When we arrived, Ven and Vanitas came and greeted us, and we all gathered around the living room and watched TV for a while until late at night, and then they went upstairs to sleep, and now only Roxas and I remained in the living room.  The dim light of the TV screen was the only light shining on us, and I found myself cuddling to Roxas, and he embraced me.  I felt his loving warmth and I felt calm and relaxed.  We didn’t speak to each other, and in a way, it wasn’t necessary to speak.  Our comforting silence to each other was all we needed at this moment.  The fact that we were there to have each other to hold was enough to make us feel happy.  I looked up at him, and he looked down at me and smiled and kissed my forehead.  When I looked at the clock, it was exactly 12:30 am.  Right now we were watching some late night runs of Teen Titans, a pretty famous cartoon show from around 2006.  The episodes were pretty good and entertaining.  After about two episodes, Roxas turned off the TV, and now it was pitch black in the living room.  I felt Roxas hold my hand as he guided me upstairs and entered his room, where the moonlight dimly shone on his room.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Xion…” he whispered yearningly, and I blushed and instantly felt my body heat up.

 

  “R-Roxas…” I whispered almost silently, as the moon allowed me to look at his face.  He was looking at me with lustful eyes.  I gulped and walked towards the window.

 

  “L-look at the moon.  Isn’t it beautiful tonight?” I asked him, and then I felt his hands slowly rub my waist, and I closed my eyes and flinched.  I bit my lower lip.  I knew where this was going…

 

  “Yes, it is a beautiful moon…just as beautiful as you.” he whispered into my ear.  I then felt his body press up against mine from behind, and I felt him breathing gently on my neck.

 

  “Nngh, R-Roxas!” I gasped out as I tried to resist the temptation.

 

  “It’s going to be okay…” he whispered, and then, I just surrendered myself to him.

 

  He first started by kissing me on the neck.  As he kissed me, I felt goosebumps, and I couldn’t help but let out a moan.  I couldn’t help it!  It just felt too good!  Then, his grip around my waist tightened slightly, as he rubbed my waist up and down.  I extended my arm to Roxas’ head, and I stroked his hair slowly, pressing his head against mine, feeling his heat.  Oh God, the lust was unbearable!  Roxas was making me feel so alive!  He then rubbed my legs, and I soon started shaking.  My legs were so sensitive!  I almost collapsed to the ground, but Roxas held my legs, and soon he held me up and then gently put me on his bed, spreading my arms and legs out wide.  I knew that my face was blood red, because I could feel both of my cheeks burning like hell!  He looked at me silently and lovingly, and I looked at him and blushed.

 

  “Xion…I-I’m sorry if I’m being too…ahead of myself.” he said apologetically, but I shook my head.

 

  “N-no, it’s okay…I don’t mind…” I said to him, licking my lips.  I wanted him to continue…

 

  “Xion…I love you so much…” he said to me as he slowly leaned himself down towards me.  I felt his chest gently collide with my chest, and he was now licking my ear.

 

  “Nngh, I love you too, Roxas!” I yelped as I let out a loud moan and then quickly covered my mouth.  At that, Roxas laughed.

 

  “You’re so cute when you’re so sensitive…” he said with a chuckle, and I smiled and then looked away.

 

  “Do whatever you want with me…” I whispered to him seductively.

 

  And so, he continued kissing my neck, and I closed my eyes and enjoyed every moment of it.  We then kissed each other passionately, and we felt our tongues collide and slip in each other’s mouthes, and then he lifted up my shirt and then stared at me with my bra.  I blushed and covered myself at first, but then, he slowly uncovered me and then took off my bra…and then he saw my breasts.  Oh God, now I really felt embarrassed!  Roxas seemed to get caught off guard, for he blushed insanely red the minute he stared at my breasts.  He looked so cute!  I bit my lower lip and got even more turned on seeing him get so shy.  I then pulled him towards my breasts and put his head on them, and he remained there, and I could feel the heat of his face.  Then, just as he was about to lick one of my breasts, someone knocked on the door!  At that, we both froze!

(End Song Here)

 

  “Gah!!!  Q-quick, get under the covers and pretend you’re sleeping!” Roxas whispered to me, and that’s exactly what I did.

 

  “Coming!” he said quietly to whoever was knocking at the door.  He then slowly opened the door and I saw that it was Ven.

 

  “Hey, Roxas?  Did you hear any strange noises just now?” he asked, and Roxas just casually stood there.

 

  “No, nothing at all.  Why do you ask?” he asked him, and then Ven shook his head.

 

  “No, it’s nothing.  Never mind.  Good night.  Love you bro.” Ven replied.

 

  “Love you too.” Roxas said as he slowly closed the door, and then he walked towards me and laid beside me on the bed and we instantly started laughing.

 

  I couldn’t help but laugh, because seriously, this was just priceless!  Ven probably heard us and assumed it was some kind of noise.  Good thing we weren’t too loud, otherwise, things would have been awkward!  Roxas smiled and put his arms around me, and I smiled and dug my head into his chest, and he rubbed my head and kissed my forehead and smiled.  Again, a silence now loomed between us, but it was a serene type of silence.  Both of us felt so immersed in this moment, so happy and so alive.  I honestly felt happier than I had felt in a long time!  Being here with Roxas made me whole, and I felt that with him, I would always feel safe and sound.  And I knew that I also gave him reassurance and happiness, for it was evident in his eyes that he cherished having me close.  All this time I had tried to push him away, but now I realized that there was no sense in me having done so.  I’m very grateful that Roxas didn’t give up on me and that he kept insisting on helping me.  I felt so happy that he came to me.  And now, I’d give him all the love that he’d always given me.  With a loving kiss, we fell asleep rather quickly.

 

  “Good morning!!!!” I heard a far off voice say, but I didn’t open my eyes.

 

  “Good morning!!!!” the voice said again, and I still didn’t open my eyes.  I didn’t want to wake up.

 

  “Haha, forget it Vanitas, those two lovebirds are so deep asleep that nothing can wake them up!” I heard Ven say distantly.

 

  “Oh, don’t worry, I have a way to wake them both up!” Vanitas said as I heard his footsteps grow distant.

 

  “Well, this should be entertaining.” I heard Ven say with a chuckle.  I then felt fully awake, but didn’t open my eyes.  When I heard some footsteps come close, I quickly tossed a kick, and heard Vanitas squeal.

 

  “Gahhh!!!!” Vanitas yelled out as he fell to the floor in pain, with a bucket of water he had pouring over him.  Ven laughed immediately.

 

  “Oh ho, she got you!!!  That was priceless!!!” Ven replied, and Roxas woke up feeling confused.

 

  “Huh?  What’s all this mess about?” he asked wearily, and I giggled and kissed him on the lips and smiled at him.

 

  “Let’s just go downstairs and get some breakfast.” I suggested, and we left Vanitas holding onto his groin in pain.

 

(Start Song Here)

  And so, as we went downstairs, Ven prepared us breakfast, and as we waited for the breakfast to be done, I told Roxas what happened with Vanitas, and then he burst out into laughter.  You should have seen the look on his face!  He clearly enjoyed it!  After about five minutes, Vanitas came down, walking wearily and limping.  He looked like he had just finished drying himself, and he had a different pair of clothes.  He glared at me and then groaned in pain.  I couldn’t help but keep giggling.  Becuause I wasn’t going to let Vanitas pour wet, cold water on me in the morning, so I decided to do what needed to be done.  I’m sure he’d understand.  And so, Ven came and put our plates on the table.  Today’s breakfast was egg salad with cubed cheese and bread sticks.  We all quickly dug in and started eating.  As I saw them eating, I looked towards the kitchen window, noticing how the sun was shining so brightly towards me.  I felt happy having breakfast here, and well, I felt so comforted!  After eating breakfast, I told Ven that I’d wash the dishes, and so that’s what I did, while Roxas dried out the plates I’d hand to him with a towel.  Vanitas then came to the kitchen and glared at me.  I giggled and smiled at him.

 

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you down there!” I exclaimed.

 

  “You have given me so much pain!!!” Vanitas replied as he kept limping, but then he suddenly burst out into laughter.

 

  “Yep.  Looks like you made my brother snap!” Roxas remarked while chuckling to himself.

 

  “Ah, I’m sorry.  I just have to admit.  Now that I think about it, the stunt she pulled on me was hilarious!  Haha, don’t worry Xion, we’re cool.” Vanitas said while smiling at me.

 

  “Haha, that’s good.  I hope you learned your lesson.” I said to him, and he nodded.

 

  “Oh yes.  I’ll never attempt to wake any of you with cold water again!” he replied, and at that, we all laughed.

 

  After finishing up on the dishes, I went outside for a bit, and Roxas followe closely behind.  Ven had said he had some things to take care of, and Vanitas said that he’d be going to the mall today to see if he could pick up any girls.  That’s Vanitas for you!  Anyways, Roxas and I walked lazily around town, and we enjoyed the simple feeling of being by each other’s side.  We looked up at the sky and noticed how beautiful it looked today.  The clouds were so fluffy, they looked like giant pillows!  The sky was a radiant, majestic blue, and the sun towered high above the clouds, raining down its light on us.  The breeze was also refreshing, making the day perfect.  Everything seemed to be going so well today!  After about two hours wandering around town and going through the park, Roxas stopped walking and then he looked at me.

 

  “Hey Xion, let’s go to the lab now.  We have to keep looking for more information on the ‘Heart’ that your creator mentioned!” he suggested, and I nodded.

 

  “Right, come on, let’s go!” I said to him, and so we headed towards my old house.

 

  “Let’s hope we can find more information about it.” Roxas remarked, and I smiled and closed my eyes.

 

  “Yeah.  Let’s hope.” I said to myself, and so we kept walking.  Soon, we reached the house and then opened up the lab.

 

  “Okay, I’ll be looking over here Xion, you just make sure to keep looking over there!” he said, and I nodded.

 

  “Right!” I replied, and so, we kept searching through the documents.

 

  “Can there really be a way to save me?” I asked myself as I searched through the documents and research notes.

 

  As I kept looking through the many different papers, I noticed some vague references to the ‘Heart’ here and there, but there was nothing concrete enough to be able to decipher.  Every time my creator mentioned the ‘Heart’ or at least, something close to it, he seemed to mention it in a way to make the reader get confused.  I felt frustrated at not being able to find anything, and the fact that Roxas hadn’t come over to me meant that he was still probably searching.  Then I wondered what this ‘Heart’ really was.  Was it some sort of medical device, like Roxas had suggested?  Or was it something metaphorical?  Gah, I didn’t know what to make sense of, and I just couldn’t think straight!  But, I wasn’t going to give up searching.  Roxas had given me all the determination I needed to keep on living, so I need to use all that determination to find an answer to my own puzzle!

 

  I don’t know what this ‘Heart’ is, but all I know is, that I will find out soon!

(End Song Here)

-----------------------------------------

 

“You know what?  I’m not going to worry about it anymore.”

“Guys, let’s go to the amusement park!”

“I’ve never been on a rollercoaster…”

“I’m gonna puke!!!”

 

Be prepared for Chapter Thirty Eight: “The Amusement Park.”

 

So then everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!  I bet you weren’t expecting that heated up moment between Roxas and Xion, eh? B)  Mehehehe, I knew that at some point I’d end up putting a scene like that, and I’m glad I did so!  And well, with the factor of the ‘Heart’ in play, how do you think this will affect Xion’s fate?  If you want to know more, keep your eyes peeled for more chapters!  So yeah, thank you all for your comments, patience and support, as always!  Make sure that you comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter, and well, until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was great.

Great chapter. I wonder what the 'Heart' is.

Hey there everyone, and good evening!  I hope you’re all doing okay!  So then, here’s another chapter, which I hope you’ll enjoy!  I decided that I’d make this chapter more lighthearted, since most of the recent chapters have been nothing but drama, so yeah, enjoy the breather!  Haha, so then, this chapter will be from Xion’s perspective!  Read on!

 

Chapter Thirty Eight: The Amusement Park

 

  A whole week had passed since Roxas and I had started searching for clues about the ‘Heart’ which my creator had been speaking about in his reports, but sadly, nothing had been found throughout the course of said week.  Roxas suggested that we take a little break, and that’s precisely what we did!  Nearing the weekend, Tidus was cleared from the hospital and was allowed to go back home, and so we went to his house to celebrate his return to wellbeing!  It was a nice little gathering, and we all had a good time!  I smiled as I remembered all the good times we’d all shared together during the time we had gone to know each other.  Everything that I had gone through with Roxas and my friends were memories I’d always cherish forevermore.  And so, after spending time with Tidus in his house, we all went to the park, and we walked along and enjoyed the fresh, sunny day that was offered before us.  As we walked around the park, I noticed that Lea was smiling the entire time, like he was planning something.  I giggled and rolled my eyes.  That was Lea for ya!  After reaching the water fountain, Lea stopped in front of us and crossed his arms.

 

  “Guys, I just got myself the best idea!” he proclaimed proudly.  Silence followed afterward.

 

  “Well?  What is it?” Tidus asked.  

 

  “Haha, I was just giving a pause for dramatic effect.  Anyway, I was thinking, let’s go to the amusement park!” Lea answered enthusiastically.

 

  “Amusement Park?” I asked.

 

  “Yeah, the one we saw a while back that was still under construction!  I heard that it’s officially been finished and that the grand opening is today!” he answered.

 

  “Hmm.  Going to the amusement park sure does seem like a good idea.” Ven remarked.

 

  “Then it’s settled!  Today, all of us shall go to the amusement park and enjoy ourselves!  We’re going to fun ourselves out!  This is going to be good!  And hey, we can create a whole new bunch of memories that we’ll always keep close to our hearts, am I right?  Okay then, so this is what we’re going to do.  Since I’m the one that suggested the amusement park, everything’s on me, so no one has to worry about money, because I’ll provide for everything.  Now, I’m dead certain that we won’t be able to see everything that this park has to offer in one day, so we’ll just go on the rides that we think are the best!  That way, we can enjoy ourselves!  So then, come on, what are we waiting for?  Let’s go!” Lea exclaimed as he finished explaining his plan.  You could tell by the look on his face that he was really excited!

 

  “Great!  Today will be a great chance to hit on girls in the amusement park!  Maybe take one of them into the house of horrors and hold her close, eh?” Vanitas suggested as he winked at Ven.

 

  “Ha, I’m sure you’ll end up being the one that gets scared, Vanitas.” Ven replied with a laugh.

 

  “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean!?” Vanitas exclaimed as he glared at Ven.

 

  “It’s exactly as you heard it, haha!” Ventusu said, and with that, all of us burst into laughter.

 

  “Okay guys, let’s go!  We aren’t getting any younger, you know!” Tidus said enthusiastically, and so we started our journey towards the amusement park.

 

  The prospect of going to an amusement park was exciting for me!  I had never gone to such a place, but I imagine that it was going to be an awesome experience!  I wonder what things were in that park that would amuse me?  After all, they don’t call it an amusement park for nothing, right?  And so, we walked downtown and I noticed that the streets were surprisingly empty.  I then thought that the emptiness was due to the opening of the amusement park, in which case, the place would be filled to the brim today!  As we headed further into town, we noticed a giant rollercoaster overlooking the town, and then I felt immediately dwarfed by it.  I had never seen a rollercoaster, let alone get in one, so that giant thing looked horrifying to me!  And so, after about a few more minutes, we arrived at the amusement park.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Okay guys, just wait here while I pay for the tickets!” Lea said as he went towards the ticket booth.

 

  “Wow, this place looks huge!” Tidus replied as he beamed with excitement.

 

  “Oh God, look at all the beautiful ladies around here!” Vanitas said as he laid eyes on woman after woman after woman.

 

  “Hold your horses, buddy boy.  Relax!” Ven said as he patted Vanitas’ shoulder.

 

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever.  But wow, the people who built this amusement park really outdid themselves!” Vanitas remarked as he looked around.  Then, Lea came and nodded.

 

  “Okay guys, we’re in!” he proclaimed, and so, we went inside the amusement park!

 

  Vanitas wasn’t kidding when he said that the people who made this amusement park outdid themselves.  Even the entrance seemed extravagant, with two enormous pillars on either side of the entrance  and the name of the park emblazoned at the very top of said pillars.  When we went inside, it’s likewe had entered a whole new world!  Everything seemed so lively and amazing!  Kiosks were here and there, some of them offering cotton candy while others had games and performers!  Children were happily running around everywhere, and the adults seemed to be having a great time as well!  The atmosphere was definitely brimming with a very positive feeling.  Just being able to see all these people be so happy made me instantly happy as well!  As we walked through the amusement park, we encountered our first attraction, which seemed to be a game of carts.  We all got tickets for said attraction, and then we all got into our respective carts, but I was confused!  What was I supposed to do with this thing?  It didn’t even have any wheels!  Vanitas then went over to me and laughed as he looked at me.

 

  “Is there a problem, Xion?” he asked me, and I blushed and pouted.

 

  “Um, no, I just, uh, don’t see the objective of this game!” I blurted out.  God, I hated not knowing what to do!

 

  “Well, my good friend, you see, the objective here…” he started to say as he backed away with his cart.  Why was he backing away?

 

  “Is to hit the other person’s cart as hard as you can!” he yelled out as his cart clashed with mine and I was sent careening to the other side of the area where the carts were.

 

  “Hey, what did you do that for!?” I asked as I glared at him.

 

  “Don’t hate the player, hate the game!” Vanitas remarked with a smirk.

 

  “Oh, so that’s how it is?  Okay then, fine!” I said as I giggled to myself and prepared my kart.

 

  As soon as Vanitas got caught off guard, I rammed him hard with my kart and sent him flying over to Tidus and Ven!  I then smirked and felt proud of myself!  I had hit three carts at the same time!  Vanitas then laughed and clapped his hands, and so all of us began our cart battle!  At some points, Lea would come and get us all off course, and Roxas stuck by my side, helping me take out the others!  We were like an invincible team, plowing our way through the others!  Tidus was laughing the entire time, enjoying himself, and I couldn’t help but join in on the laughter.  Oh God, this was so fun!  And so, I kept knocking Vanitas to the other side of the course, and then he had his sights set on me, and after telling Roxas and the others to back off and let me handle this, Vanitas and I squared off, our carts at the ready!  It was now or never!  One would win, the other would lose!  But, I particularly didn’t feel like being on the loser side today, and so, in a split second, I hit Vanitas with all my might, and I sent him flying to the other side of the course, and he fell off of his cart!  At that, we all went towards him and I felt nervous now.

 

  “Oh God, Vanitas, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over like that so hard!” I exclaimed, and then Vanitas simply laughed his heart out.

 

  “What the hell are you lauging about?  It’s not like you ran me over with a real car!  But, I will admit, that did hurt a little!” Vanitas said as he laughed, and I sighed of relief.

 

  “Ha, but you do realize that a girl beat you, right?” Ven asked with a smirk.

 

  “Yep, and I don’t feel ashamed of it.  In fact, I feel proud that a wonderful woman such as herself can go toe to toe with me!” he said as he winked at me.

 

  “Haha, well guys, come on, let’s go see the other attractions!” Lea replied.

 

  With that, we explored the amusement park and saw what other attractions were there.  As we walked around the amusement park, Vanitas, true to his word, managed to get a girl to go with him into the house of horros, and we all hid behind a nearby bush to see how he’d come out of there.  After a few long minutes, he came out with the girl, and he seemed to be perfectly fine, and he winked at the girl and then came looking for us.  He then quickly found us.  When Ven asked him how he had been able to go through the cave without getting scared, Vanitas said that he had to hide his screams because of how horrified he was!  At that, we all laughed and I rolled my eyes.  The things Vanitas was willing to do for women were impressive!  After that, we continued looking at the different things the park had.  I would occasionally glance at the rollercoaster looming behind me.

 

  “Hey Xion!” Roxas called out to me.  I then snapped out of myself.

 

  “Uh, what?  What is it?” I asked in a daze.  Roxas simply smiled at me and then looked at the rollercoaster.

 

  “You want to get on the rollercoaster, don’t you?” he asked me, and I blushed and shook my head.

 

  “N-no, that’s not it at all!  Why would you think that?” I asked, trying to come up with some excuse as to not go to the rollercoaster.

 

  “Oh, come on, I insist!  Hey guys, come on, let’s go on the rollercoaster!” he called out to everyone else, and that’s when I found out that I was in for a hell of a ride.  Literally!

 

  As we walked towards the entrance of the rollercoaster, I saw the people riding it, and they were having a blast, and screaming their heads off!  I wondered if I would have as much fun.  I blushed and then told myself that I could do this.  I just had to be brave!  I breathed in and breathed out, and then, as the ride was finally over for the people who had been on the rollercoaster, now it was our turn.  We got escorted to our seats and we were instructed to keep our hands on the bar at all times, and to make sure that our seatbelts were tightly buckled up.  I made sure to check and double check on my seatbelt to make sure that I was strapped in tight, and then, I glanced at the others who were behind me.  They were all excited, and then I glanced over at Roxas, who was by my side, smiling at me.  I blushed and bit my lower lip.

 

  “So, you excited?” he asked me, and I blushed.

 

  “T-to be honest, I’m horrified!  I’ve never been on a rollercoaster before…” I whispered to him, and then he held my hand tightly and reassuringly smiled at me.

 

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side, so there’s no need for you to be afraid!” he remarked reassuringly, and I nodded and felt more confident.

 

  “You know what?  You’re right!  There’s nothing to be afraid of!” I proclaimed. 

 

  “Oh, we’re gonna start now!” Roxas exclaimed as the rollercoaster began taking off.  I took hold of Roxas’ hand and I didn’t let go!

 

  At first, the ride began slowly, and well, I calmed down and loosened my grip on Roxas’ hand.  I felt so bad for him though.  I don’t even know my own strength, so I probably crushed his hand!  I blushed and looked at him, and he smiled at me, and then I looked forward, as the rollercoaster started a very steep climb.  It all felt so suspenseful and intriguing!  The higher up we went, the tinier all the people in the amusement park seemed to be!  I felt so close to the sky that I could touch the clouds!  And then, all of a sudden, the rollercoaster stopped!  That’s when my heart froze, and that’s when everyone on the rollercoaster started to cheer!  Hearing their cheers made me so nervous!  Oh God, I think I’m going to puke!  And so, I looked at Roxas, and then I felt compelled to ask him what was going to happen next.

 

  “Um, R-Roxas?” I asked him.

 

  “Yeah?” he asked back.

 

  “W-what happens now?” I asked nervously.  Then, Tidus tapped me on the shoulder and then he screamed at my ear.

 

  “This is where the awesome part begins!” he yelled, and then I gulped.

 

  “Oh, the awesome part?” I asked as I glanced back at Tidus, and he nodded.

 

  “Yep!” he replied.

 

  “Oh, yippee…” I said to myself.

 

  And with a sudden, violent jolt, the rollercoaster careened down and started going at increasingly high speeds!  My heart raced and I screamed my guts out!  Everyone else was screaming too, and some of the guys even had their arms lifted!  Oh God, this all felt so heart poundingly insane, and so exhilarating at the same time!  I smiled and laughed and enjoyed the harsh breeze blowing at my face, and the rollercoaster gave us one hell of a ride!  After the ride was finally over, we finally got off, and God, I was so dizzy!  But, luckily, I didn’t puke, so that’s a plus!  Roxas and Tidus were fine as well, but the others looked so green that they were literally about to puke!  I smiled and could still feel my heart pounding violently against my chest.  Good lord, that had been one amazing experience, and I’m so happy that Roxas helped me experience it!  As we went towards a set of benches so that the guys could rest, Roxas and I went to a nearby pocky stand and got ourselves some pocky, and then he looked at me and chuckled softly.  I blushed as I started eating my pocky, and then I poked his nose and giggled at him.

(End Song Here)

 

  “So, what’s so funny?” I asked him.

 

  “Haha, nothing.  It’s just that you seem psyched out from the rollercoaster!  You really enjoyed it!” he replied.

 

  “Yes, I did enjoy it!  It was just so awesome, feeling the wind on my face and going so fast!  It was breathtaking!” I exclaimed happily.

 

  “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it!” he said as he smiled at me.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Roxas, thank you so much for this…you don’t know how happy I am to be spending time with you and our friends.” I said to him as I bowed my head appreciatively.

 

  “Aw, it’s nothing.  I’m glad I could help!” he said.

 

  “No, Roxas, it wasn’t nothing.  You’ve helped me so much during all this time, and I don’t know how I can ever repay you.  You’ve shown me so much love and so much understanding, and all of you have truly made my life worth living, and I can’t thank you enough for that!  After all this time, it’s just funny that I was so scared about dying a few days ago, and now look at me!  I’m here, alive and well, and I’ve never felt better!  This is how I want to live out my life.  I want to live it out enjoying every day like if it was my last.  That’s how everyone should lead their lives.  That way they can be able to enjoy each day that much more!  And so, I thank you Roxas.  I truly and sincerely thank you for everything that you’ve done.  I love you so much!” I said to him as I pulled him into a passionate kiss and then he kissed me back, and then we pulled away.

 

  “I love you too, Xion.  I’m really happy that you’re so happy!  But, what about the ‘Heart’?” he asked me, and then I remained silent for a bit.

 

  “You know what?  I’m not going to worry about it anymore.” I answered as I smiled and ate my pocky.

 

  “Haha, Xion, you’re just full of surprises.” he remarked, and I giggled and stuck my tongue out at him playfully.

 

  “Oh, I know.  It’s part of my charm!” I said to him with a teasing gesture, and Roxas blushed and chuckled softly.

 

  “Hey guys, come one!  We’ve finished resting up!” Tidus yelled at us.

 

  And so, for the rest of the day, we continued exploring the amusement park and trying out as many games and attractions as we could!  We dumped Ven into a fishtank and won a giant teddy bear, and Tidus tried his hand at darts, with less successful results.  Ven played Dance Dance Revolution against a passerby, and Ven won masterfully!  Lea tried his hand at a test of strength, as he hit a bell with a hammer and reached the very top of the meter!  Vanitas, as his usual self would do, was trying to pick up girls.  Roxas and I simply followed the guys and enjoyed ourselves, and we even tried going through the house of horrors, and I could see why Vanitas had freaked out earlier!  The stuff in there was truly scary!  In short, today was a truly unforgettable day, and it’s a day that I would always cherish forevermore.

 

  This was truly a good life to live.

(End Song Here)

---------------------------------------

 

“Remembrance…”

 

Stay tuned for Chapter Thirty Nine: “The Darkest Nightmare.”

 

Okay then everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope that you all enjoyed it!  I hope you all found the lighthearted tone of this chapter to your liking, because I certainly had a fun time writing it!  As always, thank you for your comments, patience and support.  Please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter, and until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was great.

Great chapter. I love the amusement park, and I felt so sorry for Xion when she got on that rollercoaster. I have a fear of heights so I know what it's like to be scared of a ride like that.

Good evening everyone!  I hope that you’re all doing okay, and thank you for your comments!  So then, here’s another chapter!  It’ll be from Roxas’ perspective, so I hope you enjoy!  Gah, I’m so excited for you all to see the end of the story, I can’t wait to see your reactions!  But, for now, we haven’t reached the end yet, but we’re very close!  Haha, anyways, read on, my loyal followers!

 

Chapter Thirty Nine: The Darkest Nightmare

 

  When I woke up the following day after the amusement park, I noticed that everything seemed quite.  A little too quiet…in fact, it was so quiet that it was unsettling.  I yawned and then rose from my bed, looking at either side.  When I walked towards the window, I noticed that the sky was darker than usual.  In fact, if I hadn’t known that it was 8:00am, I could’ve sworn that it was still nighttime.  I kept looking at the sky, and rather than being gray, it was a very grim, dark color, as if the entire town was somehow in some black void.  I honestly felt creeped out, and I thought that this was definitely not normal.  Feeling confused about all this, I headed towards the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a shower, and after I did just that, I went downstairs, expecting to see Ven and Vanitas eating breakfast…but they weren’t there.  In fact, I think I was the only one here!  I searched the kitchen, and then I searched the living room, and then I went outside, but they were nowhere to be found.  Not even Xion was here!  I then began to grow more concerned for everyone.  Where could they all be?  I shifted my eyes here and there, feeling nervous.

 

  “Guys…?” I called out as I waited for someone to answer.

 

  “Hey, is anyone here?” I asked out loud, but still, there was no sign of anyone, and no answer came.  I then took a deep breath and calmed down.

 

  “If this is some kind of joke, trust me, it’s not funny!” I yelled out, trying to sound irritated, but, I was more terrified than irritated.

 

  “Guys, come out already!” I shouted, and only an eerie silence loomed.

 

  “What the hell is this?  It’s like I’m in a-“ and then I realized what was happening.  The dark sky, the lack of people…I was in a dream!

 

  Great…of all the things I could dream of, it had to be something as eerie and creepy as this!  Couldn’t I have dreamt of something nicer instead?  I shook my head and then I went outside, walking down the empty streets of town, and then, I noticed what seemed to be a faint blue flame in the distance.  It immediately caught my attention, and I found myself heading towards the flame, and as I got closer, the flame grew brighter!  Then, when I reached out to touch it, it got away from me and then shot upwards towards the sky, disappearing within a few seconds.  Then, another faint blue flame appeared just a few feet away from me.  What the hell was happening here?  This time, I ran towards the flame, but as I approached it, it vanished into thin air.  Then, I heard a sickening cackle, and it was a cackle I recognized instantly.  I then looked back in anger and frustration.

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2krradsMtg

  “You!” I shouted out.

 

  “Ah yes, me!” said none other than Even!  Why the hell was he in my dream?  How was it possible?

 

  “How the hell are you inside my mind!?” I demanded, clenching my fists and holding my ground.

 

  “Well, you see, it is quite simple.  I am simply a figment of your mind.  But apparently, my full consciousness can take form here, if but momentarily…” he explained.

 

  “Go to hell!” I yelled at him, and he simply laughed.

 

  “Ha, such foul language!  Still your tongue, boy, and listen to the words I am about to say!” he said demandingly, and then I stayed quite.  Let’s see what this psycho was going to say…

 

  “I can see that you have been helping your dear Xion through her current situation, and your efforts are admirable!  You seem to have made her forget that she will be dying soon! She was so wrought with worry at one moment, and in the next, she found herself in your arms of support and care.  Ah yes, the path of bliss is often the best one to take when such a fate awaits a person.  Bliss allows you to live happily, ignoring everything concerning your current situation.  She seems to have given in to such bliss, and now lives happily herself.   Well done, Roxas, well done!  She’ll die a very happy girl!  I suppose I should be thanking you!  You have provided me with my greatest experiment yet!  For even in death, I live on!” he said as he laughed, clearly enjoying himself.  I clenched my fists harder and then ran towards him and punched him, but my fist went right through him.

 

  “Ah ha, not so fast!” he shouted.

 

  “W-what?  How come I couldn’t hit you!?” I asked aloud, and he laughed again, this time even more maniacally.

 

  “Are you playing the fool, boy, or are you just stupid?” he asked me, and then I remained silent but didn’t take my eyes off of him.

 

  “What the hell do you mean!?” I asked, and then he crossed his arms and sighed.

 

  “You truly are an idiot.  This is a dream, and therefore, as I said, I am a figment of your mind, an illusion, a ghost, if you will!  Nothing you can do can harm me! But I, on the other hand, can definitely harm you!” he said, and with that, he disappeared, and my head instantly began to hurt like hell!

 

  “Gah! What the hell are you doing to me!?” I shouted out as I felt my whole body flinch and stiffen in pain.

 

  Then, as darkness consumed me, I found myself drifting in said darkness, and then, as if someone had put a movie projector, images started to flash one by one.  All of the images were of Xion.  She looked so happy and so relaxed…but then, I saw her corpse, laying dead on the street at night, as blood overflowed from her body.  I looked on in horror, and as I tried to struggle my way out of these images, I couldn’t do it!  Then, the images stopped, and then I could her Xion’s voice…she was crying!  She was repeating over and over about how she was a burden to everyone, and about how she had caused everyone so much suffering, and then, an image appeared, in which Xion was running in terror, and then, she suddenly stopped, her eyes lifeless, as her body fell to the ground.  Blood started to overflow from her body, and she ended up just like I had seen her a few seconds ago…dead in the street.  The image kept playing in my mind over and over and over again, and as much as I wanted to look away, my eyes wouldn’t close!  That bastard Even was laughing to his heart’s content!  I then lifted my head up and yelled out in frustration!

 

  “Get the hell out of my head!!!” I shouted.

 

  “Remembrance…that is what Xion’s name means.  Boy…you will remember this for the rest of your life, and you will suffer greatly.” were Even’s last words, as I was suddenly pulled back and then awoken from my dream.

 

  I woke up, drenched in sweat, my hands clenched tightly to the blanket.  I then looked beside me and saw Xion, who was looking at me with a concerned expression.

 

  “Roxas?  Is everything okay?  You were mumbling in your sleep…did you have a nightmare?” she asked me, and I remained silent.

 

  “No..it was nothing.  I just had a random nightmare, that’s all…”

(End Song Here)

--------------------------

 

“Could the nightmare have been a sign of something to come?”

“Roxas, you aren’t being yourself…”

“I can’t stop thinking about it!

“Roxas, snap out of it!”

 

Stay tuned for Chapter Forty: “Is There An End?”

 

Well then everyone, that was the chapter!  I realize it was a bit shorter than the other ones I’ve written so far, but I realized that it was appropriately short, and I figured it would set the stage for what shall now be the beginning of the end of this story!  I hope you all enjoyed it!  Please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter, and also feel free to post what you think will happen now!  Haha, as always, thank you very much for your comments, patience and support!  Well then, until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter!

Edited March 16, 201510 yr by Shigehiko

Nice work on this chapter.

That was a great chapter. I'd be scared to go back to sleep after a nightmare like that.

Evening there everybody, I hope that you’re all doing okay!  Tonight’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?  Well then, here’s another chapter of the story, and it’ll be from Roxas’ perspective!  Omg, just ten more chapters, and the story will be over!  Are you all excited for the ending!?  I know I am! So then, without further delay, here’s the chapter!

 

Chapter Forty: Is There An End?

(Start Song Here)

  At school, I felt restless.  I hadn’t been able to sleep ever since I had that horrifying nightmare.  I tried my best to hide my emotions and my distress, and so far, no one had been noticing my change in behavior, which meant I was in the clear.  I didn’t want anyone to know about what I had dreamt about.  The morning felt ridiculously slow.  I don’t know if it was me, or if the day really was going slow.  All I knew is that I wasn’t doing okay.  I looked out the window while classes were in session, and I noticed that the sky was overcast.  From the looks of it, the afternoon would probably see some heavy rain.  I sighed and rested my head on my arms.  I had already written everything on the blackboard ahead of everyone else, so I just decided to try and relax.  I glanced over at Lea a few times, and I saw that he was heavily focused on writing what was on the blackboard.  I thought of lending him my notebook, but then he might want to start a conversation, and right now, I really didn’t feel in the mood for a talk.  And so, I remained silent for the remainder of my first class, and then, when the bell rang, I did my best to keep my distress hidden.  Lea then came up behind me and smacked me on the head.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Hey Roxas, you there?” Lea asked as he chuckled to himself, and I smiled.

 

  “Ha, well, where else would I be?” I asked him in reply, and he shrugged and then crossed his arms while glaring at me.

 

  “Well, you tell me.  You look like you’ve got your head in the clouds.  Are you okay?” he asked.  Crap, he noticed!  Still, I just shrugged it off and chuckled.

 

  “Nah, don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.  I didn’t sleep well, is all.” I answered him casually, and then he sighed.

 

  “Hmph, you’d better rest up, Roxas.  Remember that some pretty tough exams are coming soon, so you have to get your head in the game!” he remarked, and I nodded.

 

  “Yeah, I got it!  I’ll keep my focus!” I said with determination.

 

  Fortunately, that was enough to get Lea off my case.  He didn’t ask me any more questions as we headed towards the next class, and that was just fine with me.  And so, as we headed to professor Watanabe’s class, I made sure that I wouldn’t get distracted, since Ms. Watanabe would get me into detention if she saw me slacking off in class!  During all that time, I listened to the lecture the professor was giving, and all the while, I thought about the nightmare I had last night.  Why did Even have to appear?  Could the nightmare have been a sign of something to come?  I sighed and clenched my fists slightly at the thought of the nightmare.  But then, I shook off my thoughts and poured my full focus on the class.  I couldn’t let anything else distract me right now!  I had to do my best to stop thinking about the nightmare!

 

  “Roxas!  Roxas!” Lea shouted at me, and when I snapped out of myself, I noticed that class was already over.  I remained frozen.  Did time really fly by so quickly?

  “Whoa…is it just me, or did the class end sooner than I thought?” I asked aloud, Lea standing beside me with a concerned look on his face.

 

  “Roxas…you aren’t being yourself.  Are you sure that you’re okay?” Lea asked me enunciatingly.  I stuttered for a bit but then regained my composure.

 

  “Lea, stop worrying so much, I told you, I’m fine!” I said to him reassuringly, and I quickly walked towards the next classroom.

 

  “Yeah, you may seem fine, but you don’t look like it to me.  Roxas…if there’s something bothering you, now’s the time to talk.” he replied, and I stopped walking, slowly turning around.

 

  “Lea…please…it’s nothing…” I said, as I practically ditched him and headed towards the next class.

 

  Now I was on constant alert.  I mean, sure, I wasn’t letting everyone know that I was desperately keeping an eye on my surroundings, but I was being cautious enough as to not get any attention from anyone.  I felt a shiver go down my spine, and I got uneasy.  As the class slowly went underway, I kept a constant eye on the clock on top of the blackboard, begging for it to be lunchtime already.  I needed to disappear and set my mind straight!  As the minutes slowly passed by, I got even more anxious, but I tried my best to hide my anxiety so that Lea wouldn’t get worried.  I really hated not telling him what was going on, but if I told him everything, he’d think I’d have gone insane!  And you know?  For a moment, I did thought I was insane!  Then, when the bell finally rang, I quickly darted from my desk towards the classroom exit, when Lea stopped me.

 

  “Hey buddy, where’s the rush?  Aren’t you coming for lunch?” he asked, and I clenched my teeth and stopped in my tracks.  I then turned around and smiled.

 

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be right back!  I just have to go home for a moment, but I think I’ll be back before classes begin!” I said to him as I ran past him and down the hallway.

 

  “I’m sorry, Lea…” I whispered to myself as I ran out of school and towards my home.  As I ran, I accidentally bumped into Claire, who just so happened to be on the street!

 

  “Gah, I’m sorry Claire!  I didn’t see you!” I said to her as I stood up and started making a run for it.  Then, Claire put her hand on my shoulder.

 

  “Easy, Roxas, where’s the fire?” she asked with a chuckle, and I sighed and then turned around to face her.

 

  “It’s…complicated.” I said to her bluntly, and then she got on her car and opened the passenger door.

 

  “Come on, I’ll take you for some coffee.  It’ll give you time to think.” she said, and I nodded appreciatively.

 

  “Thanks, Claire.” I said to her as I got in the car.

 

  As we made our way to get some coffee, I remained silent during the whole trip.  Claire didn’t ask a single thing, and I appreciated that.  I think that Claire was the person that understood me the most, and telling her about my problems really did help me feel better, so I knew that by telling her about this, I’d feel at least a bit better.  Of course, I’d exclude some details, but give her just enough so that she could understand what I was going through.  As I looked out the window, I noticed that it started to rain.  At first, it was a downpour, but then the rain slowed down and instead, the raindrops were being blown away by a soft breeze.  People here and there were scurrying for shelter, while others had umbrellas with them, so they were luckier than the rest.  As I looked upward toward the sky, I noticed that it wasn’t as cloudy as it seemed.  The sky was a clear gray.  I then glanced momentarily at Claire, who had her eyes firmly fixed on the road.  She looked like an expert car driver, sporting some neat sunglasses and quite the killer outfit, so to speak!  And so, we reached our destination, and then we got off the car, and she led the way.

 

  “Come over here, this is my favorite table.” she said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.  I then proceeded to do the same.

 

  “So then, what’s got you in such a rush?” she asked, and before I could say anything, a waitress came to take our order.

 

  “Good afternoon, what may I get you today?” the waitress asked shyly.  Claire thought for a moment as she took out her wallet.

 

  “Well, for me, give me a double cappuccino, add some cinnamon, and give me some bread sticks.” she said, and then she looked at me.

 

  “What about you?  What’ll you be having?” she asked, and then I stopped to think for a moment.

 

  “Uh, just a normal coffee and a doughnut!” I answered, and so Claire gave money to the waitress, and the waitress nodded.

 

  “We’ll bring your order in just a bit!” she said shyly as she walked away.

 

  “So yeah, anyways, as you were about to say?” Claire asked me.  I then nodded put my hands together.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Oh yeah.  Right!  So then, I’ve been troubled for the past couple of days, and it’s because of Xion…I mean, well, it’s not anything relationship wise, it’s something else entirely.  You see, she found out from her deceased father’s reports that she was destined to die…and well, we worried relentlessly over preventing that from happening.  We searched for a long time in her father’s lab, and we found many different reports, and then something about the ‘Heart’, which was found in one of his reports.  Well, we tried investigating what the ‘Heart’ was, but nothing could be found.  And well, the days passed, and over time, we just really started to forget about all this, and Xion herself said that she didn’t want to worry about it anymore…that she wanted to live her life the way she wanted as long as she could.  And so, we stopped searching for the ‘Heart’ and went on with our lives.  Then…well, last night I had a nightmare about Xion dying…and her father was mocking me and antagonizing me…it all looked so real and felt so real!  I couldn’t look away from what was happening before my eyes!” I explained as I tried to remain in control of my emotions.

 

  “I see…so that’s what’s troubling you.” Claire remarked as a sudden silence loomed between us, and I tried to remain calm.

 

  “It seems to me that something bad is going to happen quite soon, and whatever it is, you’re going to have to be prepared for it.” she said, and I covered my face with my hands.

 

  “That’s just the thing!  I don’t even know if I am prepared for what’s coming!” I said to her as I started to cry.  Then, Claire held my hands and looked into my eyes.

 

  “Roxas, snap out of it!  You need to pull yourself together for this girl!  You need to show her that you’re ready to fight for her, no matter the situation, you hear?” she proclaimed, and I nodded quietly.

 

  “Yes ma’am, understood!” I replied, and then she crossed her arms and went into a train of thought.

 

  “All of this seems very complicated…but here’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going to the precint right after I take you back to school, and I’ll check everything on Even’s files to see if something about this ‘Heart’ appears.  You, in the meantime, will stay close to Xion, understand?” she asked of me, and I nodded without hestitation.

 

  “Of course, you know I’ll always stick by her!” I said to her with determination.

 

  “Good.” she replied, and then the waitress came with our orders.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Here you go, enjoy!” she said shyly, and then Claire and I gave her a tip.

 

  And so, after drinking my coffee and eating my doughnut, Claire took me back to school, with twenty minutes to spare.  I then went to search for Lea and the others to see what they were up to, and then I noticed that Xion was with them, as they were walking down the hallway towards the courtyard.  Xion waved at me, and then I went towards her and I hugged her and kissed her, and then the guys asked me where I had been, and I explained that Claire had come looking for me to take me out for coffee.  Lea didn’t look at me with a concerned face, so I guessed that he had probably stopped suspecting that something was wrong with me.  At least for now, things seemed to be in order, and Xion looked better than ever!  I then put my arm over her shoulder and held her close and smiled at her, and she smiled back.

 

  “Haha, you have coffee breath!” she whispered to me.  I then blushed and chuckled to myself.

 

  “Sorry about that, the coffee is still recent.” I said to her, and so we walked together with the guys, and then we sat on one of the nearby benches in the courtyard.

 

  “So hey, Roxas.  Lea told me that you seemed to be a little off this morning.  Did something happen?” she asked me, and I pretended not to be nervous about the question.  I simply smiled and kissed her cheek.

 

  “Oh, it was nothing.  I just hadn’t slept well, was all.  That’s why Claire took me for coffee, and let me tell you, now I feel in higher spirits!” I answered her, and thank God that I was able to come up with this excuse!  Even though it wasn’t an excuse, since I had actually been with Claire drinking coffee.

 

  “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better, Roxas!” she said as she smiled, and then we turned our attention to Tidus, who was in his traditional, enthusiastic mood.

 

  I felt relaxed that I was haning out with everyone, and for a while, I forgot about this whole mess that had been bothering me.  And so, when the bell rang, I walked Xion to her classroom and then I proceeded to my own classroom.  As the professor started to write on the blackboard, everyone got out their notebooks and started writing.  Not me.  I always waited until the professor would have a good chunk written, that way, I wouldn’t have to wait for what he was going to write.  While waiting, I looked out the window, and I saw that the sky started to clear up.  It looked like the afternoon would be quite beautiful.  I then thought of Claire, and of the words she said to me, and I realized that those words brought me a great deal of comfort.  I hoped that she’d find something on Even in the police precint.  Then, as I looked at the blackboard, I opened my notebook and started writing.

 

  “Psst, Roxas!” Lea whispered to me as I wrote, and then I looked at him.

 

  “What is it, Lea?” I asked.

 

  “I was talking with Tidus, Xion and your brothers, and we were thinking about going hiking on Saturday!  Did anyone tell you?” he asked, and I shook my head.

 

  “No, no one told me anything, they must have forgotten to tell me.” I whispered while glancing over at the professor, who was busy writing on the blackboard.

 

  “Well, now you know.  Remember, it’s Saturday!” he replied, and then I heard the sound of a ruler hit a desk.

 

  “You two over there, keep quiet!” the professor exclaimed with a snarl, and we both immediately sat straight.

 

  “Yes sir!” we both replied in unison, and some of the students laughed, and we couldn’t help but laugh too.

 

  After class, we went towards our next class, but found out that our professor was absent today, which meant we had this period free.  Lea and I decided to walk around the school grounds and see if any of our friends also had this period free.  But, as we checked one by one, all of them had class right now, so it was just Lea and I, wandering the school halls, with some students scattered here and there.  Then, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back, but strangely enough, I didn’t groan in pain or anything!  It was more of a mental thing!  Lea was walking beside me normally, like if nothing was happening!  Then, I could hear Even’s laugh echoing down the hallway, and that’s when my eyes widened, and I started to get desperate.  Damn it, not now!  I can’t stop thinking about it!  I suddenly felt out of breath, and still, Lea didn’t notice, and I tried to shout at him, but I found myself without a voice!  Why!?  Why was this happening to me!?  I then felt my body collapse, and I fell hard to the floor, and I could hear the thud of my body landing on the floor.  As my eyes slowly closed, I could see Lea kneeling down in front of me, shaking me to stay awake.  But, my eyes closed, and I couldn’t open them now…

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Open your eyes…” a strange voice said, and I tried opening them, but I couldn’t.

 

  “Open your eyes…” the voice said again, and I frowned and gasped.

 

  “I-I can’t!” I said as I stuttered, and for a moment, there was a grim silence, and I felt myself standing up, but I still wasn’t able to open my eyes.

 

  “Calm down and open your eyes…” the voice said, and I clenched my fists in anger.

 

  “I already told you that I can’t open them!  Can’t you understand!?” I shouted out as I slowly walked, making sure not to trip.

 

  “Just open your eyes…” the voice said, and after struggling to open them, I was finally able to!  But, as I opened them, I noticed I was within some kind of strange, swirling maelstrom.

 

  “Where am I?  You’re another one of my dreams, aren’t you?” I asked the voice, expecting an answer.

 

  “It’s been a long time, Roxas…” the voice said, as it took form into the young man I had seen in another of my dreams way back when! 

 

  “You!  What do you want?” I asked.

 

  “This is not about what I want…this is about what you want…and what she wants.  It has been some time since I last saw you.  Back then, you had just met the girl, and she was at her weakest.  But, as time has passed on, you have become stronger, therefore making her become stronger.  You have faced many trials and you two have not seen eye to eye on some occasions, but you two have always managed to pull through, no matter what.  It is very interesting to see how your relationship with the girl has evolved.  And now, you have found out about the grim fate that awaits her, and you are at a loss at what to do.  It seems that even though you two have gone through much strife recently and overcome your situations, you both still struggle with her impending demise.  It is a sad sight to see, really.  But, that is how life works.  We can never control things that are beyond controlling, no matter how hard one may try to do so.  So the question I am about to ask you is…are you ready for what is to come soon?” the young man asked.  I remained silent for a while, thinking on everything he had just said, and I clenched my fists and nodded.

 

  “Yes, I’m ready!” I answered determiningly, and the young man then walked around me in circles.

 

  “Hmm, interesting.” he replied.

 

  “What is?” I asked, making sure that I didn’t take my eyes off of him.

 

  “The fact that you so quickly answered my question.  I find that fact very interesting.” the young man explained, and I shook my head in confusion.

 

  “You’re still not making any sense!” I exclaimed, and the young man chuckled.

 

  “What I mean is, you showed great courage.  Why is that?” he asked me, and then I closed my eyes and touched my chest, feeling my own heartbeat.

 

  “It’s just like you said…I’ve become stronger over time, and because of me, Xion has become stronger as well.  We’ve both changed over the time we’ve known each other and spent time with each other, and we’ve grown as a result.  I’ve learned to deal with all these difficult situations, and I’ve learned how to handle the unexpected, because at every turn that Xion’s been in danger, I’ve been there for her, and she’s been there for me too.  I’m ready because I know that I’ll do whatever it takes for Xion, even if I have to give my life to ensure that she lives on, I’ll do it without hesitation!  You should know this by now, since you’re always in my dreams!  So I don’t even know why you’re asking me this!  Just get on with what you’re going to say already, because I’m as ready as I’ll ever be!” I answered as I looked at the young man, and he chuckled with great joy.

 

  “Well, that is quite the interesting answer!  You are right.  I already knew this, but still, I wanted to ask you, just to see how determined you are…” he said as he crossed his arms.

 

  “So?  Are you satisfied?” I asked him, and he nodded.

 

  “More than enough, I can assure you.” he answered me as he put his hand through his hair and chuckled.

 

  “So?  Where are you going with this?” I asked him, and he nodded and smiled.

 

  “Roxas, you have been deemed worthy.” he said, and then I looked at him with confusion.  Worthy?

 

  “Um, worthy of what?” I asked, and the young man turned around.

 

  “You have proven your worth as an individual and as a strong heart.  Throughout all this time, we, who have been in your dreams, have been watching you silently, examining your behavior and your actions, taking the time to fully test you, to see if you were worthy enough.  Through your actions and words, and through your sheer force of heart and willpower, you have passed the test that we have laid out for you.  Therefore, you have been deemed worthy to learn our secret.  When you have awakened and recovered of strength, go to the Fukuoka Cementery.  There, you will discover the answer that could help you and the girl in your current predicament.  Until then, we shall be waiting…” the young man said, and then, a sudden silence grew, and I was a little overwhelmed by all this.  All the people in my dreams had been testing me?

 

  “Until then…” the young man said, as he started to disappear.

 

  “Wait, don’t go!  I still have questions that I need to ask!” I exclaimed, and the young man turned around and smiled.

 

  “All shall be made clear in the cementery.  Meet us there.” he replied, and then I nodded and closed my eyes.

 

  “I’ll meet you there, then.” I said.

 

  “Very well.” the young man said, and suddenly, I awakened exactly where I had fallen, where Lea and the others were looking at me with concerned faces.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Oh God, thank goodness that you’re awake!  Don’t scare us like that!” Vanitas said as he slapped me.

 

  “Ouch!  I’m sorry!” I exclaimed as everyone laughed.

 

  “Roxas, what happened to you?” Tidus asked as everyone looked at me with a sudden silence.

 

  “It’s nothing.  Don’t worry about it.  I just passed out, is all!” I replied, and they seemed to buy it, because there were no more questions asked.

 

  And so, as the bell rang signaling the end of the school day, we walked towards the bus stop and waited for the bus to pick us up.  When the bus finally arrived, we went onboard and each of us got dropped to our homes one by one.  When we finally arrived at our home, I quickly went upstairs to take a shower, while Ven started cooking dinner, Vanitas turned on the TV, and Xion sat on the couch to watch.  As I headed towards the bathroom and closed the door, I looked at myself on the mirror, and I remembered the words that the young man had said in my dream.  I wonder why he asked me to go to Fukuoka Cementery?  It seemed really odd to me. What answer could I possibly find in a cementery, especially now that it was getting dark?  I then shook off my thoughts, and after taking a shower, I went downstairs and ate dinner and spent time with everyone, and then Xion and I walked outside a bit, and before I knew it, it was already time to go to sleep.  I said good night to my brothers and I kissed Xion good night as she lay beside me, and I pretended to close my eyes, and I mentally counted one hour.  After that hour passed, I silently got out of bed and gently opened the window and climbed down, closing the window as I made my exit.

 

  I was awake, and my strength had been plenty recovered, so now all I had to do was go to the cementery to find the answer I was looking for.

 

  Xion…I will find the answer…

--------------------------

 

“Wait, what?”

“It is just as I told you.”

“I’m so sorry…”

“Xion must not suffer the same fate!”

 

Be prepared for Chapter Forty One: “’Heart’ Part 1 Of 10: The Truth Behind The Dreams.”

 

Well then everyone, that was the chapter for ya!  Haha, I hope that I was able to set up things dramatically enough to keep you all hooked!  So then, starting from the next chapter onward, only ten chapters remain for the story to end!  Are you all excited!?  What do you think will happen!?  Haha, I hope you’re ready for what’s in store!  Anyways, thank you so much for your comments, patience and support, as always!  And please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Well then, until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was awesome!

Nice chapter!!

Loved it, loved it, loved it. I'm REALLY interested to see what Roxas will find at the cemetery.

This is it, everyone!  Now we’re down to only ten chapters for the story to end!  I hope you all enjoy these final chapters, for I personally guarantee they will be the most emotional yet!  So then, this chapter will be from Roxas’ perspective!  Read on, my loyal followers, and enjoy!

 

Chapter Forty One: ‘Heart’ Part 1 Of 10: The Truth Behind The Dreams

 

  It was cold.  So very, very cold!

 

  I immediately regretted not having brought a sweater with me, but it was too late to turn back now, because if I went back home, I’d run the risk of waking Xion or my brothers up, and frankly, I didn’t want to have to explain what I was doing outside at this hour.  My teeth chattering and my body freezing, I kept walking towards the cementery, but I also kept myself at high alert.  Right now, it was dead certain that the cops would be making their patrols, and I bet they’d find a teenager walking in the middle of the night to a cementery to be a suspicious act.  With that in mind, I picked up the pace and kept myself alert at all times.  The cementery was a few blocks away, so I shook my hands together to provide some heat.  I had no other way of heating myself up, so yeah.  I kept walking through the different neighborhoods and streets, and only a few cars passed by here and there, but thankfully they weren’t police cars.  Still, I made sure to walk like if I was minding my own business, as to not draw too much attention to myself.  A few minutes later, the cold breeze kicked up some more, and now I really wish I had brought myself a sweater!

 

  “D-damn it…what could he have to say at the cementery that’s so important!?” I asked to myself as my teeth chattered louder.

 

  “God, if only he were a real person…then I’d get to beat him up for making me come out in this blistering cold!” I exclaimed to myself as I stopped for a moment, and then I looked to the sky.

 

  “I wonder why…I feel sad, all of a sudden?” I asked myself as I suddenly felt my heart ache.  It was a very strange feeling.  But then I shook my head and sighed.

 

  “Well, standing here won’t answer my question.” I said to myself, as I continued to walk.  This time though, I didn’t feel as cold.

 

  A few minutes later, I arrived at the cementery, but, the gates were shut, and I looked around to see if there was another entrance somewhere.  When I didn’t find anything, I checked the gates again, but when I took a closer look at them, I noticed they had a giant chain and a lock, so there was no way I was going to be able to open that.  But, I was already here, and I wasn’t about to give up, so I continued searching for another way into the cementery! After a few minutes of searching, I saw a fence on the far side of the cemetery that had a hole in the center, and it looked like I could go through there!  Looking around to make sure no one was watching, I quickly ran towards the fence and went through the hole, finally making it into the cementery!  I then started walking around, looking at all the tombstones that were scattered everywhere.  So many people that were buried here…

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Roxas…you have come...” the young man said as he appeared in front of me.  But this time, I wasn’t knocked unconscious!  He appeared before me as a ghost!

 

  “Wait, what?  I thought you only appeared in my dreams!” I exclaimed in surprise, and then the young man laughed and crossed his arms.

 

  “I can also cross through the dream realm and take phantom form.” he said casually, and then I glared at him.

 

  “Huh, well, it sure would have been nicer if you had appeared like this instead of appearing in my dreams every time!” I complained, and the young man chuckled.

 

  “At the moment, it wasn’t necessary to take phantom form, but now, it is a necessity.” he explained, and I shrugged.

 

  “Yeah, okay, anyways, what is it that you wanted to tell me?” I asked him, and the young man then gazed up longingly at the night sky.

 

  “Such a beautiful sight, isn’t it?  The fact that the night sky is so clear and so beautiful and serene…it’s enough to make a person feel relaxed and at peace.  Anyways Roxas, the reason I brought you here is because right here in this cementery, you will be enlightened with the truth behind your dreams.  You’ve probably asked yourself on many occasions: Why do I always have these strange dreams, and why do they always happen to me?  I assume that at times you’ve thought these dreams of yours as random figments of your mind, but I am here to tell you that it is not so.  As I had mentioned to you earlier, we, who watched over you from your dreams, observed you and tested you to see if you were deemed worthy of learning our secret.  And now that you have been deemed worthy, now is the time for you to know about everything.” he explained, and I crossed my arms.

 

  “Okay, get on with it…what’s the secret?” I asked, and the young man sat down near one of the tombstones.

 

  “Roxas…you share a very special bond with the girl, correct?” he asked me, and I nodded.

 

  “Well, if you’ve been watching me as you said you have, then you should know that it’s obvious!” I answered him, and he chuckled.

 

  “Yes, but you seemed to know her before you met her, correct?” he asked me, and that’s when I remembered.

 

  “You know what?  You’re right!  Before I met Xion, I would dream of her, and she seemed to be asking for help!  But, how did that happen to me?” I asked, and that’s when the young man stood up and stood beside me.

 

  “Well, I shall give you an answer.  You see, in this world, this plain of existence, hearts are forged by the bonds people share whent hey are in love.  Those bonds, in turn, lead to the reproduction of offspring, and so, the cycle repeats to ensure that mankind does not go extinct.  There are some instances in which unborn hearts come into contact with one another, assuring that a destined meeting is at hand.  And when that happens, those hearts are bound to meet each other at some point in their lives.  By some sort of dumb luck, or perhaps what you call a miracle, your heart came into contact with Xion’s before either of you were born.  And so, with that chance meeting set in place, it seems you two became destined to meet each other in this life.  This is why you kept having dreams about her.  It is because of the fact that you had that unconscious encounter with her that set all of this into motion.  God knew what he was doing when he let these chain of events ensue.  That, Roxas, is part of the truth regarding your dreams.” the young man explained as I remained wide eyed in shock.  I had met Xion before I was even born!?

 

  “Let me guess, this is overwhelming for you, isn’t it?” he asked me with a smile.

 

  “No kidding!” I answered as I looked up at the sky.

 

  “I knew that’d be his reaction!” a female voice said, and when I looked behind me, it was the woman that also appeared in my dreams!

 

  “You!” I pointed at her.

 

  “Yes, me.” she said with a giggle as she walked towards the young man and stood beside him.

 

  “This is just unbelievable!  So then...what more is there to tell?” I asked as both of them looked at me.  Then, I felt a gust of wind blow behind me, and when I looked around, I saw a girl standing there.

 

  “There’s lots more, trust me!” the little girl said, and that’s when I recognized her voice!  She was also one of them!  She then sat in front of the other two and looked at me.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Well, it’s just as he told you.  You and Xion met each other before even being born!  But, as he said, that’s just part of the reason why you’ve had the dreams you’ve been having.  You see, the other part of all this is about us.  You’ve probably wondered why we’ve appeared in your dreams at random.  You’ve probably thought that maybe it was just something of no importance, but the fact of the matter is, we are also connected to you.  We share a bond with you, just like Xion does!  It’s a special bond that allowed us to be able to take form.  Because of this bond, we were able to observe you all this time!  That, Roxas, is the other reason why you kept having these dreams.  I know that things are probably very confusing to you right now, and it’s understandable.  After all, who wouldn’t be confused about talking to dead people?  So don’t worry, we understand if you’re having a hard time digesting this!” the girl finished explaining, and she was right.  I was confused!  Dead people?  So they weren’t just figments of my imagination?  They were people that had died!?  I then crossed my arms and looked at all three of them.

 

  “So, um…where exactly are you getting at?” I asked, and the three of them glanced at each other before looking at me.

 

  “Huh, you really haven’t figured it out yet?  Gosh, I thought you’d have pieced it together by now!” the girl said, and then she looked at the woman, who in turn looked at the young man.

 

  “Well, it’s about time you tell him…” the woman said to the young man, and he nodded and stepped forward.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Roxas…the three of us that you see here…we are the experiments that had come before Xion.  We are the failed attempts…” the young man answered, and that’s when my eyes widened.

 

  “W-what?  Did I just hear what I think I heard?” I asked, trying to comprehend what I was just told.

 

  “It is just as I told you.  We are Even’s failed attempts at humanoid life.” the young man said grimly, and then I fell aback a few steps.

 

  “I-I’m so sorry…” was all I could say, and the young man walked towards me and smiled sadly.

 

  “Please, do not apologize.  After all, this was not your fault.  This was something you could not control, even if you had wanted to.  But yes, we are the failed attempts that came before Xion.  Back then, when we died, we obviously all faded into oblivion.  But, the three of us, who had an undying will to live, somehow managed to come back from this oblivion, and even though we were not given the ability to come back to life, we were at least able to turn into phantoms.  That way, we could be able to communicate with you, to remind you of your destined meeting with her.  We hoped for the day the two of you would meet, and when that day finally came, we knew that hope was rekindled.  But, we had to test you, to see if you were truly worthy.” the young man explained, and I remained silent for a moment and I couldn’t help but cry.

 

  “But it’s not fair!  You didn’t deserve to die the way you did!” I exclaimed, and the girl smiled at me and held my hand.

 

  “We know, Roxas.  But, we came to peace with the way things happened.” she said, and then the woman nodded.

 

  “We just wanted to be able to make sure that Xion wouldn’t suffer the same fate as us.” the woman said as she looked at me sadly.

 

  “And now, Roxas, it is up to you.” the young man remarked.

 

  “It’s…all up to me?” I asked, feeling my heart pound strongly against my chest.

 

  “Yes.  For you have undeniably proven that you are capable of facing all odds, of overcoming any adversity for the girl.  We had the hope that you would be able to prevent Xion from suffering the same fate we did, and in so doing, this cycle of death would end.  Even discarded us and never treated us as human beings…and we never had any friends to help us overcome our ordeals.  We had to face them all alone, hurting on the inside, never being able to truly be ourselves, our lives being shortened by Even’s ruthless grip.  We never had the chance to experience the things that the girl went through, and so we never learned the true value of simple things like friendship.  Roxas…you need to save her…you need to find the ‘Heart.’” the young man explained.  I looked at them and I wiped off my tears, and I paced back and forth.

 

  “But I don’t even know what the ‘Heart’ is!  Don’t any of you know what it is!?” I asked, and they remained silent.

 

  “We do not know the answer…that is why, we have faith that you will be the one fo finally answer it.” the young man said.

 

  “Yep, I’m pretty sure you’ll find it, Roxas!” the girl said giggling, and then the woman stepped forward and gave a hopeful smile.

 

  “That’s right. We all have faith in you.” she said, and then I looked at them with determination.

 

  “Guys…I’ll try my best.  I swear to you, as a man of my word, I will find out what the ‘Heart’ is!  I won’t rest until I can finally find out what it is, and when I do find it, I’ll be able to free Xion from this endless cycle of death!  I’ll make sure that she doesn’t have to suffer the way you all did!  I’ll do this for her, and I’ll do this for all of you!  I know that Even was a cruel man, and the way he treated you all was unforgivable, and I know that this is something that doesn’t have any justification!  My only wish is that I could have been able to exist before then, that I could have somehow been able to prevent all of you from dying!  That way, you could have been able to live life, make friends, fall in love, and do all sorts of things!  Your lives were robbed of you, and even though you were artificial, your lives were still lives!  You had the same exact feelings as any person would, and you had a heart, just like a real person!  And so, with that being said, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Xion can live on, for all of you!” I said to them, pouring out my heart and soul into every word I uttered, and then I looked at them.  The woman and the girl were crying while smiling, while the young man closed his eyes and smiled.

 

  “That is why you are the one. Thank you, Roxas.” he said, and then he started to fade away.

 

  “Wait, where are you going?” I asked as I tried reaching out for them.

 

  “It’s time for us to go now!  We’ve already done our part!  The rest is up to you!” the girl said as she smiled and disappeared.

 

  “We can now be at peace.” the woman uttered as she too, disappeared.

 

  “Wait!  At least tell me your names!” I exclaimed, and the young man turned around and then glanced over his shoulder at me.

 

  “Unfortunately…our names were stripped away from us.  We are nameless.  But, in the end, that doesn’t matter.  Just the fact that you acknowledged our existence and thought of us as real people…that was more than enough.  It is enough to make us feel like we truly lived.  Farewell, Roxas…and thank you.” the young man said, as a tear shed down his face, and as he smiled, he disappeared.

(End Song Here)

 

  As I stood there, speechless, the cold breeze suddenly picked up, and I couldn’t help but cry.  These people had been victims of Even’s heartless schemes…and they had been suffering all this time!  My heart ached with grief for them, and even though I only saw them in my dreams, I couldn’t help but care about them.  I looked up to the sky and noticed that the moon was bright and beautiful, and the stars looked stunningly spectacular!  I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.  I wouldn’t let their hard work go to waste.  They had guided me up to this point, and I wasn’t going to let them down!  No matter what, I was going to find this ‘Heart’ and put a stop to this cycle!  It needed to be done!  As I slowly walked towards the hole in the fence I had gone in through, I noticed some flashlights coming from that direction, and then my heart froze!  No doubt that those belonged to cops!  I was about to panic, but then I remembered that I had to remain calm.  As I looked around for a place to hide, I noticed a big bush near an oak tree, and so I darted towards said bush and remained there, waiting for the cops to pass by.

 

  “That’s odd…I could’ve sworn I saw someone here!” one of the cops said, scratching his head.

 

  “Well, maybe you were just imagining things!” a female cop said in an irritated tone.

 

  “Hmm…just to be sure, let’s go search the far side of the cementery, just in case!” the male cop said, and the female cop groaned.

 

  “Geez, okay!  But after this, you owe me some coffee!” she said demandingly, and the male cop chuckled.

 

  “Sure thing!” he replied, and with that, they walked towards the far side of the cementery, and that’s when I took the initiative and ran like hell!

 

  After I got out through the hole in the fence, I glanced over my shoulder, just to make sure that the cops were far enough as to not notice me.  They were nowhere to be seen.  I then decided to calmly walk home.  I passed by their patrol car, and then I crossed the street and walked as fast as I could!  When I finally got home, I quietly entered through the window, and I noticed that Xion was sound asleep.  I sighed of relief and then I quickly went to the bathroom and I took a shower, and soon afterwords, I lay down in bed with Xion, stroking her hair and touching her face.  I looked at her beautiful face, the way she slept so peacefully, and I smiled and held her close.  I kissed her forehead and then her lips, and then I started to slowly close my eyes.  Then, mere seconds later, I was already fast asleep, but with one thought in my mind.

 

  I won’t let Xion down!

----------------------------------

 

“Roxas, what are you doing?”

“I love you Xion, never forget that!”

“We’ll always be here for you, no matter what!

“Thank you…”

 

Stay tuned for Chapter Forty Two: “’Heart’ Part 2 Of 10: Always There.”

 

Well then everyone, that was the chapter, I hope that you all enjoyed it!  I have to say, I really enjoyed how this chapter turned out, because it was certainly fantastic!  The finale is approaching closer, so buckle your seatbelts and prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride!  Haha, anyways, as always, thank you so much for your comments, patience and support, and be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was an interesting Chapter yet again.