Memories of the Hearts

Chapter XVI

"Thank you for being born into this world." ~Gouda Takeo (My Love Story!)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A couple days after the attack of the Dusks, I sat with Naminè in her room. DiZ's words kept on repeating over and over in my head and I just couldn't seem to shake them off; In the end, she'll disappear all the same. One can never defy their fate. That goes the same for that puppet...and for Roxas. What did he mean by those words? As stared at the drawings on the walls and recognized some of them, as some of them I had memories of. But the rest, I didn't. "Whose memories are these?" I asked Naminè.

"They're...Sora's," she replied.

"You know, there's just something on my mind that I just couldn't get rid of," I admitted to Naminè as I continued to stare at the drawings.

"What is it?" She asked me.

"It's DiZ's words-In the end, she'll disappear all the same. One can never defy their fate. That goes the same for that puppet...and for Roxas," I explained. "What exactly did he mean by that?"

"I knew this day would come" Naminè sighed.. "You've grown so close to her that I never wanted to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" I shifted my position on the chair so now I was looking at her.

"Somewhere in Xion's body, there's a fragment of Sora's memories," Naminè explained. "And it's because of those memories inside of her that Sora's unable to wake from his sleep. In order for her to return his memories to her, she will have to disappear. Roxas has the same problem as well."

"I see..." I slowly nodded.

'And that's not all," Naminè added. "She's actually a 'puppet'-a clone of Sora like that Riku puppet back in Castle Oblivion, but unlike him she cannot exist without Sora's memories. And because everything she is now is built on those memories, she will not be remembered when she's gone."

"WHAT?!" I cried, jumping from my seat.

*~*~*~*~*~

Xion and I had finished our clash in the sky and we had fallen to the ground, both exhausted from the fight. As I stared at Xion as she fell to her knees, gripping my head, something didn't feel right about her. I recognized her, but at the same time I didn't. "Who are you...again?" I murmured. "It's weird. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."

"You'll be...better off now...Roxas," Xion mumbled as she collapsed. I quickly fell to her side and caught her in my arms, holding her hand in mine. Crystals began fly off of her and into the sky, disappearing entirely.

"Am I...the one who did this to you?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No...it was my choice...to go away now," She smiled weakly. "Better that, then do nothing...and let Xemnas have his way. I belong with Sora. And now, I'm going back, to be with him." Her words began coming out slower than before, as if she was struggling to say them. "Roxas...I need you...to do me a favor. All those hearts I've captured...Kingdom Hearts...set them free."

"Kingdom Hearts...free them?" I muttered to myself.

I glanced down at her legs and saw that ice began forming on them, consuming them entirely. She flinched in my arms before smiling at me once more, "It's too late...for me to undo my mistake. But you can't have Xemnas...have Kingdom Hearts. You can't." Her smile began to fade. "Goodbye, Roxas. I'm glad...I got to meet you. Oh...and of course, Axel, too. You're both my best friends. Never forget...that's the truth."

She placed a gentle hand on my face and smiled one last time before closing her eyes and her hand slipped off my face. My eyes widen as I grabbed her hand, ice flying off her hand. "No!" I pleaded. "Xion...who else will I have ice cream with?"

I waited, praying for a response. She didn't reply. Her eyes were closed, as if she was asleep. The ice spread through her body and she was consumed with light before her body disappeared from my arms through light particles. I looked down to see that she left behind a sea shell. A memory flashed through my head of her laughing. "Xion..." I choked, shedding some tears as the cool droplets slid down my cheeks and off my chin, dripping onto the floor.

*~*~*~*~*~

"But why?!" I cried. "Why will I forget Xion?!"

"Because she never had memories of her own," Naminè explained. "When she got Sora's she claimed that they were hers. Because of that, she will cease from anyone's memories when she dies."

As I sat there, gripping my skirt tightly at the realization that I will be soon forgetting my friendship with Xion, a familiar spark went through my head and I gasped as I gripped it, waiting for a flashback of some memory to happen. But, nothing came. Once the pain was gone and I looked up, my head was blank. My head felt empty, which was unusual. It was unsettling.

"Hey Naminè?" I asked with confusion. "What were we just talking about?"