Sorrow's Promise

Chapter 26

It was three days later when Xion finally arrived at the mansion. Riku had been absent for most of that time, only showing up on occasion to check if she had come yet, and to have conferences with DiZ in the basement. He wouldn't say much about whatever he was off doing, or about anything else, for that matter. I could tell that he was stressed and worried about everything going on.

I was the only one around when Xion knocked at the front door. "I'm sorry it took me so long!" she exclaimed breathlessly as soon as I ushered her inside. "The Organization is out looking for me. I was trying to shake them off."

"What matters is that you're here now," I assured her. "Come on, Naminé is upstairs."

Naminé smiled kindly as Xion and I entered the room. "Hello. Nice to meet you, Xion."

Xion removed her hood. "Hello," she answered uncertainly.

"Why don't you come have a seat?" Naminé suggested, indicating the chair on the opposite end of the table from where she was sitting. Xion obliged, and I found a spot leaning up against the wall nearby.

"The more time that goes by, the more I keep finding myself drawn to Sora," Xion began. "A few days ago, I even started looking like him." She looked up at the blonde girl down the table. "Naminé, are you able to...see my face?"

"Yes."

"Then what do you think I should do?" Xion queried.

"What do you want to do?" Naminé returned gently.

Xion looked down at her lap, then turned to gaze at the wall. I glanced over to see what she was looking at, and saw that it was a drawing Naminé had made of Roxas, Axel, and Xion together.

"At first, I just wanted to be with Roxas and Axel forever," Xion remarked. "But then I started to realize that my memories...well, these aren't really even mine, are they?"

"You're not Sora, and you're not Roxas. You're Kairi, as Sora remembers her," Naminé explained.

Xion dropped her gaze again. "As I remember more of my past, the more I feel the need to go back where I came from. What should I do...to go back?"

"So you're going back to Sora?" Naminé clarified. When Xion nodded her agreement, Naminé continued. "If you return your memories to him, then you will disappear. In exchange for not having your own memory, you're connected through other's memories. So when you disappear, no one will remember you. There won't be any 'you' to remember."

"What?" I cried, standing up straight. "What do you mean? We just...won't remember that she even existed?"

Naminé shook her head. "For all the powers I possess, I can't keep even one piece of the memory called 'you' connected."

"That's...crazy," I sputtered, dumbfounded. "Xion, you don't have to do this..."

Xion cut me off with a wave of her hand. "I know. I'm ready. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

I sighed and dropped back against the wall. This just didn't seem right. I had already felt wary enough about this whole deal to start with, and that's when I thought we were only asking her to leave her friends and the Organization behind, not to give up her life. She might not be a real person, but she still seemed like one.

"I also know that Roxas should be going back with me," Xion spoke again. "But...I don't think he would understand. Not yet."

"I know. Roxas can't feel Sora just yet," Naminé agreed.

Looking back and forth between the two of them in confusion and growing nervousness, I stepped forward again. "Wait, I'm sorry. What does Roxas have to do with any of this?"