Chapter 10 Xion's Death

Published August 23/2019

AN: Heya been a while huh? (I have been focused on my 2 new stories pretty extensively but decided to give this one a chapter as it is one of ones I do enjoy most). I did have the actual scene written awhile (have a few pre written) but adding reactions and story is the hard part. Remember the bolded parts are the memories and the normal text are the live reactions!

My writing style has probably changed since I haven't done "reactions" chapters for abit (since I have done both I can tell you for sure they are different in writing styles).

"So which one of Sora's memories will we see next?" Ven asked excitedly as the screen starting loading up the data.

Xion whispered to Roxas "Maybe its abit mean we only see Sora's memories. I think its only fair if we pitch one too." Roxas looked thoughtful and nodded.

Roxas whistled as everyone turned back to Sora's former nobody.

"Hey how about we look at one of my memories?" Roxas said stepping forward as everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Aren't we trying to find Sora using his memories? How would looking at one of yours help out?" Riku asked impatiently as Namine and Kairi chided him on his rudeness. Roxas frowned still annoyed that Riku originally put the goal of waking up Sora above everyone else including those who had to pay for it including him and Xion.

"Riku that's enough. Time itself is nearly frozen outside this room so a memory or two will not matter in the long run." Ansem told Riku who sighed but stepped aside. Roxas gave a quick nod of acknowledgement as he put his hand on the console making the computer beep as it uploaded a memory Roxas had selected.

Lea went in close to Xion and whispered "Any idea which one he picked?".

Xion sighed and whispered "I know which one he selected as its one of mine as well." Lea raised an eyebrow and was about to make a joke but Xion expression made him worried instead.

After a few minutes the room changed to the Twilight Train Station as everyone looked around in surprise.

The memory started in Twilight Town outside the Train Station after the fight with Xion and Roxas had competed with Roxas as the victor.

With a burst of Darkness leaving an exhausted Xion to collapse the ground in defeat. She had her original appearance instead a pseudo clone appearance of Sora. Her black hair and blue eyes had returned with her defeat. Roxas had one hand on his head in confusion as they both wore their Organization 13 Black Coats.

"Xion?! Roxas?! What is this?!" Lea shouted as everyone stared in shock at Xion and Roxas in the memory who looked like one was a winner and the other was a loser.

"Axel this is the time before I became apart of Sora again." Xion said quietly as Roxas held her hand protectively. Lea pulled both his friends into an embrace as Isa and Vexen looked down in shame. They didn't know exactly how it happened but knew that Xion was apart of Sora before they targeted Roxas again. Mickey and Riku looked away remembering their part in breaking up these friends in their quest to save Sora.

However, several people were still pretty confused.

"Uh can you step back a little bit explain the 'part of Sora part' again?" Aqua asked in confusion.

"Yeah isn't Roxas Sora's nobody? How does Xion fit into this?" Terra asked still only having the basics of what happened in the recent decade.

Nobody wanted to speak up till Isa stood forward. "I suppose since I was big part of what happened to Xion and Roxas I owe it them to explain." Isa said emotionlessly ignoring the concerned looks from Xion and Lea. "Xion before she became a person you see today was a memory-based replica of Sora." Isa said as almost everyone gasped.

"Yes. She has the appearance of Kairi because she in fact was Sora's memories of Kairi taken on a form through a replica." Vexen added as Kairi gasped as she knew that Xion had some relation to her but didn't know Xion was actually Sora's memory of her. "However, when she started to absorb more memories her appearance changed based on what connections to Sora the person had." Vexen continued as people gave him confused looks. "For example, if you did not consider Xion a friend you would likely see her as somebody in a black coat with their face obscured." Vexen claimed as Isa nodded his head stiffly.

"This is speculation but I believed that since Xenmas created her to 'replace' Sora she would look like Sora to him." Vexen mused.

"Riku whose face did you see that made you so surprised when we first met?" Xion asked alluding to their fight at Beasts castle.

Riku was silent for a minute as everyone gave him concerned looks. "I saw Sora face when your hood was off despite hearing your voice as it is now and knowing Sora was asleep." Riku finally admitted as everyone gasped. "But the next time I saw you and from on I saw you with your own face not anyone else's." Riku assured her as Xion sent a grin at him.

"What a minute? How did Sora's memories get lose in the first place? Memories don't just fall out right?" Aqua asked in concern as Ven patted his head as if trying to prevent memories from slipping out to everyone amusement.

"As a result of me tampering with Sora's memories back in Castle Oblivion." Namine started as several people shuddered at the name of the castle including Donald and Goofy who were informed what happened there by Riku after much prodding. "Sora's memories scattered and some of them naturally found their way into Roxas since he was originally Sora as well." Namine explained as she also revealed due to the experiments by Organization 13 Xion was formed by taking those memories into her body.

Aqua looked angrily and gripped her hands making Ventus look at her in concern. "To think we thought we stopped Xehanort all those years ago but even as a nobody he caused all this pain and suffering." Aqua said with anger as Terra looked away guiltily until Ven pulled both his friend into a tight hug.

"Well now that we all caught up shall we continue?" Ansem asked as everyone nodded to him.

"Who are you again?" Roxas asked in pure confusion as he stumbled forward with one hand on his face still.

"Roxas? Why did you forget her?" Olette asked in concern.

"Yeah you seem close." Pence remarked as Xion and Roxas smiled.

"Its because I was a memory based being so when the memories inside of me disappeared my existence itself would also vanish as well." Xion explained as everyone gave her looks of sadness.

"However physical records and data did not vanish so that's how the new Organization still knew about you Xion and how to bring you into a vessel." Isa explained as Xion nodded her head.

"Its feels like I am forgetting something really important." Roxas admitted as he stumbled forward until he was only a foot away from Xion. Xion only looked with a sad resignation as she sat on her knees and looked at the ground not meeting Roxas's eyes.

Roxas looked down in shame as Xion gave him a genuine smile whiel Lea started crying.

"I should've been there and tried to stop you idiots harder!" Lea said in despair as Roxas and Xion gripped his arms with smiles.

"Don't be. It was hard enough to say goodbye to Roxas but with you around I wouldn't had a chance to even talk." Xion said with a brave attempt at a joke as Lea laughed.

(Xion's Theme music starts)

"Xions Theme." Ansem announced reading off the monitor as Roxas and Lea gave sad smiles agreeing this song summed up Xion perfectly.

"You'll be… better off now… Roxas." Xion told him sadly as she started to get weaker from the fight. Soon her strength left her as she fell forward and would've hit the floor hard until Roxas managed to catch her in his arms with her resting her back in his arms softly.

"Xion!" Lea shouted as Xion face grimaced remembering how her first 'death' was slow and agonizing but at least she got to be with Roxas in her final moments.

'How cruel. To be forced to die in the arms of the one who loves you.' Ansem thought sadly looking at the looks shared between Roxas and Xion.

Riku looked away in guilt as he realized his and Namine plan for Xion to simply merge with Sora did not go according to plan. Instead it looked like Roxas was forced to absorb Xion before what was left of Sora was taken from him.

Lea finally had enough and broke down. "How can you be ok with this?!" he shouted waving his arms in frustration.

"Axel." Roxas said quietly as he stared at his best friend who looked outraged.

"This all happened because of Sora! Maybe Riku should've found a way to wake him up so you two didn't need to disappear!" Lea shouted as Riku glared him looking like he was ready to punch Lea in the face. Kairi looked conflicted while Namine sighed. The Twilight Trio looked out of place while Mickey looked ready to intervene if needed.

Aqua looked sad, Ventus looked at Roxas with pity, Terra looked neutral, Yen Sid sighed, Donald and Goofy glared at Lea while Isa rolled his eyes.

"It was either Sora woke up or all 3 of us would no longer be ourselves anymore." Xion said in finality as Roxas nodded sombrely.

"What?" Lea said in complete shock.

"The truth is the longer I existed the more I would take from Sora and Roxas. It was Xemnas plan for me after all to turn me into a mindless clone of Sora by taking all of Roxas and Sora into me. So, I chose a way so at least Roxas and me would exist as we are now." Xion revealed with determination.

"You mean?" Aqua eyes widened in horror.

"Yes, Xion made me fight to the death and I absorbed her instead." Roxas said with tears running down his face as Xion embraced him fully. No one including Isa could say another word as they watched the memory continue.

Roxas grunted as he picked up and held the girl who seemed familiar to him although he could not place why. One hand held the black-haired girl on her shoulders as her face slumped and one held onto her legs as the girl flickered from sleep and consciousness.

Xion decided to lighten the mood as she stayed next to Roxas who had stopped crying. "It seems all entire friendship has always been one of us taking care of the other huh Roxas?" Xion asked with a smirk which was mirrored by Roxas as lea gave a small laugh.

Riku picking up on it decided to pick on Kairi "Well better than Sora having to worry about Kairi all the time." Riku said dramatically as Kairi pouted in annoyance.

"Hey I help him out too!" Kairi claimed as Donald and Goofy in between snickering nodded.

"True she did save him from staying a heartless." Goofy acknowledged as the laughter eventually stopped.

Tiny shards of glass started to appear from Xion's body as her form started to crystalize and disappear.

"Xion your body." Lea said in despair as Xion gave him a sad smile.

"Yeah like I told before I was going back to where I belonged." Xion told him bluntly as Namine looked down remembering their conversation where she told Xion what would happen to her if she went back to Sora.

Roxas eyes widened in realization and fear as he said in terror "Am I… the one who did this to you?". Roxas looked at her body seeing her body start to disappear in front of his very eyes.

Xion gave a sharp look to Roxas who looked guilty. "Don't blame yourself for my choices." Xion told him.

When he looked ready to argue she said clearly "I would rather fade away then watch you fade away Roxas."

To everyone surprise Yen Sid gave a small chuckle. When everyone gave him a look he just smiled and said "I suppose you all have thing in common with Sora. You would all rather lose yourselves than lose someone or people you care about." As everyone digested this the memory continued.

Xion blinked and shook her head in denial as she continued to rest in Roxas's arms. "No… It was my choice… to go away now." Xion told Roxas softly as she continued to blink trying to stay awake even as her strength continued to leave her.

"I knew neither Roxas or Axel would ever choose to dispose of me even if it meant saving Roxas." Xion said as Roxas and Axel looked away confirming her thoughts. "So, I made a choice. I could no longer just go back to Sora due to the programming Xemnas put into my body so I did what I could. I made Roxas destroy me so I could go back to Sora." Xion said as everyone looked at her with determination for her selfless actions.

The memory zoomed out to show Xion body still intact but slowly fading away as she rested in Roxas's arms. "Better that, than to do nothing… and let Xemnas have his way." Xion explained defiantly revealing her motives for attacking him.

"Look I am not going to pretend and say I knew I would eventually come back from Sora's heart." Xion said out loud "I was scared of going away just like anyone else but I knew I didn't want Roxas and Sora to be gone just so I could exist as Xemnas puppet so I did what I could to save everyone." Xion declared.

"Luckily for us and Ventus. Sora's heart was warm and welcoming it not our saved us from fading away like any other heart it completed the parts we were missing." Roxas said fondly as Lea opened his mouth before nodding his head stiffly.

"I belong with Sora." Xion mentioned as the memory panned upwards where the crystals shard of her body flew presumably to join back up with a sleeping Sora. "And now, I am going back… to be with him." Xion explained as her voice kept strong despite her strength weakening.

"How could you say that? You are belong to yourselves not Sora." Lea said quietly but much to his and everyone surprise Xion and Roxas laughed.

"Its funny. Sora himself said that to me in the dream world and I n=know he meant it for Ven and Xion too." Roxas said with a hint of irony in his voice.

"Its true Axel. The nobody we knew as Axel and his corresponding Heartless disappeared when you became complete Axel." Xion noted as Lea snorted.

He muttered "well its not the same thing." As several people chuckled as his childish behaviour.

"Yet without even realizing it Sora not only kept his nobody from assimilating to himself he even kept a replica who was meant to absorb him instead. He never met either Xion or Roxas but his heart itself made space and kept them alive and well when no other being in existence could have." Ansem remarked as Riku nodded remembering Data Ansem saying something similar.

She used her left hand to gently place on top of Roxas right one that was holding her shoulders and body up. "Roxas… I need you… to do me a favor." Xion asked softly. The memory changed angles to show Roxas serious and sad face as he listened to Xions words.

Everyone stayed quiet wanting to see what Xion wanted in her final moments. Xion and Roxas only smiled at each other.

"Sorry for the request Roxas. It wasn't our fight to stop Xemnas." Xion apologized softly.

"Yeah it was Sora's fight." Roxas acknowledged.

"All those hearts that I've captured… Kingdom Hearts… Set them free." Xion asked a confused Roxas.

"Kingdom Hearts… Free Them?" Roxas repeated in confusion not getting what Xion was asking of him.

"Huh? Free hearts?" Aqua said in confusion as Xion looked embarrassed.

"I meant stop Organization 13 for collecting more hearts for their version of Kingdom Hearts but Roxas took it a different way." Xion admitted as Roxas puffed his cheeks in annoyance.

'If it wasn't Roxas, Sora would've done the same reckless thing.' Riku thought to himself.

Roxas eyes widened in shock and surprise as he heard a cracking sound and looked down. He saw Xion's body start to crystallize starting with her feet and boots.

Every girl gasped in horror while the guys looked away seeing Xion disappear slowly in front of their eyes.

"Its too late… for me to undo my mistakes." Xion said sadly as the crystallization of her body continued upwards as she spoke. Roxas hand near her feet twitched as if trying to save her body but stopped midway.

"It was too late." Roxas repeated sadly as Xion gave him a soft smile. Lea still wanted to say something but he realized now no matter what he did they were meant to reunite with Sora from the very beginning.

The memory zoomed out to show the sunset in the background with Roxas's continuing to hold Xion's body as she talked. "But you can't Xemnas… have Kingdom Hearts. You can't." Xion begged as she continued to feel weaker and weaker.

"What a beautiful sunset." Olette decided to say as everyone looked at the memory showed Xion struggling to say her final words to Roxas who still did not quite remember her.

The memory showed Roxas concerned and sad face as he watched this familiar girl start to disappear in his arms. It changed to Xions smiling face as she smiled happily at Roxas. "See you again." Xion promised. "I'm glad… I got to meet you." Xion assured Roxas in a heartfelt tone of voice.

"Woah, Woah, Woah!" Lea said dramatically in betrayal as everyone gave him amused looks. "What about Axel?!" Lea asked raising his hands in exasperation. "Come on! Back me up! Kairi? Isa?" Lea asked desperately.

"Sure Axel. Its hard to forget your spikey red hair." Kairi said teasingly as Lea gave her an annoyed look.

"He is hard to forget." Isa said as Lea raised his head in triumph. "Believe me I have tried." Isa explained as Lea glared at him. Ventus smiled remembering a much younger Isa and Lea having the same conversation years ago.

The memory zoomed up to the clocktower where the trio used to eat Sea-salt Ice Cream. "Oh… and of course, Axel, too." Xion added in an afterthought as if she could hear Axel scolding her.

Everyone despite the mood couldn't help but laugh at the expression Xion gave Lea.

"Well took you long enough time." Lea said without any real heat as Xion and Roxas grinned at their other best friend.

It changed back to Xion's face as she had trouble keeping her eyes open at this point and kept blinking. "You're both my best friends." Xion promised Roxas.

"That will never change no matter what happens." Xion promised as the three friends hugged it out. Isa merely smiled as everyone gave the 3 former Organization 13 members their space.

Xion slowly used her left hand which was resting on Roxas's hand to gently rest on Roxas's right cheek. "Never forget. That's the truth." Xion told him warmly. Roxas looked confused for a moment with Xion's hand stroking his cheek before his eyes widened in remembrance. Just as Xion hand fell from his cheek his memories of Xion returned to him as he grabbed her falling hand in mid with his left hand while his right hand continued to hold Xion steady.

"Roxas you remembered her in the final moments." Namine said with sadness as Roxas stiffly nodded his head.

"What was most important was remembered the least." Xion pointed out as it summed up her very existence.

"No more. We will always be together and that includes getting Sora back too." Roxas declared as everyone raised their hands in the air in agreement.

"No!" Roxas said in denial and heartbreak. At this point Xion could no longer keep her eyes open and just laid there with a warm smile as her body continued to crystallize and fade away.

"Xion… Who else will I have ice cream with?" Roxas asked begging for his best friend to open her eyes and not leave him.

Normally Lea would've made a joke he was still around but even he knew between the three of them Roxas and Xion shared something special. Something he saw Kairi and Sora have although not exactly the same. Lea smirked to himself despite his annoyance with Riku at some times he admitted their roles were pretty close the same.

At this moment the crystallization which was isolated to her legs sped up and started to rise up her body rapidly as Roxas kept her in his arms. In mere seconds her entire body crystallized and Xion turned into a ray of light with her weight disappearing from Xions arms. Roxas could do nothing but look up and watch as the shard of crystal and light which was Xion's body disappear into the air rising upwards.

At this point Aqua, Namine and Kairi could no longer hold back tears while everyone else was just silent trying to think of what they could say.

Lea kept saying sorry to Xion who smiled and whispered "Its nobody fault not even Sora's. You gotta stop blaming Sora for what happened to me and Roxas."

Lea frowned and was about to retort until Xion continued "He literally took his life apart and instead of absorbing us like everyone else does to become complete he saved the hearts we developed. When we needed it most, he gave us a second chance to become our new selves."

Despite her tears Kairi felt touched that somebody who in a sense was another her felt so compassionate and loving especially to Sora who helped her out without even knowing about it.

Afterwards all that was left was a single pink and yellow Seashell where Xion once laid. Roxas picked it up and remembered a memory of Xion smiling happily at him from the Clock Tower. "Xion." Roxas said in a heartbroken tone of voice as a single long tear fell from his eyes and his voice broke from heartache and lost.

When the memory ended nobody knew what to say but to everyone surprise Riku went up to Xion with a blank expression. Everyone gave him concerned looks with Lea and Roxas going in front of Xion but Xion waved them off to look Riku in the face.

"What is it Riku?" Xion asked kindly but to her shock Riku nodded his head in shame.

"I am sorry this happened to you and Roxas." Riku apologized which sent everyone in a loop. "If I could do it over again, I would find a way to save all three of you." Riku promised as Xion favoured him a warm smile.

"I know you would but there was no choice before and I chose to go back. Nobody made me no matter what anyone says." Xion said warmly as she gently placed an arm on Rikus shoulder much he did to her while they spoke on the Destiny Islands. After a look from Xion, Roxas and Lea accepted Riku's apology.

When Riku went back to Kairi and Namine they sent him huge beaming smiles which he returned a smaller smile in return.

AN: I know shorter memory but it took SO long and much effort to actually write! It has only been minutes since Sora has disappeared on the outside world so even vague memories do nto matter in the long run.

BTW I don't know which memory I will do next as it literally took a lot of effort to brush this out of the "limbo" pile.