Memories of the Hearts

Chapter XII

"Even when our eyes are closed, there's a whole world out there that lives outside ourselves and our dreams." ~Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
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Riku left for a couple more weeks. Meanwhile, a man with red bandages wrapped around his face and yellow eyes named DiZ transferred us to the Haunted Mansion in Twilight Town, because it was safer, since it was less likely that the Organization would search for us there.

Riku returned again but this time, he wasn't alone. A girl with short, raven hair, blue eyes, and in the Organization outfit was with him. She looked completely tired, like she had the energy inside her body was drained inside her. "Saki, this Xion," He said. He glanced at me nervously.

I smiled, walked up to Xion, and shook her hand. "Hello, I'm Sakura. It's very nice to meet you, Xion." I introduced myself to the shy girl.

"Nice to meet you, too," She mumbled, stumbling a bit and struggling to keep up her feet.

"Xion is here to recover from...a little accident she had," Riku explained as he lead her to a room in the mansion.

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Xion was pretty quiet. She didn't talk to anyone. She mostly stayed in her room and didn't allow visitors at all. As long we gave her food and water, she was happy. We were silent, too. Naminè as well locked herself in another room in the Mansion. I kept myself busy when I found a vintage camera around in the Haunted Mansion. It most likely belonged to whoever lives here last. It was old enough that it instantly produced the photo of whatever you had your camera pointing at. Not surprisingly, I became bored very quickly even with my new toy. There wasn't much to take a picture of in the mansion and it was not like I could just go outside and play around with my camera, since Diz and Riku wanted everyone to stay inside the mansion as much as possible to reduce being detected by the enemy. Which, made sense but after a while it's bound to drive you crazy.At least in Castle Oblivion, there was some entertainment of trying to get back up to the higher floors with the constant shifting if the lowers floors.

I fidgeted with the vintage camera I found in my hands as I watched Riku leave the grounds of the Haunted Mansion through a Corridor of Darkness. DiZ was nowhere to be found, which was great. I really wanted to sneak out of the mansion for just a few hours. Even if it was a brisk walk through the woods, I'd do anything to get out of this cramping, dusty old house.

As I was about to head out into the woods, I passed by Xion's door and froze, remembering that she was inside. See, that's how much Xion kept out of our lives-it's to the point of even forgetting she existed. I started debating of taking me with her. Naminè was so absorbed in her work which, made sense, since she's repairing the memories of an entire person, that she has rejected my offer several times even just to leave her work and her room for just a few minutes just to take a break. She's been working non stop since we came here. Poor thing. But Xion? Sure, she had to recover from whatever happened to her, I didn't get the details, but a week was enough, right? Even if we can't go far, I want to take her out so she doesn't start to feel cramped in her room like me. Plus, I'd like to get to know her better.

I walked back to the door outside her room and knocked. Outside, I could hear shuffling as I knew she was coming to the door. I had a mischievous idea as I took a step back, holding the camera over my eye as I aimed at her door. Once she opened it, I quickly snapped a photo before she had a chance to react or cover her face from me.

Once I out the camera down, the photo came out and I took it. It was a photo of Xion, standing by her door with a confused and slightly shocked look on her face. I put the photo down to look at her and she wore the same exact expression on her face. I giggled as I waved the photo teasingly in front of me to see if she would react. "Surprise!" I laughed.