Light From the Past

Farewell

The Next Day

=======

Roxas sat on top of the clock tower, his head in his knees which were pulled up to his chest.

"Where did I think I could go? What a joke," Roxas whimpered. Xion, with her hood up, came up and stood up beside him. "Xion!"

Xion didn't say anything, but she pulled ice cream sticks from her pocket and handed one to Roxas. Roxas smiled and thanked her.

====Time Skip====

When the pair was done with their ice cream, they stared at the sunset.

"Roxas... I'm out of time," Xion said, breaking the silence. She stood up. Roxas looked at her, confused. Xion reached up pulled down her hood. Roxas gasped. Instead of seeing her face, he saw a boy with blue eyes and spiky brown hair. "Even if I'm not ready, I have to make this choice. You have poured so many memories into me...given me so much...that I feel like I'm about to overflow. Look at me, Roxas. Who do you see? If you see somebody else's face... a boy's face... then that means I'm almost ready. This puppet will have to play her part. Roxas... This is him. It's Sora."

Xion started to walk away, even on air. Roxas stood up quickly. Xion pulled her hood back up. "You're next, Roxas. I have to make you a part of me too. Don't you see?" Darkness swirled around her. "This is why I was created."

====Battle Skip====

Xion fell to her knees. Her face didn't look like Sora's, but her own again. Roxas held a hand to his head like it hurt.

"Who are you... again?" Roxas asked. "It's weird. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."

"You'll be...better off now... Roxas," Xion whimpered. 

She started to fall over, but Roxas caught her. Silver flecks started to rise from her body.  

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

Xion shook her head. "No... It was my choice... to go away now. Better that, than to so nothing... and let Xemnas have his way." She paused to pull in a raspy breath. "I belong with Sora. And now, I am going back... to be with him." She gently lifted her hand to touch Roxas's. "Roxas... I need you...to do me a favor. All those heart that I've captured... Kingdom Hearts... Set them free."

"Kingdom Hearts... Free them?" Roxas repeated. He looked down to see Xion's feet and legs turning into an ice-like crystal. His eyes widened.

"It's too late... for me to undo my mistakes," Xion said weakly. "But you can't let Xemnas... have Kingdom Hearts. You can't. Good-bye, Roxas." Xion smiled sadly. "See you again. I'm glad... I got to meet you." She looked up at the tower, where she used to sit everyday. "Oh... and of course, Axel and Lelie too." Her eyes began to grow heavy. "You're all my best friends." She pulled her hand away from Roxas's and raised it to his cheek. "Never forget. That's the truth."

Roxas's eyes widened as his memories of Xion came rushing back. Her hand started to fall, Roxas caught it. "No!"

"Xion. Who else will I have ice cream with?"

Xion smiled lightly and closed her eyes. Her body froze and faded in a bright light. The lights flew up into the air and disappeared. Roxas looked at the ground, the only thing left of Xion was a small pink and yellow shell. As Roxas picked it up, he remembered Xion smiled with him. Laughing at the sunset.

"Xion," Roxas sobbed. Tears rolled down his cheeks and fell to the ground.

=======

Axel

=======

Axel was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"How did this happen?" he muttered. He sat up. 

He glanced to his window and saw an envelope sitting next to his bed. He narrowed his eyes and inspected the envelope before he opened his. His eyes widened as he pulled out the envelope's contents. 

And ice cream stick that said WINNER.