[In his current state, he was in no position to protest and frankly felt at least a small pang of relief knowing that she was still together enough to make such an effort. The memories were coming back at a pace where he wasn't so much seeing them as scenes any more -things that he just remembered; details and conversations that he was just suddenly able to recall as if they'd always been at his fingertips. Every so often, something would slow down and he'd see it playing out like a scene in a film, but from his own perspective, but most of them had been brief so far.
Roxas had been willing his legs to move, to keep some semblance of pace as his friend guided him. He was feeling tired, just like he wanted to let go and doze off -maybe this was a dream after all and he'd awaken back just as a part of Sora's consciousness. But as painful as all this was, he was grateful. He now was able to remember someone that had been so dear to him, someone that had played such an important part in his life.
Someone that was about to be struck down because he was slowing her down.
The last three NeoShadows lunged toward the duo with frightening speed and ferocity at an angle they had no hope to avoid. And then memory chose to show him something again. A flash-flood of images; from atop the Clock Tower.
Xion was there, but she looked like Sora. The way her eyes met his that time filled him with such fear -of losing her and of being destroyed by whatever it was that she was becoming.
This puppet will play her part.
And then she actually attacked him. He evaded the attack, dodged the follow-ups and pleaded for her to stop. And in the end, after a grueling battle, he struck her down. He couldn't bear to watch, but as his memory, he couldn't look away or close his eyes. The scene paced sporadically -he could only actually 'hear' bits of the dialog, but that entire scene was burned into his memory enough that he remembered what had been said.
You'll be... better off... Roxas.
Am I... the one that did this to you?
I'm glad... I got to meet you.
Xion! Who else will I have ice cream with?
The moment froze there. He knew what happened afterward. Whether in this memory or the reality outside of it, he felt... a tear? He couldn't be sure. Part of him wanted to laugh -he's chosen such a stupid last thing to say back then. He came to again in time to see those dark shapes coming toward them. What he'd just seen was something he refused to let happen again -what he'd let happen, he wouldn't give the chance to repeat. Even if it meant him giving her the same pain he felt.
Roxas slipped his arm loose from Xion's, planting the point of Oblivion into the ground as the lead heartless bore upon him. A look of grim determination in his eyes, he took an uneasy lunge. The edge of the Keyblade went forward as his target tried to evade. In the blink of an eye, the weapon had cleaved deep through the shoulder of the NeoShadow as he flipped neatly over the creature as it convulsed in the jaws of annihilation. His leg came down in a clumsy, but powerful axe-kick, stopping the second in its tracks while haphazardly swinging his weapon down off to the side. Sparks flew as the tip scraped across the ground, only the upper torso of his mark tumbling forward as it began to dissipate. The one he'd struck down mid-flight, rose up and tossed him aside. It turned and dove at him in hopes of clawing his heart free, but rather the creature fell upon Oblivion's tip as its form dispersed like a cloud of black smoke.
With a clatter, his Keyblade fell to his side as his arms refused to keep the weapon bared. He coughed, trying to say something but the words didn't come. And as he laid there in the rain, one last memory began to correct itself as the light seemed to fade from his eyes.]
Of course this isn't the end, but poor Xion's gonna get some extra mental trauma here
Roxas had been willing his legs to move, to keep some semblance of pace as his friend guided him. He was feeling tired, just like he wanted to let go and doze off -maybe this was a dream after all and he'd awaken back just as a part of Sora's consciousness. But as painful as all this was, he was grateful. He now was able to remember someone that had been so dear to him, someone that had played such an important part in his life.
Someone that was about to be struck down because he was slowing her down.
The last three NeoShadows lunged toward the duo with frightening speed and ferocity at an angle they had no hope to avoid. And then memory chose to show him something again. A flash-flood of images; from atop the Clock Tower.
Xion was there, but she looked like Sora. The way her eyes met his that time filled him with such fear -of losing her and of being destroyed by whatever it was that she was becoming.
This puppet will play her part.
And then she actually attacked him. He evaded the attack, dodged the follow-ups and pleaded for her to stop. And in the end, after a grueling battle, he struck her down. He couldn't bear to watch, but as his memory, he couldn't look away or close his eyes. The scene paced sporadically -he could only actually 'hear' bits of the dialog, but that entire scene was burned into his memory enough that he remembered what had been said.
You'll be... better off... Roxas.
Am I... the one that did this to you?
I'm glad... I got to meet you.
Xion! Who else will I have ice cream with?
The moment froze there. He knew what happened afterward. Whether in this memory or the reality outside of it, he felt... a tear? He couldn't be sure. Part of him wanted to laugh -he's chosen such a stupid last thing to say back then. He came to again in time to see those dark shapes coming toward them. What he'd just seen was something he refused to let happen again -what he'd let happen, he wouldn't give the chance to repeat. Even if it meant him giving her the same pain he felt.
Roxas slipped his arm loose from Xion's, planting the point of Oblivion into the ground as the lead heartless bore upon him. A look of grim determination in his eyes, he took an uneasy lunge. The edge of the Keyblade went forward as his target tried to evade. In the blink of an eye, the weapon had cleaved deep through the shoulder of the NeoShadow as he flipped neatly over the creature as it convulsed in the jaws of annihilation. His leg came down in a clumsy, but powerful axe-kick, stopping the second in its tracks while haphazardly swinging his weapon down off to the side. Sparks flew as the tip scraped across the ground, only the upper torso of his mark tumbling forward as it began to dissipate. The one he'd struck down mid-flight, rose up and tossed him aside. It turned and dove at him in hopes of clawing his heart free, but rather the creature fell upon Oblivion's tip as its form dispersed like a cloud of black smoke.
With a clatter, his Keyblade fell to his side as his arms refused to keep the weapon bared. He coughed, trying to say something but the words didn't come. And as he laid there in the rain, one last memory began to correct itself as the light seemed to fade from his eyes.]