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A sharp cry startled Xion awake, the former nobody rolling out of her bed and into a crouched stance on pure instinct. Holding very still, she listened for the sound again, hearing it again just a few moments later, subdued. Forcing herself not to summon her keyblade, she carefully opened her door, mindful of how loudly it creaked when fully opened.
The house was dark save for a tall candle she could spy in the family room to the right, sitting proudly in the center of the dining table. It served as a nightlight for her and Roxas when they needed to get up in the middle of the night. Understandably, they didn't like the dark.
Turning away from the candle, Xion crept into the hall as silently as she could, given her adrenaline was rapidly giving way to half-asleep confusion. She almost wanted to just go back to bed, but that noise - a half-concealed sob - kept her walking. She was disappointed to be right about her destination, finding herself in front of the door to Roxas' room.
His door was parted; he'd probably snuck to the bathroom or grabbed a midnight snack before he started crying. Xion forgot exactly what the name of what she and Roxas experienced was, but she knew most of the participants in the Keyblade War, especially those on the side of light, had the same affliction to some extent.
Though she thought about calling out to Roxas, when she parted the door enough to see him, Xion knew that would be a mistake. His back was to the door, Roxas curled in on himself atop his bed. It hurt seeing him like this.
Taking a calming breath for herself, Xion allowed herself into Roxas' room. She flicked on his nightlight, one that resembled the ocean and cast blue light and shadows of fish across the walls, and plopped herself down on the very edge of the bed. Patting the space next to her to let Roxas know she was here, Xion kept her gaze focused away from him as she waited to feel him reach out to her.
Roxas in particular didn't like being touched when he got like this. The silence passed steadily, measured by shuddering breaths and the loops the shadow fish traced around the room, until finally, Xion felt fingertips brush the back of her hand. Turning to Roxas, she saw him looking at her, so utterly lost and helpless that it made Xion's inexperienced heart ache.
"Roxas, you're okay," she whispered, trying not to look guilty about the fresh wave of tears her words brought. "We're at home, we're all here." Roxas didn't look any better for it, but he nodded to indicate he understood what she was saying. 'You aren't with him anymore. You're safe. You're complete.' He swallowed thickly as he forced a smile.
"Th-thanks... Xion," he rasped weakly. Xion nodded, her concern far from abating. But she couldn't just tackle him into a hug. She had to be patient with this.
"Do you need to do some breathing exercises with me?" she asked instead. Roxas shook his head, the glassy look from his eyes slowly fading.
"N-no, I... I think I'm okay now." Once again, she nodded. Turning her hand over, she let Roxas rest his palm against her's, drawing shapes into her fingertips.
"Do you want to talk about it?" There was no response. Looking back over at Roxas, Xion was glad to see that he looked contemplative and not panicked again. She forgot if that was okay to say or not at times like these. After a moment's pause, Roxas opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"I just..." he tried again, to no avail. "I... It's all so much, you know?" he finally settled on. Xion nodded mutely, tilting her head in hopes of elaboration. Roxas caught on, continuing, "Everything. The Keyblade War, Sora going missing... Xehanort. Xemnas."
That name sent shivers down both of their spines. Their former leader, a knowledgeable nobody, had been the one to set in motion the soap opera of their previous existence. He masqueraded as one of them, when all along he remembered who he was when he was whole. Complete.
Then, he tore them apart. All three of them, across time and space. Memories rewritten, work-filled days forgotten. An irreplaceable friendship and meaningful promise, broken. Undone at Xemnas' mere inclination.
"Can I... hug you?" Xion asked, hating the way her voice trembled in the tell-tale way it always did as a warning for her own fit of anxiety. Roxas nodded readily, the two holding each other in an embrace that felt more tired than spirited. Both came away from it wiping tears from their eyes, but Roxas seemed more angry than listless.
"I hate him - them. All of them, all the Xehanorts. They hurt us just because they could, for the chance to get something they wanted out of us. Isn't that messed up?"
"It is," Xion agreed.
"It was like... I dunno, we were some rats thrown in a maze. Except there was never an exit, because we were never supposed to get out. How could anyone even do that?" Roxas' face further scrunched in anger. Xion put a hand on his arm, cutting off his ranting.
"You're right. We weren't supposed to get out. Xemnas... Xehanort never intended for us to have our own lives outside of our usefulness to him." Roxas' eyes narrowed in indignation at her admission of the truth, but Xion continued. "But we did escape - we found lives all our own and are all together again, even when he was so sure we'd disappear forever. It may not have been good, or even fair, but those days... I'd never throw away those days with you and Axel."
"Xion..." Roxas couldn't come up with anything to say.
"He hurt us, but we got stronger. We beat him, Roxas! He isn't worth making ourselves miserable over. It's... easy to forget that, sometimes."
"Xion, you're right," Roxas nodded resolutely. "We did beat him. Xehanort's long-gone. He thought he could trample all over us, but we showed him, didn't we?!" At that, Roxas finally cracked a grin - the first real smile Xion had seen on his face that night. He pulled her in for another hug, this one briefer, and fixed a serious look on her.
"Thanks for talking to me, Xion. I'm not sure I'm totally okay, but I think the rest should wait until the morning so Lea can be included." Xion nodded, smiling herself at the idea. Maybe they could all get ice cream and throw a celebration in honor of shoving it to Xehanort. "But, if you don't mind... I don't want to be alone right now..."
Xion understood his request. Slipping into the bed alongside Roxas, they watched the shadow fish cast onto the walls by his nightlight, arms tentatively touching in silent assurance -'I'm here.'