You feel like you're weightless, as you float head-first through the darkness. Your eyes can barely open, the pressure of the air surrounding you stifling and constricting.
'What's... what's happening to me? Falling, falling into the darkness...'
A spec of light suddenly appears in the distance, and you clench your eyes shut as the light grows blindingly bright. You try to cover your eyes with your arms, but it's impossible to move your body. With a gasp you find yourself plunged into water, unable to breathe.
"Feels like we were just walking this way..."
Your eyes widen. That voice... it was so familiar, like a long-lost friend.
"I hope it's Vanitas. Next time I see him, he's gonna be burned to a crisp."
Vanitas?! That name makes your heart skip a beat. With as much strength as you can muster you start to swim to the surface, struggling against invisible weights dragging you down to the ocean floor. The voices are practically screaming in your head, driving you crazy yet giving you power.
"C'mon little guy," a voice echoes in your head. How have you not drowned yet? The water is overwhelming, filling your lungs with each breath, and yet you keep fighting. "I'm not gonna hurt ya."
Who is that...? You grit your teeth as you start kicking your feet, shooting towards the surface. It's almost at your fingertips, you're so close!
"C'mon [Name]. I know it's you. It's me, Sora."
"So-ra," you whisper, the name dancing off your tongue. "Sora..."
Your hand flies out of the water, warm air hitting your skin. Something starts to push at your feet, shoving you out of the water. Your face pops out of the water, followed by your chest, torso, hips, legs... You continue to soar, floating up into the air like a weightless balloon. Without looking back you instead gaze up, smiling when you spot another stream of light above you. It starts to grow, enveloping you in its warmth.
"[Name]!"
Your eyes snap open, your heart racing as you glance around your surroundings. Hovering over your bed is Yuffie and Xion, watching you with worried expressions.
"Sorry. You were screaming in your sleep," Xion mumbles, smiling sadly as her hand drops from your shoulder.
You sit up, running a shaky hand through your matted hair. You're covered in sweat, and your clothes are clinging to your damp body.
"S-Sorry. It was just a nightmare."
"Don't apologize," Yuffie quickly tells you, taking a step back as you stand to your feet. "Are you... okay?"
"Y-Yeah," you stammer, precariously taking a step towards them as they walk backwards out of the room. Cid had been nice enough to lead your group to his apartment, and give everyone a place to crash. They, of course, had insisted that you take the bed. It's not every day your heart leaves your body, after all. "Where's everyone else?"
"Eating. Cid made us breakfast," Xion tells you.
"So get changed and come on down!" Yuffie adds, giving you a thumbs-up as she and Xion charge down the staircase leading downstairs.
You sigh, watching them leave with mild interest. Normally you'd be thrilled at the prospect of a free meal. But today... today you woke up a different person.
>> Fast-Forward >>
Everything reminded you of the nightmare that was the past 24 hours. The shower brought back flashbacks of drowning in the ocean. The yellow soap was the same color as Vanitas' emotionless eyes. Your clothes are torn and dirty, with a small hole in your shirt where your heart was pierced with the Keyblade. You couldn't get down the stairs fast enough, ready to be around people and away from your thoughts.
"[Name]!" Sora greets, practically bouncing in his seat as you jog into the kitchen.
"Nice clothes," Reno laughs, earning a punch in the arm from Riku.
"Rude," Riku chides, glaring at the redhead before glancing towards you. "Your clothes look fine, [Name]. Distinguished."
"Yeah, right. Look, here's the hole left behind by the blade that killed me!" you complain, tugging at your shirt.
"Okay Mopey, take a seat," Zack insists, tugging on your arm so you're sitting next to him on the long bench. "You didn't die."
"Oh okay, so there's another word for being stabbed through the heart and dying?" you ask sarcastically.
"Sora survived it," Cloud reminds you through a mouthful of eggs.
"Gross, chew before you speak," Axel mutters, smirking as Cloud glares over at him.
"Yeah, I stabbed myself," Sora adds with a tiny laugh. "Then I came back as a Heartless, followed Donald, Goofy... and Kairi, and then poof. Back to normal!"
"... How is that not dying?" you press with a sigh.
"You can't come back from the dead," Leon reasons. "It's... impossible."
"Okay, so I didn't die," you agree, their words somehow making sense to you. You still didn't know where you were in the darkness and in the ocean, but it definitely wasn't heaven. It was much too realistic. "But, what about my potential Nobody?"
"Different problem for a different day. Let's just focus on having you back now, with us," Noctis suggests, smiling a little as everyone nods enthusiastically in agreement.
"And for God's sake, smile!" Zack adds, pulling up your cheeks so that it looks like you're grinning.
"Stop," you laugh, pushing his hands away. "Alright alright, I'll lighten up. Now where's this wonderful food I was promised?"
"Er..." Roxas trails off as they all smile sheepishly. "... I think there's some bacon left?"
You roll your eyes, unable to hide the smile from your face as you stand up and walk towards the stove, ready to search the room for some scraps.
>> Fast-Forward >>
After a rather paltry breakfast of burnt toast and bacon, it was time to embark on one last search of the world for any sign of trouble. It was a quiet walk, with everyone watching you like hawks to make sure you didn't suddenly disappear. You were more than okay with it, however. Silence was better than the constant prying questions of how you were feeling.
"Slow down Speed Racer," Axel jokes, and you glance back.
With a sheepish grin you realize you're way ahead of everyone else; you practically ran past the stone pillars, where Vanitas stabbed you through the heart, without even realizing how fast you were moving.
"Sorry," you mutter, rubbing the back of your head as you come to a stop. "Just... weird being here again."
"Understandable," Genesis agrees, reassuringly squeezing your shoulder as he walks past.
Laughter starts to ring through the canyon, and everyone glances around as they quickly draw their weapons.
"Good thing we didn't leave!" Sora exclaims.
The eerily echoing laughter dies down, leaving the canyon dead quiet. You start to fiddle with the hilt of your sword, your heart racing. It was starting to feel a little too reminiscent of the ambush yesterday.
"Let's make this fight a little more even, shall we?"
Your eyes widen as gigantic, life-sized cards appear out of nowhere, circling you, Leon, and Zack, who were standing directly behind you. The cards are moving so fast you immediately become disoriented, and you find yourself clenching your eyes shut as you start to get dizzy. A lurching feeling hits your stomach, and when you open your eyes you find the three of you are standing atop a spit of land, the castle right in front of you. Between you and the castle, however, is a smirking Luxord.
"Ah, shoot, my aim must be off. I just wanted the girl," he chuckles, snapping his fingers.
Leon and Zack are gone in the blink of an eye, over-sized cards standing in their place with cartoonish versions of themselves laminated on the front.
"Oh what the hell," Zack complains, and you can see his card wiggling as he tries to move.
"Hey, put them back!" you cry, stomping towards the cloaked Nobody.
"And why would I do that, dear? I think they look better this way," Luxord muses, a pointer finger resting against his chin as he watches you pace angrily. "We've never been formally introduced, have we?"
You continue to clutch onto your black sword, glaring at the Nobody. He starts to laugh, shaking his head a little as he crosses his arms over his chest.
"No wonder Roxas likes you so much. He used to give me that same look."
Your eyes widen a bit, and he smiles widely.
"Shut up," you threaten, raising your arm so that your sword is pointing at him. "Don't talk about me like you know me."
"Oh but I do," he counters, taking a step forward so that the tip of your sword is pressing against his chest. "We all do. You are quite the anomaly, do you know that?"
"Get away from her," you hear Leon call out behind you.
Luxord smirks as he snaps his fingers, and you snap your head around when you hear a quiet poof. Rolling on the ground are two gigantic die, one with Leon's face and one with Zack's face plastered on it.
"Leave them alone!" you snap.
"This is really uncomfortable," Leon mutters and Luxord lets out a loud sigh.
"Okay, enough interruptions from you," he decides, snapping his fingers again. Leon's gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Zack hopping around by himself. "Much better."
"What'd you do with him?" you ask, turning back to the blue-eyed Nobody.
"Doesn't matter. I just came here to chat. Nothing hostile in mind, love."
"I'm not all that interesting," you tell him.
He laughs loudly, his hands clasped behind his back as he walks forward, gingerly pushing your sword away from him. Your arm falls to your side, along with your sword. His icy blue eyes are staring deep into yours, and you feel the hairs on your arm start to stand.
"That's where we might disagree. You're more interesting that you realize, I think. It isn't every day that one single woman is able to gain the love of two Nobodies."
"I am so... so sick of hearing that," you huff with a roll of your eyes.
"Didn't Roxas just tell you yesterday that he loves you?" Luxord inquires with a tilt of his head. "He did, don't even try to argue. We're all knowing [Name], I thought you would have known that."
He starts to walk, slowly circling you. You focus your gaze on the castle ahead, feeling your heart start to race as he stops behind you. His warm breath hits your neck as he leans in, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"We really do owe you one, though. It was the least you could do after killing so many of us, to give us a brand new... dare I say it, friend."
"... Kairi?" you guess, and Luxord lets out a laugh, a genuine laugh, at the statement.
"You're rather funny, I'll give you that," he chuckles, one of his gloved fingers running down your exposed shoulder. "No, that silly girl has been dead for weeks. She... wore out her usefulness."
"What?!" you exclaim, glancing back at him.
He chuckles, tilting your head so you're once again facing forward, towards the looming castle in the distance.
"Focus, love. Now, who else could I be referring to?" he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice. Your heart, on the other hand, drops at the implication. It must have shown on your face. "Ah, she's figured it out."
"N-No..."
"Yes!" he interrupts with a laugh, now gripping your shoulder. "She's really fitting in quite well for only being about 20 hours old."
"No no no," you repeat, shaking your head. "You're lying."
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Either way, you're not going to live to find out."
Without even taking a breath you quickly snap around, embedding your sword in Luxord's midsection. He lets out a pained gasp and drops the small knife that had been hiding behind your back, reaching out for your arm for stability as his knees buckle. You collapse to the floor with him, kneeling down as you slowly pull back the blade from his body. It's drenched in blood, which has started to drip on your hands and the ground beneath you.
"I-I'm sorry," you whisper as Luxord starts to slowly fade away.
He chuckles darkly, his gaze darting over to you.
"Don't be. You beat me, fair and square."
"... Do I really have a Nobody?" you blurt out, clenching onto the collar of his robes. Maybe this wasn't the time for questions, but it was worth a shot.
"I'll be taking that answer to my grave," he replies coyly, laughing a little at your frustrated expression. "You can't expect me to tell you after you killed me."
Your gaze softens, feeling rather guilty as you watch his body disappear into a vapor of black smoke. Sighing, you stand to your feet. Your body is covered with his dark red blood, and with a feeling of disgust you start to back up, your eyes locked on the puddle of blood before you. It was hard to be happy at his death, even though he had just tried to kill you. He was actually kinda likable, more so than the other Organization members you've squared off against. You jump a bit as you accidentally walk back into something solid, and you glance up to see Zack smiling down at you.
"You killed him," he notes as you turn around to face him. "Good job."
"Yeah... How's it feel to be back on two feet?" you ask with a smirk.
"Ha ha," he mutters sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You okay?"
You shrug, wiping your blood-covered hands on your pants.
"Did you, uh... Hear what he said?" you finally ask.
"About your Nobody?" Zack clarifies. You groan, burying your face in your hands. It had been too much to hope that he hadn't heard. "You know, he could have been lying. Luxord liked to play mind games," he assures you, awkwardly patting a hand on your back.
You peek up at him through your fingers before dropping your hands completely.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he agrees, starting to lead you away and back towards the canyon, which can be seen between a narrow pathway in the middle of two large boulders. "Listen, [Name]," you look up at him as he comes to a stop again, "I'm... really happy you're back."
For a second you wonder why the usually up-beat guy looks so down... and then you remember that he had been there, when you were stabbed, and had watched in shock as you disappeared into millions of pieces.
"Thanks, Zack," you tell him, gently placing a hand on his arm.
"No, I mean really happy. I don't know what I would have done. I've lost so many people, I don't wanna lose you, too."
"... Why are you being so serious?" you ask, your hand falling from his arm after he's done rambling.
He catches your wrist however, pulling you closer to him. Your eyes widen a bit, spotting something you've never seen before in his electric blue eyes. Something you can't quite put your finger on. It's an all-too familiar position you find yourself in, as his free hand rests against the side of your neck.
"Zack-"
"No, [Name] I'm sorry, I know it's uncomfortable with all these guys liking you but," his eyes trail down to your lips, "... screw it."
His lips cover yours before you can even blink, and maybe it's the adrenaline of killing an Organization member or down-right lust, but you quickly return the rough kiss, placing your hands on his shoulders as his arm wraps around your waist.
"Are they up here, Leon?"
You push Zack away at the sound of Yuffie's voice, scratching the side of your head as she hops into your line of vision.
"Oh, hey guys!" she greets, skipping forward. "... Why are you so red?"
Yuffie pinches your cheek, and you shoo her hand away. She glances over at Zack, who has a rather deer-caught-in-the-headlights look to him. Her lips curl up in a smirk.
"Were you guys just-"
"No, we're just tired from killing Luxord," you interrupt, pointing back to the puddle of blood on the ground.
"Wha- he's dead?!" she exclaims excitedly, effectively distracted.
"[Name] stabbed him," Zack explains, glancing over at the approaching group.
"Whoa, good job," Reno compliments with a smile.
"I have to say, I'm a little disappointed we didn't get to see Zack and Leon as gigantic cards," Axel adds with a chuckle.
"It was pretty funny," you agree, causing Axel to grin down at you.
"Alright, moving on," Cloud interjects, "what's the plan now that it's down to Organization... Seven? Or Eight I guess, if you include Vanitas."
"Keep on fighting," Noctis replies with a shrug. "The Organization is probably going to ramp stuff up soon. We're wiping them out pretty badly."
"Hell yeah we are!" Xion agrees, punching a fist into her open palm as your group starts to walk through the canyon.
Roxas' confession yesterday was almost too much to take in, but now your mind was absolutely spinning with the memories of Axel, Riku, and now Zack's kisses. It was insane, almost laughable that four of them had acted on such extreme impulses, and that each time you had failed to stop them. Hell, you were the one that had kissed Riku! But, as consuming as these thoughts are, they're far more pleasant than the news of your potential Nobody.
"Hey," Yuffie interrupts your thoughts, winding her arm through yours, "you're looking rather pensive."
"Sorry. Not every day I stab someone," you joke, and she rolls her eyes.
"I saw you and Zack, dummy!" she whispers. You glance around nervously, but no one seems to have heard. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," she adds with a wink.
Somehow, you really doubted that was true.