The sequel to my previous story, 'Finding You'.

Enjoy!~

Chapter 1: Beginning of the End

"Those with the greatest awareness have the greatest nightmares."

-Mahatma Gandhi

Emi awoke with a gasp, her entire body shaking. Zexion slowly sat up next to her, putting an arm around her waist. He was used to her nightmares, and new that words don't comfort her as much as actions do. It had been almost ten years since she had been kidnapped by Axel and been through her father's torture but she still had nightmares about it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Axel's voice came out of the darkness. She couldn't see anything in the darkness.

"You can't escape me." Emerald green eyes stared down at her, a Cheshire cat grin below it. Emi let out a scream and tried to run, but she fell.

His laugh rang out through the darkness, his eyes still looking down at her. Emi looked down at her ankle and saw it was chained to the ground.

"No!" She screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. Axel's laughter ringing in her ears.

Then everything changed. She wasn't chained; instead she was in her old house, sitting in the hallway. There was blood on her hands and clothes, and Vanitas was dead in her lap. Emi screamed again, more tears falling down her cheeks.

"It's your fault he's dead." Her father appeared in front of her, a gun still in hand.

"It's not. It's not. You shot him." Emi pulled Vanitas more towards her, wishing for life to come back into him.

"Sweetie, I told you to never leave me." Emi cringed at the words. Doubt already running through her mind.

'Is it really my fault?' She thought in a panic.

Darkness surrounded her again. Vanitas and her father disappeared. When she could see again she found herself back in the castle, in Namine's room. Except even though it was clearly nighttime Namine wasn't here. Emi looked around, only to see Riku lying on the floor, bleeding from a head wound.

"Namine?" Emi called out, only to have silence be her answer. Emi flicked the light on to make sure she wasn't just missing her in a dark part of the room.

Emi fell to her knees in shock once the light filled the room.

I told you I would be back…

It was written on the wall in blood. Her sister was gone, by the man who was supposed to be banished.

Emi's nightmares don't happen as often as they used to. While they had used to be almost every day of the week eventually tuned to once or twice a week, and then once or twice and month, then finally once or twice every month. It was always the same nightmare.

Every time she had a nightmare she had to think of four simple things though. Her father was still in jail. Axel was nowhere near the castle, it wasn't her fault that Vanitas died, and her sister was asleep upstairs with Riku. At one point she had even considered seeing a psychiatrist, but decided against it in case they questioned her too much. Plus she had been fine with handling it on her own.

Zexion was supportive about her nightmares, knowing exactly how to comfort her and what her nightmares were about. Emi was beginning to think that he blamed himself for not being able to do more for her. No matter how much she told him that it wasn't his fault in any way he always looked guilty after her nightmares.

"You okay?" He asked once her breathing had slowed. She had turned so that she was leaning against his chest. When he didn't get a response he looked down to see that Emi had already fallen back asleep. He chuckled as he laid back down on the bed, pulling her closer.

"Sweet dreams, Emmaline." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

-X-X-X-X-

It was a day unlike any other. It had been almost ten years since Axel had been banished, and yet everyone still looked like they hadn't aged a day. It became a joke how in human years Emi, Saix, Namine, Kairi, Xion, and Demyx they were almost thirty, but still looked like teenagers. To them though, time wasn't a factor, and instead of birthdays they would celebrate the day that they had found each other.

Richard Izumi was still locked away in jail, and he ever had to be kept away from everyone else because he would constantly get into fights. Once a year Emi would visit him, it gave her a bit of satisfaction to see the man that caused her so much pain getting what he deserves. Namine asked a couple of times if she could go and see him, but Emi never would let her, knowing that it would bring up past memories.

It was late when everyone had decided to finally go to bed. Everyone parted and left with their partner, some yawing and some giggling. Emi and Zexion took their time getting to their room though, deciding to walk instead of using a portal like everyone else. As they settled into the room and changed into their pajamas, they talked about random things that happened during the day.

"Larxene got mad at me again because I beat her in a fight." Emi said a smile on her face. Zexion smiles as well.

"Does she really expect to win?" Zexion said, Emi laughed.

"I don't think that anyone has explained to her that I am unbeatable." Zexion chuckled.

"Should I tell Lexaeus to tell her?" Zexion sat on the bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Emi leaned back into him.

"No, I think it's good practice for her, and besides I'm the only real challenge for her here. None of the other guys will fight her because they think that she will kill them." Emi said with a laugh.

Zexion leaned down and kissed her, cutting off her laugh. Emi smiled into the kiss but kissed back after a moment. Eventually though they both had to come up for air, and they broke apart.

"How was your day?" Emi asked, still smiling.

"Not as interesting as yours. I think though that I have finally read every book in the library." Zexion mentioned. "You know, you're in a really good mood today."

Emi shrugged. "I had a good day."

Suddenly a scream ripped through the castle. With only a glance at each other Emi and Zexion raced out of the room, trying to locate where the scream came from. Emi had a growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, that voice that screamed sounded a lot like her sister, Namine. She raced up the stairs and towards her sister's room, not even thinking to open a portal. Namine and Riku's room was pitch black when Emi got there. With her dread growing she flicked on the light switch, praying that she would just be asleep.

Emi let out an Earth-shattering scream.

On the floor was Riku, passed out and bleeding heavily from a head wound. But that wasn't what made Emi scream. It was what was written on the wall.

I told you I would be back...

Namine was nowhere to be seen.

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