Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Author's Note: All right, I know I probably said the Epilogue would be the last of this, but I can't seem to drop this idea of Xigbar and Demyx, and the story of Mellifluous Trill. So, I decided to write this out. It might not make sense if you just read it. It goes along with chapter 10 of MT. At the end of Xigabar's story, he mentions waking up after the fight, talking with Xemnas, and vowing to make Demyx remember him. This is kind of that part only... actually written out. One day, I'll take the entire summary of Xigbar's tale and make it a sort of prequel to MT. But for now, enjoy!

Braig's Lament

I had woken slowly. My eyes fluttered open, then squinted at the light. It was bright, and it felt like I had seen darkness for ages. My vision was slightly blurry, and seemed… One-sided. My body felt paralyzed. I felt constricted, so I didn't even try to move. Where was I? What happened? The last thing I remember… I can't remember. What is going on? I let my sight wander around the room as far as my neck would let me. I felt numb, yet slowly, a dull ache started to grow. The room was quite small, with a few medical beds, and odd machines. There was one window, and one door. Was I in a hospital? A sudden sharp pain flooded my right eye. Where had it come from? I wanted to see what the matter was, or even place my hand along my face, but I couldn't move. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door open.

A tall, elegant man entered the room, walking slowly toward me. He looked so… Familiar. But, different at the same time. His hair was silver, and lay softly over his shoulders. His eyes were bright amber and glowed a bit. His outfit of black leather seemed to suit him well. The pain started to intensify with each passing second. As the man grew close, and I saw his face a little clearer, I knew. It was him, but he had changed… I tried to clear my throat best I could, and I let out a croak.

"…Xehanort?"

"Yes, my friend. You must remember me." He smiled, his darkened skin shining under those hot lights.

"How could I forget you?" I tried to smile, but my face was bandaged I realized. "What's going on?"

"First things first," He said, crossing his arms. "What do you remember of the past day or so?"

"It's… Kinda fuzzy." I mumbled.

"You had a rather bad encounter with an underling of mine. Are you all right?"

"Bad encounter? Is… Is that why I'm all bandaged up like this?"

"…It is, I am afraid." He sighed, then walked to the other side of my white bed. He pulled a small object from a drawer, and held it in his gloved hands. "You should really see yourself." He held the item toward me. A mirror? I moved my hand slightly to take it from him. And then I gazed upon my appearance. My head was bandaged, leaving my mouth, and left eye free. Gauze draped around my shoulders, and middle. "I'm afraid we couldn't save your eye… I do apologize, Braig."

Hearing him say my name triggered something in me that flooded everything back to me at once. My life, my friends, our terrible experiments, how I ran from them, how I started over, and how I met…

"Myde!" I sat up immediately. "Xehanort, where is Myde? He lost his heart! I saw it! I did!"

"Braig, please calm yourself!" he whispered, placing his hands on my shoulders. He slowly pushed me back, and I tried my best to calm down. "Myde… Ah yes, he was the one you were living with, yes?"

"Yes… Xehanort, he means the world to me… I.. I'm in love with him. I need to see him. Where is he?"

"First, I must tell you what you have missed in your absence."

"But-"

"I assure you that he is safe."

"But… I saw… That red-headed demon.. He…"

"Yes, Axel. He is… Quite new to the group. Our eighth member."

"Eighth?"

"Yes. We have acquired two new members since you've left us"

"Members? What is this, a club?"

"We are starting an organization. An organization of beings without hearts, but with immense power. We are on a quest, so to speak, to retrieve our hearts."

"But… then why make more of us? If we're going to get our hearts back anyway, why make more suffer?"

"We need the strength, my friend. I have great plans, but they are still underway…"

"So, there's that bastard Axel. Who's the other?"

"Ah, yes, his name is Saix. You two have already met."

"Saix?"

"Yes, I sent both him and Axel to retrieve you once I had located you, and they also recruited our ninth member."

"…Ninth member?"

Xehanort nodded, then gestured to another bed. The bed was next to mine, yet somehow I missed it. A younger man lay, in a deep sleep. His hair was dirty blonde, and his face was angelic. I sat up, and as I looked harder…

"No… No, you can't. I won't let you!"

"Braig, what is the matter?"

"You can't take Myde's heart! I won't let him be a monster."

"It is too late. The deed is done, and now he is one of us."

"No…" I wouldn't believe it. My life, my love, Myde had lost his heart, just like I had. I wouldn't let it be true. I climbed out of the bed and hurried to his side. I shook him slowly.

"Myde…. Myde wake up… please… Don't do this to me… I won't let you…" He began to stir, and open his beautiful aqua eyes. He looked right at me, with a confused glare in his eyes.

"Who… are you?"

"Myde, don't you remember me? Its Braig!"

"…Braig?"

"Myde, please remember…"

"He won't remember you." Xehanort cut in. I turned sharply and glared with my good eye.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've decided to have the newer members' memories erased… He won't remember anything before waking up just now."

"You…. You.. How could you!?" I stood and gripped his leather coat. "You've taken everything from me… Both lives I lead, and both hearts I cared about."

"Control yourself, Braig. Remember, because you have no heart, you are unable to feel."

"It's… It's not true!" I let him go, and stood between him and the bed for a long time. I then looked Xehanort right in the eye. "I'll make him remember me. No matter what it takes." I then stormed from the room. But where was I to go? I had no idea where I was. Some.. House? An old rickety house…

"You shouldn't wander, Braig. You obviously don't know where you are."

That voice.. So close, so familiar.

"…Dilan?" I turned hoping to see my old friend, but who I saw was someone new. Long black dreadlocks and frightening sideburns.

"No. I am not Dilan anymore. We changed our names soon after you left. We are no longer the people we were."

"Everything has changed…. I was happy, and… now it's all gone."

"Follow me, I'll help you with everything you need."

He filled me in on a lot of what went on while I was gone. Those two years I spent by the sea with Myde were a busy time for the rest of my friends. They found this old house to live, and proved they felt no emotion what-so-ever. Although, I couldn't believe it. I was full of emotions right now, some I couldn't even describe…

Xehanort, or Xemnas as he now called himself, fit me with one of the standard leather coats. I stood a long time, staring into a tall mirror in Dilan's, or now Xaldin's mirror. He had found me an eye patch to wear now that I was half blind. I sighed harshly, then pulled back my graying, black hair into a tight ponytail. None of this made sense. I would have to get used to it, I supposed. Xaldin then came to the room.

"Ah, you look great." He grinned. I tried to smile, but I was too pre-occupied by the rather large scar riding up my left cheek. I closed my eyes. The fight came in flashes in my mind. The two cloaked beings, the red-head and the dog. Axel and Saix. Attacking my home, attacking me, and attacking Myde. Feeling those claws rip my skin, hearing Myde shriek my name as Axel tore his heart from his body. I couldn't take it. I opened my eyes, and looked at Xaldin.

"So, now what?"

"Master Xemnas wants to talk to you about honing your skills, and such. He just met with Number IX."

"Myde…"

"He will be presented to the group later today, after you've met with him."

I nodded, and took a deep breath.

"All right, let's go."

Xaldin walked me down a long hallway. It was quiet, and all we could hear were our own footsteps. I had a lot of thinking to do. I had to save Myde. I had to save myself. I had to get us out of this place, get us back home. We could live a normal life together. We almost did until…

More footsteps. I looked up to see two figures heading our way. I made no note of it until they came closer. Axel and.. Myde? We walked in silence. I couldn't cry out again, I wouldn't. But I became angry. I wanted to hurt that Axel, wanted to make him pay. As they passed, I locked eyes with Axel as he placed a bastard arm around my Myde with a wink. The anger swelled. I wanted nothing more than to attack… But no. Wait it out. I'll get him back…

We entered Xemnas' room and he told me I was to go by the name Xigbar now. I guess it'll take some getting used to. Later that night, The whole lot of us were herded together. I saw my old scientist friends, all of them the same, yet different. The six of us were a team, but not anymore. I could tell I wasn't the only one who hated what we had become. As we discussed, Xemnas appeared before us.

"Everyone, I would like to present our Ninth member. The Melodious Nocturne, Demyx."

If I had a heart, it would have shattered at that moment. He was now a new person, with a new name, and a new destiny. The man who's life I once saved, and once fell in love with was now.. Someone else. I must get him back… Someday, I'll tell him what happened. Someday, I'll tell him everything. From the beginning. But for now, I must wait, and befriend, and possibly fall in love with him all over again.

-End