Summary: Harry starts to have strange dreams of a blue haired man…and an organization full of people who aren't supposed to exist…. ('Then I'll make you understand THIS! Your faith is nothing but an ILLUSION!')//('Axel! What are you telling him?!')//('Now, Lexaeus is gone as well…') KHHP xover
Kage Ayumu Sakushi: The Cloaked Schemer
Nobody—Human?
He was walking in the World that Never Was, minding his own business, scheming really, which he always does. That was when the calls rang out.
"Zexion! Zexion!"
He turned and paused, noting the one running towards him was Vexen. He didn't particularly like the blonde man; in fact he didn't particularly like anyone, really. It was the way of his life, though.
"What's all the fuss about?" he asked. His tone held nothing but slight annoyance at Vexen, though the man didn't notice it.
"Where's Xenmas?" Vexen demanded, coming to a stop before him.
He replied dully, "At the usual place."
"The 'Room of Sleep'," Vexen stated, his annoyance shown clearly on his face.
"If it's urgent, why don't you go and see?" he asked Vexen. Frankly he thought it'd be amusing, the consequences that could happen to Vexen. Maybe then the blonde man would leave him alone more often than annoy him frequently.
"Stop joking around!" Vexen stated sharply. He dully noted that Vexen was seriously worried, almost to the point of an aneurism…if they could even get one. "I will await his return. I must," Vexen went on, turning his head away. Resignation was in his voice. "This is what happens when we need him and he sleeps. Now, of all times…" Vexen started to walk away, slowly.
He turned his head slightly, watching Vexen leave, his words becoming a slow mumble. Once more he started on his way, going to wherever his mission would lead him.
He was forced to pause again when another familiar voice rang out, "I'm not so good in that place, either."
'Xigbar,' he thought faintly. 'Does he not have a mission?' He turned to view the cloaked Nobody sitting on the pipes overhead.
"How about you, mister Zexion?" the cloaked and hooded Nobody asked.
'Eavesdropping, again,' he thought, annoyed.
"What are you doing, eavesdropping like this?" he asked calmly. "The mission assigned to you and Xaldin was to look for new members." The cloaked Nobody leapt down as he continued, "You shouldn't be able to afford wasting time around here."
"I'm doing enough work already!" the cloaked Nobody laughed slightly. "Found another one yesterday," he added. "I think his name is 'Mar' something or other."
'Trust him not to remember the name,' he thought bluntly.
"With this," the cloaked Nobody went on, "the Organization now has eleven members. That's quite a number."
'And he has the gall to sound impressed at our numbers…' he thought with a slight inward sigh.
"And so just for today I asked Lexaeus to cover for me so I could take a break…"
'A break? We have no time for breaks….'
"In anticipation for tomorrows work, that is," the cloaked Nobody finished up.
"Then please, rest fully," he said calmly, though it was meant to be sarcastic; no one could really tell with him, and he prided on that. "I have work to do for today so I'll be going…" He turned and started to walk away again, that is, until the cloaked Nobody came up and held him by the shoulder.
"So harsh of you," the cloaked one said.
'Harsh?' he thought dully. 'It was meant to be harsh.'
He turned his head away as the cloaked one continued, "I just want us to have a fun talk…"
'A fun talk…?' he thought questioningly. 'What about I wonder…'
"About, say, Xenmas' secret."
He turned his head slightly and looked at the cloaked Nobody out of the corner of his eye, 'Xenmas' secret…?' The cloaked one began to move away.
"How many years ago was it…" the cloaked one said, reminiscing. "People with the blade of keys started to appear…and fought great battles." He wanted to grimace at the cloaked Nobody's awe. "When they were gone, a man who had lost his memories appeared," the cloaked one went on, all the while he watching him with slight interest though he knew this story well. The interest did not show on his apathetic face. "Xenmas…no."
'Yes, yes, get to the point,' he thought annoyingly.
"Xehanort was taken in by Ansem around that time, was he not?"
"What of it?" he asked, if only slightly curious as to where this Nobody was going.
"The 'Room of Sleep'. The underground laboratory where we were studying the darkness within people's hearts…the place which Ansem ordered us to seal away."
'Well, it was wise of him to do that was it not? After all, look what we've become now….'
"The first thing Xenmas did when he got rid of our wise yet bothersome leader, was to release the seal and make that room in the depths of the laboratory."
'I know this already, so where are you going with this information?'
"After that he frequently went down there and I could hear him talking with someone."
'Ah, so this is where it goes…eavesdropper.'
"Isn't that odd? Xenmas is supposed to be in there alone," the cloaked one said with a delighted tone.
"It seems you really enjoy eavesdropping," he said calmly. He was annoyed; did he really have to work with this man in both of his lives? Though this wasn't really a life….
"I couldn't hear what they were exactly saying," the other reassured, though it did nothing to reassure him. "And so I feel preoccupied." The cloaked one was once more near him and stated with conviction, "You're interested too, right?"
'Interested…?' he thought even as he replied.
"I simply want to concentrate on my assignment." He began to walk away once more, saying, "You too should concentrate on your real mission and collect more members." He paused and tilted his head upwards slightly, as if in thought as he said, "We must hurry with the preparations of our new quarters…" he began walking once more. "Eleven Organization members is not enough."
"Our new quarters…" the cloaked one said, trying to remember what they would be. "Oh, Castle Oblivion." The cloaked one chuckled and continued, "What does Xenmas hope to achieve by using that?"
He continued walking even as he said, "We've been told that—"
Of course he was interrupted by the cloaked Nobody.
"There's another reason, one that hasn't been told to anyone."
He paused again.
'Another reason…?' he thought.
"With the 'Room of Sleep' comes the 'Room of Awakening'," the other elaborated. "The other place. That is what he is seeking. That room, which was not made by Xenmas. Perhaps that is where…" He turned around to stare at the cloaked Nobody, if only slightly interested. "The other…" his eyes slightly widened at the next words, though mostly imperceptible, "'friend' is."
'So, he tells me all of this…leads up to this…to pique my curiosity?' he thought, staring straight at the cloaked Nobody. 'What does he gain by telling me this I wonder….'
…(taken directly from translation of KH2:FM on KH-Vids)
Harry slowly opened his eyes to view the room in which he currently resided at Number Four Privet Drive, the last thoughts of the dream echoing in his head.
'What does he gain by telling me this I wonder….'
What did that cloaked man, Xigbar, gain? He didn't know, still didn't in fact—
Wait, still didn't?
'Great,' Harry thought, annoyed as he stood, 'not only am I dreaming about someone as if I were them but I'm starting to think like that person as if I were them. Just great, another freakish thing about Harry bloody Potter.'
The young boy-who-lived sighed and glanced at his reflection in the mirror.
Normal blue-grey hair that lay slightly in a messy way and was short with long bangs that fell over one eye. Blue eyes and an apathetic face. Black cloak that all Organization members wore and black gloves. Black comfortable boots. It was all normal, all there.
Harry turned away, not thinking at that moment before he realized just what he saw and turned back sharply, but his normal face stared back at him instead—messy black hair, bottle green eyes, glasses, and a lightening bolt shaped scar. The apparition of before was no longer visible.
'Something…very strange is going on,' Harry thought faintly. 'Very strange….'
It was then that darkness claimed his vision.
…
He stood alone in a room deep within the bowels of Castle Oblivion, lost in his thoughts. A gloved hand was held at his chin as he wondered how to deal with these new and surprising predicaments.
His head jerked up when he heard and felt another enter the room using the portals of darkness. It was only Lexaeus, he noted, before shaking his head at the stoic and quiet greatly muscled man.
"Don't I even get a hello, Lexaeus?" he questioned with only the barest hints of humor in his voice. He turned when another entered the room—Vexen.
'Great, an annoyance has arrived,' he thought dully.
"What's going on, Zexion? I demand an explanation," Vexen stated and he noted that the other Nobody was tense, if a bit angry.
"Nice to see you too…" he greeted instead. Honestly, doesn't anyone have manners these days? He shook his head and spoke his next words, "It's deplorable…if this is as far as the bond between the Organization goes…
"Mind your own business, Number VI!" Vexen snarled out.
'Yes, yes, I'm scared, Vexen,' he thought almost amusedly. 'Numbers do not matter in terms of good tactics, now do they? One does not need to rely on strength alone to win after all….'
"Let it go, Vexen," Lexaeus spoke up for the first time. Both Vexen and he turned to stare at him, Vexen with more of an angry look. Lexaeus continued on after Vexen quieted. "Zexion, tell us. What did you detect?"
'Should I or shouldn't I…' he thought dully before answering.
"This 'scent'," he started, hand in front of his face as a show of slight pondering and confused attitude. "I picked up two scents in the castle's lower basement," he continued. "One of them was Maleficent…" he added.
"That witch is gone. She cannot return from the realm of darkness of her own volition," Vexen said with a slight laugh.
'Idiot,' he thought before saying, "If you'd let me finish…" in a slightly exasperated tone. "The scent belonged to a very convincing double of Maleficent. But I can't say much beyond that, since the copy is no more. Our other visitor saw to that," he finished slowly.
"Who is it?" Lexaeus questioned.
"I don't know…" he admitted reluctantly. He added, "The scent was very similar to the Superior's."
"But it's not the same person," Vexen intervened. He nodded to Vexen's observation as Vexen continued. "I'm deeply intrigued."
"So, what shall we do now?" he asked Lexaeus.
Lexaeus stood silent for a moment before replying, "Let us bide our time and see what develops."
…
Harry sat up, a hand to his head in confusion.
"I don't remember falling asleep," the boy-who-lived mumbled, "let alone on the floor…." He frowned as he thought of this recent dream that he had. It apparently had skipped timeframes from the first; he was sure, as they were already located at this "Castle Oblivion" that the dream him/not him had mentioned them moving to in his last dream.
"It's strange…" Harry whispered. "I feel as if…I truly lived that life…."
'Or rather,' he thought, 'that I was this person…in life…and the life where I wasn't meant to exist…'
"Ienzo…" Harry murmured. "Zexion…."
He stood with a sigh and stretched; his back arching before he yawned. It was still night out it seemed….and he was in fact very sleepy, which was unusual.
Still, yawning once more, he crawled back into his thread-bare bed and was asleep even before his head hit the pillow.
…
He stood silently, contemplating the turn of events and the scent he had smelled. Vexen was pacing and Lexaeus was standing stonily as ever. He frowned slightly, one hand over his mouth in contemplation. His head lifted as realization came over him.
He said, "I've identified the scent. It's Riku."
"Riku?" Vexen demanded, turning to view him along with Lexaeus. "How could he have escaped from the realm of darkness?" Vexen stalked towards him.
He spoke again, explaining his thoughts, "He once shouldered the darkness."
"I see," Vexen stated, if only slight amazement in his voice, "because he was so close to that side. The dark power given to him facilitated his escape from the realm of darkness."
He pulled his hand once more to his mouth as he murmured, "What I want to know is why he appeared here." His hand moved away as Vexen responded.
"That's simple. His existence resonates with that of another hero."
Lexaeus turned to stare at Vexen now.
He asked, slight surprise in his tone, "Then Sora's in the castle too?" to Vexen.
"Yes, he arrived earlier," Vexen responded to his inquiries. "Marluxia is already using Namine to meddle with Sora's heart."
He stated dully, "And he didn't consult us about it." Inwardly he said, 'Idiot.'
"It seems he's dying to control the Keyblade Master," Vexen laughed lightly. "How stupid of him." He continued on, "Sora and Riku's existence may be interesting, but the one most valuable to us…is Riku, the hero of darkness." A smirk was upon his lips as he said this.
…
Harry jerked awake again, barely noting that it was still a perpetual night.
"Riku…" Harry muttered. "That name…brings fear…?" He blinked, if only slightly confused. "Maybe more sleep will reveal more of this…non-existent person, this Nobody Zexion…."
With that thought he slowly drifted off again.
…
He stood alone, contemplating all that has been happening recently. These events were puzzling at best and he was wondering on how to work them exactly into his favor…
Lexaeus walked up to him and asked, "What of Sora?"
He turned to respond, "Namine is shuffling his memories as we speak. Marluxia may well get his puppet." He brought his hand up to his face as he said next, "This could spell out good fortune for the Organization, but…I smell something funny going on with Marluxia and Larxene."
'Betrayal,' he thought inwardly. 'I smell betrayal from them…but is it truly what they plan? If so how do they plan to get away with it…?'
"Then there's Axel. Who knows what that one is thinking…" Lexaeus said.
'Axel…' he thought with an inward frown. 'Yes, who knows what he is thinking…his scent too has been…different lately.'
"We'll speak with Vexen after more observation," he added. "He's putting the finishing touches on the Replica."
"But Vexen despises Marluxia. Think of the mess it would create…"
'That is true…' he thought faintly. 'But why should I care?'
"Well then, better he clean up the mess than us," he stated with only slight amusement.
…
He stood with Vexen and Lexaeus, awaiting the arrival of the Replica Riku from his first battle with the real Riku.
The door opened and the replica stepped inside. All three turned to view him as Vexen asked, "How does it feel to fight the real Riku?"
"He's spineless," the replica stated with conviction. "I'll be running circles around him in no time."
'He certainly has the real one's confidence,' he thought dully.
"Before that, wouldn't you like to meet another here?" Vexen asked, hiding a smirk behind his hand.
"You mean that Sora kid," the replica asked with slight curiosity. "He's here in the castle, I hear. Want me to take care of him?"
'Very sure in his abilities,' he thought. 'This could prove either helpful…or be a downfall.'
"Nothing's definite…but yes, it may come to that," Vexen stated thoughtfully.
"No worries," the replica said with a slight hint of arrogance. "Sora's just one more person to crush on the way to Riku."
'Yes…this arrogance could prove to be more of a hindrance…'
…
He stood, silent. A frown on his face as he smelled the 'scent' of Vexen…and the 'scent' of Axel. His head jerked up suddenly as Lexaeus entered the room.
"Vexen is no more," Lexaeus stated.
'So it is true…the loss of his scent was his 'death',' he thought faintly.
"Yes, I just noticed," he said slowly. "Vexen's scent disappeared the moment Axel appeared." He shook his head slightly and said, "It's deplorable when we strike down our own comrades…"
"The bigger problem is Sora," Lexaeus stated. "His strength exceeds Vexen's, and yet surely Namine has subverted him by now."
'He is not subverted yet?' he thought numbly.
"I suppose we shouldn't destroy him then," he said thoughtfully.
"Right," Lexaeus replied softly. "It's only a matter of time before our leader secures the Hero of the light." Lexaeus turned his head down thoughtfully and said, "If he is to hold the light, then we must use the dark. We will take the darkness with our own hands."
'Take the darkness…with our own hands…?' he thought dully. 'Ah, I see.'
"You mean…Riku…" he stated slowly.
…
He stood alone in the basement room. A slight frown on his face and his hand up to his chin again.
"Now, Lexaeus is gone as well…" he muttered.
Another appeared and he recognized it as Axel.
"First Vexen, then Larxene, and now Lexaeus," Axel said. "Gee, I wonder who's next?"
'I wonder who's next…pht, asshole,' he thought dully.
"Maybe you," he replied calmly.
"Not me," Axel said dismissingly, turning his back. "I already took my beating from Sora, and he thinks I'm done for good." Axel turned slightly to look over his shoulder. "No, I think Marluxia's next in line to go. He plotted to use Sora against the Organization." Axel turned away again and added, "So, it's fitting Sora should be his downfall."
He stood in silence though his mind was anything but.
''Not me', he says. Marluxia is next to go…seems fitting,' he thought. 'But who after Marluxia? Who next shall 'die'? What are you planning…Axel….'
"Well, what about you?" Axel asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "We won't be needing Riku anymore."
"Yes," he replied. "This is assuming that Sora will win but…if Marluxia is defeated, then Riku's strength isn't necessary. He's simply fodder."
"Good luck disposing of him," Axel said. "You want to take on someone who wasted Lexaeus?"
'No…I don't, Axel,' he thought, inwardly scowling. 'Yet I know you won't…'
"That's not how I do things," he said with slight amusement. "Tell me, did you get the data on Riku's home?"
'Since you won't take Riku on…' he thought, 'I must…but I won't…exactly. Tactics are, after all, sometimes better than brute strength….'
…
Harry jerked awake again, the last thought ringing through his mind though with it he felt a sense of dread and fear—as well as self-contempt.
'Since you won't take Riku on…I must…but I won't…exactly. Tactics are, after all, sometimes better than brute strength….'
"Somehow," Harry muttered, "I have a feeling that that was Zexion's mistake…"
He frowned. Sunlight was slowly rising but he shook it away—he was after all so tired….
He fell asleep once more.
…
He watched from the shadows as the tremor filled the castle. He watched Riku gasp.
"What was that?" the dark one questioned. "One of the scents has died…a really strong one."
He decided to appear before the dark keyblade wielder, arriving through the darkness before him.
"That was Marluxia," he said calmly, "keeper of this castle. The Keyblade master just finished him off."
"Keyblade master…?" Riku demanded him. "You mean Sora! Sora is here?!"
He chuckled inwardly, 'Like a mouse to a trap….'
"Yes," he replied. "Would you like to see him? Or should I say, can you face him?"
"What does THAT mean?" Riku demanded angrily.
He decided to humor the boy and said, "Darkness and Ansem's shadow nest within your heart. Aren't you ashamed to face him in that state?" He almost chuckled aloud at Riku's face and continued, "Sora's fate is to battle the darkness. As the hero of light, he must appose hosts of the dark—in other words, you."
Riku stared at him with a slight disbelief on his face.
'Yes…hook, line and sinker,' he thought amusedly.
"If you don't believe me—" he started, bringing out a card which he tossed quickly at Riku. The boy caught it and he continued, "—then, you had better see the truth for yourself."
"This card!" Riku said shocked, staring at the card. "This is our—"
"Yes," he replied, "your home." He let the darkness pull him away, inwardly smirking at Riku having easily fallen.
'I will win this,' he thought, 'and Riku will be no more….'
…
Riku stared in surprise at his world.
"This is…that night!" he gasped out.
He spoke up harshly, "The islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered…Many hearts were lost to the darkness. Because of what YOU did!" He pointed off to the side where an apparition of Riku slowly appeared.
The real Riku stared in shock.
He continued in the harsh tone. "You hated being an islander, cut off from other worlds. So you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. YOU did that! And now you belong to the darkness. You've completely become its slave."
Riku could only stare in shock as his next words transformed the apparition.
"Look at what you are!"
He watched with a slightly cruel smirk as the battle fought on before him. While Riku was distracted he bound himself in illusion to appear like an old friend.
Once the battle ended and Riku looked around, gasping slightly did he spot his illusion form.
"Sora?!" Riku cried out. "Sora!" Riku walked towards him, voice in shock. "Sora, what are you—" He took this as his cue and slashed out with the keyblade, turning sharply so that Riku would dodge. "Huh?!" Riku cried. He charged, leaping into the air and bringing the keyblade down, forcing Riku to draw his own.
'Yes…' he thought.
"Stop it, Sora! Can't you recognize me?!" Riku cried, struggling against the pressure of his keyblade bearing down.
"Yeah, I recognize you!" he cried out in Sora's voice. "I can see clearly what you've become!" He leapt back, pointed the keyblade towards Riku, and let off a burst of light. Riku flew back onto the ground harshly.
"Look at you," he said, "shrinking away from the light…You really HAVE become nothing more than a darkling. You're not Riku anymore…just a pawn of the darkness." He looked down before saying with conviction, "So be it. It's time for you to face the light!"
He lifted the keyblade up and surrounding the world with light. He smirked, hidden in the light.
'It's over…it's all over,' he thought coldly.
Suddenly the light faded and he gasped, his normal voice rising through the illusion. "Wh…What…?" he gasped out, raising his hand up. The illusion faded and he fell to his knees. "How did you find me in the light?" he asked, struggling to stand.
He turned to view the new Riku.
"You reek of the dark. Even the light can't block out that smell," Riku replied.
He gazed at him, surprised.
'Can that be…truly be…?' he thought fearfully.
"I followed the darkness right to you," Riku added.
"Just because of that…!" he growled angrily. He turned and glared heatedly at Riku. "Then, I'll make you understand THIS! Your faith is nothing but an ILLUSION!"
They began to battle and all too soon did he find himself kneeling on the ground again, beaten.
'No…how can this be…?' he thought faintly, almost frighteningly.
"Keh…" he breathed out heavily, hoping to still psychologically ruin the boy and win. "After all your protests, you're still just another darkling."
"I know who I am," Riku stated with conviction.
"Since when?" he asked, rising. "You were so terrified of the dark before…" He slowly backed up, staggering if only a bit.
"I'm not now!" Riku cried out, charging.
He stared at the boy in horror, raising his hands to his face and a gasp of fright leaping from him. White enveloped his senses before disappearing.
With a pain filled cry he disappeared into the darkness.
…
Harry jerked awake again, gasping for breath. The pain felt so real…so very real. The taste of loss was clear in his mouth, and it was bitter.
"He…" Harry breathed out slowly. "So frightening…so…powerful…terrifying…!"
His eyes were wide and he was gasping.
"What is he?" he breathed out before darkness once more tugged at his vision.
…
He appeared in the basement and staggered to the wall, one hand over his abdomen and the other grasping at the wall tightly.
"What is he?" he questioned furiously. "Just what IS he?!" he pounded his fist against the wall, his voice slightly fearful. "No one has ever worn the darkness the way he does…"
He turned his head when he heard another enter the room, spotting Riku and then Axel. He let out a shocked gasp and flung himself so that his back was flush against the wall, fear gripping at him.
The fear ebbed away as realization hit. "Oh…Oh yes, of course. The replica," he murmured, relieved. "We can use this Riku to defeat the real one."
Something nagged at his mind though and he stood away from the wall.
'Wait, Axel is here…' he thought and asked, "Axel?"
"You wanna become real?" Axel spoke up calmly.
'Wh-What?!' he thought, surprised at Axel's voiced words. Somehow he knew they were not aimed at him.
"Well, you can. All you need is strength that the real Riku doesn't have."
'Where is he going with this?!' he thought, fear once more coming towards him. 'Axel what are you planning!? What are you doing!?'
"Get that, and you'll become a new person, your OWN person. You won't be somebody else's copy. You'll be you."
'Axel?! What are you trying to pull!?' his thoughts were rampant, afraid.
"Axel! What are you telling him?!" he cried out.
"You know," Axel said dully, "I bet he's as good a place to start as any."
His eyes widened and he cried out angrily, "Have you lost your mind?!" just as the replica's hand shot out and gripped him by the shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and struggled, but it was of no use. He was not physically strong, and his lexicon was not here.
'NO!' he cried out in his mind, struggling as the replica lifted him a few feet off the ground. 'Not like this! Axel why!? Not like this!' He felt his strength ebb away as the replica began to absorb him.
'No! Axel you bastard, why!?'
His struggles soon became nonexistent and he could barely even hear Axel speak, his voice distant.
"Sorry, Zexion," the pyro said. "Guess you were next to go, after all."
'He…planned this…' he thought as he began to fade. 'He…planned this…the…bastard….'
His eyes slowly closed and he began to lose all awareness, his final thoughts before he disappeared into the depths of darkness, his pain fading and his strength depleting rapidly, 'And here…I thought…you…had…some shred…of caring…for…me…bastard….'
The darkness swallowed him up, and he knew no more.
…
Harry jerked awake. Pain, betrayal, fear coincided his senses. He found it hard to breathe for a long while, hard to even think besides of what Axel had done to Zexion, done to him.
'Swallowed…absorbed entirely…' he thought slowly. 'My powers…taken…my body…gone. How…how could that bastard…do that to…me? HOW!? After everything…everything….?'
He was shaking like a leaf, he knew. More images besides the dreams he had began to flood his mind and he knew. He just knew that these were not dreams, not fantasies of a raving mind, these were memories. His memories. His life before and his life after.
"Ne, Zexion, what are you reading?"
"Ne, Zexion, you're too uptight, you know?"
"Ne, Zexion…have you ever slept with anyone before?"
"Ne, Zexion. I wish we could truly have hearts. Feel things like love and compassion rather that remnants and memories. What about you?"
"Ne, Zexion…will you continue to live on in this fake life? Should we?"
"Ne, Zexion…you're pretty cool, you know that?"
"Ne, Zexion, what do you think of this new assignment? Castle…Oblivion?"
"Sorry Zexion. Guess you were next to go, after all."
Ienzo…
Zexion…
Human with a heart…
Nobody without one…
These thoughts flew through his head. He remembered studying hearts and darkness. He remembered their…obsession with it that ended with their deaths. He remembered waking as a Nobody, becoming Number VI. He remembered meeting Axel, Number VIII. He remembered the nights spent together…he remembered the day he signed his death.
But where did Harry Potter factor into the equation? How did he become to be this boy? This…human? He was a Nobody, he knew deep down he still was a Nobody. He didn't know how or why he still existed; he didn't know how or why he was still there. By all accounts he should be dead and gone—forever.
Was all this still an illusion? Did he make this up; forget—no, he didn't. He couldn't make this up.
This was real. Painstakingly real. Which meant that somehow he was both Nobody and human. Without a heart and with shreds of one.
How, though? It defied all natural logic…it really did.
He was left here, on some strange world that he had grown up upon—deep inside he could feel the time that had passed since his…death by Axel's orchestrations. It wasn't much time, not much at all. Maybe a year or so, a little more, perhaps? Yet how could he have died naught but a year or more ago, and have lived a full sixteen upon this world?
'I wonder…' he thought faintly. 'I wonder if I am…in the realm behind the door? Or am I in some world…trapped out of the normal time-flow? Will all Nobodies end up here after death…? I…this needs some thought…some planning…'
He frowned but sighed. He'd have to stay as Harry Potter, practice his abilities from his Nobody life, find his lexicon, get himself back to par on how he was before, but still he would have to live out the life of Harry Potter—at least until he had his answers. Then he could leave, and then he could find out what had happened.
Yes…that was as good a plan as any.
That was what he'd do.
…
Finished chappy one…a very long chappy one at 17 pages in word…oh my. I hope I can keep the chappies long from now on, but I just don't know…this is unusual in and of itself…I normally have 6-8 page long chappies…
Ah, well. Thanks for reading.
Yours truly,
MB
Midnight Bloodlust