Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters, nor am I Amy Lee.

Arlene sighed. It was just too lonely ever since the freak accident killed most of her friends. She sat down at the piano in her living room and ran her hands over the keys. It had been neglected ever since Arlene met Ale, and it was a wonder she still knew how to play. Her fingers tapped out a few notes of a familiar song that she used to play for him just before he had convinced her that pianos were stupid.

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

A tear slid down her face as she thought of her best friend and almost boyfriend. She couldn't help being sad, he had died! Her mother walked into the room and noticed her sitting at the piano.

"I'm glad to see you back at the piano, sweetie," She commented. Arlene got up and stormed out her front door. Soon, she found herself in the clearing where she and Ale shared their first kiss.

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

Arlene sat down on the stump that was in this clearing and started sobbing. She looked up when she heard a voice.

"Why the water-works?" The voice inquired. Arlene tucked a lock of her frizzy, blonde hair behind her ear and answered.

"My friends all died! Me and Ramiual are the only ones left." She explained, her voice thick with tears. The owner of the voice stepped forward out of the shadows. Arlene gasped. He had a ton of red hair that spiked almost impossibly, and he was dressed in all black. The mysterious person reached out and, with a gloved hand, wiped away a stray tear that was sliding down Arlene's cheek. She flinched and backed away from the stranger, and fell off the stump.

He spoke again.

"You should know something. This 'Ramiual' is also dead now and--"

"NO! YOU FREAKING LIE! I talked to him this morning!" Arlene screamed. She lashed out, expecting to hit him, but he grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers before vanishing in a haze of black.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

"How is that possible?" Arlene questioned herself. "He was fine this morning…" Arlene wondered this as she walked home, where her mother greeted her with the news.

"Arlene, honey, Ramiual is--"

"I know Mom, Ramiual is dead. That guy told me in my clearing." Arlene's mother looked confused as Arlene made her way to her bedroom.


You used to captivate me
By your resonating light

Arlene sat on her bed, thinking of Ale, and how the stranger reminded her of him.

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

Arlene couldn't fall asleep that night, because the stranger's face wouldn't leave her mind, and she could still hear his voice. It was scaring her.
---------------------------------

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

Larxene sat at the piano that was in the rather large living room of the Castle That Never Was, thinking as she ran her fingers over the ivory keys. The Savage Nymph took no notice as a very familiar redhead walked up behind her. Larxene swallowed hard and started to play. The song she chose was one very familiar to her, but she couldn't place where it was from.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

Axel opened his mouth to say something to the blonde, but paused when he also recognized the song she was playing. He stepped around so he was alongside her, and paused again when he realized that she was crying as she played. Larxene ignored the tears she knew were sliding down her face as she began to get more into the song. Axel knew he was risking his fingers when he did something very dangerous and reached out towards Larxene to wipe the tears off her face. When his fingers touched her face, her eyes shot open and she stopped playing to glare at Axel, who just brushed the tears away with his thumb.

"What's with the water-works?" he asked gently, motioning for her to continue playing. "Your song was really nice."

"I don't know. I just got the urge to play, and this song reminded me of someone who died." Larxene responded to Axel's first question.

"Did your friend die when you were a somebody?" Axel softly inquired.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

"I can't remember. Leave me alone. He's gone, and so are you." Larxene growled the last part. Tears were starting to glide down her cheeks again as she turned back to the piano.


When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

Axel reached out and wiped away the new tears, grabbed her hand, and kissed her fingers before starting to walk away. Larxene's eyes widened as she recognized the significance of the gesture. She stood up and called out to Axel.

"Axel, come back! Please?" Hearing her speak something that wasn't a threat caused the Flurry of Dancing Flames to turn around and walk towards the Savage Nymph.

"You rang?" He smirked, then changed his mind when he saw Larxene sit down on the piano bench, tears threatening to overflow.

"I'm sorry…" She barely managed to get out before Axel wrapped her up in a hug.

"All is forgiven," He replied, "Ya wanna come watch me kick Roxas's butt at DDR?" Larxene nodded.

"Hell, why not?" The blonde smirked, pushing Axel's arms off her shoulders. "Maybe I'll even play, too…" the blonde and the redhead walked down the hall to the game room where Roxas was waiting to play DDR.

END