Me: (waves to anyone reading this)

Taco: This has nothing to do with Xenosaga...

Me: Indeed my needlely pal...

Taco: For the record this isn't random...based loosely off the song "Imaginary" which summonershion is hopelessly obsessed with...

Me: Listen to it as you read...


Rue

Once he was safely inside the dark gate chaos drew his keyblade hoping it would point him in the direction of his next destination. It revealed nothing though. chaos turned around to see the door he had come from disappear leaving him trapped in the darkness. Sighing, he stepped forward. He hoped if he kept moving eventually he'd come to the light. Periodically he'd stopped and waved the keyblade around trying to get it to glow again, but he couldn't even see it right in front of his face. chaos whirled around upon hearing something behind him. Even if there were something there, he wouldn't have seen it. Breathing heavily he moved on ahead. Awhile later chaos swore he felt something brush against his legs, but when he looked down, he saw only more darkness.

"Hello," he said into the nothingness. He just wanted to hear his own voice to reassure himself that he still existed despite the fact that he couldn't make out his own hands while they were an inch in front of his eyes. No answer came to his greeting and chaos started to panic. He swore something darted in front of him, but then his eyes could just be playing tricks on him.

"If anyone's out there please answer me," he called out again in his desperateness. This time instead of complete silence he heard and felt something, fly past his face. He immediately swatted at it, but whatever had been there was long gone. chaos sat down tired out from all the aimless wandering. He buried his face in his gloved hands. He feared he would be stranded here forever. chaos lay back and listened for any sign of life.

The sun's rays burned down upon the peaceful beach. The light blue ocean was still and the sand sparkled. Two children played in shallow depths of the water a girl who had short dark hair and a boy with dirty blonde hair. They both wore swimsuits and splashed happily about. A tall man stood next to a palm tree on the shore, but neither of the children seemed to notice him. He watched them enjoying the beautiful summer day with out a care in the world.

The vision faded from chaos's view and he waited a few moments for his eyes to readjust to the darkness before getting to his feet. Upon reaching his feet, he felt a gentle tug on his hand. He lowered his gaze to see a young child pulling at him.

"Come on," she said ushering towards what chaos perceived as more darkness. He followed without question.

"Daddy's coming home tonight. He's going to bring us gifts," she said. She lead chaos through the darkness as if she knew the way perfectly.

"Where are we going?" chaos asked.

"To see Father. He's coming home tonight. We're going to all be together for the first time in…" Her voice trailed off as they entered what appeared to be another gate. chaos shielded his eyes from the bright light and when he opened them, again the scenery had dramatically changed. They were now standing on a dirt road surrounded by tall prairie flowers of every color. Birds chirped in the trees overhead and the sun beat down upon this peaceful scene. A feeling of intense warmth poured over chaos. He watched a butterfly as it glided above the plants. Its purple and black wings glistening in the sun as it went about its day. This place made him happy. He wanted to lie down in the fields of flowers and sleep, but the girl urged him forwards. She pointed up the road where chaos could barely discern a white building.

"Is that your home?" chaos asked. She didn't bother answering. She simply took off running towards the home. chaos had no choice but to simply follow. When they got closer, chaos could see that the home too was very pretty. Vines on which light blue flowers bloomed grew up the side reaching up to the matching sky. The lawn was a deep hue of green and perfectly kept. The girl hopped over the white picket fence that surrounded the property, but chaos walked down the path to the gate. He swung it open and started up the stone path to the front door. The girl had already made it there, but unfortunately for her was far too short to reach the doorknob. chaos laughed gently and opened the door so they could both go inside. Once inside the girl skidded across the polished wood floor into the back room.

"Amie, is that you?" the voice of a young boy said. The boy came down from the upper floor. Upon reaching the lower stairs, he stared at chaos with his light green eyes.

"Who are you? Why are you here? This is our home. Mommy and Daddy don't like intruders. You better leave." he said rudely. chaos was taken aback by the boy's bluntness. He looked so innocent. The girl darted back into the main room.

"Rue! Don't be unkind to him. He's nice. He helped me." she said.

"It doesn't matter. Daddy said not to let anyone in while he was away. He left me in charge. I have to look out for you and Mother. I promised I would." the boy replied. chaos watched and felt very bad for him. He knew the boy felt pain and loneliness, but he was trying so hard.

"Oh I wouldn't want either of you to get in trouble. I'll just show myself out," chaos said turning for the door, but the girl stopped him.

"Come play with us. We never have anyone to play with. Anyway Rue, Daddy's coming home today so we're safe." she nodded and lead chaos through that room and into the one behind it. Rue followed behind sulking at his older sister but not saying another word. The back room had a marble fireplace and a carved wooden table with matching silk chairs. chaos assumed it was the dining room. In the far corner of the room, a wide glass door looked out into the backyard. Amie pushed this open and they all stepped onto the back porch. Towards the middle of the yard a women sat in a wicker chair reading a thick book. Even as the group made its way out, she didn't bother looking up. Amie ran past the woman to a tire that hung from a tall tree.

"Push me," she called to chaos.

"Oh all right," chaos said and happily obeyed. He pushed her for a few minutes before speaking again. "Is that your mother?" he asked. When she didn't respond, chaos feared that he had hit a soft spoke.

When it stopped, Amie jumped off the swing and ran he foot along the dirt below. "She never plays with me. She only speaks when she wants something from us. It's as if she doesn't care, but that's going to change soon. After Daddy comes home Mother is going to be happy again."

"Don't you dare speak of her that way?" Rue said clutching a rock in his small fist. "It's not his fault she's too busy for us. If we do everything she says Mother will be pleased."

"Rue…" Amie said hopelessly.

"Children," a stern uncaring voice spoke. Both of them raced next to the chair and stood dead still next to it. chaos too went a little closer, but stayed out of the line of site of the woman so he could hear but not be seen.

"Make sure there is a meal for your father when he arrives. It has been a long journey for him. That is the least he deserves. Go now the he'll be home before the sun sets and time is wasting."

Rue nodded. He looked determined to follow his Mother's wishes. Amie hung her head and trudged back towards the house. chaos silently entered the house behind the siblings. He followed the voices into kitchen where he discovered Amie standing precariously on a chair rifling through the cabinets. Rue was sitting on the ground reading what appeared to be a cookbook.

"Why won't you leave us alone? We don't have time for your distractions now." Rue said looking up from the book. chaos pondered that for a minute. What was he doing here? He didn't have the slightest clue why he was here, who these children were or how any of this had anything to do with Shion.

"Well," he replied after thinking it over, "It seems you two are in need of some help."

"We are not!" Rue growled. Amie stepped down carrying a jar of pasta.

"Rue, once Father comes home everything will be okay. We have to make this nice for him and Mother so then they'll like us again and we can all live together just as it used to be. Please Mister won't you help us." She pleaded.

chaos took the jar from her. "Of course I'd be delighted to do anything I can to help you, but I must warn you I'm not the world's greatest cook. That title is reserved for someone else," he said letting his mind wander back to Shion's wonderful cooking. "How on a little bit longer," he said under his breath, "I'll be there soon enough."

Rue started boiling water while chaos and Amie worked on making sauce. "This is my mother's recipe," Amie informed chaos, "She used to cook a lot. We'd have big parties and everyone would really enjoy her cooking."

"I know someone like that," chaos replied, "All of us rely on her to make food. If left to our own devices we'd probably burnt he whole kitchen down on a regular basis."

"Do you miss her?" Amie asked catching chaos off guard.

"Oh…yes…I'm looking for her now. I promised I'd come find her no matter what."

"Do you worry that she's lonely?"

"Lonely…yeah…I'm sure she is, but she doesn't have to be because she's not alone."

"I'm lonely too. I miss my family. I keep waiting for them to come home, but they…" As she spoke tears that weren't cause by the onion, they were cutting fell to the table below.

"But isn't your father coming home later today so everything will be alright."

Amie wiped her eyes and tried to smile for chaos. "I don't like it here. The beauty sickens me. I'd rather be somewhere dark and empty then here."

"Don't ever repeat that Amie." Rue cried. Mother likes it here and that all that matters. If Mother's happy then she'll like us." chaos turned to watch the food that was cooking on the stove in silence biting his lips to hold back the tears he so wanted to cry. He could feel their pain just like he could feel Shion's and it was overwhelming. Tasting a bit of the sauce, Amie sighed and dropped the spoon.

"It's not right. It is missing something." She cried. "They won't like it."

Rue looked up from setting the table. "She always used to grow this plant. She called it her secret yet beloved ingredient."

"We don't have time to worry now. The sun is going down. He'll be here any minute now." Amie said nervously. The three heard footsteps approaching from the dining room.

"What is that?" she asked disgustedly pointing at the bowl of pasta on the table.

"Dinner Mother just like you wanted. I hope you approve." Rue said his gaze fixed on his feet. The woman sat down at the table and spoke no more. Rue too sat down as far from his mother as he could. Amie finished laying out food then put a pot filled with very beautiful yet fake flowers. chaos nodded at her and took his leave from the room. he left the house and sat down on the front porch. A nearly full moon hung low in the deep blue sky. He waited and waited as the night sky began to fill with stars, but no one ever came. The darkness consumed everything around him so chaos was unaware when Rue came up behind him.

"Rue its late you shouldn't be out here. Go back to your family."

"Father doesn't like us. He never came. We're not good enough. I don't care anymore though. I hate him…for everything. He abandoned Mother. He did this to her. He stole Mother's heart."

"I'm sure he just got held up…"

"Don't lie to me. I'm tired of everyone. I want to be alone. In a world of nothingness, there is no longing no desire and thus no pain. I'll create that world." He walked away from chaos disappearing into the darkness.

"Wait Rue it's so dangerous!" chaos called to him, but no response came. chaos eventually followed him into the darkness. Long after chaos had returned to the corridors of darkness. The girl stood on the porch alone.

"I never got a chance to ask your name, but your kindness won't be forgotten. I fear things won't ever be like they were, but I know though the road may be long we all may find what we're looking for…So until that day which we may walk together farewell…he whose heart transcends…"

Back on his way, chaos once again withdrew his keyblade. He knew not only that he was lucky he hadn't had to fight in that place, but also that that luck was short lived. The Heartless were after the keyblade and thus him. He wandered ahead guided by the imaginary light he held in his heart. He found himself standing in front of a large door with a bolt on it.

"Step forward he who wields the blade of hearts. Step forward into the darkness if you feel you can conquer it."

chaos snapped his head around in search of where the voice was coming from.

"What are you afraid of? What are you running from? Where do you want to end up?"

chaos stopped looking around and hung his head. He had no answers. He was as unsure about his desires as he was about where the voice was coming from.

"I want to save her!" he screamed for the millionth time. "That's the only thing that I need to do. It's the only thing that matters."

"But why...why is this so…"

chaos swung the keyblade around in a fit of rage. "Stop messing with my head. No matter what you say, I won't back down."

The keyblade emitted a beam of light that shot across the darkness to the bolt on the door. The lock shattered and the door began to creak open. chaos peeked through it, but all he saw was more darkness.

"Once you step through that door there will no turning back…Will you be willing to see this through to the end? Or will your will eventually crumble under the unbearable weight of reality?"

"I promised her I'd come find her no matter what stood in my way."

"If she is all that matters to you then you will fail. Every piece of a puzzle has a defined place only they can fill. Everything from the first to the last most fit perfectly in order to make a picture. If you focus on one piece hoping to see the whole image you'll be very disappointed."

"I don't know what you're talking about! All I know for certain is the Heartless are after Shion and also this keyblade."

"Yes yes…the keyblade…a weapon only the strongest of hearts can wield…but tell me chaos…How can you be sure what is reality and what is imaginary?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't know."

"Am I even real? Is your quest real? Is Shion's anguish real? Are your feeling real?"

"I don't have time to debate this with you now. Let me through."

"So you'll use the keyblade to run from the uncertainty. If you seek to save someone who's running away by running even further you'll both fall."

"I must move forward…regardless of what's behind that door…I will go."

"If you are sure then proceed. I can neither help nor hinder you. Only you have the strength to do that."

"I know…I'm the only one who can do this…I'm the only one who can walk this path…Is this my path?" chaos pushed the doors further open and stepped into what he previously perceived as darkness. The doors slammed behind him disappeared into the ether. chaos stepped forward and around him, the emptiness was filled with a field of flowers. He looked down at the flowers spreading in all directions as far as the eye could see. Above him, the purple sky glared down at him. chaos took a step backwards. Had the door not have disappeared he would have run back through it into the darkness. He could hear muffles voices crying out to him and the loneliness was unbearable. He clutched his hands to his ears and collapsed to the ground screaming as loudly as he could in an attempt to drown out the horror. He kneeled there with his head in his knees until he heard footsteps coming up behind him. chaos glanced up to see the back of a man draped in a silver cloak.

"Its beautiful isn't it. This is my world. You are not permitted here."

"Trust me I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to be. Show me the exit and I'll be on my way."

The cloaked man laughed. "This world has no need for an exit. I will never leave and since I'm the only one here an exit would be pointless."

"But you're all alone. You're trapped here aren't you?"

"Foolish child! I am this world!" He bent down and picked up a flower, which crumpled in his hand and threw it over his shoulder at chaos.

"Where is here. Why did you bring me here?" chaos pondered aloud.

"He who crossed the threshold must walk the road in its entirety. You came to this world now you must pay." He turned around and charged at chaos with dual black swords. chaos drew the keyblade, but wasn't fast enough to block the impact. The keyblade flew from his hand and he tumbled to the ground. He forced himself to his feet.

"It's just a scratch," he said feeling around for his weapon. Instead of it, he found the foot of the cloaked man. He laughed again and stepped on chaos's hand. chaos screamed in intense pain.

"Looking for this?" He pushed the keyblade into chaos's face.

"That's mine!" chaos lunged for it, but the man jumped back leaving chaos to fall on his face. Seeing chaos was down, he struck at him repeatedly with the keyblade.

"How? How can you use it? I thought I was the only one…" chaos said with the last of his strength. He tasted blood. He tried to open his eyes, but they were swollen shut. He could no longer move. "Is this the end…?" He lay there helpless barely even aware of the man attacking him. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was a single gunshot ringing through the field of flowers.


Phew...poor chaos...reviewers get pi!