Chapter 7: Discovery (www . youtube . com/watch?v=FjcPv0NlZNk)

Memo: Success~! I love this chapter with a fiery burning passion. A couple of years ago or so, I drew this scene out as a manga...just quick, sloppy sketches, but it was great, and now I've gotten to the point where I can write about it! Yay.

Eden's Pov

It was a fabulous sort of dream I walked into. Riku opened the door, and I walked right in, like I was supposed to. It was like I had planned it all out in my mind for so long, and it had been a dream for so long, that when it became real, it still wasn't...if that makes sense. As Riku shut the door behind me, I realized what a long year it had been, and how I was ready for that era to disappear, and for this era to begin.

However, in those dreams I had always imagined Zexion in perfect condition, like he would be waiting with open arms, and I could press "play" and we'd live happily ever after. I don't know why I always thought that, though. It was so unrealistic in retrospect.

Instead, I walked in, took one look at the nearly lifeless body lying on the floor, and inhaled so sharply I almost choked on my spit.

It's...him! I wanted to shout. My hands jumped to my mouth, smothering my quiet gasp. I couldn't believe it at first; my dream had finally started to come true. But something just didn't seem right.

I noticed that there was some blood on the floor, amongst other things. His clothes were disgusting, but his hair was surprisingly decent, considering how long he had probably been locked up. I wondered if Riku had something to do with it.

Slowly I approached the sleeping beauty, pausing before I kneeled beside him. I wanted to scream, but I knew it would scare him, and I didn't want to wake him so harshly. I mean, that would be awkward-a shout and then "Hi! I'm back!" He probably would've tried to kill me, which wouldn't have been all that fun.

"...Zexion?" I whispered. He didn't respond; he looked dead. "...W-wake up."

He didn't move or even acknowledge me, so I gently placed my hand on his cheek. It was dirty, but warm with sleep. As softly as I could manage, I pushed his hair back out of his good eye.

Suddenly he sighed through his nose, and it startled me a bit, so I sat back on my heels, but my hand remained on his cheek. Slowly, dazed with deep sleep, his navy eye opened, and when it focused, it fell on me. Just that alone took my breath away.

I didn't say anything, just smiled a little. Tears were coming, but I bit my tongue to hold them back for just a little while longer.

He seemed to slowly come to terms with what was going on...very slowly. Did he think he was still dreaming?

"...Denex?" he murmured, his hand uncurling from a child-like fist.

I almost laughed at his reply, but I thought better of it and only grinned. Pushing myself to a crouching position, I held out my hand to him, still beaming.

"For real this time..." I said, my voice shaking even more than my hand. "...It's Eden."

Zexion was having a good dream, for once. There was no pain and sorrow in it this time, only a soft, warm light, and a cool breeze passing through his silver hair. He was on a beach, toes in the sand, and he was actually smiling. How long had it been since he had last smiled? Forever ago, it seemed.

"...Zexion? ...W-wake up."

Did the dream get even better? Now Eden was at his side. He smiled at her, but she only gave him a worried glance.

Suddenly, startling him a bit, Zexion felt a warm hand touch his face, stroking his hair back out of his closed eye.

Who in the world...? he thought, his brain working overtime to recover from sleep enough to open his eye. Slowly he did so, and all of the strength left his body in an instant at the sight of her. ...Eden? He found her... It wasn't a dream

"...Denex?" Zexion murmured, then immediately regretted saying that. She didn't seem to mind it, though. In fact, she looked genuinely amused, like she might laugh in his face. He wouldn't have minded it one bit.

"For real this time..." she replied, holding out her hand as she started to stand. "...It's Eden."

Eden, he repeated in his mind. I could get used to that.

Without replying, Zexion slowly pushed himself up, his wrists burning with pain as the shackles connecting him to the wall rubbed against his raw skin. He could only get into a sitting position before erupting into a fit of coughs. His body was so weak after not being properly taken care of...

After catching his breath, Zexion held out his shaking hand, his glove torn in many places, and when his hand met hers, he immediately felt his strength return in a rush of emotion. Soon he was standing again, and he coughed a few more times.

Eden gazed up at him with a small frown on her porcelain face. He was pretty sure she had become even more beautiful since the last time he saw her. If that was possible.

"...Are you okay, Zexion?" she asked, then immediately recoiled, as if she thought she sounded stupid.

"Y-Yeah, I'm...fine," Zexion replied, clearing his throat a bit as he stepped away from the wall, the chains clinking against the cold floor. His whole body felt cold, just like this room. Just like this whole place.

And then she threw herself into his arms, and the coldness and pain disappeared, and for a moment, he stood stunned, eye wide, mouth agape. He hadn't felt her embrace in a long, long time. Surprisingly, though, it didn't feel any different than before.

Soon the warmth had filled his entire body, and he found his arms moving to hug her back, and he felt her grip tighten, as if she couldn't be close enough to him.

It's been...so long, Zexion realized as they stood there in a calm silence.

Perching herself on her tiptoes, Eden moved her arms from his waist to around his neck, burying her face into his collarbone in an effort not to start bawling. Her whole body was trembling from the struggle, so Zexion kept her in his arms, trying to comfort her.

"...Eden..."

Eden's Pov

Being able to see him again was one thing. Being able to talk to him again was another. Being able to touch him was another still.

But being able to stand there for several full minutes in his embrace in that quiet place was so incredibly indescribable. The air felt so warm and calm, like we weren't in a prison. Like we were in our own secret paradise that nobody else could intrude upon. In a way, I guess we were.

"...Eden..."

He said my name! I squealed in my mind, tears starting to overflow.

"...I'm sorry...for-"

"No," I said quickly, dropping back onto my heels and clutching the loose fabric on his arms. Why was he apologizing? What had he done to me except make me fall head over heels for him? And I don't think that's a good reason to say you're sorry at all, quite frankly, because it happens.

"Don't apologize," I continued, pulling my face away from his tattered cloak so he could hear me more clearly. "You did nothing wrong."

I found myself looking right at his chest, where the once-shiny silver chain was on his robe.

This is odd, I realized. He was always my height before!

"...The only thing you've ever done wrong to me is grow a foot taller than me!" I exclaimed, looking up at him at last. He looked tired, very beaten-down, but his amused smile covered it all up.

"I have an excuse," he said quickly, trying to make himself sound excused, which he wasn't, and I think he knew it, but it was all just fun and games anyway. "Unlike you, I was only sixteen when I died. I wasn't done growing up yet. But..."

He looked hard at me, and with very good reason, my heart started having conniptions. This would either be very good, or very bad. Just the feeling I got was leaning toward the latter.

"...You've changed, too," he finished. I was hoping he wouldn't notice. "Your hair...it's red."

Relieved that he only mentioned the color, I tucked a loose strand of my wavy hair behind my right ear, careful not to draw any unneeded attention to the left side of my face.

"Oh, this? This is my natural color, before I died and became a Nobody," I explained, smiling innocently. "I decided I liked it better red than brown, and my roots were growing back as this color, so..."

"But..." He frowned, glancing at his feet with a hint of confusion on his face.

Oh no oh no oh no, I repeated in my mind, growing more and more nervous as we stood there in silence.

Suddenly, startling me so I couldn't prevent it, Zexion reached out and brushed my bangs away.

"NO-!" I cried, my voice betraying me as Zexion's gaze fell on my paralyzed, blinded left eye. I stared back with my right eye, failing miserably at holding back tears.

"But..."

Zexion knew in the back of his mind that Eden was hiding something, and if this was it... Well, there was only one way to find out.

And so he reached out and pulled back her hair. She cried out at him, but he didn't even hear what she said; his own mind suddenly flooded with memories and thoughts at the sight of her frozen eye.

You, too? he wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to. Her face scrunched up a bit as tears rolled down her cheeks, then her working eye's gaze rocketed downward. She looked incredibly sad, ashamed... He wanted to say he knew how she felt, but he didn't know how to, and he was afraid he might offend her in the process.

"..." Zexion felt a wave of sadness and pity wash over him, then a bit of pride.

Well, I suppose everyone gets what they deserve... he reminded himself.

"I know what you're thinking..." Eden said suddenly, closing her working eye angrily as tears continued to defy her and spill over. "I know what you must be thinking...'what goes around, comes around'...right?"

Startled by the accuracy of her statement, Zexion immediately frowned, shaking his head quickly.

"You-You're wrong!" he insisted.

"Am I really...?" she murmured, looking up at him, almost in an accusatory fashion. Gently but firmly, she pressed his hand away, and her bangs fell back into place.

"..." He didn't know what to say, since she was basically dead-on.

"So...what are you thinking, then, Zexion?"

"I..."

Truthfully, he pitied her. Deep down, he felt as sorry for her as he sometimes felt for himself. But he knew that if he told her that, she would be angrier than she already was. He didn't want to ruin his chances, if he even had any left at this point. So, he kept silent as she continued to glare at him, irritated and disappointed.

"I think you pity me," she said after a few more quiet moments. "I think you pity me and yourself. Well, you shouldn't. We both had our demons to face, and ironically, we both received the same penitence. It happens. But I didn't come all this way to find you and to have you take pity on me."

She paused; Zexion stayed quiet.

"I can't read you like you can read me!" she cried, frustrated. "Please, just tell me! I've already waited too long to even see you again; the least you can do is answer my questions!" Her frown grew deeper with each sentence. She was working very hard to keep herself composed. "What are you thinking!"

"I know what I'm thinking, Eden."

Eden's Pov

"I think you pity me," I said at last, when I knew he wasn't going to answer me. "I think you pity me and yourself. Well, you shouldn't. We both had our demons to face, and ironically, we both received the same penitence." I'll admit, ironically is an understatement, but it made my point clear. "It happens. But I didn't come all this way to find you and to have you take pity on me."

I stopped to see if Zexion had anything to claim, add, or deny. He didn't, and my level of frustration sky-rocketed.

"I can't read you like you can read me!" I shouted, shaking now because of anger. "Please, just tell me! I've already waited too long to even see you again; the least you can do is answer my questions! What are you thinking!"

"I know what I'm thinking, Eden."

I froze, and both Zexion and I whipped our heads around to see a portal opening up, and none other than Axel walking in. I wanted to gag, and I swear I almost did. His green eyes glittered with a strange sort of mischief, and one could only assume that meant he had finally caught Kairi, and now was about to capture me.

That is, if I would let him, which I wasn't planning on.

"I think that you got through every little trap I set," Axel continued, taking a step toward Zexion and me. Instictively I clung to Zexion, and he put his arms around me protectively. I felt better, but I still reminded myself that Zexion was chained to the wall, and if Axel got a good hold of me, all would be lost.

"You got through that fire wall because of that stupid idiot Demyx...Riku opened those locks for you in the safe. Did he tell you I've been monitoring portals? I knew that little freak was sneaking around-"

"He's not a freak," I snapped, glaring at him. "The only freak I see here is you."

"What a hypocrite you've become, Eden," Axel replied, smirking. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? Or rather, just look at Zexion-he's your mirror image now, isn't he?"

As Axel laughed at his own joke, I glanced up at Zexion, and he frowned, obviously worried. I hated that Axel was right.

"There was a lot I didn't know you could get through," Axel said after his laughter died off. "And yet, I did know...I'd find you here, with your little protector."

He pointed at us, nodding at Zexion, who noticably tightened his grip. It gave me a good round of goosebumps, despite the fact that I was scared out of my wits.

"Oh, there's one more thing, Eden," Axel added, grinning outright.

"What do you want?" I growled under my breath. His smile didn't waver.

"Remember when I asked you that question-"

"Not this again," I muttered under my breath.

"You've answered it, I think." Axel nodded to himself, as if this conversation were one-sided. "Yep, you have. So, now you have to suffer the consequences of your choice."

"What is he talking about?" Zexion asked me, still worried.

"It's a long story," I replied, frowning.

"Nah, not really." Axel wagged a finger at me. "You know, Eden, if you're not going to be honest with him, I will. I have nothing to hide." He shrugged, smirking. "You see, Zexy, last year when good ol' Eden here was having problems with Lexaeus, I was also involved."

"You sick-"

"Now, now, no time for name-calling. Save that for your little whore."

"I'm not a whore!" I exclaimed, turning to Axel angrily. Did he even know what a whore was? Idiot. I was about ready to break out a dictionary and break his neck with it.

"Anyway, in one of our conversations, I asked her a very important questions that she now even refuses to answer outright."

Axel paused, and neither of us moved.

"I asked her who she would rather have-me or you. Because I know, and she knows, your past, Zexion."

"You think you know it," Zexion replied in a low growl. "There's a lot more to the story than watching can tell."

For some reason, I was relieved. I had always wanted to believe that Zexion was truly good, with a few bad bumps in his life, and his response reassured that feeling.

"It doesn't matter now. She's chosen you. And now she's going to watch you die. But first, you, my silver-haired amigo, get to watch me have her."