Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.

A/N: Phew! Thank you to Lora for helping me figure out where to begin this chapter! I hope your mind has pieced itself back together XD And don't worry! There are still more surprises that you don't know about yet to happen! It's not all ruined! Well, I hope this goes well. I am officially starting to wrap up this story. There might be a few more chapters than expected, but most likely not. Most of the craziness that will happen will be explained through dialogue. PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN. Just so you know ;D Well, here goes! Hope you like!

What Matters Is Now

Chapter Twenty

Hikari's POV

The smell of a burning body is, honest-to-Hyne ,the worst smell in the universe. Worse than skunks, burnt hair, and fermented cheese in the back of your fridge combined. I tried not to cough, because even though this guy that we were in a sense cremating had tried to rape me, it was a solemn occasion. Still, I won't deny that I scrunched my nose up as much as I could.

I wouldn't look away. I didn't let my eyes stray anywhere but the fire, singeing the air and crackling like a normal winter's fire. If only it were just a typical fireplace fire, sitting in a robe in the cold, huddled around your loved one. This… this just made me sick.

I knew Demi would be mad at me, but I couldn't hold it anymore. I ran into the kitchen, only a room or so down, and emptied my stomach into the trash can. The acid burned my throat, but the smell still lingered, and I coughed up nothing, heaving. I tried to catch my breath, each movement setting my esophagus on fire, but it didn't matter.

Zack sat behind me, sipping his hot chocolate as if I hadn't just vomited in front of him. "I take it you've never killed someone before," he said.

I started to speak, but my throat burned. I swallowed, and that did nothing. "Of course not," I replied hoarsely.

"Hmph. Keep forgetting you're a goody two-shoes." He stood and sauntered toward the counter. I kept my eyes on him, making sure he didn't come too close. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and believe me, I had no upper body strength. "Funny, that you can sleep with your best friend's dad but you can watch the man you killed burn –"

"What do you want from me?" I yelled, whipping around to face him. "Huh? You've made your point!"

He was in my face again, without me even seeing it. How did he move so fast? "Have I?" he asked darkly. "What are you gonna do once this is all over? You're gonna go crying to Laguna, right? And he's gonna comfort you, 'cause you guys love each other so much, right?"

"What's your problem with me and Laguna? How does it affect you?"

"It's wrong!"

I scoffed. "So, what? Are you supposed to be some kind of hero now?"

He stiffened his back. "Demi's hero."

I couldn't stop myself; I laughed out loud. "Are you serious? What makes you think she needs a hero?"

He was right in my bubble, nearly pressed against, but I wasn't about to move away. Our aura's were mixing, the anger escalating off itself until it peaked into some awful ferocious feeling. "Whether she needs one or not doesn't matter," he retorted. "She wants someone to take care of her, so she can stop doing everything herself. I'll be that guy."

For a moment, I couldn't speak. I sighed and shook my head. "I don't understand you. You talk like you're on some self-righteous track but you're acting like a villain!"

"Only to you." The smirk on his face made my jaw clench, and finally I pushed past him toward the doorway. "You sure you can go back out there?" he called after me.

I stopped. The smell was permeating through the remaining fresh air, and I gagged, trying to be quiet. "I have to," I replied, even though I knew it was hardly an answer. But it was the only one I had.

It was done. Demi used her air magic to spread his ashes around the house he'd lived in, because she felt that even someone like him should spend the afterlife somewhere familiar. They settled into the ground like little dandelion seeds, as if they would eventually sprout a thousand more Zukos. I grimaced at the thought, and hoped that my imagination was nothing more than that.

Back home, I wanted nothing more than to lay on the floor and stare at nothing. I could really use a good dose of nothing.

But that couldn't happen, could it? Of course not. Life always had to be complicated at every turn around here.

"Hikari!"

I hardly had time to turn before I was wrapped up inside Vincent's arms. His warmth enveloped me, and I nearly sighed. The comforting calmness that surrounded him always settled me, and it was a great help to my racing heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his face right beside mine so I could hear his words directly in my ears. "I was so worried about you when I picked you up. I had no clue what happened; I'm so sorry…"

"It's fine; I'm fine," I reassured him, sliding my arms around his neck. He pulled back to look at me, his brows drawn together, but clear relief etched into his features. "There's nothing to worry about now."

He seemed unsure, but nevertheless he answered, "If you're sure, then." He pressed his lips to my forehead and I closed my eyes, breathing in his beautiful night. That's what it was like, being around him; sitting in a quiet evening and simply breathing in the chilled air, looking through the moonlit, dusky clouds to the stars.

But things still nagged at me. It was the way he was holding me, worried and protective, his arms around me like he couldn't bear to let go even for a second. It was the way Laguna had held me not too long ago, just the same. It was the way I still wanted to be held by Vincent, even though I longed for Laguna's arms just the same.

Why was I stuck between them? I'd known Laguna longer, so I should be with him. But then, Vincent was closer to my age, and we could relate on so many levels.

But when Vincent saved me from Zuko, I'd wanted to be with Laguna, to have him comfort me and tell me I was safe. So why was it this hard to decide?

You can feel for Vincent as long as nothing happens, right? I thought. It doesn't matter as long as you two don't get together. Laguna and I are together now, so nothing else matters.

Demi's POV

On the one hand, I felt awful about Hikari. She'd thrown up earlier today as we burned Zuko's body, and could hardly stand to keep her eyes open when I spread his ashes. She hadn't spoken to me the whole time – whether it was out of general silence or some reason against me, I wasn't sure.

I shut the door to my room, finding Squall lying on my bed. It was becoming a pretty common occurrence to find him in my room rather than his.

A sudden thought came to me, and I sat on the mattress and stroked Squall's hair. He mumbled sleepily something that sounded like "Hey."

"Hey," I replied, grinning. "Sleeping?"

He cracked a smile, his eyes still closed. "Just a little."

"Well, if you're not too tired, maybe we could go on a date later today?"

His eye cracked open and he looked at me. "Not that I'm opposed to the idea, but why?"

My smile faltered. "I could use something happy today."

His brow furrowed and he sat up, looking me in the eyes. After a moment of searching, he nodded. "Alright," he answered. I was thankful that he wasn't asking questions; I didn't really want to talk about it. "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "We could just walk around, maybe go see a movie."

"Sounds good." He planted a kiss on my lips and rubbed my back. "You know, you can talk to me about the things that bother you."

"I know." Just not right now, I pleaded. "Let's go, then."

Nodding, Squall shrugged on his jacket, and we were off – where, I had no clue and no cares.

Hikari's POV

Surprise! Vincent and I kissed. Nothing crazy, like how it normally goes; just a sweet little kiss. Oh, but I wanted more, and I could tell he did, too. Jeez, what was it with me?

And then we went our separate ways. It wasn't awkward or anything, no questions asked. But I knew that there would be more. Vincent and I didn't end in the greenhouse. I honestly didn't think Vincent and I would be ending anytime soon at all.

I was walking back to my room, aching for some peace and quiet and good alone time, and my bed. I really wanted to just be in my bed, snuggled up and comfy, and I could sleep. Sleep…. That sounded nice.

I blinked, rubbing at my eyes. I had to correct my footing, or else I'd run my shoulder into a wall. Man, why was I so tired? I hadn't been just a minute ago.

Ugh…. I set my hand against a wall, bracing myself. This was ridiculous! My vision was blurring, my body was going numb. I needed to get to my room and just crash.

Finally! I pushed open the door and didn't bother to shut it behind me. The second my head hit the mattress, I was out.

And into the dream world. For once, my heart completely sank. I wasn't tired anymore, but it still felt like I should be, which was almost as bad as actually being tired.

Laguna was here somewhere. Younger Laguna. All of a sudden, my heart picked up. Last I'd seen him, he'd been about to head off on a dangerous mission to the Estharian excavation site. How was he doing? Was he alright?

The place I was at looked different from Deling. I was sitting, leaning against the side of a house. There was a path in front of me, a dirt road, and I could hear the chatter and muted growls of fiends from all sides. I shuddered. This was where Laguna was?

Not exactly anxious to stay put in that area, I stood up and made my way along the path, wiping at my brow. This place wasn't a beach or anything, but it was hot!

And the path kept going, and going, and going. I wondered when it would stop. Maybe Laguna wasn't here; maybe I was just honestly dreaming, for once in a long while –

"Hikari?"

His voice! I turned my head up from the ground and saw him standing at the top of a hill before me. He raced down at lightning speed and swooped me up into his arms, kissing me without the slightest hesitation. I melded into him like we were made from the same source, kissing him back like I was sucking out his life, and he mine. His hand at the back of my neck prevented me from moving away, but I wouldn't have anyway had it not been there. He was alive, he was okay, wherever this strange place was. And I was with him again.

The time passed in a blur, quite literally. Maybe it was the dream fast-forwarding or something, but in no time we were in a sort of town square-looking place and entering what appeared to be his house. I remembered that we had talked about what had gone on in his life since our parting – fighting Estharian soldiers at the site, and falling off a cliff with Kiros and Ward, and washing up here – the place was called Winhill – but, like I said, time had swooped by somehow. It was like the last time I'd seen him, when things had gone all skippy. I didn't pay any mind to it.

His hand was grasping mine, and he was smiling as he led me into the house, telling me stories about his life and how he'd missed me. Skip, skip, skip. We skipped the kitchen, the stairs, the hallway, emerging in regular time into his bedroom. Skip a step, then another, and suddenly he was kissing me again, harder and more desperate, like I was the dream in danger of fading away.

Oh, he tasted so good – one more skip and I was on the bed, Laguna pushing me back until I lay down, pulling off my shirt to tease my skin with his fingertips. I tried to imagine things from his perspective: it had been a year since he'd last seen me. I could hardly fathom it – a year without Laguna… I would've gone crazy!

But boy, was I glad that he went crazy. He kissed his way from my lips to my neck, my shoulders to my breasts, then all the way back up again in the most tantalizing pattern I'd ever known.

"What the hell?"

We froze. Our heads snapped to the open doorway and the woman standing in it, eyes wide and eyebrows slanted so far down I was surprised her entire forehead didn't tear apart. Brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and a yellow headband adorned it, but that was all I got to see before she decided she'd seen enough. She turned on her heel and stomped out; I could hear her huffing in disbelief as she stormed down the stairs.

"Raine!" Laguna called after her, jumping off of me and fixing his clothes. He cursed under his breath and made for the door, then stopped, turning back to me. "Shit, I'm sorry, Hikari, I… Raine, she just… Argh, how do I…?"

"No," I said dreamily, not quite sure what I was saying myself. "Go."

He hesitated for only a moment before nearly jumping out the door. I could hear his footsteps like raindrops clattering down the staircase, and the door opened as he called her name again.

Raine… Who was Raine?

My thoughts seemed to be echoing in my mind. Who's Raine? The room looked like a fresh painting that got wet, and it was sliding down the canvas, leaving everything white and full of nothing. Raine? Raine? Raine? Who's Raine? Who's Raine? Who's Raine?

White. Nothing. Fade, fade, fade to black, and sleep. Sleep. Sleep…

"Squall? Squall?"

What? Voices were all around me, spinning through my ears. I felt like I was in a vortex, but wasn't moving, just floating in space without gravity. My eyes were closed as if I was sleeping, and I felt like I was, but this wasn't a dream.

Demi's voice was yelling, going in and out like bad speakers. "Squall! Squall! Wake up!"

The darkness of my eyelids seemed to swirl, until the dark blues and blacks created soft color, flowing into each other as if it was an image of water. It was a mall, it looked like – Esthar Mall – with people everywhere, faceless. But nearly clearer than day itself was Demi, cradling Squalls head in her arms, looking distressed. They were by a staircase – had Squall slipped? – and, oh jeez, blood was on Demi's arms where his head lay. His eyes were closed, his expression blank, as if he was sleeping.

"Squall! Please, wake up!"

The darkness was swirling again, the image blurring. I opened my mouth to cry out, to stop it in some way so that I could help, but there was nothing I could do. There was a terrible ringing in my ears, not like the normal kind; it had a sort of musical quality to it. Musical… like a ring-tone…

My phone vibrated and jingled underneath my pillow, rousing me to wakefulness. I wasn't tired at all, yet when I opened my phone the clock read 3:07. I'd only slept for half an hour? But I was exhausted before… I thought, puzzled.

I answered the call and put the phone to my hear. "Hello?"

"Hikari?"

It was Demi. The image of her and Squall flashed in my mind again. "Is Squall alright?" I blurted without thinking.

She paused. "How did you know about Squall?"

How did I know about Squall? "It doesn't matter. Is he alright?" I repeated.

"No, he's not. He's in the hospital. I'm here with him, and the doctors are trying to figure out what's going on, but I thought I'd call you and –"

"Demi, Demi!" I interrupted. I sat up in the bed and worked on untangling my hair. The sheets were strewn everywhere and some of my pillows – the decorative, useless ones – where scattered on the floor. Must've been those crazy dreams, I figured, but furrowed my brow. Some of these things weren't adding up…

No time to think about that right now. "Don't worry," I continued, pushing myself off the bed. "I'll bring Laguna and Vincent and we'll be there soon, alright?"

"Okay," she said, her voice like a breath. "Okay. Um, they'll know who you are, so just tell them."

"Okay. Bye, Demi," I said softly.

"Bye…"

I flipped the phone shut and stood for a moment. What was going on? My dreams, my powers, and now Squall… This was just too much.

I shook my head. I'd worry about figuring this stuff out later. Shoving the door out of my way, I strode to Laguna's room and, without any hesitation, opened his door. I was still getting used to that 'no hesitation' part; it was odd – wonderful, but odd – that we were together now. For so long it had been push-and-pull, constant yes-and-no, but now it was a specific answer. Nice, but still strange.

He sat at his desk, the mountain of paperwork normally on either side now resembling small hills, his hair hanging in his face and glasses falling down his nose. Upon noticing me, he stopped everything, like he always did, and stood to walk over to me.

"Hey," he greeted, pulling me to him and giving me a kiss.

My heart fluttered like a bird was stuck in my chest. I wondered if that feeling would ever go away around him, and figured it wouldn't. It must be what finding your other half feels like.

But no time. "Demi just called," I began immediately. "Squall's in the hospital."

His blissful expression fell instantly. "What?"

"I don't know what happened; I don't think she really knows, either, but…"

He put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll get Vincent and we'll leave now."