Alright, here is the next chapter! Sorry it's a little late; I've been working on my newest story, and got a little caught up in it. Enjoy!

Thank for the reviews, guys. :)

I own nothing but Ria...and her moomba plushie. xD


The Spirited Reverie

By

LadyDarkDreamer


Chapter 29:

Having sensed her return to the Castle, Zexion had decided to find Ria before she came searching for him. He had expected to find her in her room, probably showering or having some food before she wrote her mission report.

Zexion had not expected to find her on her knees, tears falling down her pale cheeks as she looked blankly into the open door of her room.

His stomach clenched, his first thought being that something had happened to her. The Heartless had worn her out, Marluxia hadn't been looking when he swung his scythe and accidentally hit her, she had fallen off Memory's Skyscraper…he rushed to her side, kneeling beside her and gripping her shoulder with one hand. The other found its way to her face, wiping away one line of tears as he searched her eyes for something.

"Ria? Ria, what's the matter?" he asked, his voice filled with worry. She didn't answer, and her eyes didn't even register his presence. Gripping her shoulder tightly, he tried again, putting force into his voice, "Rianxan."

Her gold-green eyes slowly moved, looking from left to right before lifting and focusing on his face. She leaned her cheek into his hand.

"How could anyone do this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"How could anyone do what, Ria? Who?" he questioned, desperately wanting to help her. When her eyes drifted past him, through the doorway, he turned halfway and gasped.

Her suite of rooms was in ruins. The walls of the living room were black with soot, and ashes and debris covered the once beautiful wood floors Ria had insisted on installing. The smoke in the air was thin, and there was more drifting in from the bedroom doorway. The damage was terrible, and from the looks of it, the suite had been set on fire recently. Zexion did not dare leave Ria's side, so he could only guess that the bedroom and bathroom where in equally ruined conditioned. Which meant that all of Ria's belongings, save those few she kept in his own quarters, were gone. Zexion felt his anger rise, because the only person who could have done such damage was—

"Axel," Ria said, her voice hardening as she slowly stood. Zexion followed her, but didn't touch her as he watched fury flash in her eyes. "He did this. Why? Why would someone do this?! What kind of person destroys everything someone has?!" Her voice rose to a shout then, and she scream in frustration before covering her face with her hands.

She fell against the wall, sinking to the floor until she sat with her knees to her chest. More tears came, and Zexion quickly kneeled beside her, gently embracing her.

"What am I going do to?" Ria asked desperately, through sobs, "Where will I stay? I have no other place to go."

She shook then in his arms, and Zexion pulled her closer to him. He knew her words were said in an emotional state, and that she wasn't thinking rationally, but he didn't care. He wanted to say something to reassure her, to let her know that she was not alone in the world.

"You can stay with me, Ria. I promise," he whispered, his voice soothing.

As he held her and tried to calm her down, he flinched as familiar laughter filled the corridor. His head jerked up, and he glared hatred at the redhead sauntering down the hallway towards them. Axel had done this; he was the reason Ria was crying in his arms, on the floor outside her ruined apartment.

Why would Axel do something like that to a person?

Revenge, perhaps, because Ria had humiliated him days ago in the meeting room.

"Ahh, Zexy, what are you doing here?" Axel asked lightly, smirking, "I expected you to stay away, to leave her when she broke down. Why would you want to stay with someone as pathetic as Number Fourteen? How can you care for someone like her?" His tone was mocking, and Zexion despised him for it.

He felt Ria tense in his arms, and she slowly began to stand. He stood with her, moving so that he was standing halfway in front of her as she turned to face Axel. He wanted to keep himself between her and Axel, just in case. Part of him suspected that something bad would happen if he didn't.

For some reason, Larxene and Lexaeus were now standing at the end of the hallway nearby, looking confused as they watch the scene before them. Zexion ignored them, though, and realized that both Ria and Axel's scents were rising in the air, their power thickening. He glanced over his shoulder at Ria, and found her staring down the redhead, her face stained with tears.

"What, no answer?" Axel teased, tilting his head and waiting.

Before Zexion could react, Ria had swung past him swiftly and summoned her fans into her hands. She leapt at Axel without missing a beat, only to be knocked back as the pyromaniac summoned his chakrams and blocked her attacked. She stumbled backward, regaining her balance and taking her fighting stance.

"Why did you do it, Axel?" she demanded, "Why?!"

Axel just laughed and twirled one chakram. "You humiliated me in front of everyone, Catty. You needed to be put in your place before you started thinking too highly of yourself."

Her grip tightened on her fans, and Ria took the offensive once again. She went to slash at Axel's stomach, only to spin past him as he blocked. She sliced his back with an upward arch and jumped back as he cast a circle of fire around himself. Axel turned and tossed his weapons at her, summoning them back as she sidestepped one. The other caught her arm, and she flinched. He rushed forward and swung horizontally with one chakram, and Ria blocked his attack with her fans.

The fight continued, and Zexion could only watch. Both Ria and Axel were moving too quickly for anyone to interrupt the battle and come out unscathed. He desperately wanted Ria to stop the fight, before she got hurt or Xemnas found out about this. He began to realize that Ria's attacks were becoming more and more frenzied and anger-driven, like she was focusing more on getting in any slash she could rather then strategizing and trying to catch Axel off his guard.

She dodged another swing from Axel and immediately slashed at an upward angle. Axel stepped forward and pushed her back, knocking one of her weapons from her hands. Before Ria could summon it back to her hand, Axel continued his assault and she fought to avoid the slashes and fire spells. Ria stumbled, and Zexion saw the tears still falling down her face and had enough of waiting. He ran forward, only to be restrained by a hand on his shoulder.

Anger filled his eyes, and he whirled to face the person holding him. He was surprised to find Larxene by his side, shaking her head. Lexaeus was there, too. When they had portaled over, he wasn't sure, but Roxas and Demyx had taken their place at the end of the hall.

Zexion quickly turned back towards the battle, and watched in horror as Ria fell backward. The wall was at her back, and the redhead in front of her. She gripped her one remaining fan and tried to drive Axel back, but he kicked it from her hand, and looked down at her.

"You don't belong here," he finally said, "Commit it to memory, Catty."

It didn't take but a moment for Ria to stand up and hurry away from Axel, no taking her eyes off him as she passed. Zexion moved to hold her, and Larxene let him go. As he pulled Ria close to him, his eyes fell on Axel.

"You are the lowest person in this Organization, Axel," he shouted at the redhead, scowling, "And burning down the place where somewhere lives is the lowest you can possibly get. What the hell were you—"

While his attention had been focused elsewhere, Ria had let out a sob and slipped from his arms, running down the hallway. He turned and saw her disappear into a dark portal, and tried to go after her, only to have Lexaeus grab his shoulder. He twisted out of the man's powerful grip, only to have Lexaeus grab his arm tightly. Larxene caught his gaze, none of her usually attitude in her eyes.

"Just let her be, Zexion, at least for now," she advised, her voice unusually soft. Zexion opened his mouth to say something, but Larxene shook her head.

Still, he said, "I really don't think she should be alone right now. I need to—"

"No, Zexion," Larxene continued, "Sometimes a girl just needs to be by herself, even when it seems illogical to those around her. Just give her some time, and she'll come to you when she needs your company. Trying to force her to do anything right now would not be good."

Despite himself, Zexion looked to Lexaeus, who nodded. When the man slowly let his arm go, Zexion's eyes fell to the ground. Taking a deep breath, he looked down the hallway to where Ria had disappeared, silently hoping she would return soon. He didn't want to leave her alone.

When Lexaeus gently touched his shoulder, Zexion followed his colleague as the man led him to the kitchen. He sat down, trying to keep his mind blank, even as Lexaeus put a cup of hot tea before him.

Ria, where are you? he thought, staring down into the cup.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As hot tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, Ria stumbled out of the portal and into the large street before Memory's Skyscraper. She lost her balance and hit the ground, not even bothering to pull up her hood as she realized it was raining fairly hard. When a Heartless watched her curiously, she growled and called her fans, tossing one at the creature.

It disappeared in a wisp of smoke, only to be replaced by a dozen more.

She called her fan back, and turned to face the dark Shadows that watched her. She silently challenged them to attack her, and as if in response, the first one leapt forward.

Ria fought hard, pouring her frustration, sadness and energy into each slash and attack. She could feel her power draining rapidly as she destroyed each and every Heartless she came upon, until finally, she collapse to her knees, breathing hard and exhausted.

Coughing, she shivered violently from the rainwater soaking through her clothing, and opened another portal as a Shadow came near.

Rising to her feet, she staggered through the portal, closing it behind her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As Axel turned, a triumphant smirk on his face, he froze as he realized Roxas was standing at the end of the hallway

His face fell as he saw Roxas's eyes, and he stepped forward to explain himself.

Before he could even speak though, Roxas held up his hand. He walked past his friend, and glanced into Ria's open door.

"What the hell are you thinking, Axel?" he asked, his voice low as he turned. "Are you just looking for someone to harass until you manage to drive them away? She hasn't done anything to you, and you're acting like it's war. Grow up, Ax."

With that, Roxas turned and left before Axel could even say a word.

And somehow, Axel's thoughts returned to everything Roxas had said to him before. And, for the first time, he felt guilt beginning to eat at him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Zexion kicked a book across the room, letting out a sound of frustration as he paced. His cloak whipped at his ankles as he turned sharply, and walking the other way.

Two days. Ria had been missing for two freaking days. She hadn't made contact with anyone, and Zexion had been asking every person she normally spoke too. No one had seen her, no one had heard from her, and Zexion had even recruited Demyx and Larxene to help him search. They had scoured the entirety of the Castle That Never Was, and had not found her.

Where are you? he thought desperately.

He knew that, even under the extreme circumstances she had left in, Ria would never disappear for two days straight. She wouldn't leave her friends, and especially himself, worrying about her constantly. She should have come back by now.

She should have.

Where the hell was she?

Zexion scowled, and marched towards the door. If she wasn't in the Castle, then she had to still be in the world somewhere, or at least in Twilight Town. Xemnas had found out about the fight yesterday, but had told him to simply wait for her to return on her own. Well, Zexion didn't want to wait, so he would go searching for her by himself. No one else in the Castle would have a better chance of finding her. Once he got close enough to wherever Ria was hiding, he would pick up the scent of her power and be able to find her.

Then again, having some help would be nice.

Okay, he would find Demyx and Larxene again, and even Lexaeus if the man would agree. Maybe he could even find Roxas.

At the thought of Roxas, his mind naturally drifted to Axel. It was the redhead's fault that Ria was missing, that all her belongings were now reduced to ash. The only thing she had left were a handful of clothes in his closet, the moomba plushie he had given her, a drawing from Namine, and a few pictures Demyx had taken with a camera one day. Everything else had been kept in her room.

Moving quickly, Zexion walked down the hallway to where several of the other member's rooms were. He stopped, though, when the scent of cinnamon came to him.

Looking up, he saw Axel staring at him down the corridor.

His scowl deepened, and Zexion simply walked by the man, not caring if he ran into him.

"Zexion, I—"

He shot Axel a scathing look. "Don't even speak to me, Axel," he spat, "Ria is missing, and it is your damn fault. I don't have time to deal with your antics right now."

Zexion had only taken a step when Axel grabbed his arm. He pulled his arm from the redhead's grasp, and glared at him.

"If you would listen, Zexion—" Axel tried again, but Zexion but him off.

"I don't want to hear it!" he hissed, his voice dangerously low. "You've caused enough trouble, Axel, so just stop now. As a higher rank than you, I order you to stay away from me, and Ria, unless explicitly ordered to by another of your superiors. Now get out of my sight."

Opening a dark portal, he disappeared through it and closed it behind him. Opening it near the entrance to the Castle, he set off down street, suddenly not wanting any help from the other members.

When he reached Memory's Skyscraper, he searched the area thoroughly, but didn't sense any power he knew. He portaled to the top of the skyscraper, and looked around to make sure he hadn't missed any spot. Sighing, he portaled back down and continued walking, searching every street he could think of. He strained his power, searching for any trace of Ria's scent.

This continued for hours, until Zexion had finally returned the skyscraper and turned in a complete circle.

Taking a deep breath, he decided it was time to search Twilight Town. He opened another portal, and almost as soon as he set foot in the corridor of darkness, the scent of smoke and lilies overwhelmed him. It almost immediately began to fade, though, little by little.

Hope filled Zexion, as well as panic. A fading scent meant that the owner's energy was fading, and that possibly, so to was the owner.

No, Ria couldn't be fading; he refused to accept that idea.

Leaving the portal open, Zexion ran, follow the fading scent in the blackness of the corridor. After what seemed like a very long time, he spotted a figure lying in the dark. He slid to a stop, and dropped down beside Ria. He touched her shoulder and called her name, but she didn't move or wake up. He shook her gently, cursing when that didn't work either. She remained unconscious, her scent still very weak. So, he slid his arms under her shoulders and knees, and picked her up.

He walked quickly back to the portal he had left open, willing it to take him back to the Castle.

Minutes later, he ended up in the hallway near his room, and headed for it.

And much to his displeasure, he found Axel leaning against the wall outside his door, seemingly waiting for him.

Axel looked up upon hearing his footsteps. Surprise filled his green eyes, and…concern?

Zexion shook his head. There was no way the pyro could ever be concerned about the woman in his arms.

"Is…she okay?" Axel asked quietly as he approached. Zexion scowled at him, and kicked open his own door with some trouble. The thing swung open, and he immediately headed for his room. Once there, he set Ria on the bed and took off her cloak.

He then felt a presence behind him, and sighed. "What do you care, Axel?" he asked, turning. "It's your fault she's like this. I found her in one of the dark corridors, passed out and her power very weak. She could have faded away if I hadn't found her."

"Look, Zexion," Axel said, slightly irritated, "I just wanted to come, well…to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the fights, for the things I put her through. I can't explain anything or justify what I did in any way, so…I'm sorry, okay? I'm trying here, because I feel guilty for being terrible towards here. No one will talk to me anymore; not Roxas, Larxene, Demyx, or even Xigbar. I don't want to lose the few friends I have, and the only way I can think of to fix this is to make things right with you and Ria."

Zexion was caught off-guard by this suddenly change of heart, and suspected that maybe Axel was just faking it. But he was more worried about Ria at the moment than anything else, so he just said, "It's not me you need to apologize to, Axel; it's her."

Turning, he set to work pulling the covers over Ria, resting his hand on her forehead as he focused on her energy. She wasn't losing her sense of 'being' anymore, but her power was still weak.

"It there any way I can help?" Axel finally asked.

Zexion glanced over at him, and thought quickly. "Is there any way you could use your element to warm the room a little?"

Axel nodded, and set to work as Zexion cast a Curaga spell on her.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" the redhead questioned.

Zexion just looked at him. "How would you feel if Roxas went missing and you found him like this? I love her, Axel, just like you feel something for Roxas," he replied. "And don't give me that look; I know nearly everything that goes on in this Castle, even when everyone else doesn't."


Awwwww, NO! It wasn't too rushed, was it? I did not have much fun writing this chapter, because the story is getting closer and closer to the end. :( But it had to happen, and now we know what Axel did. The next chapter will be much better, and the plot will return. Namine and Roxas will make an appearance, because the story is now turning more towards Roxas's missing memories, Xemnas's lies, and the eventual Castle Oblivion mission.

Reviews?