Yes, I know the alerts currently aren't working, but I decided it was time for the last chapter to be posted. Hopefully the emails, alerts, and PMs will start working soon.

Heavens, I never expected this chapter to be so long! It was nearly fourteen pages when I finally finished...which is actually very fitting since Rianxan's number is fourteen. I also want to say that I never expected so many people to tell me they cried during the 36th chapter. I'm sorry about that, but I'll take it as a compliment; I never thought my writing could make anyone emotional! Anyway, while writing this I was listening to my favorite band, Lifehouse (they rocks!) and almost cried a few times myself. I haven't yet, but I might by the time I finish rereading this and posting it.

Thank you so much for reading guys, and I hope this last chapter is good! And please read the ending author's notes, because there's some important news there.

I own nothing but Rianxan, her counterpart Ariann, and her weapons.

The Spirited Reverie

By

LadyDarkDreamer

Chapter 37:

Sitting against the wall of the rooftop, Zexion let his mind drift, not really focusing on any one thought. He would wait here until Ria returned, and then he would take her on an unexpected trip to Twilight Town he had just planned. Hopefully, they'd be able to change into normal clothes and make it out of the Castle before anyone realized they were missing. If luck was with them, they would make it out without Lexaeus asking for help in the lab, or Demyx and Roxas asking to come along.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Zexion's eyes snapped open and he caught the scent of two powers. One was part of a large backlash, and the other…the other was fading fast.

Then he felt the brush of another's consciousness, the barest of flutters on the edge of his mind.

His chest tightened, and he swiftly got to his feet, trying to focus on the location of the power…

I will always remember you, Zexion.

…and froze where he stood.

Her voice filled his mind, and it was very weak. Zexion jerked his head to the side, his eyes locking on the nearby wall as he reached out with his own power. The flicker that had touched his mind before was quickly slipping, and he tried desperately to hold onto it.

"Ria, don't give up, don't leave like this…" he whispered.

He reached out frantically, putting all of his energy into trying to pull her back. His suddenly felt weak as the feeling in his chest worsened, and he pressed his right hand painfully hard against the wall to steady himself. He searched, reaching out as far as he could…

…but she was gone.

Please, he thought desperately.

Pushing violently away from the wall, Zexion opened a portal, telling himself he could make it. He could find her, he could save her, he could…

His head lowering, Zexion closed the portal with a minute movement of his hand. Her scent was fading; that wonderful combination of smoke and lilies was disappearing, leaving the Castle as though it never existed. As though Ria had never been here.

She…she was gone.

Zexion turned slowly back to the wall, his hand coming to rest on it as before. His eyes closed, and he pressed his back against the wall as his legs folded under him. Gradually he slid down the stone, coming to sit with his arms resting against his knees. Letting out a shaking breath, he let his head drop into his hands, using them as a last defense to keep back the first tears he had felt in a very long while.

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

"We are Nobodies," Xemnas chanted, his hands clasped behind his back, "We are accepted by neither the light nor the dark, and are therefore not supposed to exist. We have no hearts, no feelings, no emotions to speak of. Rianxan, Number Fourteen, is a traitor. She did not believe in this Organization, in our goals and our beliefs."

Zexion breathed evenly, not acknowledging nor disapproving of Xemnas's speech in any physical manner. He did not watch his Superior; instead, he stared out of the window and waited for Xemnas to stop speaking. He didn't want to hear what the Nobody had to say.

He didn't care anymore, at least when it came to Xemnas. He still felt loyalty to the Organization, but that didn't mean he had to feel loyalty towards their so-called 'leader'.

Xemnas had been the one to kill Ria; his power and aerial blades had led to her death, and she was truly a great loss to them.

At least, that's what Lexaeus had said to him before the meeting. Zexion had spent the few hours after realizing Ria's death alone, because he felt it had been the right thing to do. He hadn't wanted to see anyone, to talk to anyone until he felt damn good and ready too. But his colleague had interrupted him, saying Xemnas had called an important meeting.

"I'm not going, Lexaeus," Zexion said, the anger in his voice rising even as his hands curled into fists, "I don't want to sit around and listen to him tell us about how we don't have hearts, how we are nothing, or any of his other mantras. She's gone, and he's to blame. Just go, and tell everyone I quit."

Lexaeus frowned, thoroughly confused at what he had just heard.

"Zexion, what are you talking about?"

Slowly, the smaller man turned, staring up at him with fierce eyes.

"I quit the Organization, Lexaeus; I don't want to spend another hour like the ones before, working endlessly towards nothing," Zexion answered, his voice low. "The days will never be the same, so what am I supposed to do? What should I do?! She…she was…"

…the closest thing I had to a heart, he finished in his mind, feeling his chest constrict in hurt.

"What is the matter, Zexion? You aren't making any sense at all."

Zexion stared at his fellow scientist for several seconds, angered that the man couldn't understand.

"She's gone, Lexaeus, she's dead…faded," he whispered.

It pained him so much to speak the words, so much so that he stopped breathing for a moment and lowered his head.

Rianxan, his spirited daydreamer, was gone.

Faded.

"Who, Zexion?"

His thoughts interrupted, Zexion looked up.

"Ria," he said, "She's gone."

How many times would that word echo in the empty spot where his heart should be?

"She was against our experiments, our plans, our very purpose to regain our hearts. But we do not have to worry about her any longer; she is gone, eliminated by my own hand and faded back into nothingness. She was a liability, and deserved her ending," Xemnas continued steadily. "Now, forget her. From this moment on, Number Fourteen never existed. The Spirited Reverie will disappear, and will never be mentioned again within the walls of this Castle."

Xemnas stopped for a moment, and Zexion could only guess that he was looking around.

Was he already finished? It seemed a lot to hope for.

Before he knew what was happening, Zexion felt strong hands on his shoulders, shaking him forcefully. He looked up, and was met with Lexaeus's hard gaze.

"What happened, Zexion?"

He blinked, wondering why Lexaeus would ask a question like that.

"Xemnas called her to meet with him, and we…talked before she left," he slowly replied. "I was waiting for her here, but then I sensed a rise in Xemnas's power, and hers declining. She was fading, Lexaeus, and I couldn't do anything. She sent me one last thought, and I couldn't even hold onto her as she left. I wasn't there when she needed me most, and she…"

He broke off, and tried to shrug off Lexaeus's hands, but the larger man only tightened his grip and shook him again.

Zexion glared up at him. "Let me go," he said fiercely, "I'm leaving."

But Lexaeus only shook him for a second time, harder. When Zexion tried to protest, the man shook him yet again.

"Listen to me, Zexion: if what you said is true, you did the right thing. If you had gone and tried to save her, or confront Xemnas, you could have been lost as well. Losing one good member is a terrible thing, but losing two would be worse. We need you, Number Six, this Organization needs you. Listen, and trust me when I say what you did was not wrong."

"But she died alone," Zexion countered, scowling as he twisted out of Lexaeus's grasp, "We may be Nobodies, but we shouldn't have to fade alone!"

Lexaeus seemed surprised to hear Zexion shout, since it was something that rarely happened.

"It's true, Zexion, she probably did fade alone, and I'm sorry. I don't know what more I can say, other than that. We shouldn't have to die by ourselves, but most of us will probably meet our ends like that. Rianxan was strong, Zexion, and I have no idea what happened between her and Xemnas, but my reasoning is that she went down fighting. Whatever decision she made up until that point, was hers to make."

"But—" Zexion began to protest, but Lexaeus held up a hand.

"Let me finish, please?"

The look in Zexion's eyes was severe, but he gave a curt nod.

"The choice was hers to make, and it seems she made it quickly. The Organization needs you, Zexion; you cannot just leave, not right on the eave of our mission in Castle Oblivion. I realize I never spent that much time with Rianxan, but she was a strong-minded person, cared for others, and tried her hardest to get things done. She wouldn't want you to give up your work Zexion, not when we are so close to achieving our goal. I imagine she wouldn't want you to throw away your life, not when you could really have the chance to live so close in the future. Please, don't make a rash decision because you are angered by her death."

"Now, we have more pressing matters at hand," Xemnas finished. "The move the Castle Oblivion is approaching, and will continue as planned even though Number Fourteen in now deceased; Marluxia, you and the others leave in two weeks. Those of us remaining will continue with our normal missions. We are no longer just the Organization—we are Organization XIII, and there will be no more new members."

Zexion sat silently after the dismal meeting, lost in his own thoughts. He's wrong, he thought, Xemnas is wrong. We can feel...

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

"Has something happened, Zexion? Usually I'm left alone during the day, but now everyone is taking turns watching me."

Glancing up at Naminé, Zexion sat in the only other chair in the room. He had been standing and walking around for the last six hours of his shift, and he was getting tired.

After the meeting, Xemnas has announced that everyone would be taking turns watching Naminé, in blocks of six hours. This had been nearly a week ago, and as much as everyone hated it, the schedule was working out fine. Zexion was among the group that disliked the work, but it was Xemnas's order. As much as he would like to ignore the Superior, he had promised himself he would stay with the Organization until the end.

Anytime now, someone else would be coming to watching Naminé for the next shift, and he could leave.

"Zexion?"

He lifted his head, remembering that she had asked a question. He opened his mouth to answer, but stopped as he realized he wasn't sure what to say.

Yes, many things has happened in such a short time. Ria had died—and for reasons that Zexion was still having trouble understanding—, Xemnas has told them they would not be looking for any new members, and for some reason he didn't trust Naminé to be left by herself anymore. That, and Vexen was off at Castle Oblivion, trying to shape it to amplify the young teenager's power with memories.

But how much of this had Naminé actually been told?

Probably very little, which meant Zexion shouldn't tell her anything. He should just shake his head and say nothing was wrong, or just ignore the inquiry altogether.

But as he watched Naminé, he heard all of Ria's questions in his head, and felt he owed the girl at least a small explanation.

Standing once again, he walked slowly over to one of the windows and looked out at the city.

"Naminé…something did happen about a week ago," he said, trying to keep his voice even, "Ria…she's gone."

It was still hard for him to speak about her, but he managed to keep his voice from showing everything he was feeling. He looked over his shoulder at Naminé a moment later, and found the girl's eyes filled with consideration. She tilted her head a little to one side, her hands slowly relaxing as she rested her sketchpad on her lap.

"You don't mean she's simply gone on a mission, do you?" she asked, her tone soft.

Zexion let his eyes drop to the floor, and nodded.

"You mean that she died, faded back into darkness."

Surprised, Zexion turned and gave Naminé a questioning look, all the while feeling his chest tense.

"How…do you know about that?" he asked carefully.

Naminé held his gaze for a few long moments, until finally she blinked and looked down at her latest drawing. She lifted her pencil, but let her hand drop again.

"Xemnas told me, a few days ago," she replied, voicing her words carefully. "He said there would only be six members going with me to Castle Oblivion now. When I asked why, he said he had discovered that Ria was a traitor, and that he had eliminated her. Is all that true, Zexion?"

When she met his gaze again, Zexion saw genuine question in her eyes. He quickly masked any outrage he felt behind a cool mask, and stood a few steps towards her.

"I…" he paused, part of his mind telling him he shouldn't answer her questions. But once again, he felt he chest tighten in sorrow at the thought that Ria was actually gone. She had treated Naminé as a younger sister of sorts, during the time the girls were together. The least he could do was answer her to best he could.

"Yes?"

Taking another step towards her, Zexion crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I don't think what Xemnas said is true," he replied, shaking his head, "I wasn't there when they fought, but I scented the clash of power between them. As far as I know, Ria was not a traitor. I…we were very close, so I think I would have known is something was going on. She was the newest of our number, so I can only imagine that she felt more strongly than most of us. She cared about others, and…"

He found the teenager giving him a long look again. Naminé nodded, and straightened her back as she sat up.

"She was one of the nicest out of everyone," she said, shutting her eyes for a moment. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Zexion was caught by surprise, and opened his mouth to reply when a knock came from the door. As he turned his attention to it, the white door opened and Demyx stepped in, looking a little hesitant as he caught sight of the schemer.

"I, um, am supposed to cover the next shift," he said, scratching the back of his head. He gave Naminé a smile and a small wave, which she returned.

Zexion nodded and adjusted his cloak, moving to leave the room. Demyx stepped further in, taking Zexion's seat as he departed. Zexion paused at the door, though, when Naminé called his name.

Turning, he raised his eyebrows in question. "Yes?"

Naminé gave him another long look, and said, "I'm sorry."

Zexion stood there for several seconds, finally closing the door when he realized that Demyx was also watching him now. Opening a portal to his room, he took off his cloak and boots and left them on the floor uncaringly. He hadn't slept in the past five days, opting to keep himself busy in the labs or reading, rather than facing restless hours and spiteful nightmares.

But now, he felt sleep reaching for him as he climbed under the covers.

Once comfortable, he closed his eyes, and fell.

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

Falling.

He was falling, that much he knew. He also felt the pressure of darkness all around, but he wasn't afraid of it. The darkness was there, it existed, but it did not want him.

It was calming, actually, at least in his mind. His thoughts extended to the awareness of falling, of simply being there.

Then, he stopped falling, and quiet footsteps echoed around him. It wasn't so much a sensation of stopping or of hitting ground, as one of merely waking up.

As the steps grew closer, Zexion did his best to ignore them, only wanting to continue his fall…

…until he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Zexion?"

With the touch came a rush of familiar energy, and the scent of lilies.

He stopped breathing then, his chest constricting in remembrance as he opened his eyes. He found himself staring at a floor made of stained glass, a mixture of crimson, azure, green, bright yellow, violet, and white. The pressure of the hand on his shoulder increased slightly, and dozens of questions and thoughts flooded his mind. Raising his head a bit, he blinked to bring his vision back into focus, only to halt as he felt something wet hit his neck, and slide slowly down his collarbone.

The sensation came again, and Zexion touched one hand to his neck as he sat up, absentmindedly realizing his gloves were gone. Looking down at his hand, he found his fingers slick with what looked like water.

Then the hand slid away from his shoulder, and he turned, his eyes widening as his gaze met a recognizable one of green-gold.

Resting there on her knees beside him, dressed in a black-and-silver shirt and dark jeans, was Rianxan.

Surprise immediately took over his features then, only to be pushed aside by concern as he realized she was crying.

She offered him a half-smile, but it disappeared as she tried to hold back a small sob. Before he could say anything, or even move another inch, she threw her arms around his neck, taking them both to the ground as she pressed herself close to him.

Zexion instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and pressing his cheek against hers. She lay half on top of him, and he could hear her quiet sobs as she cried against his shoulder. He did his best to calm her, ignoring all the questions filling his mind—part of him wondered what was going on, wanted to know where he was and how he had gotten here. But none of that mattered right at this moment; what did matter was that he was here with Ria, and she needed him.

He shifted a little, slowly sitting up and settling Ria in his lap. He kept one hand resting on her waist, using the other to rub her back in small circles in an attempt to help her calm down. He didn't have the heart to ask her what was wrong, at least not yet. Minutes passed, and her tears slowly stopped. It look a little while longer for her to relax, and during that time, Zexion couldn't believe how good it felt to have her in his arms again.

"I've missed you so much," he whispered, finally feeling it was the right time to speak.

As she pulled away slightly, he looked at her for a long time. Ria wiped her tears away with her fingers and one of her shirt-sleeves, embracing him tightly again.

"I'm so sorry, Zexion," she said, as he felt her shake her head, "I didn't want to leave, but I was left with no choice. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to you before the fight with Xemnas, and…"

Zexion rested his hands on her shoulders as she broke off, ending the embrace. He was met with a look of confusion before her eyes fell to the ground, and he rested a hand under her chin and gentle lifted it.

"You don't need to explain, Ria," he reassured her, "I understand."

She opened her mouth to reply, and looked from left to right before meeting his eyes again. Ria gave him a halfhearted smile, and a small nod.

Returning the smile, Zexion carefully laced his fingered through hers and helped them both to stand. Taking a moment to look around, he found they were on a large rounded platform. The surround area was dark, but an enough light filtered up through the stained glass at their feet to illuminate the area.

Turning to Ria, he found her watching him. "Where are we?" he asked, keeping his voice soft.

Ria shook her head in response, stepping closer to him. They hugged again, and she let out a soft sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure," she said, "I just know I've been here for a long while, waiting for you."

Zexion was surprised to hear this. He pulled away, giving her a questioning look. "For me?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding, "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you, or at least seeing you one last time. I don't know how real this is, but it feels…genuine …"

Suddenly, Zexion had a thought.

"Ria…are we dreaming?" he asked hesitantly, pain in his voice.

He watched as her eyes softened, and mirrored his own.

"I…I think so."

Zexion let his eyes fall to the lovely colored pattern on the floor. So, he was dreaming, which meant…this couldn't last long. This would be the very last time he would see her…and he could feel the empty space of his heart aching.

"You are the Spirited Reverie, after all," he replied, trying to mask the emotion he was feeling. One look at Ria, though, and he knew it wasn't working. "How much time do we have?"

She shook her head again. "I'm not sure, but…I know you can't sleep forever. I just…I wanted to see you one last time, Zexion, and let you know that it was my decision to leave. I hated making it, because I didn't want to leave you behind, but I knew you—"

"—would understand," they finished together.

Before she could say more, Zexion pull her in for a long kiss. It started out slow, as if he were afraid the dream might end then and there. But when he felt her kiss back, he deepened it and pulled her close.

The kiss ended a minute later, but they stood there, just enjoying each other's company in the soothing quiet.

"Do you know what will happen, after…" he asked, but found himself unable to say the words.

Ria tightened her arms around him, and shook her head. Though he couldn't see her face, he had a feeling she was crying again.

"I…I talked to Axel once, after that time Demyx asked me if I was afraid of dying," she said, her voice cautious, "Everyone was gone on missions, and he was convinced I needed to try that sea-salt ice cream he and Roxas like so much." She laughed a little at this, and Zexion smiled, glad to hear the beautiful sound. "He's not really the philosophical type, but from what I could get out of him, it seems as though he's convinced that Nobodies have a next life. I…I think I believe him, Zexion. If we have a next life, I want to meet him again, even if the redhead is annoying. I want to meet him, and Roxas, Demyx, Lexaeus, and even Larxene and Vexen. But most of all, I want to meet you again, Zexion."

She moved away to look up at him, and he half-smiled.

"You are quite the dreamer, Ria," he said.

She smiled, and pressed her lips to his in a short, sweet kiss.

"I think we're all dreamers, Zexion, in a way."

They held each other's gazes for a long while, and he finally nodded. Ria moved to step closer to him, but stopped as she noticed a wave composed of gold and darkness swirl over her hand and disappear. Zexion noticed that she had that faraway look in her eyes again, and remembered distantly that her magic had manifested itself as golden lines in the air.

When her attention came to focus on him again, he set two fingers on her lips to keep her from speaking.

"I know," he said gently, pulling her into yet another embrace. She seemed surprised for a moment, but hugging him tightly.

"I miss you," she said, and Zexion moved so that he could rest his forehead against hers.

As he stroked her hair, pushing it away from her face and behind her ear, he fought to keep from crying himself.

"You still haven't given me back that cloak you borrowed," he said, in an attempt to keep the situation lighthearted.

She laughed a little at this, and let one of her hands follow the curve of his arm. She moved his hand so that she could hold it, and squeezed it lightly.

"I think I lost it," she said, as he moved to wipe the new tears from her cheeks, "But I'll find it and give it to you eventually."

He gave her a slightly playful and skeptical look, but nodded.

Looking down, they both saw another spiral of gold and black, and Ria caught his gaze. Her eyes held a sort of bright sadness, and that was both happy and sorrowful at the same time.

Slowly letting go of his hand, she turned and walked to the very edge of the platform. More of the swirling darkness began to envelope her as she sat on the edge, her knees hanging over. She brought one hand up, moving her dark brown hair away from the right side of her face. She turned and watched him over her shoulder for a moment, before she disappeared.

Sitting up, Zexion rubbing his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. As he slid out from under the covers, he slowly walked over to the window, forcing himself not to look towards his closet, or anywhere else that Ria's belongings happened to be scattered. Still, his eyes drifted to the moomba he had given her, sitting alone on the bedside table. He hadn't yet gotten up the courage to move her things.

He started to sit in the chair beside the window, but was interrupted by an almost inaudible knock on his door. Sighing, he grabbed his boots and coat from the floor, put them on, and went to see who wanted him.

Much to his surprise, he found Demyx standing outside his suite.

To make things even stranger, Naminé was with him.

"What is she doing out of her room?" he asked, his features hardening as both blond Nobodies looked his way.

Demyx flinched slightly, and raised his palms in surrender.

"Okay, just give me a second to explain? I have a good reason for taking her out," he replied quickly, pausing to glance up and down the hallway. Find it clear, he opened a dark portal and stepped away from the door. "Would you come with us, please? We have something to show you."

Zexion frowned, watching Demyx for a few seconds.

"Demyx, I don't know what your planning, but you need to take Naminé back to her room. If Xemnas finds out—"

He stopped when Naminé took a step forward, and touched his arm gently.

"Please, Zexion?" she asked, "It's important."

Her request surprised him, but he considered it for a moment.

"How long will it take?" he inquired, crossing his arms.

"Not long, I promise," Demyx replied, glancing up and down the corridor again. He shifted a bit, and looked to Zexion.

Finally, the schemer nodded and followed the two into the portal. Demyx closed it with a wave of his hand, and soon they exited another…onto the rooftop where Zexion had last spoken to Ria, right before she had left to meet Xemnas.

He stopped walking, about to demand to know why Demyx had brought him here. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, though, and looked up to find Lexaeus standing beside him.

That was when he noticed the candles lining the edge of the rooftop. They varied in size and ranged in color from silver, to cream to white. In his mind, he counted their number, and realized there were thirteen in all. Each one was lit, and they were giving off the smell of lilies.

Confused, Zexion looked from Demyx to Lexaeus, only to halt when he spotted Roxas, Axel, Larxene, and—much to his shock—Xigbar, standing by the wall.

He lowered his arms to the side, and gave Lexaeus a questioning look. The taller man shook his head, though, and looked to Demyx. As Zexion turned his attention to the musician, Demyx stepped forward, and handed him a single candle.

"This was my idea," the blond explained, "I thought if might be helpful if, maybe, we had a type of memorial for Ria. I know you probably want to be alone, but…she meant something to us all, especially to you. We thought you would like to be here for it. I was careful to keep this from Xemnas and Saix, so we should be fine until I have to take Naminé back."

Zexion just stood there, not entirely sure what to say. Almost half of the Organization was here on the rooftop, according to Demyx, to remember Ria.

Had she really affected so many of their lives?

Glancing down at the candle in his hands, he frowned.

"What are the candles for?" he asked.

"There are fourteen of them, Zexy," Axel said, striding forward, "Since she was the fourteenth member. We thought you might like to light to last one."

Finally understanding, Zexion nodded, and Axel reached for a tall, slim candle that Larxene had been holding. He created a small fireball in one hand, and lit the wick of the candle. He handed it carefully to Zexion, and the schemer slowly took it, and lit the candle Demyx had given him. Axel took the slim one back, shaking it to extinguish the flame, and stepped back. Looking up at the other thirteen candles, Zexion walked to the edge of the roof and kneeled. He studied the flame for a long while, before setting it down among the others.

As he stood, he heard footsteps and the rustle of cloaks as the others moved to stand around him.

After a minute or two, Larxene decided to break the silence. "So, I don't mean to sound blunt, but should we say something? Maybe?"

Everyone seemed to consider this idea, but no one said anything. Eventually, Larxene sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll start, since no one seems to want to jump at the chance. However much it seems like beings without hearts shouldn't be doing this, we might as well put forth an effort," she said, looking down at the candles. "I just want to say that Ria was an interesting person. She was the only other female in our little group before Naminé came, so I preferred her company to that of the rest of you morons. It'll be a sad place without her."

After this, everyone shifted and shot her a variety of looks. One could always trust Larxene to be direct

"And thank you for that riveting speech, Larxene," Axel chimed in, patted her on the shoulder. He smirked when Larxene scowled at him and threatened to cut off several body parts. Turning to the candles, Axel gestured at them with one hand, and the flames grew a bit. "Well, the only thing I can really say is that she was one hell of a fighter, and I hope she gave Xemnas a run for his existance—no offense to Xigbar, of course. Why are you here, anyway?"

Xigbar laughed, and shrugged in response.

"Hey, like Larxene said, Ria was an interesting character," he answered, "And besides, she got Zexy to open up."

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that," Zexion said, giving Xigbar a hard look.

The shooter smiled, but kept quiet. No one else offered to say anything more, and he was perfectly happy with that. Zexion didn't know how long he stood there, staring at the flames, but it must have been a long while. Gradually, each of the other members began to leave, opening portals of darkness. He wasn't sure what order they left in, but it didn't really matter. He did know, though, that Lexaeus was one of the last, leaving only Demyx and Naminé.

He felt them watching him, until Demyx finally whispered, "We should give him some time to himself, Naminé. I need to get you back to your room before someone realizes you're missing, anyway; my shift is almost up."

A little while later, Zexion took a deep breath, taking in the lily scent of the candles. They weren't nearly as strong as Ria's scent had been, but they were close.

Looking up from the candles, he took in the view of the city, and then focused on the stars.

Rianxan, the one thing he had loved in his years of missing a heart, was gone.

Yet, his allegiance was still to the Organization…no, it was Organization XIII now; he would have to remember that.

Ria was gone, but she had told him she would always remember him.

And he knew he would always remember her. Even if she wasn't here to remember him, he would remember for the both of them; he would live for both of them to the best of his ability.

He would remember her, but it was hard to know that she was really gone, and that he was still here.

So, for her, he would continue to strive for a real heart. He would continue to live the best he could, like he had before she had arrived, even though he knew it would be different. He wasn't the same man he had been three months ago. He would continue on, but…

…he would never forget the lessons Ria—no, her true name was Ariann. She had once said if she ever regained her heart, she would use her original name once more. So, he would remember her by her true name.

He would never forget all the things Ariann had taught him, and all the times he had spent with her.

Studying the stars more closely, he focused his attention on the sky and not on his thoughts. Still, his mind drifted until, eventually, he was reminded of past memories.

"Zex?"

"Hm?"

He was half-asleep, lying on his back under the covers. Ria was cuddled against him, and he was certain she had fallen asleep not long ago.

"What happens when…well, a Nobody dies?"

At this, Zexion frowned. "Well…no one really knows. We've experiments a little with the lesser Nobodies, but the only thing we know for sure is that they fade," he explained. "I think since we don't have hearts, and are neither of light or darkness, that we just fade back into nothingness."

Silence came afterwards, and Zexion thought he felt her tense beside him.

"You okay?" he asked, watching her.

She had a contemplative expression on her face, and her eyes looked far away. Slowly, he watched her return from her thoughts until her eyes met his.

"I'm…fine. It's just…"

"What?"

"Well," she looked at him, and he knew she found genuine curiosity in his eyes. So, she continued, "I don't think we really fade into nothingness. I know we shouldn't exist, but…we do. We should be destined to nonexistence afterwards, but I don't think it's true." She paused, took a breath, and started again, "Before we became Nobodies, we were human, and we had hearts. However way we lost our hearts, they should have returned to Kingdom Hearts eventually. And, I think that, well…isn't there a chance hearts are reborn, and their essence with them? So, maybe after we fade, our souls meet up with our hearts again, and…we get another chance to live."

Her speech finished, she watched to see Zexion's reaction. He knew quite a number of thoughts were crossing his features: disbelief, a need to experiment with such a theory if experimenting was possible, question, and…hope. A small hope that maybe there was more out there for Nobodies that just this half-existence.

Finally, he touched her cheek with a hand and said, "Maybe."

She gave him a smile, and he returned it.

Resting her head on his bare shoulder, she settled into a more comfortable position. Zexion rested his head on hers, thinking for a moment.

"Do you think after, you know, we fade—whenever that happens to be—that we'll find each other again?" she asked softly.

Zexion laughed a bit at the unexpectedness of her question. When he looked down at her, he found Ria giving him a glare that was both amused and accusing at the same time.

"Okay, no more staying up past midnight for you," he instructed playfully, "You daydream too much. Don't you ever sleep?"

"Hey, I'm the Spirited Reverie; I have a right to dream," she countered, poking his shoulder with a finger. "And of course I sleep. I just tend happen to think a lot before."

She shifted then, pulling the covers closer around her and relaxing against him. Kissing the top of her head, Zexion promised himself he would answer her question later. Whether or not she asked the question again, he wanted to give her an honest answer.

But…

Would they meet again?

I hope, Ariann, Zexion thought, I hope so.

The End

Yes, this is the end of the story, Rianxan's story. I want to again thank EVERYONE who has reviewed, favorited, and alerted. You guys rock, and helped to make this story what it is.

THANK YOU!!!

Now, for a bit of news…PLEASE read! IMPORTANT STUFF!

1. This Saturday (April 28th, which also happens to be my birthday! Yay!) I will be putting up a 'story' called "Memories". This is actually going to be a series of oneshots, focused around Ria, the Organization, and the little things that happened while she was there. The story of Zexion and Ria's trip to Twilight Town will be the first up, and will be followed by others. Also, if you have any ideas or requests/suggestions for oneshots, please let me know!

2. I am already working on an idea for a sequel. Yes, a SEQUEL, as unexpected as it may seem. It will be called "Inner Workings", so be on the lookout for it. After the oneshots, I'm going to take a little time to catch up on my other stories. I have a lot more brainstorming and preparation to do for the sequel, so it won't be up until the end of May, I think.

3. I know a few of you have read one of my fanfics called "A Simple Story" with the chars of KH and FF in college in Twilight Town. And you probably know I've taken it down for some revision. Well, I'm happy to say that Ria is becoming a main character in that story, along with Naminé. The first OC from that story is gone, so I thought I would stick Ria in and see how she acts in an AU setting. That story should be up in a week or two.

4. I know you guys probably have questions, so…if you have ANY at all about this story, Rianxan, her past, the sequel, the college story, my random authoress self, stuff that wasn't cleared up, ANYTHING, please ask in a review or PM (or for right now, EMAIL! Check my profile for my email address, because it should be there). I will be happy to answer any questions you guys may have! All questions I will put in a special section of my profile, so you guys can read it. Please, any question rocks, even if it is something as unexpected and hilarious as "Did Ria ever randomly decide to go through Zexion's clothes one day, and wear one of his outfits around the Castle just for the hell of it?" xD

Again, you guys rock!

Reviews?

LadyDarkDreamer (AKA Silver)