She hugs herself and fights back a shudder. Clumsily, she rolls out of bed; she lights a candle with shaking fingers. As she stares into the flame, she thinks and remembers. All of the foolish, destructive things she has done haunt her dreams, filling her with a terrible, aching guilt. She wants to die.

"Why…" she whispers into the dark. "I don't even remember…"

She doesn't truly remember the killings, or turning into a nobody. She doesn't remember losing her heart.

She remembers meeting Reno and falling in love. She remembers Reno talking about the Turks and the two of them wondering what to name their baby when it was born. She remembers the miscarriage and the hooded man, whispering to her. Her memories fade, replaced by a hazy sense of rage and pain.

Then there was fire. There were flames and blood and she was burning, and she made him burn with her, and together they destroyed everthing.

It was her fault, wasn't it? She pulled him down with her. She made them into who they were. She could never be forgiven. She deserved to die.

After all that she had done, she thinks that perhaps she would like for him to be the one to kill her.

….

"That girl was crazy," Demyx says. He fingers the strings of his sitaur idly. "Jumping off the roof…"

"She dived into darkness, Demyx. She must be a Nobody too." Axel's brow is furrowed in thought.

"If she was, she'd be with the Organization." Demyx says easily. "Why don't you ask the Superior about it? He'd know."

"You ask him," Axel shot back. "I don't feel like making him angry."

"I don't care who she was. You're the one she wanted to talk to." Demyx smiles. "Reno."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"It's not my name!"

"How do you know? Maybe she knew you before you became a Nobody. Maybe you used to be called Reno."

"I don't think so." Axel lays back on the couch; his spiky red hair is flattened against the beige cushions. "Besides, isn't Reno dead? You mentioned his grave earlier."

"Maybe you were a different Reno."

"I doubt it."

"Go ahead." Demyx smiles. "But now I want to see her again. I want to ask her some questions."

"Such as?"

"Such as : 'Has Axel always been gay, or is this a new development?'"

Axel grimaces and throws a cushion at Demyx.

"I am not gay!" he shouts in exasperation. "What is with you people?"

"Maybe we're just projecting," Demyx laughs. "After all, some of us are gay."

"Well I'm not," Axel huffs. "So don't get any ideas."

Demyx laughs, gives him a kiss on the cheek, and scampers out of the room.