Dawn laid on a long granite table, tied down as Glory peered over her with a little giggle. She was fiddling through her make-up bag, pulling out lipstick in deep shades of red. Then she would cake it on Dawn's lips, each shade a little darker than the last.

"Oh... sweetie! You look gorgeous! Just like a younger version of me, y'know, without the omnipotence and blinding beauty and everything." She smirked, reaching for mascara. Dawn frowned.

"Do you always make annoying unnecessary smalltalk with people you're killing?" Dawn squirmed in her bondage, unsuccessfully. Glory pouted and gave her jaw a squeeze.

"I don't LIKE girls with chatty mouths. Unless their names begin with G and ends with LORY, you hear?" She growled, her eyes glowing with intensity for a moment. Then she smiled again and gave Dawn's face a tap.

"Wow, Dawnie, this is just like old times... Me getting you all dressy, you about to go off and get your heart sucked so we can bring about the apocalypse. All we need is some Cyndi Lauper and it would be a John Hughes film fiesta."

"...My sister will kill you." Dawn looked at her with a glare, her eyes piercing beyond the atrocious amounts of eyeliner Glory put on her. Glory laughed and poked her nose.

"Why? Not a Cyndi Lauper fan?" She grinned. "No she won't. In fact, Sephy is down there right now in her mind. And I'm willing to bet that he's not the one on the pointy end of the sword." Glory gave Dawn an evil knowing smirk, then sat down next to her on the table.

"So! Let's gossip about boys!"

Cloud and Aerith walked side by side a little ways in front of the rest of the group as they trudged their way to the center of the Hollow Bastion. They never said a word, they were too nervous of what the other would say, what feelings would come about. Because they had been together so long ago, and now things were just complicated. Cloud was a brave soul, and he decided to take the plunge.

"H-how are you?" Cloud peered over slightly as they walked. Aerith sighed and gave him a shrug, zipping up her pink jacket just a little.

"Oh, y'know. Filled with all-consuming fear knowing that not even the mythical keybearer could kill Ansem. And now a bunch of ordinary people with pointy sticks are all that stands between him and the end of the world... So pretty great. You?" She smiled a bit, clutching onto her rod as they walked.

"Same. Sort of. Don't let the broody demeanor fool you." He nodded, running a hand through his golden spikes. "It's funny, y'know. I worked as an assassin for Hades for so long. Hades. King of Hell. And now I just... I mean is it wrong to be afraid of a mad scientist after working for the devil himself?"

"No. It's not. It's... endearing." She smiled softly and nodded, looking up in his eyes. And then they had a moment... a brief moment that was interrupted by a loud crash in front of them. Yuffie and Leon ran to their sides quickly as they blinked at the smoking destruction.

"You okay!" Yuffie jumped, looking over the two of them. Aerith smiled and nodded.

"Fine, really." She said, looking at the smoke and fire not ten feet from where they were walking. A gummi ship. Sora's gummi ship. Aerith suddenly felt her hope restore when she saw it. After a few moments, the small brown-haired boy crawled out of it with a jubilant smile.

"They still don't know how to fly that thing." He snickered, speaking about Chip and Dale. Aerith ran and embraced the boy, who was quickly followed by Donald and Goofy.

"We thought you were dead!" She said, very relieved now that she knew he wasn't.

"It takes a lot more than a grumpy old man to kill me." He winked. Then new people emerged from the ship. A mousy redhead. A hunky, charming man. A nippy brunette. "Guys, this is Willow, Xander, and Anya. They're here to help."