Why…

… yhw?

Illusions

My memories

What are my memories

What are memories (seiromem era tahw)

Idontunderstand

Momma?

I – Do – Not – Remember – This – Place

But – I – Think – I – Should

Hojo – Looks – At – Me – with hate

I – Feel – So – Light – Headed

Everything – Is – Blurry

My – Father – Holds a needle in his hands

Is – that – that my blood?

I – I – I

I think I'm going to die.

0000000000

Mix them all together, and we have a heart!


It failed!

Maybe we're missing some ingredients.


Let's try adding memory.

Victoria stood in the Safe room, silent, stoic, with a dark, blank look on her face. Her eyes were voids of emptiness, as a small trickle of blood ran down her neck.

"Was that truly necessary?" Crive muttered at Hojo, who, hands crossed behind his back, strode up to the machine ahead of them.

"If she had remained conscious, she might've begun to remember things it would be best she forgot." He explained quickly, typing away on a computer keyboard.

"Besides, I don't think you want your daughter to be awake when we activate the machine."

Crive seemed to be fighting an internal battle, grimacing darkly. Hojo grinned menacingly; it'd been a while since he'd had the upper hand on his boss, so he cackled with delight.

"Do you actually feel remorse over turning your 'daughter' into a weapon?" Hojo continued to cackle as if it were insane.

Striding over to the taller man, Hojo leaned over towards him.

"I destroyed my wife and made my son into a weapon that could destroy the planet, and almost did. It was… an enlightening experience." The look on his face was as if he was thinking back on good memories.

Crive immediately regained his edge. Shoving Hojo aside, he stomped past the man and his daughter to the computer. "You're disgusting, like a cockroach. Hard to dispose of."

A snide grin split Hojo's face in half.

Crive stepped past the computer after pressing a few buttons. Behind it from the ground rose a large oval, a clear glass structure, rising into the room with a deafening hiss.

Reaching out to his daughter, Crive beckoned her forward.

"Come, Victoria" He whispered as she began to stumble forward blindly. "It's time for you to go home"

Hojo looked on, the computer lights reflecting on his wide glasses. He squeezed his hands in anxiety and excitement, ready to begin what he'd been waiting for since the beginning.

Victoria watched in slow motion as her body moved forward. Everything was blurred, her hearing deaf other than the echoing sound of her own footsteps.

What am I doing?

Her small hand easily slid into her father's palm.

I… I feel I should remember this place…

Wait!

I…

I do.

0000000000

I still can't believe it.


I really flew.

Wait 'til I tell Kairi.

I wonder if she'll believe me.


Probably not.

Wasn't it…

Years ago?

The same time mom disappeared, the day the Door to Darkness was opened, that was the day dad brought me here. Didn't he?

I remember leaving. But I don't remember going in.

How can you remember leaving a place if you don't remember being there first?

What happened?

I don't like this.

I don't like this at all.

0000000000

"How did this happen?"

Tidu hung his head in shame. Yuna convinced he had nothing to be ashamed of, gently lifted his chin back up to face her. His eyes brimmed with dark tears, and he sniffled quietly. This reminded Yuna that, as strange as his power was, the boy was still a child.

Looking in awe to his clawed hands, Tidu shrugged sadly. "I – I don't know. I… ever since the eruption at Twilight Town, I've felt different. But I've… always felt strange." Looking up to Yuna, he asked. "What am I?"

Sighing, Yuna gently hugged the boy, caressing his feathery wings. This had a soothing effect, and like a cat, his lungs purred. "You're a boy, Tidu – a human boy. You're different, but you're beautiful. Like an angel."

Sniffling, Tidu seem to recover a bit.

"I – I can do things." He whispered.

Wiping the tears from the boy's eyes, Yuna, motherly and always strong, gave him an encouraging smile. "You know – I use to be able to do things few people could."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

She nodded. "They called me a summoner. I was respected and revered. You know – I think your power is a blessing. Mine was – it helped to save many lives."

Almost lost in memories, Yuna wiped a tear from her own eyes.

"But – you know what?" She smiled. "It's up to you. Do what you think is right."

Nodding, Tidu looked down to his hand. To Yuna's surprised, he slowly closed his eyes, eyes that had been clouded over in thought. He was still, silent, and the coliseum around them seemed eerie in the strange, florescent light of Yuna's dream.

Tidu's eyes opened, and he looked much more determined.

"I can see. I can see what all this is. Someone wants to destroy everybody – while they're asleep." Yuna's eyes grew wide, and she kept listening. Closing his eyes again, they opened with even more determination.

"I can stop him." Tidu muttered, clenching his fist. Looking to Yuna he smiled. "Come on, we can fight him together!"

Surprised, Yuna smiled, and gave her hand to the boy.

"Lead me there" She whispered. "I'll follow you all the way"

With an awed, loving smile, Tidu nodded.

"Let's go"

Tidu took firm, gentle hold of the woman's hand, but just as he stood at the edge, he paused, and looked back.

"We should wake up our friends; we'll need their help."

Yuna paused to think, and slowly, shook her head. "I think we need to let them wake up when they're ready."

Nodding without a second thought, Tidu turned back towards the sky, let his wings grow and stretch, and lifted his palm.

His eyes glowed gold and sparkled. Yuna held onto his hand tightly, and in a mere second, he leapt into the air in a flurry of black feathers, and from his palm erupted a way out; the dream around them shattered, as if it'd been made of glass, the pieces falling into a dark abyss. The abyss began growing, lifting, stretching towards the two with a pained moan.

"Hurry, Tidu!" She called.

The boy nodded, and with amazing speed, soared out of the black nightmare.

00000000000

"It's empty…"

Footsteps echoed through the castle halls.

Sora clutched his head in pain.

Have I been here before?

Paine looked back to see Sora blindly stumbling behind them. She hit Rikku's arm to get her attention. "Rikku – look"

The girl grabbed her arm in protest, but then set eyes on Sora. He seemed to almost be in a seizure like state. Both girls stopped walking and started towards him.

What's going on?

00000000000

"Man, how much longer do we have to walk? This is stupid, dattebayo!"

Every person in the group seemed to give an annoyed growl. Mitsuka turned to her brother to calm him as his eyes tinted red and he prepared to summon his weapon.

"Now, now, Saix, he's not worth it!" Mitsuka coaxed.

Behind them, Sakura hit Naruto in the head. "Shut up, idiot, or that guy will kill you!"

As usual, Naruto stuck his nose in the air and ignored them.

"Whatever I'm bored!"

Kakashi ignored everyone and continued to read his porn. Behind his mask, he giggled quietly. From across the way, Rock Lee watched. Gai – sensei's rival is weird!

Finally, Saix saw the spiral towers of the Castle come into view, and he actually gave a relieved sigh. To finally be home and to finally have that boy shut up!

His relief only lasted momentarily. For it only took a second for his talented nose to catch the scent of smoke, fire, and blood.

Kakashi and Gai noticed it as well. "Blood…" Kakashi whispered. Mitsuka looked up to him in surprise.

"Blood… but…"

"Nobodies don't bleed" Saix muttered. Everyone looked at him, Naruto with a strange look.

"Nobodies? What the hell?" He asked. Saix simply growled, and began racing towards his home.

What had happened? How?

Growling as his anger rose and his pace quickened, Saix summoned his weapon and roared, leaping into the city limits of the Dark City, towering skyscrapers glimmering in the firelight. Smoke erupted into the air, the ground rumbling and shaking as if an earthquake had erupted from the endless abyss beneath the castle. Even worse than when the behemoth Bahamut had attacked the city, the castle, and all the towers surrounding it seem to almost be… fading away.

With a powerful roar, Saix leapt into the massive fires, Kakashi and Gai a step behind him. Before leaving, Kakashi turned to his students.

"Stay here, protect Mitsuka!" He ordered before disappearing into the blackness.

Naruto stood with a strange look on his face. What was going on?

"Can somebody explain what the hell is going on?" Naruto screeched, a vein throbbing on his forehead. Rock Lee, Sasuke, and Sakura all seem to agree.

Worry etched onto her pale skin, Mitsuka sighed and turned to her friends.

"Let me take you someplace safe" She whispered. Behind her, a portal, shaking and shimmering like the surface of water, appeared. "Then, I'll tell you everything"

Turning towards the white flowing form, Mitsuka stepped in without a pause.

Sharing a few looks, Sakura, Sasuke, and Lee seem to be considering their options. While they did that, Naruto leapt head first into the portal.

"Hey – Wait, Naruto!" Sakura called. It was too late; he was gone.

The three looked to one another, and then, followed their friend.

00000000000

Voices.

Thoughts.

Sounds and dreams.

Water… was she floating in water?

Numbers. Figures. Science. Hypothesis.

DNA.

Wait… was that what I was forgetting?

"What shall you call her? Shall we brand a number, sir?"

A pause. "No. This one… is special. I'll name her after her mother."

Footsteps. A hand comes to the glass, and she sees a face through the tube.

"My beautiful Victoria" He whispered.

NO!

0000000000

They had climbed, and climbed, and climbed, and with each level they had passed, Sora's spasms and pain had become worse; he fought through it, tooth and nail, confused and ready for answers. The castle… was so familiar.

Why did Namine's voice keep floating into his mind?

You'll forget me, but…

"Sora, we can always turn back" Rikku whispered, worried and confused. "I don't like seeing you like this"

"Then look away" He muttered, clutching his side. "I have to keep going."

Rikku looked a bit hurt, yet also worried. Paine placed a hand on her friends shoulder.

"We can't give up" She whispered.

Rikku thought back to the pain that Yuna had gone through at the end of her Pilgrimage, before they had arrived at Radiant Garden. The pain… and the loss. All the lies that had been uncovered.

"Okay" She nodded.

The group looked up to the large door before them, the large castle door. Sora stepped up, weak, but strong, scared, yet ready. Slowly, he took hold of the handles.

"I hope we're ready for this" Rikku whispered.

"I hope it's ready for us" Paine responded. Rikku blinked, looking up to her smirking friend. The two shared a small laugh.

"Ready?" Sora asked, grinning as usual as he looked at the girls. Paine nodded. The two girls shared a look and transformed into their small pixie forms.

"Let's go" Sora muttered, turning to the door, and opening it wide.

Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light.


Everyone loved the light.


Then people began to fight over it.


They wanted to keep it for themselves.


And the darkness was born in their hearts.


The darkness spreads, swallowing the light and many people's hearts.


But small fragments of light survived…

Was she… dreaming?

"Princess!"

Kairi's eyes snapped open.

The young red head was sitting tall in a throne, a throne made of gold and crystal, tall with a long back, glimmering in the warm star light that flooded through the window. Her feet could not reach the floor. Slowly, she reached up and felt a crown on her head, a small delicate thing that was crystal clear and made of glass.

Her gown was long, gold, and her feet were bare. The crystal heart that Sora gave her for Christmas hung around her neck, and the thought made Kairi smile.

"Milady!"

The voice that had made her open her eyes hurried forward. Kairi looked up.

Aisu was rushing forward down the hall, dressed elegantly, holding her dress up as she rushed towards Kairi.

The red head stood. "Aisu!"

The girl slid to a halt before the throne, bowing and out of breath. "My – my lady."

Kairi blinked. "What's with the formalities?"

Aisu blinked. Slowly, she stood, confusion written on her face. "What – what was I doing?"

Kairi looked about the hall as she stepped down from her throne. "I think this is a dream. Why we're sharing it, I don't know."

Aisu shook her head. "We aren't the only ones. Up here, in the highest tower of the castle!" Kairi listened, puzzled.

"Castle?" She wondered.

Aisu rushed up, holding the corner of the dress, and in an attempt to run faster, threw off the high heels on her feet. Taking hold of Kairi's hand, she rushed the girl out of the room. The two sped around corners and up staircases, down halls and through doorways, headed up and north towards the high tower in the castle.

As they ran, Kairi caught the sight of three in a separate hallway, though Aisu led her past them.

Was that Hinode and Tsuki and… Ansem?

The two hurried up another twisting flight of stairs, and Aisu threw the wooden door open, allowing Kairi to step inside.

"How – how did you know this was here?" Kairi whispered.

"This is where I woke up. Err… that is, if I'm awake." Aisu mumbled shyly. Thinking deeply, Kairi turned to Aisu.

"Maybe… we are awake."

Kairi looked around the circular room and long hall before them. It looked much different from the rest of the castle – instead of gray slate, dark marble covered the walls and floor, and large stained glass windows loomed over them. A few were cracked, broken.

Ahead, sitting in an oval stained glass window that was on the floor, a window that opened to darkness and depicted a bleeding flower, Namine sat, curled into a ball, crying into her arms and tired. Before her, Riku was sprawled, unconscious.

"N – Namine?"

But small fragments of light survived…

In the hearts of children.


With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world.

It's the world we live in now.


But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness.


That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other.


But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open.


And true light will return.


So, listen, child.


Even in the deepest darkness,


There will always be a light to guide you.

Believe in the light and the darkness will never defeat you.


Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away.

Do you understand, Kairi?