The last chapter… I kept thinking about Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core when I wrote this. You play it and you know how it ends, you know it's going to be tragic, you're ready for it, but it doesn't make it any less sad. Sigh.

You all should know how this ends… so here we go. Enjoy.

Somewhere weakness is our strength,
And I'll die searching for it
I can't let myself regret such selfishness
My pain and all the trouble cause
No matter how long I believe that there's hope
This is how we'll dance when they try to take us down
This is how we'll sing out loud
This is how we'll stand when they burn our houses down
This is what will be, oh glory

- Paramore, "Let the Flames Begin"

"I'd tell you you're nuts, but I think we've been over this before," Axel said.

"I don't care," Bruixe told him. "That mission was meant for me. If I'd stayed, Demyx would be fine."

"And you'd be dead," Axel argued.

"I don't care!" she shouted again. "Point is, he got us out of there, and now they're sending him on a suicide mission that was supposed to be mine. I can't not go after him. I owe him my life, you do too. And even if we didn't – Demyx is our friend."

"But how are we gonna get to him?" he pointed out. "Sneaking out of the castle is one thing. Sneaking in is practically impossible."

"We aren't sneaking in," she said firmly.

Axel opened his mouth to argue, but was silent as he realized her meaning.

"Bullshit," he said, voice dangerously soft. "You're not leaving me behind."

"Yes I am," Bruixe told him. "You're hurt. You're not going to be much good in a fight, no offense. And you've already been locked up once, I won't let it happen again."

He eyed her dubiously. "You're trying to protect me."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Don't argue with me, you won't win."

Axel kicked the wall angrily. "And what if you don't come back?" he demanded. "What if something happens? I won't just sit here and watch you walk away."

"Sorry," she whispered. "But really… you'd kind of slow me down."

He was silent for a moment as he absorbed that. Finally he spoke. "You never think about yourself. Just look at you." He reached up to gently touch the gash on her face. "You're reckless and you don't care what happens to you, right? You're the Avenger for everyone else. But who's going to avenge you?"

Bruixe couldn't answer that. "Doesn't matter," she said. "Look, I'm the only one who can go after Demyx right now. If I don't help him no one will. I can't not go."

"I know," Axel agreed softly. "It's just that… I get this feeling that if you walk out of here… I'll never see you again. And… I don't want that to happen."

"I'll be fine," she told him.

"And what if you're not?" he asked desperately.

Bruixe swallowed. "Look, I'm not going to stay just because you're worried about me."

"I know," he said. "I just… don't want you to go… without saying goodbye."

He moved toward her, and Bruixe knew what he was going to do but didn't smack him, didn't even pull away, just let him kiss her because he was right, she probably wouldn't come back, and she didn't want to remember him by violence. If she'd had a heart, it would be breaking… but then, she'd never wanted it back anyway.

Finally he pulled away. She couldn't look at him, and her mind jumped to the only thing she knew to do in awkward situations – brush it off. "You'd better hope I don't see you again," she said with bravado. "Because if I do, I'm going to freaking break your jaw for that."

The tattoos on his face seemed to be tears under his green eyes, mourning for her already. "I won't regret it," he told her.

"I know," Bruixe whispered, and then backed into a portal, unable to face his sorrowful eyes any longer.

She arrived in the Dark City and quickly looked around; the streets were deserted for now. Well, it's the last place they would think to look for me, right? she thought.

Bruixe ignored the Heartless completely, pushing through their ranks until she reached the castle entrance, which stopped her.

It was nighttime here in the World That Never Was, which meant that most of the Organization was likely in bed. However, she had no idea if Xemnas would have posted sentries to look for her and Axel. Would he have assumed Bruixe wouldn't be foolish enough to come back? Or would he have played it safe?

Doesn't matter, she realized. This is the only way in. If I have to fight my way through, well then, so be it.

She darted up the shimmering walkway, feeling exposed, and slipped into the entryway. Xigbar's Sniper guards winked into existence, but they were stupid creatures. Vexen had explained it to her once – the Nobodies relied on the presence of hearts to direct their deadly aim. If a person had no heart, they were practically invisible to the Snipers. No, these guards were designed to protect against other intruders – like the Keybearer.

Bruixe found no one in the halls, and it unnerved her. This was too easy. Surely someone should be out here. But she made it to Proof of Existence without seeing a single Organization member.

The strange medley of blue and red stones greeted her, pulsing gently. She found Demyx's and stepped through the door to the Nocturne's room.

"Demyx," she hissed. "Wake up."

"Number Nine is not here," said a low voice, and then she knew no more.

Bruixe woke with a throbbing pain in the back of her skull and a mouthful of sand. She was on the beach? She pushed herself up, coughing, only to be shoved back down by what felt like a foot on her back.

"Down, traitor," Xaldin said.

"What – how…?" Bruixe managed to choke out.

She was answered by a sneering laugh, which she recognized as Saix's. "Did you really think you would take us by surprise?" the Diviner mocked. "Of course we knew you would come try to rescue your little inside-agent. Isn't it obvious? You played right into our trap."

Realization crashed down upon her with all the force of a freight train.

Saix crouched down next to her in the sand. "And now, dear Bruixe," he hissed, "you are going to die."

"Like hell," she spat, struggling to get out from under Xaldin's foot.

"Temper," the Diviner chided, standing. "Let her up, Xaldin, and give her back her weapons."

"Is this really necessary?" Xaldin asked, but complied, and Bruixe scrambled to her feet. Xaldin produced her long knives – they looked puny in his huge hands – and tossed them blade-down into the sand.

She could take Saix unarmed easily. Armed, maybe. But not Saix and Xaldin together. Impossible.

Well, she thought, if I'm going down, I'm not doing it without a fight.

And whoever said she had to fight fair?

She retrieved her blades and whispered, "You're gonna regret this."

Rogues sprang up around her: ten, twenty, fifty, as many as she could summon, and they looked at Saix, hissing and clicking. Then with a single motion, they crouched and pounced upon the Diviner.

But he only smiled gleefully, and suddenly they stopped. Turned to look at her.

"You shouldn't have betrayed us," Saix said mockingly, and he snapped his fingers. Then they were upon her – her own Nobodies – and she fell beneath their blades, forearms flung up over her face, yelling.

"Traitors!" she screamed in agony, and twilight magic exploded around her, blasting the creatures away. Bruixe tried to get up but couldn't seem to get the message to her muscles.

But then Saix's claymore was swinging down through the air at her, and reflex took over – she rolled away, sand clinging to her wounds, blood dripping down her fingers. She staggered to her feet, only to hear movement behind her. She whirled and met one of Xaldin's lances with a kodachi, ducking under a second and third. She blocked another, but the Lancer was stronger than she'd expected, and with a sickening crunch she felt her wrist break.

Bruixe dropped her short sword, gritting her teeth, and then pain spread across her back, white-hot pain, more than she'd ever felt in her life –

"Die," Saix hissed from behind her, and tore the claymore back out of her flesh as she fell, face down in the sand.

"How disappointing," she heard the Diviner finish. Axel was right. Who avenges me? she thought dimly, and then, nothing.

A/N. Wow… it's over. Like I said, tragic. But you guys know how it turns out. That is, if you read The Last Nobody, you do. If not, why the hell did you read this in the first place? (Not that I don't appreciate it.)

Anyway, I've had some requests for a Part Three – a sequel to The Last Nobody. I've got a basic plot down, and I can write it and it will be good. Here's a little excerpt:

'Why? Why had she gained a heart? Not to have it torn, rent, shredded to bits. Not for this.
'Because she knew what the right decision was. But she also knew – knew in her heart, damn the thing to hell – that she could never, ever do it.
'People were incredibly selfish creatures, she'd seen it before. But she'd never really applied that to herself. Some how she'd thought herself above all of that.
'She'd never realized how wrong she was.
'Because there really wasn't a choice, was there?
'"I'm sorry," she whispered, and raised her blade.'

- from Shatterheart

But here's the thing: if no one's going to read it, I won't post it. So click on that little review button down there – it's not hard, I know you can do it – and just tell me, yes or no, would you read a sequel? Please. Thanks for reading, guys. You've been great.