I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of reviews for chapter 12. I only got six, and chapter 11 got 8 while chapter 10 got 14. Let's try and amp up the reviews, shall we? It only takes two seconds.

Thank you to animechick247, Taeniae, Stand in the Light-Xynlake, Zamaya, Clarilune and pandabearmusic for reviewing. Loooove!

Here's chapter 13. I've been really busy with school and all that jazz, but I'm working on chapter 18 right now...and the story will definitely pan out longer than I thought it would. Expect maybe 30? Maybe more?

Remember: More reviews = faster updates!

Can we reach 115-120?

EDIT: OOPS!!! I apparently posted the wrong thing. I believe it's fixed now, TELL EVERYONNNNEEEEEE!!!

All that Vilixa could feel was the darkness. She opened her eyes, but she was still surrounded by a sea of black. Was she in the Realm of Darkness? She stared down at her hands, trying to figure out whether or not this was real.

"Am I dead?" she asked no one in particular. She expected an echo of her own voice, or the taunting silence that already encased her. What she wasn't expecting was a response.

"No, just sleeping."

She whipped around to see a familiar face smiling down at her.

Riku. The real Riku.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to keep the smile from appearing on her face. She rushed to him and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. He held her close, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck. "Is this a dream?"

"Sort of, but not really," Riku answered. "It's complicated. You see, your body is still recovering from that attack against the Hydra back at the Coliseum. Your subconscious is the only thing active right now, and it brought you here...to me."

"Is this the Realm of Darkness?" she asked tentatively, looking up into his aquamarine eyes.

"Yes," he answered. "This is where I have to stay."

She shook her head. "You don't have to, Riku. You'll find a way to overcome the darkness. I just know it."

He shook his head. "I still need to use the power of darkness. This battle isn't over yet, and I need the darkness to fight."

Vilixa let out a sigh, but nodded understandingly. She looked away for a moment, but looked back up at him again. "How come you aren't wearing your blindfold?"

"I don't need it here," he shrugged. "The darkness is where I belong...I don't need to hide from anyone here. So I don't need to wear my blindfold."

"I wish you'd come back," Vilixa said softly. "I miss you, Riku."

"I miss you too," he replied quietly, leaning down and placing a few small kisses on her lips. "More than you will ever know."

"Will I see you again?" she asked. "Soon, I mean?"

He smiled and stroked her cheek gently. "I have a feeling that you will."

"I think she's waking up," Vilixa heard a voice echoing in her ears.

"Vilixa?" she heard Sora's voice ask. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes managed to pry themselves open and she slowly sat up, meeting the eyes of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Leon, Aerith, Cid, Merlin and Yuffie. She looked around and realized that she was in Merlin's house back in Hollow Bastion.

"How long was I out for?" she asked groggily, a hand flying up to her head. "It feels like I got run over by a truck."

Sora chuckled. "Something close to it. Just a Hydra. You've only been out for about ten hours I think."

Her eyes widened. "Ten hours? Seriously?"

"We've seen worse," Leon noted. "You're lucky that Aerith is such a good healer. She fixed you up pretty well. If Sora hadn't gotten you here as quickly as he had, your arm would have been gone."

Vilixa smiled and turned to Aerith. "Thank you so much."

She blushed. "It was nothing, really. What are friends for?"

Vilixa let that statement soak in for a minute, and an even bigger smile formed on her face. Sora sat at the foot of the bed and looked into Vilixa's violet eyes.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked. "Back at the Coliseum?"

She put a finger on her chin and tapped it for a few seconds before really remembering the events that had transpired.

"Well, I remember that we were fighting the Hydra," she began. "The Coliseum was in ruins. You cut off that thing's head, and three more grew back...one of them grabbed me by the shoulder with its teeth and I went flying into the wall. Then all I remember is a really bright white light."

"Is that everything?" Donald asked.

Vilixa nodded. "Yeah. What happened?"

"What happened was a specialized attack," Leon answered, his arms crossed over his chest. "It happens when you're at your weakest. A sudden burst of power--in your case, you harness light. That must have been what happened there."

"Come to think of it," Vilixa pondered aloud, "the night that Nobody came to try and eliminate me, the exact same thing happened."

"When was this?" Sora asked.

She shrugged. "About a week before you woke up from that pod."

"Those attacks can be extremely harmful to the body," Leon stated. "Well, as you can already tell. You need to learn how to harness your power and control it, or else you're going to keep hurting yourself every time that attack takes place."

Vilixa scratched the back of her head. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"I've arranged for someone to help you," Leon said with a half grin. Just then, the door to Merlin's house opened and a familiar man with blond, spiky hair walked towards the group. "Vilixa, this is--"

"Cloud!" she exclaimed. "Did you find who you were looking for?"

"Not yet," he answered. "Seems I've been given the task of training you."

"So you already know each other?" Sora asked, slightly confused.

Vilixa nodded. "I met him not too long ago. It's alright."

"Well," Sora grinned, "that makes introductions a lot less awkward, I guess."

"Training starts when you're well enough to get back on your feet," Cloud said. "Until then, if you need me, you can find me in the marketplace." And then he turned around and walked right out the door.

Leon, Yuffie, Merlin and Aerith all filed out. They apparently had something they had to work on. Cid was busy typing away at the computer in the next room and Merlin was hovering over a book, literally, and the rest of the group had left the house.

"Hey, Livia? I mean--Vilixa," Sora asked, looking over at her. "Can I ask you something...kind of...strange?" She nodded. "Do I...have a Nobody?"

She looked into Sora's eyes, and saw Roxas. It's okay, you can tell him.

"You do," she nodded. "When you gave up your heart to save Kairi, a Heartless was created, and a Nobody was created. Your heart was restored by Kairi and so your Heartless returned to being you--but your Nobody still existed."

"Can you tell me about him?" Sora asked, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

"I--" she paused. "I think it's best if you find out on your own. I know you will, Sora. The answers will come to you in due time. After all, you are the key that connects everything."

He sighed heavily and ruffled his hair a bit. "Yeah, I know." Then a small smile appeared on his face. "Still, I'd like to have known the guy."

"He was great," Vilixa said. "Just like you." Sora blushed a little and scratched at the back of his head. She was about to tell Sora about her dream-but-not-quite, but then she stopped herself. She remembered the promise that she made to Riku, that she wouldn't tell Sora where he was or who he was. She decided it was best if she kept that promise and didn't mention it at all.

"I think we should head out," Sora said to Donald and Goofy. He turned to Vilixa and asked, "Will you be alright here on your own?"

"I'm not really alone," she stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "I've got Leon and the others. And plus, training when I get my strength back. Go on, save all the other worlds. I'll be here...and I'll let you know how training goes."

"Alright," Sora said reluctantly. "I'll see you later!"

She waved to them as they bounded out the door to the Gummi ship. Vilixa sighed and sunk back into the bed, the soft blankets lulling her back to sleep. She closed her eyes again, hoping to see Riku once more, but there was nothing; only darkness.

Review review review!

8 to 115, 12 to 120!!