It was completely dark, nothing surrounding her. She couldn't even see herself. Oh great… please tell me I'm not back in Riku's head. Saiyoku looked around as much as she could, but it was as if she was blind. She couldn't feel the rest of her body either, as if it was entirely numb. If my nose starts to itch again… I swear…

"Hello?" She called out, hoping someone would answer. She got her wish, "Help! Please!"

"Huh? Who's there?" She tried to find her way, following the voice, but then more spoke up.

"Please! Let me out!"

"I don't want to be alone!"

"Agh… No more, no more! Let me go home!"

The voices surrounding her, mingling and soon it was impossible for her to make out they were saying. Cries of anguish and bloodcurdling screams pierced the stale air that began to creep up inside her.

"What's going on!? Please, someone tell me! Why are all of you in so much pain!?" She cried out, wishing she could escape. Three voices interrupted the noise, silencing them all.

"Saiyoku." They all said in unison. She immediately recognized them all.

"Aqua? Terra? Ven? Is that you? Please, tell me what's going on!"

"These are the voices of all those you have trapped within yourself." Terra said, sounding uneasy again. He always seemed to have trouble talking to her in particular.

"Inside me? But…"

"Remember? You're both a Heartless and a Nobody, Saiyoku." Aqua replied, the sound of her voice somehow reassuring, but it didn't mask what she had said.

"No… I don't believe you! I'm a human being! You're just part of my imagination, something that I made up! You aren't real, you never existed!" She longed to plug her ears and have them disappear.

"Aw, that's not very nice. You shouldn't just jump to that conclusion because you don't like what we're saying. The more we tell you, the easier your life will be." A joking Ven said, trying to get her to listen.

"My life would've been easier without you three interrupting my dreams, confusing the heck out of me, and having me figure out what the tiny little clues you drop mean!"

"You need to know. It will help in the end."

"Then tell me towards the 'end'!"

"But what if that 'end' was tomorrow?" Terra said, scaring Saiyoku, "W-what? You… you can't be serious… T-tomorrow?"

"He's not. He's just proving a point." Aqua told her, trying to calm her, only ending up fueling Saiyoku's temper.

"Then don't scare me like that! Now, what is it that you want? Spit it out already and stop holding back!"

"We would like to, but we can't just tell it to you all at once. You… you wouldn't be able to handle it all, not in one day."

"If you won't tell me now, then I won't listen to you at all if you ever attempt to again!"

"You have no choice!" Terra growled, and Saiyoku was glad she couldn't see him. He was sure to be scary looking like this.

"Watch me!" She couldn't help but say it, just to get them to leave her alone.

Ven sighed, "That's your choice I suppose…"

"Ven, she has to hear everything, but over time!" Terra yelled at him.

"I know that! But what's the use in telling her something when she won't listen? Saiyoku, we understand your confusion. We know you don't really know yourself whether you want to hear the truth now or later, but you have to believe us when we tell you these things. Things will unravel in time and then you'll understand more. Just promise us that when we think the time is right to tell you, that you'll listen."

"I… But I… er…"

"Saiyoku?"

She thought long and hard, unsure whether to trust that these people were telling her the truth. But, they knew things about her that she didn't even know herself… "Fine…" She muttered, reluctant, but deciding that she could deal.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Ven said half laughing, and Saiyoku's blindness was lifted. She could see herself again, but she was alone… that is, until she saw another figure ahead of her. She chased after the person, hoping to wake up when she did. As she neared, more details could be made out.

It was a girl, chocolate brown hair like her, but much spikier, standing out on end in whatever direction it grew. Her skin was charcoal black and blended in with the darkness around her. The only way she was able to make her out from her surroundings was from the white patterns that covered the girl from head to foot. They closely resembled those that had appeared on Saiyoku in her first dream. She looked as though she was clothed with the darkness itself.

The girl was still turned away from Saiyoku, so she tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and stared at Saiyoku, her eyes glowing with white light that seemed to look straight into Saiyoku's soul. A huge hearts shaped crest full of swirled patterns was etched into her face, connecting the white light her eyes produced. Inside the two humps of the heart on one side was the Heartless symbol while in the other was the Nobody Symbol. Down in the lower part of the heart was another symbol Saiyoku had never seen before. But when she saw it, a word formed in her head, Unversed. But… what is that?

The startling sight of what the girl really was brought another thought into her head, Is that… is that supposed to be me? No, impossible. I've never looked like that. I've never seen anyone like that either.

The creature reached out and grabbed Saiyoku's shoulder. It began to melt into her, immediately sending Saiyoku backward, trying to get away from the strange being.

"No, you're not me! I'M ME! You're nothing but something from my imagination!"

The creature tried to touch her again, but Saiyoku backed away, "No! Don't touch me!"

"Gah!" Saiyoku yelled, panting from her restless night again. Riku was already up and looking at her, a worried expression on his face. "You alright? That's two weeks already."

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine…" She gripped her head and shook it in her hand. She mustered a fake smile, "See?"

"I don't believe you."

"You never do…" She muttered, lying back down and putting her hands behind her head. The starry sky looked so cool in Olympus Coliseum. They were high above the actual arena, nestled up in the rafters around it, where no one could see them. The entrance to the Underworld wasn't even visible.

"So, are you gonna tell me what it was about. Might make you feel better."

"Since when are you optimistic?"

"Um…" He scratched his head searchingly, trying to come up with something to say.

"Good answer." She laughed shakily and sighed, "I don't really know… I… never see anyone… but I can hear them. Screams of suffering and pleads to be freed. I don't get it… what could be holding people hostage that is so terrifying?" She lied, "I just don't know… And then… there were those three again… I didn't see them, but they were talking to me." She decided to leave out the part about the strange girl creature.

"Those three?"

"Yeah. These three people called Aqua, Ventus, and Terra."

"Did you say Aqua?"

"No, I said turtle. Yes, I said Aqua. Blue hair… um, light blue eyes, armor on her right arm… oh, and a blue skirt like thing…" She sat up again, facing Riku again by leaning on her right arm.

Riku stayed silent for a while. He had met her once before… on the island. That had been years ago, and only once. He'd never seen her again after that.

"You saw her in a dream?"

"The one that started it all… yeah. You know her?"

"I met her once on the island. Never saw her again. That was before I really got to know you."

"Really? She's just in my dreams, along with the other two guys. You know what's weird? Roxas and Ventus look EXACTLY the same. It's scary how much they look alike."

"Hm… Well, at least your dreams aren't as bad as they were. I don't have to comfort you as much."

"Are you suggesting you didn't enjoy that?"

"…"

"Ahuh…" She smiled, "C'mon, we need more sleep. Indefinitely." She lay back down and closed her eyes, resting her hands behind her head. Riku did the same, wondering why Aqua and the other two were in her dreams… and where the people that were screaming in her dream were as well. The answers never came, so he dozed off, welcoming his sleep.

--

Riku peered over the edge of the roof of the entrance to the Coliseum. Three figures exited the entrance to the Underworld, leaving the smoky darkness that lay within. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped through, looking at the familiar sight around them.

"Hmph, well what do you know." Riku muttered, and Saiyoku looked up from her boredom, "What?"

He motioned for her to come take a look, and she immediately came running along the rafters, curious. She leaned against the edge and gasped, laughing, "Look at him… you'd think nothing happened to him! Check out how much he's grown! There was no way I could tell how much while he was asleep in that pod."

They both watched as their friend looked at the scoreboards on either side of the entrance to the Underworld. His laughter could be heard from where the two shadows were watching as he turned to Donald and Goofy, "Looks like no one could beat us! Still the champs all the way!"

"Jeez, someone's full of themselves." Saiyoku muttered as the group headed for the entrance of the Coliseum. The quaking of the building showed that the heavy marble doors to the entrance hall were being opened, but Sora, Donald, and Goofy hadn't gotten there yet. A deep male voice sighed heavily before perking up.

"Sora! Donald, Goofy! When'd you get here?"

"Hey, Herc!" Sora waved at the unseen man, and Donald and Goofy followed suit, "Hi!"

"Howdy there!"

The man approached them and revealed to be the hero Hercules that Riku and Saiyoku had seen a few times, but never up close. "You on another adventure?" Hercules asked, and Sora scratched the side of his head, smiling.

"Yeah, trackin' down some friends, wipin' out some Heartless."

"Junior heroes, always busy!" Herc and Sora grabbed hands in a sign of friendship.

"You know it!"

Saiyoku had trouble not laughing, and in between stifled giggles she managed to say, "Junior… Heroes? Ha ha ha ha!"

Riku hit her on the back of her head, "Shut up! He'll hear you."

"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and quieted down, "Okay, I'm sorry, but it was just so funny on how he's considered a junior hero here while he basically saved all the worlds from total annihilation."

Riku was silent on the mention of the worlds and turned away from the sight of his best friend. Jumping down from one of the rafters but staying hidden, Riku sat above the main arena, his mind racing on what he wanted to do.