a/n: oops i kinda forgot about this

sorry guys

(so many apologies for the past few chapters)

a-far-off-memory

"C'mon, Riku, you gotta help us out a little," Roxas told him, struggling with the taller teen's weight. He knew Naminé was having a hard time as well, and they knew they wouldn't make it down the stairs unless Riku cooperated.

But it was almost as if he was catatonic. His single open eye was blank, and he didn't seem to notice the blood that was streaming down his face.

Axel stopped them at the staircase, placing his hands on Riku's shoulders and making sure that he was looking at him. "Riku, you need to snap out of it! I know that seeing Sora jump was horrible, and I know that you're probably in a lot of pain, but you need to suck it up until we get out of here. Because if we don't...then all of our friends who have died won't ever be found. We won't be found. They deserve to have their stories told, Riku..."

Some clarity returned to the single aqua eye at the redhead's words. Axel was right—they needed to get out. As he'd told both Roxas and Naminé...grief would have to wait until they were out.

"Okay," he croaked out, standing taller. Roxas and Naminé slowly let him go, hands hovering close in case he started to fall or anything. But he silently pushed past them all, making his way down the stairs.

They other three shared a solemn look before rushing down after him. The exit was so close they could almost taste it...

But of course, nothing was easy. Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the three brothers appeared from the depths of a corridor of darkness. There was blood on one of Xemnas' blades, meaning that they'd lost more friends. The three of them were struck immediately by the grief of their deaths—Demyx had been Axel and Riku's best friend, and Zexion was Riku's cousin and best friends with Roxas and Naminé.

When would it stop?

"Brothers, I'm a little teary from that little moment up there," Xehanort admitted with a chuckle. "It was just so amusing to see them cling to each other as they died!"

"Love is so worthless...it is only a hindrance in the end. I'm sure the blond one would have lasted longer if he'd left the other one," Ansem remarked, amber eyes sparking with amusement.

"It only made killing them that much more enjoyable," Xemnas said with a smirk. "To destroy that love...how exquisite."

"You're all sick!" Naminé cried, a tear falling down her cheek. "Those were people! We're people! Not just toys for your sick amusement!"

Ansem smirked. "My, you're much more spirited than your sister was. She cowered the entire time, letting Sora do all the talking...until his life was threatened, that is. Then she spoke up...another person here that was killed by love. So I reiterate—love is useless."

"You're wrong," Roxas said slowly as he reached over to take Axel's hand.

"Love...is beautiful. It's a culmination of so many other emotions, all wrapped up into one amazing one. And sometimes, it does hurt us...but it also teaches us and gives us happiness," Axel continued, looking down at Roxas with soft green eyes. "It's the single-most powerful emotion. It weakens us and strengthens us, breaks us down and builds us up...it's a double-edged sword. And it's worth everything that comes along with it, good and bad."

"You're wasting your breath," Riku muttered, not looking up. "They can't understand something they can't experience. You need a heart to feel love, and...it's impossible for such sick people to have hearts."

Xehanort's eyes lit up. "Ah, so smart. We gave those worthless things up long ago in the name of science, and now we are unburdened by petty emotions."

"Love isn't a petty emotion," Riku ground out, his body starting to shake. "You've just never felt it, so you automatically deem it worthless. But love...it makes you a better person. Sora..." He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, forcing himself to remain composed. "Sora showed me that."

Xemnas smirked at that. "How did it feel, Riku? How did it feel to watch him throw himself out a window because of me?" The smirk deepened. "I bet you hate me, don't you?"

The silver-haired teen was practically vibrating with anger at that point. "Shut up," he growled, fists clenched. The pain in his face and eye was all but forgotten as anger overwhelmed him.

Xemnas's eyes lit up with malicious glee. "Oh, I bet you wish that I was alive so that you could kill me yourself. Because I drove him to it, did I not? It was because of me that he jumped. I practically killed him myself!"

An animalistic snarl of pure rage escaped Riku as he sprang. The others all reached for him, attempting to restrain him, but he was simply too fast. He sailed toward Xemnas, intent on doing anything possible to wipe that damned smirk off his face.

But like smoke, the amber-eyed man dissipated right as Riku was about to hit him, flying headfirst into the wall instead.

"Riku!" Naminé, Roxas and Axel yelled in unison, watching as he hit with a resounding thud. He crumpled, momentarily knocked out.

"You bastard!" Naminé cried, moving to run to Riku but being stopped by Roxas grabbing a hold of her. "Riku!"

"Oh calm down, he's still alive," Ansem muttered disdainfully. "At least, for now he is," he amended with a chuckle.

"You know, we were going to save him for last..." Xehanort began, stroking his chin and beginning to pace. "But you, my dear," he said as he looked at Naminé, "there's something odd about you. You've felt our presence all night, haven't you? You're sensitive to the otherworldly. And you could pose a threat if you knew the extent of what you can do. So I think we'll save you, and you can watch them die and know that there's nothing you can do...and then you can join them."

"Such a great plan, brother...shall I do the honors?" Xemnas questioned, his blades reappearing in his hands.

"Please do," Xehanort answered with a malicious smile.

Before anyone could do or say anything, Xemnas dove toward Naminé, extending one of his blades forward. The blonde girl cried out before falling as it pierced the skin of her leg, causing her to crumple immediately.

"Naminé—" Roxas tried to yell, but then Xehanort's hand closed over his throat and lifted him into the air. As Axel tried to help him, he was roughly grabbed by Xemnas and slammed against the wall, being held there. A look of pain crossed his face as his broken ribs were jolted, but he held in a cry. He wasn't about to show weakness, not in the face of death.

Ansem smirked at Naminé as a giant hulking black and blue creature with a silver X across its chest exploded from his back. The thing leered at her before turning and grabbing an unconscious Riku by the neck. He was bleeding from his forehead now, and the blood simply joined the rest that covered his face from the gashes already there. His nose also looked broken, judging by the cut across the bridge and how misshapen it was.

Tears flowed freely down Naminé's cheeks as she was filled with hopelessness. She couldn't stand, couldn't do anything at all. Roxas was slowly being asphyxiated, Xemnas' blade was leveled with Axel's stomach, and Riku was being crushed in that monster's grip. She was powerless.

No, Nami, don't give up!

Her head snapped up as she heard the voice, but she found no source. It sounded like Kairi.

We can help you, Naminé.

Zexion?

But you need to help us first.

Demyx...

Call for us, Naminé!

Oh, Ven...

I don't know how! she thought frantically.

Shh, Nami, calm down. Just channel us, Naminé. We know you can!

Vanitas!

I...I'll try. With that, she closed her eyes and focused hard on their faces. She pictured Kairi and herself as kids, playing house. She pictured the day she met Roxas and Ven, the day they'd moved in next door. She remembered being scared of Sora's older brother, only to find out that he was mostly just misunderstood. She pictured the first day of high school, when she'd met the quiet, slightly moody Zexion in her biology class. And she pictured bright, smiley Demyx, who'd moved to town during her freshman year and become instant friends with everyone.

She let these memories fill her, feeling her body start to go warm. She felt the oddest pulling sensation in her chest before it felt like something within her was pulled away, taken completely from her.

And then she slumped, feeling completely drained. When her eyes cracked open...

Five translucent forms appeared in front of her, all of them familiar. Demyx, Zexion, Vanitas, Ven and...Kairi.

"Rest now, sis," Kairi told her with a smile. "We've got this covered."

Naminé watched through half-lidded eyes as the five of them went for the three brothers, who stared at them in shock. Ven immediately tackled Xehanort to free his brother, whose face was purpling from lack of oxygen. Kairi and Vanitas both went at Ansem to free Riku, who was coming to as the life was squeezed out of him. And then Zexion and Demyx tag-teamed Xemnas, causing him to drop Axel. The redhead fell to the floor, clutching his broken ribs and gasping in pain. Xemnas hissed in pain as their light came in contact with him, causing his blade to disappear as he writhed in pain.

Zexion and Demyx then joined Ven, and Roxas soon joined his boyfriend on the floor. Already, bright finger-shaped marks marred his neck, which he clutched at as the tears fell from his eyes. His breaths were deep and labored as he tried to refill his starving lungs with precious oxygen, and Axel immediately crawled to him and took his hand. Xehanort was reeling from the punch he'd been dealt by Ven, and he stumbled and fell.

Last to be released was Riku. He fell with a cry, while a snarl of rage and pain left Ansem as Vanitas punched him in the gut, while Kairi went for the dark beast.

Together, the five of them got the brothers cornered. And then Vanitas met Naminé's eyes as he exclaimed, "Go! All of you, get out now!"

Tiredly, Naminé pulled herself up. The second she tried to put weight on her injured leg, however, it buckled. She would have fallen had Riku not stood just in time and caught her. He looked dazed, but alert enough. Axel and Roxas managed to get to their feet, leaning heavily on each other.

"Where...where's Sora?" Riku asked, blinking his uninjured eye hard as his vision fogged from the concussion he was sure he had.

Ven turned, blue eyes clear. "Just go! We can't hold them for long!" he urged.

"But—" Riku tried to protest, but Demyx cut him off.

"Riku, he isn't with us. Okay?"

"Go, and get him and yourselves some help before it's too late," Zexion told them all, indigo eyes soft.

"Don't worry about us, these three can't leave the house. We'll be out in a minute," Kairi promised.

Axel pulled Roxas over to the door and threw it open, causing the light of dawn to flood in the room. They immediately headed out, followed a few seconds later by Naminé and Riku.

They got down the steps as fast as possible, making sure to avoid the step that Zexion had broken on the way in. And then Riku handed Naminé over to Roxas and Axel, stumbling around the side of the building to where he found Sora's crumpled form. Both of his legs were bent unnaturally, and he was bleeding in several places from the glass.

Releasing a cry, Riku fell to his knees beside him and felt his neck for a pulse. He nearly wept when he felt slow, weak beats against his fingers.

"He's alive!" he cried, tears slipping from his eyes. They burned his injured eye, but he didn't even care.

Sora was alive.

The others reached them seconds later. Roxas supported Naminé as she sluggishly dug through her pockets for her phone, leaning heavily on the blond as she handed it to Axel. He immediately dialed 911, releasing painful-sounding coughs as he tried to talk to the operator and get them help.

"Do you think his back is broken?" Roxas questioned, voice raspy. It sounded like it hurt to speak...

"I don't know..." Riku replied, brushing his boyfriend's bangs out of his face. "I just...I'm so happy he's alive..."

Their friends appeared then, causing Naminé to sway woozily in Roxas' hold. Kairi looked at her in concern, while Vanitas knelt beside Riku.

"We can't stay long, because this is draining Naminé," he said, glancing down sadly at his little brother. "We just wanted to talk to you all one more time, I suppose."

Roxas' eyes filled with tears as they rested on the translucent form of his twin. "Ven..." he whispered, biting his lip.

The younger twin smiked sadly. "Hey, no tears...I'm alright, Roxas. I died happy, okay? You don't need to worry about me."

"What will I do without you?" he asked, his rasp made worse by the lump in his throat.

"You'll live," Ven replied simply. "Live for us both, Roxy. And look after mom and dad, okay?"

Slowly, Roxas nodded. "I don't want you to go anywhere, Venny...I'll miss you."

Ven's eyes filled with tears, but still he smiled. "You'll be alright, Roxy. You were always the stronger one. Plus you have Axel, Riku, Nami, Sora...you'll be just fine. You don't need me."

Roxas shook his head vigorously. "I'll always need you, Ventus!"

A tear slipped down Ven's cheek. "I'll always be with you, Roxas. You may not know I'm there, but I'll look out for you. Always," he promised. "I won't leave you."

"Promise?" the older teen questioned, sniffling.

Ven nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to...well...you get it."

Demyx snorted at that, causing Zexion to elbow him in the side. "What?" the tall blond asked, hands raised in surrender. "It was funny!"

"Still!" Zexion hissed, rolling his eyes.

Roxas ler out a short chuckle. "I can appreciate the humor."

Axel hung up the phone and gave it back to Naminé. "They'll be here soon for us," he announced, sounding close to wheezing. His eyes fell on Zexion and Demyx, and sadness shone in their clear green depths. "Guys..."

"Don't even," Zexion warned him.

"Yeah, Ax, we told you all to go. It was our choice," Demyx told him, shrugging and smiling. "Plus, it was pretty quick anyway. Only hurt for a minute."

"We're glad that you guys were able to get out...it means we died for something," Zexion added with a small smile.

"You shouldn't have died at all..." Axel muttered, looking down. "None of you should've."

Kairi sighed. "But we did, and there's no way of changing it." She looked at her fellow deceased friends, meeting each of their eyes before speaking again. "Don't mourn for us, guys. Think of the happy, not the sad...because we don't want any of you to be sad. We're all okay with what happened...we've accepted it. I gave my life for Sora's, Ven gave his life for Vanitas', Vanitas have his life for both of them, and Dem and Zex gave their lives for all of you. The fact that you're all safe because of our sacrifices has brought us peace," she told them, offering a trademark sunny smile.

"Kai...Kairi," Naminé mumbled woozily, blinking hard. "I...I'll miss you...so much..."

Still smiling, Kairi moved closer to her sister. "Aw, sis...I'll always be in your heart." She looked down. "That is, if you'll have me," she amended, peeking up at her sister through her lashes.

Sluggishly, Naminé nodded. "As long as...as we're together," she managed to say, eyelids drooping.

Smiling brightly, Kairi reached for her sister's hand. Instead of passing right through, it seemed to go solid at Naminé's touch.

The redhead looked around, meeting the eyes of all her friends. "I'm so grateful to have had friends like all of you. And remember, no matter what...as long as you're with Nami, you'll be with me too."

"Bye, Kairi," they all said in unison, watching as she began to glow. Her form started to melt away and go completely white until all that remained was a floating orb the size of a baseball. Gently, it moved forward until it sank into Naminé's chest, causing her eyes to widen momentarily. She became slightly more alert, looking around tiredly.

"I think it's time we got going," Zexion murmured, looking around at his friends. "We're taking up too much of Naminé's strength..."

Vanitas, who was still crouched beside Riku and Sora, looked down at his little brother with gentle eyes. "His heart...it's so big and welcoming. I think he's beckoning me to him." He looked back at Ven, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "You feel it too, don't you? He's calling to us."

Slowly, Ven nodded. Moving closer, he knelt by Sora as well, taking Vanitas' hand and pressing a kiss to his lips. "Let's go together, Vanitas."

Nodding, Vanitas turned to face Riku. "Look after my brother, okay? I know I said it before, but I'll say it again. He's precious to me, and I don't want anything bad happening to him," he said seriously.

Riku nodded. "Don't worry," he whispered, stroking Sora's cut cheek. "I'll take care of him no matter what."

"Good," Vanitas replied, smiling. "He's got a tough road of recovery ahead, but...he's got an amazing boyfriend and wonderful friends to help him out. Not to mention a little help from the inside," he told them, nudging Ven playfully.

"We'll keep his heart strong," Ven promised.

"We'll miss you," Axel said softly, glancing at his two friends.

"We'll miss you all as well. But we'll be with Sora, so if you ever miss us too much...know that we're always close," Vanitas assured them, still smiling.

"I love you, Ven," Roxas choked out.

Ven smiled gently. "I love you too, Roxy."

"Bye, guys..." Riku murmured, watching as they began to glow and dissolve like Kairi had. The orbs of light that were left behind seemed to dance for a moment before sinking into Sora's body, returning some color to his pale cheeks.

"Guess that's our cue, Zexy," Demyx said with a bright grin. "Feel like traveling?"

Chuckling, Zexion linked their arms together. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Will you two be alright?" Axel questioned, brows furrowed.

Demyx waved a hand dismissively. "We'll be fine. We're already dead, not much else can happen," he joked, green eyes shining. "But in all seriousness...don't worry. We have each other, and that's all we need. We'll visit every once in a while, even though you won't know we're there," he promised.

"If we really need to talk to any of you, we'll ask Naminé to relay the message," Zexion added with a smile.

"Well, see you later then," Roxas rasped, laying his head on Axel's arm. "We won't forget you."

"Well I should hope you've got us memorized," Demyx teased, sending a glance at Axel.

"Hey, no stealing the catchphrase," the redhead said with a slight chuckle.

"It doesn't really suit you, Dem," Roxas chuckled.

Demyx shrugged. "Hey, I tried." Grinning, he wrapped an arm around Zexion and kissed his head. "Let's see the world, Zexy. Maybe we can haunt people or something!"

Rolling his eyes, Zexion waved goodbye. "You were all wonderful friends," he said with a smile. "And we won't forget any of you, either."

"We'll meet again someday," Demyx promised, still grinning in that carefree way of his.

"We'll hold you to that," Axel teased, smiling a small smile. There was still sadness in his eyes, but knowing that his friends were okay eased his heart a little.

With a final wave, Demyx and Zexion began walking away, disappearing more and more with each step until nothing was left.

And then Naminé sagged, completely worn out, and Roxas found the strength to lift her into his arms and cradle her. Her thigh was bleeding slowly but surely, and she was deathly pale.

But then they heard the blaring sirens of the ambulance, and they knew that everything was going to be okay, because help had finally come.

The nightmare was over.

a/n: god it's so cheesy i know i'm sorry

but they made it! and sora's not dead! anyone surprised by that? like at all? hahaha

epilogue next! i'll say my proper goodbyes then!

afom out~