*claps hands* guess what? I just got a NEW LAPTOP! YAY!

Which means no more getting kicked off the family computer, which means more time to write updates!!!!! Woot!!!!

Once again, I don't own Sora, Riku, or Kairi. I think I created just about everyone else, though. Well, not Terra. Or the Hollow Bastion crew.

Anyway, enjoy.


Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself
I can't be who you are
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some reason to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memories, leave out all the rest
-Linkin Park, "Leave Out All The Rest"


A miracle, the people were calling it.

A bit of an exaggeration, in Bruixe's opinion. It had just been good tactics, that's all. Not even complex. But sometimes it was the simplest idea that was the most effective. Separating Isalena from her Chasers and forcing her to battle six people at once was a simple plan – and yet brilliant.

Of course, the real victory had been in the banishment of the Chasers. The Watch had been losing the battle, outnumbered and outflanked, until suddenly, every one of their enemies had simply disappeared. Only a few of them knew the reason for that, and Bruixe had every intention of keeping it that way. She didn't want the attention. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to be left alone – at the moment.

Because in spite of all the victories – Isalena's death, the Chasers' destruction, and the newfound freedom of Kingdom City – there was still one thing terribly wrong.

Sora hadn't woken up.

They'd all expected him to be exhausted. Who wouldn't be, after having held a barrier against the most powerful magical attack anyone had ever seen? Kairi could barely stand, and she had only taken half the beating Sora had.

But it had been days, and Sora still hadn't opened his eyes, or even stirred. The only sign he was even still alive was the slow, shallow rise and fall of his chest.

For the first two days, Kairi had kept vigil by his side, speaking to him in a low, calm voice. She claimed people could still hear you, even if they were in a coma, and sometimes the right voice or the right words could wake them up.

When it became apparent that not even Kairi could wake Sora – and that she hadn't eaten or slept since the battle – Riku finally put his foot down. He'd literally walked into the room, picked up the tiny redhead, carried her to her own bed, and glared at her until she agreed to get some rest.

Since then the three of them had been taking turns staying with Sora, sometimes talking to him, sometimes not.

The trouble was, no one really knew what was wrong with him. "He should have woken up by now," Kairi kept saying, and she and multiple other healers had all pronounced him healthy as an ox – with the minor detail that he'd been unconscious for four days. There was no reason, physically, why he shouldn't be awake.

Bruixe was on the 'graveyard shift', as Garrison called it. Kairi sat with Sora from dawn till dusk, not such a long time in the middle of Eternal Kingdom winter. Riku was on duty from dusk until midnight, and Bruixe woke up at midnight to sit by her friend until dawn, when Kairi would come again.

"You can't stay like this forever," Bruixe whispered on the fourth night.

She'd never been a good liar, even to herself. She'd heard of people who had slept in comas for years, and never woken up again. But it couldn't happen now. This was Sora. She'd seen him conquer impossible odds, bounce back from death's threshold to victory.

"I'm sorry I didn't like you," she said, looking down at his still sleeping face. He was like the brother she'd never had, now. "You really do look like Roxas, you know. Maybe that's why I hated you. You look just like the kindest person I've ever known, but you sure as hell didn't act like him. Of course, that was before I got to know you. You're just as kind as he was. But you're stronger, and more sure of yourself. All the things Roxas always wanted to be. I bet he's pleased, wherever he is."

The door opened behind her; she didn't have to turn to recognize Kairi's soft, delicate footsteps.

"How is he?" the younger girl asked.

Bruixe shrugged. "The same."

She got up and gave her friend a hug, trying to put as much comfort in it as she could. "He'll be alright," Bruixe said. "You'll see."

"Yeah," Kairi whispered. "Thanks, Bruixe."

"No problem," she replied.


The hallway was quiet. Garrison had ordered everyone to stay away from Sora except for healers and his friends. Bruixe was glad. The last thing they needed were nosy soldiers and admirers to flock to his bedside. And Sora wasn't short on admirers these days. None of them were. Another reason Bruixe was grateful for the privacy.

She knocked lightly on Riku's door. He opened it within seconds. His hair was disheveled, and there were grey circles under his eyes. Bruixe imagined she must look the same, not that she knew. Her practice of avoiding mirrors had stuck, and now it was a habit.

"How are you?" Riku asked her.

She laughed humorlessly. "Your best friend is in a coma, and you're asking me how I am? You need to get your priorities straight."

"Hey, I'm an equal-opportunity worrier," he replied.

She combed her fingers through his hair, trying to fix it. "Don't bother," he said, mussing it again. "It'll sort itself out in an hour or two."

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked.

He gave her a long look. "Stupid question. Did you?"

"Stupider question," Bruixe mocked. She collapsed onto his floor, sitting up against his bed, and he joined her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Why'd you do it?" he said eventually.

"Do what?" she asked, though she could guess.

"Kill Isalena," Riku answered.

"Someone had to," she pointed out.

"I could have," he whispered. "I should have been able to."

Bruixe shook her head impatiently. "Don't. It's not… weakness, valuing life. It's actually pretty admirable, if you ask me. You shouldn't have to be a killer, Riku. It's not who you are."

"And it's who you are?" Riku asked. "I don't believe that."

She took a deep breath. "I'd killed before. Twice. Both of them… well, I didn't really know either one. But I knew Isalena. And she deserved to die. Someone had to kill her."

"Why you?" he wanted to know.

Bruixe remembered a conversation she'd had long ago, with Terra.

"Why is this happening to me?" she sobbed.

Terra put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not a good person to ask that question, Changeling."

"It's not fair," Rubie cried. "Everyone hates me, just for existing. And the darkness won't leave me alone. And Velkin just keeps looking for a reason to kill me. Why? What did I do to deserve it?"

"You're strong, Changeling," Terra told her. "Strong enough to bear it."

"Someone once told me that burdens only fall to those strong enough to bear them," she said. "The stronger you are, the heavier your burdens. I had to be the one to kill Isalena because I'm the one that could. Because I'd killed before, and it hadn't destroyed me. I knew I was strong enough to do it. I'm not saying that it was a good thing to do. But it had to be done."

Riku didn't say anything.

"Yeah, you or Sora could have taken Isalena down," Bruixe went on. "But you're the heroes of light. Maybe you weren't always, but you are now. You give people hope. They look at you and see all the things that are good and beautiful in humanity. And then they look at me – and they know me, they know what I've done. I'm not as… light as you. People know that. They expect to see darkness in me. They weren't surprised to hear that I had killed Isalena. But if it were you – people don't want to believe that their heroes are also villains. That good people can do terrible deeds. But terrible people – well, not terrible," she amended, "but… I'm not as pure as you. I can do… awful things, and they won't think any less of me. They might not love me as much as they love their heroes of light. But I can live with that."

Riku nodded slowly. "I just wish it didn't have to happen that way."

"Me too," Bruixe said. "But that's kind of where I fit in our little band of misfits. Sora's the brave one. You're incredibly strong. Kairi's sweet and compassionate. And I'm the one that does what has to be done – even if it's horrifying."

"You have your good traits, too," he pointed out. "You're clever. And insanely loyal. And noble."

"Thanks," she said simply.

The sun was beginning to peek over the trees now, painting the world orange and red and pink.

"I miss the islands," Bruixe said.

Riku looked at her incredulously. "Really?" he asked. "All those times we were in different worlds, and you kept saying how you missed the mountains, and the city. What changed?"

"I don't know," Bruixe admitted. "You crazy islanders are probably rubbing off on me."

"We do that," Riku agreed. He traced the scar on her cheek with his fingertips. "How'd you get that one, again?"

"Saix," she said. "I was breaking Axel out of the dungeon, and he caught me. So I beat him up. But he gave me that."

"Fun," Riku said.

"I've had worse," she replied, shrugging.

"I remember," he told her. "If I remember correctly, the first time I ever saw you, you were bleeding from just about everywhere. And you were covered in sand."

"Not the first time," Bruixe reminded him. "The first time, you threw me off a building."

He grinned. "Oh yeah. And you still liked me, even after all that."

"I couldn't get rid of you," she teased. "You followed me around like a stray puppy."

"I was bored, hanging around the islands all the time." he said offhandedly. "You'd get tired of Sora, too, if you lived with him for fifteen years."

"I'm tired of him already, and I've known him for one," she said.

Riku looked away suddenly.

Bruixe realized too late what she'd said. "Shit. I didn't mean it like that. I'd never – Sora's like a brother to me, too. It was stupid, I shouldn't have –"

"It's alright," he said quietly. There was a long silence, and then Riku said, "Kairi wants to take Sora home."

Bruixe cocked her head to one side in a question.

"She thinks being on the islands might help him wake up," he explained. "You know. Hearing his parents, his other friends. Being at home. They say familiarity helps people in comas wake up."

"Yeah," Bruixe said. "I've heard that, too."

"We've sent messages out to a bunch of his friends from different worlds," Riku continued. "You've met some of them. Leon, and Yuffie, and Aerith, and Cloud and Tifa. People who know him, who care about him. Something has to work." He said it firmly, as if believing in it fiercely enough could make it come true.

"It will work," Bruixe reassured him. "Sora's so strong. He'll beat this. Whatever it is."

"I know," Riku said.

Bruixe sighed. "I wonder what will happen here," she said. "With most of the Council gone. There are only two of them left."

She looked at her hands and thought about what she'd come here to tell him. Finally she turned to look at him.

"Riku," she said. "I have to tell you something."

He met her gaze with grave eyes. "You're staying, aren't you?"

"How did you know?" she asked. "I didn't –"

"You didn't say anything," he answered. "You didn't have to. I know you, Bruixe. This was your home, once, even if it isn't really now. And once you get a problem in your head, you won't let go until you've solved it. Someone's got to put the Eternal Kingdom back together. And if you're not there, you'll never forgive yourself."

"You're right," she said. She'd thought a long time about how to tell him, but of course Riku didn't need telling. He knew her better than anyone. Even herself.

"You know I'd stay with you," he whispered painfully. "If it weren't for Sora."

"I understand," she replied truthfully. "You should go with him. He'll need you more than I will. And it's not like it's goodbye. As soon as the Council is back on its feet, I'll be there, on the islands. With you."

"Or as soon as Sora wakes up, I'll come back," Riku promised.

Bruixe leaned into him, curling against his chest, savoring the warmth of his arms around her, because it couldn't last forever.

"When will you leave?" Bruixe whispered, dreading the answer.

"Tonight," Riku replied reluctantly. "Kairi thinks the sooner the better."

"Won't everyone be surprised, when I'm not with you?" Bruixe wondered aloud.

"They should be used to it," he told her. "You're full of surprises."

She smiled despite herself. "I never manage to surprise you," she pointed out. "Even when I surprise myself, you never even blink."

He chuckled. "I'll give you that," he agreed.

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