FOUR YEARS AGO: Traverse Town

"So…" The tall man implored, looking out the library window to the horizon. "Have you heard?" The younger blonde at the table looked up.

"They say Obsidian is making a recovery. That's the news in Traverse Town common." He uncrossed his arms, turning to the boy. "How's the search?" He asked with a quieter voice. The blonde groaned slightly.

"Yours?" He asked the brunette, looking up from the corner of his eye. The brunette sighed, shaking his head.

"Rinoa is long gone. No sign of her. Just like Vincent and Aerith, she disappeared after the destruction. The blonde remained unfazed.

"Vincent and Aerith and Tifa, like Yuffie, Cid, and I, were not born on Radiant Garden, and stayed there by choice. Rinoa was born there. It makes sense that Vincent, Aerith, and Tifa did not reappear, even though Cid and Yuffie did. As for Rinoa…"

"She should be here." The taller man finished, sighing. "I know."

"Think she's…" The brunette stood taller, and defiant.

"No. I would know… if she was." He reached up and touched his neck. There was no necklace there, but once, there was. He'd lost it in the destruction of his world.

"Hey, boys!" A ninja, hands weighed down by bags, walked in. "I'm here!" A rougher blonde walked in behind, weighed down by even more bags and seemingly angry.

"Good". The blonde stood. "Now I may leave." The ninja gawked, arms limp.

"Cloud? What?" She protested. The older blonde looked confused.

"I have people to find. And I've been offered a deal; one too good to refuse." The blonde called Cloud looked up to the brunette man. "Thank you…" He whispered so the other two couldn't hear. "You gave my friends and me a second chance…" His voice trailed off. The brunette nodded.

"Leon!" The ninja protested. "Tell him he's nuts!" The brunette named Leon looked to her, and then to Cloud.

"You're nuts. But I doubt that will stop you, will it?" Cloud chuckled, smirking. Yuffie let out a heavy sigh.

"Kid." The older blonde sighed. "Take care of yourself and them when ya get to em." Cloud nodded.

"I will, Cid." Cid grinned, nodding.

"I guess I can't stop you, huh?" The ninja sighed. Cloud smiled at her.

"Good luck becoming the universe's greatest ninja, Yuffie." He chuckled. She brightened up.

"Good luck finding Aerith. And the others." She muttered, lightly punching his shoulder. He rubbed it playfully, and she giggled as he walked to the door.

"Cloud." Leon called as the boy walked out into the night. Cloud looked behind to him.

"Don't ever lose sight of it. Your light." Leon instructed. Cloud smiled ever so slightly.

"I promise; I won't." Leon relaxed a bit, nodding.

"I won't either."

It was months later that Aerith arrived unconscious with Leon and the others. But by then, Cloud was far away, out of reach…

"Is there no other way?" Cloud asked the taller man, whose skin was blue and hair on fire.

"What kinda way you have in mind? Maiming, burning…" Cloud shook his head.

"Never mind." The man's piercing eyes fell on him.

"The boy and Hercules. Both". Cloud looked determined. Glaring at the horizon, he nodded.

"I will."

Don't ever lose sight of it.

I won't.

As he agreed, a figure in red, standing in the shadows shook his head sadly, looking reverently and pityingly to his old friend.

"What has happened to you, Cloud?" Vincent muttered, disappearing into the shadows.

Deep, down below, a girl in a cloak stood at the edge of the green pit of water that lead to the underworld. She was tall, and lean like a teenager. With a sigh, she peered into the depths. Vincent appeared behind her.

"Cloud has taken Hades' bait. How is Auron?" He asked.

"Dead as ever. I only wish he hadn't…" Vincent quieted her politely.

"No regrets. He leapt into death to save you, as he has been there before. And If I know Hades', he will find need of our friend soon enough… and then Auron will cease to be a fallen dream." The girl smiled reverently.

"Vincent, what type of dream are you?" She pondered. Vincent looked a bit surprised, but he walked up to her.

"I am a humane dream, like you; a human who dreamt so strongly they became the dream itself; I am a dream of freedom. To be free of the ties and bonds of my past… to let go…" He sighed. The girl looked at him with pitying and somber eyes.

"You, Rinoa?" He asked the edge on his voice less sad now. She nodded.

"I'm a humane dream for love. For…" Rinoa became silent.

"Leon?" Vincent smiled. Rinoa nodded, blushing a little.

"Leon."

Far away from Olympus Coliseum, far away, was a world called the World that Never Was…

The girl, hooded in a white cloak and limber, sped from alley to alley, dodging the countless shadows and neoshadows. Breathing heavily, she looked up to Memory's Skyscraper reverently before passing it.

Turning in the street, she came to the Edge of Despair, staring up to the castle with awe and wonderment. The girl smiled slightly, barefoot, her pure snow white cloak flowing.

"This is what its like." She murmured. It was a beautiful, desolately beautiful land, this place. It felt like an echoing silence of the mysterious flows and ebbs of life itself, the heartbeat of the stars, the shadow of the Universal heart, Kingdom Hearts. It was unexplainable.

The girl lifted her hood off her face.

Her face was pale white, her navy blue metallic hair short and framing her face perfectly. Wide eyes of curiosity and mystery were deep oceanic blue, shining like stars. The left eye had an intricate design around it, a black tattoo that looked gothic in style and in art formation. A long neck and her ears pierced with hoop earrings. A small nose and ordinary lips, the girl looked mystical, as if she could fade away at any moment like a girl from a movie. Her eyes seemed to change color with her mood, as they lightened from deep blue to baby blue as she absorbed her surroundings happily.

"Tsuki." The girl spun around, coming face to face with a man who looked just like Xehanort, but dressed like Xemnas. The girl nodded happily.

"Xen." She smiled. Xen smirked, nodding.

"One of your others is there." Tsuki nodded to the castle. He sighed.

"Another is housed in a male child. I cannot believe…" Tsuki shushed him gently.

"Now, now. The sins of your halves are not your sins." Eyes pained, he sighed. She took hold of his hands.

"How much longer must it be a secret?" She implored. He sighed again heavily.

"I am not prepared to protect you from the ones who would do harm to you to hurt me. I cannot put you in that place." The girl moaned, her grip on his hands tightening.

"I want to shout it to the world! I want to dance and sing and cheer! I want everyone to know… I love you… and I'm to marry you and you always." Xen smiled lovingly and brightly.

"And when we finally can, we will shout, we will dance, we'll sing and cheer it to the stars together. I promise you." He bent down to her level.

"I will always love you, my Moonlight."

We will shout, we will dance, we'll sing and cheer…

A young boy with blonde hair sat in the empty room. It was full of shadows. The only light came from a tall window, and the light was cast over the child as he sat with a blank expression in his chair. He seemed to be brooding.

The door to the room opened quietly, and a woman peered in. The child didn't move, didn't change, he didn't do anything. The woman walked in.

I know that you're hiding things

"Tidu?" The girl questioned. The boy didn't move still, just sat there, blanking staring out a light filled window in a room full of dark.


using gentle words to shelter me


Your words were like a dream

"Tidu, please, come out." The girl walked into the room completely. Her long black hair fell down to the floor, part of it covering her left eye. "You can't stay here forever." The boy looked down to the floor, expression never changing.


But dreams could never fool me


Not that easily

Standing there for a moment, the green eyed, black haired girl stared at the blonde boy named Tidu, looking for a sign or waiting for an answer. Moving his head back up to look out the window, the boy didn't move otherwise. He just sat there.

The girl sighed and made her leave, long hair flowing behind her as she silently shut the door.

I acted so distant then


Didn't say goodbye before you left

"Who… am I?" The boy asked the open air. "Auron won't tell me. But he knows me. Who am I?" Once more, his expression remained blank. But his cheek was caressed with a single tear.


But I was listening


You'll fight your battles far from me


Far too easily

"I have memories. But they are not mine. Someone… with a blue sword… and a girl with mystic eyes…" The boy spoke again, the light on the window never changing. If you looked close to the window, you could see it was stained glass. The art depicted battles, and death, and religion. And on top of this art, was blood. Someone's cracking, deep red blood.

"Save your tears, 'cause I'll come back"


I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door

"Why, Tidu? Why do you hide?" the girl asked herself as she walked down endless hallways. "Why can't you come out?" The girl walked into another empty room, but this one was not dark, but had a broken lamp on a table. It was not bright, but it worked. There was no window. The girl strode up to the chair and sat down, somber.

She played with her long hair, sighing.


But still I swore to hide that pain when I turned back the pages


Shouting might've been the answer

The girl began singing to herself as the broken lamp flickered, playing with her dark locks of hair. She sang a song she didn't know she knew, called "1000 words".

What if I cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?


But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart

'Cause a thousand words called through the ages

Rocking in the chair, she sang, playing with her hair and pondering her existence.


They'll fly to you, even though I can't see


I know they're reaching you, suspended on silver wings!

On the World that Never Was, Tsuki asked Xen to return home.

"Check on the kids, okay?" he chuckled.

"You make it sound as if we're parents." The girl cocked her brow playfully.

"Not yet, boy." She giggled. "Not yet." Placing her hood back on her head, she ran up the white path to the Castle.


Oh, a thousand words


One thousand embraces...

Unknown to the girl Tsuki, another girl, shrouded in mist, awaited her in the castle.

"Come, sister." She called. "Come."


Will cradle you, making all of your weary days seem far away.


They'll hold you forever

Tsuki arrived at the top, when a figure floated down before her, face unable to be seen. But Tsuki knew who it was.

"Hinode!" She muttered, backing up.

"Welcome." Hinode's voice was soothing and long, but icy underneath.

Oh, a thousand words A thousand words...


Have never been spoken Oh, yeah.

Xen arrived at home, looking for the children. He found Tidu in his usual spot, staring blankly out the window in the storage room.

"Tidu, where's Mari?" Tidu didn't move.

"Mari came. Mari went away." With a sigh, Xen nodded and shut the door.


They'll fly to you


They'll carry you home and back into my arms Carry you home...!


Suspended on silver wings! On silver wings!

Tsuki felt chains wrap around her wrists and her ankles. Panic rose in her; what was to happen now? All of their future plans… their dreams…

Xen…

"I welcome you, sister! Welcome home! To Twilight!" Hinode laughed. "For this is where you will be a long time."

As the chains became tighter, and they pulled her down, over the side of the walkway, towards her prison far below the Proof of Existence, Tsuki cried one tear as she gazed at the moon.

"I love you, Xen."

And a thousand words, Ooh...


Called out through the ages Called through the ages
They'll cradle you, turning all of the loving into only days... Only days.
They'll hold you forever

Oh, a thousand words...

"Mari?" Xen asked, walking into the room.

"A thousand words…" She whispered, looking up to Xen with a creepy, deathly look. "She's gone." Xen looked stunned.

"What? Who's gone? Who?" Mari was cradling herself, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth in the chair.

"Mommy. Mommy's with Auntie now." Xen looked more than crestfallen, downtrodden, or any word to describe pain. Devastation had nothing on him.

"Tsukikage." He whispered, tears trailing his face.

Nowadays, as in, Chapter 27

"XEN!" The girl screamed, sobbing and crying and devastated. "NO! X-XE- XEN!" She collapsed in the coils of chains, clutching herself, crying.

A hand lay on her shoulder. She looked up.

"How did we wake up?" The man asked.

"S-Spell wore off." She muttered, sobbing still, eyes red and face soaked.

The man next to her had bright green eyes and spiked red hair, and a long black cloak. He looked pitying for her, saddened.

"I'm sorry… for your loss." The girl lost control and clutched Axel, screaming and sobbing.

"XEN!"

We will shout, we will dance, we'll sing and cheer…

Nowadays, as in, Chapter 32

"Auron?" Sora asked. The older man shook his head. He had looked back on four years of pain and work and loss in only seconds, as the boy Sora had looked up to him. Vincent reached out and set his hand on Auron's shoulder. Nodding, Auron looked to the brown haired boy.

Looking down on the boy with sadness, and sighed. Sora looked from person to person; Auron seemed distraught, Vincent was plain cold, and Cloud… looked even more angst-like than usual.

"Its time… for the third trial in the game." Auron declared.