Only a Breath [Emi/Org. XIII Members]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"I'm beginning to think this is a heck of a lot more complicated than we thought..."
--

"Yes, I understand."

It made perfect sense to Emi. But what didn't make sense is what could have possibly traumatized him more than the things he could remember. Whatever it was that had caused this mental block of his must have been really really bad for those memories to be buried. It occurred to her that the memories that Zexion was missing were memories of her.

A feeling of dread came over her. Had something happened to the two of them that neither remembered? Had she done something to him that was so terrible his conscious mind needed to cover it in order to function. No... certainly a mere child wasn't capable of such a horrible thing.

She wondered. Maybe it wasn't just the memories pertaining to her. Maybe there was more, and there had to be something. Something she was involved in. That had to be it. But she didn't remember anything. He said he remembered Radiant Garden clearly. All of the other bad memories she could think of in her own life he hadn't been present for. In fact, all of the memories she had of him (up until today) had been good. The best she could remember.

So it seemed that she also was missing a few memories. The thought scared and shocked her. What else, what other monstrosity could there possibly be?

She met Zexion's eyes.

"So... do you even want those memories back?[/color]"

Things had come full circle now. She had a feeling he was just going to put her down again. If he didn't want to remember, then things were right back where they started. A dead end. And if didn't want to, then she wasn't sure she wanted to. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. But if he did...

[Fate]

The World of Yesterday
Say My Name

Both of them were making eye contact now, the mood of the room different than it was two minutes ago. Two minutes ago, Emi had a grin on her face because of her successful mischief and Zexion was flustered. The mood had become serious now, Zexion looking down at Emi with a serious look in his eyes as he thought about the question she asked. It was an important question that needed to be answered. If he didn't even want the memories back, then why bother with the effort?

Though, he had to admit that he wanted those memories back. He may never become Ienzo again, that part of him dead, but that did not mean he wanted to discard all of his memories. Zexion preferred to have a complete set and a finished puzzle. This puzzle was missing some key pieces to it and it was bothersome. Aside from that, if he refused to try to remember, the two of them would be back to where they began. The Schemer could not have that.

"Yes," he answered shortly, looking down for a moment. Why was that so hard to admit? Admit that he was not like a lot of the Organization, those whom saw the memories of their former life unimportant and trivial? Zexion never truly considered himself different than any other member except in regards to power and intellect. Though, he supposed there was one other difference: he was still, admittedly, a bit of a child; no other member other than Roxas could boast that.

"Though I do not know how to trigger blocked memories. The trick I did in the Beast's castle was merely luck," he told her, pacing a bit again. "Perhaps... tell me, what do you remember of the Garden? Anything that you remember has the possibility to trigger it."

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Let's see... where do I start?"
--

Emi sat back on the bed, lowering her eyes. Her brow furrowed as she thought. It was always hard to pinpoint memories like that and come up with something specific. "I remember the castle pretty well, at least the outside of it. I remember a field with a lot of hills...[/color]"

Kind of like that place you created to torture me...

"And I remember, um... a creek or something. I used to slip on the rocks a lot and hurt my knees. I remember ice cream, and the main part of the town really sticks out.[/color]"

Yes, she saw the town center quite clearly in her mind's eye. She had every path memorized and could imagine herself running through them. The taste of the ice cream was also very clear. She let her mouth fall open a little, recalling the peculiar mix of salty and sweet.

"The orphanage, the school. Oh, and the library in the castle. We used to play there, didn't we? I remember the piano.[/color]"

Each memory brought to the surface brought more memories with them, overlapping and touching. She put a hand on her mouth, trying to remember everything she could about her time with Ienzo. They used to play outside a lot, catching caterpillars, eating ice cream, splashing in the creek. Really, she did all those things; Ienzo usually just stood and watched. She told Zexion about those memories and then she added "You were really quiet, like really really quiet. Sometimes you wouldn't speak it alll, you would just write stuff down. That's how we learned each others names, we wrote them in the dirt.[/color]"

Her eyes searched the back wall, hoping the bare white would act as sort of a canvas. She sighed heavily. That was all she could recall, regarding him. She knew they had been the best of friends, virtually inseparable for a long time. And then...nothing. She could remember nothing terrible that he would have wanted to repress.

Of course, she did have other memories, bad ones. She used to get into a lot of fights, used to get in trouble a lot. She would run away and hide in the town center, which is how she came to know the paths so well. But Ienzo was never there. She had never laid a hand on him. There had never been a reason for her to lash out at him. She had gotten mad around him, she believed that. But never directly at him.

"That's all I have about you,[/color]" she finally said.

[Fate]

Anomalous Memories...

As she spoke, Zexion sat in his chair again with the Lexicon in his lap and his eyes closed, the book glowing as the pages flipped rapidly. He created illusions of the places she recalled one by one, though some were not as clear as others; almost the entire room became an illusion, the two of them sitting in the middle as spectators. The castle was incredibly clear with every small detail present, though the orphanage was blurry. He couldn't remember what it looked like that well, though he remembered the creek. The main part of town was also familiar...

Sea-Salt Ice cream, of course; everyone, including Ienzo, was obsessed with the stuff. He could remember the vendor that sold the ice cream and how Ienzo went to get it. He appeared in the illusion for a moment before it changed to the library, another place Zexion remembered with incredible vividness. The piano fell gently into place in the illusion, a girl sitting at it and playing a rather fast-paced piece. Ienzo appeared next to her, watching her fingers move along the keys.

These were only snippets though, Zexion noted. These weren't the memories in full; though, they were something. He kept going as memories flitted about in his mind, though they seemed fascinated on what was blurry like the orphanage and a bit of the creek. There were splashing sounds, but he couldn't see anyone there. Though, Ienzo decided to show up again, doing as he always did; the boy never did much except stand there with a blank face, one that his Nobody was good at wearing.

The illusion focused a bit on him as Emi continued to speak, telling him how quiet he was. Zexion nodded in agreement. "Ienzo was mute most of his life. It was his coping mechanism." The image of their names written in dirt was brought up briefly for a moment, Ienzo's written neatly and Emi's name in capital letters. This was good; at least he was getting somewhere with all of this.

Though, after that, there wasn't anything else. That was all she could remember, which was indeed a fair amount. Some memories were starting to come back to him, the two of them running around town and out into the more country part of Radiant Garden, eating ice cream, and playing in the library. Emi really liked to play the piano and Ansem always made sure it was in tune for her. Ienzo often watched and even learned a little bit sometimes, though watching her was fascinating enough.

What was next though? "Hmm..." He let his mind wander a bit, the illusions now focusing on the streets of Radiant Garden instead of the library. Ienzo always ran through the streets of the world, whether it to be a place of importance or not; he loved to escape and get away from everything. An illusion of him running through the streets formed, though... it was a bit different.

Ienzo was in tears. That was something that never happened; he never showed that he was crying, not ever.

"Emi, stop it! Please just stop it!" That yell made Zexion gasp, the illusion stopping immediately. He wasn't sure he saw what triggered it, though the last thing he remembered were streets. He opened his eyes wide, looking to Emi for a moment in a bit of astonishment. Yelling wasn't something Ienzo ever did; he never had a reason for it and it almost seemed like he didn't even know how. What could possibly cause that then?

He kept his gaze on Emi, not sure what to say. He didn't have all of the answers this time, an odd position for him to be in. She had to remember for him; it was the only way right now.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams..."
-Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5
--

Emi's eyes glazed over and focused on something far away. She heard the scream too... it was a plea. She felt her hands curl into fists, her fingernails digging into her own palms. She wanted to remember, but she just... she couldn't do it.

Around them, the illusion shattered as Zexion's focus faltered. He looked to her. For answers. He had questions, and wanted answers she couldn't give. She relaxed her hands. She hadn't been aware she'd been clenching them and when she looked down, she realized she'd drawn blood. It stood out starkly against her dark complexion, leaking from little half moon cuts.

Blood. She couldn't tear her eyes away from her hands. It looked so familiar. She tilted her head and grew frustrated. It was there, she knew it was. Deep in her heart, she knew what it was.

"Did I do something?[/color]" she said quietly. Mostly to herself.

She knew it was pointless to ask. He couldn't remember. Ienzo (she recognized his voice) had been screaming at her to stop... she knew what it must be but it didn't make any sense. None at all! She had heard similar commands before. Always being told to stop, just stop. It was nothing new, but coming from Ienzo, who was always so quiet and calm and reasonable.

Emi was growing frustrated. She tore her gaze from her hands to look at Zexion and shouted "Do another illusion. Do it now. Bring us back to where we just were. No matter how painful it is, don't stop it![/color]"

[Fate]

Feint of Heart
Every beat of your heart tore the lies all apart
Made foundations quiver
Every wave in the lake caused the porcelain to break
And I shiver... (Feint by Epica)

Zexion was not particularly fond of the position that the two had arrived at. The illusion had arrived at his mental block, the exact thing that he had worked endlessly to forget. There was something there, something crucial, that Ienzo had worked to repress and lie to himself about so he would forget and be comfortable. Like many of his lies, it worked and Zexion had trouble remembering it. But now, now they were so close and he could almost see it. There was no turning back at this point.

He heard Emi's words and was slightly curious about them. Did she do something? Was that the reason behind his lack of memories for her? He closed his eyes for a minute, looking down as a slight headache started to form; his mental capacity was getting pushed today, but it was needed. A part of him really didn't want to go through with this. What would be the point of getting memories back? What would be the reward of destroying that mental block? He didn't have much of an answer, surprisingly; he just wanted to remember. He needed to remember; it would be the closest thing to feeling something.

He immediately looked up as Emi shouted at him, commanding him to do another illusion. It could almost be seen as ironic that she wanted him to go through with this, especially since earlier she was pleading with him to stop when he had no intention of doing so. This time wasn't just painful for her though; it was going to be for him, or at least somewhat. He would get to remember whatever Ienzo felt that he worked so hard to repress. He gazed at Emi for a moment, his eyes grave. His only reply was to nod his head and close his eyes once more, the illusion beginning again.

They reached the streets of Radiant Garden again, the images clear in his mind. There he was and there Emi was, though they were just walking down the streets like they usually did. Emi was talking about something and Ienzo was listening, occasionally nodding his head. Zexion wasn't even quite sure what they were talking about; most likely nonsensical babbling or something of that nature. That wasn't what was important, however; what was important was the man that met them at the end of the street.

"Braig?" Zexion asked himself aloud, the image of the man clear. His face was not scarred and smooth, which meant it was before everything began. He was in his usual clothes, which Ienzo found unusual often enough, and was just standing there. It wasn't an abnormal occurrence, for the man was often seen wandering around town. Though, what did he have to do with any of this? It didn't make much sense.

"Ienzo, nice to see ya-- what are you up to today?" he asked the boy innocently. As usual, Ienzo didn't say a word. He merely gestured to Emi, which in his language meant that he was spending time with his friend. Braig nodded to this, a grin on his face. "Never gonna get you to talk am I? Ah well, have fun with your little friend." Braig waved to him and turned around, the illusion starting to fade soon afterward. The illusionist shook his head to this.

"That's not what happened," he said bluntly, fortifying the illusion again after exhaling deeply. Braig didn't leave after that; something else happened and Braig was a catalyst. He shut his eyes tighter and clenched his hands onto the edges of his chair, his knuckles turning white as he made the illusion stronger again. Emi and him were walking down the street again and Braig was at the end of it.

"Ienzo, nice to see ya-- what are you up to today?" he asked innocently, the same tone as before. Ienzo, as before, gestured toward Emi. This time, however, Braig's eyes lingered on her. He studied her for a minute, the gears in his mind turning.

"Hey, aren't you that Descoteaux kid?" he asked skeptically, not completely sure of himself, "Nah, you gotta be. I'd recognize ya anywhere. So that hooker really did have a kid after all. Too bad daddy didn't stay around after that."

"Enough Braig."

[/i] Ienzo's words were short and resembled that of a command. Braig didn't seem to stop at that though, though the rest of his speech wasn't intelligible to Zexion, sounding incoherent and muffled for some reason. Emi said some things back to him and was about ready to really do some damage to the tall apprentice. That didn't go too far though.

"Stop it, he told both of the two present, the look in his eyes a bit angry as this somewhat pleading command escaped his lips. It was a bit unusual to see that sort of look in his eyes, though it didn't last long. The next thing he knew, the illusion changed again and Braig was no longer present. It was just him now, the illusion a bit fuzzy. Ienzo was curled into a ball on the ground, seemingly trying to protect himself.

"Emi, stop it! Please just stop it!" he yelled in a pleading voice and the illusion solidified more. Emi was there now and she was... was she beating him up? Emi, despite having a royal temper, never ever laid a hand on Ienzo. She got angry around him and he listened to her yells and all of that. This was different. And she wasn't stopping even as Ienzo continued yelling. Zexion shut his eyes as tightly as he could, attempting to keep the illusion strong.

The yelling and pleading soon stopped, Emi seemingly having had enough. He couldn't hear what she said, because he swore that she said something. Ienzo didn't want to hear it though. He stood up with his head down, sniffling profusely. He looked up at Emi one last time, tear streaks present on his face, before turning and running as fast as he could. The illusion showed him running through the streets of Radiant Garden, passersby giving him an odd look before he reached the castle.

The illusion followed him all the way into Ansem's study, the king sitting at his desk and writing. His eyes widened as he heard his door forced open and he looked at Ienzo, who quite frankly looked like a mess. The boy didn't pause to look at Ansem long, only running into his arms and continuing to sob onto the man's labcoat. The ruler did not seem sure of what to do in this case, a somewhat dumbfounded look on his face. He let Ienzo continue and petted his head, attempting to calm down.

"It's all right now, you're safe now."[/i] After those words, the illusion shattered and changed once more. It was just Ienzo now, just like the illusion he had with Emi previously. However, he still looked like he did after he had just took the beating. He was looking directly at both Emi and Zexion now.

"I didn't want to remember," he said dejectedly, "So I pushed everything about you away so it wouldn't hurt anymore."[/i] He looked to Emi as he said this, but then looked at Zexion. "I didn't change did I? I'm still a liar."[/i] With that, he gave one last look at Emi and disappeared, the illusion complete and the illusion master completely exhausted. The Lexicon fell out of his lap and vanished, done for now.

Zexion wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this now. Ienzo may have felt intense pain because of that, but he couldn't feel a thing now. There was nothing to be done about fixing the past, but at least now the both of them knew what happened. They now remembered each other clearly, though the headache the Schemer was getting as a result was less than pleasant.

"So this is what happened..." he said, trailing off and looking at Emi. What would she think of him now? Would she think he was bending the truth and making himself look pitiful so she could feel sorry for him? No, that was doubtful. Zexion wasn't about to lie about something that equally pained him. What would become of them now?[/blockquote][/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Cut me, I bleed, feel me in need. I finally broke in the pressure.."
-Out from Under by Red
--

The illusion vanished. Emi heard Zexion speaking to her but she wasn't really listening. Even though the illusion around them was gone, she found herself still dwelling on what had happened. Unfortunately for her, now the memories stood out in stark detail. Zexion could feel nothing of it, but Emi was the exact opposite. Her emotions always went as far as the limits would allow, she could feel everything as strongly as possible. She found herself filling in the places Zexion had missed.

"You would know a lot about hookers."

The words didn't seem right coming out of a child's mouth. There was something comical about it but only superficially. She didn't know a lot about this Braig person, but he seemed to know a lot about her. The words kept coming with a condescending tone and the little girl's fists curled up.

Anyone who knew her could see that she was about to explode. She tensed up, like a snake about to lash out on its prey. There were certain physical symptoms that accompanied such fits and even as a young child she could feel and recognize them. Her chest felt tight, her heart was pounding, her fingers twitched even as she clenched her hands. Ienzo knew what to watch for but Braig did not. Finally Emi had enough. With a cry of anger, she lashed out, kicking him first. He went down, partly shocked at the outburst and partly because his knee buckled under her foot.

She was on him in a second and Ienzo was already screaming at her to stop, trying to pull her off. But Emi was bigger than Ienzo was. She turned on him, tackling him to the ground. It wasn't funny anymore. The bow in her hair had come loose, she had lost a shoe when she kicked Braig. But it wasn't funny, it was scary because she looked insane. Really, Emi hadn't beaten Ienzo so badly but Emi's mental state probably contributed.

Somehow, people came. Emi wasn't sure who, she figured some of the other castle guards or other adults. Someone pulled the children apart and she had to be restrained. She could still feel hands tightening around her arms, hard enough to bruise. Still, she kicked and screamed.

It was the worst fit she'd had to date. She stayed violent for a long time. It was a hard decision but for the safety of the other children, Emi's caretaker opted to have the little girl contained somewhere safe. Emi didn't remember where but she remembered rampaging in a small room, destroying everything she could get her hands on.

Finally the anger subsided, washing out of her and bringing all of her strength with it. Maybe they had sedated her. She wasn't sure, but it was a possibility because after that she didn't really remember anything until days later.

"Oh,[/color]" Emi said, finally coming back from her memories. It was all she could say. "They told me we couldn't play together anymore. You wouldn't even come out of the castle. That was the last time I saw you because it wasn't long after that Radiant Garden was destroyed and I ended up in Twilight Town and you ended up as... well, you."[/color]"

She wasn't sure what else to say. Should she apologize? Should she try to make things right after all these years?

"I'm sorry.[/color]"

She abruptly rose from the bed. She felt the need to run and escape. She ran past Zexion where he sat in his chair and headed for the door. Once she made it out of the door she ran as hard as she could, blowing past where Nyxar and Vexen still stood conversing in the hall.

She had no idea where she was going but she had to get away from Zexion. Fight or flight and she chose to fly this time. She ran until she was exhausted and had to sit down, sliding her back down a white wall. She could barely catch her breath. She knew that soon someone would come looking for her.

Emi was terrified. Of herself. How could a kid, a seven year old little girl, do something like that? She couldn't believe herself, not even her own memories.

[Fate]

Forgiven
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
(Forgiven by Within Temptation)

Silence took over the room as Zexion had trailed off, Emi seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Ienzo's memories weren't perfect and there were most likely a couple of bits that he left out. He was sort of curious as to who stopped the fight between the two; Emi wasn't one to stop fighting when she was in a rage unless someone or something made her stop. With a hand on his chin, he pushed his mind to try and remember, attempting to ignore the headache.

The image of Dilan holding Emi back was shown, a hard grip on her arms. Aeleus was also there and letting Dilan hold her back, knowing his strength could possibly hurt her. He glanced at Ienzo, a protective look on his face, before the image vanished and Zexion's thoughts were nothing more than words again.

"That explains Aeleus's protective tendencies..." he thought to himself. Indeed, it explained it very well. He wasn't sure what Ienzo meant to Aeleus, but it was obvious that as Nobodies, the two stayed close. Lexaeus acted as the buffer for anyone that tried to hurt Zexion, which was why he attempted to take care of Riku first. There was something else unexpectedly learned today. He opened his eyes again as he looked to the real version of Emi, waiting to see what she would make of all of this.

What she did end up saying sounded right; Ienzo didn't leave the inside of the castle, usually just traveling between his room, Ansem's study, the library and the laboratory that he pushed Ansem to build. He lost his heart not too long after that and Radiant Garden fell. He woke up as Zexion, the cold calculating Nobody with a gift for persuasion and a dislike for fighting, even though he was more than capable of doing so.

That was all the past and all of it had been reconnected and reaffirmed for Zexion and Emi. Nonetheless, the Nobody was now really curious as to what Emi was going to do in all of this. He couldn't feel anything from his memories, or he thought he couldn't. There were remnants of feelings present, feelings of betrayal and hurt and fear. Were they true feelings though? Was the idea of that Nobodies couldn't feel another one of Xemnas's lies? If so, then that correlated with the 'feeling' he felt when Axel killed him; intense fear.

His thoughts of this were interrupted by two words said by Emi, his eyes snapping back to look at her. Did she just apologize to him? Zexion didn't have time to respond to this, for she quickly made her way out of her room and far away. He didn't move as she continued to run, his senses picking up her cinnamon scent as she kept running further and further away from him. Part of him wondered what Vexen and Nyxar must think of this, but he found himself not truly caring; what Vexen thought did not matter to him at the moment.

"I wonder, did she forget that I would not let her leave?" he asked himself sarcastically. The statement had no true meaning behind it, no. Though, he felt that he couldn't let her keep wandering around and let her stay here. This was a world for Nobodies, not a world for someone with a heart like Emi had. Her scent had stopped moving and it was near Naught's Skyway. He created a Corridor of Darkness and stepped through it, not wanting to disturb the conversation Nyxar and Vexen were having even further.

It took a couple of minutes after wandering out of the Corridor of Darkness, but he found her against a wall. This was most likely the only moment in their history where Zexion stood taller than her. He gazed down at her, his face blank as per usual.

"We should consider ourselves even," he told her, speaking in an almost monotonous voice. "My meddling caused all of this to occur. You need not blame yourself for past events." He offered her his hand to help her up. "Let's start again, shall we?"

Forgiveness was something that Zexion never had to do nor did he ever strive to repair any relationships that broke. This was a bit different though. Emi had gotten him to feel something, or least he thought she did. They didn't have to hold so much animosity anymore. It would be better for the two of them if they didn't.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"I took the fall, I took it all, last night was just an illusion."
-Out From Under by Red
--

"Is it really that easy? It must be nice, you can just let things go but I can't...[/color]" she muttered. Could she really just start all over with him, let everything go and not blame herself? She had a tendency to dwell on things. But with all their memories of each other intact...

Of course, there was still the fact that she was being held here. Against her will, sort of. She did admit it was her own fault for following him, but really, how hard would it have been for him to just open up one of those fancy portal things and take her home? No, he was planning something.

Grimacing, she took his hand and got up off the floor.
"Okay, we're even. But... I still want to go home, okay? Why are you keeping me here, again?[/color]"

She was okay now, she thought. She was not aware, although Zexion may have been, of the changes that were happening in her heart now. The crushing darkness of this world, the constant barrage of painful memories... this last cut had further weakened a fragile heart. The light and darkness were now equal, but the light was growing dimmer. She had been constantly walking a thin line between the two, choosing to stand in shadows instead of fully in the blinding light or fully in the suffocating darkness.

[Fate]

A Nobody Showing Kindness? Inconceivable!

"Not as nice as you think it is," he replied, keeping his hand there. "We cannot remember what it feels like to be able to dwell on anything because of our lack of emotions. That is the theory and theories can always be disproved." He offered her a sly smile before returning to his blank face. Emotions made things harder for people, though it was what the Nobodies were striving for with extreme diligence. Though, the Schemer was beginning to rethink the theories of the Organization and Nobodies.

He waited another minute or so before she grabbed his hand. He helped pull her up and the height difference returned. It didn't particularly bug him, seeing as Lexaeus was even taller than Emi and much more imposing to be around. It was just something that was; just a fact and nothing more. He looked up at her and waited to see what she would say now.

"I kept you here because of your potential as a tool," he told her with brutal honesty, "However, I do not think that plan will pan out for me." He grinned again briefly before stepping back and thinking. It would only be appropriate to send her home now. Their memories were now intact and he could remember her clearly. She was Ienzo's friend. Perhaps it would be possible for to be friends with Zexion as well. It couldn't be impossible anyhow.

"It would be dangerous to send you home," he said at first in a matter-of-fact tone. "There are no ways out of this world and Corridors of Darkness would further corrupt your heart. However... hmm... consider this a favor." He turned away from her and started unzipping his cloak. Once done, he turned again, revealing a tight black long-sleeve shirt of sorts with black hakama pants and knee-high boots. His gloves, which stopped at his elbows, were under his shirt and tight as well. He brought the cloak to her, offering it as a 'gift' of sorts.

"The cloak of the Organization will protect your heart from corruption and allow for safe travel through Corridors of Darkness," he said, "We do not want the light in your heart to completely disappear." He looked away for a moment and cast his hand out, creating a Corridor of Darkness several feet away from the two. "This will lead to Radiant Garden. Though, I must warn you..." He paused to look her in the eye. "You must not let others see that cloak, understand? Others will think you are from the Organization."

He took a step back again and crossed his arms, admittedly a bit uncomfortable without his cloak; Organization members were never seen not wearing their cloaks. This was the least he could do for now. The two were even and perhaps had a shot of obtaining peace between them; friendship would be a tough achievement, though Zexion felt he could make almost anything work. It would depend on what she wanted.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"This is a joke right? Hidden cameras? Who do I need to give my credit card number to?"
--

Emi took the cloak hesitantly. She stood there with her mouth open, unsure of how to respond. There, right through that portal was her home. Finally. It was so surreal and Emi knew that things that seemed too good to be true usually were. What's the catch? Where's the trap?

She looked down at the cloak in her hands, the one she had been contemplating stealing earlier. And now it had literally fallen into her hands.

"I...I...[/color]"

She slipped the cloak on over her clothes. Once she had zipped it up, she looked down at herself. The considerable height difference between the two meant that the cloak was a bit short, hanging around her calves instead of her ankles. But she was thin and the cloak still fit well despite it being too short. It fit her a little too well.

And yet she just couldn't make herself go through that corridor. Something screamed it was a trap but she forced herself to trust Zexion. That wasn't something that often happened. Most people had plenty of reasons to distrust Zexion. It wasn't that she didn't want to go home. She did, she really did but when she was actually faced with the decision she had a million questions. Where would she go, how would she live? Zexion had once told her Radiant Garden wasn't the same as she remembered.

She also feared being trapped. She had gotten used to being free to travel where and when she pleased. Her gummi ship was still back at Beast's Castle, not that she wanted the stupid thing back. She wanted to be home but she didn't want to be tied down.

She turned to face Zexion. "Thank you. So much. For everything.[/color]"

Even though, until just a few minutes ago, there had been tension between them now Emi found a reason to consider him a friend. Because of him, she had her memories back and by extension, her life. She wasn't just going to be wandering aimlessly wonder who she was anymore.

There were still things to be done. She wanted to find Arc again, and thank him properly for his help back in the Beast's castle. An idea came to her.

"Zexion, come with me,[/color]" she said. "You can teach me how to use these portal things. You can come back to Radiant Garden.[/color]"

She knew the truth. She would never have Ienzo back. They weren't children anymore and they never would be again. Things had changed too much. Emi knew he couldn't come with her but she had to ask. She didn't know what this Organization thing was all about but she did figure he had responsibilities that he couldn't abandon. But maybe... just maybe...

[Fate]

Minor Difficulties

"You act as though I have been kind to you during this whole charade," he said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. Both of them knew that about an hour or so ago, Emi most likely despised him. She had a right to at that point; he was breaking her mentally with his command over illusion and he was not being kind and gentle about it. However, at this point, both of them had reclaimed their lost memories, or at least most of them-- to remember everything is a form of madness. They had reached a point where they could somewhat trust each other. Zexion never trusted anyone completely, though he trusted people 'enough'.

Even though she put on the cloak, which looked oddly fitting on her despite being short, Zexion noticed that Emi seemed somewhat... reluctant to go through the Corridor of Darkness. He thought she would rush in at the first chance of going home, seeing that this was the one request she kept bugging him to do. What was the sudden change now? He gave her a curious look as he stood patiently, occasionally looking back and forth between her and the Corridor of Darkness.

She then asked him to come with her. He raised an eyebrow to this. She wanted him to go back with her to Radiant Garden, where people most likely recognized his face, and teach her how to use Corridors of Darkness. There was not only the issue of Radiant Garden being a place where he was recognized, but there was also the issue of the Organization. Vexen already doubted him and was suspicious of him; this would only further it and Zexion could only push so much of the Superior's trust. He also most likely had duties to attend to, his orders seemingly endless. Though, the news of the new keyblade bearer had not been told yet and that would bring more favor to him from the Superior...

What would be the positives of going? He was not sure there were many. There was always the possibility of further building of allies and spreading the truth about what the light was really doing. The people would not believe him easily, though Emi could also fortify what he was saying. There wasn't anything to go back to; Ansem was not there and anyone that remembered him most likely despised him. He could always go as a different person with his power of illusions, though his throbbing head reminded him that he was low on power; he needed to rest soon. Though, without his cloak, the people wouldn't recognize him so quickly. Maybe he could use that to his advantage...

Yes... that could work. A plan started forming in his mind, one of a larger scale than usual. He may have to tread carefully, but he could make this work... hopefully.

"I have duties to attend to and Vexen is already growing wary of me," he told her, "However, there are things I need to attend to in Radiant Garden. This must not be spoken of." He summoned a Dusk to stand beside him for a moment, the thing writhing around as usual. He looked at it for a moment, a serious look in his eyes. This would keep him covered while he was gone.

"Please deliver this message to the Superior when he has finished sleeping," he told it, making extra sure his words were clear. "I have left to do extra reconnaissance in Radiant Garden to check on the progress of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee. That is all." He sent the Dusk off and let it disappear. He then stepped toward the Corridor of Darkness but not going in it. This was a hasty move and he realized there were going to be consequences; whether they be large or small didn't really matter to him. He could deal with them when the time came. His plan needed to move forward and things needed to be put into motion. He gestured for her to go first; he would be the one closing the Corridor of Darkness, after all.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"I'm the homecoming queen!"
--

"Just trying to do what you told me. Let it go.[/color]"

Not an easy feat for Emi, but that seemed like a good place to start. But when he said he would come with her, she was floored. She stood there stunned until he summoned a Dusk, at which point she jumped back. Oh. He could control them.

That's not a Heartless. I wonder what it is...? she thought to herself. Although she knew Zexion was a Nobody, she had not yet been taught that there were weaker Nobodies that took almost animal like forms. She would have to be educated. There were still many things she didn't know. She had learned so much already and she was having a hard time processing it, like the fact that Ienzo was essentially the reason their homeworld was destroyed. None of that mattered anymore, though. It was in the past. No reason to dwell, what's done is done.

When Zexion motioned for her to step into the Corridor of Darkness, Emi turned and took a deep breath. This was just so surreal. She couldn't believe it. Certainly she was dreaming or hallucinating... maybe this was even another illusion. She made the decision to stop second guessing herself and trust someone for once.

[Fate]

A Cold Return

The Dusk seemed to startle her, though Zexion would be surprised if it hadn't. Dusks were unusual Nobodies and their movements were erratic and not as fluid as the other Nobodies. Part of him had to wonder if she had ever seen one of these creatures; they were not incredibly common and they only went where the higher ones commanded them to. He doubted that she had seen them before, though there was the possibility that she had.

At long last, she went through the Corridor of Darkness. He stopped before he went through it, glancing around and making sure no one else was present. There weren't any scents near him, or as far as he could tell at the very least. Getting out would not be the problem then; getting back would be an entirely different story. He'd need to make sure he made it to his room and got a cloak quickly before anyone noticed him. Admittedly, he was already feeling cold.

Radiant Garden; the place he once called home. It was time to pay it a visit. Without any further hesitation, he stepped through the Corridor of Darkness and closed it. He could only hope no one would remember him.

(Vexen and Nyxar, you guys wrap this thread up please)

[/size]

[Administrator]

Sarcasm. That is all.

"To answer your questions, one at a time, I am not certain exactly who this Emi is. She seems to be a ghost from Zexion's past, but that's all I know in that respect," Nyxar broke his speech off to take a deep breath and collect his thoughts a little. Getting his thoughts all straightened out and whatnot only took a brief instant, and after that, he was able to finish answering his superior's questions.

"She followed Zexion through a corridor. Obviously it has something to do with their history. What their history exactly is, I have no clue." Nyxar shrugged. Really, there wasn't much else he could help Vexen with. It wasn't like he was trying to be that helpful either... Of course, that was one of his better qualities, sarcastically speaking.

"I have naught else information concerning this topic...perhaps another topic would suit us better? I have not one off the top of my head, but I am sure one or both of us could think of something should we truly wish to continue this conversation. But," he said, smiling and holding up a finger, "I don't think either you nor I wish to continue this facade of polite conversation. Neither of us are in the least bit interested in the other, as I see you as an arrogant prick of a scientist, and you likely see me just as some new underling that you will see fit to order around. Am I not right?"