On the other Side

A fic by Naomi Wiflath

Chapter 2: Phoenix in the Mirror

Emerald eyes fluttered open, immediately adjusting to the dim lighting of the room. She was on a neatly made bed with a maroon comforter. She sat up, biting her tongue to keep from groaning. Her body was extremely sore, and felt like it was made of led. She looked around the room. It was small, covered in blue and white striped wall paper and wood floors. There was a bed on the adjacent wall from the one she was on, and by it leaned a man. He looked back at her behind a pair of shaded glasses. He wore red, one arm sitting in the sleeve like a sling instead of though it. He had salt and pepper hair, and his presence was very comforting. She thought it strange, when she didn't even know him. And what else was strange, she was able to hear his heart. It was faint, but it was there. She could sense it.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Sora found you and brought you here." He replied, unmoving. "Who are you?"

"I'm… Phoenix… I think…" Phoenix realized that she didn't have any memory. Of anything. Except her name, or what she thought was her name. She looked down at her clawed hands; they seemed foreign to her. Phoenix felt a pain in her chest, and she put her hand to it. Something terrible happened. But what was it, and why did her chest ache so?

Her breath caught in her chest as it throbbed again, she gave a small whimper.

"Hey! I'm back!" Sora and Co. walked through the door, his gaze immediately turned to the girl. She was now shivering, both hands at her chest. Sora immediately ran to her side.

"Hey? What's wrong? Are you alright!" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She cried out, startling him. Her eyes were shut tightly, and she whimpered back to him.

"I don't know, I don't Know. Why don't I know? What Is this? Why am I seeing this!"

Donald and Goofy stood back by Auron, watching carefully.

Sora's attention shifted to his hand, where he held his Keyblade. It had grown warm and seemed to glow. What did this mean?

Sora immediately dismissed the Keyblade, and the pain left immediately. Phoenix held her hands up in front of her, angry tears filling her eyes.

"No… It can't be…" She whispered, completely devastated. She had remembered something. It made her realize what she was, and what she had become...

Flashback…

"Get out of here! Now!" Phoenix yelled, beckoning her friends down the hallway. The heartless were everywhere, trying to cut off their retreat.

"How can this be happening? How can they be real?" Corrie whimpered, running beside Phoenix and Zeke. She had short red hair and green eyes.

"Who cares! Let's just get out of here ALIVE!" Zeke snapped back. He had Black hair and icy blue eyes.

The trio continued down the hallway, just alittle farther till they reach the double glass doors. But Zeke was tackled from behind, pinned down by a neo shadow. Naomi whirled around and tackled it, forgetting all reason.

"What are you doing! Get out of here!" Zeke yelled out desperately. Phoenix was thrown down by another shadow, Corrie cornered by two.

"RUN!" Phoenix Screamed at the top of her lungs, holding back the shadow's claws by grabbing its wrists. But it was much stronger, slowly overpowering Phoenix. She kicked hard with her feet, throwing it off. She turned just to see a Neo dig its claws into Zeke's chest. She ran at it screaming as she saw Zeke go limp. The other heartless slashed her across the back, making her cry out again. It kicked her back to the floor and she watched in horror as Zeke's heart was ripped from his chest. He gave one last rasping breath before his body faded away, Phoenix reaching vainly out for him; for some way to stop it. But it was too late. She heard a scream and turned to see Corrie meet the same fate.

With angry tears in her eyes she flipped onto her back, ignoring the pain, and grabbed onto a heartless's ankle. It merely looked down at her, tilting its head slightly as if saying. 'What could you do to me you foolish creature?'

Suddenly the ground shook violently, the world was shuttering to its very core. There was a very large rumble, and Naomi looked down to see a large crack form beneath her. It ripped open, and she only managed to grab onto the crumbling ledge. She dared to glance down to in horror see darkness creeping up from it. No… How could it end like this? How could I let my friends be taken? Why! She screamed out as the ledge finally gave way from her grasp, and she fell into that darkness. Into the mouth of a terrible beast that fed on all the light.

End Flashback…

Phoenix shuddered; angry tears fell down her face. What had she become? The one thing that ruthlessly ripped her friends lives away? She was now one of them! And why couldn't she remember anything else? Why was she stuck with this tormenting memory?

Sora looked at her sadly, unsure of what to do. She wasn't a heartless. How could she be? He put a comforting hand back on her shoulder, making her look back up at him. Crystal tears sliding down her pitch black skin.

"Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright." He said softly, although he was unsure about the statement. He didn't even know what was wrong, yet he cant stand someone being sad.

Her sadness quickly turned to anger.

"Look at me! I'm one of them! I'm one of them! Those foul creatures that… that…" She snarled, revealing white fangs that made her look even more frightening.

"No you're not. You still have your heart." Sora replied calmly. Phoenix's snarl faded away, and she placed a hand onto her chest. To her surprise, she could hear her own heart, she could feel it. It was there, how ever feint it was, it was there. She wiped away her tears, taking a deep breath. Her gaze then met his. She could sense his heart too; but unlike a heartless, she didn't have any desire to steal it away from him.

He sat down next to her on the bed, Donald, Goofy and Auron walked up in front of them.

"So what's your name?" Sora asked cheerfully, like nothing had happened. Phoenix was startled by his friendliness, but was comforted by it. She felt like she could trust him, even with her life.

"I'm Phoenix… That's all I can remember." She lied, knowing she did have one other memory, but didn't think she could handle reliving it again.

"Well I'm Sora. And they are Donald, Auron and Goofy. They're my friends." Sora replied, gesturing to each when he said their name. Donald looked at her disapprovingly, his arms crossed. Auron's expression was completely neutral. Goofy smiled well… goofily.

"It's nice to meet you…" Phoenix started, fiddling around with the fabric of her pants. She felt so apart form them, so Different.

"So you don't remember anything?" Auron asked, catching her off guard. For some reason he knew that she was lying, which scared her.

"M-my world, it was destroyed by the heartless. That's all I know." She said quickly, looking away. Auron nodded, as if he understood completely her situation.

"Don't worry; we'll get your world back." Sora said smiling. Phoenix looked back at him and smiled.

"Hey Sora… what was that thing you had? When you came in?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh, my Keyblade?" Sora asked, she nodded.

"What ever it is… I think… it helps me remember… Before you came, I didn't know anything. It helped me remember what happened to my world." Her throat tightened at the end, causing her to cough and look away. Sora nodded.

"It did act strangely. I think you're right." He replied. Donald looked to him in disapproval.

"Do you really believe her?" Donald asked. Phoenix was extremely hurt by the comment, especially how he referred to her. Sora glared back at him angerly.

"Yes I do." He replied back, crossing his arms and matching Donald's disapproving expression.

"I do." Added goofy, sitting on Phoenix's other side.

Phoenix couldn't help but smile. They barely knew her yet, they defended her…

Wish I was too dead to cry

You don't need to bother

I don't need to breathe

I'll keep slipping farther

wish I was too dead to care

If need I care at all

Never had a voice to protest

I wish I had a reason

My flaws are open season

For this I gave up trying

You don't need to bother

I don't need to breathe

I'll keep slipping farther

Wish I died instead of lived

Self forgotten with its memories

You don't need to bother

I don't need to breathe

I'll keep slipping farther

I won't let go till it bleeds.

I don't need to be you