Summary: They watch, they guard, they know...and for her, they'd do more; they'd create. // "You're in the in-between dimension." Their home, their world, their existence.
"In-between?" // AU // inspired by video on YT

In-Between

It started out as any other day in their existence; watching, guarding, knowing...when a time, a world, a life would end.

Some would call them Grim Reapers, some would calm them Gods, some would call them Devils. They were nothing more than keepers, followers of a balance.

But her...she was different.

They watched her, they knew her; grew attached and cared for a mortal, something not allowed...against the non-existent rules. They cared nonetheless, for her their existence was more and then...then they saw her die.

The one they affectionately called Princess would be gone.

World swallowed by darkness; existence ended in a mere moment....Nothing would survive.

They couldn't bear the thought; they couldn't live without seeing her light even though they just existed.

It was the point of the matter, that's all.

And it was Future who offered the solution.

Future...Nero....

And it was Past who agreed.

Past...Axel....

And it was Present who followed through.

Present...Kuja....

They brought her into their world, maybe not consciously but she was there--their guest, their Princess.

Kuja watched her sleep as the others arrived; watched her rest there upon their world of white....

"A new arrival, huh?" Axel commented moving next to Kuja; pretending it was all a normal occurrence. That they got these guests often. That she wasn't special.

Nero spoke up next, smiling beneath the bandages, knowing what they planned....

"Time to awaken, Princess."

Knowing that she would see them face to face, this once...that they would do this all for her.

To their eyes it was as if it took forever for those baby blue orbs to blink awake, for her to uncurl and look around, confused, wary, unknowing.

"Are you okay?" Axel asked, reaching out a hand towards the girl; their guest their Princess theirs.

"I'm fine." She accepted, eyes bright, smile slowly coming to her face, confusion lingering for curiosity.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Was she dreaming?

Nero answered her as if it were an every day question; as if she were an every day guest; as if this was an every day occurrence.

"You're in the in-between dimension."

Their home, their world, their existence.

"In-between?"

Curious as a kitten; they loved that, the way her blonde hair would say and her eyes light like blue pools of something they couldn't quite name but oh so addicting....

And Kuja spoke up, for the first time, an almost smile at his lips, "Let us show you."

She smiled. "Okay."

With lingering smiles of their own--oh how she lit their world up and made it happy!--they vanished one by one...

Nero...

Axel...

Kuja...

And then the world was different; a jungle...flowing with rivers and rivers and rivers and there stood Kuja, calm and regal.

"Follow me," he uttered and turned, walking to the giant bird--pterodactyl? A dinosaur? Well it was a giant bird whatever it was and so beautiful too!--and helped her sit upon it before ushering the great beast into the sky...into the clouds...

A tower in view, something she recognized yes, something familiar...with Axel standing upon it. Ah, a clock tower she knew...didn't she?

Kujo dropped her off and flew away; she watched, curious, and he hid a smile.

Their Princess...

Axel spoke once Kuja had vanished into the distance, gone...

"This....Was your home town."

His words were nostalgic; they brought the sense of familiarity straight to her heart.

Her home...Twilight Town...but...it was different.

Not her home, not anymore?

He knew this; she didn't.

But she would, by the days end.

After she was their Princess; they'd tell her, or show her, and they'd help her but she didn't know that, not really.

Images--people she knew?--flew by, one by one.  A blond boy smiling, a blonde woman, laughing, an old friendly man nodding....

"Your family," Axel said and she knew.

Her brother, her father, her mother? Or was it sister? Yes, sister...that was it. Her sister.

The names didn't come, she wanted to ask, but Axel plowed on.

New images this time; blurred and darkened...grayed and gone.

Were they gone?

"Your friends."

The sense of sadness didn't fully register from his voice but she felt it.

Their Princess...lost so much....

His next words struck her; hard and fast and she could barely think...

"They got swallowed by the Darkness."

It pained him to tell her but she needed to know; not exact details for who needed details but them? No, she needed to know to decide...after all only for her....

"Everything is gone."

Kuja spoke those next words; another hard hit, her world spinning in a black void....

"But."

A face slowly appeared; Nero was there, standing in that darkness staring straight at her, red eyes serious and controlled but sad and loving and...

"We'll offer you one final choice."

She stared at the three; three she didn't know, wouldn't know, but three that still held her life in their hands.

"Live or die."

Axel was obscured; the darkness blurring out any of his features; why was Nero the only one mostly visible to her??

"It's your choice."

Kuja, more visible than Axel but still less than Nero and herself...

"Choose wisely."

They feared for her truly; how gone her person was their Princess...and almost gone!

And then she spoke:

"I don't wanna die! I wanna live!"

Wish Granted

Flying stars and Nero stood, eyes closed head bent back and smile hidden but there...

A world made from the very expanse of darkness and space grew up from that very darkness that encased them all and felt such horror....

And he was in that sky, making that world that she could see, amazed...and then he pushed her onto the earth; her world, from them...

A new home.

Kuja left with a wave and three teens were there, before her very eyes....

New friends.

And in the sky Axel saluted her and vanished and just below him there were three new people; a boy a girl an old man--a brother a sister a father...

A new family.

She smiled, for it was beautiful...it was all she wanted, ever wanted; a fresh start a new world a new hope...

And her smile lit up their world back to white away from dark and they were happy because she was happy; they broke the rules for her always her and forever her....

For she was theirs and they hers and they'd always watch and always know and her smile would always light their in-between world for they lived for her and only her it seemed though their purpose was much, much more....

Be safe, Princess

--END