She had been swimming in darkness for ages. Every so often, she could hear them. Voices. Telling her to wake up.
Please Diamond.
Come back.
Wake up, wake up, please.
She tried to move. Tried to speak. Tried to scream. She had to reach those voices, the voices of her family, calling out to her. But the darkness made any attempt at movement impossible.
Then, alight voice, filled with peace and kindness.
"You need to stop fighting it."
She was laying on her back in the thick darkness. She sat up, on her knees. Up ahead, a bright light appeared and a figure emerged from it. She couldn't believe it.
"G-Ghoul? F-Frank?" the first words she'd managed to choke out left her lips weakly. She was thirsty. Unbearably thirsty.
But the thing with Ghoul's face merely shook its head. "No, I just wanted to come in a form that would comfort you the most."
It was true. That wasn't Ghoul's voice.
But then, Ghoul's actual voice broke through, piercing the darkness, making her head hurt. "Diamond?"
"Where is he?" she asked weakly.
"On the other side." The thing answered, "A side you can return to, if you choose."
"What do you mean?"
"Diamond! Diamond! Wake up! Come on!" he sounded hysterical.
"You didn't deserve to die. You were much too young."
More voices. Her friends. Calling to her. They crowded her mind, worsening her headache.
"I-I-"
"Yes. You died. It is only by the miracle of your friend's medicines that you have stayed suspended in this in-between for so long. But now you must choose."
"I want to go back." She said immediately.
"Back to that life? To pain and sorrow and blood and death and running for your life?"
"Back to my family. To my friends. To home and peace and love and music and beauty and art. To color."
"You could have peace. You could have heaven."
"Heaven isn't heaven without the people you love."
"Diamond!" she recognized Kobra's voice.
"Come back!" Missile Kid cried.
"Are you sure that's your choice?"
"Yes." She nodded, "take me back."
The thing's face broke into a smile. "I knew you would choose the right path. Come. Your friends need you." He held his hand out to her and stepped closer. She raised her hand hesitantly.
"Trust me," he chuckled, "I'll take you home."
Her memories of the Black Parade were taken away and she forgot everything she had dreamed about.
She smiled and took his hand. A warm feeling flooded her body. Peaceful.
She opened her eyes.
