"Care to play a game?" a voice asked.
Master Xehanort looked up from his chessboard in Tenebris to see his youthful self standing before him.
"Heh... playing against myself. This will be quite the challenge." Xehanort replied.
He chuckled lightly as his young self sat down at the opposite side of the board.
"Things are running smoothly. The Seekers are complete, with some new additions, thanks to you." Young Xehanort said.
He picked up a piece and made the first move. Master Xehanort looked on, eyeing the board before making his move.
"I thank you for the compliment. The one girl, Xylnn, tried to resist... but in the end, it changed nothing. She is now our's as a backup, alongside the replicas. As for what she's up to now, I haven't a clue. But there's no cause for concern. With my fragmented heart within her, she'll do things on my accord. And no matter what happens, we will still get the χ-blade, as per Lady Avina's promise to us. As for the second girl, Xolette, she also serves as backup. She is currently progressing in a task that I've bestowed to her." Xehanort said.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Young Xehanort asked, while playing out his next move.
"We need to make sure we have all the advantages leading up to our final confrontation, do we not? As such, I tasked her with gathering one of the lights to our cause." Xehanort replied.
He placed another chess piece further into his younger self's territory.
"I believe it's your move, now." Xehanort said.
The objective was simple.
Xehanort had sent Xolette to infiltrate a small little forested world, where Kairi and Lea were taking a moment's reprieve from training before heading back to the Toontown version of Yen Sid's tower, which the Guardians were using temporarily due to their version of Mysterious Tower being destroyed, and take Kairi prisoner. And due to George's recent leaving of the observatory after riding himself of Avina's influence, Xolette had started showing signs of increased agitation and patience. So to ensure she didn't mess up the mission, Ansem, Xemnas, and Nihil had been sent to supervise her.
After appearing in the middle of the forest, Xolette had been allowed to go off on her own, while meanwhile being tracked by the other three as they split from her and went their own way. The place wasn't big, which was good and bad in different ways. It was good because it meant less searching. It was also bad because that meant it was far easier to accidentally run into people.
Luckily, Xolette had managed to quickly find the two in a small clearing. Her appearance had thrown them off guard, and by the moment Lea had realized what was happening, the former Twilight Town girl had quickly knocked him out without any effort. Kairi ran as far as she could, heading into the small forest to try to escape, but when that wouldn't work, she knew her only recourse was to fight. She quickly turned around and was startled to see Xolette staring at her, Soul Eater in hand by her side. Kairi's eyes widened. She hadn't gotten enough time before to see their attacker, and now that she did, she was both confused and scared at her appearance.
"O-Olette? Is that you?" Kairi asked.
Xolette tilted her head and gave a rather off-putting smile.
"It's been awhile, Kairi." Xolette replied.
Kairi stepped back, frightened.
"Y-You're one of them? What happened to you? What would Hayner or Pence say about you doing this?" Kairi asked pleadingly.
Xolette looked down at her hands, and for a brief second, her eyes sparkled green, almost like she was trying to remember them. Kairi cautiously approached Xolette and gently grasped her hand. The redhead had a possible idea as to how to help Xolette, but she had to act quick, enough to summon whatever light magic she could to try and purify her body in some way at least. The white of her once-brown hair started to fade and darken slightly, but then Xolette panicked and jumped back a few feet, the dark patch quickly reverting back to white. She giggled.
"Now now, Princess. Just what are you trying to do?" Xolette asked.
Kairi straightened her back and narrowed her eyes.
"I'm going to help get some sense back into you." Kairi replied with a bit of anger in her voice.
Before his demise, the Yen Sid of their Mysterious Tower had told her that Keyblade wielders used to point their Keyblade at the chest of their opponent. It was usually if they meant serious business, such as a duel of the heart. Kairi did the same and pointed Destiny's Embrace right at the thing that needed to be saved. Xolette laughed.
"Why bother? Surrender, since there's no way you'll win against me." Xolette ordered.
"I won't. If we go down, we go together." Kairi said.
She bared her teeth and Xolette did the same.
"There's no way I am dying, or for you to live out your life this way. This isn't you." Kairi said.
She charged towards Xolette and used both of her hands to grip her Keyblade tightly as it collided with Soul Eater. The red and purple bat-like pattern sparked against Kairi's colorful one. The two girls proceeded to go into a full-out battle against each other, but while Kairi did as best as she could hit for hit, she quickly started to get overwhelmed. Xolette was incredibly fast and it was difficult to find an opening to get an advantage over her. She dodged in and out of Kairi's vision, inflicting slashes with Soul Eater or releasing shards of darkness sharp enough to cut skin. Barely dodging them on time, the redhead's skin started to splice open from the hits.
This wasn't Olette. No matter how brief she had known her back in Twilight Town, Kairi knew it wasn't her. That's all that was on her mind as she tried to fend off the white haired girl that stood before her.
"Give up already, Kairi! There's no point in struggling like this!" Xolette growled, while she stared the other girl down.
Kairi gripped Destiny's Embrace tighter as she readied herself. But she knew she was growing tired. She hadn't been expecting such a struggle.
"This isn't you, Olette! Please... snap out of this!" Kairi pleaded.
Xolette said nothing as she dashed forth, her blade clashing with Kairi's while the redhead stood her ground.
"Olette, I know you can hear me! You need to fight this!" Kairi pleaded.
"Shut up!" Xolette shouted.
She placed her hand out before her and sent Kairi back with a dark wave. Destiny's Embrace was thrown from her grip, fixing itself into a tree. Kairi struggled as she rose to her feet. She didn't like to admit it, but she was outclassed. Xolette was way more powerful than she was. She was almost out of options. She grit her teeth.
"You have to fight this, Olette." Kairi said.
She charged at Xolette again and brought Destiny's Embrace down on her, only for the other girl to block with Soul Eater, before starting to repeatedly slash down and pound against Kairi's Keyblade. Kairi grunted as she felt the white haired girl continuously ram into her and tried to bring a barrier up to guard. However, Xolette realized what she was trying to do, and the tip of her blade met Kairi's palm a fraction of a second before it could be erected. Kairi screamed as the impact not only cut her hand, but also caused Destiny's Embrace to shatter into shards of light in the air around the two, unable to materialize again. Kairi fell to her knees. Black lightning strikes snaked their way up her dominant hand and arm. The redhead tried to summon her Keyblade again, but something shocked the inside of her heart. She sucked in air through her teeth in pain and groaned.
But while she was weak and couldn't do anything else, Xolette lashed out and slammed her fist into the back of Kairi's skull, knocking her unconscious.
After Kairi fell to the ground, out cold, Xolette leaned against a tree, panting, with her eyelids drooping slightly. She wouldn't admit it, but her battle against Kairi had wiped her out. The redhead was much tougher than she expected.
Xolette knew that she had to take her back to the Seekers in Umbros, but she was so tired from the fight that she was unable to take her far through the corridors. Ending up in the Realm of Darkness, she took Kairi to the remains of her, Hayner, and Pence's old hangout spot in the ruins of Twilight Town to rest. As Xolette placed her down on the couch, a feeling in her chest wanted to let Kairi go, which she found weird because she didn't have a heart. The redhead suddenly groaned and moved slightly. Xolette stood up, moving away from her and making sure to change her expression to one more intimidating.
"Huh?" Kairi asked quietly.
She sat up and put a hand to her head. Her eyes looked around and rested on Xolette.
"Olette?" Kairi asked.
"Olette is gone, Princess. You know that." Xolette replied.
Kairi looked at her. She remembered their fight. Xolette's golden eyes glistened darkly, but they also seemed tired. Their battle must have affected her more than she thought. She then began to look at their surroundings. She had expected to find herself in a cell at Xehanort's mercy, not in what she was surprised to see a ruined Twilight Town. Kairi turned back to Xolette and stood up. The former Twilight Town girl didn't react or try and stop her.
"Olette, I know you're there." Kairi said.
"You already tried that during our battle." Xolette growled.
Kairi tensed, ready to fight if needed.
"So? I assume something happened. You didn't bring me to Xehanort. Why?" Kairi asked.
Xolette chuckled slightly.
"You are an idiot, Princess. I only brought you here because our fight exhausted me. When I've recovered fully. that's who I'll be bringing you too. But I've told you before. Olette is dead." Xolette replied.
"I don't believe that." Kairi said.
"You should. She's gone. She got her heart taken and turned into a Heartless. I'm someone completely different and you mean nothing to me. You are unimportant." Xolette sneered.
Kairi flinched and clenched her fists. Her feet carried her over to the other girl.
"Show me." Kairi ordered.
The Princess of Heart chose her words carefully, so as to try and spark some sort of emotion from the other girl.
"What?" Xolette asked.
"You said I was unimportant to you. Show me how unimportant."Kairi replied.
Images flashed in Xolette's mind. She remembered how kind Kairi had been when she had came to Twilight Town for a brief time before Axel took her. She also remembered wishing Sora good luck and to come visit with Kairi again some time when he went to rescue her from the original Organization XIII. Despite nothaving no capability to feel, Xolette's chest clenched. Turning herself away from Kairi, she attempted to pull herself together. Kairi wrapped both her arms around Xolette, enveloping the girl in soft warmth.
"Don't lie to me. Even though I haven't known you for a long time, I still care about you. And I know you feel the same." Kairi said softly.
Xolette's entire body began to shake until her knees gave out. Kairi came around in front of her
"Olette, are you alrig..." Kairi started to ask.
She gasped as Xolette reached up, wrapping her arms around her.
"Kairi." Xolette whispered.
It was Olette. Kairi knew it. She was still in there.
"Olette." Kairi whispered.
She hugged Xolette back. The redhead's fingers moved through her snowy white locks as she felt the dark girl's tears against her face. Xolette smiled as she listened to the other girl's heartbeat. But suddenly, a dark cold pulse shot through her body.
"Ugh!" Xolette hissed.
She pulled back, her hands clasping the sides of her head. A cloud of darkness started pulsing around her.
"No! N-No!" Xolette whimpered.
"Olette!" Kairi cried.
Xolette screamed as she fell to her knees, the darkness worming itself inside of her as it tried to take back control.
"K-Kairi! Kairi!" Xolette cried weakly.
"I'm here!" Kairi shouted.
She cupped the other girl's face in her hands and turned her gaze up to her. The pain in Xolette's eyes and the tears on her face broke her heart.
"I'm still here, Olette." Kairi said.
Xolette reached up and pulled Kairi down to her, clutching at her like a lifeline.
"D-Don't leave me." Xolette pleaded weakly.
"I won't, don't worry." Kairi said reassuringly.
"So, here you are." a voice said.
Kairi looked up, holding Xolette closer as she saw Xemnas, Ansem, and Nihil.
"I'm here, Olette. I won't let them hurt you." Kairi whispered.
She slowly pulled away stood between Xolette and the three villains.
"Leave her alone!" Kairi ordered.
Ansem smirked.
"Do you really think you have a chance against the three of us, Princess? You don't even have a Keyblade anymore." Ansem asked.
"None of that matters! Even without a Keyblade, I'll protect her up until my final breath!" Kairi replied angrily.
Nihil scoffed.
"Brave, but foolish. You have no chance of defeating us." Nihil sneered.
Kairi charged at the three, only for Ansem's Guardian to appear to protect it's master. It grabbed onto Kairi's legs and stopped her from moving, before lifting her into the air and throwing her away. The girl grunted as she tumbled to the ground, and she seethed, got back onto her feet, and charged at the three again. She channelled her magic and threw a fireball at Nihil, only for the Heartless to easily move out of the way, spawn a clone, and grab her other arm, twisting it behind her.
"You cannot protect her. You cannot protect anyone close to you." Nihil growled.
Suddenly, Nihil got sent flying back. Kairi was confused until she felt Xolette grab her arm.
"Don't touch her!" Xolette growled angrily.
Xolette, the dark cloud still surrounding her, held Kairi close. Her body shook in pain as she held Soul Eater between herself and the three villains.
"Olette..." Kairi started to say.
Xolette turned her gaze to the redhead, her eyes full of pain.
"I'm sorry." Xolette said.
She formed a Corridor of Darkness and pushed Kairi in.
"Olette!" Kairi cried.
The white haired girl's soft smile faded as darkness swallowed her.
When Kairi opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the forest world in the Realm of Light.
"Kairi! Kairi!" a voice called out.
Lea came into view, his face full with worry. Kairi pushed herself to her feet.
"O-Over here!" Kairi called out.
"Kairi!" Lea cried.
He ran over.
"Are you alright?" Lea asked.
"I'm fine." Kairi replied.
She looked back at the ground where she'd woken up, and her mind wandered back to Xolette. She could only hope that the Nobody was safe.