Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy/Characters © Square Enix.

OC Characters © xWhitexWindx.

Warning: Alternate Universe. Contains swearing, suggestive themes, heterosexual & homosexual pairings, and violence.

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~Dark Desires~

-I-

"What's the matter, Ven?"

"Yeah, your face is flushed. Actually, you look more uncomfortable than Vanitas does stuck in class."

"I-I'm fine, guys. For real."

It's just not my thing to be so…formal.

The inauguration celebration for Destiny Garden was in full swing, all students who had successfully passed their SeeD examination dressed properly in their SeeD formal attire. The only difference amongst the uniforms was the girls' different colored bows, for individuality. Instructors and students alike were in the audience chamber of the mercenary school.

Ventus Hastings awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the slight perspiration and quickly trying to wipe it off so that his honey wind-swept spikes wouldn't cling to the back of his neck. The collar of his attire was starting to feel rather constricting around his throat. He had no idea how his closest friend Terra Fair - second cousin to the infamous Zack Fair - was able to stand there, looming over a majority of the student body with his burly and tall physique. He was wearing the exact same uniform, but not a bead of sweat was on the senior's tan skin.

It was Ven's inauguration celebration, being one of the few students to pass the SeeD exam and to be marked as a Keyblade wielder - something that was a rare occurrence for Destiny Garden. Other students were either trained as marksmen, swordsmen, spellcasters, or by other means as mercenaries. They were sent out and hired to protect towns from invading armies, monsters, and occasionally by rebellion fractions. To be a SeeD was one of the greatest honors at Garden - especially since this Garden was much different in comparison to the Gardens of old.

This Garden specialized in the purification of worlds and out to protect the balance of light and darkness, before all the worlds were lost forever.

Ventus was seventeen this year. He had been at Garden for nearly six years, along with his younger sister Naminé - they had been taken in by Master Eraqus, along with many other orphans whose parents lives had been lost in the war. Ventus didn't mind the fact that he didn't remember much about his childhood, or his parents. There was less heartache in blissful oblivion.

Sadly, his sister wasn't spared. She remembered everything, vividly and to the point it haunted her and caused emotional damage. She became very withdrawn from others and had been that way for so long, everyone stopped trying to get her out of her shell. She expressed herself through her art - she was content that way.

Still, Ven wished that Naminé had at least come to the inauguration celebration. It would've been nice to have his closest relative there with him. He had Terra and Aqua - the beautiful blunette already a Keyblade Master and Instructor. She was the second youngest in Garden history, her rank over all the spellcasters and teaching them to harness their magic. Terra had also gained his Mark of Mastery not too long ago, in charge of swordsmanship. Together, they were the most respected of the Keyblade wielders at Garden.

Then, there was Ven.

Even though he was cousin to Sora and Roxas Strife, he was still shadowed by their abilities with the Keyblade. Roxas was even able to dual-wield, an ability that had never been seen before by anyone in the history of time. Sora was the chosen to protect the realm of light - another amazing feat for a Keyblade wielder.

Though neither had been made Master yet, they were well on their way, following the footsteps of Terra and Aqua. The twins were acknowledged by everyone and had countless friends.

Ven just wanted to make friends - friends he could rely on and still be there, not leaving him behind. Sadly, Terra and Aqua hadn't realized the distance between them that had started to form not too long ago. Ven was the only one who noticed and it drove him to desperation to catch up with them.

Though, every time he managed to move forward, they were already farther away.

"Ven~! Wake up, you hopeless sleepyhead!" Aqua teased, gently poking his cheek.

Ven laughed, gently brushing her hand away from his cheek. "Give me a break, Aqua."

"At least enjoy yourself." Terra said, a gentle smile in place. "I'm sure there's a pretty face or two around here that would love to have a dance with you."

Ven quickly raised his hands and took a step back, "N-no way. Not me. I'm no good at dancing…" He scratched at his cheek, sky blue eyes shifting away from the older pair.

Aqua giggled, "How do you know if you've never even really tried? Terra used to say the same thing, and he's one of the best."

Terra coughed a bit, "C'mon, Aqua, knock it off. It's not that great."

"You two should go dance. I'm fine just watching!"

"Alright…if you're sure."

Aqua gently gripped Ven's shoulder before she turned to head to the dance floor, with Terra following her. He watched them bow to each other before joining in with the waltz that was being played by the orchestra. He slumped a bit, giving a sigh as his fingers tugged a bit at his collar. He was burning up and was starting to become anxious.

He glanced at the direction of the balcony, then back at the dance floor. He wasn't surprised that none of the girls had asked him to dance. Most of the girls fawned over Sora and Roxas - who of course had a fun time having to politely break their hearts. It was sad that Roxas' own girlfriend had to put up with crazed fan girls constantly trying to mess with her and their relationship, but Xion Valentine was stubborn and refused to let anyone or anything come between Roxas and her.

Her elder brother, Vanitas, was just as stubborn.

Only, he wasn't a one-girl kind of guy. Rumor had it that he had been with almost every girl in his year alone. The only one he hadn't been able to go out with was Serenity Heartily - daughter of Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartily. Sora and his lover - Riku Farron - were constantly with Serenity. They were very close and they didn't let anyone get close to her that had ill intent.

Being Keyblade wielders and Guardians of Light, it was easy to keep those with ill intent and hidden darkness away from innocents.

"Hey, Ven! Where ya goin'?" Hayner Dincht called as the blond passed by.

Ven smiled at Hayner, who was dancing with the Mayor's daughter, Kairi Ross. The redhead was smiling and laughing with Olette Kinneas, who was dancing with her friend Pence Rogers. They looked like they were having a blast.

Managing a gesture towards the balcony, Ven squeezed around some others he knew. He recognized Lea Sanders leaning against the wall with the sitarist Demyx Trepe and his best friend - not to mention Aqua's younger stepbrother - Isa Tempest. The three of them were having what looked like a discussion, gesturing over toward the punch bowl where Serenity Heartily was standing with her close friend, Rosary Alexandros.

Those two were the top VIPs of the entire Garden, between Serenity having Keyblade wielders as basically bodyguards and Rose the heir to a kingdom of Gaia. She was the daughter of Queen Garnet and her husband, Zidane. She was one of the oldest at Garden, studying in order to be a strong queen for her people by her twenty-fifth birthday. Her parents didn't want her to ascend the throne until she was ready - sadly, Queen Garnet had to ascend at the young age of sixteen. It had been rough for her and the Kingdom of Alexandria.

Rose was laughing, the light causing her honey blond hair to look golden as her brown eyes quickly locked on Ven, feeling him watching them. She gave a playful wave, before she adjusted her ponytail at the nape of her neck, in which she wore her long, layered locks.

Serenity glanced over her shoulder, amethyst orbs blinking as her chestnut ringlets fell loosely around her face, pulled back into a nice bun. She also waved, closing her eyes and giving a gentle smile.

Embarrassed that he had been caught staring, Ven waved and quickly cleared his throat before he turned and headed onto the balcony. He glanced around, quickly straying off to the side of the balcony that didn't have young lovers holding one another underneath the starry sky. As the blond leaned against the railing, he looked out at the waves crashing onto the shore.

Destiny Garden had been built on one of the many islets surrounding the main island of Destiny Islands, with a lot of trees and mountain terrain and beaches. The isolation was perfect for training without innocent townspeople getting caught up in it.

He heard laughter from down below, with Ven glancing out towards the small shore-side. He spotted Zack Fair - who was visiting his younger foster sister in congratulations of her passing her SeeD exam - having a playful wrestling match with Vanitas Valentine. He noticed two figures turning and walking away from them, before they disappeared from sight.

Always watching…

It was slightly painful to be apart of the worlds but not truly living in them.

He sighed and inhaled the cool night air, feeling it soothing his flushed and heated skin. He was glad he had decided to step out - any longer and he might've passed out from heatstroke.

Boom!

Ven whirled, about to summon Wayward Wind when he realized the explosion was from above - fireworks. His eyes lit up as he watched the night sky radiating with an array of colors.

"We should head inside, Naminé."

"Alright."

Blinking, Ven turned just in time to catch sight of his docile and introverted sibling leaving the balcony. He hadn't recognized her without her white dress - she was for once wearing her school attire with her white bow in place, her platinum blond hair framing her face. She was actually smiling and looked happy in the company of the one and only Winter "Win" Villiers - cousin to Riku and resident gearhead. He was a nice enough guy - he just was odd.

Even odder than Sora.

I'm happy for you, Nami.

He would definitely have to tease her later for hiding the fact she had a date. He was her big brother after-all!

Smiling till it slowly faded, the blue-eyed teen glanced back toward the water. It was then he realized everyone had gone inside and he was alone on the balcony.

Oh well - at least now he could enjoy the quiet night without the awkwardness of witnessing young lovers kiss.

Or having to see his childhood best friends flirt with each other, completely oblivious to each other's intentions. They were like the equivalence of his parents and older siblings in so many ways - seeing Aqua and Terra kissing would definitely leave some mental scars.

Even if he supported them whole-heartedly.

"It's getting late…and chilly…" Ven noted, pulling out the silver pocket watch from his pocket and clicking it open. "It's almost eleven-thirty. Should probably head back to the dorm… we have our first official SeeD mission tomorrow."

He turned after returning the watch to it's origin, only to stop in his tracks. The wind swept in, teasing his hair and clothes, sending a shiver down his spine. It wasn't just the wind that did though - it was the sight before him.

In all honesty, he hadn't ever seen a girl look as entrancing as she did right then and there. It was funny too, because she wasn't someone he expected to look as beautiful as she did in that moment. He had noticed her before, just not…like this.

Rayne Fair leaned against the balcony adjacent from where he stood, the breeze teasing her long, layered tresses. She definitely stood out - her hair was in para-layers, with the first layer stopping at her biceps and the bottom layer ending just in the middle of her back and was dyed a cerulean shade, while the rest of her hair was a natural raven. Her slate eyes were half-mast as she gazed out at the sea, not saying a word or even noticing the world around her.

As if she was lost in a daydream or memory of some sort.

He knew her - well, of her.

She was really only close to Zack, her foster brother, and Naminé - having befriended his sister when they ended up having to share a dorm room together. She was distant with a lot of people - but he had seen her be completely open and affectionate towards the few she called friend. She was merciless in training and was one of the few spellcasters who used an offensive style in combat, having been trained in swordsmanship alongside her brother. She helped the junior classmen and was constantly working to become stronger.

She was a good person, just misunderstood by most due to how quiet and anti-social she was. She seemed uncaring and cruel, but she was brutally honest. She had pure intentions with everything she did.

It startled Ventus how much he had actually paid attention to the raven before now. He was an observer after all - but that didn't change the fact that he knew more about Rayne Fair than he had been aware of.

Biting his lip, Ven hesitated, unsure if he should approach her or leave her to her thoughts. He took a step toward the doorway, only to stop and turn. He approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her.

Her expression changed at once, her slate eyes going from dreamy to sharp as she glanced over her shoulder at him, straightening. The wind teased the hem of her skirt and the blue bow she wore. Ven hesitated before glancing down shyly - he always had trouble talking to girls, especially ones he found himself attracted to.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you - it's just…you looked so beautiful and I…couldn't help myself."

His words surprised her, before she quickly glanced away from him.

"It's fine. It's not a bother."

"Your name…it's Rayne isn't it? Zack's sister?"

"Yes. You're not surrounded by mindless girls, so I'm assuming you're not Roxas. Ventus, correct?" She replied, not meeting his eyes as she turned to look back at the waves.

He touched the balcony, focusing on her face. "Mmhm. You can call me Ven."

"You did well."

"Excuse me?"

"The exam. I was in Squad A as the captain. I saw Squad B withholding their ground against the Heartless that attacked. You did very well in combat." Rayne gave a pause as Ven blinked in surprise, but felt pride at her compliment. "To be perfectly honest - I was frightened. My knees were shaking and I could barely focus enough on my own squad. And the fact that I passed the exam and was made a SeeD today…well, I'm not the only one who was shocked. Zack's happy but…I think he's more relieved that I didn't let our parents down."

"I was scared too. Heartless are dangerous - every battle against one is a risk. You can lose your heart - that's worse than losing your life."

"What kind of life can you have if you're an empty vessel?" Rayne asked rhetorically, her tone soft. "You can't - those who've lost their hearts are lost causes… trying to save them is… sadly, it's not worth it."

"But would you try…if it was someone you loved…?"

She looked away, not answering.

"I'm sorry. That was personal to ask. I'll be on my way."

Ven turned to walk away, when she spoke.

"…Yes. I would try. I just wouldn't know where to start - but I'd find a way. Even if I had to succumb completely to the darkness inside just to save the one I loved… I would. Because I would do anything for someone who I can trust and care for wholeheartedly, and know that they're right there beside me and returning every ounce of it unconditionally. I've seen that kind of devotion before - even if I've never experienced it for myself. I've seen it with my brother and his wife. I would do anything to have that pure and unconditional love and to keep it safe. Does that answer your question, Ventus?"

Ven nodded, taken aback completely by her response, but smiling nonetheless.

"I would do the exact same thing."

Rayne turned and surprisingly smiled, before she looked away again.

"It's late - we have our first mission tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should head back to the dorms now. Care to walk with me?"

"Sure."

They left the balcony, walking side-by-side.

The celebration had drawn to a close. Perhaps it wasn't an entire waste of time after all.

Ven had made a new friend, at least.

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A/N: So, what do you think of the first chapter? I plan on doing a series of tales concerning Destiny Garden and the students - it's kind of like a crossover between Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VIII. Each OC mentioned and described will have a major part in the story - besides, poor Ventus can't be without a girl, can he? ;D So please let me know what you thought or if you have any comments or questions! Thanks!

-Win