Chapter 1 - "She's Awake"
"GET BACK HERE!" A weighty merchant tumbled down the street, his face crimson with fury. "SOMEONE! STOP THAT THEIF!" He shoved a pudgy finger at the girl in front of him. Elle pulled her cloak farther over her face with one hand, safely holding the stolen loaf of bread with the other. Vendors in the middle of a purchase whipped around just in time to see the black flicker of her mangled robes as she raced by. Elle cursed at herself as she shoved through the throngs of startled civilians. "This has got to be my worst attempt at burglary so far."
It wasn't long before the merchant's pounding footsteps were lost in the crowd. Elle slowed to casual pace, taking one last whiff of the warm, fresh bread before gently tucking it under her cloak. The sun was sinking from the sky, and the Twilight Town's cool night air began to nibble through the holes in her robes. Elle slipped into a dark alleyway, unnoticed by the tired crowds. She climbed on top of two crates stacked against the side of a building, then hoisted herself up onto the rooftops. The scenic route home was much quieter than the roads.
It wasn't long before Elle was standing in front of the old abandoned shed she called home. She kicked the plank which served as her front door to the side and stumbled in. The shack was a small, messy room with a single cracked window on the eastern wall. Although the state of the house wasn't appealing, the window framed the most beautiful view of Twilight Town.
Elle pulled a crate up to the window and sat down, unsheathing the stolen loaf of bread. She ripped off a piece and nibbled on it, savoring each buttery crumb. It was the first time she had eaten in four days.
Suddenly, a movement outside caught her attention. Elle pressed her face against the window to confirm what she saw. A pale, emaciated figure, about the size of a small child, was swaying to and fro, randomly waving its arms like the angry merchant.
"Shit."
Elle leaped from the stool and began rummaging through a heap of bags and trinkets on the opposite side of the room. She whipped out a black long sword, eyed it for any fractures then burst out the door towards the white creature.
In the few seconds she had turned away, the figures had multiplied. Now, six of them stepped towards her, waving their arms simultaneously in a ritualistic fashion. "Damn Nobodies." She hissed, extending her sword threateningly, "Go on, get out of here!"
She thrashed at the Nobody closest to her, but it dodged her sword effortlessly, "Get out!" She yelled, almost pleading now, but the creatures continued to enclose her.
Elle swung her sword in every direction, desperately trying to hit at least one. She managed to knick one in the leg, but her weapon had no effect, and went through the skin of the creature as if it were a bodiless phantom. Suddenly, a Nobody grabbed onto her sword, crawling up the blade and onto her arm. She thrashed around violently, but the creature refused to let go. A burning sensation shot through her arm as the creature touched her skin. She could feel the very life-force being sucked right out of her body.
Elle stumbled backwards, her sword clanging against the ground as she fell. Her eyelids began to close as the Nobodies crawled over her limp body. She heard someone holler and the flash of a black cloak whizzed over her head as the darkness closed in on her. "Elle…Hold on…" A young man's voice whispered into her ear. Relieved at the sound of hope, Elle closed her tired eyes, and submit to the power of darkness.
"She must remain in Twilight Town."
"You can't be serious, DiZ! Have you heard the crime reports of late? She's been stealing for a living!"
"Her world does not exist. Technically, she's stealing nothing."
"What about the Nobodies? Or even the Heartless, for that matter! You saw what happened today! You told me your program would protect her!"
"I said that long ago, when you first brought that girl back. Organization XIII has grown more powerful since then. If you want to continue with this plan of yours, you must allow Namine more time. Memory alteration is quite a complicated process."
"Quiet! Elle is right outside the door!"
Elle's eyes shot open at her name. Her mind was weak, as if every last inch of energy had been sucked out of her limbs. She could barely manage a few blinks to confirm she wasn't dreaming. She lay on the floor in a disorderly pile of blankets in a tiny dark blue room lined with blinking gadgets and computer screens. A steel sliding door stood a few feet away from her resting place, opened just enough to allow the angry voices of the two men in the next room to spill inside.
"I don't understand why she can't stay here with us."
"She would discover your plan."
"We agreed that you and Namine wouldn't speak of it."
"Namine has already disobeyed that rule of yours with her outbursts toward Roxas. You, of all people know she can't be trusted."
Roxas. The name rang through Elle's mind. She had seen the boy every now and then, passing through the streets of Twilight Town equipped with a Sea Salt Popsicle and his little group of friends. Occasionally she would frame him for her crimes or snatch a handful of munny from his usual hangout spot, but she had never actually talked to him. Namine was a new one though.
With what little energy she had left, Elle propped herself up on one elbow and edged closer to the door, hoping to grasp more clues from the conversation. Suddenly, a shrill beeping noise echoed from a computer in the opposite room. Elle jumped, startled, only to realize the green wire that had been bound to the side of her arm. She tugged at it furiously, but the beeping only grew louder. An abrupt silence, followed by a shuffling of feet could be heard in the opposite room. The two men ended their argument with one panicked phrase.
"She's awake."