Pre-requisite: If you haven't read Aqua: Heart of Darkness and Kairi: Heart of Light. You will most likely be completely lost when reading this, as this is a continuation, and NOT a stand alone story. Go read book one and two before you start on book three. I mean, compared to book two, you might be able to read this and get a general gist, but, you ought to read from the get go.
Chapter 1: A New Existence
A girl, with black hair, blue eyes, and a soft face in a black coat suddenly found herself laying on a strange platform. She could see something painted on it, but it was hard to see what was drawn while on it. She blinked once, blinked twice, and then sat up, recognizing something. She had thoughts... she could see... she was... alive? She existed? Before this moment, there had been... nothing...
She struggled to think, but there was just emptiness when she tried to dig into her memories...
"They're not YOUR memories to dig into, so stay out!" came a hostile voice.
The girl looked up, startled. "W-who?"
Across the platform, with their back turned to her, was a figure in red and white armor, maybe a girl. She had her arms crossed infront of her. She had short red hair, but, she couldn't tell anything else about the girl's appearance, except maybe she was young, early teens. Her stance gave of the impression she was angry, frustrated... and maybe hurt.
She blinked a few times, registering what the girl had said. "What do you mean...?"
Silence was her response.
"Do you... do you know who I am?" she asked, she begged the red-haired girl.
Silence.
"Please... I... I can't remember anything, who... who am I?" she begged again.
"A puppet," spat the red-haired girl, frustrated, "That's what he called you. In truth, you're a parasite, trying to steal what's mine. I can feel it, but I won't let him win. So stay the hell away from me!"
The black-haired girl rose to her feet, lost and confused. "I don't understand... I haven't done anything... why..."
She took a step forward. "Why are you so angry with me?"
She took another step forward. "Why did you call me a..."
"Stay BACK!" shouted the red-haired girl, a bright light emanating out of her.
The black haired girl crossed her arms in-front of her and cried out as the light blasted her back and off the platform...
She gave a startled cry and sat up, gasping.
She clutched a hand to her chest, breathing in and out heavily, glancing around. "Where...?"
She was in a strange, blank white and gray room filled with mostly empty beds. There were a few other people there, all in black cloaks, laying down on the beds. Walking back and forth between various beds was, oddly enough, a small female humanoid mouse also in a black cloak.
"Umm," the girl began, raising her voice a bit.
The mouse turned to her. "You are awake."
The girl frowned. Empty... that voice... it sounded so empty, and the mouse's eyes... were empty as well. What was wrong with her?
"Who... are you?" asked the girl.
The mouse walked over. "I am Mixenin, chief medic of the entire Organization and overseer of all branches medical officers. I was told you were found earlier today and brought in."
"Found...?" asked the girl.
"A newly formed Nobody," said Mixenin, "Though, the one who found you said you seemed unstable. Tell me, what can you remember of your previous life?"
The girl looked at the mouse, lost. "Nobody...? Previous life...?"
The mouse stared at her patiently. "A Nobody is a person whose heart was stolen by the Heartless and consumed by darkness. We are the bodies that are left behind if the will of our former selves were powerful enough. The most powerful or willful of us retain our forms with some changes, and continue to act with a will of our own. However, without our hearts, we cannot feel, though, we can at least remember what it was like to feel."
The girl absorbed the information slowly. "I'm... a Nobody?"
She refocused on the question she had been asked. "I... I can't... remember anything..."
Mixenin hummed softly. "Interesting. You are the first case with complete amnesia. Of the few who do forget, most only forget bits and pieces, or, a certain part of their lives."
The girl bowed her head. "Oh... is... there a way for me to remember? And... is there a way for a us to regain our hearts?"
The mouse nodded but did not answer, instead, she walked to the front of the room, to a desk, and hopped up onto a chair. She used the desk to pull her closer before pushing a button on it.
A panel on the desk opened up, and a phone rose out of it, she grabbed it, dialed a number, and spoke into it, "Superior, you asked to be notified when our newest arrival awoke. She is now awake."
The mouse listened for a moment before replying to whatever she heard, "Very well."
The mouse put the phone away and turned towards the girl. "The Superior will be down to personally see you soon, eventually, he will explain our purpose and goal."
"Oh umm... okay. Whose the Superior?" asked the girl.
Mixenin frowned at her. "The Superior of the In-Between is the leader of the Organization, and personally leads the Core of the Organization, our most powerful members. He is the one who gathered all Nobodies together and gave them purpose, to seek out a way to reclaim our hearts. We, who have been abandoned by light and darkness, would have been torn apart in the darkness that had been swallowing the worlds had we remained alone. Together, here, in the World That Never Was, we have instead thrived."
The girl absorbed the information before nodding. "Okay so... our boss then?"
Mixenin nodded, but pointed a warning finger at her. "Yes, but, you, as a new Nobody, should speak to him with due respect and address him as Superior. Even if we cannot feel, we live by a set of rules of behavior and comradeship. Our society functions on this."
The girl nodded. "Okay."
Mixenin studied her. "I'll admit, if I had a heart, I'd feel curiosity as to why the Superior wishes to see you. Tending to newer Nobodies is a duty of the lower branches of the Organization."
The girl shrugged. "I don't know."
Mixenin hopped back down and started towards the nearest occupied bed. "Then we have nothing further to discuss."
The girl frowned briefly. That was kind of rude...
She watched the mouse leap onto beds, aiming her hand at the occupants, a strange green glow coating her hand. "What's that glow?"
"Cure magic," answered the mouse before pausing, "You don't know of magic?"
The girl shook her head. "It doesn't seem familiar."
The mouse resumed healing. "Either your world lacked it, our your previous self was very unskilled with it."
Hey! I heard that!
The girl froze. Did... she just hear a girl's voice in her head? She glanced at the mouse, but she didn't seem to have heard it. She hesitated briefly before trying to talk to the voice.
Hello?
She waited, but there was no response.
Maybe it was just her imagination...
She paused, feeling a powerful sensation drawing closer to the room.
She paused her thoughts when a slightly hunched over man in a black cloak stepped into her room.
It's... HIM...
That voice again...
The girl felt a tightness in her chest at the sight of the cloaked man. What was this sensation?
"So, you've awakened at last young one," came an old, raspy voice.
"Are you... the Superior?" asked the girl.
He nodded. "Indeed I am. I have personally come to welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen ones into our ranks."
Her eyes furrowed. "Keyblade...?
Her eyes went wide as pain racked through her chest. She clutched both it, and her head, as a memory suddenly flashed through her mind. She saw through the eyes of another... or was it herself? She saw herself raise a hand out before, and in it appeared a weapon, a blade shaped like a key...
FLASH!
She blinked, finding herself holding her hand out just like in the memory. In her hands was a key. It was almost entirely pure white The grip as silvery, and to the side protectively as a guard were two white wings. Connecting the handle to the blade, was a white heart with two silvery spikes pointing out. The blade itself was two straight sharp metal parts, connecting at the end, having a strange looking blue, purple, and yellow star like end as the 'key' part of the Keyblade. Finally, attached to the bottom of the Keyblade was a chain leading down to a pink charm like object with a blue leaf.
The Superior chuckled. "As I said, one of the Keyblade's chosen."
She stared at the Keyblade, baffled. "I don't... understand... what is this thing? Why do I have it?"
The Superior studied her briefly. "Can you remember what it's called?"
Her eyes furrowed in concentration. "I... its..."
She felt like she was struggling against something for the knowledge, it was a bizarre sensation. She had no memories, yet... now that she had the Keyblade in her hand, she felt like she could pull them from somewhere... it was such an oddity...
"It's... Oathkeeper," she whispered.
The Superior nodded, a cruel smirk showing on what part of his face she could see. "Good, very good."
She repeated her earlier question. "What is a Keyblade, and why do I have it?"
Once again, the man avoided the question. "Tell me, child, do you remember your true name?"
The girl's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't answering her question, and for some reason, it left a twisting, fiery feeling in her chest, was it... anger? No, they told her she was a Nobody and she couldn't feel. Maybe she just remembered what it meant to be angry. The action of someone keeping something from her... the sensation it left in her chest was one she did not like. Had it happened before?
"Well?" asked the Superior.
She refocused and tried to remember, but unlike the name of the Keyblade, she could not get a grip on the thought, the memory, the name, if she had one at all. It was blocked off, and it actually gave her kind of a headache to try and force it.
"No, I don't," she mumbled.
The old man chuckled. "Then until you do, your name and purpose will be devoted onto the will of the Organization, to help us restore our lost hearts."
The girl shrugged. "Okay."
Didn't seem like a bad thing, to help people get their hearts back.
Idiot, if HE'S involved, I doubt getting people their hearts back is his true goal.
She was starting to grow wary of the voice randomly speaking in her head...
The man waved a hand out before her, and letters formed in the air, she read them off, "X-I-O-N."
"Xion," she said softly, "Is that... my name?"
"Until you claim your original name for your own, it will be," answered the Superior, that cruel smile showing under his hood once again.
My name, will NEVER be hers...
Xion ignored the voice and nodded, feeling a bit... light and fluttery... to have a name. "Okay, Xion it is."
The Superior beckoned her. "Come Xion, it's time to introduce you to your comrades."
Xion reflexively dismissed her Keyblade and then stared at her empty hand, not sure how she did that. She shook her head and walked after the Superior, before pausing.
She turned back. "Goodby Mixenin."
The mouse glanced at her and tilted her head curtly, but said nothing in response. Xion turned back and started after the Superior. She followed him through a huge, empty and blank building. There was so much gray and white here, it was kind of off-putting. Where was the color to it all? Or... did Nobodies not care about such things? She followed silently, her chest feeling tighter and tighter as she strode through the empty building. It wasn't empty in the sense it lacked people, there were many people in black cloaks walking about, along with gray and white creatures scattered around. It was just... the feeling of this place she guessed.
Finally, they stepped into a room with a circular raised platform. Above it, towering into the sky, were many raised thrones. The Superior led her up a set of stairs and into the middle of the circular platform before vanishing, teleporting up to sit on the topmost throne. Xion glanced around. Each and every throne save for one had a person on them garbed in the same black cloak, all staring down at her with empty curiosity. The power the collective group gave of was staggering, enough to send a tingling sensation down her spine...
The Superior spoke, drawing her attention. "Good tidings friends. Today is a momentous occasion. I am pleased to announce, that at long last, a new comrade has finally been chosen to fill the last throne, and complete the Core Organization's numbers, to bear our coat. Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen into our mists. Xion, number thirteen, the Key of Heart."
Key of Heart?
Pff. He thinks he's clever with that title doesn't he?
Xion wondered, briefly, if she was a little crazy to be hearing a voice in her head.
She looked up and around, eying her fellow comrades curiously. She paused briefly at one of them, a man with pink hair. While the color wasn't familiar, something about his presence tugged at her. Had she met him before... in her previous life?
Marluxia... so, I finally figured out... what he wanted with... that data of me...
Xion's eyebrows furrowed. Why did the voice suddenly sound so tired? She blinked and felt the tightness in her chest relax. She listened for the voice, but it was gone, as if sleeping. She refocused, noting that the pink man, Marluxia, had a faint grin on his face, looking down at her. For some reason, it seemed almost... off-putting... though she couldn't quite put a finger on why...
"Please Xion, have a seat," said the Superior, motioning to the empty throne.
Xion walked to the edge, vaulted off the platform, and moved to sit down on the throne. It rose slowly and steadily, coming off the floor, but still stayed a bit under the other lowest throne.
"The height of each throne represents your position, role, responsibility, power, and worth within the Core Organization. You, as our newest member, of course have much yet to prove to us," said the Superior, "Your number on the other hand simply refers to when you joined us."
Xion nodded. "Okay."
"I believe, it is common courtesy to introduce ones selves to their new comrade," said the Superior, his eyes slowly passing over those beneath him, "In order if you would."
A man with blond hair worn long and slicked back, a short mustache and goatee, and bright orange introduced himself. "Number two, Mesaxn, the Wise."
The next was a man with black dreadlocks and thick sideburns, his violet eyes seemed exceptionally cold. "Number three, Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lancer."
The next was a man with long blonde hair and green eyes on an inquisitive face, yet, the way his eyes gleamed and he grinned at her made her slightly uneasy. "I am Number four, Vexen, the Unremitting Academic."
The next was a man was a strongly built one, even through his cloak. He had a strong set chin and heavy face, blue eyes, and messy spiked ginger hair. "Lexaeus, number five, the Taciturn Stalwart."
The next was a younger man, steel blue hair with messy bangs covering the right side of his face, his eyes, a bright aqua. "Zexion, number six, the Cloaked Schemer.
The next was another young man, long frayed blue hair, an X shaped scar on his face, yellow piercing eyes judging her rather harshly. "Saix, number seven, the Luna Diver."
The next was a third young man, rather skinny, lighter skin than most, and super spiky red hair with bright emerald eyes, and... tear tatoes under them? Odd. The man seemed a bit bored, hardly paying attention, at least until Saix shot him a glare and coughed loudly.
The man blinked a few times before glancing down at Xion. "Oh, right. Names Axel, got it memorized?"
Xion blinked a few times, thrown by the sudden change in greetings. "Umm... sure?"
The man in the throne nearest to her, a guy with an eye-patch on a quick glance, laughed. "That's number eight, Flurry of the Prancing Flames."
That got a few snickers from the others.
Axel shot the man an undignified glare. "Hey! It's dancing, not prancing!"
"Then introduce yourself properly next time," said Saix, sighing afterwords.
The room settled down and the next person, a man with short platinum-blonde hair, electric blue eyes, and a number of peircings, flipping through cards in his lap, gave her a curt nod and spoke, "Number nine, Luxord, the Gambler of Fate."
The pink haired man she had taken note of before spoke next, "Marluxia, number ten, the Graceful Assasin."
Next was the only other woman in the room, bright-blonde slicked back hair with two strands oddly peeling back to hang behind her, her eyes were cyan, but utterly cruel looking. "Larxene, number eleven, the Savage Nymph."
On the twelfth throne next to Xion, sat a man with black hair and eye, an eye-patch over his right one, He had a heavy scar on the left side of his face. "Number twelve, Xigbar, the Freeshooter."
The man eyed the Superior briefly. "Free being the questionable term."
The Superior raised an eyebrow at him, but did not respond.
"Well, I'm Xion, number thirteen, the Key of Heart," recited Xion, figuring it was her turn.
Larxene snorted. "The Superior already introduced you, stupid kid."
Xion blinked a few times. "Oh, um, well... we were all going around, so I thought..."
"Ah give the kid a break Xene, she's newly born," said Axel, before shooting Xion a wink, "And probably not all there yet."
Xion gave him a blank and confused look.
The Superior looked at Axel, thoughtful for a moment. "Since you've volunteered, Axel, take number thirteen and introduce her to the World That Never Was."
Axel rolled his eyes. "What? Volunteered? Please. Why do I get the stuck with the newbie?"
The Superior gave him a hard look, making Axel sigh. "Fine fine, I get a week off in return, got it memorized?"
There were a couple of snickers and annoyed glares from others at Axel.
The Superior looked exasperated. "Why must you insist on pressing me every chance you get?"
Axel put his hands behind his head, 'leaned back' as much as he could in a stationary throne, rolled his eyes, and answered, "Why not?"
The Superior sighed before making a dismissive gesture with his hand, and vanished in a burst of dark energy. Most of the room's occupants followed suit, teleporting away. Only Axel and Marluxia remained.
Axel raised an eyebrow at his pink haired colleague. "Something you need Luxy boy?"
Marxluxia ignored him before smiling an almost menacing smile at Xion. "I simply with to give our newest colleague a warm welcome and tell her that I look forward to seeing what she is capable of."
WARP
With that, he left.
Axel sighed and leaped off his throne, landing a bit away from Xion. "Lovely, you got pinky boy up there interested in you for some reason. Heck, the Superior and Vexen were giving you funny looks too. Can't say I envy you."
Xion climbed down from hers and asked, "Why not? Shouldn't I be happy that my colleagues are interested in me?"
Axel gave her a hard stare. "You're joking, right?"
"Umm... no?" she asked, a little confused.
Axel sighed. "Talk about naive with a capital N. You got a lot to learn kid about being part of the Organization, and being a Nobody. C'mon, let's hit the town."
"Hit the town?" she asked, following him out of the room.
"Well, city," he corrected, "You know what I mean."
"Umm...," she murmured, "Why would we go punch a city?"
"You're kidding right?" asked Axel, scratching the back of his head, "Hit the town means let's go chill."
"Why would I want to get cold?" she asked, baffled.
"Oh man...," said Axel, pausing to approach the nearest wall and hit his head against it, "I haven't seen a case this bad since... well ever. You're something kid."
She... really didn't get this guy. "Thanks...?"
Axel merely shook his head and started walking again. "Forget naive, your blank with a capital B."
Xion glanced herself over. "What's blank about me?"
Axel sighed. "We've got a lot of work to do with you, Xion."
"Well, that's why I was told to join, to work and help us all get our hearts back, and my memories," said Xion.
Axel glanced back briefly, "Don't remember anything?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Hmm, could be a good thing, could be a bad thing," said Axel, "Depends I suppose on what life you lived and how you were turned a Nobody."
She hadn't considered if she'd want to know her past or not, it was a curious thought. "What about you?"
Axel clenched his fists briefly. "Life was alright, but, got my heart ripped out and eaten right in front of me by one scary heartless lady."
"Oh, sorry," said Xion.
Axel shrugged. "Eh, the past is the past, no point in dwelling on it."
Xion thought briefly, something about the term Heartless, seemed vaguely familiar, especially when paired with lady. "What about the woman who ate you're heart?"
"Thankfully, she bit it about a month or so ago, some kiddos with Keyblades took her out," said Axel, "Dunno how, but they did."
Keyblades, like her own? "I see. That's probably a good thing."
"No kidding," said Axel, "That heart happy psycho had to go. Don't know how anyone who was said to be good could have spawned that thing."
It wasn't... her fault... she didn't mean for... all of this to happen...
Xion paused, hearing the voice from earlier again. "Hello?"
Again, nothing. She was tempted to ask Axel about it...
Go ahead... if you want people to think... you're crazy...
Hrm... the voice had a point there.
"Thankfully, her Nobody ain't half as crazy as her Heartless was, well, unless you do anything threatening towards her ward, then she gets pissed," said Axel, shivering a bit.
Xion paused. "So... Nobodies have 'Heartless' counterparts?"
Axel shrugged. "I guess, but most don't have humanoid ones, and wait, the way you said that, do you NOT know what a Heartless is?"
Xion shook her head. "Nope."
"You know, scratch that, its a good thing you can't remember your past then," said Axel, "The Heartless ain't anything you want to remember."
She pondered the thought as they walked down the castle before pointing at one of the gray and white creatures. "Are those Heartless?"
Axel scoffed. "They're Dusks, lesser Nobodies."
"They're Nobodies too?" she asked.
Axel nodded. "Yeah, only the strongest or most willful of us get to stay human."
Awful, they can't even be who they once were...
Xion was inclined to agree with the voice. "You're sounding a bit more energetic."
The voice scoffed. "My strength comes and goes, I shouldn't even be awake now, but, SOMEONE keeps using and prying at my heart."
Xion was a bit... light and fluttery... that the voice finally answered her, and made an offer, "Really? Who? I could ask them to stop."
You're joking, right?
"Why would I be?" asked Xion.
The voice merely sighed, not responding otherwise.
Xion and Axel exited the castle, walking down a pathway of translucent turquoise light, entering into a city full of tall, almost ominous buildings. The city was... lifeless in a sense. It's colors were dull, mostly gray, or dark blue, or black, sometimes other colors on windows or buildings. The only 'bright' parts seemed to be various signs on some of the buildings in differing colors. Yet, even those seemed like empty things.
The number of Nobodies walking the streets seemed to multiply compared to the ones in the castle. Not to mention, for those who had human forms, their clothing changed. Few outside the castle seemed to bear a cloak, and those that did, seemed to be given a bit of respect and space from those who didn't. Like those in the castle though, all of them seemed just as empty.
It's an awful fate, to be reduced to this, shells of their former selves, and probably being led by the nose by Xehanort to try to get back what they lost...
"Why do you think so ill of the Superior?" asked Xion, "He gave me a nice welcome and made me part of the Organization when I had no memories and no one to guide me."
"You're a fool and a leech, why wouldn't he be happy to have you?" was the voices only reply.
Xion wished the voice would stop being rude, but, didn't call her out on it.
"So, where are you going to show me first?" asked Xion.
"We're going to have a drink at Nobodies Heaven," said Axel.
"A drink?" she asked.
"Eh, on second thought, you're a kid, Xifta would throttle me if I tried to get you a beer, you can have orange juice or something," said Axel, "Not interested in getting momma bear mad."
"Momma bear?" asked Xion with confusion.
"You'll see, she likes to see every newcomer and try to make them 'feel' at home," said Axel.
"But... we can't feel," said Xion.
Axel shrugged. "Doesn't mean we don't remember how to, and can't try to live as we once did. The other branches and lower ranking human Nobodies try to hold onto that notion. Nobodies Heaven is a kind of place where we can lose ourselves and forget our problems, almost makes us feel human sometimes."
That almost sounds like Tifa's Bar...
"Whose Tifa?" asked Xion.
None of your business.
Axel led her to an open area with a huge skyscraper towering into the air. "Woah..."
Axel rolled his eyes and thumbed the building. "That's Memory's Skyscraper, the pub is right across from it."
Xion followed him through a set of yellow paneled double doors. The inside of the building did not match the outside at all. It looked retrofitted. Wooden tables and chairs everywhere, a large bar at the back, with bottles of various liquids behind it. The floor was wooden as well, with hanging lights and fans on the ceiling. The place was packed full of Nobodies, and lesser Nobodies carrying drinks to the humanoid ones sitting at the tables.
"Yo, mamma bear! Got another newbie for you," called out Axel.
A voice, one that made Xion's chest suddenly constrict painfully, spoke out, "How many times do I have to say it Axel, it's Xifta, especially to a womanizer like you."
T-that voice... this place... it can't be...
Hurt... pain... why did her chest... suddenly hurt so much? Xion struggled a bit behind Axel, gripping her chest, panting softly.
"Please? Me? A womanizer? That hurts my 'heart'," said Axel, placing a mocking hand over his chest.
A woman in a black cloak came into view. She had a strong set, but soft face. Long brown hair, and somewhat kind brown eyes. She had a forced smile on her face, as if she were trying to appear happy and carefree, but couldn't put the emotion into it. The sight of her face made the pain in Xion's chest far worse...
T-T-Tifa?! No no no no...
The woman, Xifta, or Tifa, or whatever she was called, glanced away from Axel and towards Xion. "So you're the newbie huh? I'm Xifta, please to meet..."
She paused, a surprised look slowly coming over her face. "Wait a second, hair's the wrong color, but you look just like... Kairi?"
Xion's eyes went wide at that word as a spasm ripped through her. It felt like lightning had just split her body in half. She clutched the side of her head in one hand, her chest over where her heart should be in the other, gave an awful scream of agony, and pitched forward unconscious...
Author's Notes:
Welcome to Xion: Heart of Nothing.
I ditched Demeyx from the Core Organization, sorry Demy fans. He still exists, but, not as he was in KHII. Ansem the Wise is here, because unlike in cannon, he was never betrayed by his apprentices, or even had a chance to research the heart prior to losing his own. You may also have noticed a few number changes. Most moved up simply because Xigbar is at the bottom now. Why is he at the bottom you ask? Recall what he did at the end of Book 1, he's not in Xehanort's confidence anymore, and tried to avoid being recruited for awhile. He has a bit of a role to play in this story... what it is remains to be seen, but remember, he has a lot of inside knowledge on Xehanort and his schemes from back when he was on his side. What oh what will he do with said knowledge?
:tease:
Anyway, you'll have to get used to italics speech, whenever Xion and 'the voice' (should be pretty obvious who it is) speak to one another, that's how it's going to be. It represents and internal talk, outside people won't be able to hear it under normal circumstances.
New Nobody Guide (Incase you can't figure them out):
Mixenin = Minne Mouse
Mesaxn = Ansem the Wise (I chose Mesaxn instead of Xemnas to avoid potential confusion)
Xifta = Tifa Lockheart
On another note. I put a questionnaire for the series on my profile page to try and gather feedback to use for writing this book and beyond. I'd really appreciate anyone whose willing to go read/answer it.