The darkness was suffocating. It drowned out all reason and all answers. It was the ultimate mystery and the simplest cause. Then memories started flooding in like small tidal wave drowning out the darkness. Blue turned to white and then her eyes opened. She sat up quickly; her eyes scanned the room searching for something familiar.

"Ha, I already see trouble in her eyes. I'm gonna like this one." A guy with a mullet and blue eyes sat hunched over a blue guitar. There were a lot more people around, but she too sad to look them all in the face. And the silent was becoming awkward.

In a feeble attempt to break the silence she spoke. "Uhh… s-so you play the guitar."

Mullet-guy looked around the room and looked back at her, "A-are you talking to me? No, I don't play the guitar!" He strummed the instrument, playing a hearty bass note. "This, Is a Sitar. Sii- taar. Remember that. Can't believe she though this beauty was a guitar."

"Demyx, it might as well be a guitar." A tall man with long gray streaks in his hair turned to her. "Don't mind the squirt. He is just a little narcissistic and annoyed that he can't play a guitar. The name is Xigbar. I'm not usually into little ladies such as yourself, but you looks like a lot of fun."

"If I hear another remark like that, I will kick your ass out my castle." A man with long silver hair entered the room. It wasn't until then that Chikane actually took in the room. There were no windows, only a door, a bed, and a nightstand. The walls were a white-bluish shade and dull as can be. The room was to say the least boring but was filled with about 10 people excluding Chikane, and all of them were long black cloaks with attached hoods, accompanied by matching black boots.

"We need more people out in the field, so their newbie needs to be trained immediately. Lexion and Larxene have already left so I'm leaving the task to Axel. However, you exhibited your incapability of being able to do so when you trained Roxas. Therefore I will have Xion and him accompany you. I want her killing the big heartless in Wonderland in 3 days."

The man with the spiky red hair was leaning against the wall next to the door. When he was addressed he only opened a single eye to acknowledge the silver haired man and said, "Xemnas when you want us to start?"

"Now." With that word Xemnas exited the room and the rest, except three, followed suit.

A petite black haired girl ran up to Chikane, "Hi! My name is Xion. I guess I will be teaching you magic. I promise to make these next days as painless as possible."

Xion smiled widely and stepped aside for a boy with messy dirty blonde hair. "I'm Roxas. I will help you with using your chosen weapon, which will hopefully be a keyblade." Roxas pointed to the red head. "And the cranky one is my friend, Axel. He will be-"

"Hey, Squirt, I can talk for myself. My name's Axel, got it memorized? I'm just here to make sure you survive. Thought you are a nobody so not much else can happen to you. Any questions? And make it snappy, today's my day off."

Chikane looked to Xion, the least intimidating of the three, "Where am I?"

Xion slammed the pal of her head to her forehead, "Oh! Duh! We haven't given you a tour yet!" The firl grabbed Chikan's arm and dragged her along corridor after corridor. Following closely behind was Axel grudgingly and Roxas happily. Xion spoke quickly and excitedly as she skipped through the halls. Finally the group stopped in a large common room with sofas and table. A flat screen and game console sat to the far side of the room. Perpendicular to the window.

"Soooo, you done scoping the castle? Welcome to the World That Never Was. Let's get this over with. We're going to Traverse town."

…. …. ….. ….

Roxas ducked and hit the heartless in its midsection. Xion was burning more with her Firaga attacks. But Axel, Chikane didn't know where Axel was. The group was fighting in front of the entrance to Travers Town's forest. Apparently as soon as they walked through the gates a huge heartless would appear.

"Alright newbie, it your turn." Axel appeared behind Chikane with a smirk on his face. She felt pressure on her back and the cold of the metal gate as she fell through it.

" Axel! Why would you do that? She doesn't even know her weapon yet!" Roxas followed her through the fate.

"She needs to learn how to handle the big heartless!"

"But this one will only attack the first person who entered the battle zone." Xion picked Chikane up off the ground. "We need to get you out of here."

"I don't understand. The three of you can fight it off right?"

"Roxas stood to the opposite side of Chikane, "Yes, but the gates are already locked so you can't leave, and you will not escape without taking a hit or two."

"Then why're you all freakin' out, let's get to the fighting." Axel, still behind Chikane, looked off into the distance.

Chikane was too busy talking she didn't see the multicolored chameleon walking toward her.

"Chikane run. You run or you fight just don't get in my way." Axel shoved past her with her chakrams whizzing past her head.

Roxas rushed past her winging her keyblade around. "Remember stay at least fifteen feet away from it, the tongue is long." Then Xion joined the battle.

Chikane started running. However, she quickly learned she wasn't fittest person for the task. Breathing heavily, she hunched over her knees. The chameleon was approaching but the distance was still large. Then it attacked. The tongue slapped against Chikane's cheek. Her vision blurred significantly as she fell to the ground.

"Get up new girl! On your feet!" Chikane stood up slowly, slightly annoyed but Axel's voice. The giant lizard zeroed in on Chikane. Roxas and Axel were futilely hitting its sides while Xion did magic form afar.

"What did I say? Run or fight, standing around like an idiot is not an option." Chikane was slammed to the ground again. "Chikane think of a weapon! Any weapon!"

"I-I can't I don't know any! "

"I would let you take my chakram for the love of all things – " The lizard's tail whacked him and continued walking slowly up to Chikane, its mouth gaping wide. Run or Fight. Her eyes closed searching for something within her. Chakrams. One eye opened and a pair of yellow eyes blocked Chikane's vision. Quickly, she squeezed her eyed closed and jutted out her hands. The lizard fell backward and let out a roar of pain. In her hands were not chakrams, but the spikes that lined the disc like weapon, and in particular the spikes that lined Axel's chakrams.

Not noticing yet, Axel sliced at the chameleon and his discs rebounded. Immediately he turned to Chikane. "I was joking before, y' know. But I guess it's fine." He moved behind Chikane.

"Help fight, It looks like the blades are commanded with magic. Focus on the lizard an extend you fingers at the target." Xion ordered.

Chikane did as told, her fingertips tingling uncontrollably. A blade hit the cheek and Roxas dived underneath its body to get to Chikane.

Another attack sent Chikane crashing into a nearby tree. Her ribs hurt and her vision blurred. Keyblade. "How do you use this?" Chikane's voice was high pitched. Xion gawked at the new weapon in Chikane's hand. Roxas, confused, started at his hands looking for his weapon before see it in Chikane's hand.

"It's exactly like a sword, aim for the chest and never let go." Roxas dodged the clawed hand of the beast. Chikane started turning the blade over in her hand feeling for a comfortable grip.

"Axel grabbed Chikane's wrist. "Stop thinking about it, just feel it." He let go. Taking a deep breath, Chikane dashed forward. The lizard charged toward her as well leaving Xion and Roxas too far to help. The yellow, brown, ghastly teeth of the chameleon enlarged with each second. It's now or never. Chikane squeezed her eyes tight and swung the keyblade until something interrupted the motion. Looking upward a pink light glowed around the blade spreading from the lizard's chest to its limbs. Its eyes bulged, and its skin dried. Then as if it never existed the; lizard disappeared.

Chikane fell o her knees gasping for breath.

"Not bad newbie."

"I- I have a name y' know."

"Oh really? What is it?

Chikane

"Alright Chikane, great work today! I know you'll be amazing. Roxas and I will go on ahead to tell Xemnas of the work we've done so far." Xion activated the portal.

"You can help Axel grab the blades of his chakram. And no matter what he says, that was awesome. Never seen anyone take another's weapon or learn how to use weapons that quickly." The two stepped through the portal. Chikane shot out a smile. It felt good to know some people acknowledged what she did today, unlike some.

"What are you grinning about? Do you know how to reattach the spikes" Axel asked as he bent down to collect the blades.

Chikane picked up one. She felt bad about just stealing their weapons like that. If the lizard was not so preoccupied with her, Chikane could've caused someone else to get hurt. "They should just meld into it again, right?" She touched the chakram with the red spike and the two metals became one.

"Could have told me you were going to do that." Axel said silently.

Anger flared in her. "I didn't know I could do that until just now." She was just about to apologize too. But there was no apologizing to him. But there was no apologizing to the man. He was too laid back and to self centered and in short the epitome of an annoying little boy.

"Still, you know the years you've taken off my life?"

"Keep talking, I'll end it right now."

"Aw c'mon I was just joking. Relax a little." Is he trying to be nice to me?

"You have a giant chameleon thing attack you with its tongue and see how you feel?"

"Actually –" Chikane was walking to fast to notice the blade half imbedded in the ground and tripped. Chikane fell backward into Axel. Axel, in an attempt to act cool, caught one arm, but Chikane only managed to pull him down with her. She looked up to see Axel on top of her, his green eyes wide in surprise, his red hair shining in the sunlight. Is he blushing?

Axel

SHIT. That was all he could think of. He felt his cheeks burn. Axel quickly stood up and made a portal.

"What we haven't gotten all the blades!"

"He kept his back turned to her as he said, "It's fine, I'll just get them later. I can't work with a klutz like you." He peeked from the corner of his eyes. Chikane sat on the ground with her knees beneath her. Her chestnut brown hair looked red in the sunlight with messy tresses falling to her lower back. Her violet eyes started at his back. He could see a flash of hurt glimmer in her eyes before he looked again.

"Hurry if Xemnas doesn't see you soon, he'll be pissed. " And then he walking through the portal and rushed to his room. Only after several minutes did his heartbeat slow and the red in his cheeks vanish. All he thought about was Chikane. He would never tell anyone how she took his breath away the moment she woke in that bed, or how beautiful she looked in the sunlight. She was innocent, pure. And he refused to taint her. He refused to touch her again. There was nothing between them and he would keep like that and look from afar.

But still that name rang through his head, Chikane.