Notes: This is a 100 themes challenge (the specific list of themes I'm doing is the one from 100ThemeWriters . DeviantArt . com). So yes, you'll be getting 100 glorious chapters of pure Terranort/Aqua that's chock full of slice-of-(psychotic)-life type stories. I've so badly wanted to do a XemAqua story for the longest time and have already written ideas for it, but the problem is that I have a plot that's going nowhere. All I have right now are a collection of plot bunnies; I have difficulty in making them into a solid plot. So I decided to do the 100 themes challenge instead in order to improve my writing since I find that I'm much better at writing lemons and short stories than epic, novel-length story-lines.
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all characters are developed by SQUARE-ENIX, but belong to Disney. I do not make money from writing this fan fiction.
Theme No. 1: Introduction
Eight dark-cloaked Nobodies have gathered in the room of Where Nothing Gathers, occupying most of the empty, colossal thrones one by one. The leader of the dark-cloaked group has summoned them all for an urgent meeting concerning an 'old friend' of his.
And before and below the leader stands the old friend, looking visibly shaken despite exhibiting the demeanor of a fearless warrior.
Chatter erupts amongst the dark-cloaked figures that surround the newcomer. Whispers of astonishment and amusement are passed from ear to ear as multiple pairs of eyes around the circular room fixate on the newcomer like a hawk fixated on its prey.
Conversations are slightly overheard: remarks of scored jackpots escape from the poker lips of The Gambler of Fate; mentions of a clandestine plan spill from the mouths of The Luna Diviner and The Flurry of Dancing Flames; comments of confusion erupt from The Key of Destiny.
One of them—The Freeshooter—stirs uncomfortably in his seat, eyes widening and mouth gaping in shock and disbelief as he realizes who the newcomer is.
No way, it can't be…
The newcomer is a shapely, fair woman who appeared to be in her late 20s, wearing the exact same coat as that of the Nobodies'. The coat clung poorly to her figure though, as extra layers of thick clothing underneath the woman's coat create raised ridges and bumps, managing to outline those instead of the woman's statuesque body. Layered locks of soft, cerulean hair flow like water over the woman's smooth, ivory shoulders, and are just a few centimeters shy of brushing the nipples of her perky breasts. Hidden behind the woman's wispy bangs are eyes as brilliant as sapphire, focusing intensely upon the leader of the Nobodies and the Freeshooter seated before her.
Averse in confirming his disbeliefs, The Freeshooter questions Xemnas, "Just who the heck is she, Saïx's sister or something?"
"I heard that," Saïx intrudes.
"Yeah, so is she? You two look hella alike, as if you share the same phenotypes," notes The Freeshooter in an amused, yet mocking tone in order to alleviate his denial.
"Very funny, Xigbar, very funny," Saïx spits. "I don't have any siblings."
Xemnas raises a hand into the air to signal silence and a call to his attention before the tension in the atmosphere becomes worse.
"Good tidings, friends," Xemnas blares. "Today has become another momentous day for us."
All around the room, the members react with commotion. Demyx adjusts his seat, Luxord leans back in his chair, and Xigbar simply sneers.
Regardless, the Superior resumes his speech. "It has come to my attention that we have at last found the missing link—a long lost chosen one of the Keyblade—to aid us in our operations."
Stirring erupts from the members again. Axel scratches his chin, Xaldin reshuffles his arms, Roxas scratches his head, and Saïx narrows his eyes.
"I implore for all of you to treat her well though, for she is a special case," Xemnas continues, a callous smile forming upon his lips. "Her heart is still intact, giving us the affirmative that we'll have endless things to study and discover from a complete being of her caliber." Xemnas's smile widens as he thinks to himself, study and discover indeed.
"If she is a complete being, then why is she wearing our coat?" Xaldin interrogates as his eyes bore with ferocity onto the Keyblade's lost chosen one.
"It's a more convenient way for her to reach this room and the other parts of the castle that are accessible only via the Dark Corridors," Saïx answers. "It's impractical to have to summon one's armor all the time when one is only traversing around home base."
"Is that so?" questions Xaldin. He continues glaring at the Keyblade's chosen, his contempt for beings with emotions slightly seeping through his dull eyes.
The Superior raises his hand again. "Enough," he demands. Xaldin grunts and readjusts his seat, and Xemnas proceeds on speaking. "The situation is only temporary. Our new comrade can choose to wear whatever she wishes later on. However, I am pleased to announce that she has chosen to pledge her allegiance to us and wear the coat for the time being."
Xemnas looks downward at the stately woman that stands before him. Smirking, he averts his gaze from her to examine the two star-shaped trinkets that are clenched in his right hand, tightening his fingers around them before returning his attention to the woman.
"My friends, allow me to introduce to you an old friend of mine," Xemnas states. He leans forward in his seat and proclaims, "The being you all see here standing before your eyes"—a licentious look plastered his otherwise deadpan face—"goes by the lovely name of 'Aqua'."
Xigbar curls his fingers into a claw as his suspicions about the new comrade are cleared. No way, there's just no way, he thinks appallingly.
"Aqua…" Roxas mouths quietly. The syllables roll off his tongue in a sluggish way, as if he is trying to examine them each individually for the slightest evidence of any hints to an erstwhile connection.
"Aqua. It's a pretty name," Demyx muses as he scratches his chin with his fingers. He has a vibe that he'll more likely be able to get along with her than he does with the evil witch, Larxene. He doesn't mind having another partner do the dirty work for him when it comes to completing missions.
"Well, luck be a lady tonight," Luxord remakrs. "Surely with another Keyblade wielder at hand, the process of gathering hearts will be sped up immensely."
"Another Keyblade wielder," Axel says to himself. Hmm, could she have connections with the Hero?
"Starting tomorrow, you're all assigned to aid Aqua around the castle and with introductory missions," Saïx announces.
The Superior briefly surveys the room for any more input from the members. No one made anymore comments, so he resumes speaking. "I put my trust in everyone's hands to make our guest feel welcome," he declares, and waves a hand into the air. "Meeting adjourned. You are all dismissed."
One by one, the Nobodies vanish into thin air. However, one of them—The Freeshooter—decides to linger around for a just a little longer.
"What now, Xigbar?" Xemnas asks.
"So, that Sweet Cheeks over there is the dudette that keeps you up all night? The babe of your dreams?" Xigbar says jokingly as he points his thumb towards Aqua. He knows all too well though that the 'friend' Xemnas sometimes chatters about down at the Chamber of Repose can be none other than Aqua.
"I need my solitude right now to converse with Aqua personally," Xemnas answers. "However, I've ordered Saïx to assign you and Aqua some special missions together."
The Freeshooter smirks. "Man, boss man, I'm so stoked to start messin' with Sweet Cheeks," he says with enthusiasm. I just can't wait. He casually salutes the Superior. "Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for me, Boss Man!" With that said, Xigbar vanishes from his throne with a lingering grin on his face.
Once Xigbar was gone, Xemnas carefully reexamines the two star-shaped trinkets that are clutched in his right hand before stowing them into his pockets. He looks back down towards Aqua again and notices that she's been keeping herself preoccupied by twiddling her thumbs together and playing with strands of her hair.
"Aqua," Xemnas hollers.
Aqua immediately snaps out of her preoccupied state and turns her head towards Xemnas. She doesn't say anything, but instead just breathes heavily and gazes at the Superior with stern eyes.
Xemnas merely smirks. He quickly scans her physique before disappearing from his high throne and reappearing in a flash in front of the Keyblade Master.
"Take off that coat," he commands.
Heart pounding and shoulders rising up and down, Aqua complies with hesitance and removes the thick article of clothing in such an unhurried pace that Xemnas can't help but feel his insides rage like fire from such a simple behavior. Just the way that Aqua unzips her coat and shrugs it off her smooth, bare shoulders to let it fall down and pool around her feet in such an unintentional, yet sensuous manner is enough to send wild thoughts flaring inside the Superior's shattered mind.
Smiling with satisfaction, Xemnas scrutinizes the statuesque woman with intense eyes, as if he is carefully analyzing and admiring a beautiful work of art at the same time.
The clothes Aqua usually wears haven't changed much, except for the fact that they seem to fit too snugly on her now due to vast physical changes from stepping out of the Realm of Darkness and back into the Realms of Light and In-Between. Xemnas inwardly smirks; it seems that Aqua will have to wear the Organization coat for the time being.
He continues observing the rest of the Keyblade Master: her whole appearance has changed drastically since that last time he encountered her in the dark realm. Nevertheless, Xemnas is quite pleased with the way Aqua looks now. Her form has matured into full-fledged womanhood, indicative of her hourglass curves and the new length added to her once short height. She is no longer two heads shorter than Xemnas; instead, she is now one head short. Her body is like that of a professional dancer, having the right balance of femininity and athleticism. From what Xemnas can make out of Aqua's tight clothing and what decent patch of skin she leaves bare, he can see that her muscular arms, torso, and legs are much more toned than how they appeared to be back then when Aqua was still trapped in the slow flow of time—all around, she is well-defined.
Xemnas can also see that Aqua's hair has grown long; it seems to be about the same length as his hair. It looks less layered now though, for those layered strands of hair have been outgrown by strands of new hair that emerged from the tip of her head.
Aqua's face remains nearly unchanged, though. The slightest differences that Xemnas can distinguish are that her face lost some of the fatty tissue once indicative of adolescent youth; her cheeks and jawline are a bit more defined now. However, the rest of her facial features still retain some of that youth: her cheeks and plump lips are as rosy as ever, her ivory complexion is as smooth as porcelain, and her luscious eyelashes, long and voluminous, bat at the Superior with such gullibility.
Her sapphire eyes—although worn but untainted by the darkness—shine with such fierce brilliance, perfectly unveiling her never waiving strength of heart. Indeed, she has been through a lot during her years of wandering alone in the Realm of Darkness. Truly is she a Keyblade Master, for she's been able to defend herself from the hordes of Heartless that naturally roam the dark realm for so long.
Xemnas places his heavy hands on Aqua's shoulders and lightly brushes the soft skin, his chilling traces sending tingles down her spine. He then let his hands freely roam down her arms and waist, his delicate, tempting touches sending even more chills down the statuesque woman's spine.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Aqua asks breathlessly as she feels the sensations excite her nerves.
Xemnas moves his hands toward Aqua's lower backside and sensuously grazes the area, causing Aqua to shiver and breathe quickly again before snaking his entire arms around her waist and pulling her close to his body.
"It's been a long time…my friend," Xemnas voices with a faint tinge of bitter-sweetness in his deep voice.
Aqua, still speechless from the Superior's breathtaking touches, doesn't say anything. She just gazes at him, keenly watching his carnal, amber eyes as they invade her soul.
She doesn't see those malicious amber eyes, though. Instead, what she sees are eyes as blue as hers, eyes that radiate sympathy, and a face—a pale face, so familiar and long gone but forever etched into her memory—filled with tenderness.
"T-Terra…" Aqua pants. She lifts her twitching hands, shaken from the sensory overload, towards Xemnas's face, gingerly cupping the sides of his cheeks with her shaky hands. It takes a while to sink into Aqua's mind on what is happening and what she is experiencing, and once it registered into her head on just what's going on, she feels overwhelming emotions flood throughout her entire being that she begins to break down and pour endless streams of tears from her eyes.
"It's you…it's really you," Aqua cries. She lets go of Xemnas's face, wraps her arms around his torso, and buries her face in his chest as she continues to sob.
Xemnas just remains silent, tending to her with soft touches and a warm embrace as his corrupt eyes watch her with a strange mixture of cruelty and gentleness.
At last, at long last, Aqua is here with him. She will never be alone ever again, for Xemnas will make sure that she never forgets him after tonight—not that she's ever forgotten him—at least what he used to be and what she still thinks he is. No—Instead, Xemnas will make sure that Aqua remembers the sinner behind his saintly façade. He is destined to be her 'guardian angel'—her guide to 'salvation'—in this world of madness. He is the man that fate has decreed and destined to be all that Aqua will need. He can give everything she desires, and she can give him all he needs. He will make it clear and heed to her that he is the man with whom she'll share heaven…or hell.
"Together at last," Xemnas declares in a soft tone. Whether she likes it or not, Aqua will never be alone. The Superior insolently smiles at that thought and leers at the weeping Aqua. After tonight, you will never be alone.
After a long moment of silence sans for the dying sounds of Aqua's sobs, the Keyblade Master finally speaks up. "…You have no heart beat."
"It's a complicated story," Xemnas states in a simple manner.
Aqua compassionately places a hand over his chest; she doesn't understand what went wrong, but she'll make sure of it that she'll help Terra in any way. "Also, what is Braig doing here? And Ven? Why is he here? I thought I kept him safe in the chamber."
Xemnas chuckles at Aqua's silly questions. Chamber…finally, the chamber… He simpers at her before responding. "I knew you would have questions," he answers. "After roaming that dark realm as a lone ranger for so long, it's only natural that you will have doubts."
Aqua, no longer weeping, wipes her watery eyes clean and looks up at Xemnas. She could have sworn that she saw a flash of Master Xehanort in his eyes, but then it wasn't exactly the strange master…it was more like some younger version of him instead. What's even stranger was that young man oddly looked similar to the Terra she once laughed and cried with before he succumbed to the darkness.
Aqua sighs; she doesn't understand at all, and such imagery confuses and slightly frightens her. Perhaps all the darkness from the dark realm has gotten to her that she's beginning to lose her mind.
"I'm tired, Terra," she says. "Just so tired from fighting for so long that it's beginning to take a toll on my well-being."
The Superior simpers at Aqua once more before releasing her from his embrace. He summons a dark portal and commands, "We're exiting out of here via the Corridors of Darkness. Wear that coat to conceal yourself from the darkness, and come to my lair. There, I will explain everything to you and also give you rest."
Aqua obeys and retrieves her Organization coat from the floor. She covers herself with the coat and readjusts it by smoothing out the wrinkles. After she finished fixing herself, she makes a step towards the dark portal, but stops in her tracks just as she is about to set afoot on the boundary that divides the dark atmosphere with the light one. She turns her head towards Xemnas and looks at him with reluctance.
"After you, my dear," the Superior says courteously.
The Keyblade master chuckles and darts a coy expression at him. "Still a gentleman after all these years?"
Xemnas raises an eyebrow at her, and he continues to watch her as she grins widely at him. Casually, she turns on her heel, allowing him to see her hands clasped together behind her back, before she begins walking at a leisurely pace down the dark corridor. Smirking, Xemnas follows after her and closes the dark gateway behind him. Indeed, after tonight, my little love, you will never…be…alone.
Author's notes: If anyone here has oppositions to the way I write the Xemnas/Aqua pairing, well, the only way I can sanely ship the pairing is to write the MX part of Xemnas as younger version of himself (the one that you see standing on the shores of Destiny Islands at the beginning of BBS) instead of the old gramps version. I mean, pairing Aqua up with a creepy old man just gives me the creeps (plus MX wanted to be young again anyway, so...). I'm fine with shipping her with any form of Xehanort BUT the old!Master Xehanort form.
I notice that XemAqua writers usually describe Aqua the way she was back in BBS. Personally, I like imagining her in her more matured form whenever I write about her and draw her with Xemnas. It just seems more logical to me that she'd return to the RoL in her correct, aged form (plus I think she looks pretty with long hair).
Also, this is my first time ever writing Xemnas (or any Org. member for that matter), so I'm not sure if I did well with writing their characters. Hopefully they don't sound OOC, especially Xemnas because he was the most difficult to write out of all of them.
I'm also a bit worried with plot continuities. I haven't played 358/2 Days in ages (sorry, but I was bored to tears by it and only finished it halfway), so I'm not sure about some things. Yeah, there might be some plot discrepancies that I don't notice.
…I also haven't completely finished Aqua's storyline yet. X.x I know, I know, it's an abomination, but I'm almost done! I'm at Neverland Ranch right now lol.
So yeah, reviews are appreciated. :)
