Rain poured down onto an already drowning city, a city drowning in crime and broken promises, failing under the pressure of a million secrets and dangerous organizations. Water clung to anything that remained stationary, be it inanimate or living, and mingled with any substance present, even joining the blood already pooling around the feet of a cloaked figure clinging to an alley wall, gasping for air.
The figure ripped off the frayed gloves barely covering her hands in order to properly run her fingers over the brick, drawing strength from the reality of the rough texture, and relishing the fact that she still had some remnants of feeling after all. She ran one hand down to her side, feeling the wound beneath her tattered cloak. Despite all the bleeding, it did not seem deep enough to be dangerous, and so she pressed her palm against the gash, gritted her teeth in pain, and shoved off from the wall, stumbling slightly as she worked to get her shaky legs working again before continuing down the alley towards the center of the town.
Xion had always thought that she could trust the company she worked for, they had raised her, cared for her after her parents' death, so even if their motives were unclear and their methods were shady, they couldn't be that bad, could they? Her best friends, Roxas and Axel, also worked for the company, and she was even allowed to rise through the ranks, eventually gaining the honor that came with the title of "Nobody". So whatever the company asked of her, she would carry it out to the best of her ability. Besides that, this assignment was the assassination of some girl her age. She considered herself well-trained, even daring to dream that she was stronger than the others who carried the same title, since she was specially trained by the company.
Despite Xion's attempts to build up her confidence, something about the name Naminé left a bitter, reeling taste in her mouth. The mission itself seemed off, instead of a starchy, formal file printed entirely in a crimson ink the colour of dried blood (which she often romanticized to be actual blood, written by some gaunt, sunken faced individual with a taste for rare delicacies and the driest wines ever fermented), the name and address was hastily scribbled on a torn piece of notebook paper by some wanna be rock-star type, who claimed he was also a Nobody and when he went to investigate the situation, the target had asked for a Xion, and he had spent all day searching for her.
But he did check out, he had the brand and he knew everything about the mission, so she decided to take a chance and trust him. So although she had never met him before, had never heard of a mission being passed from one Nobody to another, and with the full knowledge that her target would be waiting for her fresh on her mind, she agreed, much to his obvious relief. Besides, she had thought dreamily, maybe it was a date with destiny.
"Destiny, huh?" she spat bitterly, blood leaving her mouth with the harsh words. She had paused again, her breathing growing more ragged after having forced herself to break into a run. Xion focused her thoughts into every single way she would maim and torture that mulleted punk if she ever saw him again; allowing her mind to travel into darker, morbid ideas, trying to keep it processing enough to keep herself conscious, functional, and alert to any possible dangers. The coast seemed clear, and traveling through the alleys was her usual way for staying out of the sight of anyone who would seek to do her harm, but at this point nothing was safe.
Xion decided to risk what was left of her life anyway, and slumped down against the wall, allowing her body to relax and try to regain some semblance of strength to continue on towards her safe haven. The girl changed her thoughts towards what Naminé had told her, the information that had drastically altered her mindset and entire life just a week ago. The information that caused her to spend a week more than she should have digging though this backwards town, a town which to her used to be so promising and bright, but now was tarnished under the weight of the knowledge she needed so desperately to share with Roxas and Axel before the three of them traveled to somewhere safer with an opportunity to rebuild their entire lives.
Once she finally made out the address on the messy, crumpled note, she found herself in front of an astonishingly well-hidden mansion on the outskirts of the city. She found it bewildering, and incredibly exciting that she had never known about this building despite having lived in the town for the entirety of her life. The mansion itself seemed as though it had been there since the beginning of time, the bricks composing the walls faded and crumbling, in some cases having deteriorated to the point where it seemed as though the creeping vines climbing the walls were the only reason the building remained standing.
Xion paused at the door, taking a deep breath as she was overwhelmed by the feeling that something in this mansion was going to change her life forever. Garnering up courage that she hadn't thought she would need, she shoved through into the unknown, hoping that whatever it was, it changed her life for the better.
The inside of the mansion was just as dilapidated as the outside; broken, cobwebby furniture lying intermittently throughout a large foyer, sunlight streaming through areas where the roof hadn't been able to hold out over the years, the patches of carpet underneath faded from the extensive exposure to the sun. Xion crossed the main floor warily, noticing a bright light that seemed out of place in the dull mansion leaking out through a crack in an upstairs door. The stairs creaked under her feet, and she had a brief vision of herself falling through the stairs, forever trapped in the moldy wreckage, no one able to find her in such a well-hidden location. She shuddered, and quickly rushed up the remaining stairs.
Xion paused at the door, catching her breath and taking the chance to unsheathe her keyblade, which she probably should have done earlier. A faint scratching noise could be heard from inside, and her mind raced with the possibility of creatures that could be waiting for her in the room beyond. Taking a deep breath and tightening her hold on her keyblade, she pushed through into the waiting light.
No matter what she had imagined, nothing quite matched the scene waiting for her. The room was blindingly white; the walls, the floor, the single table, even the dress of the girl who sat with her back towards the door. If it weren't for the other girl's hair and the multiple, colourful drawings littering the floor, the walls, and the table, Xion would have thought she had stepped into an empty, colourless void.
"I've been waiting for you, Xion." The girl's voice was clear and bright, and Xion immediately felt relieved, although those were generally words that should have put her on edge. She sheathed her weapon and walked towards the girl, who still hadn't felt threatened enough to turn away from whatever she was working on. One of the drawings on the wall caught her attention, and with a jolt she recognized herself, Roxas, and Axel.
Unease returning, Xion's eyes flicked to the other pictures, realizing that many of the figures in the pictures were wearing coats similar to her own. She identified a picture of the guy who had ultimately sent her here, and even a hastily scribbled drawing of her boss, Xehanort. Xion turned to the girl sitting at the lone table, wondering what was being portrayed in the picture currently being coloured.
"How do you know me, what is this place?" Xion asked, her hand finding its way to the hilt of her keyblade.
Naminé didn't reply, instead setting down her crayon and holding the freshly completed picture up to Xion. "Have you ever heard of Hallow Bastion?"
Hallow Bastion? Of course she had heard of it, a nearby town in the process of being built, spreading across the ruins of an older city known as Radiant Garden. It was a sprawling mess that was probably an hour away by train, but could be vaguely seen from the top of her favorite clock tower or from Xehanort's office in the Syndicate Headquarters. She reached for the picture, and Naminé handed it off without a word.
"What about it?"
"Have you ever thought of moving?" Was she really going to answer every question with another question? Xion studied the picture, which was a decent representation of Hallow Bastion despite being completely drawn with crayons.
"To Hallow Bastion? Why would I do that? I am loyal to the Syndicate, and besides, I'm not going to just leave Roxas and Axel." Her target just gestured to a chair at the opposite end of the table, which Xion hadn't even noticed previously. Xion studied the other girl silently, before making her way over to the chair and obediently sitting down. She wasn't quite sure why, but it seemed like Naminé had something important to relate. Besides, it wasn't as though Naminé was in any position to attack, and chances are Xion would be able to outrun her anyway.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news about the Syndicate, and I figured if anyone would listen, it would be you or Roxas. I'm afraid your life is about to be turned upside down." Naminé looked sad, as though the information she was about to relate was weighing her down and she was reluctantly passing the weight to Xion.
"I'm ready." Xion nodded. If this was her date with destiny, she would face it without fear.
Just how idiotic had she been? Xion had listened as Naminé told her the horrors behind the Syndicate, that most of the targets were innocents, and how Xehanort was planning something absolutely terrible. She was horrified to find out that part of Xehanort's plan was to do away with the entire Organization project, which effectively meant all of them – She, and Roxas, and Axel, the mullet guy, and any of the rest – were going to be "eliminated".
Of course, that hadn't been the worst thing she had learned that night. She and Roxas hadn't been orphans; they had been kidnapped, stolen for the singular purpose of being raised to completely trust the Syndicate. Xion had barely heard the next part, and almost wished she hadn't, because it made the entire situation even more devastating.
Her sister? She was there to kill her sister? The girl sitting across from her, that was her sister? Xion had just stared, working hard to understand what she was being told. It was all a lot to process in one night. Naminé hadn't been kidding when she had said Xion's life would be turned upside down. They had sat in silence for a while, and Xion eventually excused herself, nodding slightly to Naminé as she crossed the room, mind swirling with emotion and confusion.
"Please, Xion, please get out of here while you still can." The words rang in her ears as she rushed out of the mansion. She had to find Roxas and Axel, and more importantly, she had to get out of Twilight Town before they were all killed.
Why couldn't she have found her friends sooner? Usually they were easy to find, but neither had been at the clock tower at all that entire week. Xion was at a loss of what to do. She couldn't just leave without them.
Now she was wishing she had, now she was injured, wouldn't be able to save them, and would more than likely just slow them down.
Frustrated tears streamed down her face, salt mixing with the iron tang of blood building in the back of her throat. She shoved herself up from the ground, determined now more than ever to at least make it to her clock tower.
After what seemed like an hour of laboured running, she finally hit the well-worn steps, unsure of where she was getting the energy to climb them. She did have the energy though, reaching the top of the stairs with enough victorious excitement that for a split second she thought she was going to be okay after all.
"Xion. I finally found you." A familiar voice, one that she had hoped to hear all week rang out behind her, muffled slightly by the rain. She jumped slightly, and instantly regretted it, wincing as a sharp pain stabbed through her side.
"Roxas, I've been look-"
"Wait, Xion. I need you to listen to me first." Xion could barely make out her friend's face under his hood, but she could tell his expression was grim. She reached towards him, wanting to comfort him but not entirely knowing how.
"Xion. I'm so sorry. I don't understand what's going on in the Syndicate, but I've gotten this order-" He shook his head and turned to look out over the town.
"I know what's going on, I met with this girl, you'll never believe who it was. Roxas, I have so much I need to tell you!" Xion wobbled slightly, despite making it to what she assumed was safety and finding one of her friends, she wasn't going to last much longer without help.
"I've been sent to kill you." Roxas stared at the ground, avoiding Xion's bewildered glance.
"What?" Xion shook her head, this wasn't happening.
"Xehanort wants you dead, I don't understand why." Roxas looked up, and took a shaky step towards her, his hands up.
"No… you wouldn't." Xion stepped backwards, vaguely aware of the tower's edge.
"Xion, wait!" Roxas lunged towards her and she jumped backwards, trying to save herself. Her feet slipped on the wet brick around the same time as her legs gave out, and she felt nothing but air under her. She wasn't able to understand fully what this meant, her dizzy, blood-loss affected brain doing its best to process Roxas yelling for her while getting farther and farther away. She wasn't even conscious by the time her body slammed into the hard pavement at the foot of the tower.
Roxas was barely aware of the rain soaking through his coat as he watched the activity around his best friend's body at the foot of the tower. He was barely aware of the tears streaming down his face, or his own legs giving out and causing him to sink to the brick with a thud. It wasn't until Axel showed up to lead him away did Roxas even remember that there was a world surrounding him. This was never a contract he intended to keep.