A/N: This is our first story. Btw, "our" includes myself (Ki) and Dev (she's not here right now, so I'm writing this note).

Warnings: This story has original characters. And they are not intended to be Mary-Sues. They are based upon real people with real faults. If they seem like Mary-Sues...well, you can go ahead and inform us in a review. Suggestions are always appreciated. Which brings up another point: in regards to reviews. Please, if you don't like the story, don't yell or spew profanity at us for it. If you want to "flame" us, be mature about it. Critique is always welcome, as well as suggestions and the typical "omg! this fanfic is teh awesome! i less-than-three it!" stuff or just "wow I really like it" or simply "please update".

Disclaimer: We own nothing of KH. If we did, there would be total chaos. We own only the plot and OCs.

Pairings: there will be only one pairing: VI x OC (Zexion and an original character). It's very light, basically it goes nowhere up until the end and then the OC. Well, in the end all the OCs disappear anyway.

One last note: If anyone would like to see pictures of the characters, look up MESHQUBE on deviantART. I will also probably be putting up links in our profile.

Chessman's Rhapsody

Prelude

"Sixteen ounces of boiled water…. Five ounces of diced sassafras… four cubes of granulated sugar... one Erlenmeyer flask….. Alright!"

Her plum-violet eyes peer down at the flask as she meticulously pours the boiling water over the finely cut herbs. A sweat drop runs along her temple, partially smudging her dark purple eye-shadow. It has been six days seven nights since she has slept… The poor lab assistant has been overwhelming herself day and night by the constant spastic remarks from her mentor. Frustrating as it seems, it can only be blamed on her clumsy nature, and so in order to make up for her recent mishaps, she decided to make some hot tea for her caffeine-induced instructor. Alas, all attempts thus far only…well, added to the list of mishaps. Now, currently dwelling within the kitchen, she must get the boiling water into the flask…without breaking anything this time…I must get this right… slowly now…

"Aaaahhhh! Oh no, not another one!" she screeches, grabbing onto strands of her dark hair, "That's the seventh flask this week!! Oh… Xaldin's going to freak out again… Oh! Why does this keep happening to me?"

Unwilling to surrender to her klutziness, she repeats the procedure. A sound crack echoes. Yet another futile attempt…

"Attention, Organization! Even though we all supposedly don't have quote-unquote feelings, I'd like to inform all you simpletons that I am feeling down-right fabulous right now! Oh and, by the way, I have a feeling that there's going to be a meeting soon so I'll see all you Neanderthals later!" a voice resonated through the walls of the castle, reaching the ears of the young Number XVI.

The young lab assistant rolls her eyes, feeling disgusted by the ridiculous announcement.

"Sounds like Marluxia's jacked the Superior's speakerphone again," a blonde boy, no older than sixteen, enters the kitchen.

"Hey, Roxas," she greets him flatly.

"Hey. Making tea for Vexen, again?" Roxas peers over her shoulder, noticing the shattered glass on the floor and smirks playfully, "How many is that now?"

Aidxan flinches at the unpleasant subject, "I'm not laughing, you know."

Roxas, seemingly oblivious, passes with a nonchalant gesture, "So, last night, I was in Axel's room…."

Crack! Glass shatters. Aidxan widens her eyes, half in disgust, and half in disbelief, "Wait… What?!"

"Oh, you know… We were having a nice, decent poker game, until Luxord barged in. He was acting sort of strange, saying something like '…smelling poker in the air.' Then they both decided that they wanted to invite some girls over, and everything went downhill… you know, they asked Larxene to play with too…well, she refused in a not-so-clean manner. You remember, right? I had to send them over to you."

"Oh! I remember that. So that's what happened," she realizes suddenly, "Those were some nasty wounds. They asked Larxene? They were lucky not to be castrated."

"ATTENTION! I, Xemnas, the most gracious, wonderful, breathtaking, magnificent, all-knowing Superior, the rightful owner and founder of Castle Oblivion and the World That Never Was… AND the Organization, has something of great important significance to speak of."

"What do you know, Marluxia was right… I wonder what could it be now," Aidxan glares at the speakerphone, "Another Organization member, perhaps?"

"No kidding," Roxas rolls his eyes, sympathizing with his comrade.

"Today, I speak with great solemnity as an unusual phenomenon has occurred. A neophyte has thus entered our domain of Nobodies. I call upon thee, fellow Organization members, to come to the Common Room of Oblivion, where I shall wait on my throne for your arrival."

Roxas, blankly staring at Aidxan, points to the door, "Shall we go now?"

"Make him wait. I'm too busy here trying to cheer up Dr. Frankenstein," she sighs with resentment, "Besides, I'll be there one way or the other."

"NUMBER XVI! Where in the World That Never Was are you?!" a shrill voice bellows from afar.

Aidxan whines in despair, "Urrgh… not now…"

The angered mad-scientist stomps his way into the kitchen. Aidxan shrinks into a corner to conceal herself.

"Number XVI! I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times! Never mix solid sodium with water! How many times do I have to say this?! You're going to burn down the castle someday! Argh! Why can't you be like that one girl … Number XVII… what's-her-name?"

"…Ixlakayl, sir …" she whimpers from her dark corner.

"Yeah that!" Vexen flips his hand violently to the side, "Now that we have that covered, you're coming with me to the meeting room for our Superior's announcement." And with that said, he drags the pitiful assistant away, leaving Roxas all to himself.

"ATTENTION!"

All eight in the room cocked up their heads violently and shot fiery glares at him.

"Do not glare at me, fools! INSOLENCE!"

"Oh, for the love of— would you stop yelling? We're all right here."

"Silence, you emo rat! I am the Superior; I can do whatever I want (1)."

"You're just saying that because of my hair… and because I'm quiet. So what? It doesn't make me emo." Zexion grumbles as he flips said "emo" hair.

"There, there…" the aforementioned fox-girl, Ixlakayl, consolingly pats him on the shoulder.

The eight of them, Xaldin, Vexen, Aidxan, Lexaeus, Zexion, Ixlakayl, Saїx, and Marluxia, sat on the black, leather sofa waiting for their Superior to continue saying whatever it was he wanted to say so that they could get out of there. Aidxan, sitting beside Vexen, is asleep for the first time in about a week. Vexen is listening intently as he jots down very important notes. Ixlakayl, to avoid boredom, is "taking notes" as well (read: doodling). Zexion: indifferent; Xaldin: irritated. Lexaeus is twiddling his thumbs, but no one really cares. As for Saix and Marluxia, they are concentrated; Saix on the Superior and Marluxia on himself. Finally, the Superior sobers up and continues his monologue.

"Well then… I am here to announce that we have a new Organization member."

"What a surprise…" comes the sardonic comment from none other than the Cloaked Schemer.

"My, my, you're unusually talkative today Number VI. And I'm really starting to wish you weren't," for the first time thus far, Xaldin decides to speak his mind. Both members in question only received a glare from the Superior for their interruption.

"And so, I present to you, Number XX, the Jest of the Sentient Marionette."

"So what are we supposed to do, applaud and say 'Congratulations. Welcome to Nothingness'?"

A youth with two buns encasing her dark, raven's-wing hair steps out from behind the Superior's so-called "throne."

As the Superior blathers on with absolutely useless details, she observes the silver-haired man for a few minutes, until she began to feel somewhat neglected. The Jest of the Sentient Marionette starts silently mimicking the Superior's flamboyant gestures bringing the attention of the bored audience to herself and causing them to giggle, snicker, and otherwise hold in their raucous laughter. Unfortunately, it also roused Xemnas's attention.

"What's so funny? Don't even try to act innocent." He eyes everyone in front of him, and then turns to Number XX, who is whistling away at the moment.

"At any rate, she will be our new member. Number XI, you will be her escort and tour guide for today."

(1) Who can guess where this quote is from? If you play KH, you should probably be able to guess. Hint: it's from a Disney movie and I changed one word in it.