(AN: Hey guys! Twi here with the third installment of Gift fics for the KH Amino, this one for Domo of the KH Amino. In this story, she's called "Aya". I don't own KH. That said, here's "The Elegant Wraith!)
If there was only one word Aya could use to describe herself, it would have been mysterious. She liked mysterious. It meant that no one was ever sure who she was. No one could ever be sure if she was an ally to them or an enemy. She much preferred it that way. Even many who thought they knew her didn't know her true self.
Her room was lavish, a nice suite built with a private balcony in this fortress. It was the fortress of Emperor Vanitas himself. Heading into that bathroom, she looked at her reflection. Her usual self stared back. She was a bit short, and built about averagely. She has curly black hair that just barely scraped back her shoulders, and deep brown eyes, that was complimented by her caramel-colored skin.
She gave herself a spooky smile, and rolled her eyes, then inspecting her outfit. She wore her long white robe, which she wore underneath a cyan-colored tunic. Many assumed her to be a priestess, one who was most devout and holy, but she was a Phantom Dancer.
The term was made up by herself, as one who could not only see and communicate with ghosts, but was actively able to switch between a phantom and human form. She was highly respected by ghosts, who were drawn to her power when she called. She giggled to herself.
Aya knew how many people like her were, and were expected to be. Pale and mysterious, odd and silent, gaunt and suspicious. But the eighteen year old was none of these things but mysterious, and her mysteriousness was different. She was the girl that guys liked but never understood.
Aya could be many things. She was careful, but also confident, she was a bit flirtatious, but was also very tough and cruel, ruthless even, when she needed to be. There was no other way when you were the emperor's personal assassin. She recalled the night on which she had come into Vanitas's service, before he was the emperor.
It had been a dark night in the forest, and she was only twelve. It had been the night she had become a Phantom Dancer, so she had been dancing with the ghosts. She had been attacked by the nearby village's residents , and many ghosts fled. Some were destroyed by the exorcist, and in Aya's rage, she had loosed her powers on them, possessing the villagers to attack and beat each other.
Once the battle had been over, she had found Vanitas hiding away, cornered by ghosts. For a moment, she considered leaving him. But she liked the look of the boy, and banished the ghosts who tormented him. As it had turned out, Vanitas was the son of the local duke, and got his father to sign a protection for Aya.
In return for protection, Aya had come into service of the family. When Vanitas's father, Xehanort, finally relented his title to his son, Vanitas quickly began his conquest. Quickly using the alliances his father had made, he created an army that expanded as his domain did. With confidence and genius, he quickly forced large kingdoms to their knees. Rebellions had been often in the early days, but were quickly quashed.
Vanitas's challenge had been in defeating King Eraqus and the remaining kingdoms that united. He wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been for Aya. Leaving no trail, she snuck into the castle, and possessed Princess Aqua. At the time, most people suspected a traitor. But everyone it was sure it was Prince Terra, who had openly challenged his father before. She had spent nearly a year in Aqua's body, slowly turning the brothers against each other.
The end had come when Prince Terra rescued Prince Ventus from being killed by King Eraqus in a duel, as he was convinced Ventus had betrayed him. Ventus had been wounded, and Terra felled his father in his own rage. Filled with regret, and cursed by his people, Terra fled. Vanitas knew where he was in hiding, but mostly left the shamed prince alone. Prince Ventus had fallen into a coma, but he wouldn't ever wake up. And Princess Aqua?
That was the biggest surprise. A knock at the door signaled Aya to leave the bathroom and open the door, where Aqua stood, her eyes golden amber. When Aya had taken over Aqua's body, Aqua had fought back. But once Aya was in control, and Aqua couldn't regain it, Aya had begun her process of turning the princess. The longer she spent outside of a body, Aqua lost more of herself, until Aya was able to reshape the princess to her liking.
Golden-amber eyes were the mark of Vanitas's most elite soldiers, a way to show that the resistance's last hope in Aqua was futile. Aqua was one of her elite assassins.
There was one thing that no one was ever sure of. Everyone was sure that Vanitas had a secret helper, but no one truly knew about Aya. The one time she had been seen fleeing against the light of the moon. All she was known as was "The Elegant Wraith." She liked that title. "Yes, Aqua?" She finally spoke to the girl in front of her.
"Emperor Vanitas would like to speak with you, madam." Aqua said with a bow. Aya nodded.
"Thank you, Aqua. You are free to go." So Aqua did, and after a moment, Aya followed after grabbing her staff, walking down the carpeted hallways to the Emperor's throne room.
She finally came to the door, knocking loudly. Vanitas's voice called "Enter!" So Aya did.
The emperor sat on his throne, resting on his arm and smirking as he often did. "Ah, Aya. So nice to see you." Vanitas said.
"Likewise, Vanitas." She bowed, smiling.
"Rise." So she did. "I have a mission for you. A new resistance had been rising. Tonight, my spies tell me that they plan a major strike. It could be quite devastating if they pull it off."
"So you want me to go stop them, right?" Aya checked.
"Yes. That's right. I want you to bring them all back alive. After all, anything worth having is worth going after, you know?" Vanitas said.
Aya knew perfectly well. "Of course." Secretly, she had been thinking those words herself plenty lately. Because as open as she was with the emperor, there was one secret she kept even from him, and that was she was in love with him. She felt awkward and weak with these feelings, but she had to act to get rid of them. She made up her mind. She'd do it when she was done with the mission.
"Good." Vanitas snapped her back to attention. "Now, the leader of the resistance is a boy named Sora. He has someone special to him. One we can exploit."
"Oh does he?" Aya's grin came to her.
"I think you know what to do." Vanitas said.
"Of course. The Elegant Wraith strikes again." Aya laughed.
************LINE BREAK***********
Jaden made her way through the crowded market, through the jostling crowd. Sora had sent her and a few others out for supplies, so she knew Bia and Fia, the twins, must be around somewhere. Though few knew their faces, it never hurt to be careful.
Jaden really disliked being out here, it made her nervous. But she couldn't act nervous. That led to other people being suspicious. Suspicious people talked. Those words could reach those in the emperor's service, and the last thing the resistance needed was the emperor's servants bearing down on them.
Jaden knew that even if anyone saw her, it was improbable to think that word would reach the emperor before tonight, especially because of their elaborate plan. Sora's plan had been simple. There was a fortress that was strong, but not well guarded. An old guard who defected told them about the secret way in that could allow them to take the fortress, sending a message to the emperor.
Jaden hoped with all her heart it would work. The emperor's cruel tyranny would be broken. People would rally to their cause. The world might finally know freedom. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that she was walking right at a person, who she smacked into, and both of them went down.
Jaden shook her head to clear it as she saw the girl who she ran into, around the same age, rubbing her forehead. The girl's simple clothing of a white robe and cyan tunic gave her the impression that this girl might be a priestess of some sort. The girl stood up, and reached a caramel-colored hand out to help Jaden up. "Thanks."
"No problem." The girl said. "I should've looked where I was going."
"No, no, it was my fault." Jaden protested.
"Either way, what's your name?" The girl asked. "Mine's Aya."
"I'm Jaden, but call me Jay." Jay said. Aya smiled.
"Well that's a nice name." Aya said. "What are you doing out on this fine day?"
"Oh, just stocking up on what's low in the house, you know." Jay said vaguely. "You?"
"I just like to see the people sometimes." Aya said. "With my profession, you don't get to see them much."
"Are you a priestess?" Jay asked, and Aya smiled. "I thought so. I can imagine. I wonder…" Jay leaned in as she pretended to look over Aya's shoulder. "Is it hard to keep faith in times like these?" Aya's eyes shifted, and she nodded, then beckoned. "I think I can help you find what you're looking for." Aya said, at regular volume in case anyone was listening. Jay nodded, and followed the young priestess. Aya led her casually through the streets, occasionally stopping to look at the shops and buying something, she was in no hurry.
After around thirty minutes, Jay was finally led into an old building that appeared to be like a temple. "This is my temple." Aya said. That was true, Aya did own this place, as Aya did come here often.
The structure was mostly stone, and a glowing pool was the only source of light in the room. It was large, and deep. Many stone rose sat descending toward it. This was where Aya would take possession of Jay. She could do it violently, but it was so much easier if she brought down her defenses. Aya motioned for her to sit down, while she stood in the area around the pool.
"You asked me if I found it hard to keep faith in times like this." Aya said. "Yes, it can be. So many things happen so quickly, so many people appear and vanish, so many people look for answers in a world which their are none." Aya replied. Again, all of this was true. Aya planned to tell Jay no lies.
"That seems a little dark, even for me…" Jay said.
"I said that there was no answers in this world." Aya reminded her. "But in other worlds, if you can become one with the universe, that is where the answers lie."
"Oh." Jay sighed.
"You carry a great burden, Jay." Aya knew. "The way I seek answers, and I often find it liberating… is through dance." She said with a smile.
"Dance?" Jay echoed. "That's a new one for me. I've never heard of a dancing priestess."
"Well now you have." Aya smiled. "Come, dance with me. Let your mind be at ease."
"But I can't dance…" Jay said, though she remembered that she could dance better than Sora.
"It doesn't matter. Let the universe guide your steps, its heartbeat will be your rhythm." Aya explained to the girl. So Jay got up, and stood on the floor with the priestess. "You may begin." Aya said, as she began dancing.
For a moment, Jay did nothing, but she began dancing too, her eyes closed. Aya meanwhile, watched the girl, and was shocked. Jay had amazing talent, and even had some nuances that could make her a Phantom Dancer. Aya knew the time was now. Like Emperor Vanitas had said, if you see something worth having, you take it. So she would make Jay her apprentice.
Jay finally stopped dancing, and tried stabilizing herself. She was a little woozy, since she wasn't used to the spinning from dancing. She took a tottering step, but started to fall backwards. Instead of hitting cold stone, Jay felt Aya catch her, and smiled above her. "Rest now, Jay. Your spirit and your body are safe with me…" and that was when everything went black.
*******************LINE BREAK*********
Jay arrived home later than expected that day. Sora had been worrying, but when Jay finally came back, he rushed her with a hug. "Jay! You're back! Where have you been?!"
"I'm sorry, Sora." Jay answered. "I ran into this priestess, who then dragged me along to her temple for a while, and…" she said all this rather quickly before stopping for breath.
"It's all right. I just got really worried. But I understand. These things happen." Sora reminded the both of them.
"Yeah." Jay smiled back. "She was an interesting gal… she didn't know what it was, but she said I carried a great burden…"
"We all do, really." Sora reminded her. "The whole resistance does, the burden of saving the world."
"Yeah. It's just that she… she left me unsettled. When I think about tonight, I just get this sick sense of dread in the pit of my stomach." Jay confessed.
"Don't worry, we've got a great plan." Sora said. "We've got a great team. We're unbeatable together." Sora assured her.
"Right." Jay rested her head against Sora's chest as he hugged her closer. Her face obscured, Aya smiled through Jay's body. Everything was going according to plan.
That night, the resistance set out for the fortress, under the light of the full moon. Jay stuck close to Sora, as they crept closer and closer to the castle. The secret entrance was in an abandoned mill nearby. Heading in, Riku and Bia helped move the large piles of grain that rested on top of the entrance. It took several minutes, but the way forward was cleared before too long.
The steps led down into an ancient tunnel, wide and lit by magical lanterns, the kind no one had been able to produce in centuries. They walked along it in silence, with Sora holding Jay's hand the whole way.
Finally, at the end of the tunnel, they all ascended the stairs, and into the vast empty hall that it led to. Once inside, Sora looked around. No one was around. This was just as easy as it should be so far. But of course, complications began as soon as they started to move out. They exited the hall, and were in the large corridor leading to the castle's throne room, when soldiers began pouring into the hall, surrounding them. For a moment, nobody moved, before Sora yelled "ATTACK!"
Immediately, the hall explodes with action. All the people began fighting and attacking. Sora charged in with Jay by his side, and they quickly found themselves surrounded, and began to fight back to back. They twisted and dodged, blocked and rolled, but then he heard Jay cry out. Pushing away the soldier he fought, he turned to see a figure floating in the air, carrying Jay's unconscious form. It could be only one person.
"The Elegant Wraith!" Sora shouted.
"At your service." Aya said, smirking.
"Give me back Jay!" Sora demanded.
"Mhm." Aya giggled. "I don't think so, dear. My apprentice doesn't need any distractions." With that, she flew away. A sufficient host to crush a force ten times their size was there fighting. They stood no chance. Gliding away back to the fortress with Jay in her arms, she knew that when Jay woke up, she would have many questions. But she would soon be her apprentice.
The moon made her silhouetted again in the night, and all who saw her knew that The Elegant Wraith was on the move again. Finally floating to her balcony, Aya rested. She was exhausted, with all the usage of her power. She slowly carried Jay to her bed. She'd move the girl later. For now, only one thing mattered. Struggling across the room, she exited the room, and headed to Vanitas's quarters, which is where he would be at this time of night.
The walk was a little longer than the one to the throne room, but the few extra minutes felt like an eternity to Aya. When she finally reached the quarters. She paused for a minute to compose herself. She was Aya, top assassin of the emperor, and had just eliminated the resistance. She was taking what she wanted. She knocked on the door. "Enter!"
Vanitas's voice gave her the signal as usual to enter the room, where he sat at a desk. "Ah, Aya. Good news, I expect?"
"They were fighting when I left. But they should be crushed by morning. Don't worry, I told them to capture the leaders alive." Aya chuckled.
"Good. Anything else?" Vanitas asked.
"Yeah. Going on what you said about 'taking what you want,' I took Sora's special one. She'll be trained as a Phantom Dancer." Aya reported.
"Oh, I like your style." Vanitas laughed. "That all?"
"Not quite. Because there's one more thing that I need to take that I want." Aya said. And she dashed forward, and kissed the emperor on the lips.
For a good minute, Vanitas froze up, processing what just happened. He finally snapped from his trance and smirked at her. "That's what you wanted?"
"Yeah… the truth is… I really like you, Emperor. I love you and I want your love too." Aya told him.
"Well, isn't it a good thing that I love you and want your love?" Vanitas asked. "I think we can make a good trade."
"So do I." Aya said happily.
"Just think. One day, you won't just be Aya, The Elegant Wraith. You'll be Empress Aya, The Elegant Wraith." Vanitas said, placing his bad on her shoulder. Aya flushed.
"Thank you, Vanitas. I won't let you down." Aya told him.
"You never have, and you never will." He told her. And it was true.
(AN: And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed, so please R&R, and checkout the KH Amino! Until next time everyone! Twi out!)