Disclaimer: Hello, and welcome to the world of KH: Second Chances. Please note this story takes place within a sort of alternate universe within the KHverse in which I, some years ago, decided I didn't like Sora all that much, and wasn't going to leave saving Terra, Aqua, and Ven up to him. The ideas behind this fic are several years old (as are the featured OCs and it's prequel fic, which I'll link below), and several have since been debunked by KH games released after the base storyline was created, however I was prompted to rewrite at least part of it by a friend, and figured I might as well share it with everyone since I took the time to type it up. That being said, if you still intend to read this, hope you enjoy!

A Brief Introduction: Life Like a Candle

For a long time, her world was dark. Around her, whispers drifted through the air, but people never accompanied them. She knew she'd had company once, but that had been a long time ago, and the young woman had struggled to stay with her for as long as she did. She had been nice to her while she was there, though. She missed that.

Now all the company she had was soft sounds in the unending blackness, as though she sat hidden under a heavy curtain in a room full of people. "It's okay to wake up, little sister," one voice often whispered, just a little louder than the rest. It was that voice that grew louder and louder over time, though she never could answer it. She couldn't seem to find her voice, or make it work well enough to reply, mainly that she wished she could wake up to join whoever the speaker was.

Of course, you should also be careful what you wish for, not that she was aware of that.

"If you can hear me, little sister, don't wake up," the voice pleaded through the blackness suddenly, louder than usual. "You're safer asleep." In the colorless world, she jolted. Had the same voice who had told her so often it was okay to wake if she could just...?

"Yes. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the voice replied quietly, as though she could hear her thoughts. "I can't protect you from Even if we're both awake. He's too powerful, and he wants to use us to hurt others. Stay asleep, little sister. You're safer, and so are the others. I'm sorry."

"...He wants us to hurt people...?" Her mind gave a jolt when the words sounded around her in the blackness, it was the first time she had ever managed a mental voice, and she was surprised by the soft sound it made.

"He wants to use us to hurt others, which isn't much better. We can't let him," other voice replied, and at this point, she noticed she could almost feel...something. Like she was becoming heavier, more solid.

"I don't want to hurt people..." her voice whispered as the darkness began to lighten.

What are you doing to her, Even?! she heard the same voice demand through the lightening dimness.

"So don't wake up. He wants you to wake up, needs you to wake up. Don't do it, defy orders, go back to sleep," the voice told her gently.

"How do I do that?" she asked the voice, unsure. Louder than the odd noises before, she heard something shatter.

You say no. You say it with every fiber of your being little sister. She blinked as she realized the voice she had been hearing was in her mind, and suddenly everything was.

"Stop it, leave her alone! Let me go, Aeleus!" The voice howled, and she glanced over to see a tall, pale girl with dark hair fighting to free herself from the grasp of an incredibly large man. "Let her go back to sleep!"

"But she's already awake, Anya," another voice replied icily. "Didn't you want her to wake up?" The dark haired girl gave a gasp and looked up. Across the room, their eyes met, and then suddenly the young woman was fighting the large man with renewed vigor. "No, not like this! Ienzo! IENZO! IE-!" she screamed with everything in her lungs before a large hand clamped down on her mouth. Their gazes, however, remained locked as she still fought against the large man's grasp. Her foot shot out, knocking a tray of glass instruments onto the floor, where the sound of their shattering was like a roar. Say no, go back to sleep, little sister, say NO!

A hand touched her shoulder, prompting her to look away from the panicking girl to a man-Even, she suspected. His hair was incredibly long and sand-colored, his face all angles, his eyes an almost toxic looking green. She distrusted him immediately, flinching away from his hand. "Hello, young lady," he said, almost conversationally, as though the dark girl wasn't still making muffled screams for help and thrashing around, fighting Aeleus' hold on her. "Would you like to help me rescue someone in need?"

The muted screams moved into her head as the other girl desperately continued her cries for help, however, they weren't necessary.

"No," she whispered, staring into those toxic green eyes against her better judgement. She could already feel her head starting to swim as her being refused to be part of the future planned for it. "I don't want to hurt people." All of the breath left her lungs as she ended her reply, and blackness crawled along the edge of her vision before it started to close in. Slowly, clumsily, she turned her head once more, searching for the dark woman, who now rested motionless and silent in the huge man's arms.

"What is this?" she heard the blond man ask faintly as she met the other woman's eyes.

Good girl, little sister. The approval that radiated through her mind was kind and warm.

I'd have...liked to stay awake longer, she found herself replying.

I know, I know, I'm sorry, the dark one answered. Maybe one day...

...Maybe...one day... her mind echoed quietly, but there was no guarantee anyone heard the reply, as darkness swallowed her whole, and she felt weightless before her awareness flickered out like a candle and she was no more.