Okie-dokie, let's try this again! I uploaded this story on a different account, but the old one went belly-up before I could get beyone chapter 1. I am planning on going on with this, but the chapters are pretty long and it will take a while to update. Please enjoy!

Kingdom Hearts ©Tetsuya Nomura, Square Enix, and the Walt Disney Company. All other original characters and plot elements owned by Delaney Cruickshank. This rewrite is for private and entertainment use only, and no profits are being made. Please support the official release.

The excerpts are taken from Ansem Report #1 (KH) and the first Secret Report (Days), respectively.

Axel's be good/good at it line was said by Quinton Flynn during the Adventures in Anime panel at Youmacon 2007

Darkness.

All around me is black and cold.

I see nothing.

I feel nothing.

I AM nothing.

Is any of thisreal?

Or is it a dream?

A memory?

But wait…what's that light up ahead?

I wasn't sure how long I'd been here. I couldn't remember leaving the dark place. When I reached awareness, I realized that I was lying on my…my front…on a surface that was – something flashed in my mind. Cold. My entire body (another one…is that what I am? A body?) was cold. I shook to try and get rid of the cold. The surface was hard, too; I felt pressure on my body from it. It felt really weird.

There were strange…sounds…going on in the new place, too. They were really loud, and they hurt my…ears? Yeah, ears. There was a beep kind of sound, and a buzz kind, and a whine, and this really high-pitched noise that sounded like something was dying (I think those are the words to describe them…)

There were odd smells, too. I couldn't remember smelling anything before, but now a barrage of smells attacked my nose, some sweet, some sour, some that hurt. And there was this cold, sweet smell that went up through my nose and mouth whenever I moved my chest. I tried to stop it, but I felt really sick after a minute, so I just left it alone.

I couldn't see anything, just like the dark place. Everything still seemed pretty dark to me, but not as dark as before. I wasn't afraid anymore. The dim light gave me…gave me courage to finally open my eyes.

For a moment, the pure white light blinded me, but then everything slowly came into focus. I lifted my head (it felt really heavy – I was starting to feel sick again), pushed myself off the surface, and rocked back onto my knees so that I was…sitting up. Something thick and silvery fell into my eyes, blocking my view. I impatiently brushed it away, and – wait, what's that? Oh, my hand…is that right? Wow, look at it…so small and white…I flexed my fingers in wonder, watching the muscles flex. The silvery stuff suddenly came into my eyes again, so I brushed it away a second time. But it came back as soon as I pulled my hand away. This went on for a bit before I finally grabbed the silver stuff and held it out of reach, feeling a slight tug at the top of my head as I did so.

Problem solved, I went back to looking around the new space, drinking in every little detail. The cold surface I'd been lying on was divided into white squares, each with the same pattern: a gray-colored shape that had three points up top and rounded out into two sections on the bottom. The space on the surface around me was covered with a sticky, bad-smelling orange liquid (which seemed to be all over me, too). There were other things resting on the surface, too – thin columns snaking beneath more (though much smaller) surfaces, some bigger than others. Some of them had strange clear objects of all different shapes and sizes, others had the same types of objects with different-colored liquids in them, and others had thin sheets stacked on them, and others had nothing at all. The surface I was sitting on had other surfaces near its edges, meeting at direct angles. There was even a surface a little ways above me. I looked behind me and saw a large tube thing that went all the way up to the ceiling. There was a blinking red light on top of it that was flashing every time one of those whining noises was made. The tube looked like it had been made of glass, but there was a big hole in the front and a lot of jagged shards lying around me in the puddle; maybe it had broken. There were some small gray wiry things dangling down inside the tube, dripping the same orange liquid I was sitting in.

That weird high-pitched sound I couldn't name was still going on, but as I listened, the sound transformed into separate sounds…words. "Alive! It's alive! My experiment was a success! Oh, I'm such a genius! Ha, ha!!!" (This last noise was really odd. It was even higher-pitched than the "words," and it was a lot louder. My ears really hurt when I heard it, and it made me feel scared again.)

I looked back around and made a shocked little noise, my hand dropping in surprise (the silvery stuff came back). In an empty area of the surface there was a large thing flailing around…a…a person. A man. It looked like he was the source of the words and sounds (talking). He was very tall, with pale skin, a long pointed nose, and big green eyes that were sparkling with excitement. He had long, platinum-blond hair that was swishing back and forth in the man's erratic movements (dancing?). Everything below his neck was covered in a pitch-black cloth that fell to his ankles; I could barely see the separate black material covering his feet (shoes? Boots? Where are all these words coming from, anyway?).

"They laughed at me," the man was saying, spinning around in joy. "Marluxia and Larxene, they said the Replica Program was doomed to fail…that all my experiments were failures…but not this time, no! No. ii is alive, and our plan can move forward at last! All thanks to me!"

I felt my mouth curve down as I stared at the man. He was acting so bizarre…did all people act like this? What was he talking about? There were no more words in my head, nothing that explained what a Replica Program or a Marluxia or a Larxene is. And what did he mean by "number two"?

There was a sudden rush, and I felt my arms clamped to my side and something ram into my front. The man was doing something to me…a…a…hug. "Oh, my precious creation, you and I will do great things together! Great things! Thanks to you, I'll finally get the respect I deserve!"

I somehow got the idea that a hug was supposed to be nice, but this didn't feel nice at all. He was holding me too tight; I couldn't do that chest-moving thing anymore. I started wriggling around, trying to get out of his grip.

"Ooh, response!" the man said loudly, letting go. I let the sweet-smelling stuff go through my nose again, relieved. "Perfect! You're right, I need to test your functions…let's see…No. ii, stand up."

I looked up at him blankly, my brow furrowed. The word stand popped into my brain this time – getting off my knees and onto my feet, completely vertical, like what the man was doing – but what was number two?

The man's mouth curved downwards, and his eyes got smaller. "Stand up, No. ii."

I blinked at him a few times. Was he talking to me? Slowly, I reached up and placed a shaking hand on my chest, wanting to ask a question but not sure how.

The man's eyes got big again, and his mouth curved up this time. "You understand! Brilliant! Yes, you're No. ii. I want you to stand up."

I'm No. ii? Why didn't he tell me earlier? Okay, guess I need to do that standing thing now…I slowly moved my legs so that my feet were placed firmly on the floor, and then slowly pushed myself upwards and straightened my back. I shook and wobbled back and forth, my balance lost; I almost fell down, but I managed to keep my feet on the surface. Why did he want me to do this? Sitting was easier…

"Good! Yes!" the man encouraged, nodding his head. "Now…listening and comprehension seems functional, but just in case…No. ii, my name is Vexen. Vexen. Do you understand?"

Vexen? What that was this person was called? It was so different from No. ii…An understanding of names went through my head. Yes, "Vexen" is what people called him. I nodded.

"Good, good. Now, what is my name?"

My mouth went down again (frown). Didn't he just tell me his name? Why is he asking me? Did he forget it?

Vexen blinked, and then made that "ha, ha" noise again (laughter). "Ah, yes, too unspecific…No. ii, I want you to speak. Tell me my name."

Speak? Did he mean make words? I don't know how to do that! I shook my head quickly, feeling my eyes get bigger.

"None of that, now. You need to try and speak. I know you're able to – I distinctly remember adding a working voice box. You will be considered a failure if you cannot perform basic functions."

I figured that a failure was a bad thing, and I didn't want to cause any trouble. But I honestly didn't know how I was supposed to speak. I shook my head again.

"It's simple. You just need to produce pulmonary pressure in your lungs which will create phonation in the glottis…"

I didn't understand what he was saying, so I stopped listening. Okay…whenever Vexen moved his mouth, words came out. Maybe that'll work for me, too. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it, opened it, closed it, and opened it again, but still nothing. I suddenly felt angry; why couldn't I get it? Maybe if I tried again…

"…in the larynx which then is modified by the vocal tract – eh?"

"V…v…" Vexen. Veeeehk-seeeeen. "V…veh…"

Vexen nodded eagerly. "Yes! Yes! Keep going, No. ii! Vexen. My name is Vexen."

"Veh…vehk…sen." I felt my mouth turn up a lot (smile). "Vexen!" I repeated triumphantly.

Vexen's smile was so wide that it looked like his face was going to split in half. "Yes! Yes!! The power of speech! You're a success after all! Excellent! Now, only a few more tests left, and – ah, the Superior should see this…Saïx, too…then they'll see how brilliant you are! No. ii, stay put. I'll be right back!" Vexen turned away from me and lifted his arm. All of a sudden, this huge swirling black thing appeared right in front of him, right out of his hand! I made another surprised sound (gasp?), but Vexen didn't explain it to me. He moved his legs forward until the black thing swallowed him up, and he was gone. I was alone again.

I looked around the empty space (room…so many new words! How did I know them all?), completely lost. What was I supposed to do now? Vexen told me to stay where I was while he got something called a "Superior" and something called a "Saïx," so I guess I just need to wait. Could I sit back down, then? I felt like I was going to fall and get hurt on the broken glass…

No, wait a second. Vexen said he wanted to do more things like stand and talk and whatever. He seemed really happy when I did what he wanted, but really mad when I didn't. I don't want him to get mad. I don't want any trouble. Maybe I should start practicing…but what? So far, Vexen's had me do stuff that he's done – "basic functions," he called them. So, what else has he done? Dancing. Laughing. Hugging. Making that black thing that he disappeared into. Doing that leg-moving thing – oh, walking. That's how people get from one place to another. That's basic and necessary, right? I'll try that.

Struggling to keep my balance, I slowly lifted one foot off the ground. I leaned forward a little and started to put it down in front of me, but stopped. There was broken glass all around me. Glass hurts. I don't want to step on glass and get hurt. But I need to practice walking…I put my foot down under me again, mind whirling. How was I supposed to practice walking without getting hurt? I looked around me; the glass pieces were scattered all around me, but the sides of the room and the space around the big tube was clear. I could practice there. But how could I get over there without stepping on the glass?

Jump. Bending one's knees and propelling oneself over an obstruction.

I smiled widely. All I'd have to do is jump, and I could start walking. Two tests at once! That would make Vexen happy for sure! My smile disappeared as I thought about my plan. If I undershot my jump and landed on the glass, I could get seriously hurt. I only had one try…but I wasn't going to back down now. If I did, I'd be weak. And I hated being weak. Being weak is like being a failure. I'm not a failure. Vexen told me so.

Taking a deep breath, I bent my knees and pushed my arms back, my eyes narrowing. I stood still for a moment, eyes locked on the other side of the room, and then launched myself into the air. I landed squarely on my feet just beyond the glass, but then I wobbled and fell forward, hitting the surface (floor, or maybe ground) hard and bumping my head. "Ow!" I cried, putting my hand to the hurt spot. My eyes started to water, and I started seeing weird lights and colors. Pain…yeah, pain was bad. I'll avoid that in the future. But I got to the other side without stepping on glass. That's something.

I stood back up, my arms held out for balance. Okay, walking. One foot in front of the other, just like Vexen. I lifted my foot into the air again and, as I started to fall over, placed it firmly on the ground in front of me. So far so good. I lifted my back foot, but fell over before I could put it down, managing not to hit my head this time. I could've just stayed on the floor, but I stood up and tried again. I made it three steps this time before falling – progress. Good. Gotta keep trying, though. I refused to be weak.

I kept at it for a while, and before long I was able to walk around the entire room without falling. Feeling very proud of myself, I decided I'd walk around the room a couple more times before – WHOA! What's that?! "Vexen?" I asked, turning around. No, it wasn't Vexen, but someone was there right by the big broken tube. It was a person, but one with a curvier body and smaller features – a woman. No, a girl. She was smaller than Vexen, and just a little thinner. She had small hands, but seemed to have really large feet. There was a wiry sort of strength about her, especially in her arms and legs; if it came to a fight, she'd be tough to beat. Her skin was deathly pale, almost white. Her hair was longer than Vexen's, wavy, and silver-colored. She was wearing a single piece of cloth that fell down to about halfway down the top part of her legs, held up by two straps on her shoulders – what was it? The word came a little slower this time: dress. I liked it; it was pretty. But I thought her eyes were a lot prettier. I didn't know if they were blue or green, but they were really big and bright. They kind of reminded me of something…I tried remembering what it was, but I could only remember a calm, sloshing sort of sound.

Where did the girl come from? I hadn't heard her come in. Maybe she'd used one of those black things like Vexen. She was strong, but it didn't look like she wanted to fight. She was just looking at me, both curious and a little edgy. She hadn't said anything to me yet.

I figured that now would be a good time to practice talking; it was only polite, after all. Let's see, greetings…"H…hello," I said softly. To my surprise, the other girl said the same thing at the exact same time as me (although I hadn't really heard her voice). She looked as surprised as I did. I found that a little funny, so I giggled (it felt good laughing, but my laugh was so different than Vexen's). The other girl, once again, giggled at the same time as me, and then looked surprised and a little scared. Okay, it isn't funny anymore. Now it's just weird.

An idea suddenly popped into my head. I slowly lifted my left hand into the air and waved. The girl did the same thing. I waved with the other hand; she did, too. I stuck out my tongue; so did she. That's when I realized that there was no other girl in the room – it was just me, looking into my…my reflection in the glass. I took another look at myself, smiling slightly. Wow, is that what I look like? So different than Vexen…nicer, somehow…

There was a sudden noise behind me, and I turned to see another one of those black things appear out of nowhere. Vexen walked right out of it, unharmed. I smiled, happy to see him again, but my smile disappeared as soon as I saw the other two people coming out of the swirling thing.

They were both men, like Vexen, and they were both wearing that same long black fabric – a coat. The first man was taller than Vexen, and his skin was a lot tanner, too. He seemed very strong. He had long silver hair, like me, but his was lighter, messier, and was a bit layered and thick. He moved very slowly, drawing out each motion. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled at me, but it wasn't in a friendly way. It made me nervous.

The second man looked shorter and younger than the first, but just as strong. His hair was long, too, but it was colored blue instead of silver or blond. He had pointed ears, oddly enough (I reached up and touched my own rounded ears), in which he had placed some kind of metal thing (earrings, a kind of jewelry). He had piercing yellow eyes and a scar in the shape of an X across his face. He did not smile when he saw me; he just gave me a cold, disapproving stare. It was even worse than the smile.

I was starting to get scared now. I didn't know these men, and it didn't look as though I would want to know them. "V-Vexen," I stammered weakly, my eyes never leaving the strangers. I wanted to ask who they were, but I couldn't find the words.

Vexen didn't answer. He wasn't even looking at me; he was talking to the strangers. "I told you that you wouldn't regret it, Superior, and look! My wonderful creation is alive, and has so far been able to perform every task I have given her. All I need to do now is – eh? W-where did she go?" He was looking back at the spot in the middle of the glass shards and orange liquid. "She was right there! I left her in that exact spot just a moment ago! Where could she –?!"

"Vexen," I called out quietly, waving my hand a bit to catch his attention.

Vexen jumped in surprise and looked over at me, eyes wide with shock. He looked at the old spot, then at me, and then back at the spot. "…how did you get over there?"

"Presumably it walked, Vexen," the blue-haired man replied sarcastically. "If your Replica is as successful as you say it is, then surely it must be able to perform the most mindless of tasks." There it was again…that word, "Replica." What did it mean? Was he talking about me? Why call me "it" instead of "she"? I shuddered involuntarily. The man's voice was flat and toneless, but it still seemed very haughty and scornful. I didn't like it at all.

"B-but I didn't teach her how to do that!" Vexen protested, eyes wide with amazement. "You must understand, Saïx, walking is much more complicated than you realize, particularly for a being that is newly aware! How could she have walked all the way over there on her own?!"

"I…I just…did," I answered quietly, sick of being ignored. "I tried w-walking…and I w-walked."

Vexen stared at me in wonder, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. "Fascinating…it appears your instincts and mental capabilities are more advanced than I originally calculated…your vocabulary is rapidly expanding on its own as well…but what about the glass shards? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, feeling some of my pride return. "No…I j-jumped over it."

"What's that on its head?" the blue-haired man interrupted suddenly.

"What?" Vexen gasped, looking concerned. "Where?"

"On its forehead. That red mark."

Vexen leaned in closer to me (I shied away, a little disturbed) and peered at my head. "Hmm…I can't see it. Her hair keeps getting in her face…" Oh, that silvery stuff was my hair? I guess that makes sense. "…hold on one moment, if you please."

Vexen straightened up and walked over to one of those smaller surfaces held up by columns (table) and began sifting through the papers, apparently searching for something. "Now, where is it? I left here as a precaution…let's see, now…ah-ha! Here it is!" He turned back around and grinned jubilantly, clutching a thin black piece of cloth in his fist (the word didn't come as quickly as any of the others, but I'm pretty sure it was called a ribbon). "Here we are! Now if you'll just wait one moment…" He walked behind me and disappeared from view, and I suddenly felt a sharp tug at the top of my head as my hair was pulled out of my eyes. I gave a little gasp of pain and tried to squirm out of his grip.

"Don't move, you silly girl!" Vexen scolded, tugging my hair back a little tighter. "There we go. All done."

I reached up and warily felt the top of my head. My hair had been pulled back from my face, gathered up at the top of my head, and held there by the black ribbon. It hung down freely from the tie, and had been secured pretty tightly. "What…w-what did y-you…?" I stammered weakly, confused.

"I put your hair back in a ponytail," Vexen explained somewhat impatiently. "Your hair is out of your face now, so your vision will greatly improve. Your hair will be much more manageable as well."

"O-oh…" Now I remembered – girls wore this style when they wanted their hair out of their faces for sports, or just to look stylish. It felt a little weird, but I kind of like it. I can see everything a lot better now, at least. "Th-thank you, Vexen."

"Not at all, my dear. Now hold still a moment and let me look at that mark…" He came back around me and inspected my forehead again. After a few seconds, he laughed once again, looking relieved. "Why, Saïx, this is nothing, nothing at all! Just a bruised cranium, is all. She must've fallen while learning to walk – isn't that precious? No, absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I should certainly hope not, Vexen," the blue-haired man, Saïx, remarked. For the first time, he smiled, but it was a cruel smile, not at all friendly. "It would be unfortunate for you if we learned that you have been wasting our time and resources on a defective puppet."

I didn't know what a puppet was, or why he was looking at me when he said it, but I did know that he was insulting me. He thought he was better than me. I didn't even know this guy – what right did he have to look down on me? "I AM NOT DEFECTIVE!" I shouted at Saïx, glaring daggers. My anger gave me clear speech. "Who the hell do you think you are?! I – mmph! Mmph!"

Vexen's hand suddenly clamped down over my mouth, and he wrapped his other arm around me so I couldn't pull away. "Ah-ha-ha, isn't she a laugh?" Vexen giggled, sounding a little hysterical. He didn't look amazed or angry or happy anymore – now he looked scared. "That's my creation, always one for jokes, ha-ha…eh…" Saïx was looking at the two of us, eyes narrowed and lip curled back, revealing oddly pointed teeth. He looked just as mad as I had been. I suddenly felt scared again. Vexen made an "eep" noise and looked over at the other man desperately. "Superior, please, you must understand! No. ii is but a new creature, relying solely on primitive instincts! She couldn't possibly have known –"

The other man slowly raised one hand, and Vexen fell silent. "It is most impressive," he murmured, gazing at me, "how a being as newly aware as herself can rely upon the yet-foggy memories of her Other Self to guide her." His voice was low and deep, with no underlying emotion at all. It had a very calming effect, but what he said was confusing. Other Self? What was he talking about? Hadn't I always been me?

"However," he went on, "memories of a past life cannot teach her everything about the present one." He looked over at Vexen, expression icy. "I suggest, Vexen, that you teach her, if her education concerns you so."

Vexen laughed nervously again. "R-right away, S-S-Superior." He let go of my mouth and waist (I coughed a bit and shuddered again) and looked down at me, smile too wide and eyes too big. "No. ii, allow me to introduce our Superior, Lord Xemnas. He is the leader of the Organization which we so humbly serve. And this is Saïx –" His nose wrinkled slightly. "– our second-in-command. They must be treated with respect and veneration at all times."

I nodded a bit, frowning. These guys sounded pretty important – and pretty dangerous, too. I don't think I'm a part of this "Organization" these guys head up, but it looks like Vexen is; he could get in trouble for what I said. I don't know if I like Vexen or not, but I didn't want him to be punished, especially by these ferocious-looking men. But what could I do? It was my fault, so maybe I could fix it…but how?

Right on cue, the word apology floated across my mind. Resolved, I stepped away from Vexen and bowed my head respectfully, trying to look serious and hoping I knew the right words. "N-nice to meet y-you, S-Superior and S-S-Saïx. I'm…sorry…I said those things."

"Hmph," Saïx grunted quietly. I guess he doesn't forgive me. Or Vexen.

I was trying to think of some other way to repent when I felt a big hand suddenly come to rest on my shoulder. The touch was light, even friendly, but it filled me with a sense of dread anyway. "Do not lament your anger," Xemnas said kindly, a dark smile on his face. "It is the greatest source of power in existence, one that will make you stronger than any of us here." I looked up at him, eyes wide with puzzlement. He did not look at me, but kept his hand on my shoulder. "You said you wanted us to observe the testing, Vexen?"

Vexen snapped back to attention. "Uh, yes, right away, Superior!" His expression became thoughtful, and he cupped his chin in his hand musingly. "Now, let's see…basic locomotion and vocabulary are advancing at an alarming rate…personality and physical similarities are obvious…ah. Mental necessities." He went back to the table, grabbed a piece of paper, walked back over to me, and held the page out. "Here. Read what it says."

I took the paper, lost. "R…read?"

Vexen nodded. "Yes. Look at the words on the paper and tell me what they say."

Oh, that's right…reading. Reading, I remembered, was good. It let you learn about new things and experience different people and places. I have a hazy memory of being unhappy living where I was, so I read a lot to learn about life outside my home. More confident now, I held the paper up to my face and scanned the letters printed neatly on the page. It took a few minutes, but I finally got it:

Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that.

I am blessed with my people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand.

I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times.

Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born?

How does it come to affect us so?

As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.

I finished reading and looked up expectantly, unsure of what to do next.

Vexen was looking excited again, nodding vigorously and wringing his hands together. "Yes…yes, excellent! Now, how about this…?" He grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me over to the table, Xemnas and Saïx following lazily. As I rubbed my sore arm, he took the piece of paper, turned it over, placed it on the table, and handed me a little yellow stick thing with a pointy end and a pink round end…I think it's called a pencil. "Now, take this, and write something on the page. Anything you like."

I was already thinking about reading, so writing itself would be less of a problem. But what should I write? He said anything…he'd probably want to see what I wrote (the thought made me nervous again)…but could I keep what I wrote? If so, I should probably write down something I learned – no, the most important thing I learned. Hmm…I took the pencil, thought for a moment, and slowly wrote out:

My name is No. ii

I picked up the paper and held it out to Vexen, muttering, "Here."

Vexen snatched the paper out of my hand, looking triumphant. "Ah-ha! Look, Superior – she's done it!" He handed the paper to Xemnas, who calmly began to read it. "You see? This proves it – this proves that every single one of my programs was a success!"

Xemnas ignored him and smiled down at me slightly. "Well done."

"Thank you," I answered proudly, standing a little straighter.

Saïx did not seem so impressed. "With all due respect, Vexen, these tests are useless wastes of time. We began this project for one reason and one reason only, and you have neglected to confirm the results. There is one necessary function it has yet to perform." Xemnas looked up in mild interest.

Vexen blinked a couple times, subdued and confused. "A-and what test would that be, Saïx?"

Saïx glared at him. "I'm sure you know the one."

Vexen thought a moment. "Ah…right, then." He cleared his throat and turned to me, trying to look intimidating. "No. ii, I have one last test for you." He paused for dramatics. "I want you to summon your Keyblade."

My Keyblade…there was no word in my head, but there didn't need to be. I knew what he wanted. I held my right arm out to my side and thought, Come, Keyblade. There was a quick flash of light, and just like that, I was holding my beautiful weapon. My Way to the Dawn. I smiled down fondly at it, squeezing the handle affectionately. We'd fought a lot of battles together before I went to the dark place, so many that it no longer felt like a separate object – it was comfortable and natural-feeling, like an extension of my arm.

That was the easiest thing I'd done so far, but it had the biggest reaction. Vexen started jumping up and down excitedly again, pointing at my Keyblade and make strangled noises of happiness. Saïx's eyebrows shot up, and he nodded shortly. Xemnas nodded as well, an approving look on his face. There was some kind of shadow passing behind his eyes, but I blinked and it disappeared. Did I imagine it?

Vexen finally found his voice. "HA! You see, Saïx? A one-hundred-percent success! Kingdom Hearts will be completed in no time with such a marvel!"

Kingdom Hearts…? I opened my mouth to ask what that meant, but Saïx started speaking first. "Need I remind you, Vexen, that the addition of Number XIII has reduced our need for your little pet project? One mistake, one error in its execution, and it's out. Do you understand?"

Vexen quit jumping. He looked a little upset. "Completely."

"And what of No. i?"

"Still in the gestation period. I had a bit more trouble with initial construction and the life-force maintenance, but it should be completed within a few days."

Saïx nodded. "Very well. Dismiss your Keyblade, No. ii." I did as I was told, disappointed that I hadn't fought anything. "Shall we, Superior?" He held out one arm to the side, and another one of those swirling black things appeared out of his hand (I was kind of expecting it, but it still made me jump).

Xemnas slowly shook his head. "Not yet." He looked down at the paper I'd written on, frowning slightly. "We are defined by numbers," he murmured softly, "but we yet have names. A name defines an object. Describes the span of it. Gives it purpose. No. ii lives, and as such it should be given a name. To define it. To give it purpose." He lifted his arm, drew it back against his body, and then swung it slowly in front of my face. To my astonishment, glowing white letters appeared in front of me, facing Xemnas. I tried reading them, but they looked backwards to me. R…I…K…

Before I could finish reading them, they suddenly began to spin. They started slow, but then they went faster and faster until they were a blur. I felt dizzy. After a little bit, Xemnas stretched out his hand again, and an 'X' suddenly appeared with the other letters. The letters stopped spinning, arranged now in a brand new order, so I could read them pretty clearly. I tried sounding out what they said. "Cree…zoo? Kree-sue…K…Krixu!"

Xemnas nodded with approval. "Yes. A new name for a new life."

New life? I'd had an old one? I decided not to think too much on it (too many confusing things were already going on) and instead focus on my name. Krixu…I thought it was kind of pretty, if a little unusual. Much better than No. ii, at any rate. Hey, that reminds me…"Am…am I gonna b-be called No. ii again?"

Xemnas slowly shook his head. "You will have a new number…Number XIV."

I frowned. "Fourteen? W-why fourteen?"

"If I may, Superior," Saïx cut in suddenly. He stepped forward without waiting for a reply and stared down at me coldly, eyes narrowed. "Krixu, as our program gave you existence and you have nowhere else to go, we are permitting you to join our Organization. Using your Keyblade, you will collect hearts for us and perform other remedial tasks; in return, you will be given shelter, nourishment, proper clothing, and protection. However, if you disobey us or prove useless, you will be exterminated. Is that perfectly clear?"

"Y-yes," I stammered quietly. I didn't quite understand everything he had said, but I got the gist of it – Saïx and Xemnas and Vexen would look after me and give me a place to stay, but only if I did what they told me to. Sounded like a pretty good deal to me. Saïx was right – I had nowhere else to go. Heck, even if I did, I had no idea what to do there. At least these Organization guys had it all planned out. "Thank you, Saïx," I said softly, smiling up at him. Saïx just grunted and said nothing.

Xemnas nodded slowly, smiling coolly. "Excellent. Vexen, her quarters have been prepared. Please show her the way." He gestured to the swirling thing behind him.

Vexen ducked his head respectfully. "Yes, Superior. Come, No. ii…ah, I mean, Krixu." He held his hand out towards the swirly thing.

I felt my eyes bug out. They wanted me to go in there? What if it ate me? What if I got hurt? I shook my head back and forth.

Vexen sighed. "Oh, come now, Krixu, it won't hurt you. It is merely a dark corridor – a portal to take you from here to your new home. I assure you, you'll be perfectly unharmed when you come out the other side. After all, I used one not ten minutes ago, and I'm perfectly fine, am I not?"

…I think there's a joke I could make there, but I probably shouldn't.

He had a good point, though. None of the others looked hurt, and I kinda wanted to get out of this room. I was scared, but I knew I shouldn't show it in front of everyone else. I would hate to look weak. Taking a deep breath, I rushed towards the "portal" and jumped into it, trying not to scream.

The inside of the portal was really dark and cold, and I couldn't see anything at all. I felt like I was being smothered, like the life was being sucked out of me…I might have screamed after all, but I couldn't be sure…it was the dark place all over again…and…and then all the darkness swirled away and I fell to the floor, gasping and shaking.

There was a whooshing sound, and then I heard Vexen's disapproving voice above me. "Tsk, tsk…no, this won't do, this won't do at all.You must learn to tolerate the corridors – they are essential to Organization life. Now, get on your feet."

I pulled myself up and shakily did as I was told, wobbling again. I felt dizzy for a second, but the feeling passed and I was able to look around. We were in another room, but this one was a lot narrower and looked like it stretched on forever – I think it's called a hallway. The floor and walls were all the same whitish-blue color, and the tiles on the floor had the same pattern on it as the ones in the other room. There was a rectangular-shaped indentation in the wall in front of me, with a silver circular thing sticking out of it…a door and doorknob. There were three letters engraved in silver on the door: X, I, and V. What did that mean?

Before I could ask, Vexen opened the door and turned to me. "This is your room, N – Krixu. You will stay here during your time with us. I want you to stay in here for the rest of the night; no wandering around the castle unsupervised, now! I'll come and get you tomorrow. I'm nearly certain Superior left a coat for you in there; put it on right away. It's our uniform, and if Saïx catches you without it, it'll be both our necks, understand?"

I nodded. "Yes, Vexen."

"Good. Well, I hope your time working with us will be productive and at least somewhat enjoyable. I can promise that we'll make good use of you. Good use, indeed."

Okay, well, that was creepy. "…thank you, Vexen. Good night," I added, remembering what happened before the dark place when it was time to go to my bedroom.

"Good night, my creation. Until tomorrow." With a quick nod and another odd smile, Vexen turned away and walked off down the hall, muttering to himself.

I walked into my new room and closed the door behind me, looking around in wonder and feeling many new words pass before my mind. The room was fairly large, even though there wasn't a lot of stuff in it. A bed was pressed up against the wall across from the door, with white sheets and a blue-gray frame. The same symbol that was on the floor tiles had also been carved into the top of the bed. There was a nightstand with two drawers,a clock, and a lamp next to the bed, and a larger chest of drawers further along the wall. I had no idea what I'd keep in the drawers, as I didn't have any other clothes or possessions. On the wall across from the drawers was a full-length mirror. There was another door next to the mirror; looking inside, I saw that it led into a bathroom (thank goodness, I thought suddenly, although I wasn't quite sure why it was such a relief). There was a small bag of toiletries by the sink, and towels were already hanging up (they were silver-colored and had those same three letters that were on the door). There was a large window back in the main room above my new bed; from here, I could see that the sky was dark with clouds.

I suddenly noticed a black fabric spread across the foot of my bed – the Organization's coat. Remembering Vexen's order, I crossed the room and picked up the coat. The fabric was cool and felt like leather, and the coat itself fell to my ankles. There were two silver ornaments hanging from the hood, and a chain connected the two sides as well as two zippers. I looked over the coat for a little while longer, and then slipped the coat over my head and zipped the first zipper up just below my collarbone and the second one at my knees.

As soon as the coat was in place, I suddenly felt a strange pressure on my legs, feet, and hands. I gave a little cry of surprise and looked down, pulling back the bottom flaps. My dress had disappeared, and in its place was a pair of tight black pants. My feet, bare a few seconds ago, were now covered in a pair of black leather boots that went up past my knees. My hands were now covered in gloves, too. But I don't remember putting all this on…just the coat…wait…experimentally, I undid the zipper on the coat and let it fall to the floor. Right then, the pants, gloves, and boots shimmered out of view, and I was wearing my white dress again. I put the coat back on, and the new clothes appeared again. Huh…I guess it's a magic coat, or something. Awesome.

I wasn't sure what I should do next. Vexen probably wanted me to go to sleep, but I wasn't tired yet. But there wasn't anything else to do, and Vexen told me not to leave the room. Feeling bored, I crawled onto the bed and looked out the window, crossing my arms and leaning on the sill. Looking down, I saw a bunch of really tall buildings – skyscrapers, maybe – reaching up to the sky. There were a bunch of bright lights streaming from each building. I supposed I was in a city, but I didn't see any other people or hear any noises…didn't anyone live there? Well, maybe cities are really quiet. I wouldn't know. I've never been to a city.

"Nice view, huh?"

I gasped in surprise and turned around quickly, almost falling again. There was another person standing in the doorway – another Organization member, by the look of his clothes. He looked a lot taller than I was, and really skinny, too. He had spiky, bright red hair and sparkling green eyes. There were these little marks underneath his eyes, too; I didn't know if he was born with them or if he put them there himself. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, and he was smiling at me in a detached, amused sort of way.

"'Course, the weather's just killin' me," he grumbled, uncrossing his arms and striding into my room. "Rain, clouds, lightning…would a little sunshine be too much to ask?"

I wasn't sure what to make of this guy, but he had come into my room without permission, and he looked pretty dangerous to me. Trying to look threatening, I called my Way to the Dawn and shouted, "Who are you?!"

The man didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked up in awe at my Keyblade. "So it's true," he murmured, eyes wide. "We've got another one…"

Another one what? "Answer me!" I demanded. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The man's head snapped up and he put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy, kid! I'm not gonna hurt you – I'm on your side, see?" He fingered his coat.

I let my Keyblade disappear, but still kept my guard up. This guy seemed unpredictable to me. "Okay…but you still haven't answered my questions."

"Hmm? Oh, right. The name's Axel." He lifted his hand and pressed his pointer finger to the side of his head. "Got it memorized?"

I blinked, a little confused. "Uh…yeah, I think so," I answered, nodding.

He nodded approvingly, grinning. "Good, you're a quick learner, kid."

"My name's not 'kid'," I growled. "It's Krixu."

"Krixu, huh? Nice name. Mind if I sit down?" Without waiting for an answer, he crossed the room and plopped down next to me on the bed, stretching out his arms behind him, leaning back, and crossing one leg over the other. "Well, as for your other question, I'm here to give my greetings and well-wishes to the newest member of our fine Organization, and to clear up any questions or concerns thereof."

"Oh…kay…um, actually, I don't understand what's going on at all."

"Full package, huh? No problem, I expected as much…let's see, uh…um…well, let's start with the Organization itself. You and I are a part of this group called Organization XIII. Got it memorized?"

He liked to say that a lot, didn't he? "Organization XIII. Yeah, I got it. What does the Organization do?"

"Excellent question. It's our job to…uh…well we need to…um…hmm…" Axel was quiet for a long time, scratching the back of his head in concentration. "…you know what? That's a dumb question. Ask me another one."

I frowned in confusion, my brow furrowing. "But you just said –"

"I know what I said. Ask me another one."

"…"

"…"

Sounded to me like he didn't quite know himself. Shouldn't he know, if he's part of the Organization? Oh, well. I'll ask Vexen later. "Okay. Does everyone in the Organization wear black coats?"

Axel nodded, seemingly relieved at the change of subject. "Yup. They're a symbol of our brotherhood and fidelity or some random crap like that. Mostly, though, the coat helps us create Corridors of Darkness."

"You mean those swirly black things?" I asked. "I used one of those. That's how I came here."

Axel nodded. "Yup. Corridors of Darkness are how we get from world to world. Of course, since we're traveling through ultimate darkness every day – sometimes several times a day – there's a teeny tiny risk to our health and sanity. So we wear these coats to protect us from the darkness. Were you wearing a coat when you used a Corridor?"

I shook my head. "No."

Axel shook his head and sighed heavily. "Ooh, not good. Don't make a habit of it in the future, m'kay? You probably just felt really dizzy this time, but if you keep doing it you'll get seriously screwed up."

I nodded in understanding, but then something suddenly hit me. "Hey, wait…you said you use the Corridors to 'get from world to world.' Are you saying…there's more than one world?"

Axel nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying, kiddo. There's hundreds – maybe even thousands – of worlds out there. Chances are you're gonna see a whole bunch of 'em while you're working for us."

Other worlds…they really did exist…and I could go see them! I knew they were real. I knew it.

"The world we're in right now," Axel was saying, "is where we base the Organization, the World that Never Was – kinda depressing, but there you go. This castle where we live is called the Castle that Never Was. And the city below is called the –"

"City that Never Was," I finished, feeling proud of myself.

Axel grinned and nodded. "Good, you've already got it memorized! But yeah, other worlds are out there, and you'll see 'em sooner or later. So…what was I talking about?"

"The coats."

"Oh, yeah, the coats. Well, besides making Corridors of Darkness, they also make nifty disguises. When the hood's up like this…" He pulled up his hood, hiding his face completely from view (how did all that hair fit under there?). "…you can't tell what we look like, which is good, because we run a covert operation. If there're people around when you're out on a mission, you wear your hood the whole time so they don't see your face. The coat's also good insulation; it'll keep you nice and toasty during those missions in particularly nippy areas."

"M…missions?" I echoed. What were those?

"Stuff the Organization wants you to do," Axel explained. "You'll learn a little more about that starting tomorrow."

"So is that what the Organization does? Do missions?"

"Well, uh, yeah. I guess so."

"What for?"

"Huh?"

"Why does the Organization have to do missions?" I clarified.

He looked a little confused by this. "Well…so we can complete our goal."

"What's our goal?"

"Kingdom Hearts," he said simply.

"Kingdom…Hearts…?" I repeated. Hadn't Vexen mentioned that?

"Yup. It's what everyone here's working for."

"But what is it?" I asked.

Axel frowned in confusion. "Well, uh…I don't exactly know what it is or what it looks like or anything, but I do know that it's gonna complete us – make us whole."

"Make us whole? Aren't we whole now?"

He shook his head. "Nope. You see, you, me, and everyone else in the Organization are Nobodies – hey, don't look at me like that! It's not an insult or anything. It means that we don't have any hearts."

"No hearts?" I stared at him, lost. That didn't make any sense…"How are we alive if we don't have hearts?"

Axel shrugged. "Search me. But hey, technically, we don't exist, so I don't think we're actually alive."

I had no response to that. For one thing, I didn't quite get it, and for another, what I did get sounded really depressing.

"But basically, we're Nobodies, which means we don't have hearts, which means we can't actually feel anything. That's why you might've been feeling so empty. You don't have any emotions like you did before your heart left."

"I…I don't have emotions?" I echoed. But I wasn't feeling empty…I mean, I blew up at Saïx, didn't I? I was definitely angry then. And what did he mean, 'before my heart left'? When did it leave? Maybe in the dark place…

"Right. And neither does the rest of the Organization. They may act like they do, but don't be fooled – they're just pretending to have hearts."

"But Kingdom Hearts will give us hearts for real?"

"Yep, just as soon as we complete it. Xemnas – that's our boss, by the way. X-E-M-N-A-S, got it memorized? – he's the only one who knows the whole story about it, and there's a whole bunch o' stuff he hasn't told us just yet. But I don't recommend asking him about it – he can get pretty steamed real quick, so for the sake of your physical well-being, you should just wait till he decides to tell us, 'kay?"

"Okay," I replied. I still had a lot more questions about Kingdom Hearts, but maybe I'll find out later. All that's important now is that Kingdom Hearts will fix whatever's wrong with me. Maybe it could give me back my memory…? "Um…how many people are in the Organization?"

"You're our fourteenth member."

"Oh. Is that why I'm called Number XIV?"

Axel nodded. "Exactly. Course, now that there're more than thirteen members, we might have to get our name changed…uh, anyways, there are twelve other members besides you and me. Each of us has our own special powers and abilities, which we use in combat."

"Special powers?" I echoed. "What special powers? I don't have any powers…"

"You'll learn more about that tomorrow," Axel said, waving a hand dismissively. "And whaddaya talking about, you don't have any powers? You can use a Keyblade, can't 'cha?"

"The Keyblade?" I repeated, confused. "That's…special?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Of course it's special, kid, what's the matter with you? Not everyone can go around summoning a giant misshapen key, y'know!"

"Really?" I whispered in wonder. I looked back out the window, out at the buildings that could be full of people…people who couldn't do something I could…I felt proud for a second, but it was just swallowed up by confusion again. "I never really thought it was that special…I've been able to do it for as long as I can remember, and I never really thought…" I didn't speak for a while. "Can you use a Keyblade, too, Axel?"

Axel shook his head. "Nah. The only people in the Organization you can wield the Keyblade are you and Roxas."

"Roxas?" I echoed, a little put out that I wasn't the only special one.

"Yeah, he's our newest member…well, not anymore, I guess, since you're the resident rookie…well, anyway, he just joined a couple days ago. He's the 'XIII' in Organization XIII, got it memorized?"

"XIII…" Why did that sound familiar? "…you know…I think Saïx mentioned Number XIII…"

Axel blinked. "You…already met Saïx?" Before I could answer, he started looking me up and down, looking confused. "Funny, you don't look injured…"

I frowned. "I'm…not…" I clenched my fists, fighting my anger; this was reminding me of Saïx calling me defective. I'm not defective. I'm not worthless. I'm not weak.

"Really?" Axel looked impressed. "Wow…most rookies get some sort of physical injury dealt to them by our exalted second-in-command…he must like you, then."

I winced. "I…don't think he likes me at all…"

Axel nodded. "That, I believe. No worries, kid, Saïx doesn't like anybody 'cept Xemnas. You're in good company." He clapped me on the back, and I jumped a bit in surprise.

I clasped my hands together, an incredible feeling of inferiority washing over me. I hated it; I couldn't stomach being anything less than the best. "He…said I was 'defective', whatever that means…and when I stood up to him, he got really mad…"

Axel whistled in amazement. "And you didn't get hurt?! Jeez, Louise, you're some piece o' work…but hey, don't go doing that anymore, 'kay? Rule Number One of the Organization: never piss off Saïx. I once knew a guy who told Saïx his hair made him look like a girl –" His face became mournful and he placed his hand over his heart. "– two days later, he went six feet under while his mama sobbed into a monogrammed hankie."

I gaped at him. "W-what…?!"

He cracked a smile. "Heh, heh, you should see the look on your face, kid! No worries, it was just a joke. Nothing like that ever happened…though if it did, I wouldn't be surprised in the least." He chuckled.

My memory was a little fuzzy, but I had the sense jokes were meant to be laughed at. "…that wasn't funny, Axel."

"Really? Cause I thought it was hilarious!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Axel sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Man, you're no fun. All right, so you've met our Lunar Diviner. Anyone else?"

"Um…well, I met Xemnas…"

Axel frowned sympathetically. "Ooh…"

"…oh, and Vexen, too."

Axel's eyes got so big that they looked like they would pop right out of his head. "UGGGH…!" Before I could ask him what the matter was, he suddenly threw his arms around me and pulled me in close. "Oh, you poor thing, no wonder you're such a downer! Exposed to three of the biggest wet blankets in the whole Organization! You must think we're all lunatics!"

"Well, now that you mention it…" I muttered into his chest.

I knew that I should push him away, but I…I didn't really want to. Axel was a much better hugger than Vexen was. He didn't hold me too tight, and he felt really warm and cozy…I wanted to get closer, but the instant I tried, Axel put his hands on my shoulder and shoved me away, a serious look on his face. "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do, Kri – I'm gonna take you out and show you a good time, Axel style! We can go to Twilight Town! We'll grab some ice cream, watch the sunset, maybe play a few rounds of Grandstander, bang up some Heartless…it'll be awesome! Whaddaya say, Kri?"

I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to all that, mostly because I didn't understand half the things he said. Twilight Town? Ice cream? Grandstander? Heartless? What the heck were those? I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I had so many questions I didn't know where to start. Not to mention the fact that Axel seemed too excited to pay attention to whatever I had to say. So I just asked one question, the first one that popped into my head: "…'Kri'?"

Axel grinned. "Yeah, it's a nickname! It shows affection. Friends give each other nicknames."

"We're…friends?" I asked, wondering when I had consented to this.

"Sure we are!" Axel replied happily, swinging his arm around my shoulders. "I like you, kid; you've got character. I could make you my protégé, teach you everything I know. We'll be best pals – you, me, and Roxas."

I cast my eyes to the floor, a little intimidated by this eccentric performance. All the same, what he said made me…happy. I couldn't remember if I'd had any friends before the dark place, but I did know that having a friend was the best thing that could happen to a person. Sure, Axel was a little out there, but he seemed nice enough. Okay. We'll be friends.

I opened my mouth to tell him this, but Axel wasn't paying attention; he was standing up and had stuck out his arm and opened up another one of those dark corridor thingies. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed my hand, pulled me into a standing position, and headed towards the dark portal, me dragging behind.

"W-wait!" I stammered, putting up as much resistance as a fairly small girl could against a significantly taller older man. "I can't go! Vexen said that I wasn't allowed to leave the room!"

Axel made a "ppft!" noise. "Aw, Vexen, schmexen. What does that Bill Nye-wannabe know, anyway? He can't keep you locked up here forever, right? Besides, Vexen doesn't have any authority. He can't force us to –"

"Those orders were direct from me, Axel."

I jumped and twisted my head to see Saïx standing in the doorway, arms crossed and looking like the Devil himself. I shuddered and looked down to the floor.

Axel didn't seem nearly as concerned as I was. "Hey, Saïx. Sorry, can't talk right now. I'll go do my mission later, 'kay?" He started pulling me towards the portal again.

"And just where do you think you are going with Number XIV?" Saïx asked icily.

I flinched away from him, but Axel just shrugged. "Twilight Town. I'm gonna show Kri here how to have fun."

Saïx raised an eyebrow. "'Kri'?" He looked directly at me.

I gulped. "We're…friends, apparently."

Saïx looked at me for a long time, and then he sighed heavily. "You would do well, Krixu, not to associate yourself with this one. He is both dangerous and unpredictable, and would likely lead to your extermination."

Axel moaned and put a hand to his forehead like he was sick. "You're killing me, Saïx, you're killing me!"

Saïx shot him a dirty look. "Silence. I personally gave you a specific order to let Number XIV be until tomorrow, and here I find you dragging it off goodness knows where while it is still disoriented and liable to injure itself! Honestly, Axel, I expected better of you."

Axel grinned slyly. "Did you, Saïx? Did you really?"

There was a long silence in which the two men just stared at each other. Finally, Saïx sighed again, looking frustrated. "You are dismissed, Axel. You are forbidden to interact further with Krixu until tomorrow."

Axel pouted. "Aw, c'mon, can't I take her out? We'll be back in five minutes; no one will ever even know we're gone. I'll hold her hand and everything. Please?"

"No," Saïx said firmly. "You are dismissed, Axel."

"Well, can I at least bring her back an ice cream? Kid's had a big day, joining the Organization and all, and look, she's wasting away to nothing – she must be starving!"

Saïx turned a cold glance on me. "Is this true, Krixu?"

I blinked in confusion. "I-I don't really know what –" I was suddenly interrupted by a loud gurgling sound. I jumped in surprise and started to ask what it was, but I suddenly felt light-headed and had to sit back down. What was happening? What's this called? It's…hunger. I needed to eat. "Yeah, I guess I am," I whispered.

Axel pointed to me and gave Saïx a half-concerned, half-smug look. "There. See that? Poor thing's fading fast. If she doesn't get somethin' yummy in her tummy soon…" He leaned in close to Saïx so that his face was inches away from the second-in-command's pointed ear. "…we might end up being true to our namesake after all, got it memorized?"

"…"

"…"

Saïx pressed his index finger against Axel's forehead and pushed him away. "Five minutes, Axel."

He smirked. "Four more than I need. Be back in a jiff!" He leaped into the dark corridor, and I was suddenly left alone with Saïx.

I fiddled with one of the chains on my coat. "…is there something I can help you with, Saïx?"

Saïx nodded shortly. "The Superior has asked me to give you this." He held out his hand. For the first time, I noticed that he was holding a small, white book. The same symbol that was carved into the floor tiles and onto my headboard was printed in black on the cover.

I grinned in delight and took the book, thrilled that I had something new to read. I eagerly opened it…only to be met with clean white paper. My smile faded. "It's…blank. Where are the words?"

"You will write the words yourself," Saïx explained, sounding impatient. "Many members of the Organization keep a diary to record daily events. You are not required to keep one, and no one will check it if you do – unless, of course, you choose to show it – but as a new member, I highly recommend you write what learn in it for the first few days so that you do not forget."

Oh, now I get it. I write down what happens everyday so that when I get older, I can read it and remember everyone. Sounds interesting, at least. "Thank you, Saïx," I said through my light-headedness. I took a pen that had been lying on top of my chest of drawers and uncapped it. "I'll start right now!"

But I didn't get a chance to write anything, because at that point, a dark corridor appeared out of nowhere again. Out came Axel, grinning like a lunatic and carrying some light blue-green thing on a stick. "I'm baaaack!" he crowed. "And I brought somethin' tasty!"

Saïx raised an eyebrow. "You consider that to be adequate nourishment?"

"Hey, it'll fill her belly, won't it?" He held out the blue-green thing to me. "Here, Krixu, eat up!"

I gingerly took the stick out of his hand, staring at it warily. "W…what is it?"

"It's ice cream, silly!" Axel replied, laughing. "I know it'll take a while to remember everything from your old life, but you remember ice cream, don't you?"

Ice cream…something cold and sweet and tasty to have on hot summer days…I saw a brief flash of memory in which I was happily licking an ice cream cone with a couple other kids…"Oh, yeah, I love ice cream!" I said eagerly. "Thanks, Axel!" I took a small bite, concerned about brain freeze. I let the small blue lump sit on my tongue for a bit before swallowing. "Mmm…it tastes sweet, but kinda salty, too…"

"Well, it should," Axel told me. "It's called sea-salt ice cream. What do you think? Good, right?"

"Sea-salt ice cream…" I parroted, taking another small bite. "It's…a little weird, but not exactly bad…" I smiled. "Yeah, I guess I like it."

Axel beamed. "Great! It's one of my favorites! I got some for Roxas his first day, too, and – whoa."

I looked up from my treat to see Axel staring at me, expression curious. "…what?"

He shook himself slightly. "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. I just realized, your eyes are the exact same color as that ice cream."

"My eyes?"

"Yeah. It's a nice color."

"Thanks…" I put a hand to my head, suddenly feeling unwell. Blue-green color. Gentle sloshing. Salty taste…

I gasped. "Hey!"

Axel jumped, and Saïx looked at me sharply. "What? What is it? Brain freeze?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, I…I think…I just remembered something…before everything was dark, I…"

"You mean before you lost your heart?" Axel asked, looking inquisitive. "What is it?" Saïx looked on in interest.

"I…" I struggled to hold onto the fading picture in my head. "I lived…near water. Lots of water. And it was cool and clear, and it smelled salty like the ice cream…I…" What was it? What was the word? "It…it was the…ocean!" I grinned in triumph. I remembered now! "I lived by the ocean…o-on an island!"

"An island, huh?" Axel said softly. "Burning sun, hot sands, cold surf, bikinis…" He whistled again. "You're one lucky girl, Krixu. But to go from a place like that to a place like this… life's a bitch, huh?"

"I guess…" I murmured. I was still trying to hang on to the picture of my home. It was a small island, really, but it wasn't too bad. Most of it was sand, but there were all these trees and plants growing in the middle of it grew the most amazing fruit. One of the trees had fallen over, but no one bothered to get rid of it; I remembered I liked to sit on the trunk and watch the sunset. And then there was this cave…

"You have one minute, Axel," I heard Saïx say. "I suggest you start talking."

"Seriously? Okay, uh…" He thought for a moment. "Never play Luxord in a game of strip poker. Don't let Vexen take you to his lab for a 'short check-up' – it's not a check-up, and it's never short. Always remember Rule Number One! Stay away from Marluxia and Larxene, and don't bother Zexion while he's reading. Don't go into the kitchen after lunch; that's when Xigbar likes to hide in the rafters and shoot people. When Demyx asks if you want to hear a new song he's been writing say no. Don't expect Roxas to say anything to you – kid's a zombie, I swear –"

"Ten seconds, Axel."

"– and above all, be good." He smirked knowingly. "Or, if you can't be good, be good at it. Got it memorized?"

I blinked. "I…I don't get it. What do you mean –?"

"Axel!" Saïx snapped, a flush coloring his cheeks.

"Sorry, kid, gotta run!" He grinned and held up two fingers (the peace sign…?) "Good night, welcome to the team, and I'll see you tomorrow!" Saïx reached out to grab him, but he was already out the door. I giggled slightly, and Saïx glowered at me before heading out the door himself.

"Good night, Saïx," I called out.

SLAM.

I giggled a bit and finished up the last of my ice cream. When I was done, I put the clean stick on my nightstand, picked up my pen, opened my diary, and began to write. It was slow going, and I made a lot of mistakes, but I finally came up with:

Entry 1

My name is Krixu. I used to be called No. ii, Saïx calls me Number XIV, and Axel calls me Kri. Today, I joined Organization XIII. They gave me a coat and told me I'd be doing missions for them. They seemed really impressed by my Keyblade. Axel said that there was only one other person in the Organization that can wield the Keyblade. Is it really that special?

I met four new people today. Vexen is the one who looked after me and asked me to do things to see if I was healthy. He said that I was a success, and that he and I would do great things. I don't know if I like him or not.

Then, I met Xemnas and Saïx. Xemnas is the leader of Organization XIII. He seemed friendly, and I think he likes me, but I'm a little scared of him. He told me that my anger would make me stronger than him. What does he mean? I don't think Saïx likes me. He called me defective, and when I said I wasn't, he got really mad. He's the second-in-command, so I have to be nice to him.

Finally, I met Axel. He's not at all like the others. He acts a little crazy, and sometimes he says things that I don't understand, but I like him. He taught me a lot about the Organization, and said that we were friends. He gave me a Popsicle, too. It's called "sea-salt ice cream", and it helped me remember that I lived on an island by the ocean.

But there are still some things I don't get. Why can't I remember anything before the darkness? Why does the Organization need me? Why can only two of us wield the Keyblade? What is "Kingdom Hearts"? Have I lost my heart like Axel said? I don't understand it much, but maybe I'll get the answers if I stay with the Organization.

Once I was finished, I put my diary and the pen on my nightstand, moving the Popsicle stick so that it rested on top of the book. I felt light-headed again, so I lay down on the bed and started thinking about everything I couldn't understand until I felt darkness creep up on me again. The last thing I saw was the Popsicle stick.

And that's how my life began.

Okay! So, like I said, I don't know when the next update will be. I've got a month of business ahead of me and only five pages of the next chapter done, but I'll do my best to get it written!