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 :heart: 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.

Kudos to Raine Ishida for getting the quote in the last chapter. It was from Scar from The Lion King: "I am the King, I can do whatever I want." Virtual cookie for you!

Chessman's Rhapsody

Chapter II: Scherzo

As Number XX follows Marluxia, she gazes around analyzing her surroundings, seemingly innocent enough for any newcomer. Marluxia rambles away about flowers and rooms and other unimportant things related to Castle Oblivion. By the time they come across the lounge, the Organization's newest member is somewhat bored.

"Marluxia, when am I going to meet the other members?"

Marluxia looks down at her, and answers, "After we're done with the tour, of course!"

"When's that?"

"Later."

"When's later?"

"You'll see. Just be patient."

"But that's what I've been doing all morning…err…night….well, this whole time!"

"Well, it won't be much longer. I'll make sure I'm brief."

She gives a sigh of frustration and takes a peek into the lounge. She notices two apparent bookworms buried in piles of tomes and paperwork. One is a male with relatively-short, silver-blue hair in such a way that most was covering his right eye. The other is a young woman, with apricot-vermillion fore-locks draping down the sides of her face, from her temples to her chin in length, and the remainder tied into a short ponytail. Number XX also notices that this particular Nobody happens to have a pair of strange protrusions attached to the sides of her head.

Marluxia, too absorbed in his voice, continues to walk away. The girl is left behind, too engaged in the twitching fox ears to bother with her tour guide.

She tip-toes into the room and hides herself behind the couch where the girl is seated. She hears the male's voice, directed towards the girl.

"You know, you don't have to do all this work, Ixlakayl."

"I'm fine. You don't need to be so worried, Zexion. Besides, I like working with you."

Number XX lifts herself to eye-level and involuntarily rubs and tugs at fox ears. Ixlakayl responds with a cry and whacks her in the face with a tome, knocking her unconscious.

Whilst turning around, she yips, "You perv---!! Oh my goodness! Are you alright?! Wake up! Say something!"

Zexion, with a flicker of his eyes to see the commotion, interjects bluntly, "If she weren't still there and not disintegrating into nothing, I might say that you killed her…"

A few minutes later, Number XX slowly awakens, realizing she's lying on the comfortable-looking, white sofa she'd remembered seeing before falling into unconsciousness.

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry! It was an automatic reaction; I thought you were someone else!"

"Ugh…I'm alright…really….Umm…Who are you?"

The red-head introduces herself with a smile, "I'm Number XVII: The Vulpine Sage, Ixlakayl." The three fall into silence for a few moments until Ixlakayl turns her companion, who in turn is gazing off into the distance of the chamber until he notices her heated stare.

"…"

"Don't be rude; introduce yourself," she accentuates the reprimanding statement with a nudge from her elbow and raised brows. The only response she receives is a swift flicker of his eyes to her person and then back onto the remarkably more interesting ceiling tiles.

"…Number VI. You don't need to know anymore than that," the male's tone is insipid, the statement guileless, and his face deadpan. However, what emotion, or lack thereof, the male showed, his female associate made up for. After a charming yet impish smile to the younger girl, she turns back to the male.

Number XX stares as her two superiors stand in front of her, engaged in some sort of mental warfare (1). Whatever telepathy the girl was imposing on her male counterpart seemed to be working, for—a few minutes later—the male was finally starting to crack.

Seemingly satisfied, Ixlakayl turns away and gives him one last look over her shoulder accompanied with a saccharine smile (read: a very haughty smirk), and saunters over to the door with the younger girl. Observing her superior's actions and words, the youngest neophyte smirks and follows dutifully, waiting and deciding to watch how the scene plays out before interrupting. Clearly, she's trying to get a rise out of him…and it apparently it doesn't take much, if his glare is any indication. Oh, look! I think his eye just twitched. Hahahahaha… it did it again! His eye twitched!!!

Smugly, the Sage waits at the door for a reaction. Ears—fox ears—twitching, she pivots to watch as their blue-haired companion strides over until he is roughly a yard away from Number XX and Ixlakayl standing at the door, giving the latter a sardonic glower.

"Inform me, Number XVII. Why is it, exactly, that I concern myself with your existence?"

"Because you love me. Why else?" she responds teasingly. Sighing dramatically, she continues, "You just can't help yourself. I'm just that fabulous." He gives her a look that is disbelieving and…something else, but she ignores him.

The Sage looks expectantly at Number VI, smirking in satisfaction as he grumbles a response to her original demand.

"Hmm…what was that I couldn't hear you? Speak a little louder. I am appalled at your manners in front of—not one but two—ladies. I thought better of you."

"Number VI: The Cloaked Schemer, Zexion," he names off his titles as Ixlakayl had done before.

Genuinely sweet once more, she smiles at Zexion, "Good. Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" The rhetorical question is followed by a brief hug, lasting only a moment before she brings her attention to the new member. Unbeknownst to The Vulpine Sage, the girl's swift embrace had more of an effect than she knew. This, however, did not go unnoticed by the third party member.

"I apologize for Zexion's belligerence. He is…not very sociable. He seems to think I'm the only member capable of carrying out an "intelligent" conversation. That is true on some accounts though, I suppose. There are certain people that just don't have the required…" a (fake) cough, "attention span and…" another (fake) cough, 'IQ'. By the way, I never asked: what is your name?"

"Velendox. But you can call me Vel, if you'd like."

As she answers, Number XX scrutinizes the girl's face and smile, looking between the two several times and giving a smirk of her own, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Zexion, suddenly becoming flustered and turning red, and Ixlakayl, blushing with embarrassment at the idea—though she had never really thought of it that way, both deny the statement in their own way. Zexion is silent, while Ixlakayl expresses her mind, via rambling.

"Oh, no…We're just friends. Companions. Uh…besides, haven't you heard the Superior's speeches? We're Nobodies; we don't have hearts or emotions. And while I don't completely agree with that, we must believe in our Superior! And…and for…for it to be something…like…uh, that which you implied…we'd require…emotions! And since we're Nobodies and thus don't have emotions, we can't have stuff like that…feelings like happiness and love and…and….such…" she lamely ended her spiel.

"Sure, sure."

"Yes. If anything, we're just friends."

Though outwardly calm, albeit still rather red, Zexion inconspicuously winces at the fox-girl's remark. Velendox, however, with sharp charcoal eyes, manages to catch the nuance from Number VI's visage.

"I think someone around here wishes it were more than 'just friends'. Isn't that right, emo boy?"

Zexion turns away from the disrespectful girl, pretending to be engrossed in his work and readings—somehow the trio had traveled back to the general vicinity of the settee. He mutters to himself—reading aloud and such—to avoid listening to the comments that are bound to follow. Despite his power of Illusion, his attempts at disguise are ridiculously obvious. As the room grows quiet once more, the murmurs and pretensions come to a halt. Then Velendox, using this as a prime moment to embarrass someone else for her own amusement—a.k.a. schadenfreude—throws out another criticizing remark.

"Hm… Looks like someone's not listening. Perhaps I touched a nerve. What do you think, emo boy? Did I hit the nail on the head, so to speak? Hmmm...?"

Zexion, fed up with her commentary and showing much more emotion, despite it having been said that Nobodies don't have emotions, than is generally accepted as normal from him, irately tosses his book and papers to the floor with a growl, barking, "I am not her boyfriend. Merely the idea is….preposterous!"

Velendox seems to be pleased with his reaction, "Oh? Boyfriend? Why are we bringing this subject up again? Hmm? Suspicious. Obviously, you were thinking of it on your own. I think that means something; like maybe you actually do want your little "friendship" to be something else…maybe even something a little more physical…." Raising her brows suggestively at the last word and feigning innocence, she continues, snickering, "Ha! Just looking at your face tells me I am right. You want to hug her, kiss her, and do all sorts of inde---"

The sound of an explosion sounded throughout the castle, piquing the little girl's interest. And before Zexion could make an argument in his defense, the newest member leaves the two with a parting "Toodles", deciding to go and find some other Organization members to meet.

The sound of another explosion floats out of the kitchen, leading the neophyte to the disaster area. Time for some more torment.

"Aidxan! Is it possible for you to do anything right?! Perhaps you could learn to make a cup of coffee without causing an explosion!"

"I'm sorry, sir! I can't help it! It's not my fault I'm klutzy sometimes! Really!"

"Don't even try to act innocent! It won't work on me! 'She has so much potential, Number IV. You should make her your apprentice.' Yeah right! I should never have let the Superior talk me into becoming your mentor!"

Velendox, intrigued by the quarrelling voices, approaches the kitchen. Peeking inside, she notices shattered glass and multicolored liquid strewn about the floor.