Xince scaled the spiral steps to the Alter of Naught, concealing her face beneath her hood. This would be dangerous, of that she was certain, but fear would not deter her from her crusade of vengeance. Saix, to Xince's dread, stood behind Xemnas in the center of the alter. Minutes passes like hours, until finally the pair departed.
Xince stepped out onto the altar, feeling Kingdom Hearts' light empower her.
"Illuminara!" she commanded, arms outstretched to the sky. Kingdom Hearts, it was so close Xince almost felt it brush the tips of her fingers. In a blinding flash, Kingdom Hearts, the pride of the organization, vanished, replaced by a brilliant golden sun. In that moment, the sky was a ball of fire and lightning. It was the most magnificent sunrise Xince had ever seen.
"What in Kingdom Hearts-"Saix fell to his knees, mouth gaping. He huddled up into a fetal position, rocking himself back and forth. Xince flipped her hood of and tilted her face to the sun. Her hair rippled like fire as it fell to rest at the small of her back. Her bangs were bleached white, and the rest was a fiery orange, the tips a scarlet red.
Demyx came and stood beside Xince.
"Wow, Xince, what happened to you?" her hair normally was a golden blonde color.
"It does this when I use my magic," she explained
"Why? It's weird.
"No idea," she admitted, "guess I'm just weird."
"Well, this'll keep Moony out of commission for awhile," Xigbar observed, just joining the group. Xince smiled proudly. She'd been planning her vacation since day one.
Warm sunlight shimmered on the deep ocean's surface. White salty foam ringed the baked brown cliff face like icing. If there was one thing Xince missed about her old life, it was spending endless hours in her secret cove. She remembered the day Xemnas had found her, only a few miles from this spot. She remembered feeling lonely every day of her life. But that had changed. Her first day in the organization, she'd heard the distinctive sound of a sitar, and felt the need to play her flute in response. Xince had mimicked the notes and rhythms the sitar played, and every time, it became more and more complex.
After awhile, the music began to grow nearer. Her door opened slowly and Demyx walked in. after that day, she finally had a friend.
"So this is where you sneak off to after work," a voice from behind her snapped her back to the present. Demyx sat down on her left, Axel on her right.
"You know, you should probably bring Kingdom Hearts back," Axel said
"Its still there, just hidden is all. Besides, aren't you enjoying your time off?" Xince asked
"Yeah, but don't you want your heart back? Instead of being just another number, you could actually exist." Xince didn't know how to reply, as she still had her heart. Until now, she'd always thought Demyx was like her, but she now reasoned that he wasn't. She didn't understand at the moment why a heart was so important when the memories of feeling still existed, but maybe someday she would.
Ten days had passed without a sign of Xemnas. The organization, minus Saix who was still indisposed, had began to worry. Well, Xince didn't worry; she was having the time of her life. Of course, like all good things, this had to come to an end. Unfortunately, it would end in a sick sadistic manner.
"I have returned to you my friends," Xemnas droned in his annoyingly slow voice after emerging through a dark corridor," and I have found the solution to your problems."
"So you can fix Kingdom Hearts?" Saix asked hopefully
"Yes. Now, who will assist me?"Saix and Xigbar both came forward.
"This should be interesting," Xince muttered. And she was correct. By this time, everyone had assembled in the Grey Area in anticipation. Three minutes passed. Then four. Five. Six. Finally, Xince became impatient and climbed the alter.
She didn't have to wait long to see something interesting. Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saix reappeared on the alter through a dark corridor, carrying between them the largest pie pan Xince had ever seen.
"What. The heck. Is that?" Xince asked cautiously, not exactly sure she wanted to learn the answer.
"My plan," Xemnas replied calmly, "Fire!" They threw the pie at the sun. The giant pan covered the sun, causing the strangest eclipse ever. In one dazzling explosion, The Sun That Never Really Existed disappeared; in its place Kingdom Hearts shone seemingly more radiantly than ever before. Instantly, Saix transformed from a sobbing puddle of mush into a ferocious rabid wolf.
"Xince!" Saix whipped around, glaring claymores at the small girl.
"Well, time to go!" she disappeared seconds before Saix reached her.
"Xince! Where ya goin?" Demyx panted. He'd had to run to catch up to the fleeing girl as she sprinted from the castle.
"Saix is gonna kill me. Besides, I never belonged here anyway."
"Whatdaya mean, you're a Nobody aren't you?" Xince laughed lightly.
"No, Dem, I'm not. Xemnas found me by mistake one day. He was lookin for someone else."
"So…..you're just gonna leave Xince?" Demyx asked in a slightly sad sounding voice.
"I have to. And the name's Cien," she opened a dark corridor and reappeared behind the other Nobody," Goodbye, Demyx." Her gloved hand came down hard on the base of his neck, and he was instantly knocked out cold. So that's how it goes for Cien, finds a friend then has to leave them. Oh well, there's always cats right?
Cien continued her lonely journey to Memory's Skyscraper. As she rounded the corner to the building's front, a horde of berserkers surrounded her. A dark corridor opened, and a hooded figure came through.
"Leaving so soon, Cien?" the figured asked
"It's the only thing I can do."
"Can you really do it so easily?"
"I've done this several times before, walked this same path."
"Will it be as easy this time, Cien?"
"Of course not, Saix, but it will be rewarding in the end for me" the figure flipped off its hood.
"How so?"Saix asked, smirking
"I won't face the same future, nor die the same death as your fate commands you,"
"And how does your heart lead you to that conclusion?" the berserkers lifted their weapons.
"I leave you with this one warning: three keys will cross your path very soon, you will choose which cuts you down."
"We shall see who faces their fate first!" the berserkers jumped Cien from all sides. Escape was impossible, death inevitable, and she soon succumbed to the oblivion of death without a word.
Saix awoke with his dream with a jerk. He looked around him. His room was just the way it had been when he fell asleep. Gazing out the window, he smiled in relief. Kingdom Hearts still shone with the same eerie beauty.
A silvery blue fluffy blur streaked up behind Saix. He stared into the cat's ice blue eyes, wondering how it had gotten there. The cat yawned, and Saix couldn't suppress a yawn himself.
"Foolish dream," he muttered to himself. As he began to drift into sleep again, Saix couldn't shake one thought.
He really wanted pie.