~The World that Never Was: Where Nothing Gathers~

{Xemnas} "Good tidings, friends. I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat."

All 13 members sit around as a hooded girl steps into the center of the room.

{Xemnas} "Number 14. Xion."

*Pop*

Several member use confetti poppers as a big banner reading: 'Happy 14th Member' drops from the ceiling. The word 'birthday' was crossed out and 'member' was hastily scribbled in. Isa looks pissed at the obvious lack of knowledge on this event.

{Isa} "What. The. F-"

Lea blows an air horn in her ear.

{Isa} "This was your doing, wasn't it?"

{Lea} "What? What could've given you that idea?"

He pushes a button that releases a bunch of balloons. Xemnas ignores the party favors.

{Xemnas} "Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen."

The meeting concludes and everyone meets up in the Grey room where Xion stands in the corner away from everyone else. She remained in solitude for some time until one member about the same height as her came up to greet her.

{Solomon} "Hello. You're Xion, right? My name is Solomon. I'm number 13."

{Xion} "...Sol...o...mon?"

{Solomon} "...Um...yes? Are you feeling okay? You're kinda skulking about like a zombie."

{Xion} "...feeling...like...a...zombie?"

Lauriam approached the two of them.

{Lauriam} "Don't overwhelm the poor thing, Solomon. Let the environment and people sink in naturally. She'll talk when she's ready. Now let's go. Isa's going to get on my case if we're late."

{Solomon} "Yes ma'am. Sorry, Xion."

Lauriam put a hand on his shoulder as they walked through a dark corridor she opened and left. Alone again. But now, Xion was left with something to ponder.

{Xion} "...solo...mon? ...13? Solomon."

She finally got out an uninterrupted word.

{Xigbar} "Did you say something, Poppet?"

~Twilight Town~

King Mickey meets DiZ in the woods outside the mansion to deliver the heart he requested.

{DiZ} "I'm glad we have the opportunity to speak like this, my friend."

{Mickey} "What do you need this for?"

{DiZ} "...Skipping the pleasantries, are we?"

{Mickey} "Yuffie put herself in great danger to get this heart from your...failed test subjects. It whispers to her. By the time I got there to take it off their hands...she started looking at me funny. I've seen that look before once. ...So, forgive me if I'm not in the most 'pleasant' moods."

{DiZ} "I understand your concerns. I did not anticipate that THIS heart would be the only survivor. But it is a necessary tool...if Sora is to awaken. That IS what you want, is it not?"

The King furrowed his brow in frustration.

{Mickey} "...Oh gosh. I wish we didn't have to rely on such dangerous methods."

{DiZ} "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

DiZ takes the heart and begins walking away.

{Mickey} "Maybe. ...But that doesn't mean I gotta like it."

{DiZ} "By the way. Have you prepared the two individuals I asked for. Sora will need companions when he awakens."

{Mickey} "No. Donald and Goofy will be staying out of this."

DiZ stopped in his tracks and turned his head back, ready to explode at Mickey's lack of cooperation.

{Mickey} "I'll get someone else. Don't worry. But my pals stick with me. Sora is important, but we don't know him well enough to trust him like that."

DiZ calmed himself as he sighed in defeat.

{DiZ} "Fair enough. Just make sure they are ready when Sora is awake."

No response. He turned back again to find the King had vanished already.

~La Cite des Cloches: Two weeks later~

Xion and Solomon are on a mission together to hunt down a Heartless. Their first mission together.

{Xion} "Solomon. Best of luck today."

She removed her hood to reveal her face. Blue eyes and short black hair. Solomon noted how cute she was and quickly returned to a professional demeanor.

{Solomon} "Uh...thanks. Let's get moving."

The two of them trek through the city at night to find their target. Xion only recently began talking in full sentences, so she was eager to find subject to talk about as well as learn new things.

{Xion} "Hey, Solomon. What's that big building over there?"

{Solomon} "The Palace of Justice. A very important man lives there."
{Xion} "Oh. ...Um. Why isn't anyone outside? Shouldn't we be more discreet?"

{Solomon} "It's night time. Everyone is asleep. It's unnecessary. Haven't you done these kinds of missions before with Dilan?"

{Xion} "Yes. But...he's not very talkative. Besides, I'd like to know more about you, Solomon."

{Solomon} "We should probably focus on finding the Heartless, but… Why not? What would you like to know?"

{Xion} "Well, you call Lauriam 'Mom'. Why is that? Does she have multiple names? Should I call her 'Mom' too?"

{Solomon} "I don't think she'd take kindly to that. I call her mom because she IS. My mom. Moms make babies."

{Xion} "What are babies?"

{Solomon} "They're what all people were when they first came into the world. Tiny, pudgy people that can't talk, but have no problem making themselves heard. We grow up from babies into children and children into adults."

{Xion} "So, Moms can make babies whenever they want?"

{Solomon} "No. They need help from a Dad. A man and a woman work together to make a baby."

{Xion} "So, you have a Dad too? Where's he?"

Solomon just points at the Palace of Justice.

{Solomon} "He lives there. His name's Frollo, I think. I never met him, but mom says he's my dad."

{Xion} "Oh cool! ...I want to be a mom and make a baby! Will you be the Dad?"

Solomon is taken aback by her request.

{Solomon} "W-what?! You can't just ask that! Plus, we're still children! We have to wait until we're adults before we can be a Mom and Dad!"

{Xion} "Oh… Does that mean we can be a mom and dad together when we grow up?"

{Solomon} "Um..."

They are interrupted by a giant black fist of a Darkside slamming into Solomon and launching him back into a wall.

{Xion} "Solomon! Watch out! The Heartless is here!"

He groans in pain as he picks himself off the floor.

{Solomon} "Yeah… I kinda figured."

Xion draws her Keyblade as Solomon summons a large gold and white sword with a huge Crucifix shaped Organization symbol making up the entire blade. Solomon mutters to himself.

{Solomon} "Thank god."

~Twilight Town~

Namine is working tirelessly to transplant the new heart into Sora.

[RESTORATION AT 94%]

DiZ enters the room.

{DiZ} "His progress is astounding."

{Namine} "Something's wrong. The donor heart. It's stronger than we thought."

{DiZ} "Is it a problem?"

{Namine} "...No. Besides; it's too late to go back."

{DiZ} "King Mickey has yet to arrive with the companions he promised. I'll wait outside for them. If you finish before I get back, don't let him out. I will be the one to welcome him."

He leaves the room as Namine looks at him with eyes full of spite. She did well to hide her disdain for that man and now it was all coming to fruition. She sabotaged the process from the beginning. She used the donor heart to create a failsafe. She even pretended to have trouble to prolong the process and force DiZ's hand.

{Namine} "Time to wake up…'Sora'."

[RESTORATION AT 100%]

She releases the pod immediately and a burst of darkness comes pouring out and fills the room.

~The World that Never Was~

Xemnas stands out over the top of the castle overlooking a heart-shaped moon, but suddenly turns around.

{Xemnas} "...Sora."

Elsewhere in the castle; Lauriam lies on her bed until she feels some presence awakened and she suddenly jolts up, wide eyed and anxious.

{Lauriam} "Sora?!"

~Twilight Town~

{Namine} "Welcome back to the Realm of Light, 'Sora'."

A boy steps out of the pod covered in shadows.

{Sora?} "Drop the funny business, witch. You and I both know that's not my name."

{Namine} "Yes. But your name was the only thing I couldn't scrounge up out of your tangled mess of memories."

The shadows dissipate to reveal his legs covered in a black and red skin-tight muscle suit with a tattered half cloak draped around his waist and bare torso with black veiny tattoos in a systematic web-like pattern that seemed to ooze out darkness.

{Vanitas} "Call me Vanitas."