AN: This chapter takes place a year after the previous :)

Chapter 2 The true danger revealed

Aeleus strode briskly down the long hallway. Reaching a small, square room with several hallways leading off in different directions, he chose the hall to his right. He turned the corner and was faced with a large wooden door, symbols carved into its surface. He raised his large hand, knocking twice with the two short booms echoing up and down the hall.
"Come in." The voice was faint, muffled by the thick wood.
Aeleus opened the door slowly, cautiously. He had never liked visiting Master Ansem's study. To tell the truth, Master Ansem made him uneasy. Aeleus suspected that it was due to the circumstances of their meeting.

For as long as he could remember, Aeleus had been living on the streets. His parents hadn't wanted him. He'd realised that when they left him in an abandoned warehouse near the outskirts of the city. Aeleus remembered sitting in the cold and the dark, hugging his moogle toy to his chest, waiting for his Mother to come and lift him into her arms.

Waiting, always waiting.

Aeleus quickly adapted to life on the streets, stealing his food, sleeping in boxes which only partially sheltered him from harsh weather. It was no life for a child.

It'd been during one of his foraging trips that he'd met Ienzo. He'd found the little boy standing in the middle of an alley, rain plastering his dark hair to his face, tears unnoticeable in the raging downpour.

The boy's mother had just been killed in front of his eyes. His mother had been killed by his father.

The man had been suffering with an alcohol addiction for all of Ienzo's life, yet his wife stood by him and cared for their child. The man had stumbled in drunkenly one evening when Ienzo's mother had been putting her little boy to bed. As she reached the top of the stairs he flung an arm out to size her by the wrist, causing her to lose her grip and send the little boy to land harshly on the ground. He twisted his wife's arm, laughing at the loud 'snap' that echoed through the room, almost drowned out by the woman's scream. Ienzo began to cry. The little boy sat, crying, as his mother was slapped, kicked and finally flung down the stairs, landing on her back with a loud 'crack', blood pouring from the corner of her mouth, eyes staring blankly up the stairs. The man had then turned to his young son, a cruel leer painting his features. Seizing him by the back of his collar, he raised the little boy to his level. The boy was screaming and thrashing, one small fist managing to catch the man in the jaw. His father cried out and dropped the boy. Ienzo took off rapidly.

Rubbing his throbbing jaw, the man raised a hand to strike the boy but found only an empty space. Glancing down the stairs, he saw the boy tugging at the door to the street. Cursing, he staggered down the stairs, reaching the door just as Ienzo escaped out into the street.

Ienzo had ran, ignoring the battering rain. Ignoring the fact that he didn't know where he was going.

He just ran.

He turned in an alley, falling to his knees and succumbing to tears again.

He let out a strangled yelp as his collar was seized from behind. He thrashed again, struggling against the tight grip.

A heavy 'thunk' rang through the alley and the grip on his shirt was released moments later.

"Hey kid. You okay?"

Ienzo turned his head, wide, storm-blue eyes meeting heavy cobalt. A tall boy with copper hair stood next to him, a large wooden plank still held loosely in one hand. Ienzo's wide eyes fell on the figure lying beside the tall boy. His arm was outstretched and blood was running from the side of his head.

Ienzo said nothing. He blinked before falling to his knees and screaming, his hands tangled in his hair.

He blacked out as strong arms wrapped around him.

Aeleus soon learned about Ienzo. The kid was a genius!

He would plan out the small crimes necessary to keep them alive and the two would carry them out flawlessly.

The kid felt like the little brother Aeleus didn't know if he had and he would give his all to protect the younger boy.

The boy had chosen with him and they'd been inseparable since. Where Aeleus went, Ienzo was always at his side.

The same applied when Ienzo was made an apprentice. He'd been caught trying to pick Master Ansem's pocket, of course not realising that the man was the ruler of that world. Ansem had marched him towards the police stations, Ienzo pleading his case the entire way.

It was such a shame how his life had panned out. The boy could have been a barrister, as fervently as he was defending himself.

Ansem himself was impressed with the sheer capacity of the boy's mental abilities. He could be no older than nine and he was already on the level with some of Radiant Garden's top defence attorneys.

Aeleus had seized his chance when the Lord had stopped walking and attempted to free Ienzo but Ansem was not so willing to just let the boy leave.

He was determined to enlist him as an apprentice.

He assured the two that Ienzo would be taken care of and would even live at the castle. Ienzo, much to the irritation of Master Ansem, refused to go anywhere without Aeleus.

Master Ansem wouldn't deny that Aeleus was intelligent but in comparison to Ienzo, his intellect was commonplace.

Eventually Master Ansem gave in and the two boys found themselves apprentices to Ansem the Wise, Lord of Radiant Garden.

Master Ansem had already taken two apprentices on board when the two arrived in the castle.

Even's knowledge of biochemistry was inconceivable. It felt like he knew more than scientists twice his age. He also had a skill for ice related magic.

Emerald eyes seemed to glow with knowledge and his short blond hair fell clumsily around his jaw, unless tied back so as not to get in the way of any experiments.

Braig, however, was the exact opposite of what you would imagine an apprentice of the Lord of Radiant Garden to be like. While Even dressed in smart shirts and khaki trousers, Braig was often found in ripped jeans and leather, often with some form of chains adorning them. His long chestnut hair was askew over his face and two hawk-like yellow eyes seemed to stare right into one's soul. Despite this somewhat alarming feature, the apprentice was a warm and playful person. The type of person who breezed through life with no worries.

Neither Even nor Braig had experienced anything like what Ienzo or Aeleus had lived for years and so never asked the two for details of their lives. Even had come from a high status family, who had applied large sums of money for their son to get the best education needed for him to become an apprentice to Master Ansem.

Braig's family had been slightly lower in social status than Even's. Though they were still high class enough for the unruly Braig to be considered a discredit to them and so, once he had turned 18, they had disowned him. Master Ansem had encountered Braig in a bar. Or rather, Braig had been thrown out of a bar for drinking and Master Ansem had taken pity on the beaten man, deciding to help him. Braig had soon proved to be the type of instinctive, decisive apprentice Ansem had been looking for.

"Ah, Aeleus. Do you require something?" Ansem looked up at the tall figure, pausing in his research to glimpse the young man's face.

"I came to inform you of the completion of the basement laboratory Master Ansem." Aeleus stated simply yet articulately.

Ansem nodded. "Thank you Aeleus. I shall be along to survey it shortly. If you would permit me a few moments to finish my research?"

Aeleus bowed. "Of course Master Ansem." He then stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

Ansem sighed, glancing at the small hearts, floating in glass cylinders.

'Something about building this laboratory just doesn't seem, right? It's like I'm missing something.'

He thought back to the day, four weeks previous, when Ienzo had come to him with a request for a new laboratory.

The young male had stepped calmly into the office and awaited Ansem's attention.

"Yes Ienzo? Do you require something?"

Ienzo brushed a strand of his thick, black hair from its position framing his face, behind his ear. "As a matter of fact Master Ansem, I have come on the behalf of all your apprentices. We request that a laboratory be built in the castle basement for us to use, at our discretion, to complete our research."

Ansem surveyed his youngest, and one of his more brilliant, apprentices for a moment. "What is it that you require the laboratory for Ienzo?"

A look of what could have been presumed irritation passed over the young man's face. "As I said before, Master Ansem, we require the laboratory to conclude our research. The research you began on the hearts and heart of the worlds."

Ansem, sensing that he may finally get the answers he had been desiring for so long, needed little persuasion and immediately put the finest contractors in Radiant Garden onto the task of building a large laboratory in his basement.

Ansem sighed to himself gently before rising to his feet and straightening his robes. He left the room to find Aeleus waiting patiently outside.

"Aeleus. Is there something else you need?"

"Apologies Master Ansem. I neglected to tell you that the contractors have made a change in their plans."

Ansem's eyebrows rose in surprise. "A change?"

Aeleus nodded. "As I understand it, the contractors believe it would be best if the laboratory was connected to the town's security mainframe."

"Ah. They shall be requiring access to my office then."

Aeleus nodded again. "I shall leave it to them to fully explain. Excuse me Master Ansem." Aeleus soon vanished along the corridor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Xehanort strode down the castle's main corridor, whistling to himself. That on itself was frightening.

Xehanort was never cheerful.

In fact, the man rarely showed any form of emotion.

He knew this unnerved his fellow apprentices. Though his way with words could persuade them to do anything. Xehanort could bend anyone to his will.

And he would. The others would help him surpass their master.

He would surpass that blind fool Ansem and unlock all the secrets of the heart.

Xehanort smiled in smug self-gratification. He had to suppress the urge to laugh.

'I will learn of my past Master Ansem! I will unlock the secrets of the hearts before you can even begin! I will surpass you and show how Superior to you I really am!'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The young maid hummed to herself as she dusted the thick oak panels of Master Ansem's study.

She jumped back when a sharp click sounded. Her eyes widened as an entire panel of the wall simply vanished.

What lay beyond was a glass-floored corridor, suspended at a great height.

Nervously clutching her feather duster and knowing that she shouldn't intrude upon what doesn't concern her, the young maid, Maria, hesitantly stepped into the suspended corridor.

Turning a corner, she came upon a large room containing what appeared to be a huge computer.

The young woman ran her fingers gently over the keys,

"WARNING!" The young woman yelped and leapt back, clutching her chest.

The warnings continued. Spying an open door, the maid ran to it, the door sliding shut behind her.

Maria sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

They snapped open again as the small room began to move downwards.

Maria clutched the duster so tightly, the handle cracked with the strain, as the doors slid open to reveal the apprentices' private laboratory.

A large hole in the floor housed a platform leading down to the lower laboratory levels.

The young woman was frozen, eyes wide, as shrieks and screams of agony reached her ears.

Hurried footsteps soon joined them as a man with coppery brown hair came sprinting up the platform. His cat-like green eyes were wide in terror and darting in frenzied directions.

Dilan soon appeared behind him, seizing him by the arms, the man screaming.

"LET ME GO! YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO!" Dilan tried dragging him down the stairs. "YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS."

The man turned his eyes on Maria. "PLEASE MISS. HELP ME!"

Dilan's eyes snapped onto Maria, standing dumbly in the doorway of the elevator, eyes wide and a hand covering her mouth as though she was going to vomit.

Dilan soon turned away, dragging the shrieking man back down the platform.

Maria released the breath she'd been holding. But why had Dilan ignored her? Wasn't he worried she would tell Master Ansem?

The hand that landed on her shoulder gave her answer. Turning wide blue eyes to the face of the new arrival, they met with cold brown.

Xehanort's handsome face was livid.

Drawing back a caramel hand, the apprentice slapped the woman harshly across the face, seizing both her wrists in a vice-like grip before she could attempt to recover from the slap.

She cried out as he tugged her down the platform.

They walked quickly through the narrow corridor, passing dozens of small cells, people huddled at the far sides, staring fearfully out the small windows.

Xehanort stopped at the final room, flinging the door open and all but throwing Maria inside where she was instantly seized by Aeleus.

Maria noted that even the other apprentices were afraid of Xehanort, especially now they were seeing him show emotion.

Xehanort calmed his expression and turned to Dilan. "You recovered the escapee?"

Dilan nodded, glad for a change of subject. "He's in an isolated cell now. Double seals."

Xehanort turned away. Not even bothering to acknowledge Dilan's statement.

"Where do we stand?"

Ienzo answered Xehanort's question, a clipboard in hand and a pencil tucked behind a small ear. "We are ready to attempt the injection of darkness into a heart."

Xehanort nodded. "Good. And the subject?"

"We decided a purer heart would be the most suitable to test." Even's voice joined the room, the door swinging shut behind him. He clutched the arm of a small girl, her brown eyes wide in fear.

"Dude. That's a little sick." Braig jumped down from the ceiling rafters. "I mean it's a brat man!"

Xehanort turned to him. "But just think of it Braig. With the knowledge we gain from these experiments, we could save thousands of lives."

Braig waved a hand. "Whatever you say dude." He slung his favourite rifle over his shoulder and leant against the wall casually.

Brushing aside Braig's outburst, Xehanort nodded to Even, who began strapping the small girl to a vertical slab, her doe-like eyes never seeming to blink.

"Xehanort." Aeleus addressed him calmly, his grip on his captive never wavering. "What is the woman doing here?"

"She was upstairs. She saw Dilan obtain the escaped subject."

Maria glared at Xehanort, wrenching herself out of her stupor. "Subject? These are people! Innocent people! What have you been doing to them?"

Xehanort ignored her. He addressed Ienzo. "Are you ready?"

A nod was all the answer he was given.

Maria's eyes darted between Xehanort as he raised his hand and the little girl who had begun to cry.

The bindings on the child were so tight, blood had already been coaxed from her body. Tubes and pipes were seemingly haphazardly stuck into her body. The largest one appeared to be embedded in her heart.

"What are you-?" Maria's voice trailed off as the child's pleading eyes locked onto her own.

Xehanort lowered his arm and Ienzo flung the switch.

It appeared as though they were pumping smoke into the little girl's body.

Maria screamed, tugging violently at Aeleus' grip.

"LET ME GO! STOP THIS!" Tears streamed down her face as the girl's body began to convulse. "SHE'S A CHILD!"

Maria stared at each of the apprentices.

Even was frowning, his mouth a taut line. Ienzo's expression read of displeasure. Dilan and Aeleus both stared dead ahead, expressions unreadable. Braig was still leaning against the wall, a nonchalant expression on his face.

And Xehanort?

Xehanort wore a smirk of victory. Maria felt sick just looking at his face.

The girl suddenly fell still, eyes wide and glassy, mouth agape.

The apprentices sighed. "Another failure."

Maria slumped. Aeleus released her arms and she fell to her knees.

"Failure? You-you just killed an innocent person, a child, for nothing. For nothing!"

A sickening squelch drew their eyes back to the child's corpse.

As a spine-chilling scream was torn from the child's throat, it dawned on them all that she wasn't dead.

Blood sprayed the walls and floor as a clawed arm tore its way through her chest. Maria turned her head away, as the child's chest was cleaved open, blood spattering on the maid's face.

A small, black creature climbed out from the girl's chest and fell to the floor, where it began scuttling towards Even, the closest apprentice.

"SEIZE IT!" Xehanort's command echoed through the room.

There was a scuffle before Dilan managed to capture the creature in a large jar.

Maria ran to the child, and covered her mouth in a mixture of horror and disgust. There was nothing left but the girl's legs and her angelic face, now frozen in that tortured scream. Maria rested a hand on the girl's pale cheek, it was so cold.

It was like the child had never breathed.

She was shoved aside as Even removed the girl from the slab, dragging her corpse away by an ankle. The once white puffball socks were stained crimson.

Maria turned away, her face in her hands.

Xehanort's voice rang out again. "I wish to test our new acquaintance. Aeleus, strap the maid down."

Maria spun. She didn't have a chance to even take a step before she was grabbed and held down by Aeleus. Maria screamed, thrashing wildly. Braig rushed over to secure the straps around the woman.

Tears streamed down her face. "You're monsters! I hope you all burn in hell for what you've done!" Her sobs grew heavier as Dilan approached with the jar. He removed the lid and placed the jar top-down on the ground, shuffling back slightly before kicking it over with his foot and jogging back to a safe distance.

Maria continued to cry.

The creature's antennae twitched. It turned to Maria.

Maria's tears stopped as she locked eyes with her killer.

She turned her face to the apprentices once again. "When the time comes for you to be judged, rest assured, there shall be no mercy!"

An agonised scream ripped itself from her throat as the creature lunged, sinking an entire arm into her chest. The woman choked, blood pouring from her mouth in streams. The creature twitched again before pulling a glowing pink heart from her body.

Maria stared at the creature as it appeared to almost worship the glowing heart.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in an inhuman screech, her body fading to smoke.

The apprentices stared in awe. Xehanort was scribbling furiously.

Another black creature was left in place of the maid's body, its luminous eyes staring around the room, staring at each apprentice in turn before launching itself at Xehanort.

The man barely batted an eyelid, instead knocking the creature aside with a book.

"Quickly, seal them beneath the castle."

AN: Yeahhhh. 7 pages may be a good place to leave it. That and I fear I may reduce people to vomiting if I continue with this XD

At any rate, I hope at least one person enjoys this 8)