IMPORTANT NOTE! HEY! READ ME! Aila has ONLY PLAYED three Kingdom Hearts games, and therefore her knowledge of this universe derives solely from the following: Kingdom Hearts I, Kingdom Hearts II, and Chain of Memories. I myself have only played those three and Dream Drop Distance (though I have done extensive research on the other two games in an attempt to stay consistent with this story), so I apologize if my knowledge of the Organization's base isn't complete… I tried to research 358/2 Days to make sure, but I ended up just kinda making up things as I went along… just… go with it…
See? See? I told you it wouldn't take as long as last time for me to update! Granted, I didn't finish this as quickly as I'd wanted to… but I'm easing into it.
Also, the plot shows its face in this chapter (gasp!), so don't be fooled by all the talking. There will be more action soon, I promise.
Enjoy!
"If you're confused about what to do,
it's a sign that your enemy is winning."
― Toba Beta, Master of Stupidity
Chapter 10: Asleep
"What happened?"
Axel sighed. "It seems to be some sort of bad reaction to the Realm…"
"Bad reaction?" A hooded figure stood in front of the redhead, facing away from him, looking up at the sky. A large, half-formed, heart-shaped moon hung far above him, hearts trickling up to it from various worlds.
"I guess, yeah." Axel crossed his arms. "You don't seem that surprised."
The continued to watch the moon, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Do I not?" Axel didn't respond. "We will proceed as planned, as soon as the girl awakens."
Axel ran his hand over his face. "That might be a few days… she's pretty out of it."
"No matter," responded the hooded man. "We have time." Finally, he turned to face Axel, his orange eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Will she cooperate?"
"Well…" Axel chose his words carefully. "It won't be as easy as we'd hoped. Any trust I'd formed with her has, unfortunately, been broken due to the… circumstances of her capture."
Xemnas' eyes narrowed. "I see." He turned around once again. "And what do you have so say about that, Number II?"
Xigbar, who had been keeping his mouth shut behind Axel this whole time, stepped forward reluctantly.
"Axel's plan wasn't working," he said defensively. "I did what I had to in order to get her here."
"You went off script," Xemnas said dangerously. "And that… is going to cost us."
Xigbar scowled. "What were we supposed to do? Just let her go with Sora?"
Xemnas turned to face him. "Perhaps. As long as the seeds were planted… we would have brought her to our side eventually. She would have begun to question Sora's mission, and Numbers VIII and IX would have continued to gain her trust, to confuse her to the point where she came to us willingly. That would have made this process much, much simpler, in the long run." Xemnas smiled. "Of course, allowing her to go with Sora would have also been a risk… If she'd discovered the truth before we got ahold of her…"
Xigbar perked up. "So… it's good that she's here then. Right?" Axel rolled his eyes.
"In a way." Xemnas turned away one last time. "But do not disobey orders again. Next time, I will not be so forgiving."
With that, they were dismissed. Axel and Xigbar hastily began making their way down the stairs. Saïx, who had been overseeing the meeting, gave them both stern looks as they passed, but said nothing. There was no need to expand on Xemnas's lecture.
Xigbar ran his hand over his face exasperatedly. "Way to stand up for me, Lea."
Axel scoffed. "And why would I have done that? It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place."
"My fault?!"
"If you had just stayed out of it—"
"Look, dude," Xigbar growled. He stopped walked and watched Axel continue down the stairs. "I don't know what your view of the situation was, but from where I was standing, you were about to lose her. And you heard the Boss, that would have been a risk!"
"It would have been preferable to her dying," Axel shot back, not stopping his descent.
Xigbar groaned. "She didn't die! She's fine!"
"She could have…" Axel slowed to a stop and turned to look up at Xigbar.
"As if! And besides, who cares?!" Xigbar shouted. "We don't need her, man! She's just a bonus. She's expendable." He scoffed down at the redhead. "How are you not getting that?"
Axel just shook his head and continued down the stairs. "Whatever."
"Just focus on the mission, man!" Xigbar called after him. Axel didn't respond.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned down a hallway, walking in silence for a few minutes. He made a few more turns and eventually ended up at a door. Opening it, he walked in, being careful not to make a sound. There was a bed against the opposite wall, with Aila fast asleep between the covers. Axel nodded to Luxord, who was sitting in a chair in the corner examining his playing cards.
"Your shift?" Luxord asked. Axel just nodded in response. Luxord got up, stretched, and left the room, mumbling something about being bored.
The door closed, and Axel was left alone with the girl. He quietly made his way to her bedside, looking down at her curiously.
"Just why exactly is the Boss so interested in you, of all people…?" he asked quietly. Aila, of course, did not respond.
Axel frowned down at her.
"What are you hiding?"
KHKHKHKHKH
The next few days were seen in semi-conscious flashes to Aila. She heard snippets of conversations, men talking about bad reactions and deep sleeps, and every once in a while she would see, through tired eyes, the white room in which she now resided.
On day three, she felt strong enough to fully open her eyes, only to see Demyx sitting next to her on the bed.
"You're awake!" he exclaimed, his volume making Aila's head throb sharply. She moaned lightly in protest.
Demyx just smiled. "Here, come on."
He gently helped her into a sitting position, leaning her against the wall adjacent to the little bed. "You should drink this," he said, holding out a glass filled with some sort of clear liquid. Aila eyed it suspiciously, and Demyx just chuckled. "It's only water, promise."
Aila hesitantly took the glass, still suspicious, but almost immediately realized how thirsty she was. She took a small sip. It tasted like normal water, and that was good enough for her; she was too groggy to investigate any further. She downed the rest of the liquid quickly, wanting more. Fortunately, Demyx was prepared, and held out another full glass to her. She traded him the empty glass and drank from the full one, a little slower this time. She eyed him as she drank, trying to size up the situation she found herself in.
After a moment, she removed the glass from her lips, looking the Nobody straight in the eye. "What happened?" she asked quietly, her voice hoarse from lack of use.
Demyx smiled softly. "It looks like you reacted badly to the portal."
Aila was confused. That had never happened to anyone in the game, had it? "…Why?"
Demyx put a finger to his chin. "I'm actually not sure… I've heard whispers though, so I think the Boss might have an idea."
Aila's eyes widened at Demyx's mention of "the Boss". She knew who that was, of course, and she was not eager to meet him any time soon. She looked at the Nobody before her. "Demyx… please… take me back."
Demyx looked a little unsettled, and looked away. "I'm sorry Aila… but I can't do that…" Aila's heart sank. Demyx looked up, smiling once again. "But you'll like it here! It'll be fun, you'll see!"
Aila suddenly felt very tired once again, nearly dropping her almost empty glass of water, which Demyx caught easily. "Here, why don't you sleep a little longer, and we'll talk more when you wake up, okay?" he said gently, coaxing her back into lying down. Aila felt an urge to protest, but her body did not agree in the least bit, and before she knew it she was fast asleep once again.
KHKHKHKH
Day five was when Aila next awoke, feeling significantly stronger than she had during her previous visit to conscious land. Demyx was not there this time, and she slowly pushed herself up, taking in her all-white surroundings. There was a small window next to her bed, and through it she could see the ominous-looking half-formed heart-shaped moon in the sky above, confirming her location: The World That Never Was.
Aila's head spun as that realization fully hit her, and she suddenly felt sick. Why, why hadn't she just stayed with Sora, Donald, and Goofy in the Market Place? Why hadn't they left just a few minutes earlier? How on earth had this happened?
Aila put her head in her hands, defeated. What she wouldn't give to be home, really home, just worrying about homework and school and other average things. How had she ended up in the middle of all this?
"You're not giving up already, are you?"
Aila turned to see Axel, sitting on a chair in one of the corners behind her, watching her carefully. She wasn't as shocked as usual – he'd done the whole hiding-in-the-background thing to her enough times that she was starting to get used to it.
The Nobody slowly got to his feet, making his way over to the girl. He said nothing else, no snarky comments, which Aila thought was weird. She instinctively leaned slightly away from him as he neared her. He sat on the edge of her bed, where Demyx had sat previously, facing away from her. After a moment, he sighed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, sounding somewhat uncomfortable.
"Better," Aila answered carefully, not taking her eyes off of him. There was silence for a few minutes, she watching him, he watching the wall. At last, Aila spoke once again. "…Why did you make the portal?"
Axel put a hand to his neck, cracking it uncomfortably. "I didn't really have a choice."
Aila took a deep breath, realizing that she was indeed able to breathe normally again. "If you had just waited for Leon and them to get closer, they could have – "
"They could have what? Saved you?" Axel ran a hand through his hair. He was clearly struggling to keep his cool demeanor. "Why in the worlds would we have wanted them to do that?"
"That's what a friend would have done."
Axel finally turned to face her, his expression guarded.
"That's what you kept telling me you were, remember? A friend…" Aila was beginning to get angry. "You really were just pretending the whole time, weren't you? Just like Xigbar said…" Aila caught herself, realizing she shouldn't be so confident with people's names. "That was what you called him, wasn't it?"
Axel sighed. "Look, kid… I'm sorry, okay? When Xig showed up, I was kind of out of options…" He was silent once again. After a few seconds, he stood up, putting his hands in his pockets, his usual cocky demeanor returning. "Besides, you should really be thanking me. You'd be a goner if I hadn't been there."
Aila vaguely remembered being carried by Axel after she'd collapsed. She was about to fire back that she wouldn't have needed his help if he hadn't made the portal in the first place when she remembered the strange dreams she'd had when she'd first fallen asleep. The wolf, the people by the fire, the child, the conversation between the boy and the girl…
"Who were those people…?" Aila mumbled aloud to herself. Axel turned around, confused.
"What?"
"They were talking about… the worlds or… something…" The details of the dreams were already very vague in her memory after such a long sleep, and what remained of them was rapidly slipping away from her. She frowned, unable to remember anything else.
Axel furrowed his brow. "I think you're still out of it, kid." Aila looked up at him, having almost forgotten he was there. "Anyway, now that you're up, we'd better get going."
Aila blinked. "Going?"
Axel just shook his head, seeming a little reluctant. "Come on, follow me." He made his way to the door, turning around to wait for her.
Aila, who hadn't stood up in a good five days now, carefully got to her feet, realizing that she still felt quite worn out despite all her rest. After testing her balance, she gingerly followed Axel to the door. He opened it and began to lead her down the hallway, making many different turns along the way. Aila was sure she'd get lost if she ever tried to find her way on her own; probably an anti-escape method thought up by the Organization.
"So um… where are we going?" Aila asked, looking at the grey, linear patterns on the walls, floors, and ceilings.
"To a meeting."
Aila was confused. "What kind of meeting?"
Axel looked back at her. "The Boss wants to meet you." Aila blanched. He was taking her to Xemnas?! "Calm down," Axel said, perhaps hearing her heart speed up once again. "You'll be fine. Just… don't do anything stupid."
Before she had time to wonder what kind of stupid things she should specifically avoid doing, she could hear voices echoing in what sounded like a large room up ahead.
"Progress is slow," one voice said. Aila thought she recognized it as Xaldin's. "The Beast is giving in to my persuasion, but that girl… She's too curious for her own good."
"And Sora? He's arrived now as well?" This was Xemnas, Aila could tell, and she shuddered involuntarily.
"Yes," Xaldin said, clearly annoyed. "He's already interfering."
"As long as he keeps attacking the Heartless, we need not be concerned about what else he interferes with." Saïx. Aila's heart sped up even more.
"We need the Beast to turn!" Xaldin fired back.
"Let Sora believe he's succeeded, for now," Xemnas said calmly. "You can return to your mission once he's left that world and moved onto the next."
Axel and Aila were now at a large doorway, the voices of the Organization members clearly coming from the room on the other side. Axel gave her a look, a warning of sorts. Aila's heart began sputtering out of control, pounding loudly in her chest.
"Ah," Xemnas said. "I believe… we have a visitor." Aila jumped. How could he tell?! Axel rolled his eyes and tapped his chest, indicating that Xemnas could hear her heart. Aila took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"Come in, Number VIII."
Axel put his hand on Aila's shoulder and gently pushed her into the room, following closely behind her. Aila looked up as she entered to see high, white chairs all in a circle around the room, with various Organization members sitting in them. She saw Demyx in one of the chairs, and he waved down to her, a happy smile on his face. Aila just gulped and looked up at the center chair, her blue eyes locking with orange ones as Xemnas looked down at her. She quickly looked away, her old habit of avoiding eye contact clicking in involuntarily.
"Hello, Aila," Xemnas said politely. "I trust you're feeling better?"
Aila looked to Axel, unsure if she should answer. He gave a short nod, which she took to mean that she should. "Um… I am."
Xemnas smiled. "That is good to hear. I apologize for your less than sophisticated journey here." He shot Xigbar a look. Xigbar crossed his arms with a huff. "I do hope that you won't hold it against us."
Aila was extremely on guard. Axel and Demyx may have been able to make her question their characters, but Xemnas… she knew he meant bad news.
"Wh… what do you want with me?" she asked, less confidently than she would have liked to.
"Ah, straight to business then," Xemnas said with a slight chuckle. "As you wish. First, let me introduce you, our esteemed guest, to the members of our Organization." He gestured with his arms, indicating that he was now addressing the entire room. "Friends, please welcome Aila, a child of the Light. I trust you will all make her feel welcome during her stay here." The other members murmured to each other, all looking down at the girl.
Aila was confused. How long was she expected to stay here, exactly? Xemnas didn't seem to be speaking to her like she was a prisoner, but she knew that she must be. Why else would they bring her here? What did they want with her anyway?
"Now then," Xemnas continued, once again looking down at the girl. "Tell me, child. Do you know why you're here?"
"N-no… I don't." Aila felt very awkward. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and it was making her feel very vulnerable.
Xemnas smiled. "I assure you, our intentions are not as sinister as you may have been led to believe." He straightened up, the shadows crossing his face in what Aila thought looked highly sinister, despite his previous statement. "We would like to welcome you here as a friend, not as an enemy. Though we may come from two different sides of the same coin, I do hope that you will not hold that against us."
Aila was confused. What was happening here? Was Xemnas, one of the biggest villains in the Kingdom Hearts universe, really trying to befriend her? Maybe she was still dreaming…
"As such," Xemnas continued, "I would like to invite you to have free reign of the castle, as well as the surrounding area, if you so please. However, I must unfortunately limit your travel from this world for the time being. We wouldn't want you to have another… close call."
Behind the friendliness of his words, Aila could sense a slight smugness, no doubt because he knew that she would be unable to protest to this significant limitation of her freedom. He had a point, unfortunately; if she was unable to travel through Portals of Darkness, then she was definitely trapped, no matter how much "freedom" they appeared to be giving her.
"I understand," Aila said stiffly, and she did. She would not be leaving this place anytime soon.
Xemnas smiled once again. "Very good. I trust you will not disappoint. We are done here."
Disappoint…?
With that, Axel grabbed Aila's arm and pulled her out of the room, the other Members disappearing into Portals of Darkness.
"Axel, what did he—" Aila began.
"Just keep moving, kid," Axel said quietly, continuing to lead her down the hall once again. Eventually, they ended up at another door. They entered, and Aila was taken aback. It seemed to resemble… a kitchen?
"Sit," Axel said, gesturing to a chair around a small, white table. Aila did so, too confused to argue. "You're probably hungry, right?"
Aila raised an eyebrow. Hungry? Well, now that he mentioned it… Her stomach gave a loud rumble.
Axel rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."
He grabbed a glass of water and a bag of bread and brought it over to her, not bothering to prepare anything further. "Eat up."
Aila looked from the bread to Axel and back again. Axel sighed. "Look, if you don't want it…" He reached for the bag, but Aila grabbed it before he could, tearing it open and taking a slice. She was apparently hungrier than she'd thought. Not eating for almost a week could do that to a girl.
Axel smirked. "So," he began, sitting down at the table as well. "You still freaked out?"
Aila shot him a look, not justifying his question with an answer. She quickly ate her bread, trying to process everything that had happened. Of course she was freaked out. She was in the enemy's base, after having been taken quite unceremoniously from the company of her friends. She had never actually expected to come face to face with Xemnas, let alone all of the other Organization members, and surely not after so little time out of her own world.
"Okay, here's the deal," Axel said, suddenly very serious, his voice hushed. Aila continued to munch on her bread, watching him carefully. "You're not in any immediate danger, but you need to be smart." Aila was confused, though this was quickly becoming her staple emotion of the day, so she was beginning to get used to it. "Some of these guys aren't as easygoing as I am." Aila scoffed, but Axel ignored her. "When you're talking to them, you're going to have to watch what you say, and –"
Aila swallowed. "Why would I talk to any of them?" she spat indignantly.
Axel gave her a look. "What, you're just going to be silent from now on? Well, actually, I don't really mind that idea…"
Aila scowled. "No, but… I'm not interested in talking to anyone unless we're discussing taking me back to Hollow Bastion."
"Look, someone's going to try to talk to you at some point, and if you just sit there silently whoever it is might lose their temper," Axel said. "Just… I don't know, make small talk or… something. It'll make life easier for you, trust me."
Aila rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like I'm going to just chat it up with Saïx about the weather or something. Like he doesn't have anything better to do…"
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know who that is?" Aila's heart skipped a beat.
"Of course not!" she said defensively, quickly trying to come up with a lie to cover her tracks. "I… I heard someone say that name in my room while I was kinda out of it, did I say it right? Maybe it was Sykes… But anyway I figured that all the Organization members would be busy doing something evil, so whoever the Psy-guy is probably won't want to talk to me… heh…"
Axel rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, we're all up to no good," he deadpanned. Aila scowled halfheartedly at him, trying to focus on keeping her heart rate normal so as not to blow her cover. Fortunately, he seemed to believe her story. "But anyway, you're right, Saïx probably won't bother talking to you. You really aren't worth his time." Aila scowled once again, having taken a few breaths, now mostly over her near slip-up. "Besides, I'm just trying to help you not get on anyone's bad side around here," Axel continued. "Take the advice or leave it, I really couldn't care less."
Aila was onto her third slice of bread at this point, only half listening to what Axel was saying. She took a bite, chewed, and swallowed thoughtfully. "They'll be looking for me, you know."
"You mean Sora?" Axel scoffed. "He won't find you, not here. He won't find this place until the moment we want him to." Aila new this was true, but tried to keep her cool anyway, focusing instead on eating.
"Heya Aila!"
Aila turned to see Demyx enter the room, looking happy as usual. Axel rolled his eyes once again. Aila gave a small wave.
"Ooh, can I have some?" Demyx asked, indicating Aila's bag of bread. She shrugged and pushed it toward him, instead moving on to drinking the water in front of her. Demyx took the bread happily. "Ugh, you will not believe my next assignment. I have to go to the Underworld. How gross does that sound? There will probably be a bunch of dead bodies and stuff…" Aila cracked a small smile, remembering the scenes with Demyx in the Underworld she'd witnessed whilst playing the game.
"You're not gonna get scared and run away, are you?" Axel taunted, and Aila had to disguise a sudden burst of laughter with a convenient coughing fit, remembering the scene where that did indeed happen. Demyx pouted.
"No! I'm not afraid of some stupid Underworld ghosts!" he boasted, though Aila thought she detected a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Aila found herself strangely comfortable in the company of these two; maybe her first encounter with them had created more of a false sense of security than she had realized, but she got the feel that they, at the very least, wouldn't attack her. Besides, if she was going to be stuck here for a while, she might as well at least try to be on somebody's good side. True, she was feeling a bit betrayed by Axel at the moment, but for some reason it wasn't bothering her as much as it maybe should have.
"So what were you guys talking about?" Demyx asked in between bites.
"The other members," Axel said.
"Awesome!" Demyx exclaimed. "Ooh ooh I got one. Okay, you know who has the dumbest weapon?" He paused, waiting for someone to respond. Axel just gave him a blank stare, so Aila decided to jump in; he looked so eager that leaving him hanging was just a little too sad.
"Um… who?" Aila asked.
"Luxord!" Demyx answered excitedly, as if it was obvious. Axel just shot Aila a look seeming to indicate that he thought Demyx was a moron. "Cause like, they're cards. Like, playing cards! I mean, like he's gonna do any damage by playing a card game. It's not even like monsters come out of the cards or anything… that would be kinda cool actually… But his just have like numbers and stuff on them!"
"Demyx," Axel said, running his hand over his face. "Your weapon is a guitar."
"Sitar!" Demyx shouted indignantly. "And it's freaking awesome, so I don't know why you're bringing it up."
Axel pinched the bridge of his nose. "How you got into the Organization I will never understand."
Demyx frowned. "You're just jealous…" Aila couldn't help but smile. Their exchanges were kind of… funny.
"Hey Aila," Demyx said, recovering quickly and back to his perky self, "do you play any instruments?" Aila was caught off guard by the question.
"Um… I know some piano, yeah."
Demyx's eyes lit up. "No kidding? Maybe we could jam together sometime! My Sitar is pretty sweet." He summoned his Sitar and showed it to her. "See? Isn't it awesome?" He shot Axel a look, to which the redhead responded with an annoyed sigh.
Aila smiled a little. "Yeah, it's pretty cool." Demyx was starting to remind her of a male version of Yuffie.
As she finished her water, Aila began to feel tired once again. Confusion washed over her for what must have been the fourth or fifth time since she'd awoken; she'd only been up for maybe an hour at the very most. To be fair though, she hadn't felt completely awake since she'd come to…
"You ready to go back to your room?" Demyx asked, apparently noticing her sudden weariness. Aila shrugged. There was nothing better to do anyway, at least not until she was fully alert.
"You take her," Axel said to Demyx, seeming worn out himself. "It's your shift anyway."
Demyx nodded. "Sure." He stood up and held out a hand to Aila. She looked at it questioningly, her mind seeming to be slowing down significantly as she became more and more groggy. Slowly, she took his hand, standing up, her now empty glass tipping over with a sharp clank as she did so.
"See ya later, Axel!" Demyx called happily over his shoulder as he led Aila out the door.
"Sure, sure," Axel replied, sounding a little preoccupied.
Aila sleepily held Demyx's hand as he led her down the maze of hallways. Time seemed to be almost skipping as they walked, and before she knew it they were back in her room, Demyx helping her into the small bed.
"Demyx…" Aila said groggily as she lay down. "What's… happening…?"
"You're just tired Aila, that's all."
Was that really all? Tired after being awake for such a short amount of time? Something wasn't adding up. Aila looked up at the grotesque fake moon outside her window, but before she could say anything else to Demyx, her eyes began to close.
"Goodnight, Aila," she heard Demyx say, his voice sounding far away as she drifted back into unconsciousness.
KHKHKHKH
When Aila opened her eyes again, she found herself among familiar, though not particularly helpful, surroundings.
"I haven't been here in a while…" she mumbled, standing up. She was once again on the mosaic-like platform in her strange dreamland. There was one major difference this time, however: rather than the usual pitch-black darkness that greeted her on her visits here, the area was extremely bright. This time, rather than having to find a way to dispel the darkness, any darkness stayed confined to the outlying areas surrounding the platform. It was almost as if someone had gotten there before her and completed the usual task already…
She took a few steps toward the center, looking around carefully. Heartless tended to try and attack her here; she had learned not to let her guard down on her visits.
"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing in the emptiness.
No answer.
"…What, no strange instructions this time…?"
Still no answer. It appeared the disembodied voice didn't feel like talking on this visit.
Aila folded her arms, confused. Was she just having a really boring dream this time? Maybe the voice hadn't been expecting her…
"Hello."
Aila jumped away from the voice and summoned her staff out of habit, spinning around to see a cloaked figure standing behind her. The figure seemed to be female, with a plain, floor-length brown cloak around her shoulders. Aila could only see her mouth, the rest of her features completely hidden beneath the hood of the cloak.
Aila eyed the figure suspiciously, holding her defensive stance. This was the first time she'd seen another human (or, at the very least, humanoid) here. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
"…Who are you?" she asked carefully.
"A friend," the figure said softly. Aila raised an eyebrow. This person's voice was very… mysterious. Aila likened it to the sound of small bells chiming in the wind. It was light and airy, almost musical. Something about it sounded familiar to Aila, and she suddenly felt involuntarily more at ease.
"Wait… are you the one who always tells me what to do when I come here?" Aila asked. The figure did not answer. The two stood in silence for a few moments. "O…kay… Well, am I going to fight more Heartless this time or something?"
The figure shook her head. "There are more pressing matters at the moment."
Aila frowned. "Like…?" she asked, gently pressing for more information.
The figure took a small step forward. "You need to get away from the Darkness," she said, a slight sense of urgency about her voice, though somehow it still maintained an innate calmness about it.
"The darkness…?" Aila asked, confused.
The figure nodded. "You must get back to the Light. Immediately."
Aila rested her staff on her shoulder, rubbing her neck lightly with her other hand. "I'm sorry, but… I don't understand."
The figure turned away. She seemed on edge. "That place where the Nobodies have taken you. You realize that it's In Between, right?"
"In between…?"
The figure nodded. "In between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness."
"Ohh," Aila said, understanding. "Yeah, I knew that."
"You knew because you've played the game."
Aila's eyes widened. "You… know it's a game?"
"I know that there is a game," the figure said, shaking her head, "but this is not a game. You need to understand that."
"Well, I had kind of figured…"
"You weren't sure," the figure said, turning back around to face Aila. She spoke calmly, evenly, though with that hint of urgency still underlying her words. "You haven't been sure what to make of this whole thing. You tell yourself you've accepted it as reality, pretend that you have, but you haven't. You are still acting, whether you realize it or not, as if it's all a dream, a game. But it's not, Aila. It's time to wake up. You are in very real danger. You cannot afford to let your guard down."
Aila blinked. "You know my name?"
"Yes."
"…How?"
The figure smiled slightly. "The same way you know mine."
Aila frowned. "But… I don't know yours… I don't know who you are…"
"Yes. You do." The figure turned away yet again. "You've just forgotten."
The silence echoed around them, and Aila couldn't help but feel that nothing would disturb the two of them here, not Heartless, not Nobodies, nothing. "What do you mean?"
The figure shook her head. "That is for another time. Right now, we need to discuss your situation."
Aila frowned. "…Okay…"
The figure was serious once again. "The Realm Between, while not as perilous as the Realm of Darkness, still holds great danger for you. You need to spend as little time there as possible. You may not even realize the effect it is having on you until it's too late.
"I know you believe there is no way off the world you are currently on without using a Dark Portal, but there may be another way. Explore every inch of the world as soon as you are able. Look for anything that might be a way out."
"But Sora can't even get to The World That Never Was without going through a Dark Portal," Aila disagreed. "That's probably why the Organization chose that world. Because that's the only way in. Or out…"
The figure turned halfway toward her, so that Aila was looking at her profile. "You need to understand… While this is all very similar to the game you are familiar with, it is not identical. You've noticed a few anomalies already, I'm sure."
Aila thought about the fact that what seemed to take a day in the game could take weeks in this reality, and about all the areas in Hollow Bastion she hadn't known had existed when she'd played the game on her own world. If that was consistent with this world, then maybe there were areas that she'd never seen here…
…Areas that might have pathways to another world.
"…Okay, I think I'm starting to understand…"
The figure nodded. "Good. If, after your search, you don't discover any alternative way out… then return to this place, and we will figure out another way."
Return? Aila frowned. "Okay… how do I do that, exactly? I only dream about this place every once in a while…"
"As I told you," the figure said with a shake of her head, "this is not a dream. Whenever you need to find this place, just close your eyes, and it will appear."
Aila thought for a minute. None of this was really making sense to her. "If you say so…"
The figure began walking away, toward the edges of the platform. As she did so, the light seemed to dim around them. Aila's eyes were beginning to feel heavy… "That is all the guidance I can offer for now. Sleep well, Aila."
Aila took a step forward, toward the retreating figure. "Wait! Can you at least tell me your name? I know you said I know it already, but…"
The figure stopped and turned halfway back once again, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Maybe next time."
And with that, everything went dark.
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"Ah!" Aila sat up with a start, the blood rushing from her head due to the sudden movement. She held her head, seeing spots.
"Whoa whoa whoa, you okay?"
Aila looked up to see Demyx standing next to her bed, giving her a concerned look. The realization that she was back in the Castle hit her, and she calmed down a bit.
"Bad dream?" Demyx asked. Aila looked at him.
"Er… not exactly… more strange… I guess…" She shook her head, trying to get her bearings. She looked back to Demyx. "…Have you been here the whole time I was asleep?"
Demyx smiled. "Yep! It was my turn to watch you while you slept!"
Aila blanched. The way he phrased that creeped her out. A lot. "Um… what? …Your turn?!"
"Well yeah," Demyx said. "We've been switching off to make sure you don't die at night."
"Um… thanks…? I guess…" Aila said uncomfortably. She did not like the idea of Organization members watching her while she was unconscious, even if it wasn't for any sinister reasons.
Demyx began talking again, but Aila wasn't listening. She was preoccupied with thoughts of her dream – or, well, not a dream, her… vision? She was confusing herself… she was just going to think of it as her most recent visit to the platform… place. It had been an extra strange visit. Had it all been just a figment of her imagination? If her previous visit was any indication, then she had a feeling that she shouldn't take what she had experienced there for granted. After all, she had first used her weapon on the platform, and only after that had it appeared for her in real life. She wasn't about to take what had happened this time lightly.
So, that meant that she needed to explore every inch of this world as soon as possible. True, she had technically been given free reign to go wherever she wanted, but she suspected that she might be… chaperoned the entire time.
She needed to test the waters, and to do that she needed to not be in this room.
"…and then I said, 'Water you talking about?' …And then he punched me. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't appreciate my wit…"
"Hey, Demyx?" Aila interrupted. "Sorry, but, I'm kinda hungry… could we maybe go to the kitchen?"
Demyx grinned. "Sure thing!" He darted over to the door, his speed surprising Aila once again. He turned to wait for her. "Well, come on if you're coming!"
Aila stood up, again a little wobbly, and followed Demyx out the door. This time she made sure to pay attention to all the turns they made to get from her room to the kitchen. She was determined not to rely on escorts in the form of Organization members for her entire stay.
Unfortunately, by the time they actually reached the kitchen, she was thoroughly confused yet again.
"Demyx, how do you know where to go?" she asked, exasperated. "This place is like a maze!"
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Demyx responded with a wave of his hand. 'Not if I can help it,' Aila thought, but kept her mouth shut.
The kitchen was empty when they entered, something Aila was a little relieved about. She hadn't actually had much interaction with anyone other than Axel and Demyx since she'd been here, other than her ambush (or, as Axel had called it, "meeting") with everyone the previous day, and she wanted to keep it that way. The other members… well, to be perfectly honest, they scared her a little; she wasn't in any hurry to spend time with them.
"So, what're you in the mood for?" Demyx asked, making his way to the fridge.
"What, I get more than bread and water this time?" Aila joked.
Demyx rolled his eyes. "Axel just eats whatever's easiest. He doesn't care about taste or complexity, as long as no work is involved."
"And you?" Aila asked.
Demyx smiled. "I like actual food."
Aila smiled too. "Thank goodness." They both laughed a little, and Demyx proceeded to open the fridge.
"Okay, let's see here… we have eggs, bacon, bread, cheese…"
"Oh! Window Panes!" Aila exclaimed. Demyx looked over at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
Aila smiled. "Window Panes. My dad makes them all the time." She walked over to the fridge and grabbed the items Demyx had listed. "They're really good, and pretty easy to make…"
Now that Aila was more alert, she was able to take in the kitchen more clearly than before. There was a row of counters against the right wall with cabinets attached to the walls above them, a large fridge on the right side end of the row. A sleek-looking sink sat in the middle of the counters. Various appliances decorated the countertops to the left of the sink, while the countertops to the right of the sink held things like knives, paper towels, and so on. A center island added additional counter space, with stools on the far side of the island providing spots for people to sit and eat if they so chose. All of this was on the right side of the room; the table Aila had sat at last night was on the left. Everything in the kitchen looked very modern and was, you guessed it, all white. Aila was rather impressed with the Organization's amenities; it made them seem more human in her eyes. She vaguely wondered if this was a good or bad thing…
"Okay!" Demyx said excitedly. He removed his gloves, setting them next to the sink. "What should I do?"
Aila was caught off guard. For some reason, an Organization member removing his gloves was a little unsettling to her. His hands looked normal. Human. Unexciting. She shook her head, not really sure what she'd expected his hands to look like.
"Why don't you make a couple pieces of bacon, and I'll start on the rest," Aila said, setting everything out. "Where are your bowls and cutting boards and stuff?"
Demyx pointed to a drawer under the center island. "Cutting boards are in there, and bowls and stuff are in the cabinet to the right of the sink." He opened the cabinet directly beneath the sink and took out a frying pan. "Pots and pans and stuff are down here."
"Okay, got it," Aila said, getting the supplies she needed. She took a wild guess and opened a drawer to the right of the sink to find silverware; her first guess was correct.
She cracked two eggs into a bowl, adding a little bit of water to her mix. Demyx was getting started on the bacon, so she took some grated cheese and added it to the eggs, mixing it all together. She then took two pieces of bread and, after buttering both sides, cut a good-sized hole in the middle of each. She popped one of the bread centers in her mouth and held the other out to Demyx. "Want one?"
"Sure!" Demyx beamed, taking the bread happily. "I think these are done by the way," he said, gesturing to the bacon. Aila confirmed that it looked good, and they took it off the heat. After it cooled down a little, she took the pieces and crumpled them up, adding them to her egg and cheese mixture. She grabbed another frying pan, putting it on the stove and placing her prepared bread in the pan.
"So," she said, waiting for the bread to toast a little, "what do you do around here all day anyway?"
Demyx thought for a minute. "Hmm… well, if I don't have a mission, then I usually play my Sitar in my room… usually we're busy with missions all the time though."
Aila raised an eyebrow. She had only ever seen the members go on a maximum of two missions each during the game, and Demyx hadn't even gone on his first one yet. She realized she shouldn't be surprised, however; it would make sense that they had missions that didn't correspond with Sora's journey.
"So… no one's usually here during the day then?" she asked nonchalantly, beginning to pour her mixture into the holes in the bread.
"Well, someone's usually around," Demyx said, "but yeah, it's generally pretty deserted around here." Aila filed this information away; a deserted castle would no doubt come in handy later.
"Do you have the day off today then or something?"
"Nah, I'm working right now!"
"Huh?"
Demyx smiled sheepishly. "I told you we had shifts… The Boss wants to make sure you don't get lost, I guess…"
"Oh." Aila had a sneaking suspicion that Xemnas didn't really care if she got lost. Now, having her escape or sabotage something – that was another story.
"Is this ready?" Demyx asked in regards to the toasting bread. Aila thought he was purposefully changing the subject, but she didn't press him.
"Yeah, probably," Aila said, grabbing the bowl containing her previously made mixture. Carefully, she poured the contents of the bowl into the holes in the bread until they were completely full.
"Now what?" Demyx asked.
"We'll give it a few minutes and then flip them over. You may want to grab a spatula or something."
Demyx did so, but seemed confused. "Won't the stuff just fall out of the middle when you flip them?"
Aila smiled. "I asked the same thing the first time I saw them made. Don't worry, as long as we do it fast enough, it won't have a chance to fall out."
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"That was awesome," Demyx sighed. The two of them had just finished enjoying the Window Panes.
"Told you," Aila said with a small smile. Unfortunately, she was now feeling a bit homesick as she recalled eating the same thing with her family back on her world. She shook it off, deciding she didn't have time to be homesick today. It was time to get down to business.
"So, Demyx," she began slowly. "I was wondering… could I maybe see what's outside the Castle today?"
Demyx, who had brought their dishes to the sink, washed them sparkling clean with one blast of water. "Sure! Though, oh, I won't be able to show you around… I have to go to a briefing."
"About the Underworld?" Aila asked, trying to keep the conversation casual. Demyx nodded. "That's okay! I understand. I'll be totally fine on my own."
Demyx smiled. "Don't worry, you won't be on your own! Xigbar should be here to replace me any minute now, so—"
Aila blanched. "Xigbar is replacing you?!"
Demyx nodded. "Well yeah. It's his shift next." He glanced nervously at Aila. "I know you two didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but… he's not so bad… well I mean, he's not great, but…"
Aila was distraught. Not only did her theory of her being constantly chaperoned appear to be spot on, but now she was going to have to try and search for a way out with Xigbar, the man who had brought her here in the first place, watching her every move. She couldn't believe her bad luck.
She supposed she could put off searching until she was paired with Demyx again. But, no, he was heading off to the Underworld very soon it sounded like, and she felt like she probably couldn't afford to wait until he got back… Aila's stomach dropped.
As if he had heard the mention of his name, Xigbar came sauntering through the kitchen door at that very moment, looking just as unhappy with this arrangement as Aila was.
"Oh, hey Xig," Demyx said with a half smile as he put the now clean dishes away. "You ready to switch?"
Xigbar crossed his arms. "Whatever," he huffed. Aila had a bad feeling that he wasn't going to be nearly as fun or friendly a chaperone as Demyx.
"Aila says she wants to go outside the Castle," Demyx said cheerfully. "So that'll give you guys something to do for a while."
Xigbar seemed very unpleased by this and shot Aila a distasteful look. Aila just averted her gaze, trying to appear nonchalant. She noticed she was getting better at keeping her heart rate in check.
"Well, see you later, Aila!" Demyx said with a wave, and with that he was gone. Aila suddenly felt extremely vulnerable, with just her and Xigbar left alone in the kitchen. If being with Axel and Demyx made her feel at ease, being with Xigbar made her feel the exact opposite.
The silence went on for an excruciatingly long time, Xigbar staring at Aila, Aila staring at the wall as she tried to think of a game plan. Her thoughts went back and forth between going ahead with her plan to search the grounds and just abandoning the plan altogether. Heading back to her room and sitting around silently seemed like the safest route with Xigbar, after all. But what good would that do her? After a fierce inner battle, she decided that she needed to go ahead and try to search for a way out whether he was following her around or not. The figure on the platform had made the matter seem rather urgent, and something inside her seemed almost compelled to do what the figure had asked of her.
Aila cleared her throat, daring to look at Xigbar. He looked just as disgruntled as he had when his one-sided staring contest had begun.
"So… let's go, then," Aila said, a little uncertainly. She headed for the door, casting a sideways glance at Xigbar that she hoped looked braver than it felt, and continued out into the hall. After a few seconds of walking, she heard Xigbar begrudgingly begin to follow her, mumbling between gritted teeth as he did so.
This was going to be a long day.
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Thanks for reading! And remember, reviews make me write faster~!
~FP