Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for the continuing support! I'm almost sorry I talked so much shit about you in previous notes (keyword: almost). I'd like to point out that I find it funny that you think Vanessa's going to be saved. Haha, you readers, you crack me up! Ahem, anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and you'll see why. Hint: Demyx is in it. Hint hint: I will accept flames for this one occasion only. Enjoy (unless you're a Demyx fan)!

Disclaimer: There's a good reason why fans don't own their fanfictions' respective topics: fangirls. Yaoi fangirls. Need I say more?

Story Disclaimer: I'm not a Demyx-basher. I actually like the guy.

Chapter 14: Tricks

Naminé stood by the window as she awaited Vanessa's return. Against her warning, Vanessa decided to go out anyway. Naminé sighed. The sun was beginning to set, and still no Vanessa.

"Maybe she lost track of the time." Naminé mused. She waited a little longer. The minutes flowed into an hour, and then two. She grew anxious.

"No, she would never stay out this late." she said. Suddenly, Riku appeared in her room. She jumped in alarm.

"Riku!" she exclaimed. "You startled me!"

"I'm sorry." he said. "Have you seen Vanessa? She's not in her room, so I figured I'd check here." Naminé looked down.

"She…" she began. "…she didn't come back yet." Riku flinched.

"What?" he exclaimed. "She went out again? Naminé! Why didn't you stop her?"

"I tried…" she said. "…but she wouldn't hear it. She promised she'd be back before sunset but…" Riku clenched his fists.

"I can't believe her!" he cried. Using the Darkness, he teleported to the downtown area of Twilight Town. He looked in every conceivable place, but could not find her. He moved on to look in the rest of the small hamlet. After an hour, it became clear: Vanessa was gone.

"Damn it Vanessa…" said Riku. He teleported to the basement of the mansion where DiZ tapped away at the keys of his computer.

"You seem anxious." he noticed. "What has happened?"

"She's gone." said Riku. "Vanessa's gone." DiZ stopped and abruptly turned around.

"What do you mean gone?" he asked. "Please do not say they have her!"

"I don't know…" said Riku. "…but I think so." DiZ gritted his teeth.

"That girl!" he exclaimed. "Does she never listen? How long ago did she disappear?"

"I don't know." said Riku. "But Naminé does." DiZ shook his head and sighed.

"Naminé…" he muttered. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. Vanessa has refused to acknowledge the danger she was in, and such is her fate." Riku flinched.

"So what, we're just gonna sit here?' he asked. "Shouldn't we rescue her?"

"And risk the discovery of our entire operation in the process? I think not!" said DiZ. "I understand that you've grown fond of her, but she has brought this upon herself. It is lamentable, yes, but this is the fate she chose for herself."

"But…!" exclaimed Riku.

"There's nothing we can do." interrupted DiZ.

"So that's it huh?" asked Riku.

"I am sorry." said DiZ. Riku glared his way.

"No you're not." he said coldly. Before DiZ could retort, Riku disappeared.

Vanessa squirmed against the ropes that bound her. Her hands were tightly tied behind her back and her ankles were bound so that she could not walk. No matter how much she struggled with the knots, they would not come loose.

"Dammit!" she cried with frustration. "Where did that guy learn to tie, the freaking army?" After wrestling with the ropes for several more minutes, she gave up.

"I can't believe this…" she thought despondently. "I had a perfect opportunity to escape, and I blew it!" Suddenly, a dark portal appeared in front of her cell. Out of the Darkness walked a man. He had blond hair styled in a mullet and grass green eyes. Like everyone else she saw, he wore a black coat.

"Oh, I can't believe they picked me to do this!" he complained. He smiled awkwardly at Vanessa. "Uh, hi! You must be the prisoner!" Vanessa glared coldly at him. He faltered. "Uh right…I'm Demyx by the way, and uh, I'll be watching you to make sure you don't escape so, please don't try. Ok?" Vanessa furrowed her brows.

"Is this guy for real?" she thought. The strange man known as Demyx seemed to sweat under Vanessa's gaze.

"Oh don't stare at me like that!" he whined. "You're making me nervous ok? I'm not really good at things like this so just go easy on me will ya?" Vanessa made a face.

"What a freaking weirdo!" she thought. She watched as Demyx sat against the wall. In a burst of water, a large blue guitar-like instrument appeared in his hands.

"You won't mind if I play my sitar will you?" he asked politely. Vanessa said nothing. "Um, I guess that's a no." He began to preoccupy himself with strumming his sitar. Vanessa stared at him for a good two minutes before shaking the entire situation off.

"Just roll with it Vanessa, don't question opportunity when it knocks." she thought. "Now, what to do about these damn ropes?" After thinking about it long and hard, an idea struck her. She held her hands out behind her back and closed her eyes to focus. She gently wriggled her hand so that her palm was facing the ropes. She summoned her Keyblade. Just as she predicted, the ropes were cut in its wake. She smiled as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"Oh yeah, I kick ass!" she said to herself. She used her Keyblade to cut the ropes binding her feet. She stood up and leaned against the bars.

"He may be weird, but he's pretty darn good with that sitar of his." Vanessa thought. She said aloud, "Hey, you're kinda good!" Demyx looked up and smiled. It quickly melted from his face, however, when he noticed that Vanessa was free from her binds. He jumped to his feet in alarm.

"How did you get free?" he demanded. Vanessa laughed.

"Innovation my good man." she replied as she nonchalantly twirled around her Keyblade. "It makes the world go round." Demyx paled considerably.

"Oh no! Um, look, Vanessa, p-please, I'm begging ya! Please just stay put! At least until after my shift!" he pleaded. "If you escape on my watch, I'll get turned into a Dusk for sure!" Vanessa called away her weapon and gave Demyx a strange look.

"Are you seriously begging me, the prisoner, for a favor?" she asked. She laughed. "You really aren't good at this!"

"Hey! It's not funny!" he said. He tried to scowl, but the attempt only made Vanessa laugh harder. He folded his arms. "You're so mean!" Vanessa willed herself to stop.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry." she said. "What'd you say your name was? Demyx?" The sitar-player nodded.

"Yeah." he said. Vanessa held her chin pensively.

"Well Demyx…" she said. "…how about we have ourselves a little deal?" Demyx flinched.

"A-A deal?" he repeated nervously.

"Yeah." said Vanessa. "I promise not to escape, if you just do me a teensy-weensy favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"A glass of water, if you please."

"And that's it?"

"For now." Demyx looked down.

"Well…" he said. He grinned. "…ok! That doesn't seem too hard!" He looked around. "Uh, but I need a glass…" He snapped his fingers. "I'll be right back!" He disappeared into a dark portal. In a few seconds, he was back with an empty glass. "Here, hold this." He handed Vanessa the glass and held out his hand. A small blob of water appeared. He dropped it into the glass, filling it up. "Ta-dah!" Vanessa warily looked at the glass.

"That was pretty darn cool…" she admitted. …but, I have no idea where this water came from." Demyx faltered.

"Wh-What?" he said. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't wanna be difficult but…" said Vanessa. She sucked her teeth with mock-regret. "…yeah, I can't really trust this water, being your prisoner and all."

"B-But, that's the purest water you could ever drink!" argued Demyx. "It's not gonna bite you or anything; I made it myself!" Vanessa shook her head and dumped it on the floor.

"Nah uh, I'll take my chances with tap if you please." she said. Demyx folded his arms.

"No way!" he protested. "That was good water you just wasted! Have fun being thirsty, 'cause I'm not budging!" Vanessa smirked.

"M'kay, if that's how you wanna play it." she said. She summoned her Keyblade. Demyx staggered back in alarm.

"H-Hey!" he cried. "What are you…?' Vanessa began to whale on the bars. Demyx's hands flew to his head in panic. "Stop it stop it! Ok, I'll get your water! Just stop ok!" Vanessa stopped and disappeared her weapon. Demyx grudgingly vanished behind yet another portal. When he came back, he had the glass freshly filled with tap water. Vanessa graciously accepted it and took a swig. She spurted it out almost immediately.

"Ugh!" she cried, holding the glass indignantly. "What the hell is this?"

"Its tap water." said Demyx. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah, before I knew how nasty it was!" said Vanessa. She flung the water out over her shoulder. "You wouldn't mind if I could try your water again would ya?"

"No! I'm doing this again!" defied Demyx. Vanessa summoned her Keyblade once more.

"I said, would ya mind?" she threatened, her weapon at the ready. Demyx hesitated for a moment before finally relenting. With a groan, he filled her glass once more with his own water. Vanessa gulped it down. "Mmm! This ain't half bad!" Demyx's mouth gaped open.

"What?" he cried. "I went through all of that when you were going to drink it anyway?" Vanessa laughed as she wiped her mouth.

"I know right? Them's the breaks!" she teased. Demyx scowled and angrily turned his back to Vanessa.

"You're so mean!" he complained. "You're terrible! I tried to be nice to you and you took advantage of it! Have fun when my shift ends, 'cause the others? Let's just say they're not as easygoing as me." Vanessa folded her arms.

"Well sorry for trying to lighten my own mood!" she retaliated. She sighed. "You're not the one on this side of the cell you know…" Demyx softened his posture and turned back around.

"Well, I guess you got a point there." he said. "Sorry." Vanessa smiled.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk." she said. "What do ya say, think we can start over?" Demyx smiled.

"Sure!" he said.

"Sweet!" said Vanessa. "Now as a gesture of our newfound friendship, bust me outta here!" Demyx frowned.

"Nice try." he said. "I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but I'm not stupid." Vanessa sighed exaggeratedly and snapped her fingers.

"Oh darn!" she said jokingly. Demyx laughed.

"Y'know what? You're pretty ok!" said Demyx. He sat down and summoned his sitar once more. "You like music?"

"Who doesn't?" Vanessa replied. Demyx smiled and began to play. Vanessa sat down as well and nodded her head to the beat. At least for now, she did not feel so much like a prisoner.