A couple of bickering voices came flooding into the Gray Area later that afternoon when the day was drawing to a close.

"Next time you tell me to eavesdrop with you, remind me not to listen to you!"

"As if! Just shut up, Demyx! It's over!"

Xigbar and Demyx came dragging their feet into the room. Both of them held ice packs in their hands and were pressing it against their backs or shoulders.

Axel, Roxas, and Marluxia were in the Grey Area enjoying tea when the two injured Nobodies arrived. Axel eyed the duo with a pair of inquiring green eyes. "What happened to you two?"

"Punishment," muttered Xigbar tersely. He pressed the ice pack that he was holding harder against his back and winced. "That was a pretty nasty batch of Samurais and Dragoons Xemnas sent out on us today!"

"Ouch," said Axel, frowning as he remembered his own recent punishment with the Sorcerer Nobodies. "That must have stunk."

Demyx removed his ice pack from his shoulder. He looked like he was going to cry. "Man, I hate being pitted against the Samurais and the Dragoons against my own will!"

"At least it wasn't the Berserkers," said Xigbar with a groan. "They'd probably take out my one good eye!"

Demyx ignored him and cringed. "Dude, Xemnas is soooooo cruel!"

Marluxia laughed. "That's what you two get for eavesdropping!"

Xigbar's eyes narrowed into golden slits as he threw a scowl at Marluxia. "Ah, shut up, Pinky!"

Axel choked on a cup of tea he was sipping at the mention of Xigbar's nickname for Marluxia, who gave threw an extremely dark death glare at the Organization's Freeshooter.

"I told you not to call me that," Marluxia said in a low voice through grit teeth.

Xigbar ignored him and looked around the room as if he was in search of something. "Hey, where's that little flying pig guy? Isn't today the day he comes?"

"Uh, Xigbar?" said Roxas. "He's not a flying pig. He's a Moogle."

"Moogle, pig, bat, whatever. I need him!"

At Xigbar's words, a cloud of pale smoke burst right next to Xigbar. The smoke cleared up, revealing a tiny creature with fuzzy cream fur, a black leather cloak with a hood, purple bat-like wings, a large round red nose, a spherical red pom-pom attached to its head, stubby paws, tiny oval ears, and brown slits for eyes, floating in the air.

"Greetings, kupos!" said the creature as it hovered above the floor next to Xigbar. "What can I—?"

"Hey! Little guy!" said Xigbar, interrupting him, "D'you think you can whip me and my pal up a couple of Hi-Potions?" Xigbar reached into his pocket as held something round and gold in front of the creature's eyes.

The Moogle plucked the gold orb out of Xigbar's fingers and within seconds, in its stubby paws appeared two small round blue flasks with a single yellow moon and two green stars painted on its surfaces.

Xigbar looked relieved as the Moogle handed him the flasks. "Thanks, little dude."

"No problem, kupo."

"Hey! Moogle!" said Roxas. He waved his hand to try to get the Moogle's attention. "Come over here!"

The Moogle obediently flew over to where Roxas was seated.

"Hey there, little guy! How are you doing?" said Roxas.

"Moogle is doing well," answered the Moogle. "But Moogle can't stay too long today. Business calls. I will see you next week!"

"Wait, little guy!" said Roxas. He picked out a tiny tea sandwich from a tea tray and placed it in the Moogle's paws. "This is payment for last time!"

The Moogle looked pleased with Roxas' gift, and disappeared in a puff of pale smoke without another word.

Xigbar tossed one of the Hi-Potion flasks to Demyx. Holding each of their flasks high in the air, the two Organization members healed themselves of the sores and aches they received from their punishment.

"Phew!" sighed Demyx. "That feels so much better!"

…

Xemnas' eyes were glued on Aqua's face as he watched her through the large crystal ball that stood on its pedestal in the center of his study. Aqua was seated with Naminé and Xion at the long table in the Servants' Hall, mending the dark clothing of the Organization members together. He didn't take his eyes off of Aqua as he saw her eyes light up when she turned towards Naminé and engage her in a conversation.

As he continued to watch her, Xemnas allowed himself to become lost in his thoughts.

"I pity you," he remembered her telling him last night at the Altar of Naught.

It was a remark that he continued to muse over ever since he had heard her say it.

Truly nobody had ever felt pity or sorrow for a Nobody like him before. For a human to feel sorry for a Nobody was something rare and special. "Did she really mean it?" he wondered.

It intrigued him greatly.

He also thought about their conversation late in the evening at the Altar of Naught. He wasn't lying when he had told her that he desired for she and he to be cordial to one another and that she had earned his respect for her strength and intelligence. And it was true – she did fight well.

"She truly is fascinating," Xemnas mused, "and captivating too."

He had to know more about who she really was. What else about her that he had yet to discover, he knew not, but he knew there was more to her than what he already knew of her now.

Suddenly, Xemnas' mind wandered to a different – but not altogether unrelated – thought.

"She knows simply too much about the heart," he mentally told himself. "And that heart of hers. How remarkably strong it is …"

Ever since he had spoken with Aqua the previous night he was relentlessly pounded with intense speculative thoughts. It almost certainly had to be true that Aqua knew something about the Keyblade. She was well-learned on the nature of the heart, and her heart possessed formidable strength – telltale signs of one who knew about and was worthy to wield the Keyblade and its power. These were inklings that Xemnas felt so strongly and deeply in his gut. Surely he could not be wrong about about her. He was a very intelligent man, after all.

If she truly did have the capacity to wield a Keyblade, truly she'd be such a tremendous help to him in furthering his goal and completing it.

But then he had to remind himself that if he were to get Aqua to aid him after all, he needed to gain her trust, just as he planned to do. But that would not be difficult, Xemnas believed. His civility towards her was already having a favorable effect on her. And besides, the charisma that he commanded would help him in getting Aqua to become comfortable around him, just as he had done with her the previous night.

Xemnas then considered how genuine and palpable Aqua had been when she was in his presence last night – both during dinner and their late night conversation at the Altar of Naught. If he could get her to open up to him like that again, except with the Keyblade, oh, how perfect it would be for him! All he needed to do, he realized, was to continue to be genteel and approachable towards her and to seek her companionship.

Ever so confident in his suspicions about Aqua and her potential as a Keyblade bearer, and in his own ability to get her to become comfortable with him under the guise of companionship, Xemnas quietly laughed to himself with a darkness that tinged his laughter.

A/N: I didn't feel like making this chapter long, so this one is short for a change.

Yep, I decided that one of Xigbar's many nicknames for Marluxia is "Pinky." Haha? (I think it's funny).

And how could I forget the Organization Moogle? My only knowledge of Moogles beyond Kingdom Hearts extends to Final Fantasy VI, so I hope I made the Moogle's portrayal and mannerisms here credible.

Once again, reviews are welcomed and thank you for all the helpful reviews from all of you so far who have written to me!

-gt²