"What have you found out about the girl thus so far in regards to the Keyblade?" Saïx asked the Organization leader on the sixth day of Aqua's captivity.

"Nothing yet," Xemnas responded to the Organization's Luna Diviner while seated behind his study desk. "However, I plan on making it a point to try to see her in the evening, for the night seems to be the time in which her guard is down. If I can try to encourage her into conversing with me during those evenings, hopefully I shall eventually have her full trust. I may have gained some of it last night."

"That seems hopeful," Saïx commented. "How soon do you think you can completely gain her trust?"

"To gain one's trust takes time, Saïx," said Xemnas as he rose from his seat, turned around, and looked far into the distant night sky through the window behind his desk. "But not to worry – I have much in store planned for our Lady Aqua that will give her plenty of reasons to trust me."

"If she wields the Keyblade, her help would be most appreciated at this time, sir," Saïx noted. "Roxas' proficiency at heart collection is good, but not as fast as we would like. Having the two of them collecting hearts at the same time would be more efficient for us in furthering our goal."

"You are not wrong, Saïx, but, this is something that needs to be done carefully and will need the time it requires. But I have everything planned, so if all goes well, in the near future we shall see Aqua working instrumentally in our favor."

"Aqua, am I doing it right?" Naminé asked the bluenette that afternoon when they had finished their work for the first half of the morning.

Aqua laughed softly. "Not quite, Naminé. Here, let me show you." With one smooth stroke and a flourish, Aqua painted a blue rose on a piece of sketch paper in front of her.

Naminé watched in awe. "Aqua, you're so good at painting. I can't even compare!" The golden haired girl glanced at the blotches of wet paint on her sketchbook with distaste.

"You'll get the hang of it," said Aqua kindly as she dipped her paintbrush into her glass of water solvent. "The more you practice, the easier it will become. I know it did for me when I first started."

Naminé smiled hopefully. "I love that I can have more time to create artwork now that you've begun helping us," she said appreciatively. "I never thought magic would get the job done faster. I wish I'd thought of it using it before!"

"I could teach you and Xion how to use magic to take care of the castle," Aqua offered. "Would you like that?"

"Oh yes! Very much!" Naminé exclaimed.

Aqua smiled. "You know, back at the Land of Departure, my home, there were people who weren't as pleased as you were that I was using magic to do housework."

Naminé's lips parted into an O. "Why?" she asked, confused. "I don't think there is anything wrong about that."

Aqua sighed. "That's the thing. Where I come from, doing housework when you are of a higher status and station is seen as … well … unacceptable."

"In what way?"

"People back at my home think that it's not appropriate or acceptable for someone of my station and background to be working amongst serving-staff."

Naminé frowned. "Well," she began to say in a quiet voice. "That's dumb."

"It is dumb," Aqua agreed. "But that's the way things are at my home world."

Naminé laid her paintbrush down on the table. "Pay no attention to what they say, Aqua," she said. "From my perspective, I think it's quite humble and generous of you to be offering to help us."

"Didn't you and Xion hesitate to allow me to help you at first?"

"I did, yes, but that was because no one from a higher station has ever offered to lend me and Xion a hand before. It was an unusual request, yes, but we're happy and grateful to welcome you to helping us in whatever capacity you wish."

Aqua smiled gratefully at the younger girl. "Thank you, Naminé. I wish I knew more people like you back in my home world who aren't as judgmental as the ones I've met and know."

"You know," Naminé began, "I never did get to ask you about your loved ones back in your home world. You seem to bring them up a lot. Would you mind if I ask you to tell me more about them, please?"

Aqua's eyes glimmered in delight and she let out a small laugh. "Oh, where do I even begin?" she wondered. "Well, first, there's Master Eraqus, but I just call him the Master. He's the caretaker and ruler of my home world. He's loved and respected by the world's residents, including myself and my friend Ven." She then closed her eyes nostalgically as she reminisced on fond memories of times gone by from the Land of Departure. "And he's the greatest defender of the Light and teacher I've ever known. He taught me well." Then she added, "He was also the one who encouraged me to learn how to defend myself in battle when everyone else discouraged me from doing so. The Master is one of my biggest supporters."

Naminé beamed. "You are so lucky to have had such a good teacher, Aqua. I hope he's ok. I know you were worried about him the other day."

"Yeah …"

"And what of your friend, the one named Ven?"

"Oh Ven! He's one of the greatest friends I could ever ask for. We'd do everything together, as if we were brother and sister. A brother is what Ven pretty much is to me. We watch each other's backs and he knows that I'm always there for him if he needs anything.

"Roxas very much reminds me of Ven. Their resemblance to one another is definitely a surprise, for sure. But they are different. Ven is a bit reckless at times, and he's definitely got much to learn and some growing up to do. But he's always willing to try out new things. He's also just the friendliest person you could ever meet. If you two met, I think you'd like him a lot, Naminé."

"I'm sure I would!" said Naminé. She then looked to the side where a tall grandfather clock stood in the Servants' Hall, and gasped. "Oh gosh! Look at the time! Xion and I need to head out to the market before all the shops close!" She began to hastily clean up the painting materials on the table. Aqua subsequently joined in to help her.

"I'm sorry if I took up your time!" Aqua apologized. "Even I lost track of the time."

"Oh, no worries at all!" Naminé responded. "I just hope Saïx doesn't scold us for coming back late – I think we'll have to, though."

Aqua frowned. "Has Saïx always been unpleasant?"

Naminé found a rag and began to wipe the table down. "He's definitely been awful for as long as I can remember. I've heard Axel say he wasn't like the way he is now when he was whole. They used to be good friends as humans – Saïx and Axel."

"No way!" Aqua exclaimed. "But Axel's so nice and friendly! How in the world did he become friends with someone like Saïx?"

"Axel told me Saïx was very different when he was a human," Naminé replied. "He used to be nice, apparently. But then he began to succumb to the Darkness, and he began to change. And then he lost his heart," Naminé shook her head in disappointment. "The Darkness brings out the worst of us, and even turns us, literally, into monsters."

Aqua solemnly watched as Naminé finished wiping down the table. "I've never liked the Darkness," Aqua began. "It has no place in this world, or within people's hearts. According to the Master, at least."

Naminé discarded her cleaning rag in a cabinet. The younger girl looked uneasy. "Your master told you that?"

Aqua nodded.

"Well, if I could say one thing – "

"NAMINÉ!"

The sound of footsteps came tromping down through the narrow staircase that led into the Servant's Hall.

"Yes, Saïx?" Naminé asked meekly.

Saïx's cold golden-eyed countenance stared down at the golden haired girl with severity. "What are you still doing here?"

"I'm so sorry sir, I lost track of the time. Aqua was teaching me how to paint, and – "

Saïx turned in Aqua's direction. He cast a stern and cold frown towards her. "You," he said icily.

Aqua frowned as Saïx's eyes met hers.

"You should be in your chambers, where you belong, and not here, wasting Naminé's time and distracting her with your petty games."

Aqua opened her mouth to argue back. "But I – !"

"I don't want to hear it!" Saïx snapped, interrupting her. He looked back again at Naminé. "Xion is waiting for you in the Gray Area. I want the both of you out of here and at the market in ten minutes, is that clear?"

Naminé bowed her head obediently. "Yes, sir."

"Good. And you – " he looked back once more at Aqua. "I thought you knew better than to consort with those who are below your station, Lady Aqua."

"Sir, Naminé and I have become friends. I may not be able to return to my friends back in my home world, so I'd like to be with the friends I've made here. And I'm not a lady. It's Aqua, and only Aqua," Aqua said with a cold edge in her voice.

Saïx laughed. "Hah! A Nobody is incapable of forming any kind of relationship or bond with another, whole or not. Those who do are only kidding themselves and wasting their times."

Aqua's eyes grew in surprise as she took in Saïx's words.

Saïx turned to leave. "You will mind your own station," he said warningly to Aqua, "and if you don't, Lord Xemnas shall hear of this. Perhaps then he shall reconsider his generosity of letting you wander around the castle." And with a wave of his hand, he exited with a Dark Corridor and was gone in an instant.

Aqua quickly turned to Naminé once Saïx had disappeared. "I'm so sorry I –"

"– Don't be. It's not your fault," said Naminé. "He's just a jerk." Then she sighed. "I have to go. I apologize about Saïx's behavior, but we'll talk more hopefully later, alright?"

Aqua nodded. "Ok."


A/N: Short chapter, Naminé and Aqua-centric. Kind of boring, but what Saïx says about relationships and the small portion of Aqua's and Naminé's conversation about the Darkness is important.

Onto the next chapter! And please! – I encourage reviews and comments as they are ever so helpful for me in the writing process of this story, and if you like the story, favorite and follow it too!

-gt²