Chapter Four: Memories of Nothing

Tired?

Yeah...a little...

Yeah, me too... I haven't been this tired in a while...

Yeah...I guess...

Something wrong?

Who...are you...?

Who are you?

Do you know?

I'll show you...

It was one of those clear nights, the kind where you could see all the stars shining brightly, and the moon hung in the air, pale and bright. But there was an air of unreality to it. To everything.

I stood in the middle of an empty street, still wearing the Organization's raincoat. A cold wind whispered through the street, carrying dust and trash in its grasp.

This is where it all changed for me...

I turned around to find a boy of about five standing there, his head down. He looked like an orphan, wearing ragged clothes and no shoes. Since his head was down, I couldn't see his face. I could only see that he had black, messy hair.

This street... This is where I...

The boy choked up, his shoulders shaking. He still held his head down, as if deeply ashamed and saddened of something.

Where you what?, I prompted, scratching the back of my head. I didn't really care, per se, but I wasn't doing anything else.

As soon as I asked, the street, the buildings, everything except us faded away leaving behind an endless white void.

I only lived for one thing back then. One precious, beautiful thing.

The boy pointed toward the figure of another child, most likely a girl. I couldn't see her features, however, because her face was shadowed. The girl turned around and skipped, fading away in the light.

I...I used to protect her...

Suddenly, with a flash of light, the child and I were watching the memory of him putting a bandage on the girl's scratched knee in the street.

Flash.

Another of the girl shivering in the cold, asleep, and him taking off his shirt and putting it on her. Bare-chested, the boy shivered and rolled over in the dark alley they slept in, wrapping his arms around himself.

Flash.

This was of the boy standing in front of the girl, defending her from a group of other kids. The girl was crying and held on to the boy's hand tightly as he yelled angrily at the group.

Flash.

The boy crying softly, his head down between his knees and his arms wrapped around them.

Flash.

The girl, kneeling before the boy and smiling. And that's when I saw her face. That smile. The birthmark on her chin. Those eyes. The same as mine. And that's when my heart stopped. It was her...

Yeah, it's her...

But, then that means you're...

Yeah, you and I. We're the same.

I closed my eyes, deep in thought for a moment. This was a dream. That's why I was seeing myself as a child, and why there were flashbacks of her...

Why am I having this dream?, I asked.

Flash.

We were standing back in the street where we first appeared. The boy stood next to me, his head down once again.

Remember?

He...ll..o..?

The voice echoed faintly all around us, but it sounded familiar.

Dev..elyn...?

The boy looked at me, his crimson eyes, my eyes, shining with tears.

I guess you're leaving?

I nodded. Yeah, but I'm sure I'll be back.

Develyn!

The boy shook his head sadly. You don't remember, but you will. You will.

"Develyn!"

I opened my eyes to find Sonia staring at me, her face right in front of mine. I found myself staring right in her gray eyes. I know it sounds stupid, but I felt like I almost got lost in them.

"You sounded like you were having a bad dream," she said softly, not moving, her eyes dancing with mine.

Not knowing what else to say, I replied, "How the hell did you get in my house?"

She instantly turned serious, stepping back. "Rayne and Angel were taken."

I gave her a blank look.

"By the same person who wants to kill you," she finished.

"And? Who is this guy?" I asked, still uncaring. "You gonna tell me finally?"

Sonia's eyes shifted for a moment before she sighed. "His name is Kuja. He is also an assassin, but he decided to test you out with us first. He's very powerful, and he threatened to destroy us all if we didn't kill you."

"I wonder why he wants to kill me?" I thought aloud.

"There's one more thing," she said softly.

"What?" I asked, curious.

"He's my brother..."

I stared at her for a moment before replying, "So?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. She turned toward the door and opened. "Just get dressed and meet me outside." With that, she walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Geez, with all that bossing me around, you'd think we were married. I grabbed a pair of black jeans, my red cuttoff shirt, and my black jacket. I didn't feel like wearing the raincoat, and it wasn't even raining. I grabbed my sword and walked out.

She was waiting outside my little one-story house, staring distantly at the night sky. It was a clear night, and it reminded me of my dream. The sky still wore the moon as its pendant, and the stars still twinkled brightly like polished diamonds.

"Hey," I said, walking toward her. She jumped a little, revealing that she was daydreaming or something. "So what's the situation again?"

"Kuja is a powerful assassin, that uses strong dark magic to dispatch of his foes. He's also a narcissistic, maniacal bastard." She hung her head a little, her voice dropping. "He's also my brother."

"Okay, so this is what's going on so far," I recounted aloud, beginning to count on my fingers. "One, this Kuja guy, your brother, forced you all to work for him in exchange for your lives. Two, he's kidnapped your two friends. Three, he wants to kill me." I shook my head. "Sorry, but I don't care if he's your brother or not. I'm going to take him down."

"Yeah," she nodded somberly. "He's made his choice."

"Alright," I nodded back. "Now, what's your plan?"

I was beginning to wonder why I had agreed to the plan. Sonia was being pretty rough, pushing me and everything. And plus, the rope that bound my wrists together was digging into my skin.

She threw me through the thick, mahogany doors, yelling, "I have him, Kuja! I have the keyblade master!"

I found myself thrown in front of a big, fancy staircase, which led to a gigantic upper hall, which, in turn, led down to the dark hall that I was currently on my knees in.

Without warning, candles erupted into flame, giving flickering light instead of unwavering darkness. I looked up at the top of the staircase to see a man standing there. He had white, wild hair, and dark violet eyes. He wore black pants with silver boots and a long-sleeve purple shirt. And a confident smirk.

"So Mr. Bishop," he said, walking down the stairs. "What brings you here?"

"Just stopping by for a visit," I replied, standing up slowly. It's kind of hard when both of your hands are bound behind you. "You know, to find out why you wanna kill me."

Kuja stared at me for a while before his eyes shifted to Sonia. "Good job, Sonia. As promised, here are your friends." He snapped his fingers, and the two missing assassins dropped from chutes in the ceiling.

"Rayne, Angel, come over here," Sonia commanded, still holding my hands.

"Now, it's time for you to fulfill your part of the deal," Kuja said, stepping forward. "Hand him over."

Now, instead of handing me over, which she did, the plan was to cut me loose so I could smack the guy up. Imagine my surprise when I was thrown right toward him by Sonia.

"What the hell?" I demanded, turning back toward the assassins. Sonia was already turning around, leading her friends out.

"I'm sorry."

That was all I heard as the big mahogany doors slammed shut, echoing throughout the hall and signifying the finality of their exit.

I laughed, out loud. I couldn't help it. I had just been played.

"I hope that isn't a laugh of insanity," Kuja smiled, standing in front of me. "We wouldn't want our little keyblade master faulty."

"How about you cut to the chase and tell me why you want me killed?" I glanced at my hip, noticing that Sonia had forgotten to take my sword.

"At first, I wanted to kill you. I didn't need any more strength added to the already powerful Unknowns." Kuja waved a hand and the ropes binding my wrists melted away like sand. "But when I found out you had become a keyblade master, I decided to propose to you a proposition."

I didn't waste anytime whipping out my sword and swinging it quickly toward the bastard's neck. But I found the sword just barely brushing Kuja's neck, my arms stopped by a mysterious force.

Kuja smiled, and I felt my arms bringing the sword slowly toward my neck. I tried to fight it, but it was too strong, and soon the razor-sharp edge was touching the side of my neck.

"The proposition is," Kuja continued, still wearing that cocky smile. "that, in exchange for your life right now and a lot of money, you will help me bring down the Organization."

With a burst of energy, I broke free from Kuja's powerful mind grip on my arms and swung hard at him. He dodged to the side as my sword slashed right by him, leaving behind a trail of red energy.

"I didn't know your skills were developing this fast," Kuja said, folding his arms. But he looked happy. "We won't have a problem destroying the Organization now."

"And why am I helping you?" I asked through gritted teeth as I swiped at him with my sword once again. He jumped back and shook a finger at me mockingly.

"Because, you're a sane man," he said, ducking as I swung my sword at his head. "And no sane man would turn down ten million dols."

I nearly choked, and I quickly diverted my next swing with the sword, choosing instead to keep it at my side. "What!" I demaded, having to hear him say it again to make sure my ears weren't decieving me.

"Ten million dols," Kuja repeated, folding his arms satisfactorily. "Straight up, as soon as every member of the Organization is dead."

"As long as that doesn't include me or the kid, I say full steam ahead." The thought of ten million dols was making my mouth water, and I couldn't wait to get it. I was already spending the money mentally in my head.

"Yes," he nodded. "You two are new members, so your existence in the Unknowns hasn't impacted anything. It's only the old members we want."

"Good, then I'm definetely in," I said. "What first?"

Before he could respond, the big mahogany doors creaked open once again, revealing a shadowy figure.

"I'm afraid I can't allow this," the figure said, walking toward us. He stepped into the candle light and I cursed, shaking my head. It was the creepy guy, the one with the yellow eyes. The guy that was second to the Boss until the kid and I got promoted. He wore a black scarf, black long-sleeve shirt, black jacket, black pants, and black boots. On his waist were two black swords, gleaming coldly in the candle-light.

"And who are you?" Kuja asked casually, leaning against a pillar. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, and I guess I wouldn't either if I were as strong as him.

"My name is Xanthe," he introduced himself, bowing. "I would like to join your little plan, lending my skills and power in exchange for money."

"Why do you want to betray the Organization so badly?" I asked, suspicous. If experience taught me anything, it was that this guy was loyal to the Organization.

"Because I'd do anything for three million dols," he replied, smiling.

I raised an eyebrow. "When did we come upon that price?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Xanthe shrugged.

"Well, my offer of ten million dols still stands, no more, no less," Kuja stated. "If you want extra help, you can hire them with your share."

I thought for a moment. Seven million dols was still a ridiculous amount of money, and I probably would need help with the members of the Organization. Fayexia did say they were all strong and brilliant.

"Alright fine," I said to the man. "You're hired. But you have to do exactly what I say, alright?"

Xanthe shrugged again. "I can take a couple of orders for three mil."

"Alright," I nodded, turning toward Kuja. "So what's the plan?"

"First, go back to your little hideout and try to find more out about the members of the Unknowns. Then report back here."

"Fine, I'll go right now," I said, turning toward the door. What can I say? I live by the old saying: There's no time like the present.

"You comin?" I asked, as I walked past Xanthe.

"Well, there really is no point," he replied. "I'm not an Unknown, you and the kid are."

Damn. The kid.

"Do you think I should grab him and take him with me?" I asked.

The man shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt."

I reached into my jacket pocket and fished out a small silver cell phone. I immediately dialed the number, and waited as it rang. Finally, the kid picked up.

"Hello?" he spoke into the phone.

"Hey, its me," I greeted, knowing he would know my voice. We had worked together on several missions before, so we were quite familiar with one another.

"Hey Develyn, what's up?" the kid replied.

"Meet me in front of the hideout in about fifteen minutes," I said, walking out the doors of the mansion and into the yard. I opened the gates that closed the property off from the public and hopped onto my motorcycle. I hadn't put the invisiblity cloak on, so there was no unneeded feeling around.

"What for?" the kid asked, his voice curious.

"I'll explain when you get there," I answered shortly, closing the cell phone shut. I started up the engine and began to ride.

I got there in record time, spotting the kid as I raced down the street. He must have already been near. I slowed down and stopped in front of the hideout, hopping off the bike.

"So what's going on?" the kid asked, walking up to me, his brown trenchcoat flowing in the wind. Underneath it, he only wore some black pants and a black shirt. "What's so important?"

"How would you like to make three million dols?" I replied, answering his question with a question of my own.

"Well, I'd like that just fine," he answered, shaking his head. "But what does that have to do with-"

"I just scored ten million dols," I interrupted him, enjoying the astonished look on his face. "Three million goes to you, three million to another person, and four million to me. And all we have to do is kill every member of the Unknowns."

"But we don't even know who the Unknowns are," the kid pointed out.

"Yeah, that's why we're about to ask the Boss who they are," I said, knocking on the door. It creaked open, and I instantly knew something was amiss. I drew my sword.

"Where's-" began the kid, but I turned around, putting a finger to my mouth and pointing down at the body of the grizzled old doorman. His face was contorted into a look of horror, and his face was pale white.

I crept quickly but quietly down the dark hall, the kid tiptoeing behind me. With my sword in one hand, I pushed open the door to the hall with the other, slowly.

The kid cursed softly to himself when he saw the bodies of the mercenaries strewn carelessly about throughout the hall. Everyone one of them were pale white, and every one of them had looks of absolute fright on their faces.

I walked slowly toward the door to the Boss's office, my senses on full alert. I finally reached the door, and I opened it slowly, my sword quivering, ready to strike.

There, in her chair, was the Boss, except she lacked the necessary life to sit up in her chair. Instead, she was slumped over her desk, her eyes calm and distant, and here skin ashen gray.

I looked around the room and, seeing nothing, closed the door behind us.

"Alright, I don't know what's going on right now," I said to the kid, "but I do know one thing. We're going to have to find out another way to get info on the Unknowns."

The kid's jaw dropped. "What about all that?" he asked, waving his arm toward the hall, presumably at the dead bodies. "What about her?" He looked at the former Fayexia.

"They're dead," I pointed out. "What, do you wanna bury em or something?"

"Well we can't just leave them-" He stopped, interrupted by the sound of a chair turning over in the hall. I grabbed the doorknob, glancing back at the kid. His sword was ready and waiting. He nodded, and I nodded back, opening the door a crack.

Outside, one of the mercenaries was trying to stand. I opened the door and walked quickly to him, catching him as he was about to fall.

"What happened here?" I demanded.

"...He took...he took them..." the man struggled to say, his voice weak. "...took them..."

"Took who, where?" I asked, shaking him. "Make some sense, will you?"

"He took they're...hearts..." the man said, his breathing shallow. "...the man...with silver hair and brown skin...and those yellow eyes..."

I glanced at the kid, hoping he would recoginize the description, but he shook his head.

"What else did you see?" I asked the man. "Anything else?"

"...yes..." The man's brown eyes suddenly blazed yellow. "I'm coming, keyblade master..." I dropped the guy like he was a bad habit and backed off. Those eyes, they were like nothing I had ever seen before. Even Xanthe's creepy eyes weren't filled with that much hate and darkness.

"So, what's the plan?" the kid asked, staring at the dead body.

I sighed and stood up. "Now, we have to go talk to Kuja."

"Hmmm, brown skin, golden eyes, and silver hair." Kuja was stroking his chin softly, thinking. "The only person that fits that description is Ansem, but he was destroyed by the other keyblade master."

"Sora," the kid said, leaning against the wall.

"Right, Sora," Kuja nodded, his brow furrowed. "So I don't see how it could be Ansem."

"Maybe it's his son or something?" Xanthe suggested as he leaned back into his chair. "Or his brother? Someone that's linked to him."

"It could be a multitude of things," I responded, folding my arms. "Right now, we just have to focus on how I'm going to get in touch with the Unknowns."

"Actually, I'm sure they'll try to get in touch with you," Kuja said. "You two are now officially Unknowns, so they're going to want to know what happened from two reliable sources."

"So, in other words, sit tight until something happens," the kid translated, smiling. "I'm cool with that."

"Good," Kuja nodded, walking toward the staircase. "If you get any new information, don't hesitate to come. If you'll excuse me..." He walked up the stairs and disappeared from sight.

"Well, I guess we can just all head back home?" I said, shrugging. "When can we all meet up again?"

"I say at seven, on the dot, at the abandoned church," the kid said. "We can make that our new hideout for now."

Xanthe shrugged and disappeared right in front of us.

"Man that guy's wierd," the kid said, shaking his head.

"He sure is," I agreed, opening the doors to the outside. Waiting for us out there were three shadowy figures, clad in the Organization raincoat. But, gleaming in the moonlight were the silver necklaces that adorned the the Boss' raincoat. Which meant...

"You all are the Unknowns."

From out of the shadows stepped one of them, a young man with wild red hair and gleaming, emerald-green eyes. He grinned at me and waved a hand over the figures behind him.

"You're right," he said. "We are the Unknowns, and my name is Axel." He walked forward, sticking out a hand. I grabbed it and shook it.

"I already know your names so you don't have to tell me," Axel said, turning toward his comapnions. "I'd like to introduce you to Larxene." He waved toward a cute blonde with cold blue eyes. She smiled sweetly and gave a little wave.

"And Riku," he said, as a silver-haired teen with aqua-green eyes emerged from the dark. The boy gave a half wave of disinterest, but I was in shock. Here was one of the keyblade masters, joined up with the Organization?

"What happened to Fayexia?" The blonde chick, Larxene asked.

"We don't know," I shrugged. "We went to the hideout and everyone was finished. One guy was alive for a minute, and he said that some guy with silver hair and yellow eyes did it."

At that, Riku's eyes widened, and he looked away quickly. I rose an eyebrow, but said nothing. Not yet.

"Ansem," Axel sighed, tapping his foot on the ground. "It's like that guy won't die."

"Tell me about it," Riku muttered.

"Well, we need to regroup and give you both a lot of information," Larxened said, stretching. "Plus I'm tired. Can we go already?"

"Yeah," Axel nodded, turning toward us. "As your first gift for joining the Unknowns, I'll bestow you both with this gift." He rose his arms above us and I felt a strange power radiate within me.

"You can now tear a hole in space and travel wherever you like," Axel said, grinning. "Pretty cool huh?"

Before we could answer, he whipped out a gigantic, spiked wheel and sliced at the air. Suddenly, a black rip appeared in the air and Axel stepped through it.

"Follow me, newbies," he called back as he disappeared.

Andrew looked at me before shrugging and walking in. I gestured toward the portal and bowed, smiling at Larxene. "Ladies first."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling. She walked through, disappearing instantly.

Riku was about to walk in, but I grabbed his coat, pulling him back.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "I thought you were with the king?"

"How do you know about the king? Or me?" The boy looked at me suspicously, so I summoned the keyblade to my hands. His eyes nearly popped out.

"You're a keyblade master too!" he exclaimed, summoning his keyblade. "But how?"

"I don't really know, or care for that matter," I replied. "All I want to know is why you're with the Organization."

"I'm going to bring them down, from the inside," Riku said. "It's the only way."

I couldn't believe my luck.

"Then we have a lot to talk about," I told him, a smile on my face.