"Ah, it seems the Sleeping Beauty has finally decided to grace us with her lovely presence." His accent was thick, and his voice was deep, but it was his smile that made her cheeks flush.

"Um…Hello?" Reina's spine straightened as she watched the man get up from his seat and approach her with graceful steps.

He offered out his hand, his eyes the brightest shade of blue that Reina had ever seen on a man before.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, my dear. My name is Luxord."

The night before, Xigbar mentioned that someone from the Organization would realize that he hadn't returned to the castle from his mission, and they would undoubtedly send in the calvary to make sure he was okay. The matching leather coat was enough indication that Luxord was from the same Organization and had been sent to check on Xigbar's status. Their luck was finally turning around; help had arrived!

Luxord carried himself with a sense of dignity and grace, and the way he stared down at her with such intensity made Reina momentarily forget how to speak. Were all men in Organization XIII this jaw-droppingly handsome?! It had to be a crime for someone to be this attractive. He had to have been a model, or maybe even a movie star, and Reina even discreetly hid her arms behind her back so she could sneakily pinch herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming. The scraping of her fingernail against her arm was just sharp enough to let her know she was wide awake, and this man was very real and standing right in front of her very eyes.

"I…um…uh…" Her mouth refused to call forth coherent words as Luxord continued to smile down at her.

Xigbar, who was still sitting on the ground and staring at the cursed pair of dice that had been failing him all night, had barely given Reina a second glance when she walked up. He was far too tired, far too pissed, about his repeated failure in Luxord's senseless games. How could he have lost that many times in a row? It wasn't like Luxord to cheat—the man loved a challenge and found no excitement in winning games he had complete control over—but there was just no logical explanation for him to win that many times in a row. Luxord had to be cheating, but there was no way to tell how, and more importantly, there was no way to get around it. They didn't call him the Gambler of Fate for nothing.

The marksman finally hung his head in defeat. Achieving victory was impossible at this point. Luxord had won, whether he liked it or not, and now he was going to be stuck with that bastard butting in on his top-secret mission.

Just fucking great.

He rubbed his good eye tiredly before looking up to the sky only to see that the sun was burning in full swing. How had he not realized that it was already dawn? The game must have completely zapped his focus. He hadn't slept a single wink since he agreed to play that stupid game. Reina was probably going to be waking up any moment now…

He finally turned a golden eye to see that his little princess was already up and at 'em, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Not only that, but Luxord had been quick to swoop in and greet her before Xigbar even had the chance to notice her walking up. He grimaced once he saw the girl blushing over Luxord like he was the hottest thing since sliced bread. The combination of her flushed cheeks and the repetitive flutter of her batting eyelashes made Xigbar's already rotten mood turn sourer than a lemon.

"Oh, uh, my name is Reina. It's nice to meet you, too," she sputtered out as her lips began to move all too quickly. At least she had finally regained enough composure to string together enough words to form complete sentences. Suddenly self-conscious underneath Luxord's magnificently blue eyes, Reina brought up her hand to tuck a few strands of chestnut hair behind her ears, wishing she had at least bothered to comb out her tangles before walking outside. "You must be one of Xigbar's friends. I take it you're a part of the same group of Heartless hunters?"

"Heartless hunters?" He tossed a glance at Xigbar, wondering what all he had bothered to divulge to the girl about the Organization. As secretive as he was, Luxord doubted he had told her anything that would indicate they were the bad guys in this universe. "Ah, yes, you must mean Organization XIII. I am Number X, the Gambler of Fate." He met her flustered gaze with a dashing smile, his hand still outstretched. It took her two seconds too long to realize he was still waiting for her to shake it, and not wanting to leave him hanging for a moment longer, she accepted it by placing her palm in his gloved hand.

"Well, Reina, aren't you just a vision?" He casually commented as he took a moment to admire her features. "Had I known I'd be in the presence of someone as radiant as you, I would have come here to Wonderland a lot sooner. If I'm not careful, I might lose myself in those dazzling emerald eyes on yours." She was as pretty as a princess, just as he had expected, but far less thorny than Xigbar had made her out to be during their conversations the night before. She'd be a lot easier to win over as long as he played the right cards at the right time. Seducing women was his specialty, thankfully, and the girl would be as good as his before nightfall if he could just get Xigbar to comply with his partnership.

Not used to receiving that kind of praise from anyone except Xigbar, Reina shyly looked away from him in a bashful manner. "Oh, um, thank you," she fumbled out, unsure of what the proper response would be to a compliment like that.

Luxord had the girl right where he wanted her as he carried her hand towards his lips to place a quick kiss upon her knuckles.

"You've got to be kidding me right now,"Xigba grumbled to himself before angrily throwing the dice on the floor, making sure to stomp on them as he made his way over to the pair. Blondie may have somehow stolen victory in their games last night, but there was no way in hell he'd steal the girl, too.

Reina didn't have time to feel flattered over Luxord's flirtatious gesture since as soon as his lips met her skin, Xigbar was stepping forward and knocking her hand right out of the gambler's grasp. "Knock it off, Loverboy. You'll never win her over that way. Trust me-I already tried that."

Luxord raised his brow before letting out a deep rumble of laughter, watching as Reina's cheeks flared up into a mortified blush as she took a few steps away from the two men. "Perhaps the real issue is just that you don't have the same level of suave that I possess. If the scar on your face isn't enough to repel a woman, then your poor manners would do the trick."

"As if!" Xigbar shot back. "Maybe you were able to make girls swoon twenty years ago, but that phony accent isn't fooling anyone anymore."

Luxord narrowed his eyes in Xigbar's direction, completely turning his attention away from the maiden he had tried buttering up only a few seconds prior. "On the contrary, your methods of charming women will never be successful if you keep approaching them like they are nothing but pieces of meat, when in fact, all ladies are princesses that need to be treated as such."

"Just keep your grimy lips off Reina, all right?! Go find another chick to make your princess! I'm sure the toothless wenches back in Port Royal are missing their favorite alcoholic right about now, so why don't you get a move on?" Xigbar grinned at his own sass as he watched Luxord's steely gaze sharpen even more.

Reina was beyond stunned by the unexpected exchange of venom between the two men. "Um, is everything okay? Why are you two fighting? Aren't you guys friends?"

Xigbar was about to chime in with his usual catchphrase, but Luxord beat him to the punch. "As if, my dear."

"Hey, asshole, go steal someone else's phrase. I'm sure Axel won't mind if you get his memorized!"

Luxord smirked. "A bit touchy this morning, aren't we? You always have been a sore loser, Number II. You sulked in your room for an entire day after I beat you in a game of Poker in front of everyone. I didn't even need to use my powers to win that one, either."

"Did you just admit that you do use your powers to give yourself an advantage in games?! You clever little sneak! That's how you kept winning last night, I bet!"

"Xigbar, it doesn't take two eyes to see when someone has the upper hand in a game of luck."

As amusing as it was to watch two grown men bicker back and forth like children, Reina knew she needed to find a way to stop them before things got too heated. "All right, all right, break it up, you two!" The brunette stepped in between them, drawing all attention back on her. "All this testosterone in the air can't be good for my lungs. You boys can duke it out later if you want, but for now, let's get back on track. I take it Luxord is here to help us bring down the Drainer?"

Xigbar huffed as soon as Reina got in the middle of them. "So you're finally back to talking to normal? I was starting to think you developed a speech impediment overnight by the way you were blubbering about in front of Luxord."

"Y-You jerk!" She hissed back at him, appalled at how easily he could embarrass her in front of someone new. She would never understand why he got so much amusement out of humiliating her. "I was just still groggy from waking up so early! Th-That's all…"

"You sure about that, cupcake? 'Cause from where I was standing, it looked like you were almost starstruck by him. Don't tell me guys like blondie over here are actually your type. Have some standards!"

Reina had never wanted to smack that smug look off Xigbar's face more than she did at that moment. Falling for his taunts would only make her seem childish. Not wanting to make a bad first impression with Luxord standing right there, she instead flipped her long hair over her shoulder and kept her head held high. "Why are you so concerned about what my type is, Xig? It's not like I'd ever be interested in a guy like you, anyways."

"Is that so?" Xigbar grinned. "Because it sure looked like you were dying to kiss me in front of the fire last night. Your whole body was trembling with desire, and you were just hoping I'd seal the deal and make the first move so you wouldn't have to."

"In your dreams, you wannabe pirate!" She shrieked, unable to keep her cool any longer. She debated on summoning her Keyblade just to give him a few good whacks to the head as vengeance, but something like that would only egg him on further. She knew he was just trying to get under her skin for whatever reason. Was he mad at her for some reason? He seemed more irritable than usual.

Luxord waited for an opening before he spoke up. "Xigbar, you really mustn't tease her so badly if you want her to like you. Picking on girls you like might have gotten their attention back on the playground, but you're a grown man now. Shouldn't you take a more dignified approach at winning her heart?"

Xigbar looked at an imaginary watch on his wrist before shaking his head and sighing dramatically. "Oopsy daisy, is it that late already? You really should be getting back to the castle, Luxord." He switched up his voice to mimic Luxord's thick accent to mock him even further. "You wouldn't want to miss your afternoon tea with Zexion and Saix. Oh dear, how dreadful that would be!"

"Actually," the blonde sneered, "I believe you still haven't beaten me in a single round of dice. Unless you'd rather painfully forfeit right now, Number II?"

Dice? When Reina had first woken up, it looked like they were playing a game of some sort, but what would compel them to play with dice in a place like this?

Xigbar felt Reina's prying gaze on him, silently requesting an explanation for everything. "It's a long story," he groaned as his accent returned to normal. "This asshole wants to help us defeat the Drainer, and I told him no. He blackmailed me into playing dice last night. If I won against him at least once, he agreed to fuck off—"

"And yet the poor fool he couldn't win a single round against me. It's a shame considering he sacrificed an entire night of sleep to gain nothing from it," Luxord chuckled.

"Woah, hold on!" Reina held up her hand before Xigbar could direct another sarcastic remark towards his comrade. "What the hell is going on, Xigbar?! Why would you turn down his help in the first place?!"

Xigbar turned up his lip into a menacing sneer. "Because I don't want his help. Plain and simple."

Reina could hardly believe the words that were coming out of her partner's mouth. "Are you forgetting the pickle that we're in right now?! You told me reinforcements would be on their way to help us fight the Drainer, and now that they're here, you want to send them away?!"

Her shrill voice was like fingernails scraping on a chalkboard. It was too early in the morning to deal with this bullshit, and the last thing Xigbar wanted was to get chewed out for doing something that was ultimately in her best interest. "Look, I'll explain later. For now, just gather your things. We need to get going."

"Oh, speaking of things, I nearly forgot," Luxord snapped his finger as if he had just remembered something important. A brown bag appeared in a flash, the long strap dangling from Luxord's hand.

"Hey, that's my—" Reina gasped as he graciously handed it to her.

"Indeed," the blonde smiled. "I took the liberty of fetching it for you. I heard you had dropped it back in the Bizarre Room during your escapade with the Drainer. What a terrifying experience that must have been for you, my dear. And to think Xigbar hadn't been strong enough to protect you or your precious valuables. Had it been me, I would have slaughtered the beast without hesitation."

Eager hands dug through her bag until she found her most prized possession resting safely inside—her father's journal. Not a single page had been torn or frayed; it was just as she had left it. It looked like her toothbrush and comb hadn't been misplaced, either. Good thing, too, since she was seriously in need of freshening up after yesterday's events.

"Oh, and before you ask, no, I didn't look inside your bag. A girl's belongings are meant to be kept private, and only an uncultured savage would try to snoop inside," Luxord reassured her. It was yet another indirect jab at the Freeshooter, and he could feel Xigbar glaring daggers at his back for it.

"Thank you so much, Luxord! You have no idea how important this is to me!" Reina gushed, bowing her head in gratitude as she pulled out the journal to hold it tightly to her chest. Never again was she going to let it leave her side! "It must have been inconvenient for you to go all the way out there just to get this for me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No thanks will be necessary. Your beautiful smile will suffice," he told her.

Xigbar had to restrain himself from outright gagging in response to Luxord's cheesy comment. He sincerely hoped Reina wasn't falling for the gambler's crap, but the way her eyes lit up over having her journal back safe and sound wasn't a good sign.

Luxord 1, Xigbar 0.

"All right, now that you've got your book back, we really need to get a move on," Xigbar said, refocusing the conversation. The sooner he got her away from the skeevy conman, the better.

Reina's lips tightened into a disheartened frown. "Wait, you're not still taking me back to my Gummi ship, are you? I know it's my fault that you lost your powers, but since your friend is here now, can't I stay and help him fight the Drainer?"

"Do you need to get your ears checked, sweetheart?" Xigbar grumbled, already severely annoyed with her but still trying his best to keep his temper in check. "I already said Luxord is leaving. And he isn't my friend."

"You must be forgetting about our bargain, Number II." Luxord waved a hand in the air, materializing another pair of dice. "You didn't win a single round against me last night. Since I am the victor, I can do as I please regarding your current mission. Failure to let me do so will only cause you headaches in the future—headaches in the form of Demyx and Larxene-so think wisely on how you plan to proceed from here."

Xigbar clicked his tongue in annoyance, arms crossing over his chest. He really should have known better than to try to challenge him-Luxord rarely lost a game or a bet, no matter what the odds were. "The only headache I'm worried about right now is you. I'll take my chances with those two knuckleheads. Demyx is too stupid to cause any real damage, and Larxene gets bored of things quickly. You're more of a pain in the ass than those two combined." He looked back to the brunette before nodding his head towards the woods. "We've wasted enough time as it is. Come on, Reina, let's go. I'm taking you back to your ship so you can go back to Traverse Town."

"Come on, Xigbar! Don't be like this!" Reina pressed. "I don't know what issues you two have with each other, but can't you put your differences aside for once? There is a dangerous Heartless out there running rampant in Wonderland. We can't just leave it! Let me stay and help Luxord fight it!"

"She's right, Number II. Perhaps if you push aside your pride and realize that you need me to help you acquire what it is you want most, then we'd all be better off."

Ignoring their pleas, Xigbar walked right up behind the girl and placed both hands on her shoulders to start steering her towards the woods. "All right, Luxord, you can do what you want. I really couldn't give two shits anymore. I'm getting Reina out of here, though, so be my guest and take out the Heartless if you want."

"By what means? You can't open any portals in your current state. You also can't expect to leave a replicated world like this by a Gummi ship," Luxord reminded him. "That Traverse Town is too difficult to get to without the proper technology, or at the very least, a Corridor of Darkness."

If he could still summon his guns, the Freeshooter would have blasted Luxord's mouth clean off his face for that one.

"Huh? What's a replicated world, and why can't we leave by Gummi Ship? I mean, that's how I got here in the first place," Reina tried to look behind her at the gambler, but Xigbar was blocking her line of vision, continuing to push her forward.

"Ignore him. He's just talking out of his ass."

"Xigbar, hang on just a second!" Reina dug her heels into the dirt to keep him from shoving her forward anymore. When he nearly lost his footing from her rigid stature, she whipped her head around to meet his gaze straight on. "What's gotten into you?! Why won't you let Luxord help?! And why do you want to send me away so badly?!"

The girl was too inquisitive for her own good. He had hoped that maybe after everything they had been through-after he damn nearly sacrificed himself for her sake-that she'd trust his judgment on things at least a little more. That was apparently asking way too much of the little brat.

"Reina, just do as I say for once, all right?" He breathed out, the irritation heavy in his tired, raspy voice. "Remember what happened last time you refused to listen to me? I'd be happy to remind you!" He gestured to his own body and made finger guns with his hands to demonstrate the lack of a real weapon in his grasp.

Reina had to bite down on her cheek to keep herself from losing her temper with him. "You're the one who insisted we couldn't handle the Drainer on our own! You said someone from your Organization would realize you didn't return home from your mission and would come to bail you out, but now that someone is here, you want to dismiss their help?!"

"It's quite all right, my dear. I believe Xigbar has made it very clear that my help is unwanted," Luxord interjected after overhearing their little spout. "If he truly wants to decline my assistance, I won't push the matter further."

Xigbar couldn't hide the surprise on his face as he turned to gawk at the other man. "Are you serious? I tried getting you to leave all damn night, and you're just now agreeing to walk away?"

A playing card was resting in between Luxord's fingers, and his attention focused on the image staring back at him on the thin card. "The agreement was that if I won, I could do as I please in regards to this mission. And I have decided to take my leave of my own accord…For now."

He should have figured there would be a stipulation added to that. He said he'd leave but only for now, which could only mean he intended to return at a later time to stick his nose into their business.

"W-Wait! You can't send him away, Xigbar!" Reina panicked before she tugged roughly on Xigbar's sleeve, forcing him down to her height so she could whisper in his ear. "I need for the Drainer to be destroyed so I can get the First Key of Radiance! If you don't accept Luxord's help, how am I supposed to get it?"

"Let's just say there's been a sudden change of plans," he pulled his sleeve out of her grasp and straightened himself up.

Reina blinked. "Change of plans? What change of plans?"

"I have graciously decided I'm not going to take you back to your ship after all, sweetheart."

Was he serious?! Man, there was just no keeping up with Xigbar. With an impatient tap of her foot, Reina glowered at him.

"Okay, then. So what's the game plan? Since your powers are gone, we need to find someone strong enough to kill the Heartless." She didn't exactly have the time to sit around in Wonderland and wait for more help to arrive. From what she had gathered so far, Xigbar didn't seem to like his other colleagues too much. He referred to a boy named Demyx and a girl named Larxene as knuckleheads. There was no telling if he'd even accept the help from the next handsome stranger in the Organization or if he'd shoo them off, too, the way he was doing Luxord.

Speaking of which, where was Luxord? He had been standing there just a second ago but was now nowhere in sight. Great, Xigbar just had to run the poor guy off. And she didn't even get to say goodbye! That was probably for the best, though. She didn't want to find herself getting tongue-tied over his baby blues or fetching smile again; she had embarrassed herself enough that day already. Who could blame her, though? The guy was a total hottie! Even her friends Yuffie and Aerith would have fallen under his spell, and they never ogled any guy back in Traverse Town, not even Leon!

"No need to find somebody else to fight the Drainer. We've already got the perfect candidate right here!" He reassured her with a confident nod of his head.

Reina glanced around her surroundings, wondering who the man could have possibly been referring to. There was no one else here!

"I'm talking about you, dummy."

"Huh? Me?!"

"Yes, you. Who else would I be talking about? The Cheshire Cat? As if."

Backing up away from him quickly, Reina help up her arms in a "T" shape to signal for a timeout. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold up! You want me to fight the Drainer now?! Weren't you the one going on and on about how I'm too weak of a fighter to take on a bugger that strong?!"

His hands were on his hips as he looked her up and down. "You got it, sweetcheeks. I mean, you're still not much of a fighter. You're an absolute weakling who can't do anything on her own. You might even say you're what they call a lost cause!"

"Hey! That's just mean!" She snapped back, materializing her Keyblade in her hand so she could thrust the tip of her blade right underneath his chin. "This so-called lost cause could make you eat those words if she wanted to! In case you've forgotten, you have no special powers right now. You can't even warp away from this place like your friend just did!"

Xigbar chuckled as he stared down at the silver key tucked under his chin. "You may be a sorry excuse for a Keyblade wielder, but you've got spirit. That's exactly why you're going to be the one to fight the Drainer."

After lowering her weapon, Reina made it revert back into its pendant form around her neck before she let out a heavy sigh. "Having spirit isn't going to kill a Heartless five times my size. I already saw firsthand that I don't stand a chance against that thing." Her eyes fell to the floor as she kicked at some dirt, head lowered in shame. "I…I almost got you killed yesterday. Why in the world would you think I'd be able to defeat it, especially since we've already established I'm a lost cause?"

An arm was thrown over her shoulder as Xigbar brought her in close to his side. "You're right. Spirit alone isn't going to win you this fight, but luckily for you, you just happen to be in the presence of a Keyblade expert and a phenomenal teacher."

Xigbar? A Keyblade expert? That was something hard to believe.

"I thought you said you didn't even have a Keyblade. How could you possibly be a Keyblade expert?"

"Let's just say I have plenty of experience in dealing with Keyblades. I've seen my fair share of them over the years, and I know how they're supposed to work and how they're not supposed to work. For starters, you shouldn't handle a Keyblade the way you'd handle a baseball bat or golf club—"

"Alright, enough already," Reina groaned while shoving his arm off her shoulder, not wanting to be reminded of her previous embarrassing antics.

"All I'm saying is that you should let me train you for a bit. You've got all the necessary equipment to fight a Heartless—you've got your Keyblade, and you already know a few spells. All you need is somebody to teach you how not to be a total loser. I can have you spitting fireballs strong enough to burn a hole in the Drainer's head by tomorrow! Just wait and see!"

She couldn't tell if he was trying to encourage her or tear her down. It was probably a bit of both. "Oh yeah? This whole time you've been trying to get me to give up on my journey to find the Five Keys, and now you're telling me that I can go from a zero to hero by tomorrow if I let you train me? I can't tell if you've just run out of all options after pushing away Luxord, or if maybe a few brain cells got fried when I shocked you awake yesterday."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you it was a bit of both?"

She sighed. "Not really…"

"Look, just hear me out, kiddo." He reached out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, ready to deliver the most convincing pep talk he could come up with, reminding himself that if he so much as cracked a smirk or snorted mid-sentence, she'd see right through his bullshit and they'd be back to square one. "Reina, I think you've got what it takes to become one hell of a Keyblade wielder. You just need to have faith in yourself and let your heart be your guiding—"

"Fine, I'll do it!" She interrupted begrudgingly while peeling his hand off her shoulder. "You don't have to give me some half-assed dramatic spiel where you tell me I've got the potential to go the distance if I just believe in the strength of my heart or some other crap like that…"

Xigbar finally released the laughter he had been holding back. "But I haven't even gotten to the good part of my speech yet where I tell you that you hold the key to greatness and that I believe you can change the world for the better!"

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the next girl you find lost in the woods."

"Well, I gotta admit it this makes it easier for me. I'm not one for pep talks." He rolled his shoulders forward before bringing up a hand to massage a particularly tense spot on the back of his neck. "But if it's any consolation, we do have a Keyblade wielder in the Organization now. He hasn't been with us very long, and he started out just as slow and clumsy as you are. Me and the other guys are working our butts off to turn him into a real, solid fighter, so you wouldn't be the first kid I've had to teach."

Reina's mouth fell open as her jade eyes grew wide. "Wait, so you've actually taught someone how to use their Keyblade before?!"

"I guess you could say that. Keyblades used to be common. Hundreds of years ago, everyone and their mother had one." Xigbar shrugged. "Not so much anymore. There are only a few chosen ones nowadays. Keyblades tend to be picky about their owners, and you have to either have one bequeathed to you by a Keyblade master or be pretty damn special in some other capacity to suddenly have one in your possession."

He had chosen to purposely leave out the part where a person could obtain a Keyblade by defeating a wielder. He had almost snatched up the Keyblade of a boy named Terra about ten years ago in hopes of being the new keyslinger, but the bastard had gotten the better of him by tapping into his inner darkness. Losing the chance to nab Terra's Keyblade wouldn't have been such a big deal if he hadn't lost his eye over it, but gaining the old coot's trust back then had been crucial. It was a necessary sacrifice, just like all the others.

"So…So you think I can get a little bit better at fighting? Good enough to defeat a Heartless not even you could kill? Please be honest with me. Don't try to sugarcoat things or fill my head with false hope. I know I need to get that Key of Radiance, but I also don't want to risk you getting hurt again if it turns out I'm really just not cut out to be a Keyblade wielder."

Reina's soft voice brought him back to the matter at hand as he caught her fidgeting anxiously with the chain around her delicate neck.

He paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to respond. For someone that was always biting his head off and shoving him away, Reina really did care about him. He knew she felt awful about him getting hurt yesterday and losing his special abilities, but it wasn't exactly her fault. It had needed to happen.

"If I'm being honest, I'd say we have maybe a ten percent chance of winning," he admitted. "The good thing is, we found out yesterday that fire is an effective method of hurting the Drainer. If you can cast enough fireballs at it long enough to distract it while I climb up its body and snatch up your key, we can probably make it out alive if we run away fast enough."

Reina chewed on the inside of her cheek, contemplating his plan. "I wonder if I could blind it with a fire spell or burn one of its tails off so it has something less to fight with… But, wait. If you just snatch up the key, then won't it still be alive? What good will that do you and your mission? Don't we need to kill it for you to get back your powers?"

"Unless you can learn Firaga overnight, your magic won't be strong enough to kill it. Trust me on this."

"But…What if I could learn Firaga overnight?" Reina looked at him with a cheeky grin. "You said you're a phenomenal teacher, so maybe you can teach me how to cast something that powerful?"

Xigbar cackled at her comment. "Ha! Do I look like a wizard to you? I can teach you how to fight and how to defend yourself, but I can't turn you into some powerful mage. You learn higher spells by fighting more and gaining experience. It could take years for you to learn that level of magic."

Her hope was starting to vanish as her shoulder slumped forward. "Great… I really am a lost cause. I'll never get that First Key of Radiance…"

"Look, we'll get your stupid key, all right? Trust me on this." He reached forward to pat her head in hopes of reassuring her. "I said you got spirit, didn't I? We'll come up with a plan to take on the Drainer and escape with our lives and your key. We don't need Luxord, or anyone else in the Organization, to do that as long as you follow my lead very closely."

"You…You really think we can do it?" She asked, trying her best not to get her hopes up.

He nodded. "Have a little faith in me, sweetheart. I'll turn you into a mighty Keystick wielder by the end of the day."

"Ugh, don't even start with that again!"