She's… alive? How does that work? I can't... I can't understand; how was she here? Was it really even her? It could just be an impossible coincidence; they happen every day, though most couldn't really be trusted, but that's the only way I would be able to wrap my head around all this. She couldn't be alive, here, a… a Keeper of Darkness. I know I pondered the thought, the possibility of it before, but now…

I'm not sure anymore.

I could feel the burning eyes of amber staring intently at me, watching silently. Observantly. Saix remained perched by the door, completely unmoving from where he stopped after entering the room, and didn't even shift position. His scorching gaze remained locked on my form, scrutinizing me and taking note of my every movement and breath. I knew he was watching, just as I knew Xigbar was laughing from his spot on the couch, Zexion flipping a page in his book and telling him to quiet down.

Even the sounds of footsteps coming near me were all too clear, but I paid them little attention. I had too much trouble focusing on them. The only thing that really stood out to me at the moment was the loud, terrified beating out my own heart. Maria's here… The sister I lost so long ago. The one I never got the chance to know.

Or… was she really my sister? If it was her, and not saying that I'm actually fully convinced that she is, would she even want anything to do with me? Not to mention before all this, she had went and brutally attacked Marluxia, Zexion, Lexaeus, and two others. Demyx had been so scared that he actually ran and tried to hide in my bedroom. What if… What if she tried to hurt me, too?

This woman… if she truly is my sister, she's not at all what I was expecting. She's not what I was hoping for. She was far, far different than any delusions I had conjured in my mind. I didn't even know if I could trust this person, nonetheless bring myself to talk to her. I didn't want to get hurt, I didn't want to risk anyone else getting more damaged, but….

Why did she seem so… sad? She looked a bit heartbroken, standing there, fighting against her rage and confusion. Perhaps I had imagined it; I was never the best at reading people, but… I wanted to know. No one bore such a look without a reason. What made her so angry, so… violent?

"Hey, Irene…?" A quiet voice snapped me out of it, though I was still a little dazed and flustered from my shock. Demyx looked down at me in concern, though not much of it could be found in his dead sea-green eyes. Mimicking their emotions, pretending they cared, for without a heart they knew not of feelings except for what resides within their memories. His hand shook my shoulder, causing me to look up at him slowly. Eyes wide and scared, but my eyebrows knitted together to reveal confusion. "Are… Are you okay? You... "

The blond faltered, not sure how to finish his sentence. I stared at him for a long minute, observing his features and looking into his eyes, trying to find the slightest hint of… something to explain what was going on. Unfortunately, there was none and seeing this I slumped over, lowering my head and gazing at the ground for a moment. I gave a lifeless shrug, uncertain of many things at the moment. All I knew right now was that I really wanted a hug. "Yeah…" I murmured, only seeming to befuddle the blond more. "I'm fine."

I couldn't even figure out how to describe what I was feeling, but I definitely wasn't "fine". I was everything but fine, and right now I wasn't sure how to act, nonetheless react, to the situation. I felt… odd. Empty, yet confused, and a little bit cold. I couldn't really accept the situation just yet. That couldn't be Maria; she would be a little angry, yes, but not so... savage. Right?

Feeling a lump forming in the back of my throat, Xigbar's dying-down-laughter as he chuckled only making my stomach churn more to the point where I felt I would throw up, I swallowed thickly and struggled to stand, taking a deep breath. "I'm-I'm okay," I choked, blinking furiously as the tears stung my eyes. Zexion didn't move an inch, but his eye did trail from the book to stare at me skeptically. A thoughtful look crossed his face, the male shifting to reach a hand up to cover his nose. Demyx didn't look like he believed me either, and Lexaeus' frown just deepened. Xigbar just laughed again.

"That's the spirit, girlie!" He cheered, grinning wickedly at me as he pointed a finger-gun at me. "Ain't gonna let someone like that crazy lady knock you down, huh? Sisters; pfft! To think that was a thing that could happen!"

Raising my head up, I gave him the darkest glare I could manage. He actually stopped laughing, pausing in surprise. Having the kind of easy-going personality I had it took a lot to make me angry, but I was really not in the mood to be insulted right now. I decided not to say anything, simply blinking a few more times, before turning and reaching down to lightly ruffle a startled Demyx's hair. Then, I walked off- ignoring Saix who summoned a portal and vanished- and passed a stone-faced Lexaeus.

I was done with people for the day. I was tired and hungry, and I wanted to sleep, but more than all that I wanted to get to my room and cry, to panic and freak out before calming down and figuring out how to approach this messed up situation.

...

Xemnas remained perched on his throne, eyes closed as the emptiness of silence surrounded him. He said nothing, thought nothing, and merely waited in silence as he awaited the appearance of his underlings. They surely would have received a message by now; he could even feel them wandering through the corridors of darkness. As the Superior, the founder of the organization, he had given the members' their names with one specific thought in mind- a very special purpose- a sigil, an X, so that he could know where they were at all times.

And as of this moment, in just a few mere seconds after he opened his eyes, portals of darkness swirled into being one after another, the members taking their places on their rightful thrones. Twelve members, twelve empty vessels… all he needs is another. A most… worthy candidate. Unfortunately, one has yet to come into sight.

A small smirk spread across his face, Xemnas raising a hand slowly in greeting as his deep voice echoed around the round room. "Welcome, all… Have you been enjoying the new additions to our Organization…?"

Silence. Then, a figure with blue hair spoke. Saix said, "The Keepers of Heart have finally awoken, but there is a complication that must be discussed."

"Indeed," Another member spoke, removing himself of his hood, his violet eyes flashing dangerously. Xaldin revealed to Xemnas, "according to the Keeper of Light, the Keeper of Darkness is her older sister. What are we to do with this information, Superior?"

Something dark and cold filled the Superior's gaze at those words, his lips twitching upwards in a cruel smirk. He leaned down to the side, propping an elbow up on the armrest of the rhone, and held his chin up with the palm of his hand. "Is that so…?" He hummed, intrigued by this new information. Schemes were already forming in his mind, ideas of how to use this information to their advantage. "How… fortunate for us. Human hearts are so fragile; they can be twisted and torn… broken apart and shattered… but in the end, they become suffocated by their emotions and the guilt that comes with it. With that knowledge in their minds, their unique… bond as keepers and sisters, they wouldn't dare leave the other."

"Forgive me for saying so," Xaldin cut in, frowning, "but the Keeper of Darkness appears to not want anything to do with the younger girl. She claims that she never wanted to find her. Is this not problematic?"

Another voice spoke, Zexion clearing his throat and speaking loud enough for all to hear. "The girl believed the woman to be dead; she even went so far as to correct me in my conclusion and said that she had a second sister- one of whom had vanished thirteen years ago. We've not been able to find the Keeper of Darkness until now, so perhaps this theory holds true? It's not impossible for her to be of relation to the girl; just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it can't happen now. Perhaps later, when the Keeper of Darkness has calmed down and there'd be no danger of violence, Vexen and I could run a few DNA tests to ascertain these claims?"

"It would be the fastest and most efficient way to clear up this convoluted mishap." A nasally voice interrupted, adding in his own opinion. "I'd like to meet these children myself; I'm curious to see what makes their abilities so different from our own. Maybe even run a few of my own tests…" Of course, it would have to be when the Keeper of Darkness wasn't keen on throwing him into another coffee table.

"Oh, come on!" A childish voice whined. "Do you really expect to get anyone's trust when you act so creepy? Besides, they've been through a lot; I say we let things cool down a bit before we get too crazy." The hooded figure waved a hand in the air, acting as nonchalant as he could. "After all, we're supposed to be friendly, right? Can't do that if they're running away in terror all the time; Irene's pretty freaked out as it is."

""Irene" now, is it?" Xigbar grinned, watching in amusement as the hooded figure stiffened and jumped in his throne, scooting back and looking up at him in alarm. "You two have been getting pretty chummy these past few days."

"H-Hey, it's not like that!" He argued, hood falling back enough to reveal an indignant sea-green glare. "She's just someone I'm supposed to befriend. We're Nobodies- we can't even have real friends, right? It's all a part of the Superior's big plans. I'm helping!"

"Leave the boy alone, Xigbar." Xaldin scowled. "Though, I won't argue that Five, Six, Nine, and Eleven happen to be the members the Keeper of Light favors."

A chuckle and a flick of the wrist, Marluxia's hood came fluttering down. Rose petals swayed through the air, the man catching one and speaking in his rumbling voice, "Well, I have been doing my best to curry favor. I can't say much for the new woman, however- I refuse to get along with anyone who despises flowers."

"I don't understand it!" A woman snapped, all eyes turning to her. Larxene glowered, acid green eyes bright and furious. "We aren't even going to use the Keeper of Light for anything; all we need is the one of Darkness! Why are we working so hard to be "nice" to the little brat when she's not even the one we're after!?"

A very british chuckle made itself known, sky blue eyes shimmering in amusement as a hand pulled out cards from midair. "Isn't that obvious, Number Twelve? It's to keep her from siding with the enemy- though, I find it quite amusing of the ones she chose to trust. It's seems the odds are in her favor- although Six does seem to be a strange choice of companionship. I know I'd keep better company."

Zexion rolled his eyes upon hearing that, scooting farther back in his huge throne, and shook his head. "If the Keeper of Light chooses to find Illusions as good company that's her initiative; I, however, could care less upon what she decides to do."

"You can't even care at all!" Xigbar barked, a grin spread across his face. "How can you when you don't have any hearts!?"

"Oh, be quiet already, you old coot!" Larxene hissed, ready to tears limbs. Lightning crackled off of her fingers, her nails tapping angrily against the arms of the throne. "You explained nothing! And until you give me a good reason as to why I should "behave" myself around that little brat, when we have no reasons to be nice to her at all, I refuse to act "friendly"! Oh, so she won't go to the stupid mouse and his wizard, but we could very well just lock her up and refuse her access anywhere! She's our prisoner, isn't she? So shouldn't we start treating her like-"

"Larxene!" The woman froze at the sharp tone of voice her "companion" used, Marluxia sending her a glare most foul. "The Keeper of Light is one of whom should be treated with respect, for while she is not of use now she can be used to lure the Keeper of Darkness into our hands. Do not think that I've forgotten about your little stunt earlier today; you were even more reckless than usual and could have cost us some serious problems if you had succeeded in harming her. If Nine hadn't, by some miracle, managed to block your attack and get her out of there in time we would be having some massive problems. It was hard enough finding the current Keeper of Light-how long do you think it would take to find the next one? Perhaps we wouldn't even find them, for they would already be in the hands of the wizard?"

"I don't care! She talked back to me, damn it!" Larxene argued, upset that the only person she could really "trust" was against her decision. Sure, she was a little out of line but… "It doesn't matter who you are or how "important" you're supposed to be to the world, but-"

"Don't. Do it. Again."

With a single glare, Larxene went silent. She stared at Marluxia, startled by the way he was acting, before huffing and turning her head away. She slumped in her throne, the woman crossing her arms with an angry mumble, "Fine. Whatever. Play house with that stupid brat…"

Marluxia smiled, although it was anything but genuine. "Back onto the subject matter," He began, turning to look back at the Superior, and said, "what are we going to do with the Keeper of Darkness? She's very unwilling, from which we all saw, to cooperate."

"That's not true."

Everybody was surprised upon hearing the iron-strong voice, no one having expected Lexaeus to talk. The bulkiest and tallest member of the Organization looked down at the floor, eyes hard in thought. Zexion turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow curiously. "What do you know, Lexaeus?"

"...She's not completely disregarding of us. She was uncertain, but after proving myself not a threat she relaxed."

Xaldin looked up upon hearing that, realization flashing in his eyes. "I agree with that as well. While in my care, she remained quite civil aside from a few scathing remarks. If we play our parts right, we may be able to convince her that we are allies."

Saix, seeing the way the conversation was going, decided that it was now his queue to interrupt, face and eyes as hard as stone as he looked at the silent Xemnas. "Whilst the Keeper of Darkness wants nothing to do with her, I have reason to believe simply from her behavior around our members that the Keeper of Light will try to befriend her. Her heart is too… pure for her to do otherwise."

"I still think it's stupid," Larxene grumbled, legs crossed. "It's so obvious that he's showing favor to the Keeper of Darkness; even the food given to her was better prepared. The Keeper of Light's a brat, but if she has any common sense then she'll notice soon enough."

Xaldin turned his gaze sharply onto her, eyes hardening into a glare. "You dare speak back to the Superior in such a way, Twelve? Do you wish to be a dusk?"

"Shut up! I wasn't talking to you." Xemnas sighed at the argument, bringing a hand up and rubbing at his temples. While he was used to it, nothing gave him more of a headache than when his members fought.

"Everyone, please… calm yourselves. Let us talk of this civilly."

"Still, to think the Keepers of Heart are sisters- ha!" Xigbar snorted. All eyes turned to him. "Oh, this is just too good. Everything's falling in our favor without us even trying. That stupid mouse won't have a clue what hit him once we're done with these ladies."

"Indeed." Luxord mused, flipping through the cards in his hands. Closing his eyes, he turned his cards over and shuffled, flicking a finger and peeking at the card that flew out of his hold. A king-otherwise known as number thirteen. "Organization XIII- not much of an Organization without our thirteenth member. I still vote on changing our name; wouldn't it be more appropriate to call ourselves Organization XII?"

Demyx scrunched his face up at the sound of it and waved his hands in the air. "Ew, gross! No, no, no. That sounds horrible. Organization XIII sounds so much better. Has that ring to it… more ominous. More catchy."

"Why do we even bother having these meetings when the members are too incompetent to stay on track?" Vexen groaned, eye twitching at the insolence of the other members. "I say we have the more mature members here for these meetings and let the fools reside in their chambers."

"Seconded." Zexion muttered. Lexaeus gave no sign of response, though he did lift his gaze up to stare at the man whose throne resided far above his and Vexen's- a sign of Zexion having completed more missions. "Is the meeting adjourned, Superior?"

"You all are far too impatient," Marluxia mused, fingers curled and pressed against his cheek. "Really, you need to learn to relax. I would think you would know more about the patience in scheming than anyone else here, Six. Your title is the Cloaked Schemer, after all."

A dark stare was all that Marluxia received in that one-sided conversation. However, as they spoke, Marluxia thought of how he could use the Keepers for his own means. There was no befriending the Keeper of Darkness-no, she lost her chance long ago. The Keeper of Light, however… if done correctly he could manipulate the girl into being his perfect little puppet.

She seemed plenty gullible and like an easy target, and if he worded thing properly he could keep her all to himself. Make her obey only him. It wasn't as if he wanted to serve the Superior after all, but he had to be careful. Marluxia would have to make sure not to break her and be certain that the higher ups don't catch wind of his schemes.

Xemnas, realizing they were all quickly losing interest, sat up straighter. He waved a hand as he spoke, saying, "While the Keeper of Light does not have much initial use for us, the Keeper of Darkness is our main target- as number Twelve has so kindly pointed out… However… in order to gain her trust… we need not show too much favor to one, and instead pamper them both, gently pushing them forwards… with the gullible, complacent Keeper of Light guiding the way. Without her naive heart, it would prove much more… difficult… to convince the Keeper of Darkness that we are allies."

"But in order to do that, we have to gain her trust first." Vexen retorted. "How do you expect us to do that when she seems so keen on sticking close to only a few of our members?"

"I'm curious about that as well." Xaldin admitted. "I left the Keeper of Darkness under the watch of Axel, but the Keeper of Light appears most uncomfortable around the other members. How are we to use her to lure in Maria when the child is too scared to stray from Nine and Six?" Demyx seemed to shrink in his seat, whereas Zexion sat a little straighter in his throne-his attention caught.

"All in due time," Xemnas told him, leaning back into his throne and closing his eyes with a quiet exhale. "Let the girl's attachment grow naturally, then start the preparations. For now, resume assigning guards; though keep it to those she's grown accustomed to. Have the others guard the Keeper of Darkness- but, if needed, switch to those who can hold her down if she decides to try and rebel. We shan't be too impatient."

With a nod and a murmur of understanding around the room, a few members adding in their own opinion, they all started vanishing one-by-one into the corridors of darkness. Xemnas was left all alone in the room once more.

…

Unsurprisingly, I found myself getting lost. After much struggle of wandering around the castle, making myself back to the lounge twice- with everyone having vanished like ghosts- I ended up just dragging my feet exhaustedly through the halls, completely drained of strength. After seriously debating just curling up in a corner by one of the very inviting walls, I ended up arriving at a door that seemed just a little more familiar than the rest.

Opening it, I was greeted with the sight of the kitchen and a man nearly as tall as Marluxia scowling at a kettle of boiling water. Around six-foot-four, with neatly trimmed blond hair and a goatee, he had multiple studs on both ears. He, just like everyone else in this godforsaken castle, was very pretty. Well, no- Zexion, Marluxia, Axel, and Demyx were all very pretty. Saix, Xemnas, this man, and even Xaldin could be described as handsome. Lexaeus… well, he just looked sort of angry.

Not in the mood to socialize or wanting to deal with people in general, I ignored him and made my way to the cabinet, opening and standing on my tiptoes to try and reach the cinnamon sugar box that was suddenly farther back than usual. There was a small inhale of surprise from behind, most likely coming from the blond man near the water kettle, and a chuckle. Ignoring the feeling of satisfaction I got when I managed to grab the box, I pulled back and slipped out another poptart packet.

"Victory, I see."

"...Oh! O-Oh, wait, what?" He was talking to me? Crap. I turned, faltering at the sight, and winced when I felt a small pain in the back of my neck. All these people are too darn tall… I'm going to break my neck with how far up I have to look just to see their faces. I fumbled to put the box back, awkwardly holding the poptart packet to my chest. "Uh… hi?"

He chuckled. When he spoke, it was in a very British accent. "Hello. You are… ah, yes. I see. You're the Keeper of Light, aren't you?" He crossed his arms, staring down at me with a small grin. "Come for a snack?"

I looked down at the packet I was holding and gave a small awkward shrug, not entirely sure how to react to this situation. "Uh… I-I guess? I mean, apparently. I was just scooped up from school one day and was told "hey, you're living here now". A-As for-As for the food, uh… y-yeah. Kinda. I-I think I've been here like… five days now? Four?" Something like that.

The man raised an eyebrow, humming thoughtfully. "Is that so? Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss." He stepped forward, giving a small bow. "May we get along well; I'm Luxord, number ten of the Organization. Your name is…?"

"O-Oh, uh… Irene." This is… surprising. He's very formal; not to mention very… civil. He's almost as polite as Zexion- just without the sass. "It's-It's nice to meet you, too." He stood, smiling, and I wondered if it would be alright to open the packet mid-conversation and start eating the poptart. Luxord went silent, lost in thought, and seeing that he wasn't going to say anything I slowly started to waddle towards the table, half-expecting him to start talking again.

He never did. He went back to messing with the boiling water, clearly waiting for it to finish heating, and I got to tearing off pieces of the snack and chewing quietly. It's so awkward… Everything was so silent- and it wasn't the comfortable silence either. In the silence, I ended up thinking about the anger in Maria's hazel eyes and how blood had been pooling on the floor-dripping from Marluxia's hip and thigh. Now that I was wide awake I could remember everything fully.

I still have so much trouble accepting it. What made her so violent?

"Tell me, Irene, have you met the other Keeper yet?"

The sudden voice made me jolt. "Wh-What?" Turning my head, I saw Luxord looking at me. Oh… he was talking to me again. He said something about meeting the other Keeper- Oh! Okay. I get it now. "Uh, briefly. We didn't really… talk much…"

The smile didn't fade from his face, and his eyes-while empty like many others-had just the slightest tint of life to them. "Oh? Why speak so grim of it?"

"W-Well, I… I'm not, I just-" I wasn't sure how to explain. I just had the feeling Maria didn't like me very much. "I mean, I met her twice. Kinda. First time we both sort of collapsed and were asleep for two days-according to Marluxia. Demyx was pounding on my door, yelling at me to wake up so he could hide in the room, and it was like "what" and he said that there was a crazy lady on the loose and that she beat up some of the strongest members. So I said, "What crazy lady? Who did she beat up" and then he was on a rant and then I was ranting, and then we started arguing because "What if they're still alive" and "but she'll kill us" and I won with "but the castle is super big, so she'll got lost; we should check up on them" and then we both reluctantly did so. Second meeting was today. It-It was a mess.."

Taking a deep breath after that long tangent, I took another bite without bothering to break it off, chewing and blinking away the tears that were trying to sting my eyes.

"Today?" Luxord echoed, registering everything I had said. He frowned. "What happened with today?"

"She-" I paused, looking down and biting my bottom lip as I thought of what to say. I didn't really know this man, so I wasn't sure whether or not how much I was allowed to tell him. But I was also stuck here in this castle and the only people I could be close to considering friends were Demyx and Marluxia. I've been bottling a lot of things in since I've been here, not having a chance to vent it all out, and without Skylar here I haven't been able to tell anyone anything.

I didn't know this guy. Therefore, he can't judge me… right? I just… I just want to talk. The Organization needs me alive, so they won't kill me… hopefully. Swallowing down the lump forming in the back of my throat, I blinked away tears and took a deep breath. I can do this. Just… breathe, Irene. You're fine.

I set the poptart down carefully on the table, making sure the food itself didn't touch the table and resided on the plastic wrapping. "I… I don't think she likes me very much," I murmured, bringing my arms up and crossing them over my chest, tugging on my jacket in an attempt to hug myself. My stomach churned grossly, so many emotions worming around it was dizzying. "E-Everyone… Everyone was going on about how we looked alike, you know? And… And Lexaeus said something about our expressions; how they were the same, even after she pointed out that we didn't look very alike. A-And… And then Demyx, he… he suggested that…"

"Suggested what?" Luxord encouraged, taking a seat at the table and leaning over slightly. He laced his fingers together in front of him on the table. I tried to speak, but it felt like my voice was stuck in my throat. The idea, the very possibility, that that woman was my sister… the one I yearned to meet for so long… it hurt. It hurt so so much.

The blond looked a little surprised when the tears started falling. He watched as I pushed my glasses up, choking and sniffling as I rubbed at my eyes. "I-I can't believe that's her! I c-can't! She's not… She's not…" My voice broke. That angry, violent woman can't be Maria. I leaned over the table, fingers digging and pulling at my hair as I ground my teeth together, lips curling back as I strangled back a sob. "She's not her, sh-she c-can't be her…" She can't be my big sister. I turned, looking at Luxord through blurry vision, eyes burning and expression helpless and lost. "She died… She died years ago! Sh-She was-She was taken in the middle of the night; Maria is dead. S-So… So why is she here?"

He stared at me for a long moment, completely silent. Something flashed in his eyes, but what it was I wasn't sure.

"Why is she here when she didn't ever exist there?"

"...Because the odds are in your favor." I blinked, taken aback by his words. What was that supposed to mean? Luxord shifted, expression completely serious as he stared down at me. "You've survived for thirteen years with darkness poisoning your system, without even the slightest idea of who you were or of your powers. You're already on the way of befriending a good portion of the Organization, and now the woman you've once lost is now back in your life. Lady Luck has blessed you with good things, Irene."

But… how?

"Maria never died; she was kidnapped, yes, but by the very people we're trying to protect you from. We are merely lucky that we had gotten to you first and that they weren't aware of what you were when they snatched the Keeper of Darkness from your hold." He moved a hand as he spoke, ending his sentence with the clench of a fist. "We were blessed to find you, you were blessed to be so lucky. Perhaps this was fate? The destination that was put in store for you…" Luxord smirked.

Upon the sound of a kettle screeching I jumped, nearly falling out of my chair, whereas Luxord turned his head in surprise.

"Oh, would you look at that? The water's ready." He stood, looking at me with a smile. "Tell me, would you care for some cocoa? It gets awfully chilly in this castle; it's almost always raining outside." C… Cocoa? Hot chocolate?

I gave a timid nod, for while not being big on sweets the sound of something warm to drink was very inviting. "Y-Yes, please… Th-Thank you." I sniffled, rubbing at my eyes again and fighting to stop the tears. I had calmed down a little, Luxord's words somehow soothing me, and wasn't crying as hard anymore. I waited patiently as he got out a few mugs, pouring in the chocolate packets and filling the mugs up with the hot water.

"Marshmallows?"

"Uh, s-sure." Within seconds he had set the mug down in front of me, the drink steaming with heat. "Thank you…"

"Of course! Oh, here's an idea…" Luxord began as he sat down, grinning. "How would you like to know your fortune? While a gambler, I do have some skill in tarot reading. I do break some rules, however; I despise letting people shuffle my cards." He flicked his fingers, cards sliding out of the sleeve of his coat, and he waved them all in the air, making gestures and allowing the cards to shuffle themselves. "Much better…"

Luxord snapped his fingers. The cards, which had wrapped itself into a neat little deck, started to slide off one-by-one, stopping only once it reached the number four. The cards set themselves face-down on the table, deck included.

"Flip the first card, Irene." I stared at it, wondering what might happen. I was a bit awed from the magic show, but because of it I was quite wary of turning over a card that had been previously floating in mid-air. Luxord, seeing my hesitation, chuckled. "Take it from a gambler; nothing can be gained without risks. While waiting has its privileges, it won't work if you're always expecting the opportune moment to appear. Go ahead- they won't bite. They're just cards."

Oh, look at that cheeky grin. Jerk. Okay, fine. I… I can do this. Though a little scared, I reached out and flipped the first card over. "The Magician…?"

"You truly are a lucky one," He mused, smirking. Seeing my confusion, Luxord explained, "the magician is a very good omen; it shows that you can make a better, positive change in your life. All you have to do, Irene, is take the risk. You need to make that gamble, otherwise the rewards will never come to fruition. This card is all about balance; to channel the power inside one's self, whether it be emotional, physical, or something else entirely."

"Okay…" That makes a little sense. "So, basically, I should try and talk to Maria?" He didn't answer, merely smiling and gesturing for me to flip over another card. I did so.

He looked over the card with interest. "Temperance… you have good relationships with people, but there might be some inner turmoil inside of you. Look for that and decipher what's causing the stress, for solving that might help strengthen your bonds. Ah, but that's what you're already doing." Luxord gave an approving nod. I flipped over the next card, curious as to what he was going to say next. "And this one is the Tower… You shouldn't hold onto things too tightly, lest it all fall to pieces. Instead, try relaxing and taking things in as they come and go. Accept what's given to you."

Blowing on the hot chocolate and taking a sip, I thought about that last one. I have been taking things in stride, not focusing on everything at once and just going with the flow. Now, however, with the appearance of "Maria" everything has gone out of loop… I wasn't sure what to do anymore. Perhaps that's where both Temperance and the Tower kick in.

"It just… It just gets a bit difficult sometimes. I've been trying to, but it's… it's getting harder." Breath slightly shaky, I had to fight to calm down. My head still hurt from crying and my eyes were still in much pain.

Luxord nodded, a little understanding. "Indeed. Not everyone can cope with such situations."

After a moment of silence between us, I flipped over the last card. This one seemed to really catch his attention.

"The Reversed Star… Currently staring into the darkness, you need to reach inside yourself and find a reason to hope. You need to recover from the storm and find your sense of calm. Tell me, Irene… do these cards strike you in any form as helpful?"

I thought about it. "I mean… they make sense, if that's what you're asking. So… I think so?"

He laughed. "Ponder on them then, and make your gamble. With Lady Luck on your side, you're surely to be the winner." With that said, Luxord curled his fingers to his palm, outstretched his arm, and the cards on the table shot towards him, sliding up his sleeve and vanishing into the darkness.

I remained in the kitchen, finishing my poptart and drinking the hot chocolate, and Luxord and I sat there in comfortable silence for the remainder of my stay. After ten minutes I took my leave, waving goodbye as I left. I was determined to find my bedroom, if only for one reason. And that reason was that I really wanted to sleep.

…

Axel had caught onto Maria's movement fairly quickly, him having had a deeper understanding of the castle's hallways. But once she realized that the key wasn't to try to navigate, but rather to just move, it became so much easier to lose the fiery red head. Confusing him by not following any particular route, just dashing down the hallways. After that, sending flaming strands of heat down different halls to even more thoroughly confuse him became child's play and it wasn't long after that that Maria was left wandering the castle halls alone and without a guard for the first time in days.

Before long, Maria had found herself outside what she assumed was the kitchen if the cupboards and countertop was anything to go by. She walked inside, the warm scent of chocolate heavy in the air as she made her way about the large room. It wasn't until she heard a soft inhale that she looked over, seeing a tall blond gentleman sitting at one of the counters, the woman recognizing him instantly from Wonderland.

"Afternoon." He smiled charmingly, his his heavy accent giving him an almost regal flair, "Good to see you're up."

Glaring slightly, she crossed her arms, her fists clenched against her arms. "You kidnapped me."

He chuckled softly at that, waving his hand as if dismissing the thought. "It wasn't one of my best days."

"You know that means I hate you, right?"

"Naturally." He replied as she looked him over.

Seeing him lounging against the kitchen counter with a steaming mug in his hands as opposed to squaring off against him and his flying cards, he seemed so much more...domesticated. She relaxed her shoulders a bit, still slightly skeptical of the older man as she eyed his cup before turning her gaze back onto his startlingly blue eyes. "...Is that hot chocolate?"

"Of course." He replied easily, turning around to grab a steaming mug off the counter behind him before sliding it across the table to her with a polite smile. It was almost as though he had expected visitors, what with the way the mugs were all lined up and ready to be drank. "Luxord."

Hesitantly, she stepped forward, taking the offered drink. "...Maria."

"Pleasure."

"So, do you normally just lie in wait to hand out hot chocolate?"

"Not usually. However, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm glad to see it paid off." He grinned at her, eyes holding a slight sparkle to them.

She sipped her hot chocolate, brows furrowed as she tried to size him up, not quite understanding his motive, and asked, "What's your number?"

A laugh escaped his lips at that, smiling broadly. "If you wished to go out to dinner, you need only have asked."

Her brow twitched, irritation slowly building, "Not your phone number-your Organization number," she explained, letting out a deep sigh, "Honestly, I didn't even think you all had phones."

"Phones are rather tedious, don't you think?"

"I think you're avoiding the question."

"Now that's presumptuous."

"I tend to make it a habit to understand who I'm speaking with."

"Then understand you shall." He said as he waved his hand lightly before him, cards unfurling from his sleeve to land on the table in a neat row. "I am Number X. The Gambler of Fate."

She watched the cards, remembering what happened the last time he brought those out. "Given your likeness for playing cards, it's not surprising you're a gambler."

"Speaking of gambling, you seem like quite the risk taker."

"Is that a remark on my fighting style or the fact that I fought off almost half of you all?" She questioned, leaning her hip against the counter as she took a long sip of the flavorful beverage, sighing in content as she felt the heat flood through her.

Luxord flicked his wrist, his cards lifting to lay flat in his hands before he began to shuffle through them. "It is based on your life choices. I had overheard that you did not wish to meet the other Keeper. Does that not make you ill?"

Tensing, she cast a sideways glance over her cup at him, eyes narrowing. "Your point?"

"I would think you would not want to be ill. As the Keeper of Darkness, would it not be more beneficial to you to be at your prime?"

"I didn't want to meet them. Sick or not, my life is my own. I won't have it dictated and commanded by some Mouse and his keeper."

"So it is because you are angry?" Questioned the blonde, shuffling through his cards before laying them out for Solitaire. "Or because you do not wish to think of the possibilities?"

"The only possibilities I see are yet another pawn in his Majesty's game. I won't be used."

Luxord had to fight the urge to smirk at that, gazing out at his cards as he said, "You, specifically, or rather both of you?"

"I don't give a damn about the other Keeper. My life is mine."

"Even if it's your sister who contains the light?"

Maria's jaw clenched, eyes flashing with tendrils of red as she gripped her cup, small cracks forming along it's surface from the pressure. "She's not my sister." She seethed, the temperature in the room climbing a few degrees.

Setting down the card in his hand, he gazed up at her, his smile now gone as he looked her over, his piercing blue eyes looking as if they were trying to see into her very being. "Tell me, Maria; do you not wish it to be your sister because you feel you do not have one, or is it because you do not want her to see what you have become?"

Inhaling sharply, Maria stared at him with wide eyes before moving to set down her cup, turning to leave before he spoke again, his voice much more chipper now.

"I do fancy myself a fair game of chess. If you ever feel the need, my room is two halls from Axel's. Do stop by if you ever wish to chat."

Green eyes met blue for a brief moment, confusion flashing across her pale face before a loud voice echoed through the kitchen, startling the pair.

"It's about time I found you! Ditching me for Luxord? Man, oh, man- and I thought we were getting along." Axel exclaimed as he walked in, draping an arm around the Keeper's shoulders.

"Axel. Lively as ever, I see." Luxord commented, face blank.

"Of course! Flames gotta burn, right?"

"How about we don't touch me?" Maria interrupted as she shrugged Axel's arm off, taking a step back. She cast a glance back at the Brit, unsure of him before steeling herself. "Nice talking to you."

"Likewise." The blonde replied as he watched Maria take off out the door.

Axel sent a glare over at Luxord, acidic green eyes narrowed in annoyance, "What'd you say to her?"

"I only struck up conversation, VIII. Please, do go watch your charge before she wanders off. The Superior would be most displeased."

Scoffing his displeasure, Axel crossed his arms, "You know, you're almost as bad as Xigbar sometimes."

"I'd like to believe I'm more tactful than that."

"Yeah, right. You're a right dick, sometimes. Let her have a minute. A lot's changed." He snapped as he walked off to follow his fiery new companion.

…

I wasn't sure how long I wandered, something I was slowly beginning to get used to. I was half-tempted to just scream for Demyx because I was getting nowhere. I honestly don't understand how people navigate around this stupid castle, because I can't find any tell-tale markers of what hallway led to what. Twenty minutes, maybe thirty of pointless walking.

I had passed that same door at least three times now, I swear. And that staircase to the left- that was there five minutes ago when I walked out of the kitchen! And then… uh… okay, yeah, no. I'm lost. I'm completely and totally lost. I give up. I can't do this anymore.

Shoulders slumping, I lowered my head and let my bangs fall into my face, sighing. So sleepy… I really am going to have to start camping out in the hallways, aren't I? I won't even be able to-to think about everything without fear of someone stumbling upon me. I didn't want to deal with people; I hated it when I cried in front of people for personal reasons. If it was over a book or video game I wouldn't mind; I would own up to it, but crying in front of someone because I was emotionally distressed over something going on in my own life…

That was something I had an issue with. A-And to have her here and not even be sure if she was who I wanted to believe she was, I… I can't…

I can't believe I let myself cry like that in front of Luxord. I'm an idiot- a downright idiot. I sniffled, bringing a hand up and rubbing at my burning eyes. My glasses were spotted with dried tears, and my chest still hurt-almost as though someone had reached in and started tearing at my heart, digging their claws into the organ and trying to crush and rip it open all at once. Freaking- even if she was Maria she probably wouldn't want anything to do with me. If anything, she would want to harm me like she did the others just so she could escape.

Choking back a sob, I rounded a corner. I barely looked up in time to see a blur of black and pale skin, crashing almost immediately into a woman's chest and stumbling back, squeaking out an alarmed "H-Hello!" in greeting. "A-Are you okay-" I started, finally catching my balance and looking up to see who I hit, only to freeze as my blood ran cold. My words died on my tongue, voice caught in my throat, and I stared speechless at the woman looking down at me.

She was just as frozen as I was, alarm and panic hidden in her hazel gaze, before a hard expression took over her features. The nausea was getting even worse now, my stomach twisting and churning, and I knew it was only a short amount of time before I threw up what little food I had in my stomach. The woman took a step back, her eyebrows quirking up and her shoulders tensing.

We both just stood there for a moment, neither moving, and I tried even harder to swallow back the tears despite how much it hurt. Her eyes were as wide as could be, but her visage was quickly blurring in my vision. I knew I should say something- anything- but nothing would come out. There was a tremble and my lips curled back, my teeth grinding together as I slid a step back.

She was here. She was here and closer than ever and just looking at her reminded me so much of Clara and Darian, and I can't-

Rather flustered and fed up with the situation, a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Just-Just stop! Enough of the tears already, damn it. It's a fucking maze here; you're going to bump into people! Now man the hell up and-no! No, no, no- stop that! Fuck- stop that!" The tears had started falling without my consent, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. I couldn't move; I was paralyzed to the spot. "Quit crying!" I flinched at the raising of her voice, recoiling, and it was at that moment a familiar redhead turned the corner-stopping just before he could crash into either of us.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Axel demanded, walking into view. Maria pulled away, acting as though I had burned her, her movements stiff. She stared at her hands for a moment, hazel gaze lifting to meet emerald green.

"Nothing," The woman muttered, "just an accident."

Axel looked at me, raising an eyebrow, and I gave a short nod. I was shaking. The redhead took a step forward, outstretching almost as if he were thinking of comforting me, only to falter when I recoiled and took a step back. Axel paused, lowering his hand slowly with a confused and almost thoughtful look.

I turned, ready to bolt the heck out of there, but I wasn't able to get two steps when I crashed into a rather broad chest. "Ah-hello there, Irene." A familiar voice purred in greeting. I jolted, looking up at the tall man in alarm and surprise. Light blue eyes flickering in amusement, with a pleasant smile tugged on his face, Marluxia kept his hands on my arms to keep me balanced. "Is there something the matter?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words still weren't working. "N-No… N-No, I-" I swallowed down the lump in my throat, blinking a few more times, and choked out, "I'm fine."

At that, Marluxia reached forward and ran a single gloved finger across my cheek, wiping at some of the tears. Not being a fan of things coming near my face, my eyes closed in response and I leaned away. It didn't seem to bother him. Instead, he just continued to say, "Your expression tells me otherwise… Well, I think I understand the problem now."

Marluxia turned his head, staring down at the two with an expression so cold I actually believed for a few seconds that what everyone was saying was true- about how they lacked hearts. The man put his hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer to him and almost directly behind him, and he scowled at the two across from us. I felt a chill go down my spine, the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach only growing worse. I was starting to grow dizzy.

"You two did something to her, didn't you?" Marluxia demanded, a frown etched onto his face. Maria rolled her shoulders back, a foot sliding forward with a knee bent as she got into a stance- as if she were about to attack Marluxia again at any given moment. Scared of such a possibility, I reached out and tugged on Marluxia's sleeve. He hummed curiously, though kept his eyes locked warily on the woman, and asked without looking at me, "What is it?"

Axel looked ready to fight as well, but not quite to the extent that the woman beside him was. "We didn't do anything, Marluxia. Calm your rose petals already."

I nodded at Axel's words, my hold on Marluxia's sleeve tightening to the point that my knuckles were now white and touching his arm. "It-It wasn't their-their fault…" My voice cracked when I spoke, having to force the words out. "I-I was a-already- Don't be m-mad at them… P-Please?" Voice small and quiet, I was amazed he could even hear me.

I didn't want him to get hurt again-heck, I didn't want there to be another fight in general. Just the fact that people could get hurt in such a horrific fashion was terrifying; if one wasn't careful they could set someone off and accidentally get themselves torn to shreds or, worse, killed. I wasn't very keen on the idea of Marluxia bleeding out again, or Axel and Maria getting hurt. I just… I just wanted things to go peacefully. Is that so bad?

Marluxia stared down at me for a long moment, Axel and Maria both staring in a mixture of confusion and surprise, and the pink-haired Nobody let out a small sigh. Then a hand was on my head, ruffling my hair. Marluxia kept his other hand on his hip, shaking his head, and told me, "I really should start expecting this; you even went so far to stand up for Nine earlier. Foolishness, as Larxene would have killed you had Demyx not stepped in."

He pulled his hand away, instead placing it back onto my shoulder and turning me around. I blinked, knitting my eyebrows together in confusion.

"I suppose this is one of the reasons why you were chosen as the Keeper of Light, though I don't particularly agree with it… Regardless, what's done is done. Now come; I'll guide you back to your room. I have a feeling you were lost." A small smirk on his face, I stammered out a small protest about how I wasn't lost before giving up when I realized he was right. I started to do as told, following him as he guided me with a hand on my upper back, and I quickly cast a small glance over my shoulder to get one more look at Maria and Axel.

Was she… really my Maria? My sister Maria? She had to be- the resemblance to Clara and Darian was too uncanny for it to not be so, and if what the others said was true about us wearing the same expressions…

Intense hazel green met timid pastel brown, and for a short moment the world seemed to slow down. It was as if everything was there- all the answers to the questions that had been accumulating in my mind over the years, all the thoughts and wonders that could give even the slightest bit of clarity, and the very strong possibility that yes-this woman was my sister.

But then we turned the corner, Marluxia guiding me away and the two leaving my sight.

As we walked the halls, nothing but silence and the sound of our own footsteps echoing down the area, a thought came to me. "H-Hey, uh, M-Marluxia…?"

"Yes?"

"What exactly do you guys do? You're an Organization, right? You guys all claim to lack hearts, that you use your memories of when you had one to act as you do, b-but… what do you guys do as an Organization?" Demyx said something about how they collected hearts, in hopes of creating some kind of Kingdom… that way they could get hearts themselves. "How can you even lack hearts? Without one your body shouldn't even work, so wouldn't it make sense if you already have one? Even with memories, you-"

Marluxia stopped walking, turning and looking down at me without an expression. Completely blank, his empty eyes stared down at me without a hint of life or feeling to them. I felt cold. "When the heart is ripped from the body two things happen. A heartless, a creature born from the darkness in one's heart, is created. Depending on how strong the darkness determines how strong or large the heartless. Then what's left is an empty husk- a shell of what was- that exists in neither the realm of darkness nor the realm of light. A being is made then, born in a world in between, called a Nobody."

"...And depending on how strong their willpower is, d-determines how human they look?"

He looked a little surprised and a little impressed at the same time. "You know this?"

I rubbed my neck a little sheepishly, feeling sicker and sicker with each passing moment. "Uh, D-Demyx told me a while back…"

"I see… but you still don't understand one thing. The heart was taken from the body when it died, creating the Heartless, and so when the Nobody was born it had no such thing. Without that heart we can not feel, we can't be happy or sad, experience sorrow or grief. All we can do is hate and long- for all that a Nobody is or does is want. We want emotions, we want a heart. A Nobody's entire existence is nothing more than a want."

"But…" I only became more confused, my next words startling the man if only slightly. "But want could be considered an emotion, too. It's a feeling. You can't want something without-without…" God, what was that word? It's on the tip of my tongue. "It's-It's a-a longing, a… Hmm." I crossed my arms, biting my bottom lip as I thought. "Like, you guys say it's only memories that you can draw your actions from, but the fact that you guys even want a heart in general has to mean something is there, right?"

"...Perhaps. But for one to say something of the sort without having ever experienced such a thing herself," Marluxia began, an eyebrow raised, "it's rather odd. You've been around people your whole life; you've never met Nobodies before, nonetheless spoken to them. Maybe in time you'll understand, but for now I suggest keeping your theories to yourself. I doubt the Superior would be pleased to hear them."

I flinched, lowering my head, and stammered, "S-Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. Now let's go- we're almost there."

Without another word on the subject, I followed. As we walked, I came to the conclusion that the explanation I was looking for had something to do with either melancholy or nostalgia. Perhaps… desire? Desire for all that's lost… A heart, emotions, being human; they all desire what they once had.

But isn't that enough to say that they were already human? Greed is the most natural part of human nature, so how can they say they're all heartless when they desire something so terribly that they would go out of their way to steal hearts from people in order to obtain their own? I don't understand it. I don't understand a lot of what's going on here, about the Organization or about the members and how they're all "Nobodies", but… despite how dead their eyes looked I just can't bring myself to believe them heartless.

I knew I was overthinking things again, yet I couldn't help it. Nothing added up. It wasn't logical. All of this wasn't logical. The magic, the portals, the kidnapping in its entirety- it was ludicrous. But perhaps that was enough proof for what they say to be true, of them truly lacking hearts. I can argue and rationalize and try to figure out why they were wrong, but chances were I would be incorrect at the end.

I give up… this is making my brain hurt.

The Organization is made up of Nobodies; Nobodies don't have hearts. Not having a heart means feeling no emotion, and feeling no emotion means they have to rely on their memories of their past lives to act with a personality. And for being so "empty" and having to fake their personalities they're all still very… unique.

I don't even know why I'm trying; I don't even know anything about this place. I really need to just keep my thoughts to myself.

With that, we arrived at my bedroom door.

…

Maria walked down the halls at a brisk pace, Luxord's words ringing through her head, "Do you not wish it to be your sister because you feel you do not have one or is it because you do not want her to see what you have become?"

"Fucking prick. What does he know?" She seethed, clenching her hands into fists as she grit her teeth, her thoughts tumbling over each other as she warred with her own mind, turning to round the corner only to bump into something soft and squeaking. Tensing, Maria readied herself for an assault before she noticed who exactly it was she had ran into; shaggy brown hair and puffy chocolate eyes squeaking out an apology as Maria felt her blood turn to ice, her body rigged.

She felt her hands twitch as she fought down the panic threatening to overtake her, schooling her features back into their hard indifference as she stared down the Keeper of Light. She doesn't look anything like me, if anything she looks sick. She thought as she took a step back, brows quirking up slightly as she looked over the younger girl, shoulders tensed as she wondered whether or not the brunette would topple over; her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes betraying the put-together look she tried to portray.

Maria's eyes widened as she heard what she knew only too well as a choked back sob, panic flaring in her fiery eyes. Quickly, she reached out and grabbed her shoulders, not knowing how to handle a crying girl, and shook her. "Just- Just stop! Enough of the tears already, damn it. It's a fucking maze here; you're going to bump into people! Now man the hell up and-no!" She started before the tears fell more readily down Irene's face, her voice rising a bit as she struggled to handle the situation, shoulders drawn taut from how flustered and tense she was. "No, no, no- stop that! Fuck- stop that!" She ordered, hands gripping her shoulder just the slightest bit harder now. "Quit crying!" She demanded, seeing the brunette recoil from her before she felt a presence pop up behind her from around the corner.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Came the smooth voice of Axel.

Pulling away quickly, Maria shifted back away from Irene, her movements more stiff and awkward given their encounter. Staring at her hands, Maria furrowed her brows, not understanding what had overcome her to try and comfort Irene, given that she had no idea how to do anything like that. "Nothing," she muttered, dropping her hands to her side, "just an accident."

Axel glanced over at Irene, taking in her ragged appearance. Maria didn't fail to notice how the redhead reached out, almost as if he meant to comfort her, as she saw the almost empty look in his eyes, as if he was at a loss too as to how to care for someone. To feel for them.

I guess we're alike in that regard. She thought as she watched him drop his hand at Irene's obvious displeasure at the gesture. Maria looked over Irene as she turned to leave before her eyes focused on a unfortunate mop of pale pink hair, her mood turning from unpleasant to downright lethal in a matter of seconds.

"Ah-hello there, Irene." Purred the crimson petaled Assassin, his hands gripping the girl's arms to help her keep balanced. "Is there something the matter?"

Maria's glare deepened as she watched him, Irene's words too broken and soft for her to focus on. The only thing she dared pay attention to was the graceful liar before her; her eyes following his movements as he brushed a lone gloved finger against Irene's cheek, his expression sickeningly sweet for someone she just knew had bigger plans.

"Your expression tells me otherwise… Well, I think I understand the problem now." He cooed before icy blue stared down burning hazel, the tension in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife… or scythe.

Fists clenched and jaw set, she grit her teeth as she watched him carefully maneuver Irene behind him. "You two did something to her, didn't you?" Marluxia demanded.

Rolling her shoulders back as she slid into an offensive stance, Maria positioned herself to attack, all previous panic and turmoil gone from eyes only to be replaced with something much more familiar: rage.

It wasn't until Irene pulled on Marluxia's sleeve in panic that the assassin's expression softened, but despite that he never took his eyes off of the auburn haired woman. "What is it?"

A soft sound escaped Axel's lips before he spoke, his body language promising murder if Marluxia were to try anything. "We didn't do anything, Marluxia. Calm your rose petals already."

"It-it wasn't their-their fault…" Irene stammered, making something clench painfully in Maria's chest as she spoke. "I-I was a-already- Don't be m-mad at them… P-Please?"

The group stared down at the small Keeper, half amazed at her resolve to keep them from fighting and half wondering if she had some kind of death wish. Letting out a small sigh, the floral Nobody ruffled the girl's hair, a hand poised gracefully on his hip. "I really should start expecting this; you even went so far to stand up for Nine earlier. Foolishness, as Larxene would have killed you had Demyx not stepped in."

Maria thought she could hear a deceptive squeak of confusion as Marluxia turned Irene around and began to lead her down the hall. She saw worried brown eyes look over their shoulder at her, the world slowing down for eyes seeking answers to too many questions.

But Maria's eyes held no answers for her as the two vanished from sight.

A long moment of silence settled around the two fire starters before Axel placed his hands on his hips, letting out a low whistle before turning back to Maria. "You know, I'm starting to think that you have a death wish."

Maria straightened, arms hanging loosely at her sides as she cast a sideways glance at the redhead, "And what makes you say that?"

"Because. You seem to be pissing off all the wrong people." He informed as he turned to lean against the wall, arms crossed, "Marluxia might be annoying, but he's not a fool. He's isn't called the Graceful Assassin for show, you know."

"And I'm supposed to be intimidated?"

"No. You're supposed to be prepared. Got it memorized?" He asked as he pressed a finger to his temple, leaning forward a bit as he did so before leaning back fully against the wall again. He gestured with his arms as he spoke, his tone serious despite the loose way he moved, "He's manipulative and devious. If he can find a way to take you out without dusking himself, he will. You've already managed to get yourself onto his hit list and you haven't even been here a week."

"To be fair, I've only been here while conscious for less than twenty-four hours." She countered as she crossed her arms, the heat in her eyes rivaling the cool complexion of her face as she stared down the Flurry of Dancing Flames.

Axel blanched at her response, blinking before outright laughing as he moved forward, practically draping himself around her as he wrapped one long slender around around her torso, the other poking her cheek playfully. "Then I guess that makes you special, now don't it?"

Maria tensed as he touched her, batting him away quickly as her cheeks flushed, the young woman flustered at his openness as she glared. "Don't touch me."

"Ah, you're no fun. You're too tense."

"And you're too relaxed. I could still kill you, you know."

"You can try, but I'm immortal."

"Nothing lasts forever."

He grinned, eyes playful and full of mirth, "Yeah, but I've got people who remember my name. I'll live forever in their memory."

She watched him for a moment, seeing something almost like longing flash in his gaze; longing for an emotion he couldn't quite remember, but a feeling he knew he should hold somehow. It was almost heartbreaking, and she pitied him for that.

Almost.

"Hey, Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'd like to go home now."

BUM BUM BUUUUM! First proper interaction between the two. XD Yay~! How'd you like that shady Organization XIII meeting? Just what did Maria mean when she said "home"? Tell us what you think in the reviews! I'd love to hear your theories :3 Have a wonderful day, lovelies! Sorry this took so long. Schedules. Blegh.