So, a certain reviewer wanted some more of Mina. Well, I hope this will suffice.

Anyways, this is going to be a two-part chapter...again! Part two will *spoiler alert* involve Jane's side of exactly what the title says here. I'm pretty sure some of you can figure out where I'm going with this.

Oh...by the way. Before Mina's portion is finished, let's see if anyone can figure out where the line Xemnas says comes from. Here's the first clue: it's a line from a J. Sheridian LeFanu vampire novella. If you can't figure out, I'll gladly give you the name of the book to look up, borrow, or buy at the first opportunity. Just let me know in your review!

Constructive reviews are welcome. Rude comments are not.

That said, enjoy!

I own nothing except my OCs.

Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.

Chapter 21: Unwarranted Visit, part 1

It was already dark out, which certainly made Mina wonder whether or not Terra had found Mary and is on his way home. Although she didn't have any doubt that the both of them will be alright, what worried her was whether or not the infamous Woman in Red has shown herself again and has found another target. After all, her cousin was a young bachelor in Twilight Town (a more likely target for a femme fatale) and her sister Mary (someone who had an interest in the disturbing news surrounding the nightly stalker) would certainly be a target to silence due to how nosy she got. But then she remembered that the professor and his pupils also accompanied him to the cemetery, so it's not likely the Woman in Red would consider targeting any of them for a reason, if at all; for all she knew, the stalker might be forced to flee town or would get caught and forced to answer for the attacks.

But that wasn't the only thing on her mind; Mina couldn't help but think back on all the strange things that have been going on ever since those incidents at Hollow Bastion and even after their escape from the withering castle – the visions that she just experienced on two separate occasions, the peculiar journal Mary apparently took with her and the contents of the writer's notes, and meeting the same strangers who they've encountered in Hollow Bastion within Twilight Town when they were supposed to be adjusting back into civilization. Personally, she just couldn't help but question what was happening around her, more so since those uncanny gentlemen have strong implications that they are seeking something from them, but she didn't have the faintest idea what it could be. Just encountering them again brought back some bad memories of their temporary stay within the ancient castle, and it didn't help that those who had specific reasons for approaching them were acting much like a predator to the vulnerable prey that is her and her sisters. She could clearly remember how Caroline had hated seeing them again, and how Jane felt increasingly uncomfortable around them without knowing the real reason herself.

In fact, looking back on it, she couldn't help but think back to those moments with Xemnas when nobody was really paying any attention. Time to time, Mina noticed that he had what appeared to be very keen interest in her; though, she was pretty certain that it wasn't just to try and convince her to trust him. Any mention of Hellene caused him to express reminiscence over events of the past as though he had once been there – of course, last she recalled, he said that his ancestor experienced the tragic loss of his loved one – during that bygone age, and whenever he spoke to her, it was almost as though we was attempting to seduce her into accepting him despite his rather questionable background. With that in mind, it made her wonder whether she should be afraid of him or intrigued by him.

But then, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the faint sound of a coach stopping outside followed by a knock on the door. One of the housemaids hurried to answer the door and find out who arrived at this late hour, but after a couple moments, she later heard the news that she didn't expect to hear anytime soon.

"Miss Mina, a gentleman called Xemnas wants to know if anyone is at home," the maid announced.

Her curiosity getting the best of her, Mina felt the urge to confirm it. "I'll take care of things from here, don't worry. Perhaps he just wanted to pay a visit."

As soon as the maid left to resume her duties, Mina arrived at the door and – true to what she had heard – was greeted by the very same man who showed up at the cemetery days prior. Her memory recalled that an invitation was offered once the family has recovered enough from their personal loss, but she also remembered that her cousin had told her and Jane not to let anyone in the house unless it is a guest or if it's Mary and Terra returned home. However, she couldn't resist the notion of finding out what business the peculiar gentleman had with the family this late at night.

"Good evening, sir. We weren't expecting company yet," she said as politely as she could, "Can I help you with anything?"

"I thought a friendly visit would be of comfort during these trying days, but it seems that Dr. Lander is not home at the moment," Xemnas answered her. "Am I to assume I arrived at an inopportune hour? If no one is available, then I will leave without any objection."

Mina shook her head. "No, no, I'm sure Terra will be back. He just had to pick up Mary since she was taking too long with her errand, that is all. If you'd be more comfortable, you may come in for a few minutes, if only to have a little chat."

Though she wasn't aware of it, there a brief triumphant smirk on his face before Xemnas gave her a polite smile.

"You're too kind, Miss Mina," Xemnas answered her invitation as he stepped inside.

As she widened the door and invited him inside the house, Mina couldn't help but have the nagging suspicion that there was another person within the vicinity of the Lander house; but she shrugged it off since she didn't see anyone else out there besides the only visitor she was informed about. After all, Jane is having some time to herself in order to collect her mind after discovering Mary's startling disappearance, and Mina was – initially – just biding her time until her sister and cousin have come home safely. Why would anyone want to come see Jane this late unless it was someone they knew?

"You seem rather disturbed, I can tell. Is there something troubling you?"

The instant Mina heard that question, she couldn't help turning to Xemnas with a puzzled look as though she didn't expect to be asked that.

"Oh, I don't know. So much has been happening over the past few days, I honestly don't know what to think of it," Mina replied with a small sigh. "It was hard enough that we lost our sister to violent causes, but to have news about a mysterious woman attacking young men was much worse than the loss we've yet to come to terms with. It was rather unnerving, thinking that this peaceful town would be haunted by events beyond our understanding."

Xemnas nodded in understanding, but his eyes indicated he knows something else. "I am sure it must be difficult to understand, undoubtedly. But that is not the only thing on your mind, is it? Is there something else preying on your thoughts, Mina? Did something affect you alone?"

That was a surprising thing for Mina to hear from him; normally she was able to keep whatever it was that bothered her under wraps unless she does want to discuss about it. But to think that this eerily intriguing adult was interested in knowing what lurks within the recesses of her psyche, and has no issue with investigating her before anyone else could ever think about prying into her head. Although she wasn't sure whether it was right to allow him to know, she couldn't help but believe that he wouldn't even dare to use what secrets she carries with her against her; she couldn't help but feel convinced that it would be alright to reveal her hidden thoughts against her better judgment.

"Well…I haven't told anyone else about this yet, but…I've been experiencing strange things for a while, and it's rather unsettling," Mina answered, her cheeks turning a bit pink in shyness. "I just had a strange vision a few days ago, and what I did see before I lost my consciousness was just very surreal. I know that I shouldn't have any knowledge of such things, but after reading someone's tragic story, I was somehow able to witness apparitions of the events of the past. It shouldn't be possible, and yet I was the only one who saw this."

"Is that so?" Xemnas wondered, apparently intrigued at what he was hearing. "Tell me what you saw."

Mina sat down on the sofa as she began to explain what she knew. "I can't remember what happened too well, but I do recall seeing these visions of - if my memory serves me right – your ancestor and his lover Hellene during a rather sad moment. It seemed as though she had died, and this death brought painful devastation to the poor man who loved her so much." She paused. "Looking back on that, though…I believe I already spoke of the first vision I had when we were at Hollow Bastion, after my sisters and I looked around the castle. Do you recall that? I think there might be some form of connection between these visions I had that nobody else seemed to experience, though I could be wrong."

"Yes, I recall that you mentioned the first vision you had while you stayed with us. You were rather troubled at the idea that only you noticed this strange occurrence," Xemnas replied as he took a seat next to her, "and had no knowledge as to why you experienced it instead of your sisters. Perhaps I have no experience with such a phenomenon, but it is possible that any vision seen by one person is a message to the one who witnesses the illusions firsthand."

Despite the interesting possibilities presented to her, Mina couldn't help feeling that all that she had experienced was causing her to question her own sanity; if she was seeing visions and apparitions without anyone knowing about it too much, could she be going mad? But that didn't make any sense, since she had never questioned her mental stability all of her life. If she were losing her mind, wouldn't someone in her family have noticed the warning signs? Just the idea alone was enough to make her go pale.

This caused her to instinctively question aloud, "My God…Could I be going mad? It would be disastrous if I lost my mind in the worst of ways possible."

Xemnas raised a brow at that statement. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, who wouldn't think that way? Anything hard to explain might as well be a warning of instability," Mina answered nervously, "My poor sisters would be hurt if I'm losing my mind."

She would've gotten up to collect herself and keep her head together, but as soon as she felt the hands of her visitor against her shoulders and one arm brushing against her back, Mina couldn't help feeling the peculiar sensation of both a lover's embrace and the ensnarement of cold chains against her skin. But if the strange interactions were not unsettling enough for her, the next thing she felt was the feeling of dizziness that she never experienced, and there was no logical explanation for such an unexpected development. To make matters more difficult, Mina found herself unable to turn her head towards her guest due to the distortion of her perceptions and her inability to keep her focus anywhere she would like.

"W…What's going on?" was all she could let out.

"Do you know why you have visions only you can see? Would it not give you reason to believe that what you were able to see were actually fragments of memories?" Xemnas's voice could be heard close to her ear, speaking in a tone so mysterious that she couldn't discern whether it was knowing or curious. "Memories…of a life once lived, from centuries long passed."

Mina couldn't understand what he was talking about as her vision blurred even more, taking on different shapes and shadows as she kept blinking in an attempt to snap herself out of her dizziness to no avail. For one moment, her eyes could barely make out the room she was in; but the next instant she blinked; she saw blurry projections of the interiors of Hollow Bastion as they used to be during the long-lost bygone ages, solemn yet serene in invitation. Once more the apparitions appeared to her, but this time, she could see their faces; the fragile yet innocent demeanor of Hellene alongside the somber but earnestness of her beloved.

Now that she could see them directly, her visions shifted as she witnessed the emotions of the two throughout a transition like the turning of a page in a book: First, the humbleness of the man who opened the castle doors to weary refugees, but then shifting to a shy fascination from the moment Hellene stepped into the halls with her few retainers. Then, the images changed to the moment the maiden figured out she was being watched, and playfully tried to convince the spy to come out and talk to her. From there, Mina could see the simple joy from two people from different circumstances enjoying the life they had and the gentle light of peace offered into the otherwise solemn walls, as they grew closer and shared the budding passion that had just bloomed. But just like she previously saw before her blackout, her vision brought back the tragedy that unfolded as the frail maiden's strength finally left her, her loved one left with an unbearable pain that couldn't be contained; the grief openly seen upon his face was there, but there also a twinge of rage at the knowledge that the only thing that mattered to him most was gone and nothing could replace her…

A powerful loss of balance surged through Mina as she started to collapse backwards from the overwhelming shock of seeing these visions that she couldn't comprehend, only to be stopped by another force holding her just enough to set her down softly; the illusions she saw began to disappear slowly, but her eyes had trouble remaining open from the strain that she never had in her entire life. The most she could make out was Xemnas seated close to her, carefully touching her as though she were a fragile flower that could be crushed in the wrong hands. But why was he doing this? What was he doing?

"It is rather ironic, is it not? I have traversed the oceans of time, only to find you – you, a young, pure soul so full of life," he could be heard musing in contemplation, "Is your little heart wounded, feeling the pains of the past? Are the dark shadows of distant memories coursing through you even now?"

Mina had trouble understanding what he meant. "I don't understand…Surely, your heart belongs elsewhere, to someone else. Do you even have one to begin with?"

The caresses continued, slowly tracing around her as though in obsessive admiration; but there was a hint of cautious thinking, as though he wanted to decide how best to answer the question of a child who knows and understands so little of everything around them.

But then, his answer to her confusion came fluently. "I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you."

It didn't take long for Mina's vision to blur too much to even identify what more was going on around her, until she finally found herself slipping into what almost felt like a drugged sleep even though she had not ingested any medicine whatsoever…

Something was very off tonight, very wrong.

But what could it be?

That was something that Mary suddenly sensed as she was riding back to town with her cousin, the professor and his pupils. She couldn't clearly determine what it is that is bothering her, but she knew that the vibe she was getting is not a positive one. Could something be happening to her sisters in the absence of her and Terra? Are her sisters in danger? Could those people she and her siblings encountered have succeeded in finding their target, and are doing their intended dirty work on them?

If that's the case, she dreaded to think of what – or who – might be endangering them during the sleepy night, and what more troubles wait for them after the purification of her eldest sister back in the family tomb.

Terra noticed her tense face and asked her in concern, "Is something the matter, Mary?"

"Something's wrong, Terra. I can't shake this bad feeling off," Mary admitted with a shaky breath, "Something is happening tonight, and I dread to think of what is happening with Jane and Mina. I cannot help but think that they are in danger."

Professor Eraqus quickly caught on what could be talking about as he listened to her words; he could tell that Mary was growing paranoid over her sisters, and it was not a laughing matter. He could understand where she was going with her concerns since she did witness what happened to Caroline when she became a blood-drinking vampire, so it's only natural that she feared the same thing affecting the lives of her surviving sisters. In contrast to her, Jane and Mina certainly did seem the most vulnerable of the three survivors, more so due to the innocence of the youngest and the shyness of the elder. Should any harm be done to either of them, Mary would undoubtedly be broken for the rest of her life, unable to cope with the pain she already experienced from the murder of her eldest sister.

"Do you think that Jane and Mina could be in danger already?" Aqua asked in uncertainty, "Is that you're worried, Mary?"

"There's no doubt in my mind about it," Mary replied.

"If they are, then we'd better hurry back home before we're too late," Terra answered, his own worry starting to grow.

"I agree. It's getting late, and we can't leave either of them alone," Ventus agreed, "I'd hate for anything to happen to either of them in our absence…"

That was something Mary couldn't help but wholeheartedly agree on: after all that has happened thus far, she does not want to lose any more loved ones at the hands of the fiends responsible for the changes that corrupted Caroline. If anything was done to Jane or Mina, she had no idea what she would ever be able to do. All she can do is pray that they are able to return home as soon as possible, if only to prevent any further damage from being done against them just a little bit longer…