Ahllixe walked quietly through the Realm of Darkness: hands held behind her back, her short, blonde hair brushing against her shoulders with each bounce of her body, and her mind racing faster than a NASCAR event. Veni walked alongside her, watching her intently with his beady yellow eyes.
"I know I shouldn't worry, Veni." Ahllixe said quietly. "And I'm not... sort of. I guess I'm just... curious: about myself, this Hallie person, and a lot of other things."
Veni's antennae twitched. Ahllixe sighed.
"I know, I know, I need to trust Xehanort- and I really do! He's very smart and good, and he treats me very nicely. I know he'll teach me many things, and he and Vanitas will train me to be very strong."
Veni's eyes shifted.
"There's no need to rub it in my face- I know Vanitas hates me with a burning passion. It probably has to do with Hallie. It's not going to stop me from at least attempting to be his friend; maybe I can soften him up. Just because he doesn't like me doesn't mean I can't be nice. I think there's more to him than he's letting on. Maybe Xehanort knows- maybe he'll tell me someday- but for right now, I'm just going to be patient."
"Very patient, indeed." a voice said. Ahllixe gasped and turned around, meeting Xehanort's gaze. An intense blush filled her cheeks, and she shrunk back.
"Hello, Master." Ahllixe said. "I was, um, just talking with Veni... How much of that did you hear?"
"Plenty enough." Xehanort said with a smile. "Come, let's continue your lessons."
Ahllixe sighed quietly, and the two entered a corridor of darkness.
When Ahllixe stepped out of the corridor, a overwhelming shudder ran down her spine.
"I... know this place?" Her statement sounded more like a question, as if she was unsure.
Xehanort stepped out of the corridor and beside the young Nobody. "Her memories are awakening within you."
"You mean Hallie." Ahllixe said. The name squeezed at her insides and tasted bitter on her tongue.
Ahllixe looked down and gulped at the large distance between where she stood and how far the ground was. In fact, Ahllixe couldn't see the ground from where she was; the tower seemed to be floating in the middle of the air! She and Xehanort stood inside a tall tower. From the dark gray walls inside the small room they were in and the eerie feeling creeping in the back of her mind, Ahllixe didn't need to see the entire exterior to know that this place looked super freaky. She could see pipes and unfinished construction looping around the castle. Looking in the distance, she saw a wall of waterfalls, floating ice platforms, and large, magical bubbles floating above the ground.
"What... is this place?" Ahllixe said, taking a small step away from the window sill.
"Tap into your Somebody's memory and answer that for yourself." Xehanort said, looking over the horizon.
Ahllixe hesitated, but she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Wisps of color appeared behind her eyelids, and slowly, images formed. She saw a large town sitting beneath a gleaming white castle. Blood-curdling screams and cries of agony pierced her ears, startling her, and she gasped as she saw darkness wash over the town. Millions of Heartless swarmed from all corners, covering every nook and cranny in carnage until the memory ended, leaving her mind blank. Ahllixe opened her eyes, a tear leaking down her cheek.
"Home... Hallie's home." she said. "It... it was destroyed."
"Yes. A sad day it was." Xehanort said, turning his back to Ahllixe and looking over the ruins. "It was called Radiant Garden, a name that matched this world perfectly. A Princess of Heart lived in this world, as well as my granddaughter. Those two became good friends; fitting for denizens of pure light. Creatures like the Heartless were unknown. A man named Ansem the Wise discovered the Heartless, and his curiosity filled him with a desire to learn more about them. He experimented on the Heartless, and as his research grew deeper, so did his dangerous cravings for more knowledge. He turned on his assistants, forcing them to partake in the experiments. He killed himself so he could turn into a Heartless. His research went out of control, and the Heartless overtook the world. The world was lost in darkness. Thousands of lives, including the lives of the man responsible for it all and his loyal researchers, were lost. Radiant Garden lost its light. What you see before you is the remnant of the world: Hollow Bastion."
"W-What happened to Hallie? And the Princess of Heart?" Ahllixe said, her red eyes shaking. "Is that how I... how she died?"
Xehanort glanced over his shoulder. "The Princess of Heart lived. The darkness couldn't touch her and her heart. Instead, it swept her away to a new world. As for Hallie... the darkness consumed her. Her heart was almost cast into oblivion."
"Almost? Okay... but that was when I was born, right?"
"Not quite."
"Not quite?" Ahllixe's eyes went wide. "Tell me, Master, what happened?"
"Patience, Ahllixe. You see, when a strong-hearted person loses their heart, two creatures are born: a Heartless, from the heart torn away, and a Nobody, from the body left behind. A special event occurred with Hallie. As I said before, her heart was almost consumed with darkness, but before the events that claimed this world happened, my granddaughter met a powerful yet naive Keyblade Master. She used her exceptional skills in magic to cast a spell on her heart that protected her from the darkness. Her body and her heart were separated, but because of the events prior, Hallie became whole again shortly after. However, the consequences could not be stopped. No Heartless was produced, but a Nobody was."
"And... that Nobody was me?" Ahllixe said.
Xehanort turned around and looked at Ahllixe. "No."
"What?! Are you saying that Hallie has two Nobodies?!"
"I was just as surprised as you when I came across this knowledge. A young Nobody was born, named Callum, in the Realm of Darkness. When he was born, he managed to claim a small fragment of Hallie's heart. Life in the Realm of Darkness was nothing but danger for the boy, for the creatures inhabiting the realm constantly lusted for the heart he had. Finally, the darkness consumed the boy, but he was also spared because of the Keyblade Master's magic. Callum lived, and through his body and Hallie's heart, a new Nobody was born. A young girl also born into the Realm of Darkness, who was discovered by two people."
"You... and Vanitas." Ahllixe said. Her eyes filled with tears that streamed down her face.
"What's the matter, Ahllixe?" Xehanort said. "Aren't you glad you know about your origins?"
"I... I am... but..." Ahllixe squeezed her eyes shut, pressed her hands against her head, and wept quietly. "My head... hurts."
A hand settled on her shoulder, and Ahllixe looked up through her tears at Xehanort.
"Let us return. You need some time to think about what I've taught you." Xehanort said.
A corridor of darkness appeared, and Xehanort led Ahllixe into it.
Vanitas saw Ahllixe standing alone in the darkness. Veni the Shadow emerged, fresh from a pool of darkness, and twitched its antennae in concern towards the little girl. It rubbed its cheek against her ankle, but Ahllixe made no reaction. Vanitas slowed walked towards the girl.
"Anybody home?" Vanitas said. He walked around and faced Ahllixe. Her eyes remained on the ground and her face was empty of expression. Vanitas waved his hand in front of her face, but she didn't react. "What's wrong with you?"
Ahllixe lifted her head, and Vanitas watched the tears fill her eyes and spill down her face. Her lip quivered, and she began to cry.
"It's not fair!" she wept. She collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "Why do I have to be who I am? I don't want to be part of someone; I want to be my own whole!"
Vanitas raised his eyebrow and took a half-step back. "What happened?" he said, feeling stupid for continuing to feign concern. That is, he believed he was feigning.
"Xehanort told me about where I really come from. Whoever this Hallie person really is, her essence runs through my veins. Her memories beat against my head everyday, and I feel like I'm going to go crazy! All these emotions, these feelings... how do I make it stop?!" Ahllixe said, gripping the sides of her hair in her hands. She dropped them in her lap and looked up at Vanitas. "Please... help me."
Vanitas shrugged and turned sideways from Ahllixe. "It's simple: you just don't feel anything at all. All that pain and sadness... you just lock away and not worry about it. The faster you keep your emotions at bay, the sooner you can forget them... and the less chance that someone can use them against you."
It was silent for a few moments. Vanitas glanced back at Ahllixe, and he saw her gazing at him thoughtfully.
"Vanitas..."
"What?"
"You're... different." Ahllixe climbed back to her feet.
"Different? What do you mean by that?"
"I mean... I can tell you're not like most people."
Vanitas scoffed quietly. "You can say that again." he mumbled. Ahllixe reached out and stroked Veni's head.
"You know, in this darkness, it gets really lonely. Veni is a great companion, but he only listens, and never talks. Xehanort is a wonderful teacher, but he only talks... and never listens. You're the only one who's been... like a friend to me. Even though you obviously don't like me. It's okay... Sometimes I don't like me either. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Ahllixe looked up at Vanitas with a small, sad smile. "Thanks, Vanitas."
Vanitas quietly winced as Ahllixe turned around and walked away with Veni trailing behind. Vanitas watched the young Nobody until she disappeared into the darkness.
"Well, well... What an unusual experience." Vanitas stood up straight and turned around to face Xehanort as he approached him. "Who knew that a being of nonexistence could feel such turmoil? I guess such is the price for the connection she holds to one like Hallie."
"Well... I agree." Vanitas said.
Xehanort raised his eyebrow with a half-smirk. "Oh, you do? Enlighten me, then, with your supported explanation."
"She never asked for any of this. All Ahllixe wants is to be a normal girl. You think she's gonna get that when she spends her life in darkness while hanging around a man older than time?" Vanitas said.
Xehanort rolled his eyes. "Spare such irrational thoughts. Ahllixe is a Nobody- nothing but a copy of the original. She can have as many wishes as she wants, but no star in the world will be able to grant them."
"Why would you say that? She looks up to you. She's everything your real granddaughter isn't, but you treat her like garbage."
"If I am not mistaken, you were the one who was so willing to exterminate her when she was first born. Now you are sticking up for the, how you once said it, "little bug"?" Xehanort said. "She's changing you, Vanitas. Somewhere in that pit you call a heart, the thought of accepting her is becoming much more than a reality."
Vanitas clenched his fist. "What are you talking about? I'm letting her do no such thing. I wouldn't care if she wandered off in the darkness and never returned. Let her get eaten by the Heartless in the process. Who would ever want to love a creature so wretched?"
The smirk on Xehanort's face widened. His yellow eyes shifted from off Vanitas to something past his shoulder. "Did you hear that, Ahllixe?"
Vanitas tensed from the hissing behind him. Slowly, he turned around. Ahllixe was once again standing there. The smile she once had aimed towards him was gone, replaced with a look of deep disappointment and sadness. Her eyes trembled with shock and pain.
"Is... is that what you really think of me?" she whispered.
Vanitas didn't know how to respond. He wanted to say yes and no at the same time. No matter what answer he gave, he would satisfy one person and betray the other. After seconds of no reply, Ahllixe bowed her head.
"I get it." she said. She turned around and ran away.
"Ahllixe!" Vanitas called. He reached out to her, then he gasped quietly and brought his arm back to his side.
"Perhaps your questions should reverberate back you your own ears, Vanitas." Xehanort said, turning around and walking away. "After all... Who would ever want to love a creature so wretched?"