Summary: Why was Axel so hell-bent on getting Roxas back after he left the Organization? Where did those ink-drops beneath his eyes come from? Axel's journal might shed some light on the subject... The original Number XIII...

Disclaimer: I don't own Square Enix or Disney. If I did, I would be a very, very rich woman, even richer if I lent out men like Axel, Leon, and Sephiroth to people willing to pay the price for a period of time with them. I do, however, own all rights to the OC in here.

Maiden of Darkest Shadow

I can still remember the first time I ever saw her. Xemnas called us all in for a meeting, told us that there was something we all needed to see, had to hear. None of us really had any idea what this was about, but we obeyed anyway. One does not disobey Xemnas and expect good things to happen. I was more than a little happy to get out of my current location, though. He'd had me out scouting for new targets to make into Heartless, and consequentially Nobodies, in... What was it again? Oh yeah. Some world called Wonderland. Strange place. Still find it irritating that Sa'ix had reccomended me for the job, saying that I would be perfectly at home on that screwed-up, completely insane mudball.

Whatever. In any case, I was thrilled to leave that miserable rabbit-hole behind. I figured that Xemnas had some new target for us to try and turn, somebody powerful enough that the job would require the combined power of the entire Organization. People that powerful are rare, but there have been a few. From what I hear, my original self was one such person. Whoever the hell he was.

Turned out I was wrong. Xemnas had hauled us all back home so we could meet the newest member of the newly-christianed Organization XIII.

She was a...well, I guess the only thing I was thinking at the time was "whoa momma!" Pale as Xemnas' mane with this long, long black hair and a really nice face. And those eyes of hers. Ameythysts that seemed to dominate her face, so all you saw when you glanced at her were purple orbs, framed by long black lashes. Her rack wasn't that bad either. After taking in an eyeful of her, I had to look at Larxene. The look on her face was priceless. Larxene takes great pride in being the only female in what had previously been Organization XII, and liked the effect her beauty tended to have on us guys. You could practically see the storm clouds gathering in her eyes, the desire to rend and tear and spill the newcomer's blood all over the floor. Saying that Larxene does not like competition is a serious understatement.

But if the newbie saw the trouble (with a capital 'T') occupying the twelfth throne, she didn't acknowledge it. All she did was stand in the center of the floor watching us, her hands playing with her robe behind her back. She seemed to be shy, but one look in her eyes told you differently. She was biding her time.

For exactly what, I didn't know.

At the time.

Xemnas told us that he had found her in a world called Twilight Town, just wandering around. He'd seen her use her powers to take down a bunch of Heartless that attacked her, and offered her a place in the Organization then and there. She had, of course, accepted.

Nobody turns down an offer to join the Organization. The only people that have got themselves turned into Dusks before they could say anything else.

If you don't serve Xemnas as a member in black robes, you serve him as a white-clad slave.

Vexen wanted to know what abilites she had that had caused him to recruit her on the spot. Xemnas told us that she was gifted with abilities very different from any of the ones we held, but very similar at the same time. Vexen asked him to elaborate, and so our Fearless Leader did so. Yeah, I know that's not his real title, but I like to call him that. Gets on his nerves. Nope, I'm not exactly best buddies with the great Xemnas. The feeling's mutual. He's not one of my favorite people, either.

The newbie, it seemed, had control over darkness itself.

While all of us have the ability to traverse the universe via paths of darkness, this woman could control the essence of darkness, the mysteries of the night. She had a much firmer grasp of that elusive power than any of us, including Xemnas. It was a power to be respected, and its wielder a Nobody the Organization would do well to keep a firm grasp of. Thus, she was now Number XIII of the Organization.

Her name suited her perfectly. She was called Onyx.

Marluxia wanted to know what use she would be to us, despite having already been told of her powers. He wanted to see how she would fare in a battle. Xemnas obliged him, ordering me and Xigbar into the center of the floor and setting up a barrier field so there would be no escape. I think he wanted to ask Zexion to take her on, seeing as how he could sense darkness and all, but decided otherwise. Regardless, Xigbar and I went into the square and readied our weapons, certain we would beat the shit out of her.

Onyx drew her hands out from behind her back then. In her hands were two swords not unlike Xemnas', except that hers were formed of pure darkness and, as we soon discovered, able to cut through almost anything. She could manipulate their length so they could become as short as daggers, or as ungodly-long as a frickin' building, and when they cut you they burned with the coldest fire I have ever felt. She fell into a battle stance, and offered us both a cocky smile, a twin to the one I always offer my opponants before burning their asses off.

I thought she looked more beautiful then, than I had previously believed.

Battle was her true placement. She was truly at home here, at one with her weapons, moving in a graceful dance as deadly as it was enthralling. I would never have believed anyone could take down Xigbar quickly, but she managed it with ease. She sank into a puddle of darkness and appeared right behind him, slashing him across the back with one blade while warding me off with the other one. Faster than I could parry and counter, she disappeared into her darkness. Xigbar still had enough fight left in him to shoot at her, but she dodged almost every shot. The ones he led into on blind guesses Onyx blocked with a shield of - guess what? - darkness. One of his own shots ricocheted right back at him, and that put him out of the fight.

Leaving me to deal with the purple-eyed bitch.

My fire was actually more effective against her than I would have originally guessed. After I ringed the barrier with fire, it became harder for her to use her darkness. It seems she needs at least some shadow to use her abilites effectively, and with my flames dancing around the impromptu arena, it became increasingly difficult for her to step into her darkness or send dark bolts at me. Her swords, dammit, remained as effective as before.

We ended with a clench in the center of the area, our weapons tight together and our eyes only inches apart, maniac grins on both our faces. I think she was grinning for the exact same reason I was.

Here, on the other end of the opposing weapons, was a person much like myself. A freelancer only marginally connected to the Organization, with a love of mayhem and the stranger parts of this 'life' of ours. I kept wandering, at the time, how she felt about fire.

Arson, that is.

Or was. It grew into something much more once we started doing field work together.

It was the beginning of a beautiful, fiery relationship.

It was like the fires I control. Beautiful, enthralling, unbelievably hot, all-consuming...

But ultimately short-lived.