Chapter 1: Two Keys, Two Worlds, Two Destinies, One Fate
A pale girl that looked in her mid teens sat knees tucked under chin, in a porcelain bathtub over following with bubbles. She had dark chocolate hair and eyes to match. She spoke up sounding saddened, "People are looking for me Seek. I don't understand it." She cupped some bubbles in her hands before blowing them absentmindedly, her mood suddenly took a 360 degree turn, breaking into a grin and leaning over the side of the bath, "But, I think something exciting is going to happen."
The small black and blue Tornado Step heartless she had been speaking to simply looked at her.
"Don't worry I'll look after you." She smiled continuing to play with the bubbles.
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you." Saix spoke coldly looking down on the female he'd already struck. A coincidental encounter. She'd been found manning a flower store in a tasteless fairytale kingdom.
"Leave me be. I've made my choice." Larxene spat, "I don't need a heart. I don't need you pathetic 'organization' bringing me down. I'll make my own way. I'll take care of myself."
"You know it will never fulfil you Larxene." He told her stepping forward, "You always did have a darker path you wanted to walk."
"You can talk all you want; you're nothing quite so divine as you seem to believe Saix." Marluxia smirked sitting atop a roof, he's face became emotionless; "I believe you've been asking after me, so I've heard, yes? Here I am Saix."
"You know your options." Saix told him bluntly looking at the pink-haired assassin.
"Saix, we're immortal. Why would we fear you? Why would we ever want to return to our older selves after tasting this power? Life with hearts is pitiful, and weak, but this- this is perfection. No emotions to block our paths, no death to fear, we're unstoppable. Forget how you used to feel Saix, forget those weakening emotions. We're on a conquest for power. In fact, we should be offering you to join us, if anything."
"If you must pretend." Saix replied simply.
"You think you're heart is the answer? You think returning to the light will solve you? You think it will satisfy you?" Marluxia asked, "Nobody's that simple in life. You've tasted enough to know that. We're heading to unlock so much potential; we're going to experience eternal perfection. We're going to be the future."
Saix contemplated him for a brief moment, not with consideration but what he'd of called remorse if it wasn't just a memory, "I think you'll find what you seek may never fulfil you."
"I think I might find you almost amusing if I had a heart." Marluxia told him, "You know it would be foolish of you to take us both. You're strong Saix, you always were, which is a pity to see you waste. But you can tell Xemnas we won't be returning. Amazingly you were never subject to the belittlement of the younger members like the rest of us were. Now it's our turn to show what we can do. So run along Saix, there's a good puppy-dog. Run along to master."
"You know our name. You know your name that binds you to us." Saix told him, he looked at Larxene, "You know what you really seek."
With that he left into darkness.
"She's a nobody?" Xemnas questioned seriously.
"No doubt of it." Xigbar replied.
"Do you know what her power is?"
"I'm afraid not. She's not aware of any of this from what I can tell."
"I see... How about we test her strength and consider an initiation shall we?"
"Hey Babe." Xigbar smirked.
"What do you want creep?" Vicky demanded sourly glaring through the white 'prison' bars.
"Now, now don't be like that; I've come to let you out." Xigbar continued to smirk, Vicky's expression didn't change. He continued to click he's fingers and the bars dissolved around her, "Now how about you come out here and give me a make-up kiss?"
"My hero." Vicky mumbled failing to move.
"Are you coming out or not?" Xigbar demanded.
"No."
"If you want to play it like that." Xigbar un-sheathed he's arrow-guns, "I've got all day."
"Try me." She continued to mumble.
"Ready or not!" He shot the wall just short of her face.
"W-what was that for?" Vicky demanded her voice shaking.
"Show me what you're made of poppet."
"I-I-" She let out a high pitch scream dodging the next attack, "Are you bloody crazy? I can't fight!"
"As if- Don't be so modest." Xigbar told her, taking another swing.
"I can't!"
"Oh come on!" Xigbar smirked, before throwing a few more close-shaven swings and realising this was getting him nowhere, 'Time for a new tactic I guess then', He summonded a handful of lesser nobodies "Say hello to my little friends. Now as Demyx would put it – Dance baby dance!"
She backed up against the wall a cold sweat breaking out against her forehead and shut her eyes as the nobodies flung themselves at her, 'This guy's crazy- I'm gonna die, right here and now I'm going to die.' When the impact she had prepared herself for never happened she peeped out of her one eye to find a weapon had formed in her right hand to save her, "W-What the?" She admired it twirling it around in her hand.
"That's a…Keyblade." Xigbar whispered before bursting into a grin, "Well toots, welcome to the family. Let's go, I got what I wanted."
"What are you on about?" Vicky demanded before Xigbar proceeded to fling her over he's shoulder and head through a dark portal.
"I've located both Marluxia and Larxene in a world known as the 'Kingdom of Corona' superior." Saix reported to Xemnas, "They've turned away from us in a craving for superiority."
"From Axel's previous reports I can only assume they plan to seek the power of the Keyblade as sought in Castle Oblivion." Xemnas voiced smirking, he was turned up towards the sky where he's previous restoration of Kingdom Hearts once stood, "Still they pose a threat to an early discovery."
"They we're blending with their current environment and at no immediate threat. It's doubtful we'd be able to coax Marluxia into returning but Larxene may be a different story."
"I think once he see's the power we obtain he may come back with a sabotage plan. We need to learn how to destroy ourselves to rid ourselves of him however, he causes complications. You can collect Lexaeus from he's search and return to the castle awaiting for further instruction-"
"Yo, superior." Xigbar grinned appearing through a dark portal behind them.
"Of course," Saix nodded taking he's leave.
"Could you stop doing that?" Vicky demanded after Xigbar dropped her to the floor.
"Well? Is she worthy?" Xemnas demanded.
"Well just give her a look." Xigbar told him smugly.
Xemnas turned around slowly to face the two before a grin spread across he's face, "A Keyblade." 'What are the odds?' He opened a dark portal and exited right next to her, "Tell me, what do you know of nobodies?"
"Nobodies? Well, they were a side-effect of the heartless, empty shells, but- they were defeated about a year ago by Sora." She told him.
"It would be a lovely happy ending if that was true for you wouldn't it?" Xemnas smirked.
"You're-?"
"We're Organization XIII, and you happen to be a nobody who we'd like to see join our ranks."
"N-no, what? N-no, no that's not true! I'm real!" Vicky demanded, "I don't know what you're on about."
"I think you know the truth- what you really are." Xemnas told her, "Just one day, it all became dull and numb to you. Because you're body was generating no new emotions, it began working from memory. No matter how much you deny yourself of that fact, it won't change it. Embrace the darkness for now. You'll feel better when you do. Just know as long as you're a nobody you'll be hunted, you won't be accepted. "
"NO! They wouldn't do that. Yuffie and Cid would never let that happen."
"You're an upset to the balance, an abomination. They won't stop Sora from correcting that. Nobody will, you're an outcast."
"No…" Vicky whispered, she wanted to deny it so badly, but she couldn't deny it was true, she knew it was. She knew since the day of that attack she felt wrong, but she didn't want to turn her back on her old home, she'd only just made it back… but if they found out… "Why should I join you?"
"We'll give you the one thing every nobody seeks, your heart." Xemnas told her, "That's what we're dedicated to. We'll give you a new identity and accept you as one of us."
"It'll be the best thing you ever do toots." Xigbar encouraged.
"Are they all like you?" She glared sourly.
"'Fraid not, I'm one of a kind." Xigbar told her proudly.
"What if I refuse?" She asked.
"Refusal isn't an option." Xemnas explained darkly he's welcoming composure disappearing, "There's no alternative. This is us being friendly. Now, are you an organization member?"
She stood there considering her situation over before eventually resigning herself to fate, "I guess that –I guess that I'm number fourteen then?"
"No fifteen, fourteen is currently… under reservation I'm afraid." Xemnas told her.
"Fifteen it is then."
Her name appeared in front of her before scrambling and re-appearing. 'Vixcky'.
She frowned at it before removing the K and rearranging the X. 'If I'm taking a new identity might as well be one that sounds good.'
Xemnas smirked, he disapproved of the interaction but the submission was soothing.
"Why do you want me?" She asked looking at the name before her 'Vicxy'.
"Just another helping hand to finding our hearts." Xemnas explained, "Just another helping hand Vicxy. Call the others number two for an urgent meeting. We have a surprise for them."
"Can I say goodbye to my family back at Radiant Garden?"
"No, learn to stop falsifying your emotions from here on in; they'll do you no good. Only make you weak. I'll request Vexen to show you to your new room."
'You're convinced this girl is going to join us then as fourteen? Or that we'll even be able to find her?' Xigbar questioned later once alone.
'You're being naïve Xigbar, of course she'll join us, she'll have no choice. Either we'll find her, or she'll come to us.'
'To us?'
'You're being naïve still, remember back to the experiments.'
"Yen Sid." Mickey greeted power walking through the doors to his office before bowing briefly.
Yen Sid smiled solemnly, "A little sooner than I expected. Just yourself?"
Mickey nodded, "Riku and Sora have already left in search of somebody who might be able to help us. I thought I'd come to you one last time," He produced the Lockhart file and placed in on Yen Sid's desk, "She's in your care isn't she?"
"Yes she is."
"The password on Ansem's computer requested a password, a name for the files. But it isn't hers."
"I can't help you there I'm afraid." Yen Sid looked at the photograph, "I've been avoiding the topic for her own safety, but I'm afraid she may already know by now. Please take a seat. I won't cut it short this time. It has to be about fourteen or fifteen years ago by now." He told him pausing for a moment, "She was simply a small child when Ansem brought her to me. He was distraught, he'd experimented on subjects before, but a child weighed too deeply on he's heart. She'd seemed so full of life at the time I could hardly believe he was telling me she didn't exist or have a heart. Shamefully, I have to admit I initially had no interest in helping him. That was until he showed me a side effect of the damage. As you've already witnessed the nobodies get enhanced in certain ways. Hers was interestingly premonition, the ability to see what's going to happen, something I could not resist developing further quite selfishly. This is also what Ansem wanted subsequently, he felt she could be useful for future concerns. I must say she has been very useful for knowing when to except company, pleasant or not. An enlightening apprentice and a useful guard at the same time. But now I've taken this path, I fear what could happen if the organization found her. Only the original seven members know of her but they are aware of her power, and also another trait."
"What was it?" Mickey questioned after the moment's pause.
"Come I'll introduce you to her."
Vicxy looked at herself in the mirror adorning the organization cloak. She had to get a heart to go back home, she couldn't lose it again, it took her too long to make it back, she couldn't face them turning her away - she just wanted her old life back; but she couldn't accept she wasn't real. She was here and yet she didn't exist. Everything she was now evidently working for was going to get her that, to being who she used to be… who did she used to be? Maybe she changed along the way and didn't even realise. So many doubts had crept into her mind since Xemnas' words had been spoken. She looked at the room around her, it annoyed her - plain! It was just so plain. It had no personality, she had personality right? At least she thought she did. She didn't know what was real anymore. She sat onto the bed, head in hands, wanting to cry, but it was only the memory playing on her, she felt like that should hurt her, but it didn't. Why did everything suddenly become so enhanced and clear that her emotions were missing, why couldn't she have been left alone and kept believing everything was fine? She looked out the window, she'd find her heart, and then it would be fine. Maybe they were right, quit pretending and move on, the memories just caused complications. She felt she should care more but she didn't! She didn't have a heart to! Like they had said, anything she felt was a memory of the emotion, she needs to let go of it. It would just make her weak, something she wanted to- no, needed to abandon right now. She grinned to herself before laughing to herself emptily as it sunk in,
"I'm just a memory."
A dark portal opened.
"Meeting." Vexen told her before disappearing again.
They'd clearly accepted their fate. She needed to also.
"How long do you think before we find Sora?" Roxas asked.
"Who knows? It should be safe to circle back round to Radiant Garden in a few days. We need to avoid lingering in the worlds too long to shake off Xemnas." Axel replied lying down, hands tucked behind he's head, "The main point is Sora knows we're looking for him. That also means he knows the nobodies are back." A moment passed and Axel glanced over at he's freind before chuckling, "Besides, chill out buddy; quit being so tense. Let's just appreciate this time we've been given together now."
Roxas smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Sorry."
"It'll work out."
"Got it memorised?" Roxas grinned impersonating he's best friend.
"Nooope, you just can't pull that off." Axel taunted casually.
"Heyyy, I pull it off just as good as you." Roxas defended, "In fact better."
"Nnn-o I don't think so."
"Do to."
"Afraid not buddy."
"You're just jealous." Roxas snubbed as the pair's bantering drifted off into the night.
Mickey climbed the staircase with Yen Sid, "If you both felt she would be so useful why have you never brought her forward until now?"
"At the time she was far too young, un-experienced and it would have certainly being almost a death sentence to send her. Ansem felt guilty enough for everything had previously happened to her without putting her deliberately in harm's way. He said to wait until he called on her. Things were gradually getting worse, even when I felt she was ready I still held back on account of Ansem's request. Ansem never came and I was resigning myself to ask her-"
"You speak of her as a fighter rather than an aid."
"Correct. As I was saying, I was about to ask her to fight for our cause, but then I learnt of Sora, and the need ceased."
"You mean-"
Yen Sid nodded "She's a key-bearer. I have no doubt there was also, or may still be others before Sora." He knocked on the wooden door before them, "You always knew there were others Mickey, it's no new or great news."
"Come in!" A girl's voice called the door opening before them.
Yen Sid signalled Mickey to enter, following after him; He found her sat in the middle of a large bed adorning a large purple wizard robe, book in lap, and two hairbrushes mid-air combing through her damp waist-length chocolate locks.
"Kelly, I'd like you to meet-"
"Mickey!" She beamed scrambling to her feet, book knocked to the floor, hairbrushes following suite after her hair, and held out her hand, "Hey I'm Kelly! Nice to meet you!"