An Unpleasant Meeting

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Tine walked out of the Villain's Vale. Sora put his friends between the experiment and himself. It was a coward's move, but the scar on his stomach was aching in memory of the beating he had taken at her hands. It was just safer that way. Besides, he told himself, it wasn't as if he was going to abandon Donald and Goofy if Tine got violent---well, he didn't think he was going to.

"You don't have to move away from me like I'm radioactive" said Tine as they stopped in the Crystal Fissure to rest.

"You're contaminated with darkness" said Donald. "You can't fool us!"

Tine frowned. Goofy, though looking guilty, agreed with Donald. He moved away from her too.

Tine sighed, a little hurt. Her mind began to speak to her though. Kill them all Tine, what do you say? It won't be hard; they're already done in from the fight with Xavier and---

"No" Tine said.

"No to what?" asked Goofy.

"Let's just get to the castle" said Tine. "I want to see Riku again."

"Why do you want to see Riku?" Sora asked. "He's not here; he should be on the Destiny Islands." Sora frowned. "I told Riku and Kairi to go there. Why didn't they listen? Oh well." He looked at Tine. "Anyway, they're not on Radiant Garden. I don't have time to take care of you. I have to get my Keyblade back."

"You lost---?" then Tine saw the Keyblade that Sora held was not his own. She could sense that the owner's light aura was much stronger than Sora's.

Sora walked past her without a word. Donald and Goofy followed with an equally silent way.

They finally arrived in the castle. At the gates, the Bastion Knights who were stationed there let them in. Sora and the others approached the Postern. As they walked up to it, a swirl of dark energy appeared. A man wearing the robes of an Organization member appeared. He removed the hood to reveal a set of dreadlocks Sora never wanted to see again.

"Hello there, Keyblade Master" said Xaldin.

"You're one of those Organization members!' shouted Tine, and drew her black sword.

"Ha ha, yes that is right, my young Kingdom Hearts" said the Whirlwind Lancer quietly. He took a step toward them. "What a beauty you are, Tine" said Xaldin. "As usual, Demyx has done a terrible job when it comes to descriptions. You will make a beautiful offering to the Kingdom Meter for our hearts."

"Why should I come with you?" Tine asked, not moving a foot. She was back at full power and nothing scared her anymore…well, nothing except the Keyblade. Xaldin was now close enough for the wind that surrounded him to blow her red hair around her green eyes. Tine brushed her hair from her eyes and glared at him. "You still haven't given me a reason to come with you, Nobody. Is there something in it for me?"

Xaldin's voice still didn't lose its soothing, seductive tones. "You are a spirited young woman" he said. "I like that. Not so long ago, I almost kidnapped one like that from a gloomy old castle. Ah, what fun we might have had…but that is in the past." He stretched out a black gloved hand. "So come Tine…and before we submit you to the Meter…you and I might just…clown around a little---"he broke off in a bubble of agony as Tine's black sneaker buried itself in the lower regions of his robe. Xaldin bent over in pain and rage. "You little bitch----why did you---do that---?"

"I don't feel like 'clowning around'" Tine said. "So keep your perverted, nonexistent ass away from me."

"Way to go Tine!" Sora shouted.

Xaldin stood up. "Then you will suffer greatly for you imprudence" he snarled. "You and I could have had such a pleasurable moment before your painful death, but now, there will be pain all the way!" he spread his arms wide. Six pillars of black smoke rose up from the ground around him, summoning his lances. "I will kill you!!" he roared and charged at Tine, sending his lances ahead of him.

Damn it! Sora thought. I can't get ready in time!

The lances streaked toward Tine's chest, head, and neck---and the girl caught them all in one hand, snatching them out of the air with eye defying speed. She threw them back at Xaldin. "Try again, pervert" she said mockingly. This increased the Whirlwind Lancer's rage.

"Then there will be no mercy" he whispered. His body began to glow with green light. The lances began to form themselves into a recognizable shape---a dragon. "I will" Xaldin was about to say, when a saber flew into the floor a few feet from his boot. Nexumair stood at the entrance to the Postern.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

His voice was shaking with rage. Both parties interpreted it, one the wrong way, one the right. Sora, Donald, and Goofy interpreted it as what are you doing attacking people like this, you evil Nobody! Xaldin knew it meant why are you disobeying the Superior's order and trying to kill Tine?!

"I am…sorry" said Xaldin in a way that both protect the Confident Fencer's cover and convey his apologies at disobeying orders. He disappeared into a Dark Corridor.

"It's a good thing I got here in time" said the captain. "Are you alright, Sora, Donald, Goofy?"

"Yeah, I'm okay" Sora said. Donald and Goofy agreed that they were too.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking" said Tine sarcastically. She walked away from them, toward the castle. Things were disturbing her. This Organization wanted to murder her to get their hearts back. One of them had even wanted to rape her. Sora and his friends were acting coldly toward her. She wanted to be in Riku's, arms she realized. He hadn't treated her like a monster…well, at least after he'd gotten to know her he hadn't. There was one more disturbing thing. When the boy, Captain Nexumair, had yelled at the Organization member, she had felt something that she hadn't noticed in the Vale.

He had a Nobody's aura.