A/N: Well, holy hell. I finally got around to updating! XD Yes, I know it's been far too LONG. Almost one year, yeah? But I finally got some mojo running and I got a surge of creative energy. Whee! XD

BTW, I slightly re-edited the prologue chapter because I re-read it and thought it was really crappy. It's somewhat shorter, but I think it's a bit better than it was before.

Disclaimer: The author does not own Kingdom Hearts. All characters belong to Square Enix. The author solely owns the plot.

Darkness Rising

Chapter One
Awakening

A girl with short, brown hair and a long red braid stretching down to her ankles quietly entered the quarters where a certain platinum blonde lay sleeping.

"Has everything been prepared, Yuna?" a golden-eyed ravenette asked, looking over his shoulder at the girl he referred to.

"Yes, my liege," the heterochromic beauty answered submissively with a bow.

Vanitas currently sat at the foot of the queen-sized bed Naminé was resting on. He was dressed in a black coat with a standing collar, gold buttons buttoning down from top-to-bottom and on the cuffs. A fringed gold epaulette was set on his left shoulder, and a small, oval-carved blood ruby sat in the middle of it. It kept a dark red cloak that was draped around his shoulders and down his back in place, and dark red trimming could be seen around the collar and cuffs. Black pants clung to his hips, held up by a black leather belt, and they were halfway tucked inside custom-made black leather boots. On the back of his cloak was an insignia of two single-headed axes crossed at the end to make a slightly deformed heart. He had styled his hair to stick up even more than usual, and his golden eyes seemed brighter than ever. He brushed aside a stray piece of the sleeping blonde's hair, caressing her cheek in the process. He smoothed the black and red silk sheets that she was covered in.

Hours from now, his bride would awaken. His Naminé—no, his Xéminna. His Xéminna would marry him, and they would rule over the kingdom together. He grinned inwardly at the thought, but he kept an unfazed, cool composure, as a person with royal blood should. Once in a while, he would glance at the brunette woman, who stood by, waiting for further orders from him.

Yuna was usually at unease, but somehow, wearing her combat gear slightly calmed her. She was wearing her usual attire, which consisted of a modified halter-neck top with an emblem across her chest and a pink hood; yellow armbands over her biceps, a black bracelet on her left wrist, and denim boyshorts; a pouch on her left hip over an ankle-length blue and white sash matched with laced knee-high boots; and, as the finishing touch, black leather gun holsters clinging to her thighs held her signature Tiny Bee pistols. Her hands never strayed far from her weapons, never letting down her guard. Especially in the presence of the prince. She stared at him and only at him, both awaiting order and a sign of hostility.

"Are you sure this is to be successful, my liege? She might remember fragments of her true husband," she carefully asked.

The Dark Prince glared at her. She steeled her nerves and gulped down hard. "I am her true husband." He faced the slumbering girl again. "And she'll think him only a fragment of her imagination, nothing more. I will ensure that he doesn't find out that she still lives." He turned to face her, his eyes staring into hers. "And so will you."

She refrained from flinching from his piercing stare. "O-of course, my liege."

"Really, Yuna. One would think you would be more intelligent; after all, you are a descendant from one of the noblest lines of elite warriors. Or did I think wrong?"

"No. You are correct, my liege. I must learn to think like my predecessors. I apologize," she muttered with her head bowed, cringing in shame. She toyed with the hem of the first ruffle of the blue-and-white sash she donned.

"Now, now; I do not want you to fear me. You are one of my most loyal servants. I do not wish to lose your trust."

She nodded slowly with a faint smile upon her lips. "Likewise."

"But next time, you would do well to know when to halt your tongue," he spat. "Is that understood?"

She stiffened, but relaxed slightly to answer smoothly. "Yes, my lord."

"You may take your leave."

She silently left the room, holding back nervous and terrified trembling. When she shut the dual mahogany doors, she pressed her back against them, letting out a breathy sigh. "I knew I shouldn't have asked that, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. Now, the bastard's pissed at me again." She grimaced, and then frowned. She lifted her face to the sky. "Father, Mother, why did you leave to me your duty?" she thought with dread, letting her face fall into her palms. "You left me bound to a ruler whom I do not want to serve." She ran to her quarters, slamming the dual doors open and locking them once she got inside. For the rest of the day, she wept in her room, awaiting further orders with dread.

Meanwhile, the raven-haired prince caressed the sleeping woman's face. Vanitas grinned maniacally at the assurance of his victory. "Everything is falling into place and into the palms of my hands. Soon, I will be crowned king of this kingdom. And I will have fulfilled my father's will."

Vanitas kissed Naminé's pale forehead. "I will be your husband and king; and you, my wife and queen, Xéminna," he whispered against her forehead, the pseudonym rolling off of his tongue like it was made of silk and satin. He then smirked at his stolen bride. "I may have stolen you, but you were always meant to be mine."

Roxas lay unconscious on a hospital bed. To his side was a worried girl with short raven hair and eyes the same colour as his. Her hand held his firmly, waiting for a sign that he was conscious.

An exceedingly tall man sat on the opposite side of the bed. This man had long, spiky ruby-red hair, emerald green eyes, and reverse teardrop tattoos sat underneath each eye. An unusual scowl was etched onto his face because of worry and lack of shut-eye.

"When do you think he'll wake up, Axel?" the raven-haired girl asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "The little fucker's a stubborn kid. He'd wake within the week. If he didn't, I'd beat him up."

She made a face. "He's already unconscious because he got beat up. Don't be such a jerk."

He smirked. "You know I'd do it, too. Just have faith, Xion. He'll get up off his ass."

She had to smile at that. "You're right." But that smile was immediately replaced with a frown. "But… I'm still worried how he'll be… with what he went through…"

The smirk that was on Axel's face was immediately wiped off. "God, I hope he won't go insane. Or shut us out. Or commit suicide."

"He wouldn't dare. My sister wouldn't want that. Naminé would be devastated and disappointed at him."

"She's dead, Xi. Her blood was at the scene."

"No, she isn't," she muttered.

"That's impossible," he scoffed in disbelief.

With her free hand, she fingered the necklace she wore. It was a simple silver necklace, and a curvy heart hung from it. "She cast a protection spell on my necklace. As long as I wear it, it keeps me safe from harm and wards off evil. But the spell only works as long as she lives. She said that if the spell wore off, the necklace would dissipate."

The redhead's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "That's pretty cool," he acknowledged, nodding with approval. "Only yours, though?"

The ravenette shook her head. "She cast a spell on Kairi's necklace, too."

"She cast a spell on my cousin's necklace?" he asked incredulously. "Why did you guys get cool stuff and I got nothing?" he asked with a childish pout.

"You're twenty-five-years-old, six feet tall, and a crazy pyromaniac to top it off! You could just set someone on fire and that'd be a type of self-defense!" Axel snickered at that. "Do Kairi and I know how to defend ourselves? No! Hence why we get "cool stuff"," she ended with air quotes.

"You're a Keyblade Wielder," he deadpanned.

"I'm not a freaking expert!" she snapped.

"What about Naminé?"

"Do the words, "she's a witch" ring any bells in your otherwise empty head?"

"Yeah, but isn't she just—" He paused in realization. "Hey! My head is not empty!"

"What were you saying before?" Xion asked.

He huffed in irritation, but answered. "I was going to ask… isn't her specialty just memory spells?"

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes. "She's still a witch, doofus. Memory might be her specialty, but she can cast other spells just fine."

"…oh. That was a dumb question."

"No shit, Axe," she replied with a snort.

"What are you snorting about, Xi?" an almost inaudible voice asked.

Axel and Xion shared a shocked look before turning to face the friend that had been out for almost two days.

"Roxas!" they screamed simultaneously when they found him with his eyes wide open, smiling softly at them.

The said blonde grinned albeit weakly. "That's my name, don't wear it out."

The redheaded pyromaniac stood up and ran out the door, screaming, "Aerith!"

"What's his deal?" he asked once Axel had left the room.

She sighed. "Aerith told us to inform her when you woke up so she can run tests on you to insure that no major damage was made during the battle."

Roxas looked puzzled. "Battle? What battle?"

Xion was startled. "You mean you don't remember?"

He shook his head. "I don't really—" The blonde halted his sentence formation, remembering his encounter with Vanitas in full detail.

Vanitas plunging that athame into her, grinning maniacally in defiance.

Her last words before she closed her eyes forever.

The sound of his voice resonating against the empty cathedral as he charged the Dark Prince.

Vanitas walking away the victor, and with her corpse.

His expression suddenly turned grim at the memory. He muttered something incoherently.

"What was that?" the petite ravenette asked.

"That bastard," he muttered spitefully, his eyes twitching in anger.

He attempted to run for it, but Xion stopped him, restraining his arms by holding them down. "Roxas, no!"

"I'll kill him! I'll kill that bastard!" he yelled in fury, thrashing against the bed. "I'll skewer his guts and shove it down his throat!"

"Don't! He'll kill you. He'll kill all of us! Please, Roxas, for the sake of the town, don't," she pleaded.

He glared daggers at her. "I don't care," he seethed at her.

"Roxas…?" she whispered in horror. Never in her life had she seen him so with an expression so livid, so terrifying.

"He killed Naminé, dammit! He killed my wife, Kairi's best friend, your sister. Your own flesh and blood. And yet you prioritize the town over avenging her? Some sister you are," he spat.

She slapped him hard. "How dare you. How dare you think I'm not suffering over this! You think I'm prioritizing the town because I want to?! No. I'm doing it because it's what she would want!"

"It's what she would have wanted."

"She's not dead! I believe that she isn't! What happened to you?"

"I saw Vanitas plunge that knife into her. I saw her close her eyes for the last time. I saw her bleed," he whispered darkly, staring at nothing in particular.

His words added to her horror. She stifled her whimpering with her hands. Tears started to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Xion, but your sister is gone."

"She couldn't be… she said she wouldn't. She said she would take care of me…" she stared off into space, and then whipped her head to face him with a determined look despite the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "She isn't dead! And I'll prove it!"

"You won't have time to." He pushed her back and stood up from the bed completely, the sheet falling off of his body, revealing the bandages that had been wrapped around his waist and arms, and around one of his legs. He was wounded in many places, yet he got up like it was nothing. Oblivion suddenly materialized in his right hand.

Xion was on the floor, but she scrambled to her feet in order to block Roxas' way out. "Roxas, stop!"

"Let me pass, Xi," he warned.

She shut eyes for a moment. She whispered something.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

She instantaneously materialized her Kingdom Key while he was distracted. "Fira!" she yelled.

Magic flowed from the keyblade, sending a ball of flame straight towards the blonde. The spell was strong enough to blast Roxas flat onto his back a few meters away inside the room. Since he was still weak, he was instantly knocked out upon impact with the pavement.

"I said I'm sorry. But we need to keep you here," she muttered in disdain.

Axel busted through the doors with a brunette woman in tow. Her hair was in braids, and she wore a long white lab coat.

"What happened, Xion?!" the woman yelled when she saw Roxas passed out on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Aerith, but I had to. He was planning on going after Vanitas, and we know he'll just get killed in this state."

"Why the hell did you use a spell that strong?!" Axel screeched in panic. He saw that his bandages were scalded.

"We needed him incapacitated!" she reasoned.

"You could've just casted Sleep on him," Aerith scolded softly. Then she examined the scene. "By the looks of these burn marks, you used Fira on him, am I correct?" Xion nodded slowly. "It's a good thing he didn't get any burns. Otherwise, his recovery would take longer."

"Oh, God," she whispered in horror. Then she started rambling. "I'm sorry, I just—I panicked! He was going to attack me, too! I just defended myself! I didn't mean to cast a spell that strong, I just—"

"—did what came to mind?" Aerith supplied. She nodded. "It's alright. He's going to be fine," she assured.

"…but?" Axel asked. He knew there was always a "but".

The brunette sighed. "He's going to need to be guarded, and possibly restrained."

Axel's lips set in a fine line. "We'll do it."

"Axel, we know he's not going to—" "We'll have to take a chance, then."

"He's right, Xion," Aerith stated. "This is for his safety and well-being."

The ravenette de-materialized her keyblade and fingered her necklace. "I sure hope he thinks the same," she muttered, glancing at the unconscious blonde.

Vanitas was slumped against his throne, drumming his fingers against it. His free hand held the silver staff he always had. Then suddenly, his eyes flashed dangerously. He blinked, and upon him opening his eyes again, the golden orbs glowed in their sockets. Then he blinked once more and smirked, sitting up in his throne when the glow disappeared.

"Is it almost time, my lord?" a deep, husky voice asked. The owner of the voice was a tall, hooded man. The hood of his cloak covered his face, but Vanitas' eyesight was extremely well, and he could see the features of the speaker.

The Dark Prince turned to the speaker with a grin. "Indeed it is."

"Shall I have the staff prepare?"

The prince stood up from his throne and de-materialized his staff. "Do you really have to ask that?" he asked sardonically with a lazy grin.

The man smiled at the sarcasm. "My apologies, Prince Vanitas. I'll have them make the necessary preparations immediately."

"Very well, then. Remember to inform me when everything is ready," he reminded with an offhanded tone as he walked away. "I shall be attending to her needs for now."

"You needn't fret about anything, my liege. It will be taken care of," he assured. But the hooded man's expression changed when the prince left the room.

"I assure that you will be taken care of. And soon," he quietly sneered, as he walked away to attend to his current orders. "Taking care" of the Dark Prince would have to wait for a while longer.

A translucent glow could be seen from underneath her shut eyelids. Naminé would soon awaken to a different world and a different memory.

As she should, Vanitas thought with a smirk. Then the glowing stopped.

The petite blonde's eyelids snapped wide open, her sapphire eyes fully dilated and brighter than it ever was before, and her mouth was slightly parted so that she could inhale a bit more.

She looked exhilarating.

Vanitas lips broke out into a wide, charismatic grin. "Finally, my love, you've awakened." The platinum blonde shot up straight into a sitting position in shock. "What's the matter, dearest?" he asked in genuine concern.

Naminé blinked a few times before she turned to face the ravenette prince fully. "May I ask… who are thee?"

Now it was his turn to be startled. "What do you mean? Don't you remember me?"

"If thou hast nursed me while I was ill—or otherwise unconscious—then I thank thee. But I offer my sincerest apologies, for I do not remember thee… at all."

A/N: Mm~ don't you just loooove cliffhangers? :3

published 6-05-2013