* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

*There is a story spoiler for future chapters at the end of this chapter underneath Author's Note (3). You have been warned.

=13=

Hours after you and Zexion had returned from training at the beach, you were now back within your room. You had covered yourself up with the blanket from your bed, and were now nothing more than a shivering mass of Nobody underneath it. Naturally, your soaked coat had become extremely cold, so you had discarded it before cuddling up underneath your blanket in an attempt to warm yourself. You felt another shiver travel through your body as a knock on your door caught your attention, and you glanced up to see none other than Zexion opening your door. You tugged the blanket further around your body, attempting to hide anything from him that you hoped he didn't happen to see. Now, however, the man was dressed in *sleepwear- his shirt and pants were a shade of light grey, white stripes travelling vertically down them. On his feet, he wore a pair of black slippers; it certainly was odd seeing him in such attire, but you figured that he found it more comfortable to wear such things to bed instead of his coat- especially since his coat was more than likely still water-logged.

"Good evening, (Name). I figured you might still be up."

Your eyes followed the man as he walked beside you, then took a seat upon your bed at your side. In his right hand, he held a small cup that happened to have steam coming off the top- this was held out to you, and you gave Zexion a rather questioning look.

"It's something warm for you to drink, (Name). I know you must be cold, you being bundled up further shows that, and that is no condition for you to be in. Especially since it opens your immune system up to illness far easier than if your core temperature was normal. Believe it or not, we Nobodies can still become ill."

You reached out, carefully taking the warm cup from his hands. You brought it to your lips, allowing the sweet drink to pass them. Once you had a sip, being careful not to take too much in an effort to keep from burning yourself, you held the cup close to your chest.

"It's good. What is it?"

"It's called hot chocolate, (Name). Vexen is, as much as he will go out of his way to deny it, very fond of it. I took it upon myself to make some for you, much to his dissatisfaction."

You gave a small nod of your head, taking yet another sip from your cup. It warmed you up, and made being cuddled under your blanket much more… enjoyable? That's what the emotion would normally be, right?

"Also, Xigbar returned from Twilight Town not too long ago. He has found two more members for our Organization. I was there for their naming ceremony- their names are Axel and Saïx. Tomorrow, you will be able to meet them."

You tilted your head slightly upon hearing their names. Axel and Saïx- you wondered what they looked like, and how they were going to act around the Organization. You turned your attention back to Zexion, who looked as though he was deep in thought.

"Is something wrong, Zexion?"

"No… I'm simply wondering about things, is all. You took quite a while to awaken, (Name). However, Axel and Saïx were conscious and ready to work nearly as soon as Xigbar found them, according to him. You seem to be the only one who has taken a while to wake up after coming into existence."

You hummed quietly in response to his words, taking another sip from your cup. You were beginning to believe that there was something wrong with you, if you were to be honest. You had been the only one, as Zexion stated, to be in a state of comatose when Xemnas brought you back to the castle. And, this power of yours was obviously something that was of great interest to each member of the Organization. However, was the interest good or bad? That was something that you couldn't tell.

"Don't allow my words to trouble you, (Name). Allow me to say something else to put your mind at ease. Tomorrow, you and I have been selected to go to Twilight Town and keep an eye out for any Nobodies that might come into existence there. We've been tasked at recruiting new members for the Organization."

You perked up a bit upon hearing this, and you gave a hasty nod of your head.

"Does this mean we can try that sea salt stuff you talked about earlier today, Zexion?"

"You mean sea salt ice cream? I suppose that means we could try it… if you do well enough on our mission. I shan't be so easy to give out rewards unless you earn them."

"Do good? Of course I'll do good; all we have to do is keep an eye out for good members, right? How hard could that possibly be?"

Zexion hummed softly to himself in response to your question, his fingers fixing the collar of his shirt as it had somehow gotten a bit out of place in the time he had been within your room.

"Just keep in mind that you shall only be rewarded if we succeed in our mission, (Name). Lord Xemnas is in desperate need of new members."

You nodded your head, and saw that the man rose to his feet. He made his way over to the door, and then glanced at you over your shoulder.

"Rest well, (Name). We need all the rest we can acquire."

With that, the man strode off out of the room, shutting your door behind him. You stared at the door for a few moments, and then looked down at the now lukewarm liquid within your cup. Since you didn't have anything in your room to set the cup upon, you placed it upon the ground beside your bed after taking a few more sips from it- you could have finished it off, but decided against it. You gave a soft sigh as you curled further into your blanket, your eyes closing slowly as you managed to drift off into a dreamless slumber.

=13=

Before heading to Twilight Town the next morning, you met Axel, who was a tall, slender man with brilliantly red hair. He seemed nice enough for a Nobody, treating you rather kindly, if that was the word to use. Saïx, on the other hand, was a very quiet, serious-looking man that seemed to cut you simply by looking at you. You made a mental note not to mess with him too much, as he seemed to resemble Xaldin in terms of personality- if you could use that terminology to describe how each member of the Organization acted. Once you had been properly introduced to each of them, you and Zexion were off to complete the mission that you had been given.

Your first reaction to Twilight Town was something that Zexion took note of- you looked mesmerized by the scenes of the town, and almost seemed as if you remembered nothing about it. Even if you hadn't seen the town itself, you surely would have remembered the mansion if you had even the slightest bit of consciousness upon coming into the world. However, this idea also proved to be false when Zexion took you to into the woods leading up the mansion; you remembered nothing about this place at all- not one single thing.

"It's odd that you remember nothing about Twilight Town, (Name). Even with our awakenings, we remember coming into existence quite well. However, don't let that thought disrupt our current goal- we need to keep an eye out for potential members, yes?"

You nodded your head, but you couldn't seem to rid yourself of those thoughts. Again, you were beginning to wonder why you were so different from everyone else. All of the other members seemed to have physical manifestations of their weapons that were unique to both their 'personality' and their elemental skill. You, on the other hand, simply had nothing but your will in control of your power. Perhaps Vexen might be able to come up with an idea about why this was? However, your mind was drawn away from those thoughts upon seeing someone, at least you thought it looked like someone, in front of the mansion gates.

"Zexion… it looks like there's someone there. See? At the gates of the mansion."

Zexion turned his attention further up the hill leading to the mansion, and sure enough, there was someone wandering about the mansion grounds. He hummed quietly, pressing his hand against your shoulder to keep you from going forward.

"Allow me, (Name). If this isn't a Nobody, I don't want a fellow member getting hurt. So, stay behind me."

The Schemer stepped forward, making sure that his apprentice stayed behind him as he did so. Thankfully, as they approached, he did come to find that this was merely another Nobody that had been brought into existence. He was rather pale, his blonde hair messed up atop his head.

"(Name), go inform Lord Xemnas that we've found an able-bodied Nobody to join the Organization. Make haste."

You gave a quick nod of your head, raising your hand to give rise to a portal in order to quickly return back to the castle. Once there, you hurried through the halls of the large castle to see if Xemnas was within the gathering area as he had been many times before. Unfortunately, the only person you happened to come upon was Xigbar.

"Ah- hey, kiddo. Whatcha up to? I thought you were supposed to be in Twilight Town with Zexion?"

You nodded quickly, stopping for a moment to catch your breath. When you were finally able to form words once again, you told Xigbar about the blonde man that you and Zexion had found outside of the mansion gates. You said that he looked rather lost, and didn't seem to have any recollection of where he was.

"Ah, looks like you're turnin' out to be alright after all, kiddo! That definitely sounds like a new Nobody to me… you go on and head back- I'll go and tell Xemnas about this new guy."

Just as he had done on the day of your awakening, he pat your head twice before hurrying off down the hallway towards wherever you supposed your leader might have been. You formed another portal to take you back to Twilight Town, and you found yourself exiting right beside your blue-haired mentor. You noticed that the new Nobody was still aimlessly wandering about- however, he was now muttering something about how he needed to *fix his hair.

No sooner had you returned did yet another portal appear near the mansion- this one had allowed Xemnas and the other members through in order to attend the initiation ceremony.

"Seems you and your friend here have managed to complete your mission, Zexion. I must say I'm proud of you for being able to handle yourself alone!"

Zexion scowled slightly at the mocking tone Vexen was giving him, but knew better than to begin an argument with him at a time like this. Xemnas, now in front of the blonde-haired man, began to speak the same words he had spoken on the day he had given you your name.

"You are lost, but worry not, for we shall teach you everything you must know about our Organization. Those surrounding you shall be your new family- you will work for us, and together, we shall achieve the goal that we have been striving for. Now, I shall bestow upon you your new name."

Your eyes fell upon the letters that manifested within the air in front of the newcomer, and you watched in curiosity as they began to jumble, just as yours had upon the day you received your name. However, you couldn't help but wonder where the letters came from- did Xemnas merely think of them, or was there a far greater meaning behind them? Then, the X finally came about, appearing right at the end of his new name.

"Demyx… welcome to our Organization. Return to The World that Never Was with us, and we shall make you acquainted with all that we hold there."

You and Zexion watched as Xemnas, the others, and the new member returned home, and you heard your mentor give a quiet sigh.

"Honestly, I do have to wonder why Vexen doubts my abilities so much. It becomes so hard to hold my tongue against him, especially when in the presence of our leader."

You stayed quiet for a while, not quite sure what to say to him. You knew that he and Vexen rarely saw eye to eye, but you weren't aware that it bothered Zexion this much. It was then that you had an idea- hopefully one that would help put your mentor's mind at ease. You grabbed the sleeve of his coat, attempting to tug him back towards the town.

"C'mon, Zexion. You said if we did our job, we could get some of that ice cream stuff, yeah? Let's get some then. We found a Nobody, right?"

"Just because we found one doesn't mean there can't be more, (Name). However, the event of finding two Nobodies within the same day is rather unlikely…"

"Then come on, Zexion. Don't be such a stooge for a bit and just relax… it's not like we're neglecting our entire mission. Besides, we've been here for hours already- I think if more than one Nobody was going to appear, they would have been here by now."

"You sure are forceful, you know that? It's a wonder how the two of us manage to complete our tasks, honestly."

=13=

After finally convincing Zexion to get some of the ice cream from one of the shops in town, the two of you traveled from Twilight Town to the islands again- you preferred to go there, and if Zexion was ever to be honest, he preferred to be there as well. He was never the type for bustling cities or busy streets- he'd much rather be in a quiet place, one where he could simply do what he wished in peace. As you had done the day before, the two of you sat on the docks overlooking the ocean, and you had just taken your first bite of the cold treat you held within your fingers.

"It deserves its name, you know… it's strange how two totally different tastes can come together and make something this good."

You looked over at Zexion, who was still staring down at the treat in his hand. You tilted your head a bit, wondering if something was the matter. He had mentioned wanting to try this before, so why was he hesitating now?

"Zexion- you alright?"

Whatever had bewitched Zexion suddenly lost its grasp on him- he shook his head slightly, as if being pulled out of deep thought, and then looked over at you.

"A-ah, yes. Forgive me. I've simply been thinking about quite a bit, is all. After all, as one of the scientists of the Organization, it is my duty to always delve within my own thoughts and question nearly everything."

You watched as he hesitantly took a bite from the corner of his bar, and he seemed to give a puzzled look at it for a moment before humming softly to himself.

"Interesting. Though my potions are concocted of nothing but the same flavor as this very bar, somehow, the actual item tastes much better."

The two of you sat in silence for a while after he spoke. There was nothing to break that silence aside from the sound of gentle waves washing upon the beach, and the occasional caw of a bird from some far corner of the island. You dipped your boot-covered toe into the water, watching as the ripples quickly faded into the oncoming wave that washed upon the shore. This was something that you enjoyed… right? At least, that's what the others told you enjoyment would feel like if you still had a heart. At long last, after you had finished nearly all of the ice cream on the stick, you decided to break the silence.

"Hey, Zexion? I wanted to say thanks for training me these past few weeks. I know it may not mean much since we don't have hearts to feel appreciation, but… thanks."

"No, no, (Name). I assure you the gesture is much appreciated. Even if we're unable to show it, it's the thought behind such things that matters. And please, I don't deserve such thanks. I was simply doing as Lord Xemnas instructed me to do."

"That's not entirely true. You could have disobeyed him, or simply left me to learn on my own. Instead, you taught me all about my powers and how to control them. And, you and I had a bit of… fun? That's what it's called, right?"

Zexion looked rather perturbed for a moment, and then came to realize that you were speaking of the water events that had taken place yesterday. Yes, fun is what it would have been called if they still had their hearts- yet, even so, the Schemer knew that the smile that had been brought to his face yesterday was certainly not of his own doing. What brought such a thing about, and why had it happened without him willing it to?

"Yes, (Name). It's called fun. However, I'd recommend not partaking in such activities again in the future. I don't think Lord Xemnas would like hearing about us doing those things instead of training or completing our assigned missions."

You hummed quietly in reply to him, finishing off the last bit of ice cream that was left on your stick. You then placed it into your coat pocket before laying back against the docks, your (color) eyes staring into the yellow, pink and orange-hued skies. What would it be like to be able to feel such emotions again? To be able to laugh all you'd like, and smile all the time? What would it be like to be able to experience anything at all, honestly? When you laughed the day before, you were left feeling like it had never happened once you returned back to the castle. Then, you also had to think about what you told Zexion about emotion- surely all of the Nobodies within the castle would simply be wandering around aimlessly like zombies if they didn't have any emotion, right? There were still so many unanswered questions that you had, and your mind simply wouldn't let you go a minute without thinking about them.

"(Name)… (Name)?"

You quickly turned your attention to the man beside you, clearing your throat as you forced yourself to give a tiny, sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Zexion. I was a bit lost in my own thoughts again. I have a pretty bad habit of doing that as of late."

"As I've noticed. Might I inquire as to what those thoughts are, exactly?"

You hummed quietly, not quite sure whether or not you wanted to tell him about the thoughts you had been having. What if he thought you were no longer a suitable Nobody for the Organization? You had heard Xigbar talking to Xaldin about such things a few days ago, and that was something that you didn't want the other members to think of you at all.

"I… if I'm going to be honest with you, Zexion, my mind keeps conjuring up this thought that we Nobodies aren't without emotion like Lord Xemnas says. I mean, think about it. Why did I randomly laugh yesterday? And, as much as you don't want to hear me admit it, I saw that faint smile that you made, too."

You saw Zexion's gaze be drawn away from you nearly as soon as you finished your sentence, and he said nothing for quite some time. He then took a deep breath, and then finished off what little of his ice cream remained upon the stick in his gloved hand.

"I'm not supposed to tell you what I'm about to tell you, (Name). Though I have known you for only a few short weeks, your ideas and my own are far more alike than I'd ever hoped they'd be. I have never spoken to anyone about the information I am going to pass on to you, and you are not to breathe a word of it. Do you understand?"

You gave a small nod of your head, not entirely sure what he was about to tell you. He hadn't shared this information with anyone, which included his college in science, Vexen, so whatever it was had to be of utmost importance and secrecy.

"I have hypothesized a theory: one that involves the heart, the mind, and the memories of our past selves that we Nobodies possess. You are correct in the assumption that we Nobodies would be merely walking shells of skin and bone without emotion- which leads me back to my hypothesis. When a Nobody is created, the original owner of our heart was split into two separate beings- one being a Heartless, and the other being what we currently are, which is a Nobody. I believe that the heart leaves an imprint upon us when we are born again in these bodies in the form of our fragmented, past memories. We then use those memories to piece together who we once were, forming unique personalities of our own. My hypothesis is further proven when examining other members of our Organization: Xigbar is seemingly carefree and tends to act as though nothing bothers him at all. Xaldin is serious, reserved, and tends to avoid prolonged interaction with others at all costs due to him not wanting to develop relationships. Vexen is cocky, arrogant, and somewhat egotistical, especially when it comes to his research. I believe, that through the development of these unique personalities, the things that once allowed our human selves to 'feel' begin to show through in us as well, sometimes. Much like your laughter yesterday, (Name)."

It took a moment for you to process all the new information that Zexion had given to you, but you soon came to understand exactly why he had refrained from explaining his theory to anyone else within the Organization. Xemnas was very clear in his information that Nobodies do not have emotion, and that anything you happened to express was merely of your own mere will- you were simply pretending that you had emotion to fill whatever void your lack of a heart had left within you. Should anyone else have found out about Zexion's theory, they might believe him to be turning away from their leader's words and orders, thus beginning to view him as a traitor.

"So… you mean that the laughter I experienced yesterday was… almost like a simulation of my past self?"

"No… not a simulation. More so an echo, if you wish to call it that. Almost as though our original selves begin to show through us for brief moments of time."

"I see. Does that mean that any emotion could eventually be shows through us? Like… what about hatred? Malice? And what about one of the most interesting of all the emotions?"

Your last sentence seemed to catch Zexion's attention a bit more, and he cocked his eyebrow slightly as his gaze was drawn back upon you.

"What emotion could that possibly be?"

"You know- the one that Vexen calls an "enigma." I believe that he referred to it as 'love' one day."

"Ah, yes. That feeling has been one that no science or research could ever bring a sound solution or resolution to. There is so much about it that is unknown, so Vexen has every right to refer to it as an enigma. I've been told several things about it, however. I suppose you could call them symptoms of love. You might often catch yourself staring at the person who has your interest- after all, our eyes are naturally drawn to what interests us the most. I've been told that you wake up with them on your mind in one way or another, as well. Again, these are things that aren't concrete, but I've been told such things before. Alongside overhearing it whenever I happen to traverse to Twilight Town. The teenagers there talk about it quite a bit."

"I see."

The two of you were quiet once again, and you gazed out over the orange-colored sea to watch the sun set over the horizon. Perhaps Zexion was right in his hypothesis- maybe the reason that you couldn't help but laugh at him the day before was because your previous self was simply showing through you and through your memories. You had brief visions in your head of things you know you had never seen, so you supposed those must be the "imprints" that Zexion referred to. Those were memories of whoever you were in your previous life, and unbeknownst to you until now, had helped form what you acted like in this new form. You felt Zexion's hand be placed upon your shoulder, and you looked over to see him rising to his feet.

"Come along, (Name). We must be getting back to the castle- it's getting rather late, and I needn't stress the necessity of rest again, do I?"

You shook your head, rising to your feet upon the docks. Once Zexion had summoned the portal back to the castle, you willingly followed him through it, the path closing effortlessly behind you.

Back on the beach, from one of the walkways high above the docks, a man clicked his tongue and hummed amusedly to himself.

"'No such thing will happen,' he said. As if."

=13=

Author's Note (1): I don't believe that all the members of Organization XIII sleep in their coats- that would get rather uncomfortable rather quickly. I'm trying to take a more realistic approach to how they live.

Author's Note (2): It has been stated that Demyx has a rather large fondness of his past memories, and in doing such, takes great pride in his sitar and making sure his hair is done correctly. Hence why he began to mumble about how his hair was messed up and needed to be fixed.

Author's Note (3): I am well aware that the events taking place currently (the apprenticeship of (Name) under another Organization member, and sharing ice cream at the beaches of Destiny Islands) sound awfully familiar to the story in Kingdom Hearts 358 ½ Days between Roxas and Axel. However, this was not the intention. It was used as a way to display the growing bond between (Name) and Zexion, and I have/had no intention of drawing inspiration from 358 ½ Days. Small tidbits of information (such as Zexion stating other members of the Organization like Sea Salt Ice Cream and narrator stating that Zexion likes Destiny Islands due to the calm air surrounding it) were used in order to explain why these events are taking place the way they are.

Author's Note (4): *Small Story Spoiler Ahead* In relation to Note #3, this is also the only time that Zexion and (Name) will share ice cream together.