With no darkness in her heart, Kairi produced no Heartless, and instead of vanishing, her body remained in the realm of light.
In other words, both the Nobody called Naminé and the Heartless—proof of a lost heart—are extremely unstable beings who lack the bodies needed to produce a Nobody.
Secret Ansem Report 9
Twilight Town
The Mansion - Laboratory
Naminé followed Kuro across the threshold and watched as Kuro unloaded the silly dog into his pod. The flopping of the King's Captain of the Royal Guard into the metallic machine had him bonking his skull against the side of the wall with an audible knock on the way down. The banging of his head against the walls like a bell. Kuro felt his jaw tighten, a pain echoed in his chest as though he were stabbed in his heart. It made him regret dropping him so haphazardly.
"Nice one, Kuro." Dusk muttered, snickering to themselves as they watched Kuro fumble about with the duck as he let out a short curse under his breath when he heard the banging. "I'm sure he'll feel that when he wakes up."
"Goddamn it. Sorry, Goofy." Kuro grumbled, reaching over with his now free hand and tenderly rubbing the spot that was slammed into the wall. The gentle caress of his digits behind the dog's ear made Goofy giggle gently in his sleep. His snout pulls into a wide, good natured grin in response as he rolls his shoulders and begins to snore again. Resettling into his spot. "Get some good sleep, sir."
Kuro feels his heart warm up at the sight of Goofy relaxing, giving him a few more pats before taking a few steps back and walking over towards Donald's personal pod. Both of his hands gripping the duck's hips and lowering him into the metal machine.
"I won't be dropping you so carelessly, Duck. Don't you worry." Kuro muttered as he gingerly placed the waterfowl in the pod. He gave the duck a pat on the shoulder, grinning to himself. "You get some rest there."
"Kuro, are you done talking to the King's lackeys? If you are, would you kindly escort Naminé to her quarters? She'll be on the second floor, located on the wing opposite of the Library." DiZ's voice broke what he thought was pointless noise coming from Kuro while he settled Donald into their metallic pod. Watching as the Heartless took care and made sure to adjust the hat on top of his head, as it had begun to slip off of the duck's head. Wondering why he took such measures to do such a needless thing. With the hat adjustment and the scratching of Goofy's ears, it looked like he cared about them.
"There you go, Donald." Kuro muttered gently before he turned towards the bandaged man in acknowledgement of his request. Kuro straightened his lapel before turning back over to Naminé. Who raised her hand and shook it in response. She truly didn't want to cause any issues.
"It's really no issue. I can find my way around." Naminé spoke softly, only for DiZ to raise his hand and call for her to be silenced. A stern gesture of the bandaged man's hand made her shoulders bunch up and her eyes shoot to stare into the floor. Unwilling to meet his gaze. Her body quivering as though she had been struck.
"Nonsense. You'll have your own room. Kuro, after you are done taking her to her room, please return to me. We need to talk and I'd rather not have the fairer sex here while I ask." DiZ glanced over at the blonde Nobody. His golden shaded eye glowering at her, as if it took more restraint than he could muster to not stare at her with this hatred he harbored for Nobodies. Even if she was but another victim of the Organization's cruelty, she was still a Nobody to DiZ at the end of the day. DiZ couldn't look past her unorthodox and unnatural creation to empathize too much with her circumstances. She was another tool at his disposal, much like the Heartless. Kuro could destroy, Naminé could rebuild. Kuro nodded, walking over towards the Nobody with a shrug and nod of the head. She didn't look up as he approached, to which he gently waved his hand at his hip level to gather her attention. Getting her to track his hand with her eyes. "I pray she'll find the room accommodating."
DiZ hoped that he had pretended enough for them to not hear how little he actually cared.
"Lucky you. He didn't offer me a room when I got here. Let's go, Dusk." Kuro teased gently with a chuckle, the sound of his laugh earning a short smile out of Naminé as he waved for her to follow him. The Shadow scurried behind them as they walked. Kuro escorted her up the stairs and out of the Library's room, leading her into the foyer of the old mansion that DiZ had created to be their base of operations.
Just as he noticed before on his previous visits, plenty of cobwebs, unmoved sheet covered furniture, and dust collected packed away boxes shoved into corners of the room. It looked just as it did a month ago. If anything, there might be even more cobwebs and dust that gathered over the last month.
Kuro glanced over his shoulder to look at Naminé as she followed silently behind, her hands held in front of her and her eyes focused on the heels of his feet. Walking as though she were a prisoner and he was her warden. Kuro turned his attention back ahead, rounding the corner to the long walkway that led to the opposing wing.
He glanced around the foyer to note how dead and abandoned the house was, wondering if much like Traverse Town that life could be brought back to the old mansion. He then purposefully slowed his pace so that he walked alongside her rather than leading her. Getting the feeling that she needed to not feel like she was being escorted around as though she were less than and was simply taking a walk with a friend. Well, walking with someone who would like to be her friend.
He rolled his shoulders back, recalling the questions that he and Jessie shared to get to know one another on the train back in Midgar. He felt his lips curl to a grin.
"So, Naminé… what's your favorite thing to eat?" Kuro inquired, the blonde haired girl's eyes shifting from the floor up towards him. The confusion in her face showed as her lips pursed and her eyes squinted. She clutched her hands, ensuring they stay locked together.
"What? Why do you want to know that?" Naminé asked softly. Kuro cocked his head to his own confusion, wondering to himself why she seemed so off put by him attempting to ask her a question.
"I… Well, I want to get to know you." Kuro stated earnestly and truthfully, stopping his walk so he could face her fully. Standing before her with his hands held loosely at his sides, his face falling to a flat expression and his voice speaking low and sweetly to her. As she deserved, given her harsh treatment at the hands of the Organization.
"Why do you want to get to know me?" She asked, her voice soft and timid. She was more genuinely curious than put off by his inquiry. His amber shaded eyes rested on her with a kindness she has not experienced honestly before. The only kindness she had ever received was that from the Replica Riku and Sora, both of which were manipulated to focus solely on her and her alone. Driving their wants and desires to home in and find her at all costs.
She felt her hands tighten, and her breathing became unsettled as he eased his own breathing.
"I spent weeks wandering here and there wondering if I would hear you again. And when I saw you in that dream, I didn't know if I would ever see you again." Kuro shrugged, wringing out his wrists with a few rolls as he spoke. "You and I came into this world together, at the same time. You are the only one who knows what I feel. Both of us were afraid, and alone. You told me I needed to fight. And I have fought. Monsters and men, alike. Sometimes… The men are monsters. The point is, I listened… from the beginning, I listened to you."
Naminé's breath came out in a shuddering quake when she heard this. Much like Sora, he had listened to her. Even if he took an unorthodox and winding road to find her.
She began recalling the memories she dove into while scouring Kuro's mind during the less intensive moments in Castle Oblivion. The violence and the damage he had caused with his hands, his blade, and with guns.
The tender moments he shared with friends and allies through it all. A quick palpitation and clamming of her hands when she bore witness to his more intimate moment with Jessie being quickly made her feel squeamish as she recalled him carving open Frollo's stomach with his blade.
She gulped loudly, and Kuro found it in himself to smile despite also recalling the hardships he had undergone to get where he was. Kuro let his hand comb over his chin as he took in a sharp breath to gather his senses.
"Naminé, you gave me my name." Kuro stated with a voice that trembled as he spoke, with a reverence and a respect that shook Naminé to her core. When Kuro was a new soul in this world, she gave him a name to call himself. When he stumbled around and feared for his life, she told him to find it in himself to fight. Since the start, she gave him the spark of motivation and the rolling start of courage to move forward. She could feel in his words how highly he thought of her. "You gave me something that was mine when I had nothing. And for that… for that I am grateful. I'm glad I can finally say… Thank you, Naminé."
The tenderness of his eyes were beaten by the sweet tone of his voice, the rumbling of his words had eased the tense taut muscle of her chest, and she let out a short sigh in response. Her shoulders fell and her eyes squinted in thought. To be thanked, to be truly thanked by someone. It was unlike any other feeling. She felt her lips be pulled into a glowing smile. Kuro felt his heart leap in his chest, she was relaxing.
"I never… really ate before." Naminé answered his question with a rising warmth in her chest, seeing Kuro's eyes shift over her in a confused way before she elaborated. She let her hands shift from being held tightly in front of her before folding behind her, her index fingers lazily linked as she pulled her shoulders back and stood up straight. "I think Nobodies do not need to eat like typical people do, they just do it out of habit. Mostly out of mimicry. Remembering how they were before they changed."
"So, you've never eaten?" Kuro asked, seeing her shake her head in response. Kuro's eyes narrowed before he made a mental note that he would need to fix that. The awkward silence that follows brings a heat to his face. "Well… Damn. I guess I'll have to bring you some food."
Naminé's giggle echoes in the hall, which kickstars his own laughter. Dusk, if they could raise a brow, would have done so while watching the two of them laugh and talk. They were curious as to how the Heartless and this Nobody had bonded so quickly. Dusk chalked it up to both of them being sociable. The two of them continue to share a few laughs while she tucks a few loose hairs on the right side of her face behind her ear, the side facing Kuro. He scanned over her pale tender cheek, soft chin, and the way her eyes shimmered like clear river water as they continued to walk along. He found that he liked her face, it was darling and sweet.
"You've eaten before, what is your favorite thing to eat?" She inquired, her small mouth tugging up into a sweet soft smile as he tucked a fist under his chin and tapped his knuckle against his jawline. The sting of onions, the hot meat broth and the soft carrots filled his memory and made his mouth water. He snapped his fingers, turning to Naminé with an electrified expression.
"I had this soup back on Midgar that was delicious. It had some strange meat, vegetables and this hot broth. It was delicious." Kuro noted, seeing her stare at him with this smile of vicarious joy, imagining the taste of such a thing as he described it. Kuro shrugged, meeting her gaze as he turned the corner towards her new room. "I'll have to bring you some… or make it for you."
"You don't have to cook for me. I'm fine." Naminé stated in a soft voice, her gentle tone almost being beaten by the simple sound of their heels hitting the wooden floor. She saw Kuro take a few wider gaited steps to reach the door before her and open it for her. Kuro shook his head, letting her go into the room first. "I'd hate to be a bother."
"No, no. I want to cook for you, though." Kuro said with a smile, watching her walk in before feeling a pair of claws tug at his pant leg. He glances down and sees Dusk. Dusk interlaced their claws and held it lovingly against their cheek. Teasing their friend.
"'I want to cook for you.' Bleh." Dusk grumbled before getting their brim smacked by Kuro in response. "Hey!"
Kuro then followed behind her into the room. And when he entered, his smile dropped immediately and his eyes went wide.
The room wasn't even being utilized as a storage space, where he would imagine the previous owners of the room would gather their belongings and toss them inside to not deal with it. It was just four walls, with a wide window that had tacked on sheets to keep the light from shining into the room and fading the paint. Kuro walked around the open room, the space was twice as big as the home back on Traverse Town and had not even a chair to sit down in. He spread his arms out wide, slack jawed at the nothing that he was standing in.
"It's empty." Kuro complained, turning to Naminé as she shrugged in response. Unphased by the lack of furniture in the room. It wasn't as bright as her space back in Castle Oblivion. There was no Organization member to harass and belittle and abuse her, that was a huge positive.
"It's a room. My room." Naminé noted with a nod. Her hands reaching up to the outsides of her arms as she shivered in the lack of heat and the sudden draft of air. Kuro shook his head, sucking on his teeth.
"A room isn't just four walls." Kuro gestured aimlessly to said walls and let out a groan. His home back in Traverse Town was full of books he wanted to read or read again, it housed his record player for the evening waltz he had with Dusk, it at the very least had a bed for him to lay on and a wardrobe for him to change his clothes. Kuro shook his head, watching Naminé walk into the barren room with her hands leveled at her sides and her eyes scanning over every corner. As if she wanted to know exactly how much and how little space she had. An eye kept on the door, the only exit besides the massive shaded windows, in her peripheral vision. As though she needed to make a quick escape. "There's not even a bed."
"This is fine. I don't need a bed." Naminé stated, shaking her head as she turned towards the Heartless with a dull grin. She shrugs, her sky blue eyes meeting his sunset stare. "It's not a prison, so it's already better than where I used to stay. I can make this work."
"But you have nothing in here…" Kuro bemoaned, crossing his arms over one another as he gnashed his teeth together. He couldn't bear the thought that she survived her treatment in Castle Oblivion to just be placed in a dark, empty box. He shook his head, letting his fists fall to his sides as he turned back towards the Nobody. He wouldn't leave her with a room with nothing in it. That was not going to be how this day ended for her. "I'll be right back. Give me like fifteen minutes."
Naminé did as she was told, she waited for him to return. All the while hearing the sound of wood scratching against wood, heavy heeled boots knocking into stairs, and the muttered complaining that echoed in the foyer about how there wasn't a room already prepared with a guest in mind.
Kuro gathered a few items that were scattered around the mansion that were simply gathering dust and dragged them into Naminé's spacious room to fill it out. The first thing he had gotten pulled into the room was a bed with a queen sized mattress. The frame was intricate, with hand carved spirals, intricate swirls and masterfully designed stars. All of it was painted a pristine eggshell white. The color which Kuro discovered after he pulled back a handful of gathered dust and found the gray sticking to his palm and the white remaining on the wood.
The bed would require some assembly that Naminé assured him she would be able to fix on her own time. Kuro didn't want to impose more than he probably already was, so he let her decide if and when she would be willing to put the bed together. He had hoped it would be before she got too tired to do it herself.
The next item he had brought her was a curio, with clear windows and hinged doors which was placed on the western wall a few steps away from the disassembled bed frame. For her to place some belongings and clothes should she need a space for them.
In short bursts, he procured several small tables and chairs. To give her different places to sit and to draw around the bedroom. Although she was very hesitant to initially engage with him as he brought her these items, she soon found herself subtly gesturing to him with a few swipes of her fingers and nudges of her chin where she wanted such pieces placed around the room. Which he moved and placed without any issue or complaint.
The last item which he appeared most proud of when he placed it against the wall that ran adjacent to the door was a vanity with an unbroken mirror as well as a cushioned seat that went with it. Someplace for her to comb her hair and to apply makeup should she feel so inclined to do so. With all the furniture gathered, he began to move the table into the center of the room to bring the room together.
"So, what do you like to draw?" Kuro grumbled as he shoved the massive dining room sized table towards the center, fixing it straight before glancing over at the bare walls and the curtained windows. "I saw your drawing one time, it was really good."
"I don't know if I like anything in particular. I like sunsets and beaches though." Naminé shared as she sat down in one of the two tall back cushioned chairs and watched Kuro settle the table and make mental notes of how far and away it was from the walls of the room. He walked over to the unoccupied high back chair and carried it over to the side of the room where the curio and the displaced bed frame was located. Kuro lined it with one head of the table. Naminé continued to speak as he worked. "What do you like to do in your spare time? When you're not killing Heartless or world hopping."
"When I'm not killing Heartless or world hopping? I read. I love reading." Kuro stated, before he walked over to the end of the table closest to Naminé and leaned against the dining room table edge. His hip against the wood as he wiped the dirty palms of his hands against his pants to clean them off. "I read a lot of books when I was hanging out in Traverse Town. I liked cooking books because I wasn't eating. And the fairy tales were nice because I got to follow someone else's story for a while."
"You'll have to show me some of your favorites." Naminé said with a warm glow to her cheeks, to which Kuro's eyes lit up and his lips burst into a wide grin.
"Absolutely! I'll bring you a stack of my favorites!" Kuro said with a giddiness and a sense of joy that was infectious, clapping his hands together as he grinned from ear to ear. It made even Naminé smile. "I can't wait to show you them!"
Eventually, Kuro excused himself to allow Naminé to get adjusted to her new living conditions and to get acclimated to her room. Kuro shut the door with Dusk at his side, the Shadow staring up at him with an inquisitive stare. Kuro glanced down at his companion, noticing Dusk's eyes focused entirely on him. Kuro's shoulders shrugged and raised a brow.
"Yes?" The orange eyed Heartless asked, Dusk's claws pawing over one another as they cocked their head towards Kuro.
"You really like Naminé." Dusk stated as a fact, bobbing their head as they spoke to Kuro. He felt his cheeks flush, his hands interlocking behind his head as he stretched out his elbows and his arms. He felt his lips pull effortlessly into a smile when he even heard her name.
Those clear, blue eyes. That beautiful blonde hair. Her sweet smile. Her tender voice, it soothed his mind just to hear her name.
"She's… I don't know how to explain it, Dusk." Kuro muttered in pure astonishment, strolling along the walkway with Dusk at his side. His eyes unfocused on what was ahead of him, focusing on the woman he had just left in the room. Her smile felt warm and familiar, akin to the feeling he felt in his heart recalled of heated sand that belonged to his home world and the shine of a beaming sun. Her voice was a song he could recall the melody but no name, and her eyes a portrait he would remark as a beauty without any hope of replicating. "She feels like someone I knew. You know? Someone so… so familiar. When I talk to her, I feel like I'm seeing an old friend."
"Maybe he knew her?" Dusk offered, their antenna twitching in thought as they rounded the corner. Tapping their chest with their claw. "You know, the you before?"
"I doubt it." Kuro stated, shaking his head. He swung out his arms, a low chuckle erupting from him. "Whoever I was before couldn't have met Naminé. But if I ever did, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for forgetting her."
Kuro returned to DiZ's laboratory, ready to meet with him about whatever it was that he had asked about. He was hoping he could also ask about the desires and the loves that he had found over the last few weeks and get some explanation about what was going on with him.
DiZ heard the boots before he saw the young man, turning towards him with an unenthused look in his eye.
"You get lost turning the corner?" DiZ remarked, folding his arms over one another as he glared at the Heartless. Staring at him with disappointment as though the Heartless were a child who missed their curfew. "You were supposed to report back as soon as you dropped her off in her room."
"She was given an empty room, DiZ." Kuro explained, nonchalantly scratching under his chin as he spoke. "I didn't think-"
"You're right. You didn't think. She could have been given the yard and a chain to which she would still be grateful." DiZ said with a cruel chuckle, Kuro's jaw clenching as he let out a low groan of frustration towards the bandaged man. His anger spiking.
"She didn't have a bed, DiZ. Or a table, or even a chair to sit down in." Was Kuro's rebuttal, which was met with a roll of the eye from the older man. A sight that the Heartless didn't appreciate. Not at all. His hands pulled into tight fists as he cocked his own eye. Returning the glare back to the older man. Kuro took a settling breath, capping off his irritation to not let it escalate into a rage. A slow breath in, and a long breath out. "DiZ, I understand the Organization is bad news. I know that now. I want to stop them, too. But please be nice to Naminé. She's already been through so much."
"You don't get to decide who I shant and shall be kind to." DiZ stated in his baritone voice, a growing fury to his words as he could not believe the gall that this Heartless had asking him to impose kindness onto the Nobody. As his voice rose, he noticed the Heartless chin rose and his shoulders squared. Hands held in fists, as though he were at the ready. Kuro was refusing to back down, all in the name of Naminé. DiZ made a mental note that he would need to be brought to heel soon, if this attitude of his were to get out of control. "Regardless, I have to conduct a few experiments with you. And would hope you would indulge me."
"Alright. I'm all ears, DiZ. If I can ask you a few questions first?" Kuro said, nodding in return as he saw DiZ turn to the computer desk and grab several small lidded cups. Of which he raised them towards the Heartless. "What are all these for?"
"I am going to need samples of your genetic material." DiZ stated while he handed them over one by one. Internally cringing as he let out a bellowing sigh as he handed over the last cup. "I am going to need all of your genetic material."
"Alright." Kuro said innocently, shrugging his shoulders as he took hold of the cups. Not picking up on the meaning of 'all' genetic materials. One of the labels along the cups was, 'Saliva' and another was labeled, 'Blood.' "So, what do you want me to do with these? Spit and bleed?"
"On the outside of the cup you'll see the request and a suggested means of… gathering. Saliva is for spit, yes. I can see your biomarkers and bacteria in your saliva. Who knows what kind of bacteria you could be carrying. Blood is blood. That's easy enough. I can see the functioning of your organs, various cell counts, and maybe even get an understanding of what that looks like for you. I wonder if you have organs at all, such as lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and the like." DiZ remarked with an awkward cough and a diversion of the eye. He felt his hands flex uncomfortably and his jaw clench. "There is a lavatory on the first floor that you can attend to for the other two samples."
Kuro raised a brow, before he saw the cup labeled, 'Urine' and one labeled, 'Semen.' Kuro felt his jaw lock and his face cringe as he hesitantly glanced up at the bandaged man.
"And these?" Kuro asked with a slow and unsteadiness that came with his rapidly growing uncomfortable and nauseating feeling he felt gathering in his chest. "These are for-"
"Basic tests to verify your abnormal conditions. I can check you for various diseases, and the like." DiZ explained in a rush, eye glancing at the one that Kuro had spent the most time facing and pondering the need for. The one that was the most uncomfortable to ask for. "That one is for new research. You're a Heartless with human characteristics. There was only one other Heartless like you and they're dead. Can't experiment with them. Which is why I ask for the other test. I'm not quite sure how many organs, if any, you even have. It begs the question of how… human your body actually is. The last one is to test the ability to procreate as humans do. Having young is not something directly straightforward with Heartless. They don't have any apparent sexual organs or carry their young in wombs or lay any eggs. They can only create more of themselves by tearing the hearts out of living beings and corrupting them. Or being a natural occurring byproduct of darkness. That inquiry is one of morbid curiosity. I assure you."
"DiZ…" Kuro gulped, feeling his hand trembling. Images of Jessie and him having sex flashing in his mind. His cheeks flashing a bright pink. "Is there a chance that I… could procreate? If given the chance?"
"That is what this test is for." DiZ stated, waving his hand in the air and letting out a short sigh. "But that isn't a concern. You're genetically a possibly very different creature. The odds of you having the opportunity to engage in such activities are very low, so this is more of a measure in scientific exploration than-"
DiZ saw the color drain from Kuro's face, his breathing became unsettled and his eyes grew wide. There is a flicker of reflection in Kuro's face as he seems to be replaying something disastrous in his mind. Kuro's body freezes and locks, before his orange eyes cut into DiZ's blank stare with a terrified look in them. It was that look, a simple scared look, and DiZ connected the dots immediately.
DiZ's shoulders fell and his mouth went slack. In a low, flat, and dumbfounded tone, DiZ spoke again. "What did you do?"
"It just… happened." Kuro argued as he tapped the heel of his hand against his forehead. Whinging as he dug his wrist deeper into his skull. "Me and Jessie were celebrating the reactor explosion on Midgar, she started kissing me and I kissed her-"
"Reactor explosion? On Midgar? You- You engaged in sexual intercourse?" DiZ asked these questions quickly in succession, as he stormed towards the Heartless and pressed his finger into their chest. DiZ glared at the Heartless and began to raise his voice. "Without any protection?"
"Yeah?" Kuro shrugged with a crooked awkward grin. "I mean, I took her armor off-"
The swipe of DiZ's palm against Kuro's temple was swift, far faster than Kuro would ever think the man was capable of moving. DiZ's golden eye burned with rage toward the Heartless before he took in a heavy breath and blew it out through his nose. Trying to stifle the anger he felt.
"What if your material is hazardous to human beings? What if it is capable of corrupting hearts from the inside like venom? Or worse? She carries your spawn and it carves its way out of her when it's due? Irresponsible behavior, young man." DiZ stated, looking at the Heartless with a sour expression. A look of disdain and disgust on his face. A gaze of disappointment that truly got to Kuro. The thought that he could be responsible for something that could be dangerous to Jessie made his heart ache and his stomach feel uneasy. He would never want to hurt her, or anyone he cares about. If something happened to her because of something he had done, he didn't know what he would do. DiZ pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling out several measured breaths before he became calm enough to speak again. "It'll take me a couple of days for me to process the material. So just fill the cups and be on your way."
"My questions?" Kuro reminded DiZ who returned to his seat and faced the computer screen. "DiZ? My questions?"
"Well, what questions? Out with it then." DiZ barked, his eye never leaving the blue hued screen. Kuro posted up against the wall, eyes squinted shut as he tried to get a handle on the anxious thoughts that echoed in his mind. The images of darkened claws tearing through Jessie's stomach from the inside and covered in ichor and blood, her screams of agony ringing in his ears. He cursed under his breath, shaking out his shoulders to ward off the shivers he quickly gathered.
"I can go to this… place in my head when I sleep. Or my… my heart. And I can see this pillar of light." Kuro explained, seeing DiZ ever so slightly swivel his head to turn his ear towards the Heartless, yet keep his eye on the computer screen as he typed. "Anyways, I am in this dark place and I see a pillar of light. In it, there was this call, this… flash of power? And it recalled, 'The Love of Friendship'? That was after I was shown images of Arthur and Quasimodo. Some friends I had made. And it seemed to make the light beam become brighter. And later on it recalled 'The Desire of Lust' after me and Jessie had our night together. That caused the beam to glow as well, and the ground to shake too. Like, in my mind, the ground shook."
DiZ leaned back in his seat, a hand reaching up to rub his chin thoughtfully as he contemplated the meaning behind the Heartless' visions. The love and the sin that appeared before him were related to the experience in question. DiZ hummed for a moment, before shaking his head and letting out a deep chested breath. He would have to further research this.
"I'll answer that inquiry when I have more information. For now, let's focus on the task at hand." DiZ explained, before waving the young man off to get the examination cups filled. Kuro let out an uncomfortable groan, before he marched out of the laboratory and back into the house proper. Ready to spit, bleed and… well, everything else DiZ asked him to do. The Heartless cringed internally and focused on the task at hand. Which meant spending some time alone.
Naminé found Kuro lounging in one of the long couches in the foyer when she emerged from her room, his arm folded over his brow and his legs thrown over the right arm of the seat. Trying to rest away the embarrassment he was feeling.
His chest gently rose and fell to the rhythm of his steady breath. The Heartless had finished gathering the samples and took some time to simply relax.
She quietly approached him, her hands locked together in front of her as she slowly tip-toed over to him.
His silver hair was splayed out against the cushion, his free arm outstretched with his knuckles dragging along the floor as he rested.
"Kuro? You awake?" Her voice came out in a whisper, seeing him gently stirring awake to the sound of her voice. He let his arm slide down his face until it rested along his chest as he drew open his left eye to look at her. His sleeping scowl curling to a soft smile as he props himself onto one elbow as he stares up at her. He huffed to answer her question. "You mentioned earlier you feel like you're a stranger on your body? Do you still feel like that?"
"Yeah." Kuro murmured, throwing his feet off of the arm and onto the floor. Resting his forearms over his knees and raking his fingers through his hair. "I just feel out of sorts, Naminé. I'm hearing things… feeling things that aren't Kuro. They belong to someone who isn't like me."
Naminé nodded thoughtfully, crouching down beside him and meeting his gaze. Her tender blue eyes meeting his confused amber stare. Naminé rubbed her chin, chewing her bottom lip in thought.
"What do you remember?" She inquired, seeing him take in a sudden breath and exhale it just as quickly. He bites the inside of his cheek before he speaks again. "Maybe I can help?"
"I remember… Warm Sand. Blue skies. And Kairi's laugh-"
"Kairi's laugh?" Naminé asked in surprise, seeing Kuro nod. He clapped his hands together, bringing them to his mouth and tucking them under his chin. "You remember Kairi's laughter?"
"It's weird, right? But I am starting to think I am from her island. From her home world. I just don't know how I ended up… where I ended up." Kuro explained, before he rose to his feet and rolled out into the balls of his feet. "I can't focus on that right now. I need to go settle some business with a… friend of mine. But I don't know where to start. I know it's a long shot, but you drew that picture of me and Xion in the past. You wouldn't know where she is currently?"
Naminé took a moment, shutting her eyes. She let out a short sigh, standing up onto her feet. She flexed her hands, and then turned to her room. Staring at it as a lingering emptiness begins to settle in her again and cause her eyes to dull over. The only time she knew she should be accessing her power is when she was to help heal Sora's memories. A promise she made to take care of him. Although, her voided eyes gain a glint of hopeful light when it occurs to her that she is technically still helping Sora.
"I think I can figure it out." She said hopefully, walking up to her room with Kuro and Dusk following behind her.
She enters her quarters and gathers her parchment and crayons. She is then sitting down at the table in the middle of her room and taking a few steady breaths to ease herself into tapping into her power. She scours the memories of those connected to Sora, and given Xion's unique characteristics, her memories could be navigated as well.
Naminé grabs a steel shaded crayon, filling a few lines and then the red and black. Shading in a wall and writing characters that belonged to a language that neither of them understood. Her eyes shifted rapidly, reflecting the image in her mind dutifully and quickly. Then came the filling out of the target's organization coat and her raven black hair. The last thing she did was take a white crayon and fill out all the remaining space on the paper. Coloring in the snow that covered the area.
She slid the piece of art once it was done towards Kuro, who inspected it thoroughly. Trying to visualize the location.
Wherever it was was covered in snow, with iron walls and poles, with scripts of a foreign language written on the walls of this new world.
Kuro huffed, focusing his darker energy on this picture before combing his open palm in the middle of the air and causing a shimmering Corridor of Darkness to erupt.
"What are you going to do when you see her again?" Naminé asked, returning her crayons to their proper container before focusing her sights back on the Heartless.
"I need to know if she knew about what was happening to you. And if she would be willing to help us out from here on out." Kuro explained, flexing his hands into taut fists as he mentally prepared himself to cross the threshold into a new world. Xion's smile and her kindness echoed in his mind. "She's my friend. I need to try."
"And if she decides that she'd rather work with her organization?" Naminé asked with a hesitant tone, worried about what could happen to Kuro should Xion decide to do such a thing. She recalled their fight they had several weeks ago. Kuro had gotten stronger, and so had Xion. It would be a nasty fight. Kuro shuts his eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves and he looks back into the abyss. "What will you do then?"
Kuro, unsure of how to answer, clenches his jaw and lets out a grunt of discontent as he begins to walk through into the darkness. He didn't know if Xion would truly change sides. But he was sure as hell going to try to convince her.
"Thanks again, Naminé." Kuro said sincerely, as quickly as he could. Dusk followed behind, following him into the dark. Naminé watched as the Corridor disappeared, leaving her alone in the foyer. She stared at the spot where he had left, a sullen smile on her face.
"See you soon." She said softly into the open dead air. The sounds of the creaking floors and the occasional sound of outside evening wind rattling the windows of old manor. She likes to think she heard, 'You too.' Somewhere in the dark of the room.