The room was intricately designed with patterns on the walls, ceilings, and pillars, but it was all lost on itself as the entire room was the same blinding white in all corners of in this place called Castle Oblivion.

Only a small patch of cream and shadow stood out in the center of the bright room—the skin and hair of a quiet young girl and the towering black figure that stood next to her. The small pale girl in a small pale dress sat in a small white chair with a small white book in her lap.

Her hands were limp in her lap and her head dangled from her shoulders in a ghostly manner. Through her blonde hair her eyes, though hardly visible behind her heavy lids, were a soft blue but concerningly empty otherwise. The man that stood beside her stuck out more harshly in the room, as he was dressed head to toe in a stark black.

His voice was cool and casual, but had some mystery to it, as he spoke vaguely and covered his hair and face with a hood. He dropped a hand on to the girl's shoulder, his grasp overwhelming her small frame.

"Naminé, you are the soul keeper of that heart, which is why you must stay here. You know what would happen if you were to leave, don't you?" His voice was sing-song but it threatened something sinister.

The girl said nothing in return. She didn't even nod.
"Good! I'm glad we got that cleared up. Just draw a little more in that book of yours and hang out here. Other members are always in and out to entertain you, right? So, there's no way you could possibly be bored, right? You like Demyx don't you? Well guess what, it's his turn to baby si—I mean, watch over you today."

Naminé was hardly listening to what the man had said this time. Her mind was still on the aforementioned "heart".
"What about…his memories?" Naminé's voice came out as small as she was. "Without his memories…looking after his heart is useless!" Her words were slow to form, and even as she raised her tone it still remained no higher than a broken whisper. The man hardened his grip on her shoulder, reminding her of her place. His voice took on a stern, quiet tone, which made Naminé shake in her seat.
"The superior has me working on it, so just sit tight and try not to cause any trouble, okay? Tomorrow makes just barely a week. You need to trust me. You trust me, don't you, Naminé?"

The man loosened his grip on the girl's shoulder and took a lock of her hair in his black gloved hand. As he twirled it around he said her name, sending shivers down her spine and causing the thin hairs on her neck to rise in fear.

Jarringly, his voice became soft and gentle, but what he said was in no way kind. "You're here to look after that heart—nothing else. You only exist for others, so stop being so selfish." He spat out those last words and stood before he could see a tear slip from Naminé's eye. "I have some work to attend to back home. Hopefully today is the day that Roxas wakes up. If he does, then we'll be one step closer to getting that heart's memories. So just be patient, alright? Oblivion knows that that's what I've been doing."
A swirling portal of darkness lurched up from the ground and the man with the quickly shifting demeaner stepped through it, disappearing along with any trace of the portal.

Naminé wept, her tears staining the sketchbook she clutched. Her nose was beginning to stuff up when she felt something soft touch her cheek and looked up to see a tissue, handed to her by the only person she could call a friend, a white figure cloaked figure that had blended in to the room around her.
Xion didn't say much, but Naminé found comfort in her presence and would talk to her often. It was nice, even if she didn't talk back. Mainly, she just stood in the corner and watched Naminé draw.

She'd been there the whole time Axel had been bullying her, but it was just as well he didn't notice her presence or maybe he just didn't care, for she wore a white blanket like a hood which made her blend into the walls. Xion parted her lips to speak, though Naminé didn't expect anything to come out.
"Xion?" Naminé said as she took the tissue. She wondered what was running through Xion's mind, but even then it seemed weird to think Xion had thoughts of her own. After all, she was just—
"Na…mi…né" Xion mustered.

Naminé let out a small gasp. Wiping her teas away quickly, she took Xion's hand in hers with more energy than she'd had all week.
"Yes, Xion. I'm Naminé."
"Nami… né"
"That's right, Xion." Xion then pointed to herself.
"Xi…on." Naminé was crying again, but they were tears of happiness this time. She was overjoyed to hear Xion speak—to know Naminé and more importantly, to know herself. Xion's finger didn't stop pointing up at herself as she spoke again.
"Mem…or…ies." Naminé's smile quickly disapeared and she let go of Xion's hand who looked confused.
"I see. You understand more than I'd thought. That's right. Once we find Sora's memories, they will be placed within you as a vessel to hold until we can find Sora's body and connect the two."

Xion was silent.

"For right now, the heartless have only delivered his heart." Naminé took Xion's hand back in hers. "You already keep safe the most important part of him," but Naminé bit her tongue then. She couldn't tell Xion that once Sora's heart, memories, and body were connected—Xion would become nothing more than an empty shell. She'd be nothing.

Naminé and Xion shared that fate. Naminé knew that and it hurt her so much. She couldn't tell Xion.
"Why…this?" Xion pieced together.
"That's good question." Naminé sighed, guilt weighing on her. "Why are we doing this? Sora is… someone very special to me—no, to this world… all worlds. For him to meet his fate so early was like a glitch in the system. It's something everyone is working to recode…" Naminé closed her eyes. Her tears had dried away now. It was so easy to talk to Xion. With her eyes still shut, Naminé concentrated and sensed what she could outside this prison cell of a room.

"Yes, I can see it. Everyone knows how important he is, some more than others. With or without their hearts—they all know deep down inside. The people who keep coming in here—the ones in black coats? They're part of something called Organization XIII."
"Thirteen…"
"That's right. They're working harder than anyone out there to fix this, but they need… me. I'm the only one who can manipulate people's memories and hearts without a keyblade."
"Key…?" Every new word Xion spoke brought a little more joy to Naminé's face.
"The keyblade… It's a weapon of peace, though some have not used it as such in the past. Its original purpose—"
The door clicked and Naminé rushed a hand to her lips, shutting herself up before she said something she wasn't supposed to. With her other hand, she motioned for Xion to step back but she didn't. Naminé stood then and tried to push her but the moment she laid her hands on her, the door swung open and Demyx strutted in.
His dirty blonde hair was spiked straight up, with the sides shaved off. While loose strands stuck out everywhere seemingly randomly, each one had been placed with careful intention. He donned the same black coat as Axel, but Demyx's was worn looser, baggier and with his hood pealed back as he was careful not to mess up his hair with such an addition.

In his arms, Demyx carried a large, light blue sitar.
"Yo, Naminé! Long time no see, what's it been what…twelve days?" He spoke in a sing-song-like way and pursed his lips, closing his eyes as he hit a reverberating note on his sitar. "You ready to rock toda—"
The moment he opened his eyes to look over to Naminé he stopped speaking. It was obvious he valued his sitar greatly by the way he carried it, but when he saw Xion hovering nearby, he dropped it to the ground, sour notes rising from it like the rising sun.
"Wh-who is this?" Demyx said, pointing a single, shaky finger at Xion. Immediately, Naminé stood in front of Xion, her arms outstretched on either side to protect her.
"She's… under my protection… by Lord Xemnas!" At the immediate sound of his name Demyx tensed up. Xemnas was their superior—first in command. For a moment, Demyx's face scrunched up before he realized…
"There's no way Xemnas would go behind our backs like this. Traitor! Tell me who this is or—" Demyx didn't wait. He struck Naminé to the side, as any member would have and have done in the past. Naminé cried out as Demyx grabbed Xion's hood and ripped back from her face. "No way! You're…" he gazed at Xion for what seemed like the longest time before shooting a glare at Naminé. "Traitor! Lord Xemnas will hear about this. We should have never trusted you, witch!" With that, he ran out of the room, grabbing his sitar on the way out.

All Naminé could do was cry as Xion handed her another tissue.

Vexen, Organization XIII's fourth in command was a scientist, but more importantly, he was a traitor—him and six others. No one but those few were supposed to know that they'd already gathered Sora's heart and were keeping it inside a vessel Vexen had created. As far as any other member knew, they had the heartless searching the worlds for his heart, memories, and body. As far as they knew, there was no vessel named Xion. But as for the six, their understanding differed. Naminé was one of those six.

Of the others was Axel, number VIII, the complicated man who had talked to Naminé earlier. Zexion and Lexaeus, numbers VI and V, were in charge of gathering information. They stayed in the sublevels of Castle Oblivion, keeping to themselves, listening and reading up on prophecies and descriptions of things of a darker nature. Marluxia, Organization XIII's eleventh member, was the self-appointed leader of the traitor organization. He kept a careful eye on the others despite is never presence. Larxene was the only female in Organization XIII. She was twelfth in command in Organization XIII, but second in command when it came to the traitor organization. If anyone were to find out any of the six members were traitors, then more than a single plan would be ruined and lives would no doubt be taken.

Naminé sniffled, her nose stuffy from crying. Sooner or later, someone would come barging in, berating her with questions she'd have no choice but to answer, after which they would stamp out her existence and she would be lost to oblivion. Xion reached a hand out to sooth Naminé before someone knocked on the door. This was it.
Knock.

Knock.
The third knock was more of a thud and the door swished open at its sound. It was Axel again. He strolled in, his hood still drawn but his body read that he was in a nervous state. His breathing was heavy from rushing back to Castle Oblivion.
"Naminé!"
Axel withdrew his hood, revealing his wild expression. His hair was fiery red and thrown back in bright, crimson spikes that contrasted with his bright emerald eyes, wide and wild. Two tear drops were painted under each of his eyes. What they symbolized was a mystery.

Rushing over to Naminé, Axel put his hand on her head. Sometimes it was too obvious that he truly cared for her, but he practiced at showing the opposite lest she try to leave this place and he fail his mission.

If nobodies had a heart, his would break a little more each time he had to yell at her. He looked over to Xion, her face was exposed from when Demyx pulled her hood back.
Xion's hair was short and dark. It framed her face, outlining her soft, perfect features. If it weren't for her eyes being an even deeper blue, one would almost say she looked exactly like Naminé. Naminé, like Xion, was a puppet as well. She was a created by Vexen and filled with an artificial heart; a replica of someone's from long ago.

Xion's hood was brought back down over her face by Axel. If anyone saw her face and the heart that glimmered beyond those ocean eyes, they would begin connecting the dots.
"Don't say anything," Axel breathed. "I'll handle everything. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." He looked over Naminé reassuringly but said nothing of Xion.
The door swung open once again, a man with bright blue hair past his shoulders walked in. His bangs were swept up and back and he wore the same black robe as every other Organization XIII member. His eyes were a lurking yellow and he had a large scar across his face shaped like an 'X' which made his expression seem that much harsher. Saïx was the Organization XIII's seventh in command, however, The Superior, Lord Xemnas liked to treat him like second in command. He ran not just his errands but did his dirty work as well, was entrusted with all information in and out of operations, and always… always had the last say.
"What is the meaning of this, Axel?" He seemed to spit out Axel's name.
"Why, this? This is Xion, Vexen's newest creation." Axel was playing it cool again. His actions always a show of emotion to make up for the fact that he had none. "She's just like Naminé. You know what that means? She's very special and can only help us toward our goal." Axel grabbed Xion by the shoulders and pushed her toward Saïx who grimaced and stepped back.
"Xion? This thing Vexen created has a name? Why haven't The Superior or I heard about it?"
"Well, he only finished her creation just a few hours—no, minutes ago, we still weren't sure if she worked or not."
"Is that right? And what does it do?"
"See for yourself?"
Axel always had a plan, but things for him worked out regardless of those plans or not. Gently this time, he pushed Xion forward, who shuffled airily toward Saïx. His arms were crossed and he was tapping his toe impatiently. He stared down at Xion, just another useless shell. The organization was already full of empty shells, they didn't need another. When there was nothing more that Saïx could see, he raised a hand to swat her away like a bug.
"No!" Naminé cried.

Xion reacted to Naminé's voice and raised her hands, her reflexes taking over and a bright light erupting from her palms.

"No way… Impossible!" Saïx seethed.
The already bright room erupted into a blinding vision as a white light filled every corner of the white cell. Axel threw an arm up to shield his eyes, but Naminé stayed staring. Saïx had a look on his face, one of absolute shock that only calmed with the subsiding of the light in the room. His eyes shifted from surprise to something more conniving.

What Xion held forward in her hands was a sparkling metal blade. It was warm and it sent a wave of chills through her body. The words that only she could hear whispered themselves through the air.

Keyblade…

Keyblade…

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I am so, so, sorry Naminé, and I am sorry readers. I promise our girl will see light soon. She is an insanely powerful character and I want to do her justice when it comes to her powers and the agency she can have, but she has to start where she has to start. Note that the way she was brought into existence has changed due to the power of canon divergence. Kairi has not lost her heart to a heartless, so where exactly did Naminé come from and why?