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Chapter Text

“So... what are we doing here again?”

Larxene groaned next to him, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Weren’t you listening? We’re here to take one of the people here and bring them back to the Organization, Xehanort’s orders.”

Vanitas looked up at the doors before him, tall, with a border that curved like a heart. He looked at Larxene with a bored gaze, knowing she’d be frustrated at him, not that he cared.

“And I’m here because?”

She huffed and walked to the hand scanner on the wall, frowning at him. Electricity sparked around her, proof he was getting on her nerves.

“You’re here to pick who the lucky person gets to be. There’s plenty to choose from, so take your pick. Just make sure it’s good.” She placed her hand against the scanner, and the door opened.

He walked inside the room, tucking his hands into the coats pockets as he walked into the dark room. Violet lines glowed on the floor near the walls, and a maze of glowing tubes filled with people covered the walls.

He looked at the tube next to him, looking at the description on the stone at the bottom.

Prompto: gunner, found in the world of Eos.
Caught by:Xigbar
Easy catch, has a strong heart.

He scrunched his nose in protest at the boy, looking up at the boy covered in freckles. He shook his head, passing by another boy with a blonde tail. ‘No way am I associating with someone who has a tail.’ He thought to himself as he moved on.

He turned to another tube, this one holding a girl.

Lighting: gunner and swordsman, found in Cocoon
Caught by: Larxene
Difficult catch, extremely powerful.

He looked up at the rose haired girl, thinking for a moment before deciding it was too risky and moved on.

There were several empty tubes, all dark with no lights inside. He sighed and turned to the left, where the room widened. There were only three lit tubes, two holding what seemed to be children. He looked at them, stopping just in front of the joint stone that held their information.

Lann and Reynn: found in Grymoire.
Captured by: Luxord
Strange magical summons are at the disposal of these siblings.

He stared at the two for a while, studying their sleeping faces. He made no move when Larxene appeared beside him, arms crossed and looking at the description.

“Are these the ones?” She asked, frowning up at the two children.

Vanitas shook his head, looking away from the tubes. “They’re too young. Not enough time to train them.”

Larxene trailed behind him as he walked past numerous tubes, and he heard the sizzle of her lightning as she grew annoyed at his slow, indecisive pace.

“It’d be a lot quicker if you just chose one and got it over with, if you don’t plan on choosing one just let me. I’ll get it done faster.”

“I’ll choose who I want to choose. Put away the lightning Larxene, I doubt the Master would be happy if you harmed any of his prizes.” She grumbled as her sparks fizzed out, crossing her arms again and wandering around the halls.

Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he wandered through the corridors, passing by countless tubes both filled and missing contents. He turned the last corner of the room, and stopped in his tracks.

There was only one tube, illuminating a teal light around the room. The top of the tube changed from teal to pink, and at the bottom a dark blue. Inside, a girl rested inside, her form floating in whatever it was that held her. He took a step closer, inspecting her face. She seemed... familiar. Looking down, he read the stone at the bottom of the tube.

Kairi: found in Destiny Islands
Captured by:Xemnas
Princess of heart, very powerful, no known way of tainting her heart.

He frowned, his eyes narrowing as he looked back at her. Kairi... her name sounded familiar. It made his chest feel tight, though he knew not why it should.

“Oh please tell me you’re joking.”

Vanitas jumped slightly as Larxene creeped past him to look at her. Raising an eyebrow, she eyed him for a moment before focusing on the girl.

“Kairi, Princess of heart. She has a pure light that can’t be wiped out. She is the worst candidate there is here. It’s impossible to fill her heart with darkness.” She turned back to him, sighing as he was still staring at the girl.

“What’s holding her there?” He asked, watching as her hair flowed around her as though she were submerged in water.

“A powerful sleeping spell, as well as energy to keep her preserved. A mix of sleepza and stopza.”

He raised his hand, and the front of the tube vanished, releasing a stream of light as it vanished towards the ceiling.

She was still for a moment, but as the magic escaped, she fell forwards through the air. He reached his arms out as he quickly took a step forward, catching her as she fell from the capsule. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her upright, and felt a pulse of light spread from her body throughout her.

This girls light energy was strong, glowing within her. It was warm, while her body was cold to the touch. Her breathing was soft against his neck, and he looked down at her with a knitted brow, unable to place why she seemed so familiar.

Larxene chuckled as she looked at him embracing the girl. Glaring, he placed his hand underneath her knees and at her arm, cradling her in his arms so it was easier to carry her. She was light, he noticed, her weight comfortable in his arms.

He stared at her for a moment, before looking up, summoning a dark corridor before him. As he walked through it, she made a small whimper of protest, though it was more of her breath hitching as they left the room of sleeping prisoners. A soft, thin, weak golden light surrounded her, glowing softly around her frame.

He winced as the light burned him, his hands tightening slightly around her in discomfort. Her expression remained unchanged, her eyes still shut. Larxene walked ahead of them, exiting the corridor to where the rest of the Organization resided.

The dark energy that filled the corridor seemed to avoid them, her light warding it off. The light, though it burned him, felt familiar, and his heart seemed to grow tight the longer he held her. He shook off the feeling, showing no emotion as he walked into the room where nothing gathers.

The eleven members looked down as he walked to the thrones. As they saw the girl in his arms, many began protesting and complaining.

“Of course you chose her...” Demyx grumbled into his hands as he leaned forward.

Xigbar laughed from his throne, leaning slightly to see who he held. “Why am I not surprised?”

He stopped in the center of the room, looking up at the highest throne where Xehanort sat. The old man smirked as he saw his choice, his chin resting in his hand as he watched Vanitas.

Larxene blinked out of sight for a moment, reappearing on her seat next to Luxord, arms crossed in annoyance. “I tried to talk him out of it. As usual though, he didn’t listen.”

Before he could argue, Xehanort raised his hand, silencing the murmurs in the room. “So, Kairi is the one you’ve chosen, interesting.”

Vanitas nodded, looking behind him as the younger version of Xehanort walked towards them, reaching his hand out. His hand hovered above the sleeping girl, his yellow eyes narrowing at the light she emitted.

“She’s weak, it would seem Xemnas did a number on the little Princess. She won’t wake after we lift the spell, not for a at least a few days.”

Removing his hand, he looked up to Xemnas and Ansem, his yellow eyes full of thought. “You two have faced her before, what shall we do once she wakes? Seeing how difficult it was for you to defeat her Xemnas, it might be wise to take some necessary precautions.”

Xemnas looked down at the girl, frowning as he thought. “The Princess was not alone when we last faced. Riku was at her side, acting as her white knight. As it was, she struggled against Ansem and I as we clashed. It took a great deal of strength to take down her alone.”

It was difficult to believe that the small girl in his arms was powerful enough to oppose the original leader of the Organization, let alone cause him difficulty. His eyes glanced downwards to her, remembering the description on the stone where she has lay trapped.

“She’ll try to run, she did that the last time she was our prisoner.” Luxord pointed out.

“I could watch her! Y’know, like a body guard.” Demyx added excitedly, grinning at his own idea.

Saïx glared from across the room, frowning at the boy. “Keep in mind that last time we had her, you were the reason she was able to escape.”

Frowning, Demyx looked down, laughing nervously. “Really, did I do that? Haha, weird I-uh don’t remember..”

“Anyways,” Xemnas continued. “A guard would be wise, perhaps Vanitas would be the best to guard her.”

He raised an eyebrow at the Nobody, his brow furrowing as he tried to understand why he’d be the best option. “Me?”

He nodded, looking at Vanitas. “You bear a likeness to Sora, a boy very close to her heart. I should also think that Vexen’s experiment would be a last resort if necessary.”

Xehanort nodded, stroking his chin. “Excellent idea Xemnas. Vanitas,” he announced, sitting up straight and looking at the boy. “Keep her in your quarters, don’t allow her to leave. If you have need of anything, or any trouble should show, inform Saïx or Xigbar, and they’ll come to your aid. When she awakens, hail my past self.”

The younger form looked down at the girl once more, his eyes unreadable as he studied the girl.

The other ten members vanished from their seats, leaving the three of them alone in the empty room. Vanitas eyed the younger Xehanort curiously, unsure as to why he stayed behind.

Raising a hand, Kairi’s body was raised from Vanitas’s arms. Her head fell to her chest as her arms dangled in the air, her body limp and her hair floated around her aimlessly. A pulse of energy released from Xehanort’s hand, and Kairi glowed softly, before a purple energy left her form.

“The spell has been lifted, she will wake up when she is ready.” He seemed intrigued with her, his eyes never leaving her even though he spoke to Vanitas.

“A heart that can’t be tainted, full of light... intriguing.” He looked Vanitas in the eyes, his cold and demanding. “You are to inform me if anything happens.”

With a bored nod from Vanitas, Xehanort lowered his hand, and she slowly descended from her place in the air. Vanitas caught her and phased into his room, leaving Xehanort behind.

He looked around his room, empty save for a bed, a desk and chair, a closet, and a window. He sighed as he realized she’d have to stay in his bed, not that it mattered, he didn’t care whether he slept on a bed or the floor. He walked over to the bed, and sat her down on it. Placing his hand behind the back of her neck, he gently laid her head on the pillow.

Her pink outfit stood out against the black sheets, her red hair pooling like blood around her head. He watched as the burning golden glow that surrounded her began at last, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly, before her face returned to a calm expression.

He studied her for a moment, before turning back to pull the chair next to the bed, no use standing while waiting for her to wake up. He knew she wouldn’t wake for quite a while, he just hoped she was worth his time once she awoke.

Chapter Text

The room was extremely bright when she began to open her eyes. She groaned softly as she rolled to her side, pulling her blanket around her as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

Her head was foggy, she didn’t know what was going on, or where she was. When her eyes adjusted, she opened her eyes, her vision slightly blurry. Someone was standing in front of her, their face hidden by a mask.

“Who... are you?” Her voice was hoarse, as though she hadn’t used it in a while. Her hand want to her throat, which was so dry it was painful to swallow.

The person snapped their fingers, and a small mouse like creature appeared, running out of the room. Startled, she looked back at the person, her face reflected on the dark mask that shielded their face from her view.

“About time you woke up.” The person stood, passing her a glass of water.

She stared at the person, her vision clearing. She guessed he was a boy, from the lowness of his voice and his figure. A dark mask covered his face, and she could see darkness swirling in its material.

“Are you gonna take it or not?” He sounded agitated, not a good sign.

Not wanting to anger him, she quickly took the drink, taking a sip, before realizing how thirsty she was. She downed the glass quickly, taking in a deep breath of air after finishing. She cleared her throat, holding the glass still.

“Thank you.. where am I?”

“The World That Never Was, inside our castle.”

Her head turned to the door as someone spoke.

“Xehanort, she’s awake.” The boy said.

“Good, we’ve been waiting quite a while after all.” He smiled at her, his eyes dark.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as she took in his appearance, her eyes meeting on his amber ones. She pulled the covers around her as the two boys stared at her.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?”

Xehanort strode across the room, standing at the side of her bed. “My name is Xehanort; he is Vanitas. Tell me, do you have memory of this world?”

She gazed out the window on the wall overlooking a dark city. Memories flooded her mind as she remembered looking at this very place as she tried to escape less than a year ago. She sucked in a breath and her eyes widened in realization.

This was were she had spent time as the Organization’s prisoner, though this time she wasn’t locked in a cell. She looked around at the white walls of the room that contrasted against the black color of the bedsheets and the two boy’s coats.

She looked up at the two of them, a wave of panic overcoming her as she realized where she was, and what they were a part of. In her head, plans of escape began to route themselves, but with the two of them there she knew she had no way of escape. The door was just behind them, if she could just find her way out of it..

“Seeing her reaction, I’d guess she does. Careful, the Princess might try to run.” She felt as his gaze bore into her, and he stood, pushing the chair aside as he moved casually to block the door.

“I can see that.” Her grip on the blanket tightened as she pushed herself back into the bed rest.

“What do you want with me?” She repeated, becoming more anxious as they stared at her.

Xehanort smirked, and shook his head. “I’m afraid you won’t be getting answers for a little while longer,” he looked back at Vanitas. “Can you watch her on your own?”

He scoffed, and he turned his head towards her, as though taking in her appearance. “She won’t be any trouble, tell me when it’s time to go to the others.”

Xehanort nodded, and looked back to Kairi. “Stay here, and remember, trying to escape is useless.”

Her stomach churned with dread at his words. She’d been the prisoner of the organization before, now she was their prisoner again.

He walked out of the room, nodding at Vanitas as he left. The boy made no move after Xehanort left, his head lowered as though he was looking at the ground.

The memories of the events before she woke up returned to her, remembering what had taken place before her kidnapping. “How Long has it been, since I was taken.”

The boy shrugged, continuing not to look at her. “I didn’t even know you were here till i took you out of your capsule, you’ll have to ask Xemnas that. But I’m guessing it’s been a while, there was dust beginning to cover the glass.”

Her brows knit together at these words, worry beginning to take hold as she thought of her friends. ‘How Long has it been... Sora, Riku, how long have you two been searching for me?’ She brought a hand to her collar, where her necklace rested, and fidgeted with the charm on it, a habit she did whenever she was nervous or afraid.

She began to stand, but her legs gave out, weak from not being in use for so long. She yelped as she fell back onto the bed, leaning back on her elbows.

Vanitas looked over, confused by what was going on. “Can’t move around much hm? Good, it makes my job easier.” He turned to her, moving away from the wall.

It was but a moment till he reached her, and reached underneath her knees to lift her legs over the bed, moving her away from the edge of the bed.. “Hey!” She yelped, struggling to get away from him.

“Relax, I’m not going to do anything to you. I just can’t have you in any position to get up and leave.” Snapping his fingers, another strange creature appeared, holding a black strip of cloth.

After taking the material from the creature, he snatched her wrists, binding them tightly in front of her. She struggled against his hold on her wrists, attempting to break free before he could tie them together, but was still too weak to do so. He quickly tied the knot, then another for good measure.

“There, now I don’t have to worry about you putting up a fight when I take you to the others,” patting her wrists twice, he sat back in the chair, satisfied with his work.

Her eyes widened in fright as she struggled in her bonds, but he had tied them so tightly she couldn’t move them apart. She was stuck on her side, her legs not responding to her commands. Even if she were able to move her legs, she wouldn’t be able to fight off whatever came her way.

“So.. you’re a princess of heart huh? Thats strange, I remember them all wearing fancy dresses, not magical clothing fit for keyblade wielders.”

She turned her head to look at him as he spoke, surprised by his comment.

“You know of the other Princesses of heart?” She asked, wondering how he had known of them and not her, since they’d all been together in Hollow Bastian.

“Some, it was fun watching each of them fall into our hands, they were all so foolish. Figures you’re no different.”

He leaned forward, scooting his chair closer. “I hear you put up a good fight though, I can’t wait to test your strength myself.”

She shivered as he spoke, excitement dripping from his voice. She scooted away from him, and began focusing on waking up her legs, hoping to get away as soon as she could. She could feel waves of darkness flowing from him, no light within him. It scared her.

She struggled to roll onto her back, and sighed with relief when she managed to do so. She began to focus on her legs, trying to get them to move after being inactive for so long. She started at the easiest part, and began wriggling her toes, which was easy to do.

Her next goal was to move her feet. She closed her eyes, focusing on pointing her feet. It took a few minutes, but her feet began to move again, tingling as feeling returned to them. Her breath hitched at the uncomfortable feeling, and Vanitas looked at her.

“You hurt?” He asked, his voice void of sympathy.

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as the feeling passed slowly. It seemed as though there were millions of tiny ants walking on her feet with tiny little knives on their feet. “My feet are getting some feeling back, and it’s tingling.”

She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, his arms crossed as he leaned back. “Quit trying to move around and just stay still.”

She frowned, looking from him to her feet, and back to him again. “Do you want to carry me everywhere? I’m heavier than I look you know.”

He shrugged, shaking his head. “Whether I carry you or not, it doesn’t matter to me. But, if the Master were to order me to, well let’s just say it doesn’t matter whether you want to walk or not.”

Without a clock, she had no idea just how much time had passed. However long it was though, Vanitas seemed to get more and more annoyed with her trying to escape her bonds.

“You aren’t going to get out of those, so just quit it already.” She threw him a glare, knowing he was right. He hadn’t looked away since he’d tied her up, and she fidgeted under his stare.

“What do you want with me?” She blew her bangs out of her face, frowning as it did nothing to move them. He remained silent as she lifted her hands and brushed them out of her face.

The silence seemed to last forever, and she became anxious as time went on. “Can you tell me anything?” She asked, desperate for some kind of noise.

“I could tell you something,” finally, he spoke. “But I won’t.”

She could tell he was smirking under his mask, hearing the amusement in his voice. She glared at him again, her eyes narrowing.

“Daggers away Princess, glaring’ll get you nowhere.” He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. “It’s useless trying to escape you know. Besides, even if you somehow managed to get past me, there’s eleven other members you’ll have to face, and they don’t play fair.”

“And you do?” She asked, rolling to her side to face him, propping herself up on her elbow.

“I know when to take defeat, and I don’t use cheats.”

“Cheats?”

“Some members team up mid fight, or swap places with another when they know they’re about to lose.”

She fell silent, thinking about what might happen if she did manage to escape. Even if she did get past Vanitas, her legs were still weak, and it took a lot of strength to move them. Her wrists were bound as well, she wouldn’t be able to fight with her hands tied. She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, if it would affect her magic at all from her being inactive.

Breaking the silence, Vanitas sighed, standing to his feet. “Come on, we’re being summoned.”

She looked up, confused. “How do you know?” She hadn’t heard any summons, and she shrunk back in her spot on the bed, not wanting to face the Organization.

Who knows what they’d do to her, she didn’t even know why she was here! She tried to scoot away from Vanitas as he approached, but with her legs still unable to move and her wrists bound she was powerless to get away from him.

“It’s hard to explain, come on Princess.” He stuck a hand under her knees, and another gripped the arm opposite of him, and he lifted her into his arms. She struggled in his arms, panicking as she was held bridal style.

His grip on her tightened as she did, holding her closer to his chest. She gasped as she was squeezed against him, and pushed against his chest with her hands as she tried to breathe. He loosened his hold, only slightly though, and readjusted his grip on her.

“Don’t struggle, you can’t get out. Even if you did, you’d be on the floor and I’d just pick you up again.”

The thought of falling halted her struggle. She gripped the front of his coat, squeezing it tightly as a dark corridor appeared in front of them.

She suddenly wished Sora were here, her heart was pounding in terror at meeting the Organization on her own. She tightened her grip on Vanitas’s jacket. She felt very alone, and she was very afraid

Chapter Text

The stares of all eleven members bore down on her from their place on the tall thrones. Her heart pounded, and she wondered if they could hear it with how silent the room is.

Vanitas’s grip on her tightened, and she looked up at him to see he was looking up to one of the members. She followed the direction of his gaze, and her eyes met with the yellow eyes of an old man.

The first thing she noticed was his twisted grin, the corner of his lip curling upwards. Next she noticed how his eyes crinkled with amusement, as though her fear was amusing to him. She then noticed the dark aura that surrounded him, so heavy it was nearly visible.

She didn’t dare look away, feeling that if she were to avert her eyes he would appear right before her.

She held his gaze for an agonizingly long time, and he was the one who broke the staring contest. Closing his eyes, he chuckled, his grin widening.

“A pleasure to finally meet you, Princess. My name is Master Xehanort, I trust you had a decent rest?” His voice was raspy, as though he’d spoken at a seminar for several hours with no water breaks.

She hadn’t expected a question like that, she’d expected threats, taunts, or well, anything but that. She nodded her head, her voice refusing to speak words.

He nodded, and looked past her at Vanitas. “Did she cause any trouble?”

He shook his head. “No, she can’t walk yet, so she couldn’t try to leave.”

A chuckle was heard to her left, and she strained her neck to see the person making the noise.

A man with pink shoulder length hair was chuckling into his hand, looking up near the man. “It would seem our Superior went a little overboard in her capture. How much damage did she take?”

She turned her head to see Xemnas sitting to the right of Xehanort, on a slightly lower throne. Her eyes widened and she pressed herself against Vanitas as she tried to get herself as far away from him as possible, remembering him from her time as their prisoner.

Vanitas looked down at her, then back at Xemnas, readjusting his grip on her slightly.

She took in a deep breath, swallowing her fear. She looked to the left of Xehanort, where Ansem sat. She frowned, remembering him from after regaining her heart, he wore the same face Riku had after he rescued her from the Organization. Her attention returned to the former leader of the organization as he spoke.

“The damage taken is not of importance,” Xemnas said cooly.

A laugh erupted from the throne next to Ansem. Kairi looked at him, taking in his eyepatch and black ponytail with grey and silver streaks in it. He leaned on the arm of the throne, his laughter dying down.

“‘Not of importance’ hm? That’s funny, ‘cause I remember you and Ansem here struggling to even lift her body, while Vanitas down there has been holding her for a while like she weighs nothin!”

“Xigbar,” Xehanort warned, his eyes gardening as he looked at the man. With a huff, he shut up, looking down at Kairi. Averting her eyes, she looked back to Xehanort as he addressed her.

“Tell me, what do you remember?”

She blinked, surprised by the question. She looked down, thinking back to what had happened before the attack had taken place.

She gasped as memories flooded into her, and she looked up at Xemnas, struggling against her binds and Vanitas’s hold.

“What did you do with Riku?” She yelled, struggling to escape from his hold.

Ansem laughed, and Xemnas’s gaze darkened at the mention of the boy. “He was left to watch as he was powerless to stop us from taking you.”

“Was he hurt?” Her eyes were wide with worry and anger.

He studied her for a moment, but it was Ansem who answered. “He wasnt strong enough to save you, but he remained unharmed, for the most part at least.”

She sighed with relief, and let out a small painful noise as Vanitas tightened his hold so she couldn’t struggle anymore. She redirected her glare to him. And pushed slightly against his chest for room to breathe. His hold loosened, but only slightly.

“Do you know why you are here?” Xehanort asked.

She shook her head, looking around until she spotted the other Xehanort, and was confused for a moment when she realized there were two.

“He wouldn’t tell me why.”

The old man nodded, stroking his goatee similar to how Yen Sid did. “I see, explain your reasoning for this.”

Vanitas stayed facing the older man, so Kairi simply looked at her bound hands as the younger boy spoke.

“If the Princess knew what plans were set for her, she’d devise a way to making our efforts useless. I figured it best to leave her in the dark so she has no time to prepare for what is to happen.”

She looked back up at the old man, wondering what he had to say about all of this.

He was silent, nodding in thought as he leaned against his hand. The corners of his mouth twisted upwards, and he looked down at her.

“A wise decision, it would seem you had put plenty of thought into this.” Looking back at Vanitas, he opened a corridor behind him. “Take her through there, inside is the room she will be kept in. I think she’ll find it, familiar to say the least.”

She didn’t like the sound of that, but she had no choice whether or not she went. Vanitas turned, walking through the corridor.

Squeezing her eyes shut as they walked through, she gripped the front of his jacket, feeling the darkness around her reaching out for her light. Her skin tingled as she emitted a soft light, and looked up as Vanitas hissed in response.

“Am I.. hurting you?” She asked in disbelief.

“You wish,” his voice sounded strained, and she knew he was lying.

Concentrating, she released a bright light from her body, and Vanitas yelled in pain and shock as he dropped her, leaping away from her light. She grunted as she hit the floor, but was quick to get to her feet, which were finally gaining some feeling to them. Standing shakily, she turned, running away from him.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” He called out, and she heard footsteps behind her.

She looked ahead, unsure where she was going, or if she could even leave. The area seemed to have no exit, and she struggled not to trip as she ran. His footsteps stopped for a moment, and she looked behind her as she ran, eyes widening when she realized he was no longer behind her.

She bumped into something, and she gasped as her upper arms were grabbed roughly, her light fading away in her shock. She looked up, her own terrified expression reflected in his dark mask. He let go of her for a split second, turning her forcefully so she was facing ahead of him before grabbing onto her again.

She struggled against his grip, but she couldn’t fully move her arms with her wrists tied and her arms pinned tightly to her sides by him. An exit opened in front of her, and she dug her feet as best as she could to halt her from moving forward, but Vanitas pushed her as he walked. When they reached it, he let go of her arms, shoving her from between her shoulder blades with great force.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she flew through the portal, grunting as she hit the ground, unable to catch herself with her hands tied up. She heard his footsteps and the sound of the portal closing, and looked up as he leaned down, grabbing onto her wrists.

“Try doing that again, and I won’t be so gentle.” He growled, his voice low and deep.

She nodded, her eyes wide, and he let go of her as he stood. She looked up, and on the bed against the wall sat a person. She recognized him as Marluxia, and she felt herself shrink back against the wall opposite of him as fear overcame her.

His green eyes looked her over, and her eyes widened with fear that she didn’t understand why she felt.

“I never imagined I would meet you, not after Sora brought my end. It would seem though that fate has another plan for me. Vanitas,” He turned to look at the boy. “I shall take over your responsibilities until you have rested, the Master has commanded it.”

She felt that uncontrollable fear turn to dread at the thought of being alone with him. Vanitas seemed to have noticed, and to her surprise, took a step to the side, blocking him from her view. She looked up at him, and watched as he shook his head.

“Please, I read the reports from Castle Oblivion. Do you really trust me to leave her with you after what you did?”

Castle Oblivion.. that name caused her chest to tighten at the sound of it spoken. She felt a flash of memories run through her, and she gasped, standing to her feet.

Vanitas turned his head to look at her, and Marluxia stood as well.

“So it seems the Princess has access to the memories of Naminé, and has remembered what transpired during her stay there.”

She remembered his plan to take away Sora’s memories, how Marluxia forced Naminé to make him forget her, to forget every memory they shared. She remembered the hell Namine lived under their rule, and she grit her teeth as she was filled with anger.

She focused a fire spell on the cloth wrapped around her hands, silently casting it. The cloth burst into flames, and she ripped through the burning cloth, summoning Destiny’s Embrace to her hand as she took to a fighting stance.

Marluxia laughed, pushing Vanitas to the side as he walked forward. “I see you do remember. Tell me, do you hate me for what I did? You must, if you remember it all.”

Lunging forward, she let out a yell of anger as she slashed her Keyblade at him, but he vanished before she could reach him. She stiffened, turning around just as a flurry of wind and petals threw her into the air, knocking the wind out of her as her back hit the wall.

She was pinned against the wall for a moment by the wind, but his attack relented, and she fell, her keyblade vanishing as she landed on the bed, the wind getting knocked out of her as she landed on her stomach.

She gasped for breath, panicking slightly during the time it took before she remembered how to breathe. She sucked in a large amount of air, coughing as she curled up into herself on her side.

Her lungs ached as she took in large gulps of air, and her panic began to die down. She remained that way for a minute, her coughs fading, leaving her trembling as she looked up at them.

Vanitas was standing in front of her, facing Marluxia. Dark swirls of mist rolled off of him as he stared at the chuckling taller man.

“So be it, I’ll inform our leader of your Interference, and of the Princess’s eagerness to fight.” Black energy and mist rose from the ground, circling around him until it fully covered him, and then both it and he vanished.

She sighed with relief when he was gone, her body relaxing as the fear and tenseness left her.

“Tattle tail, what is he a kid?” Vanitas grumbled before turning to face her. “You alive?”

She nodded her head, rolling onto her back as she sprawled out on the bed for a moment. “Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me, that’s all.”

He nodded, and several large creatures appeared by the door. “Don’t try to escape or do anything stupid, or I’ll know.”

She turned her head to look at him curiously. “You’re leaving?”

He nodded, a corridor appearing behind him. “Even I have to sleep, you were hogging my bed for three days, so I’m tired. Sue me.”

She gasped, sitting up. “I’ve been gone for three days?”

He shook his head, walking back to the portal. “I don’t know how long you’ve been asleep. I don’t care how long it’s been either. I’ll see you in a few hours, don’t try anything.”

The corridor vanished behind him, but the large creatures stayed. They were taller than she was, by an extra two feet, and were huge in size. It could eat ten of her, and she’d still have elbow space in its stomach. It was maroon in color, with two antenna coming from its head, reminding her of shadow heartless. It had a large black area on its stomach with a strange symbol on it, similar to that of the nobodies and heartless, but a bit different.

They stayed by the entrance, staring at her but not doing much. She sighed, stretching as she stood to her feet, her legs shaking a little but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“I guess I was out for a while...” she began stretching to wake her body up, jogging in place as she tried to figure out what had happened since she woke up.

“So... I’m in the Organizations world, and it doesn’t seem like Sora or Riku is here... unfortunately..” she looked down, a pang of loneliness striking her heart. She hadn’t been separated from them since they’d returned, except for the Mark of Mastery exam that is.

“The organization is planning something, and apparently I can stop it? I don’t know, what could I do to halt any of their plans?” She muttered, sitting back down. “Vanitas, his voice... there’s something about it that sounds familiar..but I’ve never met him before, I know that. Maybe he was talking while I was in my sleep.. yeah, that’s probably it.”

She raised a her right hand, and a small rush of energy flowed throughout her wrist to her fingertips. With a small waving motion, a tiny flurry of snow swirled to life. The creatures began to seem agitated, and she lowered her hand immediately.

“Guess you don’t like magic,” She mumbled and lied down on the bed.

“Wonder if this’ll be like last time, and if I’ll just be locked in here till someone... no.. this time I won’t need someone to save me.” She made herself a small promise, wrapping a hand around her necklace as she stroked the stone gently with her thumb.

He frowned as he lied down in his bed, rolling to face the wall. That girl, she’d rushed into that fight with no hesitation, and had managed to get away from that attack without a broken rib. She was stronger than he’d thought, and more impulsive as well. She’d surprised him when she managed to get away from him. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy for him to keep ahold of her anymore.

“I’ll have to get his help then, she should listen to him. I doubt he’d object after all.” He let his mask fade away, and sighed as he closed his eyes.

How long will it take before he learns of the masters plan? He didn’t know, and irritation began to poke at him when he remembered it seemed that everyone else seemed to know.

He felt the agitation from the unversed, and debated whether or not to go pop his head in and see just what that girl was doing in order to get them riled up. It faded after a moment, and he shrugged, pulling up the blanket she’d discarded during her struggle.

Her light lingered on the blanket, and he growled, throwing it on the ground. It’s not like he needed it anyways, but it annoyed him that she’d spoiled something of his. He let sleep take over him, he needed to get back to her soon anyways, he knew that he’d wake should she try anything.

Chapter Text

“What did you do in less than an hour?!”

She jumped back as he yelled, letting go of the bars. “I just put my hand on the bars,” she frowned.

He seemed exhausted. His shoulders were sagging, and he was barely standing on his feet, leaning on the wall for support while holding a big black blanket.

He looked at the bars, then her. “Why?” His voice was filled with confusion, and she could hear the exhaustion in his voice, he’d clearly just woken up.

“They’re smaller than before, I wanted to see if I could slip through them, but I couldn’t.” No reason hiding what she was trying to do, he probably already knew she had been trying to escape even if she hadn’t told him.

He slapped a hand over his helmet, sighing as he turned back around, dropping the blanket as he walked. “That’s for you.”

The corridor vanished, and she blinked, looking down at the blanket.

She recognized it as the one she used when she woke up, it was his though, wasn’t it? She looked back to where he had been, and kneeled down to lift up the blanket. She stood, bringing it over to drape over the bed.

She sighed as she flopped on the bed. She was bored, and she couldn’t train or practice magic, otherwise who knows what the creatures would do. She figured they were tied to Vanitas, considering he’d come running as soon as she touched the bars, considering escape.

A part of her wanted to raise her hand and just destroy the creatures, but she knew Vanitas would be here in an instant, and she didn’t want to risk being tied up again. She absentmindedly rubbed her wrists where they had been bound, and sighed.

“There really isn’t anything I can do, is there?” She mumbled, lying down on top of the blanket and wrapped it around her as she rolled to the side.

Looking up, she studied the interior of the cage. It was rather large, mainly filled with empty space besides the bed. The front of the cage was still an open wall with bars that went through the floor to the top of the cage. They were a lot thinner this time, rather than the unrealistically large ones that she had escaped through last time, but there were also more of them, the space in between far too small for her to squeeze through.

She wasn’t tired, but she closed her eyes, trying to figure out what to do, and what they wanted to do with her.

“Asleep already? I would have thought you’d be wide awake after being asleep for so long.”

Her eyes flew open, and she jumped out of bed, the blanket falling to her feet in her rush to learn who was speaking to her. A tall figure in a black robe was standing in the cage, holding a tray of food. His voice had a slight accent to it, and he lowered his hood with fluid wave of the hand that was so quick, she nearly didn’t see it happen.

Her eyes widened as she recognized him by his pale blond hair and earrings, though she’d never seen him from the front before. He had a thin, rather stylish, goatee and mustache, and piercing blue eyes. This was the organization member who had trapped her and the others into cards and made Sora play for their lives. When Jiminy freed them from their state, Luxord and Saïx were dead, and Sora was crying silently by the window.

“It looks like I won that bet after all, here,” he handed her the tray of food lad she looked down at it for a moment before returning her attention to him. “Eat up, you’ll be needing your strength.”

He turned, and vanished without a trace. She stood still for a moment as the memories of being trapped as one of his cards returned to her, and how she’d seen Sora’s tears shining on his cheeks when they were turned back to normal.

She pinched her eyes shut at the thought of Sora. Where was he now? Did he know she was alive? Was he worried about her yet again?

Forcing those thoughts down, she turned to the bed, picking up the blanket as she sat down. The tray contained a container filled with water, a bowl of steaming broth, and a biscuit.

She sniffed the broth, surprised when her stomach began growling, and doubled over as hunger pained her. She gasped from the pain of it, and sat up, scooting back to sit against the wall.

Tearing off a part of the biscuit, she dipped it into the broth, and took a bite. She let out a mix of a laugh and a moan at the taste of it. Hunger had taken over her senses, and food had never tasted any better than it did now.

To her surprise, the broth was really good, and she was glad to know she’d be kept well during her imprisonment here. She tried to eat slowly, knowing she’d only throw up the food she’d ate if she ate too quickly.

After a few minutes, she was sipping at the metal container, filled with water. Her tray rested at the side of the bed, empty.

A dusk appeared suddenly, taking the tray into whatever its replacement for hands were. Startled, she spit out the water in her mouth, and the dusk looked at her as she coughed before vanishing. She sighed as she set the water in between her crossed legs, and looked around. She guessed that would be how her trays were taken; one was probably waiting for her to finish her water.

She thought about what that man had said, how she would need her strength. Whatever he meant, she figured it was bad news.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The creatures vanished after several hours, and she looked up as Vanitas appeared. He stretched, looking up at her.

“Have a nice nap?” She asked.

He sighed, and walked up to the bed. She pulled the blanket around her, and he looked down at the blanket.

“What does it matter to you?” She shrugged, looking down.

“Just curious..”

He turned his back to her, and a corridor appeared in front of him. “Get up, we’ve been summoned.”

She stiffened, and slowly stood, moving the blanket from around her shoulders to the bed. She missed its warmth, and swallowed her fear as he grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her with him.

This time, she didn’t struggle, she knew the other members would get suspicious if they took too long, and she’d rather try not to get on their bad side. Vanitas’s grip, though tight, wasn’t nearly as tight as it had been last time. He seemed to realize she didn’t plan to try and escape this time.

They walked through the exit, and she looked up at the eleven members who sat on their thrones. Some had their hoods lowered, others kept their faces masked by their hoods.

“The Time has come to continue our project. Now then, who wishes to be the first to start?” She looked up at Xehanort as he spoke, confused by what he meant.

“I’ll do it.”

Her head turned to the right, where a girl stood from her throne, disappearing and appearing besides Kairi, a wicked grin on her face. Her bright yellow eyes met Kairi’s own, and she took a step closer to her.

“I’d like to play with her a bit,” the blonde turned her head to look at Xehanort, and a few chuckles arose from the other members.

“Try not to break her, don’t forget that we need her after all,” Xigbar laughed.

Xehanort nodded, and raised a hand of approval. “Very well, you know what must be done.”

Vanitas let go of her wrist, and vanished from her side, reappearing on a throne behind her. She looked around in confusion, taking a step back from the girl.

“Wait, what’s going on? Who are you?” She took another step back, before breaking into a run as the same panic from when she met Marluxia filled her once more. A barrier rose from the ground, blocking the thrones and exit from her, and trapping her inside with the girl.

“Oh, going so soon? I thought we were going to have fun like old times. Marluxia told me you had Naminé’s memories, but it seems like not all of them have returned yet, I’m so hurt you don’t remember me. I’ll make sure you don’t forget me this time.” Several knives sparked into existence between her clenched fingers, sparks of electricity crackling around her.

“Larxene,” she spoke breathlessly, her eyes widening. She summoned he Keyblade to her hand, holding it in front of her defensively as she took her stance, prepared to dodge when needed to.

“So you do remember me! I’m honored.”

Her eyes widened as Larxene darted forward, and she jumped to the side as she swiped at her with her knives. She was immediately put on the defensive, dodging her swipes and kicks as she went after her.

Larxene’s eyes narrowed as the minutes passed, but no damage had been caused to Kairi.

“Boring, lets make this a bit more fun!”

Kairi let out a cry of pain as a bolt of lightning shot into her side, and she gasped as Larxene finally got a swipe in on her. Her arm stung as it was slashed, and Kairi let her Keyblade vanish, summoning a barrier to block the next attack Larxene sent.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” She teased, stalking around the barrier as she looked at her hungrily.

She threw the knives into the barrier, shattering it, and Kairi rolled out of the way as another bolt of lightning surged at her from above. She raised her hand to Larxene, and a shard of ice shot out from her palm, knocking Larxene back a bit.

Summoning her Keyblade again, she charged forward, slashing her Keyblade at her. She blocked the attack before darting behind Kairi, and giving her a kick in the back, throwing her to the ground.

She grunted as she hit the ground, You and let out a scream as lightning struck her once more, her body contorting from the high voltage. Larxene kicked her in the side, and she was tossed across the floor, twitching and gasping for breath.

“Done already? Oh well.” Kairi struggled to stand, leftover jolts of electricity causing her to flinch as she managed to get on her feet.

“I don’t know why you both had so much trouble bringing her in, she’s a wimp.”

“Do remember she only just awoke Larxene,” the younger Xehanort said coldly.

Larxene rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know. I still expected a better fight from her, even Sora did better in his weakened state.”

Her head shot up at the name. Larxene chuckled, and looked down at her.

“That’s right, you don’t know. Let’s just say I gave that brat a beating he won’t forget. Oh, but he did of course, thanks to your nobody that is.”

“What did you do to him.” She growled, her eyes narrowing.

She smirked, looking over at Marluxia. “Shall I tell her, or would you like to?”

He waved a hand, motioning for her to continue. Larxene’s yellow eyes slowly returned to look at Kairi. “I just did what I had to for the mission, which included making him forget about you Princess.” Her voice dripped with amusement, and she raised her hand to Kairi, releasing several bolts of lightning.

She rolled underneath the bolts, summoning her Keyblade and swiping upwards. Larxene let out a cry as she flew backwards, falling on the ground.

She looked up, shrieking as blood dripped from her chin. Her eyes widened in fury, and she grit her teeth. “Switch.” She hissed.

Kairi’s eyes widened as Marluxia appeared behind Larxene, and with a swipe of his scythe a great wind appeared again. She grunted as she raised her hands to shield her face, pushing against the wind. She began being pushed back, and she let out a cry as she was thrown off of her feet, slamming into the barrier.

The wind faded, and she fell to the ground, gasping as pain shot up her ankles from not landing correctly. She looked up just in time to create a shield as he swung his scythe, and she rolled out of the way as the barrier fell.

Raising her Keyblade, she unleashed several shot locks, and turned just as Larxene swiped at her from above. She bit back a cry of pain as her cheek was slashed, jumping back as Larxene tried repeating the move.

Raising a hand to her cut, she felt something warm and sticky on her face. It was blood, dripping from her stinging cut.

She ducked under Marluxia’s scythe, the blade swinging through empty space where her head had just been. Her eyes widened with panic as she took a few steps backwards, keeping an eye on both of her opponents. She glanced up at Vanitas, and he was staring down at her.

She looked back at her opponents, catching Larxene’s foot before she could kick her in the stomach.

“Let go of me you brat!” She screeched as she tried to free herself. Kairi smirked and pulled her forward, kicking at Larxene’s other ankle before pushing her foot back. Larxene fell down, glaring daggers at Kairi before beginning to stand.

She cried out as her side was slashed, and she fell to the ground, holding a hand over the wound. She curled in on herself, preparing for more attacks, and squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for their next move.

After a few moments of silence, she opened her eyes as a warmth filled her body. The wound underneath her hand stopped bleeding, but the pain was still there. She looked up, and the younger Xehanort was in front of her, his hand raised over her wound as he finished casting cure.

Marluxia and Larxene were back in their thrones, the latter fuming in her seat. The two people next to her were leaning away from her as sparks flew from her.

“Did you get what we needed?” He asked coldly, looking up at Larxene.

Sighing she nodded. “Yes I got the you-know-what, this isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this you know.”

Nodding, he stood, and looked up to the other Xehanort.

“Well done, we shall reconvene this time tomorrow.”

The other members vanished, leaving only her, the younger Xehanort, Vanitas, and another member who was lingering behind. The hooded figure started to move from his seat, but froze as Xehanort glared at him.

“Not yet, begone.” The figured nodded, and vanished from the room.

Vanitas appeared by her side, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to her feet roughly. She cried out as he had grabbed the arm Larxene had cut, and she pushed at his hand with her other one, trying to free her arm from his grasp.

“Let go!” She pleaded, her arm burning from his pulling. When he didn’t let go, she looked at Xehanort. “Please it hurts!”

He nodded, and Vanitas let go with a sigh. “You know you’ll be fighting again tomorrow right? Your opponent won’t be gentle, they won’t care if you’re hurt.”

She looked down at the thought of fighting someone else. She didn’t know the abilities of the other members, but if Saïx, Xemnas, or Ansem chose to fight her, she knew she wouldn’t stand a chance.

“I know that.. but...”

Vanitas sighed again, creating a corridor. “Can you walk?”

She bit her lip, and took a step forward. She whimpered as her side flared with pain from her closed wound, but she nodded.

“It hurts... but I can tough it out.”

He nodded, and motioned for her to walk in front of him. She walked slowly, each step incredibly painful. It felt as though with each step she was reopening the wound, even though she knew it wasn’t. A few steps after entering the corridor, she placed her hand over her aching wound, putting pressure against it as she tried to walk through the pain.

“How bad was I?” She found herself asking.

“I couldn’t tell if you were weak, or if you were just recovering from waking up.” He sounded uninterested. No, he sounded annoyed actually.

“I couldn’t tell you which it was, if I’m honest.” She shrugged, sighing. She wasn’t usually this slow, and she was usually more adept with magic.

Yawning, she stepped out of the corridor, looking around sadly at her cage. She had hoped she’d never be back here, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

She grabbed ahold of the blanket, wrapping herself in it before curling up on the bed.

“Thanks for the blanket,” She mumbled as she closed her eyes. She was tired from fighting, and from all the stress from waking up to now.

She felt the bed shift, and she opened her eyes to see him sitting on the ground, leaning against the side of the bed. He waved a hand of dismissal at her comment.

“Just go to sleep already.”