The following is a fanfiction of Kingdom Hearts involving a love triangle between Xemnas Axel and Kiyux. And throw in Roxas, Saix, Demyx, Zexion, Larxene, Xigbar... Anyway. Here it is.

-Prologue-
Everything was running well. The air wafted with the strong scent of chemicals, latex gloves, and running gas fires; typical to a day in the lab. But today a new scent lingered, one that stuck to the back of the throat.

The smell of victory.

Hiroshima, head of the lower science department under Xehanort, was a well-known scientist, the youngest to ever hold the position he now did at only 15 years of age. (All thanks to his master, Ansem the Wise).

He recorded his observations of the small black creature on the research table before him. "Small, antlike, beady yellow eyes and a jittery look to it…" he muttered as his left hand moved the pencil across the lab report.

An evil scientist grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and he chuckled quietly before the creature suddenly burst, leaving no remnants to study. No evidence of his success.

He turned around, his face twisting with anger. "I want reports from every single person in this room in my hand by tomorrow morning! No slacking off!" he yelled and turned sharply on his heel, his lab coat catching the air as he stormed off.

~

"I don't get it. Why this failure? It was a perfect replica! All my knowledge of the shadow creatures, everything Xehanort told me was in that test!"

Hiro was afraid of failure, afraid to lose everything he had worked so hard for. Hiro could build and calibrate computers and hard drives at the age of four, and by the age of eight, he had dissected nearly every animal on the planet. He skipped high school, starting college at the age of eleven and finishing two years later with a six-year degree. He could not lose. Not now.

"Xehanort, sir," he said nervously as he held out the report to the silver-haired man. "We could not salvage evidence, but the replication was a success…" he tried to get a good reaction from the researcher, who, as of recently, seemed to be falling deeper and deeper into the study of the shadow creatures, moving bodies without hearts, which he called… 'Heartless'.

Xehanort looked it over with his intimidating gold eyes and smiled. Hiro felt his heart skip a beat. He had never seen Xehanort smile before. He always seemed like the type to only smile if he saw someone in pain, like he kicked small children and puppies in his free time.

"I understand now. Thank you, Hiroshi," Xehanort stood and began to walk away before stopping in his tracks. "Please, take no more studies today. You deserve the day off, all of you."

Hiro blinked. Did he miss something? Xehanort was not a man to give days off, even when a breakthrough occurred. And now he was being rewarded for a failure? This couldn't be true. But… he had said it.

~

"I've returned."

The girl ran to greet him. "Welcome back!" she smiled, cheerful at his return. "Did the report come back for the lower department yet?"

He nodded. "The replication was a success, but there was no evidence salvaged."

She smiled with understanding. "The Heartless seem to be causing them quite the trouble, haven't they? But isn't it wonderful that the replication succeeded?" she knew that if he were to get upset about this, someone could be hurt. She tried to ensure he saw the result in a positive light. "Xehanort…"

"You can go home if you want. We're done for tonight," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver key, placing it into her hands. "I made you a new key, so let yourself in. You really need to stop losing your keys."

She lowered her head sadly. "I'm sorry… I'm so forgetful… But why don't I just wait for you and we can go home together?" her eyes gleamed with hope.

Xehanort shook his head. "I'll be here awhile. Don't wait up for me. Make sure you lock the door and turn off the lights before you go to bed, alright?"

"Okay. I'll cook you something so you can heat it up when you get home."

"Be careful."

She giggled. "I will!"

The door closed behind her and Xehanort ran his fingers through his hair. She knew she was the only one he showed any leniency towards, but there was no way she knew why, even he didn't understand the reason he was so fond of her. He mumbled her name under his breath. 'She's turning fourteen this week, isn't she…' he asked himself.

He smiled. It's been that long since that little 11-year-old girl applied alongside several older, more experienced scientists to be his assistant. Hard to believe that in just a few short years she had grown into a wonderful assistant… and a beautiful young girl.

He closed his eyes and sighed to clear his head. "I forget why I stayed. She should still be making dinner, so if I hurry we can still eat together."

~

Within a half-hour of Xemnas' orders, the lab was empty apart from Hiro, who was staring at the empty space the Heartless had been. "Why can they not be replicated? No heart is needed, correct? So the rest should just be chemical mixtures. The failure was uncalled for. Hiro growled and ran around the lab, resetting everything to replicate the Heartless once more. He had to be correct.

When everything was set, it began, but something was wrong.

An ear-splitting scream came from the chemical room, and Hiro ran toward the voice, closing the door behind him. He pinpointed the location, but when he got there, there was nothing.

Stunned, Hiro turned and returned to the lab. When he opened the door and re-entered the room, his eyes grew wide at what he saw. It was a Heartless, but… different.

A weird, humanlike form, like a suit of armor, claws, and clothing with an odd, red-and-black symbol on its chest… Hiro quickly recorded his observations. It was successful, but different. Now the studies proved there is more than one kind.

"A Heartless!"

Hiro turned sharply. A girl? What was she doing here? He prepared to run over to keep her quiet, when he noticed she was not frightened, but happy.

She clapped her hands. "I knew you could do it! I'm so happy for you!"

"Wha-? What are you talking about? Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I- Well…" she looked down.

"Listen, I'm not supposed to be here, so you can't tell!"

"That's okay. I'm not supposed to be here either! Xehanort told me to go home. See?" she pulled silver key out from her messenger bag and held it out to him. "He made me a new key, since I always lose mine."

'So she's connected to Xehanort…'

She walked over to the Heartless and reached out her hand to it.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

It was relaxing contently as she pet its helmet. "What?"

"It isn't attacking you?"

She giggled, sitting on the table with the Heartless. "Of course not! It's not hostile, see? Xehanort says I have a talent for controlling Heartless."

"So you know Xehanort," he said.

"Yes. He actually sent me here to get something from here this morning but I never got around to it. I figured I could grab it on the way out instead."

He held out his hand. "I'm Hiroshima."

"You can call me whatever you want. I don't mind."

"Don't you have a name?"

She put a finger to her lips. "It's a secret."

Confused, Hiro tilted his head. "You're peculiar, aren't you?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure. Do you think so, Hiroshi?"

"Hiroshi? HiroshiMA."

She giggled. "It's a nickname!"

He glanced at the clock. "It's been almost twenty minutes, and it hasn't disappeared yet. The last one was gone in under five."

"Oh no!" she jumped up and looked at the time. "If Xehanort gets home before me I'll be in big trouble! Bye, Hiroshi!" she grabbed her bag and gave him a wave before bolting out of the lab.

Hiro sighed, turning back to the Heartless. "So she lives with Xehanort? Is she his daughter or something? But then… why would she be working here? And calling him by name?" he contemplated. "Wait… since when did Xehanort ever like anybody; let alone have a family!?"

Taking a scalpel in hand, he went to dissect the specimen, when it disappeared immediately as the knife went into it.

~

Xehanort opened the door. "I'm home!"

There was a clatter of pots and pans, a thud, and a small squeak of pain from the kitchen. He leaned forward slightly with curiosity, but before he took a step she ran over to greet him, her hand holding the back of her head. "You startled me. Welcome home."

He moved closer. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"No! It's nothing, really!"

"Move your hand. Let me see."

She placed her other hand on top of the first. "It's fine! I promise!"

"Just let me look. I won't touch; I just want to see where you hit your head."

Convinced by the smooth, warm tone in his voice, she let her hands drop to her sides.

He gently kissed the small bump. "All better."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Liar… You said you wouldn't touch…"

"I didn't. I kissed, which is different."

"That's not fair," she grumbled.

He laughed. "Perhaps not," he paused as he heard the oven timer go off in the other room. "Sounds like dinner's ready."

"Carry me…" she mumbled sleepily. He was too warm. She couldn't make herself let go.

He lifted her and sat her down at the table.

~

"So, do you want anything special for your birthday this year?"

Her face flushed. "You've given me so much already… a job, nice clothes, food, and even a home. I couldn't-"

"You get things because you've earned them. I've never given you anything you didn't deserve, and you know that. Just say what it is you want."

"I want… to spend the day together… with you…"

He looked up, tilting his head in confusion. "What do you mean? We spend every day together. We work together, eat together, we even live in the same house."

"I mean spend the day out, having fun! Have a picnic, go to the park…"

"You mean…" Xehanort looked at her. '…a date? No, that can't be it…' he thought.
Her face reddened.

'Correction: That's exactly it,' he took in a breath and smiled at her. "Alright. Let's do that, then."

She looked up in disbelief. "Really? You mean it?"

"This is what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes! I'm grateful, really!"

He smiled. "Good. Then it's settled."

~

"You look exhausted," he said quietly into her ear. "You should get some sleep."

She inched closer to his chest and grumbled in protest as he tried to ease her off of his legs. "I'm not tired yet, honest…"

He chuckled warmly and kissed her forehead. "If you don't get your rest, you'll be too tired to go anywhere on your birthday."

Xehanort turned off the television and carried her to her bed. She curled up under her blankets and looked up at him wearily. "Good night, Xehanort…"

His hand brushed aside some hair from her cheek and he kissed the soft skin. "Sweet dreams."

"Xehanort…" she muttered before drifting asleep.

~

Xehanort smiled as she ran to his side. "Get lost?" he teased.

She blushed. "I had to get something you asked for. I didn't have time to yesterday."

"I see."

"Are you mad?"

Xehanort laughed. "No, of course not!"

Unconvinced, she took his hand as they walked down the hall. When he did not pull away, she smiled and hugged him. "I love you~"

He blushed. "Love you too," he replied, knowing they meant two different things. "I… have to go somewhere. I'll see you in a little while."

"Where are you going?"

"It's not important, just something I need to get done."

"Can I help you?"

"No. Just… wait in the break room."

She looked down as he ran off and sighed. She walked into the break room and looked up. "Oh! Hiroshi!" she smiled.

"Hm? Oh, you're the girl from yesterday, right?" he asked.

"Uh-huh!"

"Yu-chan."

"What?"

He looked away. "You said I could call you whatever I wanted, right? So I called you Yu-chan… It means 'evening gift.'"

"I like it!"

"You do?"

She nodded. "It's almost the same as the name Xehanort gave me, so I should be able to respond to it easily."

"You still haven't told me your name."

"Well… I'll tell you, but only because we're friends now," she whispered something into his ear. "But it's a secret~"

"Why?"

She giggled. "Because I want it to be! You choose your secrets. They don't need a reason, because it's a secret. Anything can be a secret if you decide to make it one. Like some people keep their age a secret, but some people keep the fact they do or don't have a lover."

"Did I ever tell you you're a little odd?"

She smiled at him. "Maybe."

~

"Good morning."

"Oh… I didn't know you were awake yet. I would have made you some breakfast…"

"Not today, you won't. I let you sleep in. It's almost ten now."

She jumped. "I really slept that late? Xehanort, why didn't you wake me up…?"

He laughed. "Do you really have no idea? It's your birthday!"

Her face turned bright red.

"Don't look at me like that. It's adorable, so it's not fair," he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up.

"Hey!" she squirmed.

Xehanort smiled. "Let's get going."

~

"Thank you…" she smiled, looking at the setting sun over the lake. The air had cooled quite a bit. She shivered, only to feel a coat draped over her shoulders. She looked up at Xehanort and blushed. "You didn't have to do all this for me. I don't deserve it…"

Xehanort wrapped his arm around her. "You do deserve it."

"Xehanort…" she looked again at the setting sun. "Isn't it so beautiful?"

He smiled. "Yes. You are."

Surprised, she looked up at him, her heart pounding. "You…"

He looked at her, a soft expression on his face. He lifted her chin and tipped his head to the side.

"Xehanort…" she whispered, blushing as he pulled her closer and they kissed. She closed her eyes as the last few rays of sunshine faded away.

~

"You should go to bed now. It's late."

She looked up at him, about to protest, but knowing he was right. "Okay…"

Xehanort softly kissed her. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight… And thank you for today."

"Don't mention it."

~

"He's hiding something."

Hiro looked up; the silence having been broken by his friend's comment. "Who? Xehanort?"

"Yes."

She looked troubled. Hiro stood and walked over to her. She really did care about Xehanort, didn't she? "Like what?"

"Something important… he hasn't really kept me in the lab with him, and whenever I'm around he says he has to do something else. That I can't go with him. What if he doesn't like me anymore? Or he's trying to find a new assistant? What if… what if he doesn't let me live with him anymore?" tears formed in her eyes.

"That's not true, Yu-chan. I know it isn't. Xehanort cares about you very much. You need to believe that. And I care about you too."

He wiped her tears and she hugged her friend tightly, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Hiroshi. What would I do without you?"

~

'Where is she? She never used to wander off like this…'

"Xehanort!" she ran over to him, dodging his gaze.

He tried to make eye contact, but she tightly closed her eyes. "You refuse to look at me?" he put his hands on her face and kissed her lips forcefully.

She pushed him away. "NO!" she cried.

"Is there a problem, Xehanort?"

"Master Ansem!" Xehanort bowed to him and looked at her. "I was simply…"

"I wish to hear your girl's view."

She panicked. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked, turning and running away.

Xehanort called after her, but Ansem placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let her be, Xehanort."

~

"Yu-chan!" Hiro exclaimed, startled as she ran into his arms and shivered. "What happened?"

"Hiroshi… Xehanort just isn't the same anymore! Master Ansem the Wise asked me about him but I got scared and ran away…"

He embraced her. "I'm here for you, even if Xehanort isn't."

Hiro's heartbeat was soothing, adding to the certainty of his reassurance. She listened to the calm rhythm, her own heart slowing to match his. "Hiroshi…"

~

'She's not speaking to me. Simply going through the motions of living in the same house so she can move on… What have I done…' he thought, watching her eat across from him. "What were you up to today? I didn't see you."

"I don't see how that concerns you. I didn't realize it mattered what I did."

"Don't be that way. You know I care about you."

She stood. "Please excuse me," she took up her plate and cleared it before going into her room and closing the door.

That night, he knocked on her door. "Are you awake?"

No reply.

Xehanort opened her door and sat on the edge of her bed, gazing upon her sleeping face and feeling something ache within him. "What have I done to you? You loved me unconditionally, but I can't accept it now. Not after the breakthrough. I can't let you get hurt by this. I'm doing it because I care… but that doesn't matter to you now, does it? You don't love me anymore."

He brushed some hair from her face and kissed her cheek.

"No matter… I believe in what I've done. You'll see that I've made the right choice keeping you out of this. Don't lose faith, love."

~

Xehanort walked towards the lower department entrance and paused as he heard voices on the other side.

/"Still no luck?"/

/"I just need to face it, Hiroshi… It's over."/

/"So you're just giving up like that?"/

/"Don't think I haven't given this any consideration. I've thought about it a lot recently. This has to be the right decision. If he doesn't care, then I can't hang on to intangible hope he'll come around…"/

/"I suppose not. You have been so upset about this… it will be nice to see you smile and enjoy life again. Even if it's painful, you can do it. I'm here for you, Yu-chan… and I always will be."/

/"…Thank you."/

Xehanort stepped forward and saw the two embrace. His heart shattered and jealousy overcame him. He angrily knocked over a beaker, smashing it on the floor.

The two friends looked up. "Xehanort!" she exclaimed.

"Sir!" Hiro released her and looked at him, shuddering at the seriousness of his piercing eyes.

"Xehanort, don't!" she cried as he smacked a test tube rack off the table and turned around angrily, contemplating what else to destroy.

She ran towards him, only to be knocked back by a slap across the face. He had reacted more out of reflex than hostility, and if he had not been so enraged, he would have probably felt guilty. "Don't touch me, you stupid girl!" he hissed.

"Don't speak to her that way!" Hiro yelled back angrily.

"Shut up, kid. I'm going to do work that matters!" he turned sharply on his heel and stormed out.

"Yu-chan…" Hiro ran to her side and helped her up. "Are you…" he trailed off. She was gazing at the doorway, in a trance. Within, her brain reeled. Was she supposed to go after him, even though she had chosen to forget him completely? Or did she stay here, unsure of his fate, not knowing what he might do?

"I… I need to… I need to stop him!" she ran out of the room.

Hiro began to clean up the debris, sighing to himself.

~

"Xehanort, wait!" she cried, chasing him.

His pace quickened. "Leave me be!" he growled.

"Don't leave! Why don't you trust me anymore?"

"I suggest you keep your nose out of other peoples' affairs."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"I could ask you the same. Shut up, you stupid brat. Go away."

She caught his hand. "Don't go! Please!"

Xehanort batted her hand away, making her stay behind him. "I need to work on an important experiment."

"I'll do it!" she shouted.

"What?" he stopped, turning back to face her. She took a few hesitant steps forward so they were face to face.

"Please, Xehanort…" she clung to him tightly. "I will be your test subject…"

"It's too risky for you-"

"Please! I'm begging you. Let me be useful!" her eyes, so full of conflict and fear of losing him all driven by a desire to help, filled with tears. "I want you to see I'm trustworthy enough to be your assistant. Just let me have a chance to prove myself!"

What was he supposed to do? Let her be a part of an experiment that may cost him her life? Or deny her request at the price of her trust and faith in him? "You must understand this could kill you…"

"Could! But it won't! I'm willing to risk it for you!"

He muttered her name softly as he hugged her. "I… okay."

~

Everything flashed by so quickly…

There was a flash of light as he pulled the switch, followed by a bloodcurdling scream and a sudden eruption of darkness from the machine…

A humanoid Heartless with her face,

her voice,

her tears…

~

The Heartless sobbed, tears flowing from her eyes as she clutched her chest in pain. Her heart has been torn out.

"Xehanort!" she cried. "It hurts! It hurts, Xehanort! Help me… make… make it stop!" her voice grew quieter as she weakened to simply whimpering his name in a plea for help. "Xehanort… Xehanort…"

Wide-eyed with panic, he grabbed a knife from the research table and a split-second later, she had been impaled.

A brief parting. She touched her fingers to his lips. "Keep trying," she whispered. And as she rapidly disappeared, he heard her voice whisper his name once more. "Xehanort…"

He fell to his knees and wept for a moment, looking around for any evidence of her existence. He even looked upon the blade for blood, but found none. The one person he ever… and she was gone.

And it all was his fault.

He had let her die.

He killed her.






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I WAS A INFLUENCE IN THE MAKEING OF THIS!! i think she did a good job on it....whatever






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-Part One-
(Chapter Uno?)
She stirred, standing up in the middle of a clearing. "Nng… Wh-Where…? Am… I?" she hesitantly put the words together, unsure if what she had said made any sense.

She stumbled forward, confusion being all she could feel. Her body seemed like an empty shell, devoid of something-but she wasn't sure exactly what-something very important. One word continued to echo in her mind. 'Xehanort. Xehanort…'

But who-or what-was Xehanort? And why was that all she could remember? Xehanort and the image of powerful gold eyes.

"Who… am I?"

~

"How long has it been?" she looked up at Ollette.

"Twenty-nine days. Why? Are you writing it down in the journal I gave you?"

"Yeah. Thank you for this."

"It's no problem. We're friends, after all."

"I've never had a friend before. Do they give things to each other?"

"Not exactly," Ollette giggled. "They help and look after each other."

"One day I'll help you, too."

"Deal."

~

DAY 29

I still don't know who I am, but Ollette has started calling me "Hana," her own rendition of "Xehanort." She says we help each other because we're friends. I still wish I knew where I came from…

~

"Saïx, go with Xigbar and Zexion to locate the Nobody in Twilight Town."

The blue-haired man nodded. "Yes, Lord Xemnas."

"My readings indicate she has great power, so bring her back to me."

Xemnas leaned back in his seat. If this new one were to join them, the grand total would be nine… Saïx was his first discovery since forming Organization VI. He decided he would only go up to thirteen. Organization XIII… it had a nice ring to it.

~

"Take that back!" she chased her, giggling.

"No way, Hana-chan! Not unless you can catch me first!" Ollette laughed until she crashed into someone and skidded backwards.

"Ollette!" Hana ran up to her friend and helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"I think so… I… How did I not see them?"

There were three people in long, black cloaks standing before them. One removed his hood and grinned at Hana. "Hello, my sweet little marshmallow."

"Ollette, run! Go."

"What about you?"

"Just run! Get Seifer or something, but get out of here, now!"

Ollette nodded. "Be careful, Hana."

When she was gone, Hana turned to them. "Who are you?" she stood defensively.

One of the hooded figures turned to the one with his hood down. "Are you certain this is the one, Xigbar?"

He laughed. "I've got wonderdog and super-sniffer with me, yet I'm the only one who can smell the Nobody? You two are slipping!"

The third spoke now. "I am sure he did, Xigbar. I would guess he is simply doubtful due to her appearance. Do you not notice she seems to contradict Superior's power readings? She's but a mere child."

"Zexion, I can explain myself!" the second growled.

Xigbar summoned his arrowguns. "Well, I say we catch her first, ask questions later!"

Hana stepped back. "Catch?"

"Ready, marshmallow?" Xigbar grinned.

Hana touched the ground. "I could ask you that, pirate."

"We got a fighter, eh? Awesome. I like 'em feisty!" he dropped the weapons, making them disappear before running at her.

She jumped back, rolled out of the way, and sprinted at Zexion and the other. "Nice day, isn't it?"

Zexion lunged for her, and she just barely dodged him.

"My journal!" Hana stopped dead in her tracks before pivoting and running for a small messenger bag across the Sandlot. As her hand clutched a small notebook and she slipped a mechanical pencil behind her ear, her feet skidded out from under her and she fell.

Xigbar chuckled, reaching for her.

She curled up and whimpered in fear, closing her eyes as she clutched the notebook against her chest.

"Nice run, marshmallow."

"No…" the ground shook. Energy, pulses of electricity surged from her body and through the earth, small shocks hitting the three cloaked men.

Bearing through the shocks, Xigbar lunged forward and kicked her in the side, sending her flying five feet before she hit her head on a bench and passed out.

Zexion watched Xigbar tie her up and lift her.

"So, you two still doubt she's the one we came to get?"

~

Xemnas opened a portal and appeared in his room.

It couldn't have possibly been much more than 50 days since they had formed. Saïx had immediately devoted himself to Xemnas and their quest to obtain Kingdom Hearts, but his friend Axel was not nearly as obedient. The redhead was a powerful ally, however, and Saïx would never dare steer him in the wrong direction, even for a friend. He sighed to himself.

Something was familiar about that full, unbridled devotion…

-Xehanort!-

Xemnas snapped back into reality as a portal opened before him and a young girl, around 16, it seemed, with short, dark-red hair landed at his feet. Shocked, he examined the girl. She was tied up, injured, and unconscious.

"Got her."

Xemnas glared at him. "Xigbar! You were NOT authorized to use force!"

"Well, I brought her back alive, didn't I?"

He growled furiously. "You and Zexion return to your quarters. Saïx, you stay. Untie her and make sure she's comfortable."

"Yes, sir…" he untied the ropes and placed her on the couch.

"And you are to tell no one she is here. If anyone asks, you are to tell them she is gone. She will remain here with me. Hm? What is that in her hands?"

"It appears to be journal of some kind. She refused to let go of it, and I see no reason to force it away."

"You are correct in that regard, Saïx."

~

She groaned as she sat up.

"Saïx, kindly retrieve a training sword. It may prove useful in helping her discover her weapon."

"Yes master," he turned and suddenly froze as he noticed a small motion out of the corner of his eye. He stood defensively in front of Xemnas as he summoned his claymore.

Xemnas placed a hand on Saïx's shoulder. "Now, now… You'll scare her," he said quietly into the berserker's ear.

He hesitated before letting his weapon disappear. "Yes. You're right."

Xemnas smiled at her. "How are you feeling?" he stepped closer.

"What is this place?" she looked at both of their eyes and shuddered. "You both have those same eyes…"

Her voice… Could it actually be…? Xemnas reached to touch her shoulder.

"Superior, don't!" Saïx cried.

A few small bolts of lightning jumped from her shoulder to Xemnas' hand. "Agh!" he snapped back.

Saïx ran over and took Xemnas' hand in his own. "Are you alright? I tried to tell you, she has this strange-"

"Do you know who… or what… you are?" Xemnas regained his composure, brushing Saïx aside.

"Well… Ollette calls me Hana, because the only word I remember is Xehanort."
Xemnas stepped back dizzily, grasping his forehead.

-Xehanort!-

Saïx caught him. "Superior…"

Letters suddenly began to spin around Hana, and once Saïx had helped his superior stand up, the silver-haired man threw out his hand and the letters froze. "You are Kiyux."

She stared at the letters, wide-eyed. "K-i-y-u-x… Kiyux. That's my name?"

"It is."

"Superior, are you certain?" Saïx protested angrily. "We know nothing about her-"

"Wrong."

"Sir?"

"I will explain when you have learned to trust my judgment."

"Lord Xemnas!"

"Go do what I have asked of you. Now!"

Kiyux watched Saïx vanish and opened the journal, pulling a pencil out from behind her ear.

"What are you doing?"

"Writing. So I don't forget."

My new name is Kiyux. The blue-haired man is called Saïx, and-

"What's your name?" she looked up at him, pure innocence fueling her question.

"It's…Xe-…Xemnas. It's Xemnas."

and the silver-haired man is Xemnas.

~

How long?

How long has it been since I've seen your face?

Kiyux.

How I longed to utter the name you knew.

Why?

Why are you back with me, as pure… as you were all those years ago…?

~

I have had that dream for the first time since becoming a Nobody. Then when I awoke, I stepped out of my bedroom and saw you there before me. It's as if that day never happened, but it did. I cannot deny the wrong I did to you that day so many years ago. You may not remember, Kiyux, but I do.

~

"Lord Xemnas."

"Saïx. What is it?"

"You seem spaced lately. What has you so thoughtful?"

"Tell me again… where it is you've sent her."

"Larxene? No, of course not. Kiyux."

"She has been gone longer than I anticipated."

Saïx emitted a low growl. "Master, I'm certain she is perfectly fine," he clenched his fists. He almost sort of wished she never made it back. "Why don't we visit Marluxia's garden, just the two of us? The sunset is breathtaking."

Xemnas shook his head. "No. I think I'm going to wait up for her."

Correction: he REALLY wished she was gone for good.

"Perhaps I should search for her…"

Saïx gritted his teeth. "Why are you so obsessed with her? Xemnas, she shows no interest in you!"

"Hold your tongue! You don't know what you're talking about! Why are you suddenly being so defiant?"

"Because she's all that matters to you! She pays you no mind but you continue to chase her tail! She has no stable powers, she's useless and dangerous!"

"Kiyux is my sin. I won't lose her a second time. I won't be the same fool I was then. I can't let anything bad happen to her! Not again!" Xemnas looked at him with conflict in his eyes.

The berserker could hardly hold back the tears he shouldn't have. "Xemnas! Why? Why does she mean more to you than I do? Why don't you ever look at me the way you look at her?"

"Saïx… It's just that I'm responsible for her existence."

Saïx didn't move. 'Responsible?' Responsible for her how? "Xemnas, I…"

"I'm going to bed. Please. Just… just return to your quarters and leave me be so I can think."

Saïx lowered his head sadly. "Yes, sir…"

When he disappeared, Xemnas sat down and hugged his knees for a moment as he looked over at the couch, Kiyux's blanket still disheveled where she had pushed it aside. He stood and placed his hand upon the couch. Her body heat had left it by now. She had been gone for two days…

He shook his head. He had been fine without her before, but now she had only been gone for a few days and he was worrying himself sick over her. Was Saïx right? Was he just obsessed? Was there a delusion in his mind that told him to chase her? Something saying that everything would go back to the way it was when they were human as long as he was able to win her back?

No… If that were the case, he wouldn't have rejected Saïx. He would have simply replaced her with someone who acted and felt the same way towards him that she once did. There had to be something more to what was happening. He wasn't obsessed, he was just… just… he was wondering if she could take care of herself!

Right! She had always been so very clumsy and forgetful before, he just wasn't sure if she was able to handle missions on her own. Nothing more.

Right?

~






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