[Town of Agrabah]

Who was she? Think… Roxas knows something I don't but he's out of commission. That girl— Naminé said it was my fault. MY FAULT? I'm not the one breaking his arm with a fire spell.

Xion weaved through the array of fireballs sent her way. She shifted her hand into the Keyblade's end.

Was she from Roxas' past? Just the way she spoke just made me mad!

She slashed the two Scarlet Tangos. While descending she guarded herself from a Heavy Armor's swing.

I've been his partner since the beginning and she grabs his hand like nothing, sends me to a portal of darkness then tries to transform into a Keyblade neither of us have seen, just who is this Naminé?

She rolled out of the Heavy Armor body slam and aimed at its legs.

"Blizzard!"

A chunk of ice glued its legs and turned it immobile. It could only hope the blazing sun would melt the ice fast enough.

"Right where I want you!" Xion leaped and slammed it's head. And slammed again. And again.

Before she could slam again, it's heart rose into the sky and she fell into a small pool of ice chunks.

"Ahh, I messed up again. I just got this one cleaned." she pouted.

Wiping the sandy water off, she noticed a small puddle forming under her. The water took hold of her legs rendering her immoble. She threw a punch but it captured her arm. "Is this some kind of heartless?"

Small black tadpoles emerged from the sandy waters. They inflated and beelined towards Xion. They made direct contact then exploded. She flew and landed on a pile of burning sand. Her vision hazy, organization outfit filled with sand. A woman approached her in an organization outfit, and squatted to her level.

"I could capture you right now if I wanted to-ribbit."

"Wha?" Her vision clearing up she saw the goofy orange hat and long white hair flowing past the shoulders. "Who are you?"

"My name isn't important."

"What's going on? Why are you doing this? What're you going to do me?" More tadpoles appeared, making her stick to the pile of sand. Her limit was reached after the first attack.

"Originally I was going to capture you, lure Roxas if he ever wakes up, then capture him too. However both Roxas and you aren't strong enough-ribbit."

Xion stopped putting up a fight.

She released the tadpoles which exploded once more. She turned heel and walked away, "Get stronger. This encounter was just a wake-up call. Either way you two will still be captured, it's just a matter of how much effort you two use to stay alive."

Xion broke free but the witch was nowhere in sight. Why did she have to attack me? I'm supposed to get stronger?

She found a shady area to recompose herself. Even if she didn't have a heart, she can't stand being in the sun for too long wearing an all black battlesuit.

I need to focus on my missions, no need to report about that incident of the Frog Witch.

She looked for her list of missions and crossed another one down.

Xion's [Me] Mission: Eliminate Heartless in Agrabah.

Glad I finished Maka and Soul's missions earlier.

Maka's Mission: Search for potential members in Olympus [No one found]

Soul's Mission: Halloween Town, Eliminate Heartless.

One more left…

Roxas' Mission: Investigate the rumors in Twilight Town.

If they found out about any rumors, why can't they investigate themselves?

She batted the sand out of her outfit in annoyance.

Today isn't my day. I don't have any potions left either. I'll just have to be careful investigating.

The corridor of darkness was summoned and in a flash she left Agrabah.

[Twilight Town]

Xion exited the Corridor and found herself in the Sideway Street. She wiped away more sweat gained by the vibrant sun. I'd be enjoying this mission if I hadn't already dirtied myself back against that witch…

She put her hood on and walked down a set of nearby stairs and saw a group of youths cheering on two older youths sword fighting with blue plastic weapons.

"Get 'em Hayner!" Shouted a boy in red, white and purple labeled Dogstreet.

"Make 'im cry to his momma after this!" cried a taller boy in orange.

Xion observed from a distance, watching the two boys spar. One had a black beanie and well built using one hand to handle the plastic sword and the other to taunt and his opponent. He referred to his opponent as 'Loser' even though the others called him Hayner. Hayner had military cargo shorts with a black shirt and vest over it.

"Shut it Seifer, today you're gonna eat those words!" Hayner roared charging with his full might.

"In your dreams!" Seifer charged and their plastic toys wouldn't budged. Both gritted their teeth. The two continued to exchange attacks.

Which one's the heartless? Xion looked bored at their slow movements. She felt groggy already but this match made her feel more than sleepy.

She leaned against the wall, the ground becoming blurrish and her body aching. I need to finish this mission so I can get some rest….

The back of her mind told her to go to the forest. Why the forest? Who'd be in the forest at this time of day? Whatever the reason she ignored the pain and made her way there, the cries and cheers of teens becoming fainter each moment. Someone might be in the forest.

[The Forest]

The shade provided by the trees gave some relief. She noticed a small trail of leaves falling near the top of the trees. She followed the trail only to see a giant lizard land on her.

Is this what the rumors were about? She recalled the report mentioning an oddity happening in the area.

It's long tail went for a swing. She blocked it with a Keyblade hand. It's tough!

She was launched into a tree, her back taking the brute of the force chipping her consciousness to its last leg. She aimed with her hand. I can't use any fire magic in a forest, so Ice magic should do the trick.

In a flash the giant lizard vanished.

Where did it—!

A giant tongue wrapped around her waist and slammed her against a wall. Everything else went black.

Namine found herself at a restaurant in called Paris in Eruka's world. The sounds of people enjoying the food and each other's company filled the room like water poured into a bucket. The smell of fine cuisine wafted into her nose. She did her best to not attract any attention while trying to see outside the window where a purple sky sprinkled with stars and a moon shined along with an industrious landscape of decades-centuries of human innovation and progress.

"So this is a restaurant. It's pretty. I prefer the outside, the air's refreshing and you can see the stars." Namine said. "Why are we here though?"

"It's called a reward." Eruka didn't look up from the menu, "Besides you really pulled off that acting. Summoning that Darkness to get Xion to where Riku was a brilliant move-ribbit."

"But I don't need food." One of her blonde eyebrows rose up, "Nobodies don't really need anything besides their hearts. What we did in Beast's Castle was apart of our jo—'

"Just eat. I'll pay for the bill with the extra money from Medusa's old research. The other witches paid a high price for even a single experiment."

"Well, if you insist." Namine began to read the menu.

A few moments later Eruka spoke.

"That reminds me, when we first met you were passive and quiet beyond relief. Then when you met that Roxas kid, you practically became a different person, what was up with that? The lines we originally rehearsed you came off as mysterious like the other members."

"Even I don't know myself. When I saw him, his dirty blonde hair, his build, and that face… hmm, that face. Something told me to, encouraged me maybe to… 'be myself'." Namine put her menu down, "I thought my voice would shake but it felt stronger by being with him. Everything became natural, even fighting alongside him. I'm wondering what 'be myself' even means."

Eruka put her menu down, baffled.

"Hold the phone, when did you have time to fight with him? Didn't you knock him off after taking him to the bridge but then Xion charged in before you could take him?"

"Not really. Remember the thing that knocked the Beast out?"

"Yeah, that thing was a vehicle of fashion disaster, wooden cars are so cartoony."

"Well, Roxas and I fought it and won. Xion did help as his original weapon. After we won, she tried to summon more power after threatening me, then he fainted." She put her menu down. "So by deductive reasoning, Xion was essentially the final straw. She should've known he was Roxas was already at his limit with the way he moved. I was out of MP so he got away so nothing we can do about it."

"You sound awfully chipper about letting him get away-ribbit." she eyed Namine coyly.

"Nobodies don't sound like anything. I can't feel 'chipper' as you say."

"That so? Hey, do you have a crush on Roxas?"

"I, c-crush?! Me?… no comment." the blonde blushed and hid her face with the menu..

"That's bull-witch if I ever heard it. You TOTALLY like him. And guess what, that stuttering means denial is something humans do." the frog witch gave her a caring smile.

The waiter finally arrived freeing Namine of Eruka's teasing. "qu'est-ce que vous allez commander ce soir (what will you two order this tonight)"

Namine picked the first thing "grenouilles?"

"jambes supplémentaires? (Extra legs?)"

"Oui (yes)."

Eruka ordered her food and some time later the waiter returned with their food.

Namine eyed at her order curiously.

"It's not alive, right?" she poked one of the legs with a fork.

"F-frog? You ordered frogs?" Eruka looked with disgust. "Don't tell you're actually gon-"

Namine had already wolfed down two.

Eruka's stomach churned. This would be a loooong dinner.

[Cage in The World that never was, basement]

Saix walked down the white stairways and approached a cage, inside had a pink-haired boy crawled in one of the corners. His arms wrapped around his knees and lifeless eyes staring at nothing.

"How are we feelings today?" Saix said.

"..."

"Can't handle the darkness? Is it interfering with the Black Blood or boosting it?"

"..."

"Answer me. My patience is thin today."

A demon emerged from Crona's back. It screeched in freedom. "HEY MOON BOY LET US OUT! YOU GOT LUCKY LAST TIME CUZ WE WERE HOLDING BACK!"

"So you've finally come out, Ragnarok. That's progress if I ever seen it. Tell me, Ragnarok, how do you feel?"

"I FEEL LIKE I CAN KICK YOUR ASS AND MAKE YOU LIMP FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

He held the bars and tried to pry them. Yellow sparks transmitted throughout Ragnarok and Crona's body. "NGHHH!" Ragnarok let go.

"Will you please let me go? I promise I won't act up again. I'll be good, promise. Pinky swear!" Crona begged.

"Stop begging from a loser!" Ragnarok shook Crona violently.

"Hmph! You, be good? Someone like you will always be a thorn to someone's side. We're done here." Saix left the area.

"GET BACK HERE!"

…

A few minutes later Crona began to sob, "I miss the others. I miss Maka…"

"Great more doom and gloom from you." Ragnarok huffed.

"Just how much longer are we gonna be stuck here?"

"Like hell if I know. Hate to say it, but looks like we'll be here for a while…"