"We are all born for love...
it is the principle existence and it's only end."
by Disraeli

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Chapter One:

Everlong

The library was silent around him as Even paced the corridors of books. He scanned them intently, reading every spine quickly as he passed them. Occasionally he paused to reset a book that had been replaced carelessly, grumbling slightly, before he continued his trek through the mahogany shelves that seemed to possess an endless array of volumes. Well, perhaps endless to everyone else.

Even knew the library's limitations, it was part of his role in the castle of Radiant Garden. Ienzo, Aeleus, and himself were given the chore of organizing the library weekly and on this particular day it was Even's turn.

In the years he had been an apprentice under Ansem he had come to know the library well; he was a fountain of knowledge, but preferred to heighten his intellect concerning science and the like. He knew the names of the constellations that decorated the night sky, even though they changed with every season. Currently he and the other five apprentices were delving into the mysteries of the heart, even though, Master Ansem had forbade them to do any further experiments into its secrets. They were doing it for the good of their people, their findings could someday be famous. That's what Even wanted, to be recognized for his instinct and intelligence.

He believed himself due for a discovery that would rock the foundations of science. Many scientists wasted their entire lives, trying in vain to produce findings none had unearthed before. Even smirked contently to himself as he thought. He, at the age of twenty-six, was now closer to a breakthrough in the secrets of darkness and the heart than any one person had been before. They had made many finds in the field and Xehanort, their elected leader, and himself had written down these findings. Even, still musing to himself as these thoughts registered in his mind, did not hear the soft click of the library door as the knob was turned, nor the swish as it swung open slowly.

Dilan, Ienzo, Braig, Aeleus, and himself voted for Xehanort to lead them in their undertakings of the heart. They respected the man greatly, his knowledge and theories intoxicating. The king, the little mouse that had arrived three months ago, had been the cause of Ansem's unwillingness to continue these experiments and he had told Xehanort, "…Those thoughts are best forgotten…" It was no challenge to determine that it was these words that had angered and humiliated Xehanort deeply. He now believed Ansem to be a senile fool, though he said this not to his face. He seemed to believe that those experiments, once perfected, could give him his memories back, at least that's what he had Even and the others believe. They soaked up every word he said; they were certain they were helping the world even as they took live specimens to experiment their hypotheses on.

"What are a few people compared to the good these experiments will produce?" Xehanort had seemed confident when he spoke these words. And Even and the others were swiftly convinced.

They were doing exactly what their Master had forbidden guided by Xehanort, who had seemed to benefit from Ansem's earlier experiments where small rations of darkness were introduced to the man who possessed intelligence of many things except himself. He had caused adrenaline to flood the veins of his five followers at the notation of doing the prohibited; normally this would have caused guilt, but Xehanort had a way with words. He made everything seem like it was all right and the misfortunes caused would be paid for with the good brought. This was a case where the ends truly did justify the means.

Xehanort's memories had been swiped clean with only the remembrance of a dark night sky littered with the thousands of stars and the smell of a newly cut meadow in the spring to sustain him. When Xehanort had revealed his single memory, Even had began a theory that he was still polishing and had yet to prove correct. Perhaps memories and the heart were somehow connected. The spiritual heart, the proof of such an existence was mind-blowing, but the theory that memories had a correlation to the entity was exciting, at least to Even. He had not voiced his idea yet; he wanted it to be almost flawless before he presented it to Xehanort. It would no doubt be a help in both their current tests and the retrieval of Xehanort's lost memories.

Finding another book out of place, his thought process halted for a moment so he could concentrate on resetting the book in its proper place. This halt in deep contemplation was fortunate as he was now able to make out the sounds of footsteps upon the lush carpet. His fists balled as he stomped from the shelves to intercept the intruder. 'They know, he growled in his mind, 'that the library is off limits every Thursday.' His biting reprimands died in his throat, however, as he almost bumped into the female walking towards him her eyes cast elsewhere.

Even sighed and cleared his throat, "Excuse me, miss," he said calmly, "but this place is off limits right now. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The girl's head turned and her indigo eyes meet his turquoise one's with apology and uncertainty as she stopped abruptly. The afternoon light filtering through the large windows illuminated Even's straight, rich, honey-blonde hair as he blocked it. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, allowing his cheek-length bangs to frame his face freely. If not for the elastic band, the rest would gracefully fall a little lower than his chin.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," her voice quickly spilled tightly, her eyes glancing to and fro.

Though he was not as skilled in reading people's actions as Ienzo, Even concluded she was probably lost. She brought a hand up and winded a few strands of her wavy, brunette hair around her finger. When she released it to meet Even's gaze again it fell back to join its companions sweeping her upper-back.

"Good sir," she spoke hesitantly, "I was looking for Ansem the Wise. Do you happen to know where he is?" Even smiled softly at the girl's obvious unease in an attempt to reassure her, but he was right, she was lost thus the smile also represented joy that his assumption had been correct. He bowed kindly to her. "I am Even, one of his apprentices. I will take you to him if you give me but a moment."

Her face filled with relief and she smiled, "Thank you, Even. I would appreciate that greatly. I'm sorry for being a burden. I got lost." Her eyes fell downward and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "And now, I've proven myself an idiot." Even shook his head, "Not at all, it happens pretty often, Miss." He said, amusement seeping into his words.

This once again put her at ease and she nodded, her eyes sweeping back up to his face. She bowed, "I'm Raine." Even nodded and turned away, "Just give a few minutes to finish up here and I escort you to Master Ansem's study."

"Of course." Raine's gaze encompassed the library, "It's beautiful." She commented, her voice level.

Even's voice erupted from among the bookcases, "I think so too, but you'll never believe how much work it is to keep up."

"You keep this place clean?"

He laughed, a little wounded, "Is it so hard to believe that I can clean?" He teased. He was rather liking the conversation, it was something new to him. The library was often so silent one forgot the feel of having someone else around. Raine shook her head, a smile on her lips, "No, you seem the kind who wouldn't mind cleaning…I just…You do this all by yourself?" She explained, appearing at one of the entrances to the row was books he was currently scanning.

Even looked from them, "Oh, well two others and I take turns doing this task every Thursday. We do it as a gesture of gratitude, I suppose. You know, a way of thanking Ansem for allowing us to study beneath him." The girl nodded and removed herself from his view. He heard the fabric of her lavender dress shift, announcing that she had taken a seat.

She wore the customary clothing any that came to speak personally to Ansem wore. Simple, yet fancy that announced their place in society. Her dress was basic with clean lines and a bell-like skirt with matching sleeves. She was certainly not poor, probably upper middle-class or higher.

A couple of minutes passed by in quiet while Even finished up his task. He dusted his forest green sweater and khaki slacks off before calling to Raine. "Okay, so shall we go?" He heard the girl maneuver and when he exited the maze of bookshelves she was standing awaiting him. He gestured for her to follow him and he walked to the door, opening it for her. He followed her after she left the doorway.

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"So," Even asked breaking the hush between once they had entered an adjoining hallway, "what did you mean back there when you said I looked like the type who wouldn't mind cleaning?" The silence had gotten thick and Even did not want her to begin to get nervous again so he decided to strike up a conversation once more.

Raine noticeably blushed, "Well," she replied shyly, "you're very…immaculate. Your sweater, slacks, and shoes are spotless and not scuffed. And your hair and face are groomed. You're the poster-image of what I excepted Ansem's apprentices to look like."

Even was not sure if he was suppose to be insulted or thankful. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head a small smile playing about her lips as she realized the reason for his confusion, "Don't worry, it's a compliment…I just meant that I'm impressed. You truly take yourself seriously."

Even smiled, "Thank you." There was a light pause before she spoke again, "Even, my father told me that each of Ansem's apprentice's has a specialty. What is yours?" "I specialize in science and books. I'm a scholar of sorts, but I have more experience in the labs than the other five people under Ansem's tutelage." Raine nodded, "I see. Are you the oldest?"

"Yes, I have been studying under Ansem since I was seventeen, and I am now twenty-six."

"Nine years, pretty interesting. I'm twenty-four myself." Even turned to regard her, but withheld any comment to himself and replaced it with another observation. "You seem very uneasy. Ansem is a kind man there's no need to feel uncomfortable."

"That's not it. I'm not nervous about meeting Ansem; I'm nervous about setting an example for my family. My father and mother have left on a gummi ship to scout out the worlds beyond ours. They call it their 'Second Honeymoon' so that's why I can't go. Ansem is a friend of my father and thus he kindly agreed to watch me during my parents' absence…They think I'm still a child. I believe I'm more than capable of caring for myself. I was warned to be polite and well mannered so I'm nervous and besides, I've never been here before."

Even didn't question why a woman of her age wasn't already out living on her own; most wealthy families on Radiant Garden tended to remain close, she and her relatives probably shared a large enough estate that no one felt crowded. Why she could not simply stay there through out her parent's absence was not his business. "Well, don't be nervous. We're well behaved here and besides I don't think you can be too bad. You're very polite on your own. Relax, it makes conversation a pain if one thinks you're on edge." Even's words seemed to hit her logically and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily. Her body relaxed instantly and her eyes had lost most of their anxiety. Even smiled, "You're welcome." He strolled ahead of her slightly and halted at a large intricate door.

"This leads to Ansem's study," Even muttered to her when she had caught up. He raised his fist and sturdily knocked. There was only a moment's pause before a deep voice answered from within.

"Yes?"

"Master Ansem, it's Even. I have brought a girl, Raine, to see you."

"Ah, yes, come in Even, Raine."

Even opened the door, allowing her to enter first before following. Raine bowed to Ansem.

"Good day, Master Ansem. I must thank you for the hospitality you have shown my family and I by housing me until their return." Ansem smiled paternally gestured her to come closer. He took her hand in a firm handshake. "There was no trouble to it, my dear. I just hope you find yourself comfortable here."

"I'm sure I will." She replied. "I've already placed my bags in my room. They said you would be up to see me, but I decided to come see you myself. I hope I'm not intruding."

Ansem laughed deeply, "Not at all. You need to learn your way through this castle at some point in any case. So I see you have made Even's acquaintance."

Raine smiled, "Yes, I got lost and ended up in the Library where he was 'cleaning'. He offered to bring me here. He was very kind and helpful."

"Thank you, Even. You may go back to your task of setting the library in order now." Even shook his head, "I'm already finished, Master. I was waiting to see if there was anything else I could do."

Ansem seemed to ponder his statement for a moment before glancing between him and Raine. "Actually I have a matter to tend to, if you wouldn't mind could you give Raine a tour of the rest of the castle and introduce her to the other apprentices? It would be beneficial for them to be aware of her presence. It will prevent any unwanted encounters from occurring. Besides since she's already well introduced to you it would be less awkward than if I gave her the tour."

Even bowed, "It would be my pleasure. I don't mind at all." "Excellent," Ansem proclaimed, "I will speak to you more thoroughly at dinner later this evening, Raine. Until then enjoy your afternoon." He kindly stood up and exited the study through a panel in the wall. Raine's mouth opened wide. Even chuckled from his position, "If you're amazed so easily I can't wait till you see the rest of the castle. How about I introduce you to the other five apprentices first? That'll probably be the worst part." Raine turned to him and smiled, "Alright, lead the way, tour guide." They left the room.

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Raine waltzed cautiously within Ansem's lab, careful not to trip over any loose wires or power chords. She could clearly make out the voices of five males. When Even stopped she came to stand beside him, watching with interest as the five men before her glanced up. There was dead silence and Raine fidgeted a bit before deciding to take the initiative and speak first. She smiled brightly.

"Hello, you must be the other apprentices that serve under Ansem the Wise."

The shortest of the group, who also appeared to be the youngest looking only perhaps nineteen, nodded slowly. His unruly, short, ebony hair shifted slightly during the action. He stood up and made his way over to her, deep sapphire eyes aglow in inquisitiveness. He stood about half a head taller than Raine. He bowed to her, politely.

"My name is Ienzo," He gestured to himself.

Raine curtsied, "I am Raine. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Her eyes spanned each of their faces. When she straightened up, she observed another of the men stand up. Ienzo moved gracefully aside for him as he came up to her a large grin plastered on his face. For the moment his eyes were closed, or rather eye. His right eye was currently bandaged; the ivory fabric contrasted greatly with his soft, brown hair highlighted blonde in various streaks as it fell down to embraces his shoulders.

The man held out his hand, his fingers to coming to rest around her out-stretched hand firmly. His eye opened to reveal a hazel orb, which danced in humor. He shook her hand with enthusiasm.

"Good day, Little Lady, I'm Braig. How do you do?" His voice droned casually with an apparent cheer.

"I am fine," came Raine's astounded reply. She had not expected warmth, she had expected perhaps slight annoyance followed by tolerance, but not warmth. She suddenly felt ashamed for her quick judgment, which continued to be wrong as the largest man of the group strolled up to her.

His deep, crimson hair wrapped his head in small curls, catching the bright lighting perfectly. His dark cobalt eyes were unreadable, but his light smile comforted the fear that rose in the pit of Raine's stomach. Braig was now standing off to the side, nonchalantly speaking to Ienzo. And just as Ienzo had done, the muscular man facing Raine bowed as well. His hand dipped to rest under his rib cage in the action.

"Greetings, Raine, you may call me Aeleus. I'm very curious as to what circumstances brought you here, that is if it is not too much trouble to speak of them." His rough voice winded the words elegantly, astonishing Raine yet again.

She nodded quickly, "I wouldn't mind a bit, Aeleus, but can it wait until later? I would like to look around the castle first." She hoped she had not offended him, but he just smiled a little wider, returning her nod, "Of course." He then stepped away and took his seat back at the table where the last apprentice sat. The other one was already bowing before Raine.

This man was burly as well, but not as much as Aeleus. His violet-hued eyes rose up to hers as he took her hand and kissed it chastely in a chivalrous gesture. Orderly, chocolate strands of hair fell around his face where they continued to fall halfway down the length of his neck were they stopped.

"It is a pleasure, Raine. I am Dilan. I do hope you become fond of our home." His voice was slightly accented and flowed genuinely from his lips as he righted himself, releasing her hand.

"I've liked what I have seen so far. The library was stunning." Braig eyes filled with mirth at her comment, "Oh, so that's where you came across Even. Here we thought he'd brought a lady home." He teased, but Even only sneered at him behind Raine's back letting out a disgruntled sigh. Raine's cheeks tinged pink at the joke, but she held her ground. She shrugged. "Well, I got lost. I consider myself lucky for having met Even. He was very helpful and kindly escorted me to my destination." There seemed no more room for talk on that subject. The last apprentice had now stood up and was walking toward Raine.

He seemed to command a sort of authority when he stood up as everyone grew silent. His snow colored hair flowed to his mid-back. His bangs jugged backward, sticking up slightly. Only a few strands on each side escaped their brethren's fate and hung like antenna. His orange eyes stared at Raine, uncertainly, an expression between tolerance and aversion burning within him. His mouth was set in a straight line and he made no attempt to be friendly towards her, or to be rude. He just walked before her and bent slightly in a curt bow before speaking.

"I am Xehanort," his voice was monotone, expressing no emotions toward the girl.

"Xehanort." Raine repeated and bowed her head quickly. Xehanort turned on his feet and leisurely made his way back to his seat. Her eyes followed him, before she twisted her body to stare at Even. "That wasn't so bad." She commented truthfully and Even smiled slightly. She looked back at the others, "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have of me at dinner if you will be attending."

"Braig never misses a meal," Ienzo smirked, earning a chuckle from the man who in turn mussed his hair. Raine grinned and looked back at Even, "So the tour?" Even gestured around him, "This is Ansem's laboratory. Here we conduct all our experiments pertaining to our studies. Currently we are researching the effects of various growth hormones on plants. What you see before you is the archive of books we have retrieved in order to study the effects these chemicals are known to have." Raine stared at the books from which the apprentice's had been reading before her arrival.

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Even continued on giving her a tour of the lab before they moved on. Before the day was over Raine had been everywhere except the gardens. As she stood on her small balcony overlooking the large, intricate gardens, she decided she would visit the location by herself tomorrow. She considered herself at least coordinated enough not to get lost in there.

She stared at the wavering clouds painted every hue of pink and purple imaginable, pondering the possibilities of dinner. She knew Ienzo and the others would probably have many questions for her as would Ansem the Wise. Blowing a strand of her brown hair from her eyes she glanced over her shoulder into her room. 'Should I unpack now? It would prevent me from having to do it later. Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?' She turned on her heels and walked back into her room before closing her balcony door behind her.

Raine picked up a leather suitcase and carefully laid it atop, the tidy pristine comforter. The wine colored fabric embraced her bed elegantly. She allowed her fingers to glide across the soft, luxurious material before bringing them to the suitcase to unlatch the locks. Upon opening it she found her toiletries: toothbrush, combs, hairbrushes, scented wash, and a bottle of her favorite shampoo and conditioner. She set about putting them in her personal bathroom.

The lavatory was decorated as one would expect a modern castle to possess; a polished ivory sink and tub with a matching toilet rested within. The walls were a light gold, bringing attention to the golden faucets and pipes adorning the sink and bathtub. White tile and wall embellishments otherwise finished the room.

The room Raine would be staying in was a large room, not the master suite, but still quite impressive with a dark rosewood, queen-sized bed. A desk, consisting of the same wood rested against the south wall. The walls were painted a beautiful, beige that matched the pillows atop the bed. A vanity full of drawers stood next to the bathroom door. It was here on this, rosewood surface that Raine laid her brushes and combs.

She removed the suitcase on the bed-top and replaced it with another, this one containing her wardrobe. She placed them within the fair-sized closet and vanity depending which suited what item.

When everything was put away and Raine was satisfied with her effort, she took a seat in one of the taupe chairs that was placed by the balcony doors so one to stare out the window-like doors on cold and rainy days. She glanced at the antique clock hanging from the wall, one of the many ornaments that made the room less open and more homely. It read six-thirty. She would have to dress for dinner soon. She rested in the chair for a few minutes before getting up and going about the routine of preparing for dinner.

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A/N: Okay, I told myself I would write a Vexen/OC a few months ago because at the time Vexen was one of my least favorite characters and it would have posed a challenge for me to do. Well, I read "Those Lacking Spines" by Organization VI. While talking to a friend of mine I was inspired to finally write my VexenOC only it's Even not Vexen, but it shall soon become a VexenOC. So read and enjoy. I hope to have at least one review before I upload the next chapter. I think the story will end up speaking for itself. And for those out there who despise Mary-sues give my OC a chance because to the best of my abilities I have made her as non Mary-sue as possible and trust me: mt beta, an avid Mary-sue hater will give her the once over as well. Finally: warning, there will be a lot of angst at some point. Yes, there will be character death ( I have to keep it in at least a canon chronology), so you may cry (if my writing is good enough -crosses fingers-) so be prepared with tissues if you're of a very emotional nature.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, or any of their respectable characters. I do however own the plot and the OC of the story are you are reading. This disclaimer shall count for any other chapters I create for this fic.

This is dedicated to Vexen because he deserves love too. And I shudder when I see all the Marluxia/Vexen pairings (no offense if you're a fan, I just don't like yaoi. And the fact they hate each other just makes me question the pairing). Happy tidings, Chilly Academic as you're now one of my favorite Organization members.