"Lord Xemnas, you have been quiet for some time, does my report fail to please you?" Saix asked flatly, watching the back of his leader's head. Xemnas didn't move for a long time, which began to worry Saix. Instead of speaking again, he held his tongue and simply waited.

Xemnas drew his golden eyes away from the window and cast a glance over his shoulder.

"Your report informs me only that we have made no progress," Xemnas replied, an edge in his tone.

"Unfortunately….yes." Saix bowed his head and waited for the inevitable outburst of power that was sure to be his punishment for bringing Xemnas nothing useful.

"Without progress….without change we will never reach Kingdom Hearts. You do understand this, don't you, Saix?" Xemnas asked, with a flat tone. Xemnas usually faked some sort of emotion, but his lack of effort was beginning to wear on Saix's nerves.

"Yes, Lord Xemnas," Saix replied, keeping his head bowed.

"Try harder, Saix. Make sure the others do as well. There is no lack in Heartless…I can feel them everywhere. All of you simply aren't seeking them out as you should. Open more portals, find more worlds, and slay more Heartless. That is all," Xemnas dismissed, looking back out the window again. Saix looked up in shock, having expected something much worse. He hesitated, sensing a different air about Xemnas. He seemed lost in thought, not extremely focused as usual. Xemnas swiveled his head around and pierced Saix with his golden gaze.

"Why are you still here?" he snapped. Saix jerked out of his musing and immediately left, apologizing profusely as he did. Xemnas returned his gaze to the window as soon as the door shut, looking out into the murky darkness behind The Castle That Never Was.

It was true; Xemnas was not as focused as normal, nor as hostile, because his senses were attuned to something much different than the Heartless he had claimed he felt. Somewhere in the midst of Twilight Town, it had appeared, and captured his attention.

It wasn't a Heartless, a Nobody, or anything of the sort. It was something he had never felt before. It drew him inevitably, for he could not tear his attention away from it. It called to him fiercely, and he could not resist it. When the dawn came, he would infiltrate Twilight Town and finally see the disturbance that had haunted him since the morning before.

When morning came, Xemnas rose early and summoned several drones that were specifically made to observe and record video of targets. They could camouflage and teleport if necessary. He dressed into a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt, intending on camouflaging himself, then proceeded to don his cloak for safe travel.

Opening a dark corridor usually took place in the common room in case there was an intrusion of Heartless, but he didn't fancy the idea of the entire Organization knowing what he was up to. He called the drones to follow him, and cast open a portal to Twilight Town. He slipped through with the drones, and sealed it shut behind him.

He stepped out into an alleyway in Twilight Town and signaled for his drones to cloak themselves. He glanced down at himself and removed his own cloak, knowing it would only draw attention to himself. He bundled it up and hid it with magic beneath a dumpster. He rolled his shoulders, readying himself to blend in with the heart-guided people. He would have to make sure all his emotional reactions were correct, as he had studied them once before. He was fascinated with the emotions themselves, but it was the people that irritated him. They were so weak willed and usually allowed the emotions to get out of hand and guide them to bad situations. He had seen it so many times that it only served to heighten his haughty disdain for the people he inadvertently saved by destroying Heartless.

Following his senses, he made his way through Twilight Town, making sure to keep a content expression on his face as he passed others. Only a few gave him curious or alarming glances, but the majority seemed to think him a normal passerby.

He entered a residential area of the town and stopped, tilting his head. The sense he was following had suddenly begun moving. He moved quickly to keep up, moving parallel with it. It led him straight back into the bustle of Twilight Town, which would help him remain unnoticed, but also hinder him if he needed to take action. He signaled one drone to find and follow the object of interest as he searched through the crowd.

His first glimpse of the point of interest left him perplexed. He was in disbelief, so he moved closer and pinpointed it again, only to realize what he was seeing was in fact what had drawn him here.

It was a young woman with deep brown hair that touched her shoulders and a sun-kissed complexion. She was of average height, average build, and donned a pair of plain glasses. In fact, everything about her seemed average, nothing of extreme interest. She was just a normal human, with an intact heart inside her chest. Why, then, was he drawn so fiercely to her?

She walked confidently into a building and Xemnas glided closer. He milled around the edges, signaling his other drones to take up positions around the courtyard to observe.

After a few minutes, she reappeared, bearing a frustrated expression. He looked off, keeping his gaze from lingering too long, then glanced quickly back to see where she'd gone. To his surprise, she was sitting close by on a bench. She set a folder next to her and closed her eyes. Xemnas observed her, knowing he would not understand unless he got closer. She could be carrying an item that had drawn him, and he needed to confirm if it was truly her or something else.

He straightened and began walking nonchalantly toward her, and her eyes stayed closed. Xemnas had avoided interacting with the commoners if possible, and thus was unsure of how to make contact or conversation. He called on of his drones forth, and it hovered low behind the girl. As he walked in front of her bench, the invisible drone swatted the folder, sending it and several papers into Xemnas and across the ground. The girl opened her eyes with a surprised gasp, and her blue eyes immediately met Xemnas' gold ones.

When their eyes met, Xemnas felt something deep within that was both familiar and foreign at once. It stirred at the girl's gaze, and he silenced it, unable to address the furtive feeling at the moment. There was a moment where the girl seemed to be both intrigued and suspicious at the same time. The ease of emotions was fascinating to Xemnas, and he watched with extreme interest. The way she looked at him oddly made Xemnas wonder if she had felt the odd stirring too.

Realizing herself, the girl quickly dropped to her knees on the ground and began gathering her papers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even feel the breeze, I must have left my folder too close to the edge," she apologized, her voice soft and pleasantly feminine. Xemnas dropped to one knee beside the girl, reaching out.

"It is no trouble. Allow me to assist you," he responded, purposefully touching her hand as he reached for one of her papers.

The touch confirmed it. The haunting pull he had felt from the presence in Twilight Town was her. It was this girl that he had felt drawn to…but why?

When she had gathered all of her papers, she looked at him with a strange expression that bordered fear. Though he had crouched beside her and even touched her hand to feign helping her, he had forgotten entirely to carry out the muse. Instead he was staring hard at her, trying to figure her out.

She stood and took a few steps back, watching him carefully. He stood, silent. He did not know what to say to keep a human from fleeing from his odd nature, and did not plan on giving a truthful explanation.

"I…sorry for the papers. I need to go," she stammered, taking another step back. Xemnas no longer felt the draw to her as she stood there, but he did not want her to leave either.

"Stop," he ordered, earning another surprised look from her. She did not come any closer, but she did not flee either.

"What is it…?" she asked quietly, clenching her papers to her. He watched this closely, trying to understand her reaction. Anxiety, that's it. As he remembered, he arranged his expression to one that he hoped appeared to be innocent.

"I've lost my way. I was looking for the exit north of the clock tower in the plaza. I haven't a clue where I am now. Could you aid my way?" he asked, feigning hope. Her eyes studied him in return, gauging him. She knew there was something wrong with him, but couldn't pinpoint it. It was a normal reaction from most humans, and he was able to recognize that look immediately.

"So, you need help…well, I do happen to be heading in that general direction, so I could point you toward it?" she offered, seeming reluctant in doing so. Xemnas smiled, though not in true happiness; it was amusement. She was also guided by her heart, foolish creature. Though she sensed something wrong with Xemnas, her kindness of heart would not allow her to abandon him.

"I thank you. What may I call you?" he said, closing the distance with a few broad steps. She began walking, leading him forward, though he insisted on walking beside her so he could continue watching her expressions.

"My name is Fyer," she answered, glancing over at him. He was watching her closely, taking in every detail so he could understand why he, Lord Xemnas, was playing helpless with a common girl. "What is your name?" She was clearly uncomfortable, but onward she walked, bent on helping him. He forced himself to look elsewhere, thoroughly irritated. The people here couldn't stay still for a moment. They were always in a hurry. It made it difficult for him to examine the point of interest without her wanting to get moving. He knew the drones were the ones supposed to be doing the intense observing, but he kept feeling the urge to gaze at her.

"I am called…Z," he answered, refusing to give his name. She looked away, a flat expression on her face.

"Very well, Z. Here is where we part," Fyer said, stopping. He paused too, and looked back. They were in the heart of Twilight Town, back in the busy streets. She pointed past him to the very alleyway he had come from. "Go through there, stay on the street, and you will find the plaza where the clock tower is."

He followed her direction, then glanced at her again, taking another long moment to observe her. Her eyes held a deep suspicion. He noticed this and banished his neutral expression. He instead gained a very appreciative one.

"Thank you for your help. I shall find my way now, thanks to your kindness," Xemnas said, trying to erase her suspicion. He stood still, and so did she. He blinked at her with endless patience, waiting for her to leave. It seemed as though she was waiting for him to depart first, but he didn't budge. Finally, she looked down at the pavement.

"You're welcome. I've got to go. It was nice to meet you, Z," she said, looking up at him one more time. It was curiosity now that showed on her face, as she turned away. She disappeared into the crowd, and Xemnas let her go without another word. He sensed her as she traveled through the town, and he waited where she had left him. He closed his eyes and reveled the quiet in his mind, now that he had seen the cause of his distress. There was nothing extraordinary about the girl, and he saw no need to pursue his curiosity any longer if she posed no usefulness.

Though as soon as he donned his cloak and returned to The Castle, the feeling of longing returned to him. He cursed and called the drones close to him, so he could transfer the video into one of the creatures and observe it. There was something more to the girl he had not previously seen, and it would continue to haunt him until he discovered it. And discover it he would.