Awakening the Heart

Ok so I'm realizing more and more that the smut isn't coming right away. Somehow my muse keeps fleshing out the plot more and more. I'm really not sure how or why but yeah... I'm estimating within the next 2 chapters SOMETHING more than Saix snuggles shall happen. That's the plan. I may have to whip the muse into listening though. . They keep slipping OOC, well from game versions but I think given the story events they're staying relatively true? Yes? No?

Chapter 4

⌠There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.■ ~ Michael Nolan

Both men looked at her, then each other before Xemnas turned back to her. "Very well," He intoned silently and nodded, "If you are quite... awake now..." Here she looked at him quizzicly for a moment then blushed. "We can adjorn to the library and begin this research," he finished as he began walking out of the cell, Kairi and Saix following. The three walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way to the library. The trip in silence seemed to take twice as long though before long they were entering the vast library Xemnas had amassed. Ninety eight percent of the books were research notes and the rest were books on folklore, myths and anything else involving the heart. The two men seperated moving into the room further, Kairi merely stood close to the door, unsure of who to follow. Xemnas motioned her over after a moment of perusing the shelves and set a book on the table infront of a chair.

"That should be a good starting point for you," he explained before turning back to grab another book for himself, "It will help explain some of the mythology of Kingdom Hearts which will aid your understanding and ability to figure this out."

Taking the seat beside her at the medium sized table Xemnas began perusing the book he had gotten. Saix sat across from her with two books, the berserker's eyes flitting across the pages as he read. Over the course of the next few hours several books made their way to the table until eventually the table was hidden save it's legs by literature. Saix was starting to wear down from all the reading and he looked over to see how the other two fared to find Kairi rubbing her eyes and trying to keep herself propped up. He looked to Xemnas to see the older man lost in thought as he seemingly reread the same passage for the fifth time. After a moment Kairi's eyes widened as a slight rumble sounded over the silence. A blush rose to her cheeks and Xemnas was torn from his thoughts to look at the girl as Saix's eyes found her also.

"Uhh.." She started nervously, the blush becoming more prominent when she realized they both were looking at her, "I'm sorry."

"You are hungry?" Xemnas asked as he realized she had indeed missed lunch today and it was probably past dinner tme. The lack of need for as much food led him to sometimes forget the more 'basic needs' of somebodies. With a deeper red tint to her face Kairi nodded in affirmative. "Very well," Xemnas said as he stood, closing the book before him after marking his spot, "Let us adjorn for food for the moment and resume after."

Kairi smiled widely and stood with a nod, Saix merely nodded and stood. Xemnas extended a hand to Kairi as he stated, "Come. We shall take the faster route so we lose less time for searching the books today."

Kairi hesitantly reached up and took the hand, as she did a pulse ripped between both of them. The same as when she had touched Saix. She froze, as if all time around her froze with her and she merely crawled at a slow pace compared to it. She was flooded by an odd feeling, a rush of warmth, familiarity, heat pooling in her belly, her heart. Xemnas stood shocked, his eyes locked on the female before him. Heat surged through him, flying to rest in his chest. Tingling, prodding, warming, it stirred things in him long thought gone. After a moment they broke from their trance to notice Saix watching them carefully.

"Is everything all right Superior?" He asked, his eyes taking in the way the other man looked at Kairi.

"Yes," Xemnas said, his voice not betraying his unwilled feelings earlier, "Let us go get her some food."

Both men opened gateways through the darkness and Kairi followed Xemnas through one, only to see herself come back out in the kitchen/dining room. Saix appearing next to them, proceeded to go to the cupboards and begin to make something while Xemnas released her hand, relunctantly. A moment later as the awkward silence, save sounds from Saix's food preparing, another gateway appeared. Out of it stepped a blonde with a mullet, his bright blue eyes dancing with merriment.

"Superior," he said as he nodded his head in deferrence to Xemnas, "Sir, Kingdom Hearts was just acting goofy. It was lighting up and humming all weird like. I saw it from the balcony."

The younger nobody gestured with his hands wildly as he told his tale. Xemnas nodded and replied, "Thank you Demyx, we're looking into what is occuring with Kingdom Hearts. Though I'm beginning to have a few suspicions as to what it is."

"Just letting you know superior dude," Demyx said with a big grin and a thumbs up. It seemed his enthusiasm was contagious and Kairi giggled at his antics. His eyes flashed over to her and with a grin he spoke again. "Name's Demyx," He introduced himself with a wave, "Nice to meet ya."

"Demyx," Xemnas spoke, his one arm crossed across his chest, the other resting upon his chin as he pondered the best course of action, "I have a mission for you. Go, find where the keyblade master is. We need more time to figure out the occurance with Kingdom Hearts. Detain him if you can. Use, whatever you feel is necessary within reason, but you must hold him off for a bit longer. We need to prevent any other... losses."

"Uh.. Sir are you sure?" Demyx asked, his face falling a bit, "You know I'm the wrong guy for something like this."

"We are left with few choices Demyx," Xemnas said in all seriousness, meeting the younger nobody's gaze, "Xaldin has fallen. Few are left, but we must buy more time. Do what is necessary to hold him up or incapacitate him long enough to buy us time to find another way to meet our goal. Above all return here after he is held up. Do nothing rash."

Kairi was silent through this exchange but as Demyx nodded to Xemnas she reached out and spoke up, "Please... I know... he's not going to listen to reason but..." She looked down at the ground, then back up to Demyx, her eyes held a few unshed tears, "Despite everything he's done, please don't hurt him more... more than you need to."

Demyx looked to his superior who merely nodded. With an attempt at a light hearted grin Demyx gave her a thumbs up, "No worries little lady!" With that Demyx portalled out through his gateway of darkness. As he left Kairi swore she heard him mumble again about 'sending the wrong guy for this.'

None of them realized then, Kairi least of all that Demyx would be unable to fulfill his orders. He would never make it back to report to his superior though he would succeed in detaining Sora a bit longer.

Saix was still fixing a snack for himself and the superior, and a meal for Kairi while this transpired and after a few more moments of awkward silence he brought the plates to the table. A dusk was summoned and brought silverware over while another handled drinks. Kairi was a tad unnerved by them but with a look from Saix was reassured that they would do nothing other than act as servants here. They ate silently and halfway through the meal Kairi looked to Xemnas.

"Is... is there really another way?" She asked hesitantly.

"I believe their is, at least with the current state of Kingdom Hearts' completion," Xemnas replied, placing his silverware down to look at her, "Had it been earlier perhaps not, but recent circumstances lead me to believe it is possible."

At this he looked at Saix, shooting him a meaningful look which clearly relayed they needed to speak later. After the meal was done the dusks cleared up the dishes and the two nobodies and Kairi headed back to the library. Picking up where they had left off they continued to research. After about two more hours Kairi sighed and drew Saix's attention. Without even asking she could see he wanted to know what the problem was.

"I feel so useless in all this," She said outloud with a huff, crossing her arms on the table infront of her, resting her chin on them. "I haven't found anything, at least that I understand would be useful," She continued, meeting the blue haired man's gaze, "There has to be something, another way... A way to stop you guys from..."

She didn't continue, she didn't have to. Saix nodded in response and stood as he replied, "If there is a way we will find it. Perhaps some fresh air to clear your mind would help."

His suggestion made sense and after getting an approving nod from Xemnas he went around the table and motioned for her to follow him. Kairi stood and with a look at Xemnas who nodded her on then went back to his book, followed the Luna Diviner out of the library and through the halls til they reached a balcony. When they got there Kairi walked to the rail and leaned against it, looking down at the city below. She sighed again and raised her head to look at Kingdom Hearts.

"Just like back at the island," she whispered softly, "I'm still useless compared to everyone else. I wish there was something I could do."

As she said that a pulse rippled in the middle of Kingdom Hearts and caught the berserkers attention. It was meager enough to evade Kairi's notice but Saix, who had stared at the large heart in the sky more times than one could count noticed it. The pieces began to fall into place in his head as he looked at her. She was a princess of the heart, and it seemed with her here Kingdom Hearts was acting exceedingly more and more odd.

Meanwhile:

Demyx fell to his knees before the keyblade master and his friends. He had been right, the superior had sent the wrong guy for the job. Sora, keyblade still braced before him for attack, stared with derision on the nobody on his knees before him. Little parts of Demyx were wafting up and becoming nothingness, as he soon would be. Noticing the look on Sora's face Demyx gave one last friendly grin, hiding the grimace of pain that tore through him as more of him was dissipating.

"Hey, don't be so hard you know. We do too have hearts," Demyx said, a cough interrupting him before he continued, "We just... Don't have whole ones. That's all we wanted."

Sora looked at him in confusion for a minute before hardening his eyes on the disappearing man again. "That's just what you want us to believe," Sora spat at him.

"Yeah!" Donald exclaimed. Goofy however remained silent.

"Heh," Demyx let out a noise as more of him disappeared, "I told them they sent the wrong guy for this...(cough) Ugnh... no way...."

As the last bits of him disappeared his voice faded away and Sora stood glaring at the place the water summoning nobody had knelt. It was all lies, he kept reminding himself, the bad guys wouldn't be honest. With a resolute knowledge in his brain that he was right he dismissed the keyblade and he, Donald and Goofy headed off on their way to find the rest of the organization before it was too late. They all had to be stopped.