“We have discovered what may be the key to make Sora do what we want.”  Demyx, the blond water wielder looked around the room, bored.  Ever since his home world was destroyed, he had been stuck here, listening to Xemnas (and what was with everyone having orange eyes? Xemnas, Xigbar…)  Either way.  He wasn’t very interested.  He just wanted to practice his Sitar and play that game with Larxene where they stalked each other…ASSASSIN!   That was it.  Anyway…  He wasn’t interested.    “We must kidnap someone he cares about and use them as leverage.”

“It might now work.”  Lexaeus growled.   “Riku is somewhere in Kingdom Hearts. And this does depend on if Marluxia’s plan works.”  

“It WILL work!”  Marluxia retorted.  Demyx stifled a yawn while Marluxia began to outline some of his plan.  He caught Axel’s eye as Vexen chipped in his complaints too.  Such an Academic…  

“QUIET!”  Xemnas shouted and the hubbub faltered into a murmur, then silence.  “If Marluxia’s plan does NOT work, we can still use her bring Kingdom Hearts into being.”  her?  Xemnas nodded to Xigbar, who raised one of the far seeing orbs Vexen was working on.  A girl appeared there, red headed, in a pink skirt and white shirt, she gazed out at the sea, watching for someone or something.  Kairi..  He knew Kairi.  They had grown up together, more or less, in Radiant Gardens.  

“You’re Drooling Demmy”  Axel’s voice cut into Demyx’s remembrances.   “Do you have the hots for this wench?”  Axel’s grin left nothing to the imagination… except for Roxas who was still memoryless and therefore currently innuendo less.  

“ANYWAY”  Xemnas said raising his voice so Axel stopped making comments.  “I will be taking requests for this mission.  Lexaues, Vexen and Saix, you are automatically discounted.  I don’t want to scare her off.”

“What about Xigbar?”  Saix retorted.  “he’s got an eyepatch”  

“And he also has a surfer/uncle feel.”  Xemnas replied, his yellow eyes pinning Saix and his scar down.  Saix retreated in his seat.   “If there are no further objections, this request will remain open until the end of this week.  After that I will have you play a 24 hours a day session of Assassin until someone ‘Volunteers’”.  Demyx just barely stifled a groan.  Xemnas had instituted Assassin as a training exercise.  After an hour it became horribly apparent that Xigbar’s natural ability to defy gravity plus his skill with sniper rifles made him usually the winner, and he didn’t mine using real guns instead of fake ones.  
-----

“I hope he doesn’t sick Xigbar on us.”  Demyx groaned as he flopped down on Axel’s bed.  The trio had gathered in Axel’s room, Roxas just barely listening over the plotting of his GBA RPG.  

“Agreed, but then again… actually…”
“Axel, if you were going to say what I THINK you were going to say, then you are a disgusting pervert.”  

“Why you…” Axel growled.

“Axel, can you stop strangling Demyx.”  Roxas didn’t even look up.  “Seriously, you’re more murderous then Sarturos”  

“Just in regards to Demmy.”  Was Axel’s cheerful response.  “Seriously, Demmy, did you know that girl?”

”Yep…” Demyx sighed as he pulled his legs up to his chest.  “I was assigned to protect her in Radiant Gardens… That’s how I lost my heart.”  He closed his eyes for a second, remembering the heartless swarming over him.  He shuddered.  “I’ll do it.”

“Demmy, what are you saying?”  Roxas finally looked up.  “You don’t take missions.”

”I will for her!”  Demyx stood up proudly, practically convinced that super hero beams glowed from his chest.  Then before Axel could point out the one flaw with his plan, Demyx drew himself into a portal, and vanished.
______
His boots clicked on the floor, echoing off of the white walls as he walked before Xemnas.  He gulped, this was his first time really volunteering for a mission.  He glanced up under his hood, Xemnas always gave this aura of power even if it was just him reading a newspaper.  Demyx gulped as Xemnas peered over an article.

“What do you want, Number IX?”  Xemnas demanded.  He folded the paper over, revealing an article on mysterious disappearances.  

“I… I want the mission.”  Demyx spoke softly, abashed he was even volunteering.  “I’ll do it.”

“Alright.  I’ll see if Larxene can get you ready.   You can’t go in your cloak.”  Xemnas went back to reading, showing that the interview was over.
------
“NO!”  Larxene shouted at the next meeting.  “Just because I am the only girl here doesn’t mean you have the right to give me all of the fashion related problems.” She sighed, then huffed.  

“Listen, Larxy.” Xaldin scowled.  “If you don’t do this…” he couldn’t finish.  She had vanished into darkness.  Some of the older members looked at eachother with glances that mixed frustration and a shared knowledge.  And Demyx was pretty sure Luxord and groaned “Women.”  

Despite the fact his wardrobe wasn’t decided up, Demyx was sent the next day to Destiny Islands.

____
Demyx emerged from the dark portal in an alcove off of the beach.  Kairi… she sat there on the beach, watching out onto the sea.  Two boys were playing a ball game farther down the beach, while a brunette was walking over to Kairi, a cake in hand.

“KAIRI!!!” the girl shouted.  A smile lit up the girl’s face.  Kairi just glanced up then went back.  “Come on, you can’t stay here the entire time.  When Sora and Riku come back, you have to be healthy.  Come on, my mom baked this cake.” Kairi just shook her head and headed for a boat.  She didn’t notice the fact that the tide was coming in, with the storm…

“Demyx!”  Axel… he had followed Demyx and now grabbed Demyx’s hood and hissed in his ear.  “Why did you take this mission?  Don’t you know… whatever happens the Organization will kidnap her.  Why did you take this mission when it would only lead to her getting into trouble?”  Demyx jerked away from Axel, calling both him and himself idiots.  Axel had a point, and Axel knew it.  It was written all over that smug face of his.  

“Axel… when you truly care about someone, you don’t care about that.  You just want to keep them safe and happy.  I was her guardian, her Paladin, I took care of her as a somebody, and I’ll do it as a No…”  There was a shriek.  

“Help!  Someone!  Wakka! Tidus!”  Kairi’s boat had tipped. The two girls apparently couldn’t swim that well, and the boys could only watch in horror, it was too far away from them.  Demyx didn’t care.  Without a second glance, he tore past Axel and dove into the water.  The water sucked at his clothes, weighing him down, but he made it past until he found Kairi floundering in the waves, starting to sink. Demyx made the water under her very dense so she floated then started to pull her back to shore.  As he checked back on her, he saw that she was alright, just in a daze.  As he drew near to the shore, he saw Axel turn his back and disappear into a Corridor of Darkness.  He stood up soon after, the heavy cloak clinging to him as he pulled Kairi from the water.  She stirred and started to pull herself together as he walked up the beach, the sun beginning to set behind him.

“I… feel like I know you..” she muttered as he set her down.

“THANK YOU SIR!” the brunette girl shouted.  “I’m Selphie” she continued a bit more quietly.  “Do you want some of this cake?”

“We’d better take her back home, yeah?”  a tall, tan, boy holding a blue ball interrupted.  “I’m Wakka.”he said as a way to introduce himselfe.

“Demyx… I’m Demyx.”  Demyx whispered, knowing that when he took up the Organization, he gave up his old name.  He could never say it again.  Kairi began to sit up as he was contemplating.  She gave a brief smile before staggering to her feet.  

“I’m Kairi, Demyx.  I live with the Mayor, so…hm… maybe someone could get someone to get a big boat?”  Kairi turned to look out on the water.  “I don’t have my boat anymore, and Demyx won’t fit…”

”I’ll go!” the second boy volunteered.  

“Same here, yah?”  Wakka responded.  “My Pa’s a great cook.  We can have a feast!”  Selphie began to squeal again.  Demyx winced.  She needed some vocal training.  “I’ll go too!  My mom can bake some cakes, and cookies…” the three flew down the beach to their boats and began to row across.   As they left, Kairi began to kick the sand at her feet.  

“Do.. Do I know you?  I’m sorry if I don’t… I don’t really remember anything before I arrived here… but you’re so familiar.” She flopped down on the sands, Demyx following her lead.  “that’s a strange cloak you have.”

”Really? I hoped it would cut a dashing figure, I guess not, eh?”

“It’s…distinctive.”  Kairi half lied. “Thank you for saving me.”  She said softly.  “I’m waiting for someone to come back… I hope he comes soon.”  Sora  “He’s been my best friend as long as I can remember.  Well, him and Riku…” she giggled.  “But he’s been gone a while.  But all the same… I heard the story from somebody else.  Someone who I know protected me, even if I don’t remember anything about it.”  She suddenly blushed.  “Sorry! I’m rambling!”  But Demyx was already back into his memory.  Ansem was trying to send off Kairi to track down the Keyblade bearer, and Demyx’s somebody mowed through heartless after heartless trying to free her in time.  She shouted out his name, one of the few words she knew,  as the heartless finally plunged their paws into his chest.  Figures he would end up working for his semikillers nobody.  

“This… seems familiar.”  Kairi muttered.  “Why do I feel like we’ve done this before?”  

“Radiant Gardens used to have summer houses that overlooked the seas” Demyx murmured before he could stop himself.  “the view was nice.”

“You… you know about other worlds?” Crap.

“A… a little.  I’ve at least dreamt of visiting a few.” When would Luxord give up his claim to Port Royal. HE would do better on the sea then the Gambler of Fate.  Course, he had also visited several other worlds too…   Kairi just sighed and snuggled up next to him.  He wrapped his hand around her shoulder as they waited for everyone to come back.  

”Mr. Demyx, have you ever heard of thalassa?  They used to be given to sailors for good luck.  Do… do you want one as thanks?”   Kairi, I told you that story.

“Yes please.”  As Kairi scurried off to gather shells, a big boat captained by a woman in a black dress with braided black hair arrived on the beach.

“I’m Lulu” she said flatly as introduction.  “Kairi!” she called out, ignoring Demyx’s attempt to introduce himself.  “We’re heading back!”

“Okay!” Kairi yelled in response and hurried back to the ship.  
___

It was a quiet ride over there, Lulu wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but the greeting in the town was a bit alarming.  Kairi just focused on stringing the shells together, but everyone else was preparing for the party.   As Demyx dried off by a fire, with Kairi next to him, he heard someone behind him.  He turned sharply, to see Zexion and Vexen standing there.  Vexen gestured for him to come closer, with Zexion’s nose still in the book.

“You know her.”  Was Zexion’s way of beginning the conversation.  “Vexen and I were going through old newspapers and we saw a story about how someone who looked a lot like you was assigned to protect a possible Princess of heart.”   Zexion pulled the article in question out of the last few pages of his book. He looked up and evaluated Demyx’s face.

“So, the Superior is taking you off this case.  Saix will probably take it up after you.”

”But… but you know how Saix is, and she trusts me. “ Demyx pleaded.  

“No buts.”  Vexen cut in.  “Come on.”  He turned and started to make a portal.  As Demyx prepared to leave, he felt a tug on his cloak.  He looked down to see Kairi there with a necklace in one hand.  

“Are these your friends? Do you have to go?”  She asked, tears starting to brim in her eyes.

“Yes. To Both.  I’m sorry.  I thought I could stay longer.”  He rubbed some of her hair back, causing a smile to flit across her face.

“Then remember me with this!” she giggled.  She handed him the necklace and ran off. Before Demyx entered the portal, he heard her asking Lulu was a Paladin was.  
__

“It’s Over!”  Demyx double over a year later, gasping for breath.  As the darkness overwhelmed him, he saw Sora standing triumphantly over his dissolving form.   Take care Kairi. he thought as the exhaustion overwhelmed him and he shut his eyes.   I can no longer be your Holy Knight