Learning Opportunity [Private/Zexion]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"The early bird catches the... well, you know what I mean."
--

Emi woke slowly, floating somewhere in between consciousness and the nightmare she was having. She sat up in bed, and for the life of her she couldn't remember what she had been dreaming of.

She was still in the inn but she was out of munny after paying for last night's stay. She rolled out of bed with a groan.

"Looks like it's time to relocate again,[/color] she said. She shuffled into the cramped washroom, dead set on a hot shower before she had to leave again.

She stood there for a long time, letting the hot water hit her in the face, before she finally broke down and set to scrubbing the tangled mass that was her hair. She was thankful for the teeny-tiny bottle of shampoo, but she had to use her fingers in place of a comb. Once she was finally satisfied, she left the inn with her sparse personal belongings and headed towards the castle.

She folded the cloak in a way that rendered it unrecognizable and carried it under her arm. That was really the only thing she owned besides the pack of cigarettes in her coat pocket and the clothes on her back. She didn't entirely mind, it just meant there was less to carry.

It was still pretty early in the morning, the sun was just beginning to rise. Emi was surprised she was even up this early. She was a night owl, preferring to stay up 'till the crack of dawn and sleep 'till noon. But she had gone to sleep fairly early the night before and wanted to get an early start towards the castle in case somebody though she was suspicious and stopped her.

She walked quickly, almost running. It was a familiar path once she got there. She could have walked it with her eyes closed. There was no one around and no one to stop her. She bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time. After giving a glance around to make sure she wasn't being watched, she tried the door.

Locked.

She took a step back, and kicked the door. That didn't work, and she doubled over in pain, grabbing her foot.

[Fate]

Keeping to the Shadows
Moonlight Sonata

Again and again, Zexion found himself drawn back to Radiant Garden like a moth to light.

This visit was a tad different than the last one, however. This visit comprised of looking into the darkness of this world, the only thing that the Restoration Committee hadn't managed to get rid of yet. Zexion had appeared on the outskirts of the town center, keeping his distance in the best way possible before he found the scent of darkness, and cinnamon, lingering around. He centered his focus for a moment, focusing on where the scents were coming from. They both came from the same place, one that Zexion found rather ironic: the castle.

He sighed, starting to make his way toward the ominous building, the hood of his cloak drawn. The alleyways, as per status quo, were empty and he was able to to sneak through them with ease, keeping himself out of sight. Organization members often had a very easy time of keeping to themselves in every world they went to, always able to keep to the shadows. Zexion considered himself the best at this particular field; he could be in plain sight and not be noticed if he wished to be. That was not necessary though. He needed to find his way to the Castle to get closer to this familiar stench of darkness.

It would also be good to figure out why Emi was there.

He reached the outside of the Castle, the scent of darkness almost overwhelming; whoever was here was certainly powerful. The scent was also familiar, something he had sensed before. This made Zexion all the more curious as he entered the castle through the main entrance, sneaking in. The castle was just as he had left it, though a bit dusty of course. More exploration needed to be done in order for him to find the all familiar scent that was lingering around this castle, figure out who it was coming from, and possibly get Emi away from it.

That thought alone made him wonder. Why did he need to protect her? Why did he feel the need to at all? As a Nobody, especially one of his stature, he shouldn't be feeling any sort of thing. He was not someone who protected others; he was the one often being protected. Before he met her in Traverse Town, he did not know her name much less who she was as a person. In Beast's Castle, he only knew her name and nothing else, though she remembered everything. Though, everything had finally been revealed in the World that Never Was. They had been friends, something that did not exist as a Nobody. He had Lexaeus before, but even he knew he was only a pawn in Zexion's game. Why was Emi different?

Maybe because she made him remember.

He got further into the castle and closer to the scent, though it was still further inside. It was hiding, staying deep in the castle. He knew why he remembered it now; it was Maleficent. She had once stayed in this very castle after she had taken over Hollow Bastion and obviously was out to do it again. She was a powerful sorceress to contend with and he decided it best if he avoid her at all costs. For now, he would search for Emi. She seemed rather close to the library...

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Chopin Ballade No.1 in G minor, Opus 23
--

Emi rose from the step a few minutes later. Her toes still throbbed but she had thought of a plan! She pulled on the cloak. It was a little tight fitting, a little shorter than it was meant to be. It didn't matter. She took a step back from the door.

Control the darkness within... darkness...

It had never occurred to her that these portals were formed out of darkness. It never occurred to her that she would be tapping into a probably very undesirable power in order to this. But, it now became to clear to her that Zexion had been able to control that darkness.

Of course, she was ignorant, unaware of the affects such things had on hearts. Her own heart. She figured that must be what the cloak was supposed to protect her from. So she assumed she was safe.

To her surprise, the first corridor came easily. She didn't want to go far, just to the other side of the door. That was okay, right? She didn't know how she did it, only that she had opened herself up. Made herself okay with the darkness, justified herself using it.

All of the strong emotions pent up inside her, anger and sadness and loneliness and oddly enough, happiness... this was the fuel she used to open it.

She was by no means surrendering her whole heart over to the shadows. But in the events that had happened, the delicate balance of the two entities inside her had tipped ever so slightly to the darker. It could just as easily be tipped over to the lighter.

She wouldn't be damaged further by simply summoning the corridor, only if she traveled between them without the use of the cloak.

She knew none of this as she stepped slowly into the writhing darkness. She saw it only as the use of a new found ability. Nothing evil about it and perhaps this is why she continued to walk thin line, teetering slightly between the two as her life went on.

She quickly found herself on the other side of the door, stumbling back out of the portal with a yelp, running to try and keep her balance. She fell onto her chest and pushed back up quickly, embarrassed. But then she laughed, triumphantly. Threw her head back and laughed.

"I did it![/color]" she exclaimed. She turned and then remembered. There was no one there to share her newfound joy, strange joy in having succeeded in summoning a Corridor of Darkness.

Now that she was actually inside the Castle, she made her way quickly to the library. She felt tired, really deep down inside and realized it was from the use of the portal. She decided it would be safe to wait a while until she tried again for practice. And she knew just the way to pass the time.

Emi threw open the library doors and was overwhelmed with nostalgia. She walked inside, looking all around, filled with the same awe she had been on her first visit to this place as a small child. The doors closed behind her with a soft click and she made her way down the stair case.

The piano sat, dusty and unused, on the first floor. Next to the large window where it had always been. She walked to it, and removed the cloak she was wearing. The tight sleeves were inhibiting and for that reason she also removed her own leather coat. She sat both articles down on the edge of the bench and sat next to them.

Once she opened the case, she pressed down on one of the keys. The piano was hideously out of tune. She recoiled from the awful sound. Her musician's ear was not pleased. But she couldn't help herself. She wanted to play so badly, she had not played a piano since... she couldn't remember the last time. She'd quit her piano lessons in Twilight Town at age fifteen and since then she hadn't touched the keys, instead preferring the drum set.

But she knew the knowledge would come back to her. She sat her hands down, going through some warm-ups as was her habit from years of having it drilled into her. Not only did it loosen the muscles in her hands, it gave her time to ponder what piece she wanted to play.

She decided quickly and shifted smoothly from the warm-up exercises into a few sustained notes, growing rapidly faster and louder and then dropping again into something soft and slow.

Emi wasn't exactly sure how she was able to remember the notes, but they all came rushing back, almost too fast for her hands to keep up. She forced herself to stay in tempo, mouth silently moving as she reminded herself of the more technical elements of the song.

Her fingers flew across the black and white keys, the song again reaching a crescendo. She played it a lot louder than she meant, caught up in the sound of the notes that she just wanted to play them as loudly as possible.

[Fate]

Curiosity in the Castle

The sound of a piano being played meandered through the castles, the sound soft at first since Zexion was far away. The instrument sounded off, though the Nobody had never been a musician and did not know much about music or the instruments themselves. However, the piano always kept in this castle had been kept perfectly in tune; Ansem had made sure of it, especially when Emi came over to play. That life seemed so long ago and distant from his own; Ienzo seemed to just be a completely different person he had no connection to at all.

The notes gradually got louder and louder as he grew closer, the piano playing well done as always. Emi had been a fine piano player when Ienzo knew her and it seems the habits never left. The piece she was playing, while the instrument was out of tune, was beautiful to hear. He found his steps growing slightly faster with the tempo of the song, eventually finding himself in front of the library doors. To not disturb the piano player, he opened the doors quietly and stepped in with almost silent footsteps, closing the doors behind him after he was in.

The song was currently in a crescendo, a very happy sounding one. Well, that was about all Zexion could bother to interpret of it; music and the meanings behind it had always escaped him. He walked closer to the piano, his steps quiet and calculated as he kept his arms crossed. He was not a fan of surprising people, though Emi would not be too terribly surprised to see him. She had been in his company a lot recently. That still raised questions in the Schemer's head, ones that he still could not answer. Why was he bothering with her? They had shared memories, of course. He had those with members of the Organization. However, there was a difference: she had a heart while they did not. Did that somehow evoke 'feeling' in him? He highly doubted it. It must be something else.

He waited to be noticed instead of announcing his presence, letting her play and watching her fingers meander over the keys with a skill he knew he would never have. It was intriguing to watch; how did one learn to play like that? Either way, that was not what he was here for. He had to warn her about Maleficent, though the sorceress would most likely not bother to come bother them. She seemed to be busy with something else... Excluding that, he needed to show Emi how to properly control the Corridors of Darkness. He was a Nobody of his word... sometimes.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Live, one night only..."
--

She was instantly aware of his presence, even as she kept playing. She didn't acknowledge him yet, instead playing through the 'happy' part of the song until it became somewhat somber again. And then, an impossibly fast last minute that required her to travel from one end of the keys to the other, the ancient piano bench creaking its disagreement.

The piece was over then and she withdrew her hands. The twinged with pain after having been used like that after years of not playing. She shook them out and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left,[/color]" she asked. Monotone, to disguise the true hurt feelings she still had after he abandoned her. She tried to tell herself it was nothing personal. People abandoned her all the time, she had begun life that way. But there was something about this that hurt her even more. Because for once... she thought maybe she was making a friend, a true friend.

The last time she thought that she... she shook her head rapidly, trying not to dredge up the old painful memories of the man who'd taught her everything. She crossed her arms and pulled them tightly against her stomach to further hide those reminders.

[Fate]

Keeping to My Word

He continued to stand as she played, his eyes occasionally drifting away to look around him. If he had a heart, it would be crushed to see the library like this. Dust was everywhere and it seems books were scattered here and there, not on shelves where they should be. The once pristine sanctuary of his childhood was gone and replaced with this darker one; obviously, this castle was not left untainted by the darkness that took this world over so long ago.

She finished after a while, the piano creaking; Zexion had no idea how old it was, though he knew it was there long before he arrived at the castle. Emi turned her head to him, looking at him over her shoulder and speaking in a monotone. It was an unusual tone to hear coming from her; her voice was typically filled with emotions, almost never lacking them. There was a bit of tension in the air and it took until just now for the Schemer to figure out what was going on; he left her again without an explanation.

"Hello to you as well Emi," he said, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. It quickly vanished as he continued to speak. "I came back to check on this world; there is a central force of darkness here staying in this very castle and I went to find it. It turns out Maleficent is taking residence here once more." He paused for a moment, those facts out of the way. That was just one reason of why he was here.

"I am also keeping my word to you," he told her, "I told you I would show you how to use the Corridors of Darkness. Do you still want to learn?" He kept his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for his answer. She was obviously not eager to see him, though that was the case with most people; not many were particularly fond of members of the Organization. Emi had very good reasons for not wanting to see him; he was cruel, a liar, and everything opposite of what a friend should be. He just wondered if she was going to try to see past that. He had a heart once; he could be nice... if he wanted to be.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Too much to carry, too much to bury inside,
I guess you're the only one that nobody changes."
-Only One by Lifehouse
--

At first, Emi replied with only a "hmm".

She was lost in thoughts. Thoughts she knew she shouldn't be thinking, but then she told herself she didn't need to hide from it. She sat there on the piano bench, not really actively listening to what Zexion was saying. Probably just some emotionless BS anyway.

Nothing to be afraid of, it's not like he can hurt you anymore. You have to face it sometime, Emi.

"Yeah, sure okay. I already opened a corridor once by myself and... wait, did you say there is a 'force of darkness' living here?[/color]"

She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she had missed that little explanation. She rose abruptly from the piano bench, taking up both her jacket and the cloak as she did. She pulled on the jacket and nervously asked "Is it safe to stay here or should we leave?[/color]"

It was shocking even to her how easy it was to fall back into step with him. Sure, she was mad at him for leaving but that just didn't seem as important anymore.

[Fate]

No Immediate Danger

It seemed that almost all of his words he said in vain; she clearly did not want to bother listening to this liar anymore. She mildly acknowledged him, still sitting at the piano and facing it. His eyes widened mildly when she spoke at long last, telling him that she had opened a Corridor of Darkness by herself already. Part of him was surprised she was able to do it quickly, though the other half was not; Emi had very strong feelings and a fair amount of darkness in her. It was just a question of how well she could control it; it was not an easy task.

It was then that she realized he said something else, something about a force of darkness. That was when she got up to face him and asked him if they should leave. It was a good question. Maleficent was a dangerous enemy; there was no doubt about that. She seemed distracted for the moment by something, though how long that would last was unknown to the Schemer. He did not particularly want to fight with the sorceress, though the castle was the safest place to practice the Corridors of Darkness. Maleficent was not one to start fights right off anyhow, only doing so when provoked.

There was also that tidbit about the Nobodies being stronger than the Heartless. Maleficent never seemed fond of Organization XIII and their doings from the beginning; she would not want to take Zexion on, though Emi was another question. Though, the situation could be manipulated. She would only want to fight them if they got in the way of her plans; they were not and Zexion was not about to stop what he thought was necessary. He doubted she would bother with them though while they stayed in the library; it would be if they bothered her that she would start a fight.

These thoughts took about five seconds for Zexion to sift through before giving Emi an answer. "We will be fine here," he told her, "Maleficent will not seek out a fight with those that do not hinder her plans. If I sense her coming close, we can quickly leave." If Maleficent bothered to come near them, it would not be that difficult to escape from her. She, after all, did not have the sensing abilities Zexion had; he doubted she could sense them in the castle at all.

Now with the Maleficent issue aside, there were other things to contend to. Though, whether or not Emi would want to even bother with him at this point was questionable; she only seemed to when there was danger, though he found it odd that she could so easily just put her emotions aside to deal with the possible threat. Zexion forgot what that was like; Ienzo always liked to pretend he had no emotions.

"It depends on what you wish," he told her, "We can certainly leave and find another place to practice. It would only have to be away from the town; we do not want to attract attention."

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Whatever you think is best, man, just don't get us killed."
--

"Let's just stay here then. You know what they say, its usually the safest right under the enemy's nose. We'll be fine.[/color]"

Of course, she automatically assumed that any force of darkness was the enemy, completely unaware of her friend's use of it and justifying her own use of it because it was not evil. Of course, Maleficent was the enemy in this case but still... it was naive to see things in such black and white terms.

She also didn't know where else they could go. Maybe somewhere in the country side but she felt better here. What better place to learn than a library, after all, and a library that filled her with all sorts of nostalgic-type emotions that would be a a perfect power to draw from.

She sat back down on the bench and plopped her elbows down onto the keys. The racket echoed all around the library. She put her face in her hands and sighed. "I don't think I should try using a corridor again for a little while, though. I feel... tired. Not like tired, but... I don't know. Does that make sense?[/color]"

[Fate]

Controlling the Darkness Within

Zexion simply nodded his head. "Very true," he said, "Very true indeed." Maleficent wasn't one to come out and attack an enemy if they intruded upon the castle. If she noticed them, she would send Heartless at best. Heartless were easily enough defeated between the two of them. The library was most likely the safest part of the castle; it was away from everything else, in its own section. The dust in the room showed it was not a frequented part of the castle; what reason would Maleficent, the supposed Mistress of All Evil, have a need for this room anyhow?

He took his hood off as Emi asked him a question, one that made him raise an eyebrow and put his hand to his chin in thought. "Yes, it does actually," he told her, "I would have been surprised if it did not take some of your strength to form one at first. The Corridors of Darkness are formed by darkness; they have the ability to corrupt your heart because of that darkness, especially when the user is not protected. Those with hearts have more difficulty with them because they have a heart to corrupt unlike the Heartless and Nobodies."

Zexion was merely stating facts now, something he had always been rather good at. There was only one thing he needed to truly add to the rest of the facts he already presented. "It is best to control the darkness within you first. Once you have control over that, the Corridors of Darkness will not drain you as much. It is also necessary to wear the cloak; it will protect your heart from further corruption. If you use the Corridors of Darkness too much without protection, it will show."

He closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing the exact change that happened when one tampered with the darkness too much. Xehanort had once looked so different than he currently did. Xemnas's skin was darker and his eyes turned into a wicked shade of amber. Ansem the Wise's eyes, if he remembered correctly, had also changed into a shade of amber. It was not a fate anyone should want.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"It's to be expected..."
--

Emi squirmed uncomfortably.
...it will protect your heart from further corruption
Further corruption. That meant...

Really though, she knew that was the case. How couldn't it be, after everything? She lazily pulled her hand away and hit the lowest key on the piano. The sound was sad, ominous. She wasn't sure of the mechanics behind it but what she did know is that the lower keys
always seemed to last longer, echo longer.

She sighed. She had wanted to become a better person, that had been the whole reason she had left Twilight Town behind. She wasn't going to walk down that road again and she refused to let the darkness control her. She would control it. It was time to start pulling the strings of her own destiny and she refused to be a puppet of the darkness.

She wasn't anyone's puppet. But she had to ask.
"Just opening those portals... that can't hurt me can it?[/color]

Perhaps the darkness was already seducing her, she realized when she discovered that she didn't want to give up the use of the corridors. Or maybe it was just immaturity, selfishness. Sure, there were other ways she could go out to the other worlds. Find Arc and repay her debt. But she didn't want to use a gummi ship anymore! But she had to decide what was more important...

[Fate]

Amber Does Not Suit You
But it almost suits me

The single note played resonated throughout the library, creating a dark and ominous sound in its wake. The information Zexion gave Emi was obviously a bit unsettling; anything involving the darkness often was. Even though many didn't like to admit it, there were a lot of people who were still afraid of the dark and the monsters that hid in it. The Heartless were nasty creatures, more tenacious than they were often given credit for. The Nobodies only saw them as a tool and nothing more, though they were much more than that.

Zexion shook his head to her question. "Summoning them, while it takes a certain amount of control to do so, will not harm you," he explained in a matter-of-fact voice. "Going through the Corridors of Darkness themselves is what will do the corrupting." He looked at her now, this being his first time today. There was a serious look in his eyes. This could end up being potentially dangerous and he needed her to be sure. "Are you sure you wish to go through with this? You may stop using the Corridors of Darkness at any point in time, though if they affect you, the effects will be permanent. I do not think amber eyes would flatter you."

Zexion forced himself to shake off the current thoughts going through his mind, ones concerning Ansem the Wise and Xehanort. Xehanort... the man filled with such a lust for power that he threw himself into the darkness for it. He did indeed end up powerful, but the cost for that power was hefty. Though, one had to wonder... no, he did not need to fill his mind with thoughts of the Superior. He had spent a fair amount of time doing so already; anymore so and he would drive himself loony. He had to focus on Emi at the moment, not Xehanort.

Focus on Emi, the person who had once been his friend, or Ienzo's friend. Nobodies could not have friends, could they? Axel had Roxas, though that was even questionable to the Schemer. Roxas was a different Nobody because of his connection to Sora. Roxas could almost emulate emotions because of that, something the rest of the Nobodies could not do. Some tried while others found it absolutely silly. Zexion was one of the latter category, making his logic do all of the work for him. His logic told him that Emi could not make him feel anything; his heart was gone and that was the end of it. However, there was no harm in aiding her. She just couldn't expect a lot back from him; she could barely expect him to care.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Protection, lol"
--

She laughed sarcastically but then withdrew again, crossing her arms back over her stomach. It was a hard decision, a huge decision. She weighed the pros and the cons. She saw no potential for danger if what Zexion was saying was true. She had the cloak to protect her.

"Will that coat you gave me protect me enough? Is there something else I should do?[/color]" she asked before making a final decision.

Emi was beginning to feel her strength return. She felt as though she could probably handle opening another corridor now, but she just wanted to be sure this wasn't going to go out of control. She laughed again, but this time it was bitter not sarcastic. Something in the back of her head said she never laughed at funny things anymore.

She knew first-hand how quickly things could spiral out of control, how quickly the darkness could become addicting. Yes, she knew all about that. This situation- like testing the water with a toe before diving in and finding snakes- was all too familiar to her and it was unsettling.

But this would be different... right? She could control this. She knew she could.

[Fate]

Is There More Than Meets the Eye?

Zexion nodded his head again to her question. "The cloak will give you ample protection against the darkness. It will not allow it to corrupt your heart." He then paused to think of how to answer the other question she asked. Was there anything else that she needed to know before going into this? Was there anything else she needed to do? It was hard to say for him. The Nobodies had the darkness in them under control when they entered the world of nonexistence, thus being able to use the Corridors of Darkness with ease. For those with hearts, was it different? Would she need to be able to control the darkness first? That might be beneficial, though he was not sure what that required.

"I am not sure if there is anything else," he said truthfully, glancing down at the floor for a moment. "However, this could be more dangerous if your darkness is not controlled. Unfortunately, I am not sure how one is able to do that or if your darkness is controlled or not already. Though, I am curious how much darkness lies within..." He forced his curiosity to stop there. He did not need to pry into Emi's mind anymore than he already had, which he considered to be a fair amount. He was unsure of how that would affect things. It might be better to pry at this point.

"Tell me," he started to say, making sure his words were calculated and careful as he spoke more, "Is there more darkness from after you left Radiant Garden? You have not told me anything about after the Garden; only before." He looked back at her for this. She did not have to tell him about this; she undoubtedly had a lesser amount of trust for him because of what he did with her memories before. There was a difference this time though; he would have a much more difficult time making illusions of things he had never seen. He would not do it this time around.

[/size]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"An impromptu therapy session."
--

She drew in a slow, shaking breath. So then. It was time for her to finally tell the story. She knew one day she would have to tell someone. There were always repercussions from having a life like she lived and one day, she knew all the secrets would all come out. She was glad it was an old friend, and not a doctor or cop or something like that. She hated the fact, however, that Zexion was gaining access to all these deep dark places in her.

She didn't have to tell him of course. She could just lie. She could just blow him off, not tell the whole story. There were a million different ways she could escape this. She was tired of running away, though. Tired of carrying this massive weight on her shoulders. She'd never had a friend close enough to share this with and it had stayed with her for years now, draining her strength like an illness when she let it take hold.

But he was asking. He wanted to know. She knew he didn't really care. Couldn't care, couldn't feel anything. And that's what she liked. She could tell Zexion everything without fear of him passing judgement or going out for revenge or pitying her. Of course that also meant he would have no sympathy and meet the story with the same cold attitude he had handled everything else so far. He wanted to know only in an attempt to gather more information on her heart for this training exercise.

She reached out with both hands and closed the piano case. She stood and said "Follow me.[/color]" She didn't want to talk next to the piano. She needed a smaller space to feel safe in. She lead him through the book cases until they found a small alcove. Again, a place they had played in as children. Reading the books, sometimes playing quiet games. Games never stayed quiet around Emi, though. She fingered the books and smiled sadly as she remembered all the hours they had spent in this very spot.

She leaned against the book case and avoided eye contact.

"Where to begin? After Radiant Garden... I mean, after I left, I ended up in Twilight Town. I just kind of woke up there. Some adults found me, they helped me out. I went to a school there for a while and things were good. Things didn't really get bad until I was about fourteen years old.[/color]"

She closed her eyes, forcing memories that she had so often restrained to the front of her mind. They came easily, vividly.

"I walked out of the school in the afternoon, same as always. Alone. And out of the corner of my eye, I noticed these people, right? Standing on the street corner, smoking. There was one in particular I couldn't stop staring at. No matter how many times I looked away, as I walked towards the house I was living in, I kept looking back.[/color]"

Kei. She remembered him well. It pained her to recall his face. That stupid stupid man who had started it all. Emi curled her fists, growing angry just thinking about him.

"All the most horrible stories start with a boy, have you noticed? He noticed me staring, I guess, so he came running over to say hello. He said he liked my uniform, wanted to know if I wanted to come to a party. I said yes, of course. I wasn't shy or anything, but I didn't have a lot of friends because I had a reputation for being mean. I guess I was just like every other insecure teenage girl, I wanted to fit in and I was over the moon about being invited to a party by an older guy. Kei was in his twenties, at least.[/color]"

Long dark hair, dark clothes, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The way he clutched my shoulder, the way he stared at me with dark eyes. Utterly intoxicating, I never stood a chance against him.

"I went to that party. Didn't have anyone looking out for me, no one stopped me. Kei met me at the door with the warmest smile anyone ever had for me. He brought me inside, introduced me to his friends. I felt so mature, so interesting, so cool. I didn't mind that Kei and all his friends were drunk and I took a drink when it was offered to me.[/color]"

She stopped to think. All the stupid little details were blurry to her. What had she been drinking? What were his friends' names? What had she been wearing? All of those things lost detail behind the haze of the alcohol.

"Months passed and Kei and I got close. Way closer than a twenty-two year old man and a fourteen year old girl should have been. He had a girlfriend, but she didn't really mind if Kei fooled around with other girls. We were friends too, I guess we kind of shared Kei but it was never a big deal to us. Pretty soon though, drinks weren't the only thing I was taking from him. I guess you could say he taught me everything I know.[/color]"

Ahh. This was the hard part. Tears sprang to her eyes and she roughly brushed them away before they could fall. This is the part she didn't want to tell, but the part she needed to tell the most. This is when everything started to go very, very bad for her...