Hurting Hope

The Organization's Castle

Rue

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Rue woke up slowly. Her head hurt like crap, and so did her half-heart. Her freshly-opened eyes were met with a disturbingly bright white.

"Hel-lo!" a cheerful voice said. Rue looked and saw Demyx sitting beside her, a large smile on his face.

She glared at him. "Where am I?"she asked groggily.

Demyx flinched. "Wh-what? Y-you're in the castle."

"So? There a different castle in like, every single world. Be more specific."

"Uh...You're at the World That Never Was's Castle."

Rue's eyes widened and she jumped out of the bed she had been placed in. A sharp pain shot up her feet and throughout her body, causing her to fall onto the floor.

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down!" Demyx exclaimed. "Don't stress yourself out! You'll be fine!"

Rue huffed has Demyx grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back up onto the bed. She clutched the bed sheets to keep from falling over again. She took a couple deep breaths.

"Alright, so I'm in the Organization's base. I'm probably worlds away from my sister. I've been asleep for who-knows-how-long-"

"Only about an hour," Demyx cut in. Rue glared at him again, and he shut up.

"Anyway, I think my life has just taken an unfortunate turn for the worse." She glanced at the Nobody. "Any other horrible, life-shattering, news for me?"

"Nah, I think that's about it," Demyx said.

Rue sighed. "So, I guess you're not going to let me go, are you?"

"Are you kidding?! I'd turn into the Dusks' next meal!"

Rue hummed. "So, no."

"Kingdom Hearts, no!"

"Well then, I guess we have a problem."

"Huh?" Demyx gasped, Rue punched his face, Demyx fell to the ground, whimpering.

"Sorry, it's nothing personal," Rue muttered, and ran out the door. She heard a female scream. Kairi. She thought. Somehow, she recognized Kairi's voice. She followed the screams and soon found herself in the dungeons. 

"Kairi!" Rue yelled. Only another scream responded. Rue rounded a corner and looked into one of the large cells. In it, Kairi was bleeding and whimpering on the ground, Lelie stood over her, holding a small knife. Rue felt like she would vomit.

"What are you doing here?" Lelie spat. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and the darkness in her skin seemed to have receded a bit. Rue didn't say anything as another pair of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Her eyes were glued on the suffering Kairi. Kairi's wounds were healing quickly, probably with help from her light, but there were many of them, and most of them would probably scar.

"W-what are y-y-you doing?" Rue stuttered.

"None of you're business, Halfling," Lelie growled as Demyx rounded the corner, out of breath. "Wasn't Xigbar supposed to help you contain her?" 

"He was," Demyx panted, "but he said he had something else to do."

Lelie groaned and rolled her eyes. "Of course he bailed. Whatever, take Rue back to her room." 

"Okay," Demyx agreed. He grabbed Rue's arm, snapping her out of her stupor. 

"Why did you betray us?!" she cried out, trying to yank Demyx's arm away.

Lelie looked at her calmly. "I don't understand."

"You told us that you hated the Organization, that you would never go back. What changed?!" Tears started to pour out of her eyes. "Why did you abandon us?!"

Demyx raised his eyebrows. "Huh?"

Lelie's eyes narrowed. "Demyx, take her back to her room." Demyx tightened his grip.

"No! Stop! If you just tell me, I'll help you!" Rue exclaimed. 

"D-don't..." Kairi gasped weakly from the ground, all of her wounds almost healed. "Don't tr-trust them...they'll..."

"Oh, hush now, princess. I'm sure the Halfling can make her own decisions," Lelie crooned. "But, are you sure you want to make that deal?"

Rue yanked her arm out of Demyx's grasp and nodded. "You tell my why you betrayed us, and I'll help the Organization."

Lelie smirked. "Alright deal." She waved a hand, and she and Rue teleported into a different room. Kairi and Demyx were gone. From the looks of it, it seemed to be Lelie's room. It was larger and more decorated than other rooms in the castle. She sat down on a large chair and gestured for Rue to do the same. Rue hesitated, then sat down in a chair across from Lelie.

"So, explain," Rue said.

"What do you want to know?" Lelie asked, the darkness under her skin pulsing.

"Why did you betray us?"

Lelie crossed her legs. "There's several reasons I did what I did. Most of which you wouldn't understand."

"I know, but tell me anyway."

Lelie laughed. "You are very amusing, Rue, and smart, but I doubt you know what you're asking for."

"But I still want to know! Please, Lelie, I want to help. But I can't help if I don't know," Rue insisted. 

Lelie sighed. "Fine. Try and keep up." 

She snapped her fingers and darkness burst around them. Rue gasped as it washed over them until she could see nothing. Soon though, the darkness shifted and grew brighter with several colors, forming an image around her. It was a small town, with the sun rising and coloring the town a beautiful blue-red hue.

"What..." Rue gasped.

"Axel already told you some of the story," Lelie started. "This form you see me in now is not my first, but this place is the birthplace of my first heart and body. The place I was truly born. Daybreak Town."