Melanie quietly sipped at her cup of coffee. The flickering light of the flames in the fireplace caused shadows to engulf her short, russet hair and yet made her trademark gold glasses shine with a reflection of pure elegance. She placed her drink on a coaster on the coffee table and picked up the newspaper once again. There was never any exciting news in Christmas Town. The only significant things that would ever be mentioned was when the elves had come up with a new toy to build, or a new gadget to help making building toys easier.

“Small town, small news, I guess…” Melanie sighed and set the newspaper down on the coffee table once more. She pulled her blanket around her tighter. The brunette could never seem to get warm enough, no matter how many items of clothing she wore at once. Except for the cracking of burning embers, the room was silent. Melanie could feel the silence grasping at her insides with a hard, cold grip.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Annoyed with having to leave the warmth of her blanket, Melanie reached her arm to the end of the small end table to turn at the dial of an antique radio. Her eyes traveled around the arm warmer she was wearing. They were knitted; pine green with white trimming. She had made the arm warmers herself, and she was proud of them. When she found a station she liked, she quickly retreated her arm into the blanket and shivered.

“I know it’s snowing twenty-four-seven, but does that mean it always has to be below zero?!” she mumbled angrily to herself. After seventeen years of living in Christmas Town, Melanie was never truly used to the cold weather. She eyed the newspaper again. It was the 23rd of December. It was so close to Christmas. Probably the only good news she’s had lately. The pitter-patter of someone walking down the steps caught her attention. They sounded so light, almost invisible to her ears. Melanie knew it had to be her little brother, Aidan.

“You’re supposed to be in bed, it’s past midnight,” Melanie called out firmly without needing to look toward the stairs.

“You’re up, too!” the boy replied.

Melanie sighed. This wasn’t the first time they’ve had this discussion. “Look, I’m seventeen, and you’re half my age. When you’re as old as I am, you can stay up late too.” She looked at him. He had short brown hair, much like his older sister, and gleaming blue eyes that made contact with her dark green ones. “Why are you up?”
Melanie’s piercing green gaze shook Aidan slightly. Melanie loved her little brother to death, but she had to be a mother to him most of the time. Their parents were always too busy fighting over nonsense to raise the boy properly themselves.

“I thought I heard something…” his voice was weak and sincere. Aiden knew better than to even try to lie to his sister, so she easily believed him.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Melanie replied, taking her coffee cup off the table. “It was probably just a bad dream, go sleep in the bed with Mom and Dad and it’ll be better in the morning.” She savored the long drink that she took and put the mug down again.

Aidan silently refused to move from his spot on the staircase. “I can’t,” he said after the longest time. “They got into another big fight again and Mom kicked Dad out of their room...I think he’s in yours now.”

It didn’t surprise Melanie one bit. This happened all the time. “I guess I’m sleeping down here again,” she stated bluntly. She really didn’t mind. In fact, she hoped for this every night because she had grown to prefer the couch over her own bed.

This was a problem for Aidan, however. If their parents had a long-term argument, they always tried to bribe Aidan to like them over the other. It was their silent taunt to each other of, “See, the children love me over you. Therefore, I am right.” They stopped trying to bribe Melanie a long time ago because she had demonstrated at an earlier age that she wouldn’t take part in any of their arguments. Melanie had taught Aidan not to get in the middle of them, but since they thought, in some ways, Aidan was less intelligent than Melanie, they still tried. If Aidan slept with either of them this night, he would be going against what Melanie had told him by picking one parent over the other.

“I hate it when they do this,” Aiden whispered.

“I do too, kid, but the best thing for us to do is to not get involved.”

Aiden looked down and curled his toes. “What should I do now? I…” he looked up at his older sister with solemn, sad eyes, “I really don’t want to go back up there…”

She hated those eyes of his. The only thing that could pierce through her was his tears. The silence clutched at her chest again and each pulsating throb of her heartbeat caused a great deal of pain. Opening her mouth slightly, she gasped for breath.

“Melanie?” She looked at Aiden. The glint in his eyes had changed from depression to fear and worry.

“I…I’m fine,” Melanie stated firmly. She had to be the strong one. If she wasn’t strong, how could she protect Aiden? “Look,” she started, getting up off the couch, “you can stay down here for tonight. I’m,” she rubbed her palm against her suddenly sweating forehead, “I’m just gonna step outside for a minute.” She looked at the crackling fireplace. “I’ll get some more wood to burn while I’m at it.”

Aiden had already curled himself up in Melanie’s blanket. “Take a lantern,” he said and rested his head on the arm of the couch.

“Yeah,” she simply replied, grabbing the lantern and making her way out the door.

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Sitting on the steps, Melanie was hunched over, becoming more frustrated by the minute. The freshly falling snow was making it hard for her to light the lantern, a single flake always miraculously falling on the very tip of the match she was using, extinguishing it. Cursing under her breath, she lit another match, holding her hand over it as a makeshift shield. The small flame licked at her exposed fingers before she guided it to the small wick of the candle inside the lantern.

Melanie sighed happily as the wick caught fire. Removing the match, closed the small glass window, the match killed by a snowflake once again. Dropping the match to the ground, Melanie rubbed her hands together, trying to gain some warmth. She hissed as a slight pain caused her hand to pulse and redden. Looking, the brunette realized that the small flame of the match caused more damage to her delicate fingers than she originally thought. She dipped the damage hand into the cold snow and sighed in relief. Feeling her hand already beginning to numb, Melanie feared frostbite and immediately placed her hand on her knee, pressing it against the clothed flesh to warm her hand back up. She shivered as a gust of wind strong enough to howl assaulted her small body.
Elbows on her knees, she laced her fingers together and rested her chin upon the surface. Sure, the brunette could do without the cold weather, but she had to admit, Christmas Town was a beautiful place, especially during this time of year. It wasn’t the decorations, they were practically around all year…it was just, the atmosphere. Everything just felt nicer and easier for Melanie. Of course, if her parents were planning on fighting during Christmas from now on, the difference between this special time and every other time will surely disappear altogether.

She thought the silence was nice, until it grasped at her heart with a cold grip once more. Clutching her chest, Melanie heaved and gasped as she staggered to her feet, but immediately collapsed into the snow. The possessive grip on her heart began to loosen as she started feeling lightheaded. The brunette grasped at the snow as she panted. She started noticing just how good the frost felt against her hot face.

Planting her hand into the ground, Melanie began to push herself up. Her arm was shaking terribly. Scared and confused, she finally let her other hand fall from her chest to steady herself on the ground, and she began to crawl back to the front door. She grabbed the railing of the porch stairs and tried to pull herself to her feet. Her legs felt incredibly weak at that moment. Melanie continued to breathe deeply as she tried to regain her strength. She had to get back in the house.
Lifting her head, she saw through the window into the living room. The fire was incredibly dim and Aiden was shivering from his spot on the couch. Wood…she thought. I have to get fire wood. I can’t let him freeze…

With a shaky hand, Melanie picked up the lantern and took the most fear-driven walk to the cellar she ever took in her life.

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Unbarring the cellar door, she cautiously opened one side climbed in, the small flame in the lantern flickering eerily as she took careful, careful steps down the stairs. Raising the lantern above her head, she moved it back and forth, trying to find the pull string to the cellar lights. She heard the howling of the wind again, followed by the worse sound she ever heard in her life. Her heart pounded as the wind slammed the cellar door shut, and she felt sick.

Though still in possession of a lit lantern, it only illuminated her right hand, and Melanie began to think of just exactly how useless the stupid thing was. She frantically began swiping her arm through the air, desperate to find the pull string and get out as fast as she could. The brunette gave a scared gasp of triumph as her hand it the cord and held it firmly in her grasp, but froze immediately at the sight of two yellow eyes that glowed in the darkness.

The creature threw itself against Melanie like a crazed animal and she hit the wall hard, clutching onto the lantern for dear life. She let out a cry as the creature grasped her by the shoulders, and finally full-out screaming as pain shot through her left should as it began dragging its claws through the flesh. Tears streamed down her face yet they could not even begin to obscure the sight of the glowing yellow eyes. Her breath got caught in her throat as she heard banging on the cellar door.

“Melanie! What’s going on?! Are you alright?! SISTER!”

Oh, god…please…no. I can’t let him…I have to…protect…him…

The creature growled when it noticed the brunette had stopped thrashing in pain. And Melanie seemed to really notice it for the first time since she heard Aiden’s voice.

Never…you can’t hurt him…

“I WON’T LET YOU!” she shrieked, slamming the lantern against the beast.

Flames and sparks exploded as the sound of shattered glass was heard. Melanie shrieked again as she felt the searing pain of the fire torching her right arm before dying all together. The creature howled as the flames slowly spread around its body. Even knowing its defeat was inevitable, the beast placed a non-torched palm over Melanie’s chest.

Black mist began to wrap around her like a tight corset. She felt the clutching, cold pain on her heart like she had felt so many times this same night, and she understood that her death was inevitable as well. When the monster pulled away, it held its prize. As her own heart floated gracefully in front of her eyes, Melanie couldn’t help but think about how beautiful it was before collapsing on the cold ground of the cellar. The creature finally disappeared in a fit of flames and black smoke.

She had not noticed the cellar door had been opened at some point and the moonlight had flooded the cellar.

“Melanie…” a voice said sadly.

The brunette turned towards him, but her vision became obscure as black mist began to deteriorate the flesh on her cheek and she slowly felt herself fading away. She felt a few final tears slide down her face before closing her eyes and accepting oblivion.

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Shirix stood in the center of the dark city. The black witch stared past Memories Skyscraper, past the castle where so many haunted memories had spawned. She stared at Kingdom Hearts. A creation so beautiful it caused a great pain in Shirix that only ever stirred when she thought of the Organization and what it had become. She had cared for both the Organization, her once-family, and Kingdom Hearts, her once-purpose, with love only a mother could provide. Shirix became shunned from her family, and lost her purpose in the process.

Feeling her throat beginning to close, Shirix grasped at where her heart had once been. She had been damned to live a life without tears when her heart was taken from her, and the black witch had become a she of what she once was with the Organization’s betrayal. Closing her eyes, Shirix plotted revenge. Emptiness and hatred had become second nature to her now, and she planned on letting the current Superiors know exactly what they had done to her. She took a deep breath through her nose.

The air smelled…sad. It smelled it like was suffering. The sound of whimpers and hollow sobs grazed her hears. She opened her green and blue orbs. The being in front of her was slouched over in a pathetic heap. The grass-haired girl was clutching at her head with a pale hand, tangling her fingers in dark green roots. The arm she was using to steady herself on the ground, one covered by an immense amount of cloth, was struggling to keep her up, shaking like a leaf in a whirlwind. Her shoulders shook in tearless sobs, unaware of the Nobody that stood before her.

Shirix’s eyes widened at the sight before her. This creature was suffering…just like her. No… Shirix thought. Her suffering is nothing compared to mine. The black witch turned to walk away when a voice called out to her.

“Please…” Shirix looked back to see dark green eyes hidden behind a pair of golden frames. The girl was grasping helplessly at her non-existent heart. “Please help me…it hurts…it hurts so much…” she broke off into useless attempts to cry once more. Shirix felt a hollow pain pulse through her body and it surprised her. Did she feel sorry for this girl? No, she assured herself. That part of her life was gone. Her eyes were glazed over with apathy as she stared down at the emotional mess before her.

The younger Nobody’s eyes became deep and thoughtful, almost knowing, as she stared the white-haired witch. “You look so sad…” she said in a soft, sad voice. “You don’t have anyone either…”Blue and green orbs widened. “You…you little runt…”Shirix hissed, but she was ultimately at a loss for words. What right did this foolish little brat to say something like that? The witch considered pulling out her wand and attacking this stupid girl, but decided against it. She would leave her to die instead. Turning her back on the younger, she started to walk away.

“Wait!” the girl gasped and desperately lunged forward to grab the bottom of Shirix’s coat tail.

Stopping, Shirix smirked. “You’re really naïve, you know that?” She turned her head to meet her gaze. “I really should kill you.”

The grass-head looked down and the grip on her coat tightened. “But, I…I’ve done nothing wrong…”

Shirix froze as the words reached her ears. She hated how suddenly at that moment, she and this girl seemed so alike.

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The younger Nobody reluctantly let go of the woman’s coat. Burying her face in her hands, she hunched over, her hair pooling around her face as the feeling of emptiness consumed her.

“Please don’t leave me,” she pleaded quietly to the nameless, white-haired goddess that towered over her. She had no one, she knew nothing except the one strange word that repeated itself in her head over and over again.
MAILENEX.
“Hey,” she heard the goddess say to her.
MAILENEX.
She looked up to see the woman standing over her with a beauty the girl could not even begin to describe.
MAILENEX.
“Just who are you, anyways?”
MAILENEX.
“My name is…” she started, and trailed off.

MAILENEX.