And here is the last one to keep you guys on edge for the next story. Let the curiosity commence...

Now we have finally concluded the story of Tainted Hearts.

I'd like to thank those who've been following me and favorite-ing me, hope you liked what I've brought out. I'd like to thanks reviewers Spirit of writing, blueorchid7, Taeniaea, Kairi4Ever15, TheFoolishDreamer, GradGirl2010, and Mackblade for your awesome reviews and your feedback and ideas you offered; I'd also like to thanks every guest reviewers who gave me awesome and loving reviews whenever they had the opportunity, thanks so much for expressing your loves.

As you already know, the next story coming up is the Chain of Memories storyline, which will be dubbed Chained Hearts. I'll probably get the first chapters up either during the Easter weekend or another weekend, so until I've posted something, keep an eye out for me. ;)

Also, I might consider posting other fics when I have the chance. What kind, I can't say. We'll wait and see.

Until next time, thanks for joining me and putting up with me and my occasional unintentional hiatuses (so sorry about those, btw).

I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts except my OCs.

Read, leave a review, but flames are unacceptable.

Epilogue 3: Lure of Reunion

Somewhere inside the castle, a lone, male human figure concealed under a black hooded coat inspected the hallway he passed through, as though searching for the right chamber to enter in. Then, he approached one door and opened it widely to partially illuminate an otherwise dark room that bears no light whatsoever compared to outside. A foolish person would think there is nobody inside the chamber, but concealed within the shadows is a giant cage hidden away in a lonely corner holding a prisoner also kept in the shadows lest the wrong eyes discover the secret locked away.

"Well, now. After all the trouble Vexen went through to create a doppelganger of a person described from the Superior's vague memories," the hooded man spoke with a soft yet venomous eloquence, "it seems that you have a purpose after all. Visitors will be coming pretty soon, and one of them is someone I'm certain you've heard mention about since you first arrived into the world."

From the shadows, the hidden prisoner shifted from inside the cage as brown eyes emerged from the darkness and glared daggers at the person who spoke to him.

"…You're telling me this now, after you yourself thought I would be useless?"

From under the hood, the man's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the rude remark, but then smirked a bit as a flower formed in his hands, held carefully in his hand. Obviously, their prisoner doesn't fully realize what he was being reserved for nine years after he had first been created by Vexen; but then again, he had been kept under lock and key for so long, it's not hard to see why it would be frustrating to be kept in the dark about one's objective – quite literally, in this case – until now.

"Why now, indeed? That's because one of these visitors is someone important to you," the hooded man answered at last, "She lost someone precious, and she must find it again. You must be eager to meet her after not seeing her for so long."

"You lie. You don't know who you're talking about."

Unbeknownst to the prisoner, the hooded man knew who exactly he was talking about. Looking down at the flower in his hand, it gave him a faint feeling of nostalgia as he recalled the face of a broken child… Oh, he knew just the right incentive to convince the prisoner that his mission will be worth the trouble.

"Oh, I know what exactly I am talking about," the man said with a devious grin, "I am talking about a little girl specifically – though I am quite certain she must've grown quite a bit after hiding somewhere for so long. She was a budding little flora, but she was brutally crushed to the point where some would think she cannot continue to grow." He tossed the flower to the floor, as though he was teasing the prisoner. "But against all odds, she did - under the care of helping hands, and now she has begun to bloom beautifully into something that puts her namesake to shame. Believe me, if you saw her personally, you'd know why such a prize is quite coveted by other eyes."

The last bit appeared to have caught the attention of the prisoner, as the brown eyes furrowed with envy at the idea of competition. This made the hooded man smirk triumphantly with the knowledge that he successfully ensnared the unknowing pawn to his will, and that twisted information proved to be just the right incentive he needed to use in order to complete the mission.

"You don't mean…"

"Oh, yes, you know what I'm talking about," the hooded man responded, "If you want her, you'll have to do something about the competition. You can do what you wish once the guests arrive, but please do me a favor and keep one of them intact for us."

An eerie silence filled the room for several minutes as the prisoner in the shadows quietly contemplated the request of the hooded man, piecing together what he was talking about. Once the eyes showed realization as to what he was referring to, the eyes showed a degree of understanding where the priorities are aligned to.

Finally, the prisoner relented. "Fine, then. What am I supposed to do?"

The hooded man smiled sinisterly as he felt pleased at his success. "Smart choice. Now, I believe this is a good day to let you out, wouldn't you agree…dear 'brother'?"