Request for @NeroDevil0 Hope it's to your liking! I added my own twists to it so I hope that's alright.

***

No one in particular knew it, but the young silver-haired Ienzo often eavesdropped on the conversations the other scientists had in the room. It was a habit that he could not help entirely but he never did it for anyone's harm. Just for his own curiosity.

However, to not be caught, he always appeared busy typing away on his computer or writing down the notes for the big projects they worked on. Though he did block out any intimate conversations. He absolutely did not want to hear those. There was just something else he wanted to hear. The very thing that made his heart run away from Radiant Garden with fluttering wings. It all started after everything had settled with Xehanort gone. Ansem had adopted a multitude of apprentices from all over the worlds. Some younger than others and some his own age and some misfits who did not fit in with others or to the important storylines to the worlds.

Ansem talked often to his apprentices since he was a lot wiser than the other scientists in the lab and could pass along better advice to the young ones. The Master assumed that the younger kids would listen if they had something to inspire them every day. Thus the story was born:

The one-story that intrigued Ienzo the most, down to his heart and was the very core to his yearning to leave. 

Ienzo leaned in close as Ansem told the story again, typing away over his computer with data codes intended for their current project. And to his heart's enjoyment, he heard the soft beginning of the story about the woman with rainbow hair and how she came to sit in Radiant Garden every night.

The young apprentices gathered around Ansem the Wise. "Young ones. You have been doing great today," he praised with a smile. The children and even the older and more mature children brightened immediately as they instantly knew what time it was. Or what the scientist was getting to.

"Yay!" they cheered and gathered around the scientist as he kneeled on the ground in the break room. Though he would come to regret it when he would attempt to stand after the long story. He opened his arms welcomingly to the children.

"Since you had a good day, I thought it would be a reward to tell you your all's favorite story."

A girl with messy brunette hair tugged on the Master's coat. "The girl with the rainbow-haired?!"

"Indeed, young one." He pet her hair.

Ienzo felt his heart skip a beat. For some reason, he felt so attached to this story. He often felt like he was a child when he eagerly stopped to eavesdrop on it. He was in the room closest to the break room and had he not been assigned there, he would have not heard this story in the first place. He could not figure out why it had him so intrigued, and he listened to every word until the end, breathless. When Ansem wrapped up the story, the younger kids nearly jumped on his lab coat and tugged it to shreds.

Her rainbow hair reflected perfectly on the moon and created an essence in the air. It was though her wavy strands of hair defied gravity itself as it curled around in the air, dancing to no melody. The way the lights mirrored each individual whisker displayed a rainbow aura in the air. It was rumored that the very sight of such a thing would turn even the darkest of hearts to pure light. It was already changing Ienzo's and he had not ever seen it before, or her. But he longed to so very much.

Ienzo reached up and touched his bottom lip—which was slightly chapped—and whispered to himself while he listened to every detail. "The girl with the rainbow hair... I wonder what your name is."

The children in the other room climbed all over the Master.

Ansem held two of them in his arms and felt like a father again for a moment.

One kid pouted, "Does that mean we can find her? She sounds so amazing..."

The words came as a shock to the older scientist.

Ansem regretted the words he said right after and hesitated, "I...I uh, suppose, younglin'. But it is not permitted here in this facility," he added quickly. He had not suspected such a story would inspire the children in such a way. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Ienzo, looking his way and being engrossed in his words. Ienzo, the boy apprentice about to become his own scientist. Was he listening to his story?

Ansem's thoughts were interrupted.

"We want to meet her!"

"No, I am afraid you cannot..."

The children pouted, their bottom lips quivering. "But you just said we could..."

"Now, now. You can only see her if you work hard and you have a long way to go," he reminded them and patted their heads. Not they did any laborious work. As apprentices, it was their job to learn from their superiors such as Evan or Ienzo until they could be independent themselves. "Now get to work." With a smile, he shooed the children off and looked toward the door.

Now in the door frame, he saw Ienzo staring his direction and smiled. The young one must have caught his eye as well and left his work to greet him. Though he knew now that he had been listening to him the entire time.

"Was it a good story? Can't help but see you abandon your work each time I tell it."

"Er, sorry sir..." The young man's cheeks shaded red momentarily before he returned to his work right afterward. His cheeks grew red more as he knew Ansem had caught him staring and it was embarrassing.

Ienzo hoped that he would not be reprimanded later on. When he glanced over his shoulder, his Master no longer stood in the spot and had left.

Every time he thought of you, the scientist was fixated on you and you only; the thought of anything concerning you made his heart race as it had never had before and nearly had to punch his chest to get it to stop. He zoned out whenever others attempted to talk to him and he would be teased afterward for going astray mentally though he never spoke of why he went into those little zones. He wanted to see the woman with the rainbow hair—you—and he never knew why he had felt such a way. All he knew was that he wanted you only. His selfish heart longed for it. To sit down and see the aura itself, or to hold your hand. Sometimes it distracted as it did with the young ones and he did not know how to tame the feelings that came afterward. He knew he had to meet you.

Otherwise, he knew he could not focus on his work. And he needed to soon. They were only going to become busier and they could not waste any second of it.

But how would he do it was his only question.

As days drawled on, the task proved even more difficult than he imagined.

Since the events with Xehanort, every scientist became busy with something to assist the two in Destiny Islands. The apprentices helped out the older ones greatly and everyone appreciated their help, no matter how small the task. But unlike them, the male could not just sneak out anytime he wanted to, as much as it would please him to do so. His days were filled with typing away on his computer; a task only he could do at the moment. The male would be caught if he disappeared so abruptly, and who knew what would be his punishment.

Ienzo needed to wait for the perfect time to appear before he could do so, and it did not happen sooner than he wanted to. Antsy fingers typed away, making easy mistakes he frustratingly grunted at and backspaced quickly to redo. Each typed mistakes in his reports made him want to yank his hair out from his scalp.

So when this opportunity for a break popped up, he did not hesitate to take it.

"Ienzo," the male's Master spoke and the said male turned away from his electronics, no longer hunched as he had been

Ansem entered the small computer room.

Ienzo looked to his Master and matted down his messy hair over his eyes from the endless nights they spent awake, working away. It was important that they finished as soon as possible. "Yes, Master Ansem?"

"I need to ask you a favor." A favor? What kind? Ugh, was it even more work?

"Of course. What is it, Master?" He restrained that distasteful tone within the corridors of his mouth.

"We have some younger apprentices sneaking out to check that rumor I have been talking about."

Ienzo knew which one exactly since temptation nearly had him sneaking out as well. "Your plan of inspiring them backfired?" the younger male teased though inside, his heart leaped since he wanted to do the same thing but apparently he had better self control than everyone else in the lab. "Of course, but how would you like me to proceed? And what about work and deadlines?"

"You have been good with your work lately. The very best, actually." Hardly true, since his mind was in the clouds, thinking of you and the famous rumor you held in Radiant Garden. And right now was his chance to see if you were real or not. Though he kept his composure in front of his master and nodded. "Good."

Ansem winked and for a moment, Ienzo debated if it was a communication telling him he could do what his heart desired most. The old man approached the oversized computer and Ienzo moved out of the way as the greying scientist took the controls, typing away as he had never seen before. "Your work will be accounted for. I am giving you permission to take the night off tomorrow to make sure that none of the other apprentices sneak out when they should be working. I know it may seem exhilarating to find the princess with the rainbow hair, but we have other tasks to do."

Ienzo's breath left him for a moment but he tensed his jaw, reminding himself to breathe correctly and do not falter.

"The woman you speak of is a princess?"

A small smile tugged at the Master's lips. "So you were listening," he confirmed to himself but the young man had heard it.

Ienzo's cheeks tinted red but luckily the Master stood on the side that would hide his reddening cheeks. "Yes, she is. She is one of the Princesses' of Lights."

Maybe that was the reason why he troubled for weeks wondering why his heart longed for the woman. It probably lingered for your light. But he did not know why.

"How do you know?"

Ansem turned his head so he could look to his young scientist. His eyes glowed and the young male could sense happiness emitting from those orbs. "Because I saw her myself, and she was the most beautiful being I had ever seen. I want you—my son—to see her for yourself."

Ienzo understood better now and nodded to his Master once more; a swirl of emotions controlled him. His Master was thinking about him... and his heart underwent a certain warmth that spread to his other organs. "You have my word, Master. No apprentices will be out tonight." He smiled cheekily. "Just me." The others would be upset if they knew the truth that Master Ansem was giving him permission to see the not-so fake rumor.

Ienzo's heart leaped excitedly. He would finally meet you.

Ansem returned the smile. "Thank you, Ienzo. Just one more day of work then." He slapped the young man's back before stepping away and leaving the computer room. And for the first time, Ienzo was able to concentrate on his work solely without a distracting thought. It appeared to ease both his mind and heart, knowing deep inside he was about to meet you soon. That you were real and not some fault in his heartstrings. You indeed were not a rumor. For some reason, his heart convinced himself of that before he had this confirmation. Thank God, because he needed it.

Without a thought lingering in his mind aimlessly, the day passed quicker than it had for the distracting weeks, as did the next day of work, which he swore was his best day ever. By the time he looked up, he realized it was time to leave and smiled to himself. He would leave and come to you.

***

Moonlight was the brightest it has ever been that night when you stepped into the garden; a bright place full of light that radiated pure energy. Sneaking through the gates to the castle as you had been for a while now, you always sensed a wave of relief being in this unfamiliar place. So you came more often and closed your eyes as you took in the scent of the light circulating with the fresh flowers that had just been planted.  Most nights, however, you questioned why your heart brought you to such a beautiful accommodation. Was it trying to tell you something? Bring you to someone? Or find something? You had not figured it out by then, and for a while, you believed you were going crazy.

Even in the darkest nights, the place still had some glow to it. You found that to be the most beautiful part of it.

You moved and sat down on a bench you sat in every night under a lampost and placed your face in your hands, trying to figure out why your mind went crazy over this constant lingering to stay in the garden you did not belong. You were not allowed in by the guards during the day time when your hair appeared normal, no matter how much you wanted to stay.

It did not take much to sneak in at night, especially when your heart coaxed you to do so.

Settled down into both the light of the moon and the lamppost, an aura lifted off your hair and wafted through it. You ran your fingers over a long strand, watching the wavelengths as though they were the Northern Lights. It was so mesmerizing, even for you.

Little did you know, there were other eyes on you, watching you as though you were the moon itself. Gorgeous with all your light. They were equally as mesmerized by you than you were at yourself. The person did not know to approach however and gripped his fist at his side frustratingly. His hair cascaded over his troubled expression, blocking it. If you were to look up, you would not recognize him as you had never had seen him before.

However, your heart would act differently. It would recognize him and want to be near him and likewise for him to you.

Ienzo was sent out to investigate you and your rumor. And you were real. That was all he needed to know. Even if his heart had told the truth back at the lab, his mind still doubted. Now it did not for you were really in front of him, sitting with your hair whipping through the air as though the wind was holding it itself and molding it into perfect movements. Yet he did not know how to approach you or if you would run or not. But he knew he had to come closer to you. Not cause of what Ansem had to say, but because there was this familiarity tugging his heart forward.

Had abandoned his coat at the lab, he wore a regular sweater over a blue button-up with black slacks. He would appear ordinary to you and not as a worker in the lab. Hopefully, he would not scare you off.

Gathering confidence, the male placed one foot forward then another. He trudged closer until he saw you more crystal clear and up close; one tap of his foot against the grey bricks around the bench and you looked up, gasping softly as you saw the male who appeared out of nowhere. You nearly jumped to your feet out of the embarrassment of being caught trespassing but he put his hands out to calm you and it was an instantaneous feeling of relief.

"Don't worry," he reassured the girl with the rainbow hair, "I'm here past hours too. We're in the same boat. So there's no reason to fear."

A smile tugged his lips as he looked to you and sat down next to you. You had calmed by then.

"Oh..." you mumbled, a shy smile on your lips. You looked how close he was and scooted closer yourself. Though your heart raced, it felt right. As though he belonged right there.

"What's your name?" you asked, your voice low so neither of you got in trouble.

"My name is Ienzo." His hand moved over, stopping close to the side of your cheek. "May I... May I touch your hair? I have never seen anything like it before. But for some reason, I have dreamed of it many times before."

Hearing the words that should have been strange reaching other's ears, they warmed yours for some reason. Your cheeks and the tips of your ears glow a bright and brilliant red; it was nearly as crimson as the red painted through the strands of your hair. You quickly nodded to him and gave him permission, "You may..."

Ienzo's fingers delicately ran his fingers through your hair and you closed your eyes at the welcoming feeling. It felt like a gentle massage on your scalp. "It's so soft..."

You opened your eyes—his eyes were mesmerized with your hair.

However, looking to his face triggered some familiarity inside your heart. Have you dreamed of him before or have seen him around the castle as he had with you? You did not know but it was though your heart wanted to break free from your ribs and hug his. He felt the same way, and the longing he held for days was coming to a stop.

This was what he needed. What you needed too. What you both had been looking for.

Relief in finding each other, for your hearts belonged to each other.

It was like a spark went off in both your hearts, looking to each other nonstop. After a long pause in the short conversation, your hearts decided before your minds could think properly. Subconsciously the both of you scooted closer and his other hand touched your cheek.

Your lips sealed the deal and he kissed you, hearts melding into one. Your light belonged to him, and his once dark heart belonged to you.

Both your hearts were content... They had what they had been lingering for.