Bystander
By Tyger
So.
To take it from the top, what had happened, more or less, is a keyblade weilder had managed to bust his way through hordes of heartless, and those that govern them, and close the door to Kingdom Hearts, thus, well. Stripping hell of a lot of power from the heartless overall, and restoring all the worlds they'd eaten to their original states.
It's that last bit that has everyone so - well. Excited, not really the right word. Intrigued, perhaps.
The meeting, as such, had been over hours ago, but most of them are still there. Not X, it's his turn for patrolling, and not XII, too; she's the newest, and so has more chores than anyone else. Not IX, either; he'd been put in charge of caring for whatever it was that the Superior had brought back a week or so ago, and was being unusually closed-mouthed about. Perhaps it will become a new comrade, perhaps not. Surviving IX's 'mothering' is only the first step.
The discussion - only really understood by the Elders, despite what the rest of them have picked up over the years - is growing increasingly technical, and Axel finds no interest in it.
"...due to the unprecedented power of Kingdom Hearts," the Superior is saying, as he slips out. He's always learnt better by example.
.
He's not sure of where he's going, which makes it harder than usual. Well, that's not true. He knows more or less where he's going; he'd been found on the next world over, before it, too, had fallen, but that was a very long time ago. Years, now.
But he knows it's there, somewhere - the darkness itself has changed, grown thinner, more dense. Compacted. Concentrated Darkness, will remove even the most stubborn of hearts in one wash - guaranteed, he thinks, and his lips pull away from his teeth in a mockery of a smile. It doesn't matter, that it doesn't even look human - not even nobody is here to see it.
Well now, he thinks, as he steps back into reality, it really is true.
Intellectually, he'd never doubted it - what reason would there be to lie about something like this, that can be so easily checked upon? - but it's still something you have to see to. Accept, perhaps.
An entire world, brought back from the dark. Most - not all, but most - of the inhabitants restored to their natural forms. He can almost recall what it was like to feel hope.
He walks across the roof of the church, and looks down at streets he remembers, but does not recognise. The people - the somebodies - are so. Confused, and hurt and, well. Even when he'd had them, he hadn't been good at reading other people's emotions.
They seem to be a mixture of happy and sad, though - an old woman, sitting on a fence and silently weeping, families embracing, a young man, running, shouting, have you seen him? Have you seen my brother?
Axel feels Nothing like never before.
He leaves the Corridor open behind him.
The heartless are voracious as ever.