Chapter 1
Music Of The Night
The mission room in the Grey Area of the castle was deserted, the lights were on as usual and outside the gaping windows the little stars of the ever present night twinkled peacefully. Saix walked into the room and looked around purposefully before standing beside one of the windows as if he was waiting for someone. After a while he looked back to the doorway where a rather groggy looking Axel strode in looking as though he'd just woken up.
"Don't exactly appreciate the wake up call Saix," he said rubbing his neck seeing Saix by the window.
"You're late," replied Saix seriously.
"I'll say, since when do you send me out on manoeuvres in the middle of the night? Guy's gotta sleep," said Axel a little annoyed at being woken up.
"You sleep too much as it is," Saix almost laughed turning to look at him.
"You can never sleep too much," smiled Axel light heartedly.
"Are you going to let me tell you about the mission, or are you just going to complain all night?" said Saix serious again.
"Go ahead, but don't be surprised if I don't just nod off over here," replied Axel lazing out on one of the sofas in the room. Saix sighed a little exasperated; he wouldn't even bother with Axel if Axel didn't have such a cold hearted flare for this kind of mission.
"I told you a while ago Xigbar was tracking the movements of a particularly powerful Heartless stalking Twilight Town right?" he began.
"What you mean he found it, what's the problem, can't Xigbar handle it," joked Axel.
"Well we discovered it only truly appears at night, Xigbar has tried numerous times to bring it under control in the day but he says it's like fighting a shadow," replied Saix stretching out his hand then making it look as though he is trying to grab his own shadow to make the point.
"Still wondering what this has to do with me," replied Axel reluctant.
"You know you're the best of us at moving around stealthily in dark places, I want you to go to Twilight Town and get rid of that thing once and for all, you know what Heartless are like when they get too strong, they could become a threat to us and our goal," explained Saix at last. Axel thought for a minute running his fingers through his orange and red hair before standing up.
"Go to Twilight Town, slay a Heartless, come back, I got it. I'm going to want some extra time to sleep after this you know," glared Axel ready to go. Saix nods agreeing before opening a Dark Corridor for him.
"Watch out Heartless here comes Axel!" cried Axel running into the darkness.
"He can be such a flake sometimes," sighed Saix leaving the room.
Axel soon arrived in Twilight Town, it was very dark here when night came, just a couple of lanterns to light the way.
"What a drag," he yawned looking around the square to see if he could find the powerful Heartless. Twilight Town was a big place with lots of little dark corners, a lot of places for a Heartless to hide.
"It's a good thing Heartless are stupid, might as well call them Brainless," he joked to himself continuing his search. He walked all over Twilight Town, even the underground subway catacombs under the town, but he came up with nothing.
"Ok, I'm bored now," he sighed sitting down, he reclined his head upwards looking at the starry sky before closing his eyes a bit.
"Ugh, I'm tired, I could just fall asleep here," he yawned sitting up a bit, "still, if I don't find that Heartless I just know Saix will keep sending me out till I do, oh I might never get to sleep again." Axel then forced himself to stand up again and keep looking, but he just got more and more frustrated.
"Damn you Xigbar," he growled under his breath coming up to the entrance of a dark dead end alleyway just off the main square.
Suddenly Axel heard something and hid in a dark corner in case someone was around. Looking around, the square was clear, but the sound was getting louder.
"Music? Why would someone be playing music at this time of night?" he wondered flicking his hair behind him and going back over to the entrance of that dark alleyway. The music was sweet and soothing, definitely coming from the alleyway, its soft sound and even tempo was almost irresistibly compelling, oddly alluring, curiously Axel ventured in further. The further he went in the louder the music was, he was getting close to the source, only something wasn't right.
"Why am I getting so tired," he thought still following the lovely music. He stood in the middle of the large area of the alleyway behind all the stores and looked around him feeling more and more sleepy.
"Come on Axel, you have a Heartless to kill here," he thought to himself summoning his chakram weapons to try and wake himself up a bit. Then he looked up to the metal railing around the high walls of the alleyway and thought he could see a humanoid outline against the bright moon. The music continued and Axel's chakrams disappeared, he just stood there zombie-like, like he was asleep with his eyes open. Finally the music stopped and the outline he'd seen moved and came down from the walls of the alley standing in the alleyway looking at the frozen Axel.
A woman with long lilac and violet hair appeared out of the gloom, her sharp steely eyes seemed to twinkle in the moonlight as she smiled looking at Axel. Her skin was pale and she wore a tight black garment, strapless the shiny material coated her upper body to her hips like it was painted on, but then as the garment reached her legs it seemed to almost go transparent and flowed like water as she moved. In fact her movements were indeed very fluid, it was almost like she had no internal skeleton at all despite her thin shapely figure and bony fingers on her hands. In one of her hands she held a beautiful crystal flute, it was blue and shimmered like water magically. On her chest her black garment was embellished with a dark heart shaped emblem some of which seemed to seep onto her pale skin. She came up to Axel warily, circling him with interest, still Axel didn't move.
"Hmm, he's a cute one tonight. What a nice looking human, good taste in clothes too," she said running her hands over his coat almost flirtively, she lifted her hand up a little to feel his hair and smiled a little.
"Too bad for you cutie, my spell is obviously getting more powerful, never had one as hot as you caught in my trap before. Pity, still, I bet you'll make just as handsome a Heartless for my collection," she half giggled to herself before moving herself right up to Axel's body.
"Hmm, you're a little taller than I thought," she says almost to herself floating in the air slightly until she's right in line with his face.
"Those are beautiful green eyes you have, shame, like little green gems, if only you could tell I was looking at you, I wonder what you'd say? Well, no point in asking you questions, you won't answer now anyway. Say goodbye to your heart honey," she smiled evilly moving forward and bringing her cold violet lips to his.
Suddenly Axel woke up startled and shoved her off him backing away rubbing his head confused.
"What the…" he said confused looking around.
"Hey what gives?" he hears the girl say and as he looks up he sees her standing up from the floor looking a little angry.
"What do you mean what gives? What the hell were you doing?" shouted Axel.
"The heart!" she suddenly cries looking around as if she'd lost something, "Where did it go, I haven't devoured it yet?" Axel watched her confused before she looked back over to him and realised he was still alive, he hadn't been turned into a Heartless.
"Hey, you're supposed to be a Heartless," she glared at him coming up to him again.
"Heartless? What are you whacked in the head? I'm not a Heartless," he replied before taking a closer look at her body.
"Hey cutie, my eyes are up here," she snapped at him, "what kind of human are you? I did everything right, like I've always done, but this time, no heart?"
"You're a Heartless," realised Axel.
"Duh, that was why I was trying to take your heart there, cough it up I haven't got all night," she glared jumping at him only for Axel to shove her off again.
"Sorry, I haven't got a heart," he glared at her as she stood up again.
"I don't understand, you answered my call? You were just like the others, well except you're much better looking then most of my other victims," she replied annoyed.
"Your call?" wondered Axel before seeing her flute, "That music? That was you?"
"Human's are so easy to make give up their hearts, they hear my call and come right up to me, no chasing, no physical activity, then I just rip their hearts right out of them," she smiled evilly, "no human yet has been able to resist my flute, not even you."
"Except I'm not human," glared Axel.
"That's not a surprise," she sneered bringing her flute to her mouth and blowing a few notes, suddenly all around her little shadow Heartless appeared.
"See, my flute calls Heartless to me too," she smiled evilly and suddenly all the Heartless ran at Axel to attack him. Axel engaged his chakrams quickly slicing through all of the Heartless without a problem.
"You must be the Heartless I was sent to kill," sneered Axel rushing her quickly and seeming to slice right through her. He turned back but she still stood there like nothing had happened.
"What the, did I miss?" he wondered but she only laughed.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" she laughed and Axel got angry, suddenly she was engulfed in fire and Axel tried to slice through her again.
Turning back he could see the flames still encasing her but then suddenly she just leapt into the air and escaped the fire.
"I almost felt that one," she sneered arrogantly.
"This is embarrassing," huffed Axel annoyed.
"Why would you be sent to kill me? You're a Heartless, I'm a Heartless," she looked at him confused.
"I'm not a Heartless I'm a Nobody, that's why you can't steal my heart Heartless, I don't have one," he told her hatefully.
"You, don't have a heart?" she seemed to gasp, "you poor thing."
"It's no big, but that's why I kill Heartless," he replied.
"Jealous much," she scoffed walking away a little.
"Don't be stupid, we do it to collect the hearts you Heartless devour," he snapped.
"Oh, so we are the same," she replied looking back.
"You're just a Heartless, a monster that steals human hearts, we are nothing like you," replied Axel.
"What would you call a being without a heart at all, I'd call that a monster," she huffed going to leave.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To go steal someone else's heart of course, there's no point hanging around you," she replied turning back to him.
She could see him looking her over interested, most of the time Heartless were little creatures, not very strong and they certainly didn't talk.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
"You sure you're a Heartless, I've never seen a Heartless like you before," he said to her coming back over.
"Well, I've never met a Nobody, so I guess we're even. I'll show you how it works if you like," she offered.
"What do you mean?" he asked confused.
"How I collect hearts of course," she replied.
"No thanks, all the same I'd rather not get turned into a zombie again," chuckled Axel.
"Don't be such a stiff, besides, my spell only works once," she replied a little embarrassed.
"Once, you mean that little flute won't effect me again?" he asked.
"Let me show you how it works, I guess because I take their hearts immediately there's no reason for the spell to work on the same victim twice," she replied and Axel nodded agreeing.
"Good, I'm Allune," she told him flicking her hair.
"I'm Axel, got it memorised," he replied in his confident swagger.
Allune took Axel back into the square where they hid behind some crates, Allune watched for someone to pass by and finally saw a milkman making his rounds.
"He'll do I guess, after you this is a little disappointing," she sighed taking her flute to her lips. She started to play and Axel watched amazed as the milkman heard the sound almost immediately. He stood there for a few moments before turning and walking over to the crates, he seemed completely mesmerised by the music.
"Gee I hope I didn't look that dopey," thought Axel watching Allune coming out of their hiding place still playing. The milkman stopped just in front of her and Allune stopped playing, Axel watched as the man didn't move as Allune ran her hands over his body much like she'd done to Axel.
"Hmm, this one's strong," she smiled kissing the man on the lips like before. Her emblem started to spark and the man's skin turned black, as she let go the man's heart flew out of his body only for Allune to catch it and bring it into her body. The man fall to the floor and his body changed shape into the form of a little Shadow Heartless which then scampered away frightened.
"See, nothing to it," she said turning back to Axel as he came out of his hiding place.
"I guess not," he said a little amazed.
"Well, go on, show me how you collect hearts then?" she asked him and Axel looked a little surprised, he of course couldn't collect hearts, the Organisation hadn't quite figured that part out yet.
"Wait, so you were sent to kill me, and you wouldn't have been able to take all the hearts I have stored in my body? What kind of dunderhead plan is that?" she cried realising Axel's problem.
"Hey you Heartless are dangerous, if you get too powerful we wouldn't be able to take your hearts even if we did ever figure out how," he replied defensive.
"Only, you can't hurt me," she glared at him.
"Why would you say that, it's been fun Heartless but if I don't kill you I'm going to be stuck on this graveyard shift for the rest of my life, and I need sleep!" yelled Axel, Allune laughed then and walked away from him a little.
"Well Axel, this night's pretty much over and I don't do so well in the sun. So long cutie, I'm sure we'll meet again," she smiled flirtively at him disappearing.
"Oh great, how am I ever going to explain this to Saix? Hey Saix I had a great night, first I get entranced by a Heartless and then I lose it before I even have a chance to kill it. Nah, why tell him anything, I'll just say I didn't find it, I better get out of here, maybe I can catch some sleep after all," sighed Axel opening a Dark Corridor and disappearing back to the castle. Up on a rooftop Allune had watched him leave, her flute was glowing beside her and she smiled somewhat dreamily.
"Oh yes Axel, we'll meet again," she smiled disappearing as the sun began to rise.