It had been a slow day in the Castle That Never Was. The two newest members, Number XV, Rixsyn the Psychic Warrior, and Number XVI, Nexas the Archer of Destiny, had not been assigned any missions since the demise of many of the members of Organization XIII. This had left them to entertain themselves somehow. Practicing until they could go through their moves in their sleep had increased their abilities, but now it only added to their boredom. Nexas had taken up gambling from Luxord, but the Gambler of Fate was away on a mission, so she had no gambling partner.
"I'm bored. You wanna head to Twilight Town or something?" Rixsyn broke the silence from where he was laying upside down in an armchair. Nexas looked up at him from her spot on the couch. "So, you wanna go? I could go for some sea-salt ice cream?"
"Sure. Sea-salt ice cream sound good." She slung her legs off the couch and stood up. Rixsyn got up too.
"My treat." He said as Nexas opened a corridor of darkness.
"Alright." Nexas nodded as she stepped through the corridor to Twilight Town. Rixsyn followed behind her.
"After you." He motioned up the alley. Nexas then led the way to the ice cream shop. As they walked away with their ice creams, Nexas spied a poster.
"Hey, that Struggle competition is happening. Wanna watch it while eat our ice cream?" Nexas asked her companion.
"Actually, I have a better idea." Rixsyn said as he reached into his pocket. Nexas raised an eyebrow. Rixsyn pulled out two pieces of rolled up paper. "Here." He handed one over to her.
"What is it?" She blinked.
"Entrance forms." Rixsyn said. Nexas broke out in a maniacal grin.
"Ice cream and ass whooping? This is awesome!" She did a fist pump. "Let's go get into some clothes like they wear here!"
"I'll pass." Rixsyn raised his hood. "This is my identity. The Robed Fighter."
"Fine." She rolled her eyes as she went to go find some acceptable clothes.
"Remember, you gotta pay for those!" Rixsyn shouted after her. She went to one of the nearby clothing shops. After browsing the clothes for a few minutes, she settled on a pair of jeans, a dark green sleeveless shirt, and a long, black, sleeveless coat. She decided to keep her Organization boots for their practical purpose. She returned to her friend.
"Before you ask, yes, I did pay for them." She said.
"You sure? Cause I don't want to face the cops as well as the kids of this town. That may actually prove a challenge." Rixsyn said. Nexas leveled an unimpressed glare at the other Nobody as she raised a nearly empty munni pouch.
"Remember that this was full from learning to gamble with Luxord?" She deadpanned.
"Alright. Alright." Rixsyn held up his hands in surrender. "You didn't steal them. Come on." As he walked towards the sandlot where the competition was taking place, he ate his ice cream. Nexas followed him and ate her ice cream as well. She suddenly froze in the middle of the street.
"Hey, uh, Rixsyn…" Nexas began uncertainly. Rixsyn stopped and looked up, thinking that she was seeing the blonde Nobody child standing on the roof.
"Oh gods, what is she doing here?" Rixsyn muttered.
"I'm not talking about her." She then pointed towards the stage. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but… isn't that Number XIII?" Rixsyn raised his hood slightly.
"Roxas?" He looked at where she was pointing. "Gods! It is him!"
"This is so cool! I wonder we'll fight him?" Nexas bounced up and down in excitement. Rixsyn tapped her on her shoulder.
"Look up there! Is that who I think it is?" She stopped bouncing at his words. "Isn't that Axel up on that building?" She looked up and did a double take.
"Axel! What's he doing here?" Nexas blinked. Rixsyn looked around.
"Something's not right here." He said lowly.
"I'll go ask Axel." She quickly opened a corridor of darkness and stepped through it.
"Wait!" Rixsyn called after her. He sighed. "Too late. Oh well. Better go get ready at least." He went to go turn in the entrance forms and gather their equipment.
"Hey Axel! What are you doing here?" Nexas stepped out of the corridor beside the older Nobody.
"I could ask you the same thing, Nexas." Axel turned to look at her. "You're not in uniform."
"Duh. Me and Rix are here to compete in the Struggle. Thought it'd be a good way to get rid of boredom." She grinned. "Rix decided that he'd stay in his robe. I changed."
"It suits you." Axel shrugged.
"I saw Roxas here. Does that have to do with why you're here?" Nexas asked.
"Yeah. I've got orders to bring him back, willing or not." Axel sighed. "I've heard he doesn't remember anything. I hope that's not true. Good luck on the Struggle. I'll be watching."
"Thanks Axel." She grinned. "I've got to get down there. It's about to begin after all." She opened a corridor of darkness and stepped through it. She stepped out beside Rixsyn. "He's here for Roxas."
"Watching, I guess?" Rixsyn said.
"No. Bringing him back to the Organization." Nexas said.
"He won't succeed." Rixsyn said. Nexas closed her eyes, looking at the Threads of Destiny. Several different threads emanated from this one time.
"Who's to say? I see multiple Threads of Destiny coming from this event. Which is to be the True One, I cannot see." She opened her eyes. "Anyways, let's go enter the competition!"
"I've seen Roxas fight. If he doesn't want to return, not even Axel could bring him in." Rxisyn looked down at his card. "I'm first against someone named Hayner."
"Seifer Almasy." Nexas looked at her card.
"I've heard of him. He keeps his left side open." Rixsyn nodded.
"Thanks. I overheard that kid in the Dogstreet jersey and Roxas talking. Apparently the Hayner kid has an angry fighting style and you just have to hit him hard and avoid his attacks." Nexas slapped him on the back. "Good luck! I'm after your match.
"Thanks." He said as he pulled the hood down from where he had pulled it up. He pulled out the bat as he took his place on the stage. "Here we go."
"GO RIXSYN!" Nexas cheered and clapped.
"May the best fighter win, Ser Hayner." Rixsyn bowed.
"I intend to." He yelled as he charged Rixsyn to strike him. Rixsyn dodged, the bat barely missing him. Rixsyn hits him with the bat. "Lucky shot." Hayner runs towards him again. Rixsyn does the same, but at the last minute, slides on his knees under his bat. He spins as he hits him three times and orbs fly everywhere.
"How may I help you, uh, what's your name?" Nexas spins around at the tap on her shoulder.
"Names Seifer. You're new here. I'm telling you right now, if you cause trouble in my town, you'll have to deal with me and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee." The speaker was a boy with a scar on his face.
"I don't plan to. I wish you the best of luck in your match." Nexas said.
"And the winner by collection is Rixsyn!" The announcer shouted.
"YAY RIXSYN!" I cheered loudly. Rixsyn left the stage and walked to where Nexas was standing with Seifer.
"Greetings my lord. Can I help you?" Rixsyn said as soon as he noticed Seifer.
"Don't mind him. Wish me luck on my match!" Nexas bounded up towards the stage.
"This should be interesting." Rixsyn muttered as Seifer walked up to the stage. Nexas grinned as she felt Axel eyeing her from his perch on the building. Time to show off what she can now do since Axel last saw her. She twirled the blue and yellow bat.
"Hello, Mr. Disciplinary Committee. Ready to fight? Name's Nexas. Let's have a good fight!" She blocked the first swing with her bat and countered, knocking orbs everywhere. "Not bad." She flipped backwards to avoid his bash.
"Not bad yourself." Seifer does an aerial combo. She blocked and dodged. She then slid behind him and did a three hit combo, sending orbs everywhere.
"You are good. However, I'm better." Nexas did a three hit aerial combo. Orbs flew everywhere and she collected them.
"The winner by orb collection is Nexas!" The announcer shouted.
"That's my girl!" Rixsyn shout. A sudden feeling of wrongness came over him. "Oh dear." Nexas jumped off the stage after helping Seifer up. She landed next to Rixsyn.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I don't know. Something's not right. Can you feel it?" He asked. Nexas grabbed her head as a searing pain shot through it. She wasn't looking at the sandlot any more. She was looking as the Threads of Destiny.
"The Threads of Fate… say… something Wicked is coming…" Nexas gasped out.
"Hey, you okay?" Rixsyn looked worried. He glanced up to see Axel looking worriedly down at Nexas. Rixsyn grabbed her shoulder and led her to a corner. "This way." He sat her down on the floor. "What do you see?" Nexas closed her eyes.
"The opponent of Roxas…" She followed the current Thread. Her eyes snapped open. "IS A DUSK! The Data Man will come at the end of Roxas's Match! We have to be there! We need to help Axel when the Data Man comes!"
"Wait here." Rixsyn looked towards the ring. "I see the dusk. It hasn't changed yet. Wait. No. New plan. Go distract Axel."
"Why distract Axel?" Nexas blinked.
"Just trust me. I have a plan." Rixsyn said.
"Okay." Nexas runs after Axel. "HEY AXEL!" Rixsyn runs to the ring.
"TAG!" He shouted as he renders Roxas unconscious and beats Vivi.
"What did you think of mine and Rixsyn's matches?" Nexas asked when she reached Axel. Rixsyn grabs Roxas.
"Forgive me Axel." Rixsyn points his hand at Axel. "FREEZE!" A ball of ice shoots from his hand and towards Axel, freezing him solid."
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF KINGDOM HEARTS ARE YOU DOING, RIXSYN!" Nexas shouts at her friend. "AXEL IS GONNA KILL US WHEN HE UNFREEZES!"
"Just come on! He'll thaw soon!" Rixsyn opened a corridor of darkness. "Just some on! I know what I'm doing!" He jumps into it with Roxas's unconscious body.
"If you get me killed, I'm siccing Luxord on you." Nexas muttered under her breath as she jumps through the corridor. The corridor led to a forest. Rixsyn looked around.
"Okay, nearly there." Rixsyn said.
"Axel is gonna burn us to a crisp. Not eve Demyx with his water powers can save us. This is the end of our non-existance." Nexas mumbled.
"Will you calm down? Axel isn't going to do anything to us." Rixsyn sighed. Nexas jumped a mile into the air when a black cloaked man appears before us. "Ah, there you are. Took you long enough. Should you make the introduction, or should I?"
"Rixsyn, who is this?" Nexas asked annoyed.
"This my dear, is none other than-" Rixsyn was cut off by the man raising his hand.
"Not here. Follow me." The man turns and begins to walk towards a clearing.
"After you, dear." Rixsyn motioned. Nexas pinches the bridge of her nose.
"Fine. Fine." She sighed and followed the mysterious man.
"Trust me. He's an old friend." Rixsyn said.
"Fine. Just know, I'm gonna disappear with Luxord so I can have fun gambling before facing Axel again." Nexas bit out.
"I'd rather you not, but I can't stop you." Rixsyn sighed.
"Hey. Luxord promised me gambling in Port Royal after last Poker Night. I'm taking advantage of that." Nexas said.
"Fine, you know how to call me if you need me." Rixsyn turned to follow the man. "Be careful."
"Hey! I'm finishing this Hairbrained-Kidnap-Roxas scheme!" She shouts after Rixsyn as she follows him.
"It's not hairbrained!" Rixsyn shouts back.
"You kept me in the dark the entire time! What else am I supposed to think!" She returns.
"If I told you what I was planning, would you have come?" Rixsyn asked.
"Maybe!" Nexas shouts.
"Really?" Rixsyn blinks.
"Seriously! Do you realize what you may have done! You could have screwed up ALL the Threads of Fate! I could have found the Thread that corresponds with this and it could have been better planned!" She hisses.
"Look further down this one." Rixsyn laughs. "What do you see?"
"Oh shit! You have changed Axel's fate to a worse one!" Nexas said after she closed her eyes. She stared in horror at Axel's Threads, or rather the lone remaining one.
"Axel won't get hurt. At least, not yet. Xemnas will come after me." Rixsyn said.
"All but one of his Threads have been severed! The one remaining was not his True One!" Nexas was really scared for Axel.
"I told you Axel would never capture Roxas." Rixsyn said.
"Axel, instead of choosing his end, will be killed by the Data Man. He will be made a pawn of his, unless something is done." Nexas said as she opened her eyes.
"Then, is he still frozen?" Rixsyn asked a little nervously. Nexas opened a corridor of darkness.
"I'm going to change his fate. I will tell you when I return." She said.
"Be careful." Rixsy said.
"The Tides of Destiny are strange now. The Thread of Fate of the World has changed. I know not what will happen." She said before stepping through the corridor.
"Call me if you need me." He called after her. Rixsyn followed the man. "Take him." He gives Roxas to him. "Don't do anything yet. I have to go get her." Rixsyn opened his own corridor, but when he arrived, no trace of neither Axel nor Nexas could be found. They had vanished. "Well, this is a problem." He said as he looked around.