Blue Corn Moon

A/N: Seeing that Kingdom Hearts 3 is determined to come out in 2028, I decided to fill that time in with this fic to go alongside the other forty billion KH fics online. Hopefully, this one is a-okay.

This specific story chronicles the development of Saix. It won't be a long affair, probably about 4 chapters. It's still in progress, so your feedback is encouraged and is still very useful.

Thanks for clicking, and I hope you enjoy.

"It'll never work, man."

"I tell ya, Isa. You've got to have faith."

"Last time I had faith, you had us thrown out on our butts. What makes this any different?"

"This time, I have it all planned out. We go in through the sewers…"

"The sewers, huh?" Isa raised an eyebrow as Lea rambled about his plans, this one in particular already sounding quite familiar, as they walked down the moonlit streets of Radiant Garden.

"Yeah. Get it memorized, okay?" Lea continued to move his hands with an alacrity he only possessed when embarking on those slippery slopes he called ideas. "We find ourselves in the basement…"

"The basement?"

"Can I even finish a sentence without you questioning my plans?"

"Of course. You surely know what you're talking about."

"What? You have a better idea?" Lea stopped walking and crossed his arms, smirking with a burning pride only he could have.

"Last time we tried, we were just below the age restriction. That, and our resumes were pretty bad. But think about it," Isa leaned against the side of the closed ice cream shop. "I have my job at the store…"

Lea scoffed and said, "I forgot. Selling jewelry with some Moogles is pretty top notch. My bad."

Isa ignored his friend and continued. "…that tutor's been paying off for me, you have that maintenance job…"

"In the sewers, which is why we should go through…"

"…we're old enough and I like to think we're educated enough. Isn't that right, Lea?"

"Man, what's your phobia of fun all about?"

Isa looked at Lea blankly, half-expecting something as ludicrous as that to come from Lea's mouth, yet half-surprised as well. Lea never lost that shock value. "Fun?"

"Yeah. You're a Debbie Downer. Negative Nancy. Party Pooper."

Isa crossed one arm around his chest, the other's elbow resting upon it, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "So what you're telling me is that your idea of a good time is wading through raw sewage…"

Lea made sure to interject, his cocksure grin shining. "Kept clean by our city's wonderful purifiers!" He stepped closer and whispered, "Which I keep in pretty good condition, mind you."

Isa smiled to satisfy his wisecracking friend. "Yes. Of course." He continued his deduction. "So we go through the clean sewers, sneak into a basement, the location of which we don't even know and…"

"We get caught." Lea said frankly.

"Excuse me?" This was a little detail Lea failed to mention in his other descriptions of the plan.

"Make ourselves known. We show off our skills and they hire us replace those two jerks at the door." He mimicked a chef praising his work, placing a kiss in his hand and throwing it, before asking, "Got it memorized?"

"Unfortunately," Isa answered quickly before adding, "So let me get this straight. My plan, the legal one…"

"Boring."

"…ends up with us being interns or custodians, at the least."

"Boring."

"Your plan, the disastrously bad one…"

"Hey!"

"…ends with us in prison..."

"That's probably only 35% true!"

"…and we smell terrible in the end."

"Purifiers!"

"Your plan still stinks."

"Look. I'm just trying to have a little fun here, Isa." Lea wrapped his arm around his blue-haired friend. "A little adventure here and there doesn't hurt." He then released Isa and looked up at the towering castle they so desperately wanted to get into. "Sides, any chance to get in there, see what's happens in there and to finally show off what I can do…" He looked to Isa with a rare dose of gravity. "I think is a chance worth taking, don't ya think?" Lea proceeded to slap Isa on the back and laugh. "Why not do it in style?"

Isa smirked at his friend's enthusiasm. "Whatever. I just want to finally meet Ansem. I've heard so mu…" He stopped in midsentence as the sky darkened. The clouds had begun to obscure the moon from sight. "Huh. That's…that's odd."

Lea looked up along with Isa, not as perturbed as his friend. "What? Ever hear of partly cloudy, man?"

"There was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, clear skies for viewing." Lea looked back at Isa blankly. "I've told this to you, like, a dozen times."

"And I've told you my sewer plans, like, a dozen times, so now we're even."

Isa remained serious and looked back up at the absent moon. "Something feels…weird." And with that, there was a clap of thunder and rain began to fall heavily.

"What?! Rain? Now? I thought it was supposed to be clear skies tonight."

A drenched Isa turned to his friend with an arched eyebrow, to which Lea retorted, "What? I saved you telling me a thirteenth time. You should be thanking me." He laughed before punching Isa in the arm and ran for dry land around the corner of the next street.

Isa rolled his eyes as he walked past people retreating into their homes and stores and looked around the corner, only to see Lea finishing the process of opening a manhole. Lea looked up, gave Isa a toothy grin and hopped in the dark abyss. Isa ran up to the hole and looked down, unable to see Lea, shaking his head.

You continue to impress me, Lea. Almost shocked me that time. He did a quick double-take to see if anyone was watching. Most people were sane enough to have gone inside.

The blue-haired youth then took one last look at the clouds that had obscured the moon, which seemed blacker and thicker than before. A bright orange glow from the tunnels below drew his attention from the ominous spectacle. He promptly jumped in, uneasily unaware of what was happening and what was going to happen.

Saix watched sternly as Roxas left the room to embark on his assigned mission. He returned to what he was doing before Roxas had arrived. Looking out the window, Saix's gaze was fixed on Kingdom Hearts. Its bright sheen was almost hypnotizing, its size breath-taking, its potential limitless.

"Saix?"

He turned to face the Superior. Once he did so, it occurred to Saix that everyone else had already left for their missions. "Yes, Xemnas?"

"Cancel your mission for today. I have a task of greater significance for you to complete."

Saix was startled, as he asked, "My mission in Traverse Town?"

"For another time," said Xemnas, "I have…a new world for you to visit."

"New world?"

"Vexen located it before he joined the others at Castle Oblivion. It has something…desirable to us, to say the least."

Saix raised his eyebrow.

"A possible princess of heart."

Saix tensed when the Superior said this, his skin growing cold. "Weren't there only seven?"

Xemnas continued to explain the way one would to a confused child. "Maleficent needed seven. If there were only seven princesses of light in the World, all worlds would be enveloped in darkness."

Saix nodded, rubbing his chin as began to understand what Xemnas had meant. "What you're proposing is I go to this 'new world' and take this princess…"

"…to attract Heartless, yes. That would make No. 13's job much easier, and the fulfillment of Kingdom Hearts much faster. Wouldn't you agree, Saix?"

When Xemnas mentioned Kingdom Hearts' completion, Saix grew numb. "Tell me where the world is and I'll have the task done."

Xemnas bore the rare smile as the two turned to the window to observe Kingdom Hearts' progress. "Before you agree to anything, there are some conditions you must agree on first."

Saix didn't bother to turn around as he faintly asked, "Conditions?"

The Superior's gaze also remained fixed on Kingdom Hearts. "You will not be working alone on this mission."

"Understandably so. But with whom?" Saix glanced at the empty lounge area before turning back to face Kingdom Hearts. "Hasn't everyone embarked on their tasks for the day?"

"All except one." With that, footsteps from behind drew closer and closer. Saix was the only one of the two at the window who had turned around.

"Don't I have the best timing?"

"Xigbar." Saix blandly addressed the Organization's one-eyed Freeshooter.

"Ah, the lunar loon." He gave Saix a nod and asked Xemnas in a loud whisper, "He's the one who has the tantrums at night, right? I lose track of this stuff." Xemnas responded with his usual blank stare, to which Xigbar responded with a change in subject. "We're heading out or what?"

"In time, Xigbar." Xemnas gave Saix eye contact, solely addressing him. "Your performance lately has been…disappointing."

Saix was taken aback by the statement and cocked his head in confusion. "Xemnas?"

Xigbar grinned as he observed this. "C'mon, bossman. Take it easy. You're crushing the poor guy's heart." Realizing the fallacy in what he just said, he added, "Oops. My bad."

Xemnas shot Xigbar a bland stare which, though it bore no actual emotion, signified dangerous consequences. Xigbar had received the message and turned to open the pathway to this new world.

Saix took this opportunity to ask, "What have I done wrong, Xemnas? I've done my assigned missions, I've taught the boy what he needs to know, I've sent Axel to dispose of the traitors..." He did not raise his voice, as to him, these were just facts that needed to be said.

"Yes, and I commend you for that. However, as you know, the Organization will be going through some demanding times in this next year. You'll be taking up a larger role in the Organization." Xemnas began to walk away as he spoke. "You need to be better equipped for the times to come."

Saix, puzzled as ever, asked after Xemnas, "Equipped?" Alas, it was too late, as Xemnas had left the room.

"Don't waste your breath, kid," Xigbar chuckled as Saix turned to face his partner. "He speaks in riddles, we answer in results. That's just how it is." He motioned to the portal. "Well? I'm not getting any younger. Let's go!"

When Xigbar walked into the dark pathway he had created, Saix followed behind, his ego bruised.

Saix sat in the makeshift tent he had set up, deep in his own thoughts. I'm privy to how the missions are given out. I even organize them to fit everyone's skill set as to make sure we remain thirteen. I handle my own missions without error. I'm the one most dedicated to completing Kingdom Hearts. What have I not done? He was mainly frustrated with himself, as until now, he was unaware that he had so many failings.

The scary thought of Demyx surpassing Saix's skill came into his mind and was fortunately dashed when Xigbar jumped from the trees above, something strapped to his back. "Welp, that's recon done."

Saix walked from under the tarp into the moonlight partly obscured by the tall trees in the area they camped in. "What did you find out?"

Instead of answering Saix's question, Xigbar looked around with an exaggerated expression of disgust. "What? No fire? This place is dark, freezing and full of things to cook. Why is there no fire?"

Peeved at Xigbar's ignorance, Saix replied, "We want to stay incognito if we're going to get anything done. The smoke of the fire might attract unwanted visitors."

Xigbar laughed Saix's comment off. "We don't have to worry about that. There are a bunch of hunting camps spread out around here with fires burning. One more wouldn't hurt." He sat down on one of the logs Saix set out as seats, sighing with relaxation and relief.

Saix sat down on the log parallel to Xigbar's. "Really? Anything else of significance?"

"These guys aren't cut from the same cloth. There're two huge settlements, one a few miles in that direction, the other a few miles that way." Xigbar smirked, as if amused, "And something tells me they don't like each other very much."

Saix arched an eyebrow in interest. "How so?"

"You climb up high enough, you'll see there's a strict border separating these two groups, a line that's never crossed. You got hunting camps equipped with bows-and-arrows on one side, the side we seem to be camped on, and then you have camps equipped with these on the other." Xigbar pulled the item he had strapped to his back into sight and threw it to Saix.

Saix caught the object and analyzed it. "This is of a similar make of the weapons in Port Royal."

"Meaning they're terribly inaccurate and won't be an issue for us. Of course, that depends on if they shoot…" Xigbar summoned one of his dual guns and, faster than Saix could blink, shot a rabbit passing by. "…between the eyes." He proceeded to get up, kick some twigs together and shoot them to start a fire.

Xigbar then went to pick up his prey by the ears as Saix looked on with vague concern. "I wish you had a silencer for those things. Have you ever considered Xaldin making you one?"

The shady shooter looked back with an amused look in his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head as he returned to his seat. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Saix, slightly offended, looked back with disgust. "I suppose I don't."

Xigbar removed one of his ammunition packs to skin the rabbit, using the sharp edges to his advantage. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You're supposed to be angry, peeved, ruffled! What you should've said is, 'Hey, cyclops! Are you trying to get us captured?'"

Saix smirked, which was almost as rare as a smile from Xemnas. "Maybe I should reserve my anger for the hunters you just attracted to our camp, and not on fools with loud blasters."

Xigbar chortled as he skinned the rabbit. "You're one of the clever ones. You know how to separate yourself from those pesky things—emotions, feelings, passions of the heart, whatever you prefer to call them."

Confused, Saix said, "Well, I don't have any to begin with."

"That's the thing. You're honest." Xigbar paused as he took another go with the ammunition pack turned hunting knife. "Yet, you're not really honest, though, are ya?"

Saix laughed humorlessly. "And Xemnas is the one who speaks in riddles?"

Xigbar looked up at Saix, partly entertained by Saix's snarking yet partly annoyed as well. "You know how to be detached from all the other remnants of your emotions and you know how to keep your anger in when it counts. I've seen you in action before. Your tantrums work pretty well."

"I prefer you not to call them…"

"But you hold back when it counts." Xigbar shrugged. "Not that I think that's an issue with you. You just haven't found a chance to let loose, get crazy and all that jazz."

Saix nodded, understanding completely, "I see."

Xigbar placed the rabbit's body aside, confessing, "I was actually supposed to let you find out on your own and all that corny nonsense but this place, aside from what I told, seems pretty dull…" An arrow shot past Xigbar's head, landing in the tree just behind him, leading him to mutter, "To think I was sitting on some wood to knock." He then turned to Saix. "Looks like we got those visitors you were expecting. Let's spread out, confuse them. I go in that direction, you in that one."

Saix answered dryly, "From where they're shooting the arrows? How considerate of you."

Another arrow went by them, this time almost grazing Saix's face. "I know. Christmas hath come early. Now move!" As more arrows began to land in their direction, Xigbar hopped up to the trees where he'd be adept as a sniper. Saix threw the musket Xigbar had passed him onto the ground and retreated into the bushes, but didn't go too far from the camp. He wanted to see for himself who the attackers were. To answer his call, about half a dozen men armed with axes and arrows wearing Earth-colored clothes rushed through the camp and took a look around the area.

"They've gotten away!" One man, donning some sort of war paint, had remarked.

A leaner man bent down and picked up the musket Xigbar had retrieved. "And left this."

A well-built man with a thick line of black hair on his scalp replied, "Allies of the other white men, no doubt." He shook his head, before adding, "We move on."

"But Kocoum, that's their land…"

"Land they have no right to!" Kocoum raised his voice, enraged by his comrade's comments. "They don't get to draw lines, say who lives where. And if they choose to cross those lines, like this…" He gestured to Saix and Xigbar's camp. "…then why shouldn't we?"

The rest of his crew responded with silence.

Kocoum took that as a unanimous agreement. "Then we move on." The men continued to run off to where Xigbar indicated the other camps were.

We've been in this world for about an hour and we've already seemed to have meddled far more than we should've, Saix thought in regret as he walked towards where Kocoum and his allies had run from. If that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'm unsure.

Saix continued to walk, losing track of time. Dawn was about to break, and he had not found any of the camps Xigbar had spoken of. If he had given me more specific directions, maybe I wouldn't be...

"Thank you, Grandmother."

What was that? Saix abruptly stopped in his tracks and ventured into the bushes. He sensed a strong light very close to where the voice was coming from.

Saix ventured through the bushes, entering into a sort of swampy area, where he saw a lean girl, perhaps in her teenage years, walking away from a large grey tree.