Kingdom Hearts: Broken Balance
Me: Eheheh... new story! This one's more serious though, and less YAOI directed...
Mayu: ... shocker there.
Me: Shut up. Its hilarious
Mayu: ... no, the shock is that you're actually trying to be serious for once.
Me: ANYWAYS ((glares at mayu)) new story, summary below if you didnt read it, yadayada...
Three years after the War with Organization XIII, the said Organization has returned, with an even more powerful goal. Three hearts are filled with an unusual type of darkness, allowing them to be engulfed in darkness, but keep their hearts. Now it's up to Sora to scour the worlds, and find the three Keyblades, the keys to discovering the hearts and unlocking the light within them.
Chapter 1 – Bright Lights
"Number eight."
"Number eight!" An irritated and silkily deep voice snapped. The fiery redhead in question sat bolt upright, his head spinning from the sudden position change. He looked around dizzily, and was vaguely aware of the tall shadow hovering above him.
A drop of cold liquid flicked his eyelid, and he blinked irritably. Another few droplets on his face indicated it was raining, and he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Stand up," The voice commanded, not harshly, but with enough authority in it for him to comply.
He shakily pushed himself into an upright position, as his viridian eyes clearing. He looked forward at the man who addressed him as Number Eight, and his breath caught in his throat. His mind slowly registered the silver hair and darkly tanned skin, and the sharp golden orange eyes glaring at him.
"…Xemnas?" The redhead asked, unable to keep the shake from his voice. He felt as though he'd just woken up from an age old sleep, or a coma to say. His body felt as though it was bruised everywhere.
The tall man nodded slowly. "You are lucky enough to have been granted a second chance by Kingdom Hearts…"
The redhead paid no attention to his former superior, his brow furrowed in deep thought as he struggled to remember himself. He felt a small weight in the pocket of the black trench coat that adorned him, and he dug his gloved hand in, to pull out a metallic object.
He looked at it curiously. It was a keychain of some sort, and the object seemed to be a spiked wheel. It tugged at something deep in his mind, and his eyes widened in realization. This object was a miniature version of…
The chakram he wielded began to spin and rotate around his body, moving so fast they were a blur of orange and red fire, a blaze that built so strong around him he could feel the heat. But still he did not cease, the chakram continuing to spout flame. A wave of power crest up inside of him until finally, it exploded so loudly and brightly that sight and sound ceased and everything went dark. A gigantic torrent of flame obliterated the Nobody horde in an instant.
He barely felt his body as it collapsed to the ground, the emptiness gnawing at him and disintegrating his form from the inside. It was amazing how much it hurt, as if someone was carving him up piece by piece. Pinpricks of pain on every inch of his body. He barely registered, through the wracking of pain, that Sora had made a comment. It didn't seem so important.
He groaned and forced his eyes open, noticing a great weight had settled on the lids. Black smoke was rising from his body into the air, dispersing into nothing. Kind of like he was nothing. It was a strange feeling, dying. Very painful, and yet also nothing at all.
"You're... fading away..." The words washed over him. He shifted his gaze over, finding Sora near to him, looking troubled and very concerned. It was endearing.
Axel managed a light chuckle, though he could barely move any other part of his body. "Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack. You know what I mean? Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings... right?" Another laugh escaped his mouth but it came out strained and rushed. "Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot... Sorry for what I did to her."
Sora shook his head, brown spikes dancing back and forth with his blue eyes shining. There was emotion there, but reflections of it. Almost as if he were looking at two different people. "When you find her, you can tell her that yourself."
He looked away. "Think I'll pass. My heart just wouldn't be in, you know? Haven't got one." Axel laughed weakly, wincing when the effort made the pain worse. His hands clenched lightly against the ground, strangely smooth and solid for the almost ephemeral look to it. He idly wondered if he would see Roxas beyond his death' or if even something which was nothing could die'. Perhaps he really would just fade away.
"Axel, what were you trying to do?" questioned Sora.
Something jumped inside of him when he was asked that. Reminding him instantly of what he had lost and how badly he had failed. "I wanted to see Roxas. He... was the only one I liked... He made me feel... like I had a heart." Axel paused as another wave of agony shot through him. "It's kind of... funny," he continued, shifting his gaze to look over at Sora. And for a moment, he swore he saw Roxas looking down at him, all ocean-blue eyes and blond hair. It made his heart, the one that he didn't have, literally leap in his chest.
"You make me feel... the same," he finished, swallowing down something that tasted like regret. It hurt, admitting that he had done far too little, far too late. There was nothing to save Roxas now and he would never see him again. Sadness swelled inside of him, strange considering he had no emotions. He sighed, pushing them down before he lost it and called up what little bit of power he had left. It would probably finish him off but it was worth it.
"Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go!" He left no room for argument, raising a hand and summoning up a portal. But that was the last he had inside. He dimly felt a furious rise of pain before... there was…
Nothing at all… All the memories that made Axel came rushing back in an instant, nothing forgotten.
He looked up at the powerful nobody in amazement and curiosity, who simply smirked. A knowing look sparkled in his orange eyes.
"You remember everything. Then the plan is in motion…" He said quietly. Axel cocked his head.
"What plan? Last time I checked, there's been a keyblader whose kicked all of our asses," Axel snapped.
"I know, Axel," Xemnas frowned. His gaze was so piercing that Axel looked away, instead glaring at a dull grey wall, lit up dimly by the pale street lights. "I also know of your assistance in the entire preparation,"
The fire-starter's eyes flicked back to the superior, a feeling of fleeting shock passing over his mind. "How did you kno—."
"I know," Xemnas interrupted. "Remember this as a forewarning… Darkness can be controlled. It can be used for purposes that I shall not grace you with… but I will always know when you use the darkness for your own intentions,"
A moment of silence swept between them, then Axel nodded, his surprisingly dry spikes rustling slightly. A hole of swirling darkness that Axel recognised as a portal materialized behind Xemnas, who turned to face it.
"Return to the castle… I have a notion to discuss with the full thirteen now restored,"
'Full… thirteen…' Axel thought. Realization hit him, and he uttered a soft "oh…", before pressing forward and clamping his gloved hand on Xemnas' shoulder. The taller man tensed.
"You retrieved Roxas?" Axel asked impatiently. The silence grew between them, until the silver haired man barely shook his head.
"You shall find out who has replaced the traitor when we get there,"
Something in that sentence made Axel's blood boil, and he curled his hands into fists, convincing himself to keep his cool.
"Roxas is not a traitor…" Axel muttered angrily. His retort, however, fell only on empty silence, as Xemnas had portalled out of the area.
'To the castle,' He thought blankly, his mind remembering how to call the darkness.
He stepped through, yet unbeknownst to him, a hidden figure had been watching from the shadows. The figure drew up his hood, though the rain plastered the material to his head, with large round ears protruding.
King Mickey had to let Sora know of the new evil developments quickly. Before it got worse.
Me: WOO. Cliffy.
Mayu: its crap.
Me: prove it... now Mayu - what were you meant to do when we've finished a chapter?
Mayu: ...you cant make me...
Me: No pocky otherwise.
Mayu: O.O OKAY! Read and review!! or she'll go emo and grow mushrooms!! I can deal with the flames, she cant.