Niox's Heart

The wind cuts across the cliffs, a cool mist blows across his face. He looks down at a small gathering of teens and their parents and scoffs bitterly. The orange blaze of the setting sun and the bonfire below somehow have a sickly effect on him. He shoves his hand deep down into the pocket of the black cloak he wears so reluctantly until his purpose is ahceived. A simple photo he has possessed for roughly over a year, the only reminder of a past life.

He takes a deep breath and steps closer to the edge of the cliff and peer down at one specific person this time, the second tallest boy there. Brown hair, blue eyes, a girlish look to his face. So similar yet so much different, he thinks without meaning to. Had he a heart it would yearn to rush down without thinking and exact the revenge he felt would have been rightfully deserved. His silver gray hair blows across his face, he tries brushing it back but to no avail, the wind was restless on this eve. He looks as a red headed girl rushes forward and hugs the boy, he recognizes this one, a name his past life had memorized into her mind like clawing into wood with a nail. Kairi. He feels some kind of dislike for the girl but brushes it aside, he has come here for only one person, and it was not even the person who was his target. His aim was clear. He looked away from the girl for a split second at the boys second friend, he wears a jacket tonight, somewhat discreet, covering muscles and all. A feeling of nostalgia rushes over him upon seeing the boy. Riku. An old friend of hers.

He hops back as the boys gaze averts up at the cliffs, it would be far too perilous to be seen before hand, before he could manage this despicable deed. He sits on the floor taking deep, calming breaths. He looks back once more at them through his emerald green eyes before pulling up the hood of the Organization's cloak. He sighs and gives himself a mental slap before opening up the portal of darkness. He clenches his fist and steps inside, dead set on this mission of his, a 'rescue mission'.

" Throw it here Wakka!" Kairi shouts dashing by Selphie to catch the plastic toy. He throws it with all his might to get it by Tidus, he leaps but misses. Kairi springs forward and grabs it before Riku can. He laughs and lifts her off the floor and tosses her into the ocean next to them. The other boy laughs as he grabs the fallen Frisbee and throws it to him. He grabs it and tosses it behind him towards Tidus. Its caught. All laughter ceases. The catcher snaps it in between his fingers. Not Tidus...

" No... you cant be..." Riku starts. Everyone around is in total shock, silence has wrapped around their mouths, muffling their words and constricting their thoughts. The hooded figure looks past Riku at his target; furious, standing before him quivering with rage and disbelief.

" Hey, kid." He says unexpectedly. The boy looks up shocked, losing his composure for half a second before retaking his stance. The hooded boy laughs. " Your Sora, right?"

" Who wants to know!?" He says crossly. The boy laughs again.

" Just someone looking for an old friend. Dusk's!" They form out behind him, appearing in a shimmer of silver light, making a wall behind him. He looks at Sora coldly once more then laughs.

" You should know how the rest works out, you come with me quietly and nobody gets hurt Sora." He says smugly.

" And if your not just some wanna be member of the organization XIII then you should know that's not about to happen."

" I'm not in the organization, don't insult me by classing me with them. Well, their motives. Its obvious you think I'm here just to dredge up more pain for all of you." He looks at Kairi and Riku and the terrified people watching from behind the dusk's. " I just want you... Roxas"

" What?" Riku says stepping forward.

" How do you know abou-!?"
" He's my friend. I just want him back alright." He says sulkily.

" Well, don't mean to disappoint but Roxas isn't here, hes a part of Sora again and-" Realization struck.

" Catching on now I see."

"But what do you plan on doing?" Kairi asks. He looks at her with an extreme dislike.

" I don't have to answer the likes of you. Now step aside, I'm only here for him. Just come quietly and nobody dies here."

He steps forward but stops abruptly. Light showers around Riku's hand. Sora steps back and looks at him in surprise.

" Riku?"

" Something about this guy seems odd Sora, and if hes after you personally he cant be up to any good." He explains looking coldly at the boy.

" You always were quick to catch on Rikee."

" What? What did you just call me?" He looks at him with utter disbelief.

" Riku, whats going on? Why is he calling you that?" Sora says stepping in front of him.

" Its nothing, Sora, I need you to just get everyone rounded up and head back into the town. Ill take care of this." Sora looks at him reluctant to go, Kairi pulls on his arm and drags him, he sighs heavily and hangs his head turning.

"Just come back in one piece, alright?"

" You can count on it, when have I ever let you down before?" Sora laughs and shakes his head refusing to go down his mental list. He turns.

" Hey Sora, Kairi." They look back. Riku tosses something to him. " Lets make it a promise, we'll see each other again, kay?"

Both nod and turn, running off. Riku turns his attention back to the attacker and faces him boldly, lifting the Way to Dawn once again.

" Who are you? And don't lie... are you..." He pauses and swallows, trying to believe it himself. "...Xion?" The boy takes out the photo and looks at it again then tucks it away.

" You could say that I suppose. Half of her anyway." He says somewhat smug.

" So then... your a nobody?" Riku asks counting the Dusk's; outnumbered beyond reproach.

" Don't mind them, they have their mission. Go!" He snaps and they vanish. Riku stares at him, hoping to see into the dark veiling his face.

" Don't worry, you'll find out all you want to know soon enough. But honestly Riku, why try and stop me if you know just how precious a friend can be?"

" Because... hes my friend, and I love the little sap. I'm not about to stand by and let you hurt him... no matter how close of friends or how fond my memories of you are."

" IM NOT XION!" he yells, flustered. " My name... is Noix." He says dropping the hood. Riku gasps and his hand drops for half a second.

"Your a boy? But how?"

" Just as clueless as you, I'm the first known nobody to be the opposite sex of their other. Strange, but i actually prefer it this way."

" But how can you exist? Xion was a-!"

"A nobody? No... she was a person. Just a clone perhaps, but a person none the less." He explained.

" OK, so that still doesn't explain why your after Roxas or what your planning."

" Now if I told you all that... what good a story would that make?"

" Stop jerking me around and tell me Noix." Riku said irritated.

" Well, you see... I still have Xion's memories of her life in the Organization and well... I cant let go of them knowing how she felt about those people."

" They were evil!" Riku yells.

" FOR WANTING TO BE NORMAL!?" Riku gasps quietly then hangs his head slightly. " You have to understand what its like to lose yourself, to be incomplete. You were in the darkness, Xion and you were friends too! And I know I said this earlier, I don't like their methods. I just want to finish what they started, I want to belong." He lifts his finger and points to the town. An explosion shakes the floor beneath them. Riku gasps and looks up at the orange flames rise and wrap the blueish night sky. " But to do that I need Sora, and nothing will stop me from doing that." He says pulling the hood back up.

" HOW COULD YOU!?" Riku says drawing the Way To Dawn once more, his eyes full of fire.

" Relax, nobody will be hurt. I told you I'm just here for Sora. That explosion must be a result of his recklessness."

" Why do you want to hurt Sora!?"

" I DONT, ALRIGHT!?" he says hurt. Riku backs down a bit. " I just want my friends back, that's all."

" Friends? You cant mean the Organization!?" Riku says shocked.

"Not all of them. I know who was evil and who were being held to it for some sick purpose Xenmas had. All I want to do is revive Axel, Zexion, Demyx and Namine and Roxas. I want them to be away from their original selves and able to be their own person, I wish to be that way too, because I have no original body to return to." Noix explains sadly. Riku felt a feeling of sympathy and understanding towards him, the darkness had held him far too long.

" But why do you want Sora?" Riku asks trying to push away his memories of Xion and his feeling of compassion to Noix and remember the reason why he had stayed behind, the only boy he had ever really loved, Sora.

" Because, he has Roxas locked inside of him. But more importantly, he was there when Kingdom Hearts opened, inside of him is the light of all the hearts that resonate with each other behind those doors, the power to give us actual hearts."

" I understand how much you want to be real but, Noix you have to understand... it might not even be-"
"Possible!? Heh, you really should have listened more closely to Ansem while you were with him. There's a lot to learn from that man about hearts, sad his time came."

" What?"

" Kingdom hearts is our last hope, along with Sora. I'll just have to trust in Xenmas's reports and pray that this works out for the best."

" Works out for the best? What happens to Sora when you do this!?" Riku yells lifting the sword with finality. Noix hesitated.

"...Worst case scenario..." He turned his head to the side and bit back his guilt. " Sora dies..." He finishes sadly. Riku hung his head and bites his lip as the rage swells inside of him.

" THEN YOU KNOW I CANT LET YOU DO THIS!" He says rushing forward, keyblade high in the air, anger flaring. Noix turns to the side and lifts his arm, open and aimed at Riku.

" Then im sorry Rikee, your in my way... Dark Firaga..."