(AN: Hey everyone! Meme Master here with the fourth chapter of The Brewing Storm. Today's OC belongs to Antex the Legendary Zoroark. As usual, I own nothing but the plot, so enjoy!)
Looking back on it, accidentally entering a heartless den in the Pride Lands hadn't been the best idea Roxas had ever had. Nor had it been Xion's to suggest that they attack.
Before they knew it, the two keybearers, looking like the young lions they did, were running as fast as they could away from the heartless swarm. Roxas and Xion glanced at each other. Roxas's form was like his Organization coat, black, and his hair on his head, and Xion had a similar thing, her body being mostly black, with her hair.
The two knew that it would be best to lead the heartless away from Pride Rock, and toward the outer regions, where hardly any creatures lived. But on this day, they were lucky.
A loud roar was heard, and King Mufasa leaped down into the fray, and let loose his mighty roar. The heartless that weren't obliterated immediately turned and ran, leaving the keybearers with the king.
"You should be more careful. All those heartless are dangerous." Mufasa said.
"We're sorry, your majesty." Roxas said, both bowing.
"It's alright. You two have been invaluable with defeating those creatures ever since they showed up here." Mufasa replied, shaking his head. "I would like to remind you that you are welcome on Pride Rock with the other lions, should you choose to join us."
"No, I'm sorry your majesty." Xion said. "We will need to leave soon. Those creatures won't take care of themselves elsewhere."
Mufasa dipped his head. "I understand. We will miss you. Please, try and come to say goodbye before you leave." Mufasa then turned around, and began walking away. He paused, and turned his head back for a moment. "Simba might like that." Then he was gone.
Roxas and Xion exchanged looks of uncertainty, before returning to the large den they were living in.
*****************IN RADIANT GARDEN**********
"So… Braig… why have you come back, after all this time?" The teal haired figure asked. His golden yellow eyes stared into Xigbar's over his glasses, as he pressed his purple fingertips together.
"Well, it's simple old pal. We need you." Xigbar said, leaning back in his chair.
"Yet you didn't before? I suppose I should be feeling honored, but I'm really feeling used…" the man said.
"Look, I get it. I would have recruited you, but I couldn't. You do your thing of hiding too well. It was lucky I found you this time." Xigbar said. "Besides… Lucian… I know that you've wanted to help us, ever since the… original… Ansem cast you out. You know we couldn't have brought you back at first, we would have been found out too early."
"Yes, I know." Lucian said. "I merely wanted to know what you would say. I had no interest in denying you before. Of course I will join the Organization." Lucian said.
"Good man!" Xigbar laughed, getting up and clapping him on the back. "Let's go get a few drinks, and tonight we'll prepare. Good thing about you, you're already basically a nobody."
"So I am. Master Ansem may not have approved of the things I did, but I know that you and the others will benefit from my addition." Lucian calmly spoke.
"That's right… Xanciul… we'll make everything official tonight." Xigbar said, starting to walk out of the room. "In the meantime, C'mon. Let's go celebrate."
"As you wish, my friend." Lucian stood up, and followed Xigbar out of the room, pausing to look back at his wall, where his weapon lay. A black-jolted, purple bladed katana that he called Namenashi. Soon, he knew. That katana would slice through many, many foes. A wicked smile creeped onto his face as he exited.
*************IN THE PRIDE LANDS*********
Roxas and Xion returned to their cave, where they were greeted by the massive black mantis with scythe arms and pink hair that was Marluxia. "Did you find anything?"
"Not besides a heartless den…" Roxas sighed. "We're running out of places to look."
Lexaeus's black bear form sighed in the corner as he and Vexen's black penguin form growled over a poorly drawn map in the dirt. Luxord, who looked more like a black kangaroo slept in the corner.
When Roxas and Xion had woken up in this world, they had wandered for a long time, searching for help and a way out, since neither could use a dark corridor out. They had eventually been cornered by the heartless, before Marluxia and the others had shown up.
It was Marluxia who had explained their new animal forms, and also where they were. It turned out, they were trapped in a world of dreams. The other members were there because they were dead. But as Luxord has theorized, they weren't, so there had to be a way out. If they had come in an unusual way, there had to be an unusual way out.
"Yes, but that should mean we're getting closer." Marluxia replied.
"Oh shut up, Number Eleven!" Vexen snapped. "We're all here because of your scheming you know!"
"Peace, Vexen." Lexaeus said. "It is times like this that we must stay strongly united."
"Yes, but-!" Vexen began to protest, but sighed, and fell down as he tried to waddle forward. "Curse this body."
"Look, Roxas and I think that wherever the way out of here is, there will be a lot of heartless there too." Xion said. "If we just follow the heartless…"
"Then it will be something worth betting on." Luxord said. He still was sitting in the corner, but was awake now. "There are only so many ways the cards can fall. Eventually, the chips will fall in our favor."
"Must you relate everything to gambling, Luxord?" Vexen growled angrily. But Marluxia stepped in before he could answer.
"Vexen. Enough. Despite your antagonism toward the rest of us, we are still working toward a goal. Do not divide us further." Marluxia spoke dangerously.
"Yes, but even when we do, what then?! What do we do once we find it?!" Vexen demanded.
"We send Roxas and Xion back." Lexaeus answered.
"And us? What about us? What if we can go back? What then? Do we stand against the organization with Zexion? Do we fight him out of loyalty, knowing Xemnas's true plans?!" Vexen fumed. Marluxia waited for him to fall silent before replying.
"Well, Luxord and I will fight with Zexion if we can return. As for you and Lexaeus, that is your choice." Marluxia told him.
"I will not betray Zexion. He has proven himself trustworthy too many times to doubt." Lexaeus added.
"So, Vexen? What about you? What will you do, should we get the choice?" Marluxia asked. He made no threatening moves or sounds.
"I…. I…. I hate to defy Xemnas. Yet your explanations match his actions. As much as I may dislike Roxas and Xion… Axel did kill me. And I hate him for that. That fool Namine too. I will stand with the rest of you, if only for revenge." Vexen answered. It seemed to pain him to admit he may have been wrong, but the words still came out.
"Thanks, Vexen. We may never be friends, but I am glad to have you on our side." Roxas said.
"Hmph. I don't do this for you. But… I shall try not to antagonize any of you too much, if we are to be teammates." Vexen told him, turning away.
A silence fell upon the cavern, as no one had anything further to say. But slowly, a rumbling sound reached them, and grew in noise. Xion dashed outside to investigate, and came back in rapidly.
"There's… a whole lot of heartless!" Xion said. "Like, a lot lot!" Marluxia grinned in the strange way he did.
"It's time." He said, as the others all got ready.
*************************IN THE WORLD THAT NEVER WAS*********************
Axel sat across from Saix's desk, waiting. Said had called him to his office, but wasn't yet there when Axel had arrived. Axel waited with his reports, since Saix had asked him to keep him updated. Said had been going out on missions recently, and had been even busier than before.
It was finally after around fifteen minutes of waiting that a dark corridor opened, and Saix came through. He closed it, and sat down with a sigh. "I apologize for my tardiness, Number Eight."
"Alright, who are you, and what have you done with Saix?" Axel asked. Said raised an eyebrow. "You just apologized. Saix doesn't do that."
"I shall redouble my efforts to be cruel, if you wish." Saix said. But Axel shook his head. "I thought not. Inform me of the situation, and I will fill you in as well." Axel nodded and cleared his throat.
"I talked to Namine this morning. She's reconstructing some of Sora's memories now, in Castle Oblivion. Anyways, she told me she made contact with Kairi yesterday." Saix looked surprised.
"She made contact with her somebody and survived?" Saix was impressed.
"Yeah. Not only that, she delved into Kairi's heart to try and find Roxas and Xion. She couldn't discern their location exactly. But she could tell that they're both trapped in some sort of dream state. They're not moving anywhere anytime soon. But wherever they are, they're shielded. And they're in a castle." Axel elaborated.
"I see. Based on the information I've been getting from you and the others, Zexion and the others are outside the Disney Kingdom." Said replied.
"Which we thought. But the Disney Kingdom is vast. They could still be hiding somewhere inside it." Axel pointed out.
"Which is true. But I don't think Zexion would stay inside it. I will be continuing to search the rest of Disney Kingdom. However, Lea." Saix emphasized his name.
"You must go to Zexion's library. I believe that somewhere in there, he may have his diary, or some clue to his past. Not even the superior knows what happened to him before he arrived in Radiant Garden. Your new task is to find that out. When you find leads on new worlds, I trust you to investigate them." Saix ordered.
"All right, I can handle that." *Axel grinned. "But I thought his room was locked."
"That's why I keep these." *Saix held up a key, and handed it to Axel. It had a "VI" was carved into it.
"Remind me not to ever give you a reason to doubt me." Axel laughed, taking the key.
"I doubt you will. However… The Superior has given me a message he wishes for me to repeat to you." Axel, who had gotten up, and started to walk out turned at the door. "If you discover their world, or any leads, you are not to do anything but come and report. This is not a job you can do alone."
"Alright. I'll be in contact… Isa…" Axel turned with a chuckle, and strolled out of the room, the key spinning on his finger. Saix sighed as he left.
"Good luck, Lea. We may need it."
(AN: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of The Brewing Storm! If you did, please favorite, follow, share, and review! As always, let me know your thoughts and opinions through a review or a PM! See you in the next chapter!)