This is the author, talking about her story. You can ignore this bit if you like.
Er, right. So. This chapter. Lots of things happen. Lots of things are revealed. Lots of characters act really stupid. Particularly Axel.
Also, we get to see Riku this chapter! :D BTW, the prologue? Yeah, I'mma edit it into nonexistence. It will reappear later as flashback scenes.
The outline for this story is complete! I know exactly where I'm going with this! There's some background info which I don't think I'll be able to get into the story, which will all be there at the end of the story.
Disclaimer: Yadayadayada, KH belongs to people who are not me, yadayadayada.
If, by the end of this chapter, you would like to give various characters a hug, I do not blame you. Feedback is incredibly loved to pieces. Less than three~
Chapter Four
Unlike the previous battle with the Heartless, it was not quick and bloodless. This time, there were more of them. It was difficult to tell exactly how many—the heat of battle confused the senses, narrowing focus down to the opponent at hand and nothing else—but there were perhaps fifty.
The members of the Organization were skilled, but the Heartless outnumbered them about four to one, and that soon began to tell. The Heartless hemmed them in, separated them from one another, forced them to the ground.
"Parley," Xemnas called. "What do you want? Why did you attack us?"
The crowd of Heartless parted and a figure dressed in black with long, silver hair came forth. His expression was cold and he carried himself arrogantly, though he only looked to be about fourteen.
"My name is Riku," he introduced himself. "I am the leader of the Heartless. I am here to retrieve my friend's younger brother. Come here, Roxas."
Roxas scowled and stood. "I've told you already—I don't know you! I don't remember—you or Sora or anything!" he shouted.
Riku's expression darkened. "Your own family," he hissed. "Your own family and you dare tell me you don't remember? When he's hurt, all because of you?"
"God dammit, this is not my fault!" Roxas yelled. "I don't even know what happened!"
"Don't play innocent with me," Riku ordered.
"Well, isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black," snarled Roxas. "You're not entirely devoid of blame yourself, you know!"
For only a moment, Riku seemed to crumple inwards on himself. Then the cold mask was back in place and it was possible to believe that it had never slipped. "Don't speak to me of blame," he hissed. "At least I know full well what I did. You, though—how could you forget? How could you, Roxas?"
"I don't know!" Roxas cried, flinging his hands up in frustration. "I don't know what happened, I don't know who you are, who I am—I don't know anything! And I'm not going back with you!"
"You are coming back with me," said Riku. "You've been worrying people, you know."
"Why should I care?" Roxas sneered, though a flash of guilt passed through his eyes. "I don't know any of them."
Riku strode through the remaining crowd of Heartless to grab Roxas by the arm. "You're coming with me," he repeated.
And then Axel was there, knocking Riku's hand away. "If he doesn't want to go, then he's not going," he said quietly. All traces of his normal foolish demeanour were gone, leaving behind a menacing gaze and a deadly seriousness.
"He will come," said Riku, returning Axel's gaze menace for menace.
"He will not," said Axel.
"He will."
"He will not."
Riku snarled and lunged, his fist going for Axel's windpipe. Axel blocked and returned with a punch to Riku's gut. Riku let out an "oof" as it connected and ducked, kicking out to knock Axel's feet from under him. Displaying surprising agility, Axel flipped backwards, landing on his hands, the back onto his feet. Riku pursued him, aiming punches at Axel's neck and stomach.
"You don't fight fair," Axel gasped, ducking backwards under Riku's fist.
"Neither to you!" Riku returned, dodging a kick to the knee.
"There's no fair when you're protecting someone important to you." Axel's eyes glittered as he saw an opening and went for it. Too late, he noticed Riku's smirk and realised that it had been a feint. He gasped and fell to his knees when Riku's punch connected solidly with his solar plexus.
"So there isn't," Riku agreed. He glanced around at the other members of Organization XIII and drew a switchblade from his pocket, putting it to Axel's throat. "If anyone moves, he dies," he said coolly. "Now, come along, Roxas."
Roxas snarled. "I'll come along when Hell freezes over." He pushed Riku back, hard. "As Axel has protected me, so I will defend him." The shadows cast by the noonday sun around his feet began to swirl. "I swear, if you lay so much as a finger on him, if you harm one hair on his head…I'll destroy you." The shadows began to swirl faster, reaching out for Riku, who was backing up, staring at the ground in horror.
"What the—" he managed.
Roxas laughed coldly. His eyes had become black pits, openings to and endless abyss in which light or mercy had no place. "Get out of my sight." One of the shadows slithered up Riku's leg and torso, along his arm to his hand, and tugged at his fingers until the switchblade fell to the ground.
Riku turned and ran, the Heartless trailing behind him.
Roxas blinked, his eyes fading back to their normal blue. He swayed, staggered—and fainted, Axel catching him before he hit the ground.
"Well, that was exciting," Vexen said dryly, brushing dust off his coat. "I wonder what that thing with the shadows was."
"Whatever it is, it will certainly be…useful," Xemnas said.
XIII
Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Remember to breathe.
Riku scowled and struck another cloth dummy. That had been pathetic. Frightened off by a little trick like that—was there any way in which he could be more of a failure? It was a simple mission—get in, get Roxas, get out. So easy only someone like him could mess it up.
Like I mess everything up.
He punched a dummy. It rocked back, then snapped forward to hit him in the face. He sat down hard, black despair threatening the edges of his mind.
Can't even beat a practice dummy. How sad can you get?
"We know for certain where they are, now," said a voice from the doorway.
Riku scowled, not turning to face the source of the voice. "Ansem. What do you want."
Ansem smiled coldly. "Why, only to see that you are well, dear Riku. It would not do for you to become ill."
"I'm fine," Riku lied. "Just a bit displeased that I failed the mission."
"Do not worry, dear Riku," said Ansem. "You have only made it easier for us to succeed next time."
XIII
Roxas groaned and opened his eyes. His head ached.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Axel said softly.
"Axel?" Blinking, Roxas sat up, one hand to his head, and glanced around. He was in his room in the Warehouse That Never Was But Would Hopefully Still Be There Tomorrow, in his bed. Axel sat in a chair which he'd pulled up. "You're okay," Roxas managed.
"Yup," said Axel. "How're you feeling?"
"Just a bit of a headache," said Roxas. "What happened? I remember Riku threatening you, and then—nothing."
"Well…you said something like 'as Axel has protected me, so I will defend him.' Something cheesy like that," Axel explained. "And then you did some cool trick with shadows—you made Riku drop his knife—and then the Heartless ran away."
Roxas blinked again and shook his head. "No, really. What happened?"
"It's true, Roxas," said Axel.
Roxas laughed a little. "That's ridiculous. I don't know any trick like that."
Axel shrugged. "You can ask anyone else—it's true."
Roxas was silent for a moment. "But…I don't know any trick like that," he repeated.
"Well, whether you knew the trick or not, you did it," said Axel.
Roxas frowned. "How can I do something that I don't know how to do? How can I not remember it?"
"No idea, Roxas." Axel sighed, and then was quiet for nearly a full minute, something incredibly unusual for him. He was thinking. "So…you and Riku seemed to know each other from…some time before," he said eventually.
"As far as I can remember, I have only met him once before," Roxas said, suddenly cold. "He says he is close to Sora, whom he calls my brother."
"But you don't get along."
"No." Roxas did not elaborate further.
"Why not?" Axel asked cautiously.
"Because he's a liar," said Roxas.
"What do you mean?" asked Axel.
Roxas scowled. "I don't see how it's any of your business."
"Sure it is," Axel argued. "You're my friend, and friends tell each other stuff, right?"
Abruptly, Roxas swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood. "Some things are too personal to share." His hands clenched into fists.
"Roxas—" Axel began, a little startled.
Roxas turned his back to Axel. "You can leave now."
An expression of hurt and confusion passed over Axel's face as he stood and made his way over to the door. "Roxas," he said again, almost a whisper.
"Get out, Axel," Roxas sighed.
Axel left, closing the door behind him.
XIII
Stalking along the corridor back to his room, Axel was not paying close attention to where he was going and so collided with Saïx, sending them both crashing to the floor. The papers that Saïx was carrying scattering everywhere.
"Watch where you're going, Number VIII," Saïx said, starting to pick up the papers.
"You watch where you're going, Number VII," Axel returned.
Saïx looked up briefly, then returned to his papers, ignoring Axel.
Axel scowled. "What, am I beneath your notice?"
"Yes," Saïx answered frankly, gathering his papers into a pile.
"Everyone's beneath your notice," muttered Axel.
Saïx blinked at him. "Your point?"
"What happened to respecting your elders?" asked Axel.
"I wasn't aware that age had anything to do with it," Saïx replied coolly. "Besides, I only respect those who have earned it." Though You have not was left unspoken, it was clearly audible.
"What, so all those years of friendship mean nothing to you?" Axel accused.
"I don't see why they should," said Saïx. "Clearly, they mean nothing to you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Saïx smiled bitterly. "You've become quite close with Roxas. Evidently, I'm easily replaced."
"What, you jealous?" mocked Axel.
"Why would I be? Do you really think you matter that much?" sneered Saïx.
"Well, I could have hoped so, given how close we were, but you're obviously heartless," said Axel.
"Being heartless is better than being incapable of logic," countered Saïx.
Axel snorted. "Logic has its place, but it isn't everything."
"What about honesty, then?" Saïx said all-too-innocently. "Does that have its place?"
"I don't lie to my friends." Axel's voice was cold.
"You must not have any, then." Saïx bared his teeth in what might be called a smile by the most unobservant. "And no wonder—you drive them all away."
"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Axel asked.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Saïx's tone was icily polite.
"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Axel ticked points off on his fingers. "You think you're better than everyone else. You're stuck-up and arrogant. You're a goody-two-shoes, mindlessly loyal to our dear Superior." His voice was sharp with sarcasm.
"I don't see how loyalty is a bad thing," Saïx said. "Although I can see how you might think so, since you're obviously incapable of it."
"Loyalty, like respect, is for those who have earned it," Axel snarled, turning Saïx's own words against him.
"Your standards must be impossible, then," Saïx observed coolly.
"Just like your standards for respect," Axel shot back. "God, I can't stand your sense of superiority."
"I can't stand your insanity," Saïx returned. "Nor your stupidity."
"I'm not stupid," Axel denied.
"No?" Saïx asked. "You certainly act like it."
"There's a split a mile wide between acting and reality," Axel pointed out. "Of course, you'd know that better than I would."
"Do elaborate," said Saïx.
Axel sneered. "Well, you act normal. Human. But the reality is that you're not—you're a monster and you always will be."
Outwardly, Saïx had no reaction. He picked up the rest of his papers, stood, and brushed past Axel. "Excuse me." It was only once he was certain that he was out of sight that he let the tears fall.
Watching him go, Axel felt like though he had won the argument, he had lost utterly.