A/N: I have finally posted another chapter. Sorry for the delay to anyone who is following this story. This contains some spoilers for Kingdom Hearts II
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts--it belongs to Disney and Square Enix
Chapter 6: Lessons Learned
"Awesome!" Demyx grinned. "You should go for it."
Kanixa shrugged. "I haven't decided yet." She felt a sudden urge to yawn, but locked her jaw on it. Suddenly returning to her room and curling up for a long nap seemed like a very good idea. Not surprising, considering the punishing rounds she'd fought against Saïx and Demyx. She'd several hours of sleep to recuperate. "I'll be in my room if you need me," she announced, striding out the door.
Kanixa paused on the balcony to the Hall of Empty Melodies, walking over to the railing and leaning over. The lower floor spread out below her, a tempting shortcut. In one motion, she swung herself up to stand on the railing. Bending her knees, she sprang upward, tucking her legs in and somersaulting towards the marble floor that rushed up to meet her.
She landed in a crouch, one hand splayed on the floor. Uncurling, she took stock. Both ankles and her hand stung fiercely right now, but she'd be fine in a few seconds. Kanixa allowed herself a tiny smile of triumph.
Someone clapped slowly, the sound echoing in the empty room. Whirling towards the noise, Kanixa saw Xigbar standing in the doorway that led to the castle's main hallway. His golden eye glinted with amusement. "Impressive, dudette," he called.
Kanixa's smile faded. "Thank you," she said politely, moving past the senior Organization member.
Xigbar put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Wait a minute. What's got your panties in a twist?"
"Excuse me?" Kanixa asked frostily.
Xigbar laughed. "Chill. It's just a saying. It means, what's gotten under your skin?" He folded his arms, waiting for an answer. Kanixa just waited, tapping her foot impatiently, for him to tire of his interrogation and allow her passage. Better not to speak to him. If she'd learned anything so far, it was that no one here was trustworthy and everyone seemed to have an agenda. Xigbar stroked his chin in thought. "Wait a minute. You're not still mad about earlier, are you?"
Kanixa shrugged. "I'll get used to it, being the only girl. The portal trick was interesting, though. Can you teach me?" Once she'd mastered it, she'd have to bide her time, wait until Xemnas allowed her out from Axel's scrutiny, and then she could leave the Organization for a world far, far away.
Xigbar backed a short laugh. "Aren't you the clever one?" He wagged an admonishing finger. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Superior's orders." He smirked. "Anything else you want?"
Kanixa pondered for a moment. Was anything else worth trying to bargain with Xigbar, who was probably just as untrustworthy and ruthless as all the other members she'd met? "You could teach me how to fight."
"Now you're talking." Xigbar suddenly held his guns, both leveled at her. He grinned, looking predatory. "You ready?"
"Now?" Kanixa asked, caught off-guard. Had she just inadvertently gotten herself into her third battle in a day? Did she really have that poor of luck?
"Arms—reload," Xigbar ordered. And suddenly, he no longer stood in front of her. Kanixa glanced around and saw him hanging upside down, in midair, across the room. Her jaw dropped.
"Got ya now!" Xigbar crowed. A barrage of red bullets streaked her way. Kanixa hit the deck, and she could feel the heat of them on the back of her neck. More bullets streaked towards her at a lower altitude, and Kanixa leaped into a pike jump to evade them.
"Now let's see how you dance!" Xigbar sent more bullets towards her. The new spread was larger, and blue, and slower moving. Kanixa managed to get her Keyblade up and knock one of the odd, arrowhead-shaped bullets back at Xigbar. It hit him in the chest, but he teleported away before she had the chance to send another his way, suddenly dangling from the ceiling behind her.
"Clever little sneak!" he grunted, firing more volleys of red bullets. Kanixa managed to deflect a surprising number of them with speed she didn't know she had, but a few projectiles got through her defenses. Some sped by, wide, but one pierced the hem of her coat where it flared away from her legs, and another tore through one sleeve, grazing her shoulder.
"This coat was brand new!" Kanixa shrieked, enraged. Xigbar laughed. He pressed his triggers for another barrage, but they clicked uselessly. "Arms—reload!" he snapped. Before he spoke, when Kanixa determined the Freeshooter had run out of ammunition, she broke into a sprint, picked up speed, and launched herself at the senior Nobody.
She reached his height, and dealt him a hard blow to the midsection. "Oof!" Xigbar groaned. As she'd hoped, he doubled up, dropping his guns. They clattered to the floor, and Kanixa landed next to them in a crouch.
"Hey!" someone protested. Kanixa glanced towards the noise. Demyx leaned over the balcony railing a storey above, wearing a surprised expression. "What's going o—look out!" he called.
Kanixa dropped into a roll, bullets hissing just overhead. "No interfering from the peanut gallery, dude!" Xigbar called, annoyed. Kanixa took advantage of the distraction to get back to her feet. When she did, she found herself surrounded by what looked like more lesser Nobodies, of a type she hadn't seen before. They held what looked like arrow rifles, so they must be Xigbar's battalion. Bullets rushed at her from all sides, and while she managed to bat some away, she could feel points of searing pain where some made it through her defenses.
Now would be the time to call her battalion, but how? The one in Proof of Existence seemed to respond to thought. So, feeling stupid, she focused her mind on one sentence: Sneaks, destroy these creatures! Almost immediately, Sneaks materialized around her, forming a circle between her and the enemy nobodies. Dancing forward, they engaged the enemy, blades slashing. Kanixa watched for a moment, entranced by the speed and the skill. The enemies tried to evade by popping away through portals and reappearing a distance away, or firing on the Sneaks, but one by one the lithe white forms dispatched them.
And right when she lost herself in the spectacle, Xigbar struck. She hadn't even heard him reload his guns. A barrage of bullets hit her in the back, the pain and force of the blows driving her to her knees. Black ringed the edges of her vision. "First lesson: never turn your back on a target," she heard Xigbar say. And then the floor rose up to hit her in the face.
*~*~*~*~*
Axel perched on a shrine in Proof of Existence, green eyes staring at nothing. What had just happened? He had actually had a normal conversation with Kanixa, the thorn Xemnas had stuck in his side, the Nobody who dared to replace Roxas, erase the fact that he had ever belonged to the Organization. He'd been civil to her. Axel scowled. Kanixa resembled the irksome Sneaks she commanded, dismissing the Sneak that had attacked him, engaging in friendly conversation, trying to get him to drop his guard so she could…what? He doubted she'd attack, not when she knew every Organization member outclassed her in fighting skills. Escape seemed much more likely. She would escape, and Xemnas would punish Axel accordingly. Well, it wouldn't work. He wouldn't put himself in a vulnerable position again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kanixa opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on the spotless white floor of the Hall. How long had she been here? Sitting up, she rubbed her face. Long enough so that her cheek had turned red, bearing the imprint of the tile floor. For a while she just sat, gathering her strength, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Obviously, she couldn't go anywhere in this castle without getting attacked by a fellow Organization member. If she ever made it up to her room, she would lock the door and never re-emerge. Just as she got to her feet, she heard one of her least favorite voices call out her name.
"Kanixa," Axel sneered, in the mocking tone she'd grown used to from him. He'd reverted to his normal self very quickly. "So is naptime over now?"
Kanixa managed a tight smile, but other than that didn't dignify the question with a response. Head held high, she walked at a slow, stately pace to the door (the only speed she could manage at this point). Just as she reached the doorway, a portal erupted in her path, and in the blink of an eye Axel stood there, blocking the space, grinning down at her.
"So, fighting lessons from Xigbar, huh?"
"Lessons? More like an ambush," Kanixa grumbled.
Her mentor shrugged. "He was just giving you some real-world experience," Axel replied in an innocent tone oozing with insincerity. "As real as this world gets, anyway," he muttered.
"I'll have to thank him later, then." And by 'thank,' she meant a swift hit with the Keyblade to his long, oddly-colored ponytail. The gray streak reminded her of a skunk…couldn't he use hair dye? Kanixa wondered irritably. Axel's voice brought her back to Earth.
"Kanixa, if you wanted fighting lessons, you could have asked me. After all, I am your mentor."
Mentor…riiight. The sarcastic side of her only had time for that one comment before the rest of Kanixa's brain kicked into place. She could see where this conversation was headed, and it didn't bode well.
"And now that naptime's over…" Axel grinned, lifting his arms out from his sides and opening his palms, where his chakrams flamed to life, "We've got plenty of time."
Why, why did every Organization member she ran across want to pick a fight? Kanixa doubted she could even lift the Keyblade at this point. Couldn't Axel just have a mysterious change of heart—okay, bad choice of phrasing, change of feeling—like earlier in Proof of Existence? Couldn't he see how battered she was and maybe cut her a little slack? "Yes, and Xemnas will take over for Santa Claus next," Kanixa muttered under her breath, bracing herself.
Surprisingly, Axel dropped his arms, chakrams devolving into flames and then into nothing. He reached up to stroke his chin with one hand. "Maybe now isn't the best time," he mused. "What with you being owned by Saïx, Demyx and Xigbar in one day. Man oh man, and I thought Demyx was good at annoying everyone." He smirked down at her. "But you take the cake, Kanixa."
Axel shifted to lounge against one side of the door frame, giving her enough space to squeeze through, folding his arms. "We'll have our lesson another time. Wouldn't want you saying I didn't wipe the floor with you fair and square." And with one parting smirk, he vanished into another portal.
Kanixa glowered after him, seriously annoyed (it wasn't hard to feel annoyance around Axel). Just give her a day or two to recover, and he'd se who'd wipe the floor with whom! That cocky little arsonist…her rational mind kicked in. That cocky little arsonist who'd just behaved severely out of character. If he truly hated her for replacing Roxas, he should have shown no mercy. It wasn't a quality Nobodies possessed. Kanixa didn't think she had it in her anymore either…in the heat of battle, she'd certainly have destroyed Saïx or Demyx given the chance. Xigbar too, but exhaustion hadn't allowed her to feel any real anger. So why had he backed off?
The obvious answer popped into her head. He must have thought of a better plan for revenge, and gone off to make preparations. Kanixa shrugged. Oh, well. She might as well try and take advantage of the time before he struck and build her strength back up. First, a nice long nap…Scaling the stairs up to the living quarters, she made it to room number twelve, locked the door securely, and collapsed into bed.
She didn't know how much time had passed before the voice intruded on her sleep, but it certainly didn't feel like enough.
"Wake up, Nixa!" a cheerful voice ordered. "C'mon, you have to have rested enough by now. Rise and shine."
Opening her eyes slightly, Kanixa made the monumental effort to turn her head and found herself glowering at Demyx. Number Nine stood by her bed, wearing a friendly smile, holding a tray piled high with food.
Food…suddenly Kanixa realized how terribly hungry she was. She sat up. "Is that for me?"
"Yep. I'm always hungry after a big battle, so…" Demyx handed it to her. Kanixa picked up the first sandwich she laid hands on and took a large bite.
"'S good," she mumbled through the food, and swallowed hastily, only to take another large bite.
"So…how are you feeling?" Demyx asked after the first sandwich, and two others, had disappeared.
Kanixa decided to answer his question before picking up another sandwich. She still felt hungry, but it was a more manageable hunger. Before she felt like a famine victim who hadn't seen food in weeks. "Better. Still sore," she admitted. "Saïx and Xigbar don't pull their punches. Neither do you," she added.
"I said I was sorry," Demyx said, with a hint of petulance. For a Nobody, he certainly could fake the full range of emotions convincingly.
"Just stating a fact," Kanixa said unrepentantly. "Thank you for the food, but—how did you get in here?" she asked sharply. She distinctly remembered locking the door before sprawling onto the bed.
"Chill. I used a portal, just like everyone else does around here." Demyx sounded bored, stating the obvious. Kanixa frowned. She really needed to learn this portal trick. Being the only Organization member without the ability to move through space (and the ability to get through such obstructions as locked doors without breaking them down) put her at a disadvantage. What if it had been someone less friendly that had decided to pay her a visit?
Xigbar had been unwilling to teach her; why not try Demyx? She opened the conversation flatly—she didn't have the energy for subtlety. "So, Xemnas thinks I'm not ready to learn how to portal."
Demyx shrugged, setting the tray down on the foot of her bed. "We all had a probation period. Once you've proven yourself on a couple of missions, you'll be taught to portal on your own, and you won't need a mentor anymore."
"Good," Kanixa said fervently.
Demyx grinned. "Axel's not an easy guy to get along with. You should cut him some slack, though. Roxas was the closest thing to a friend he had." His smile took on a sad tinge. "Most of the rest of the members lost the desire for friendship when they lost their hearts. Roxas was…different. He brought out the best of us. Well, except maybe in Saïx and the Superior," he amended. "I think Xemnas has forgotten how to feel altogether, and Saïx…" Demyx trailed off in a shudder. My sentiments exactly, Kanixa agreed mentally. "When Roxas left, Axel took it hard. We're making efforts to recover him, but…the Keyblade master isn't an easy guy to beat." Demyx ran a hand through his brown mullet. "I'd hate to be the guy to face him."
"The Keyblade master?"
"You know, Sora." Demyx sounded surprised. "Roxas's Other. His light half, who has his heart. Roxas left to reunite with him, to become a whole person. He was lucky…" Number Nine trailed off, wearing a pensive frown.
Kanixa leaned forward intently, silently willing Demyx to continue. So, this Roxas had managed to become a whole person again? He'd gotten his heart back by finding his light half…whatever that meant? How??? She felt a surge of hope, the first positive emotion she'd felt in this cold, white castle. It felt faint and shadowy, but it was there. Maybe if Roxas had become whole, and had gotten his heart back, she could too. She needed to know more. "So, do we all have Others out there somewhere?"
"Xemnas says that our Others dissolved when we were formed, but…" Demyx trailed off uncomfortably. "Maybe I shouldn't be talking about this."
"Why?"
"Look, I'm sure the Superior will explain it to you soon. "
"Demyx—" Kanixa prepared to turn on the charm, the tactic she thought would be the most effective. Demyx had made it clear he wanted friendship, and she was his best prospect—obviously. Who would want to spend more time with someone like Axel, or worse, Saïx, than they had to?
"Gotta go!" Demyx stepped backward into an opening portal and disappeared before she could get out another word. Kanixa scowled, drumming her fingers on the bedspread. The conversation had just been getting interesting when Demyx had fled. Fled out of fear—because someone, probably Xemnas, didn't want her to know about Roxas, or Sora. Didn't want her to know about this possibility of getting a heart, of becoming whole. Something was definitely off here, and not just the obvious problem that everyone in the castle was a sociopath.
Sighing in frustration, Kanixa caught sight of the tray of sandwiches still sitting on the foot of her bed. Why let it go to waste? Just as she raised a fourth sandwich to her lips, someone knocked on the door. Not Axel—it wasn't rude, impatient pounding. Who else would seek her out?
Setting the sandwich down, getting to her feet, and smoothing out her wrinkled, bullet hole-riddled Organization coat, Kanixa called, "Come in." The door opened, and the blonde man she'd met in the hallway much earlier that day—it seemed like weeks ago—stepped in. "Luxord," she greeted, allowing a hint of curiosity to penetrate her voice. What would bring him here?
"Kanixa," he responded, giving her a smile that did not reach his hard blue eyes, which a glint of curiosity did nothing to soften. "I hear you had an…eventful…first day." His gaze took in the bullet holes in her coat.
She shrugged. "It was definitely…educational."
"An interesting way to put it. From what I hear, you've gotten into scraps with Saïx, Demyx and Xigbar. Quite the precocious one, aren't you?"
"Do you have a point?" Kanixa asked flatly. She felt no need to be polite to this man. Unlike Axel, a candidate for bipolar disorder if there ever was one, or Saïx, who oozed menace, Luxord had the subtle but dangerous air of a snake coiled to strike. It made her wary.
"You must be something special, to survive so much. I suggest a wager."
"I'm not a gambler," Kanixa replied firmly.
"But I am—the Gambler of Fate." Luxord smiled coldly. "Suit yourself, then. I was under the impression you wanted to learn how to use portals through the realm of Darkness, as the rest of us do. I must have heard wrong." He turned to go.
"Wait. If I win this wager of yours, you'll teach me how to portal?" Kanixa asked, curious. "What happens if I lose, then? And what exactly is the wager?"
Luxord shrugged. "I have yet to think of a stake for myself—"
"Well, think of one and then come back. I'm not entering into any open-ended bargain," Kanixa declared.
Luxord smiled. "Clever girl. Very well. I'll return when I've thought one up." Turning on his heel, he left, leaving the door wide open for Kanixa to shut behind him. And lock it, though it wouldn't really bar anyone's passage—they could just open a portal. She slumped against it, feeling suddenly tired as her body reminded her she still hadn't regained all of her strength. She needed sleep, not mind games. Moving the tray still nearly full of sandwiches aside, she climbed back into bed, closing her eyes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Axel sat on his bed, staring into the blazing fire he'd just added more kindling to. What had just happened? He'd been prepared to battle with Kanixa, to teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget. Then he'd suddenly changed his mind. He'd realized that in her weakened state, Number Fourteen would be a pushover. There would be no fun and no challenge in defeating her now. So why did the decision bother him so much? Why did it feel like a loss?
He glared into the flames, frustrated. After leaving Kanixa to limp her way back to her room, he'd paid a visit to the now-vacant room number eleven and tested his chakram edges on what was left of Marluxia's garden—burning things always improved his temper. Hey, the Graceful Assassin wasn't around to mind anyway, not that it would have stopped Axel, and not much in the castle was flammable. But now, instead of relaxed, he still felt annoyed. What else was there to do?
An evil grin spread across Axel's face. His favorite method of stress relief might have failed him, but there was still his second favorite to try. Kanixa might be too weak to make a victory over her satisfying, but Demyx seemed to have recovered nicely from his bout with Saïx. Since the arrival of Kanixa, the water-wielding brat had developed a new obstinate streak, daring to challenge the authority of members senior to him—such as Axel himself. That could be burned out of him.
He opened a portal to Memory's Skyscraper, one of the places on the World that Never Was Demyx frequented. Emerging on the room, Axel scanned the surface. No Demyx composing whiny pop songs or ballads. He frowned, stroking his chin in thought, not willing to give up so easily. Where to try next? His room?
He heard the faint whoosh of a portal opening break the silence, and turned towards the sound. Number Seven stepped out to join him on the roof, wearing a customary scowl. Axel narrowed his eyes at the unwelcome intrusion. "Saïx," he greeted, tone decidedly cold.
"Number Eight," the Luna Diviner said curtly. "The Superior wishes to see you and Number Thirteen. Now. Go and fetch her. Bring her to the Altar of Naught."
"You're Xemnas's messenger boy—why don't you?" Axel demanded, throwing up his hands. He was growing increasingly tired of Saïx's high-handed methods. He was only one number senior of Axel himself, but he acted like he ran the place—until it came to Xemnas, whose orders he followed religiously.
Number Seven grinned nastily. "She's your charge. You see to her." And without a farewell, Saïx stepped backward into a portal, probably headed back to Addled Impasse to stare out the huge, panoramic window at the still-growing, heart-shaped moon that embodied Kingdom Hearts. He spent almost all of his free time there, staring at it, soaking in its rays. No one else in the Organization minded because it kept the ruthless, and unpredictable (when under the moon's influence) Luna Diviner out of their way.
If Xemnas ordered it, he had no choice. Still mentally grumbling, Axel opened a portal. Strolling through the corridors of the Realm of Darkness, he began to relax, enjoying the feeling of being alone with his thoughts. The Darkness was no threat to him or any other Nobody, as he no longer had a heart for it to take. Idly, he wondered what Xemnas wanted with Number Fourteen this time. To study her Keyblade, the only reason she'd been admitted? To discipline her, if he'd gotten wind of her battles with Demyx and Xigbar?
About to portal into her room, Axel stopped just in time. Kanixa already knew about that ability thanks to Xigbar, but orders were orders, and with Xemnas already displeased with his handling of the Roxas situation, he had to follow the rule book to the letter these days. Rolling his eyes, Axel stepped back into the World that Never Was right outside Kanixa's door. He rapped on it sharply. A moment passed, with no response.
"Kanixa. Are you in there?" he demanded. Silence met his question. Annoyed, he opened a portal into her room. The room he stepped into was dark and quiet. Moonlight filtered in through gaps in the blinds, barely giving Axel enough light to see by, but he still didn't notice the pair of boots on the floor until he tripped over them, swearing.
The noise generated movement, which he could just notice out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, he dropped into a crouch, brandishing his chakrams, flames licking along their surfaces. A black-coated lump on the bed shifted, rolling away from him. She was still asleep? Man, she must really be hurting—the only time Nobodies bothered to sleep was when they recuperated after taking serious damage. The thought of Number Fourteen in pain cheering him somewhat, Axel approached the bedside with his customary cocky smile, banishing his weapon. Leaning down until he could whisper into her ear, he bellowed, "Kanixa! Wake up. Xemnas wants to see you."
Kanixa's eyes shot open, and she fairly levitated to a sitting position, clutching the Keyblade. "Oh. It's you," she said, worried expression quickly coalescing into disdain. "You know, no matter what I do," she continued, swinging around to put her feet on the floor and standing shakily, "I just can't seem to pest-proof my room. First Demyx, then Luxord, and now you." She fixed him with a piercing blue-eyed stare. "I may need to start putting out traps."
Axel narrowed his eyes at her, the gibe and warning sliding off of him like oil on water. "Luxord was here?" he asked sharply. The enigmatic Gambler of Fate was no friend of his—not that any of them were. He'd made it a rule not to get attached to anyone in the Organization. It made the betrayals necessary to forward his own goals easier. And as he'd had a hand in so many backstabbings, he always kept alert for someone about to stab him. "What did he want?"
Kanixa ignored him, smoothing out her coat—which looked, Axel noted, as though it had been chewed on by wild animals, or lost a round with Larxene—and finger-combing her hair. "You said Xemnas wanted to see me? Then let's go." She marched out the door, and strode purposefully towards Xemnas's study. Axel trailed behind, scowling, wanting to know what words had been exchanged but unwilling to pursue the point. It would make him look weak, give Kanixa a point to play on.
"You're going the wrong way," he said when she passed the stairs, continuing on towards the Superior's study. He smirked when the junior member turned to glare at him.
"Thanks for the warning. So, what's the right way?"
Axel started down the stairs instead of responding, and Kanixa followed a few steps behind, not attempting to keep up with the redhead's long stride. He led her back to Proof of Existence via the outdoor route of Naught's Skyway. Once there, he kept going, taking the shorter outdoor walkway of Naught's Approach to Ruin and Creation's Passage. When they reached the edge of the doorway platform, Kanixa stopped.
Axel stepped off the edge without hesitation, the strange blue force-field walkway forming under his feet as he strode forward. When he reached the next platform, he noticed Kanixa hadn't followed. "Well?" he demanded, turning back towards her, throwing his hands up. "Hurry up!"
Kanixa shook her head, skin as white as the walls, blue eyes huge. "I can't," she said, levelly enough. "There's no path."
"What do you call that?" Axel demanded, gesturing down to the translucent blue cobbles paving a bridge from her platform to his. He stepped out onto it, stamping on it with a boot for emphasis. "Satisfied?"
"But I can see through it," Kanixa protested, voice rising.
"So?" Axel demanded. "What, are you afraid of heights or something?" Kanixa's silence made the answer clear. Ordinarily he would be pleased to have found a weakness to exploit, but now he only felt annoyed. Xemnas would penalize him for tardiness as well as her. "Come on!" he ordered.
Kanixa only stared at him, frozen with fear, blue eyes unconsciously pleading. The same innocent, pleading look Roxas had worn in his early days in the Organization, when he'd been pitted against some of the stronger Organization members to "test the power of the Keyblade." After Roxas had defeated Xigbar, Lexaeus, and Saïx, by a closer margin each time, finally it was Axel's turn to face the newcomer. Roxas clutched the Keyblade, breath coming in gasps, staggering to his feet only to fall on his rear. His face wore a resolute scowl, but his eyes had held the same note of pleading, unintentional but effective. Then, Axel had persuaded Xemnas to stop the fight. Now, fed up, Axel crossed the distance and wrapped his long fingers around her wrist. Kanixa pulled back, struggling, but he towed her forward, into a portal. As the darkness closed around them, Kanixa stopped fighting him. "What is this place?" she asked, staring around, wide-eyed.
"Don't ask questions," Axel ordered, pulling her forward through the corridor of darkness. He scowled into the swirling mist before him, continually curling into the sigil of the Nobodies and then dissolving. Man, oh man…if Xemnas ever found out about this, he'd be turned into a Dusk for sure. It was a risk he would be willing to undertake for Roxas, but not for this new brat! So why had he done it?
The corridor ended, and Axel shoved her out ahead of him, onto the base of the Altar of Naught. As the portal closed behind them, destroying all evidence of Axel's insubordination, he used his grip on Kanixa's arm to pull her close. "If Xemnas finds out about this, you'll wish you'd never heard of the Organization. Got it memorized?" he hissed.
Kanixa merely gave him a tiny, bitter smile. "He won't hear it from me, but Axel? Think of a better threat next time. I already wish that." Tugging her wrist free, she walked up the spiraling ramp to the Altar, leaving him to follow behind.
*~*~*~*~*~
Kanixa reached the top of the ramp, and paused. Xemnas stood at the edge of the Altar of Naught, before the huge, looming, heart-shaped moon, eyes closed, arms spread. Should she approach him?
"You wanted to see us, Lord Xemnas?" Axel called from behind her, the mocking edge out of his voice for once.
Xemnas spoke without opening his eyes or turning towards them. "Number Eight. You've brought Number Thirteen. Good." He didn't continue, and silence reigned for a few minutes. Kanixa glanced curiously back at Axel, hoping for a hint of what to do. The Flurry of Dancing Flames kept his eyes on the Superior, face hard. Just when Kanixa began to grow annoyed, Xemnas turned to face them, training his yellow eyes on Kanixa. "Number Thirteen. Number Two tells me you have grown proficient with your weapon and your battalion." She bowed her head, knowing no answer was required. "He believes you are ready for your first field mission." He moved his focus to Axel. "Number Eight, do you concur?"
Axel nodded wordlessly, but his green eyes glinted with anger. It did sound as though Xigbar was doing his job for him, Kanixa noted. "Good," Xemnas announced, smiling coldly. "The two of you will accompany Number Two on a mission to Port Royal. The Keyblade master is currently there. Your mission is not to interfere with him. You are only to flood the world with Heartless for him to destroy. Both of you will report to Number Two as the senior member. Number Two will report the result of the mission back to me."
"When do we leave?" Kanixa ventured to ask.
"Now, dudette," Xigbar announced, suddenly beside her. "Time's a-wasting." Wrapping his fingers around her bicep, he towed her into a portal before she had time to register what was happening.
"Hey!" Kanixa protested as the Darkness closed around them. "Let go." Xigbar shook his head, smirking.
"Nuh-uh," he demurred, wagging an admonishing finger at her. "Wouldn't want you getting lost. This ," he said, encompassing the misty walls in a gesture, "is one of the corridors of Darkness. It's how we get around."
"Whoa," Kanixa breathed, taking it in with wide eyes. Axel hadn't allowed her time to get a good look around—and no one could know about that very brief sojourn anyway. "What are those marks on the walls?" The mist that formed the walls of the tunnel seemed to curl into symbols, dissolving quickly only to repeat the process after a few seconds.
"The mark of the Organization," Xigbar answered, as though it were the most obvious fact in the world. "Haven't you seen it all over the castle?"
A section of the wall near Kanixa warped, and in a second Axel stepped through. "Thanks for the warning," he said sourly, glaring at the Freeshooter.
Xigbar shrugged. "You should be quicker on your feet, dude. Hanging around the castle's made you slow."
"Well? What are we waiting for?" Axel snapped, obviously stung by the barb, forging ahead into the darkness.
Xigbar followed along at a slower pace, still smirking—and still holding Kanixa's arm in a vise-like grip.
Kanixa opened her mouth to protest, but halted as they stepped out into a new world, open to the night sky. Kanixa glanced around to see that they stood on a high, crenellated stone wall. A row of cannon faced outward, and Axel stood in front of the closest one, contemplating the unlit fuse with an evil grin on his face.
"Dude! As if!" Xigbar snapped, moving between Axel and the cannon. Axel looked up at him, wearing a peeved expression.
"I wasn't going to do anything."
Kanixa tried to tug free of Xigbar's grasp, but the Freeshooter had a vise-like grip. "Xigbar," she said in an overly patient tone. "You can let go now. I'm not going anywhere. And you're cutting off all feeling in my arm."
"And I care because?" Number Two asked in a bored tone, gold eye narrowed, mind already on tracking down the Keybearer.
"Xigbar, let go of me," she ordered in her deadliest voice. When that had no effect, Kanixa managed to wrench her arm free—and, unbalanced, fell through the crenellation and off the wall.
"Nice going," Axel snapped at the Freeshooter, shoving past him to lean out over the side. Below lay only water and a cluster of jutting rocks—a very painful landing, but not fatal for a Nobody. Still, if they brought Xemnas's new toy back to base all battered, he would get the blame, not Xigbar.
"Relax, dude," Xigbar said dismissively. In an instant he was gone, hanging beside Kanixa as she fell. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and in the blink of an eye they stood beside Axel.
Kanixa glowered up at Xigbar, whose visible gold eye glinted with amusement. "Lesson number two, little girl. Look before you leap." Smirking, he released her.
"So, what exactly are we supposed to do?" Kanixa asked.
Axel spoke up from where he lounged against the wall, arms folded. "First we find the Key-bearer Then we summon Heartless to the spot for him to fight. Simple." Heavy footsteps sounded nearby, quickly getting closer. "Sounds like company," Axel commented, reaching out to grab Kanixa's wrist. "Xigbar—? "
"Way ahead of you, dude," Xigbar said, stepping into a portal. Axel opened one of his own, but just as he prepared to step in, pulling Kanixa with him, someone spoke.
"Hey, Sora!" a voice called. "Don't'cha think we better check things out in town first?"
The footsteps halted, and someone laughed. An easy, carefree sound that made Kanixa feel both sharp longing and resentment. She had been capable of such a sound once. Why had that been taken away from her, along with her heart? Why couldn't Roxas have just stayed in the Organization? If he had, maybe she never would have become a Nobody, and the Organization never would have found her.
"Showtime," Axel commented, stepping back from the portal, releasing Kanixa. "Watch and learn." Padding over to where the wall wrapped around a corner, he glanced down the stairs. Kanixa followed, and she could see a stretch of beach stretching out below, lined with piers. In the center of the space stood a boy and two of the oddest creatures she'd ever seen. One looked like a dog that walked on two legs, wore clothes and carried a shield. The other looked like a duck, dressed in a wizard's robe, carrying a staff. The boy carried a Keyblade, a silver "blade" with a gold hilt, worked into the shape of a crown. So, that was Sora, the boy who now contained Roxas, the former Number Thirteen and Axel's friend.
Axel held both his hands out in front of him, palms up, fingers curling. His green eyes closed in concentration. A cloud of darkness appeared around Sora and his friends, and it quickly coalesced into several black creatures. They leaped around to circle the trio, in a clumsy parody of the way Nobodies stalked their prey, beady yellow eyes fixed on the Keyblade wielder and his friends with a single-minded purpose.
"So those are Heartless? They're what take the hearts that leave when Nobodies are formed?" Kanixa asked in a whisper.
Axel turned to give her a sour look. "Are you here to ask questions, or to help out?"
"You neglected to tell me how to summon the Heartless," Kanixa pointed out coldly.
"Easy. Just summon them, like you would your battalion. Heartless will obey any strong presence."
Kanixa closed her eyes. Come on, Heartless, she thought, like she would call a dog. There's a boy with a really strong heart here—and if you defeat him, it could be yours. When she opened them, and glanced back down at the harbor, the place practically boiled with Heartless.
"What did you do?" Axel demanded, staring down at the sight, green eyes widening in dismay. "He'll never be able to defeat that many!"
"You didn't tell me how many to summon," Kanixa pointed out. "Besides, is that really so bad? If they take Sora's heart, Roxas will come back, right?"
In an instant, Axel was beside her, pinning her roughly against the wall. "How did you know Sora was Roxas's Other?" he demanded, face inches from hers, green eyes glinting with suspicion.
"I heard it back in the castle," Kanixa responded levelly, limiting her response to that.
Axel glared at her for a long moment. "It's not our orders," he said finally, tone still angry. "Xemnas wants Sora to continue releasing hearts from wild Heartless with his Keyblade."
"Releasing hearts?" Kanixa repeated, realization dawning. "Why? Is that supposed to be a way for us to get our hearts back?"
Axel glared at her. "We won't be around to collect. If Sora is destroyed, we fail in our mission. If we fail in our mission, Xemnas will turn us into Dusks. Got it memorized?"
"Then why are you still talking?" Kanixa asked. "If you really think Sora can't do it alone, then we'll just have to get him some help."
"How?" Axel demanded, the frayed strands of his temper on the verge of snapping, throwing up his hands. Kanixa ducked around him, shucking her Organization coat. Now she wore a nondescript outfit of a sleeveless black top, black pants, and black boots, all unornamented.
"Like this." Summoning her Keyblade, she raced to the edge o f the wall and vaulted over, landing in a crouch at the edge of the mass of Heartless. Rising to her feet in a fluid motion, she immediately began clearing the area around her, dealing swift blows with her Keyblade. When she'd managed to establish an area of clear space, she glanced to the center of the ring.
The boy, Sora, still fought on doggedly, but his movements were slow, and every so often he would stagger a few steps before collecting himself. He wouldn't last much longer. And his odd friends were no better. The duck—that really was what the creature looked like—sat slumped on the ground outside the circle, and the dog, while it still fought, looked as weary as Sora.
Kanixa moved towards the center of the circle, sending any Heartless in front of her out of her path with a well-aimed hit of the Keyblade. Occasionally a painful scratch in the back would prompt her to turn and deal with the Heartless closing in behind her, but she made it to Sora in only a few minutes. "You look like you could use some help," she shouted.
Sora turned a pair of blue eyes bleary with exhaustion on her. "Yeah," he mumbled. Suddenly, he did a double take. "Hey! You have a Keyblade!"
"So that's what this is called," Kanixa said wonderingly, not halting in her efforts to dispatch Heartless. "It just appeared when I saw these…things." She paused to knock from the air a Heartless that had leaped for her face.
"Heartless," Sora panted.
"Why don't we finish here, and then you can explain things to me," Kanixa suggested, still swinging at Heartless.
"Yeah," Sora agreed, busy dealing with his own Heartless. They just kept coming, the annoying little pests. Where one fell, another appeared instantly, drawn by the lure of Sora's heart. If only she could use her Sneaks…but that would give her away. Still, if she had called them, perhaps she could send them away. Eyes closing, she thought intently, leave. There's nothing here for you. LEAVE. When she opened her eyes, besides Sora and his friends the beach area was empty.
Sora's blue eyes narrowed, though he lowered his Keyblade. "Weird," he observed.
"Who cares if it's weird?" Kanixa demanded. "I'm just glad they're gone. What did you call them, Heartless?"
Sora nodded seriously. "They travel the worlds, drawn to the darkness in people's hearts. That's what they're after, hearts."
Kanixa put on a shocked face, putting a hand to her chest. "You mean, they would have taken my—"
"It's okay, they're gone now," Sora said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Thanks to you."
"Don't mention it. But if you don't mind my asking…who are you? And why do you know so much about this?"
"Oh." Sora laughed. "I'm Sora. And that's Donald—" he pointed to the duck, who gave his head a shake as if coming back to himself, stood up, and walked over. "And that's Goofy." He pointed to the dog.
"Nice to meet'cha," Goofy pronounced. "Uh…what's your name?"
"Kanixa," she said with a smile.
"Well…thanks for your help, Kanixa," Sora said after a minute.
"Don't mention it," she said again. "But I've got to be going, guys."
Sora perked up. "Are you going to town?"
"Um…yeah," Kanixa responded. There didn't appear to be anywhere else to find a spot to hunker down and wait for Axel or Xigbar to reclaim her, except back to the rampart where Axel still doubtlessly was monitoring the proceedings.
"So are we. We'll walk with you," Sora said in a tone that indicated everything was settled, smiling.
Kanixa gave a smile she hoped was convincing. She needed to get away from the Keyblade Master and back to Axel, before Xigbar came back. Maybe the redhead would keep his mouth shut about her breaking the noninterference policy, if only to save his own skin. She doubted Xigbar would. "That's sweet, you guys. But I don't want to be any trouble."
"It's okay," Sora declared. "We're looking for a friend of ours—Jack!" his tone shifted to surprise. From the direction of what Kanixa assumed was town, across a little stone footbridge, a man ran towards them, stopping just in front of Sora.
"Um…Zola, is it?" he asked after a moment.
"I'm Sora!" The spiky-haired Keyblade wielder definitely sounded annoyed.
"Sorry. Sora. I need your assistance." The man began to launch into a tale, and when she felt certain Sora and his companions were engrossed, Kanixa slipped away and up the stairs to the rampart. As soon as she reached the top, before she could turn and see if Axel still waited for her, a hand wrapped around her arm—not again! She growled mentally—and jerked her into a portal.