Chapter 6

Shaking his head, Xaldin stepped into a portal of Darkness that would take him to the Alter of Naught. Xemnas had created transports for all the other members, but when it came to finding Xemnas the others were forced to walk or port to where they hoped to find him.

Xaldin felt the Corridor of Darkness pressing in on him from all sides, trying to devour him and destroy him. He focused his mind on the destination. He had made this trip hundreds of times and no longer was curious what the Darkness held in its depths.

Darkness was a part of every heart, with the few exceptions of the princesses, and created this realm where the Nobodies and Heartless traveled and lived. And now the Darkness was branching out as the Organization created links with the other worlds to spread the Darkness and gain more hearts for their goal. Darkness carried in it all the anger, hate, fear, jealousy, and guilt of the hearts of the living, in turn transferring those feelings as energy to the beings that lived in Darkness, making them stronger. Kingdom Hearts dwelled within Darkness as well and gained energy from the hearts harvested by the Organization. Sometimes the hearts had voices too, calling out to the Darkness, screaming.

Xaldin ignored the voices, having become used to them after so many trips through this realm. A particularly loud scream echoed beside him as a young heart was drawn into Darkness. An energy form passed by him, rubbing off on him like an oil stain. As it touched him he pulled away, recoiling from the sound and the cold sensation that crept up his spine. His arm ached from an old wound that he had received six years ago, a wound that reminded him of the price of failure and how close he had come to the end of his own existence.

He had become her first victim, but not her last.

Xaldin closed his eyes, watching the memory unfold before him and was helpless to stop it. The Darkness was consuming his strength and fueling the affect of his subconscious. Xaldin found himself back six years, at the mansion in Twilight Town, when life still flowed through the mansion and laughter still echoed within…

Xaldin returned to the mansion to find Ikxare for Superior early that morning and had found her in a study off the great hall, dozing with her head on her hands, short lavender hair disheveled. Xigbar had already been assigned a mission and was not able to get Ikxare after she had missed the meeting that morning, so it had been left to Xaldin to find her and bring her in.

Xaldin stepped out his portal and into the main foyer of the mansion, grumbling to himself. The seven of them were supposed to meet this morning to discuss a new member that was going to be recruited soon, and lo and behold, Ikxare had not shown up. Xigbar had given some lame excuse about how the woman hadn't met with him and he had no requirement to make sure she did anything. Xemnas, unfortunately needed Xigbar to take care of something else, so Xaldin had been given orders to pick her up and bring her in. Now Xaldin stood in the mansion, listening for any sign of her location.

A soft snore came from the side room. Sighing Xaldin walked to the slightly open doors and pulled them open. There she was, head on the desk facing away from him. Xaldin moved toward her and grabbed her shoulder, desiring only to return to the World that Never Was and receive a real order and real work. As he touched her shoulder he felt a shock pass through his body and suddenly found himself paralyzed, the world drained of color and depth. Ikxare was still sleeping on the table, or at least he thought she was until another Ikxare had appeared before him, her skin a dark gray and hair a deep black; her eyes glowing yellow and a sadistic smile on her lips.

Xaldin tried to pull away, tried to summon a lance, tried to do something, but he still wasn't able to move. Dark Ikxare laughed at his struggle, "Keep trying to fight, Xaldin, keep trying to break away. The harder you fight the stronger I become. I have been waiting years for this moment." Dark Ikxare stepped forward toward Xaldin and the real Ikxare, who Xaldin now realized was not sleeping but comatose.

"Ikxare, wake up! Come on, wake up!"

"She can't hear you, her mind is under my control. Her body belongs to me now, and I am finally free from my prison that you fools placed me under. Yes, when you created Ikxare from Keira, you Nobodies failed to notice the spike of energy that altered her brain functions. That spike was her mental willpower shielding my existence from the world, forcing me into the depths of her mind. We were a part of one another until you gave her the power to smother me, we coexisted in one body until you disrupted that harmony."

"I don't know really care what your story is. I don't care how much you think you know. But I do mind that you think you can show up and mess with a member of Organization XIII."

"Let me explain my creation in smaller words for you. When most Nobodies come into existence, they become devoid of all emotion, creatures of pure Darkness. They remember what it was like to feel, but the true sensation is forever lost to them. Only when you created Ikxare-"

"I had nothing to do with her, so if you have a problem, take it up with Vexen."

"Fine, when Vexen created Ikxare, he decided to see what would happen if a Nobody was created that retained the ability to feel certain sensations, particularly rage. He tried to change the process of creating a Nobody with a program that he created. From what I saw while trapped within the Darkness as Keira's heart was removed, Vexen and the other, Zexion, had tried to leave small portions of the heart behind. They wanted to create a Nobody that would be a force of destructive power, of rage, nothing else. But when they left those slivers of the heart behind, Keira grasped one part and used its power of Light to seal the effects of the experiment within her memories, effectively erasing her own past in an attempt to stop the experiment and keep me hidden.

"She became Ikxare, a woman with no past and no future as a failed experiment, merely existing in your world. She could not remember her previous life, our life, as a murderer. Her memories of me had been erased as well. But every time she entered the Darkness to port from one place to the next, small cracks formed in the shield placed on me. Every time she used Darkness the hearts and souls of those within Darkness surrounded her and used her powers against her, infiltrating her mind through her mental abilities. You Nobodies caused this, and now I will finish it. I have been waiting patiently, biding my time until I collected the strength to take her body as my own, and thanks to you I am now able." Dark Ikxare had reached the table and moved her hand to brush Ikxare's hair to the side, "None of you ever thought that such an innocent being would be your end."

"Why are you doing this?"

"To claim Kingdom Hearts as my own, of course, and use the Darkness within it to take control of all the worlds. Once I have completed that, I will continue to harvest the hearts of the living and take that power for myself. And there is nothing that you foolish creatures can do to stop me." Dark Ikxare became transparent and began to merge with the comatose woman. Xaldin felt his energy drain away at an alarming rate and his arm went numb. Color returned to the world around him and he pulled away as Ikxare stood from the table, stretching her muscles.

Xaldin stumbled away, trying to summon any power to fight her with or at least escape, but Dark Ikxare had used his energy to take over Ikxare and he was as helpless as a newborn babe. Ikxare's body moved jerkily toward him as the new owner became used to its functions. She began to move more smoothly as Xaldin reached the doorway to the main hall and fled the room. Instinct saved him as he sensed movement behind him and twisted to face her onslaught.

She struck him on his left arm and side, missing his back by less than a second. He had recognized the power of the attack as the same from the year before during the mirror episode. At that moment he understood why Ikxare had been so frightened that day, if this was the monster that had been tormenting her for two years from the Darkness. The blow was enhanced by the energy waves that Dark Ikxare was able to control and Xaldin felt the bones in his arm shatter and his ribs strain at the pressure.

It was pure luck that Xigbar ported into the room then. Xaldin crashed into the display in the center of the room and slumped forward as physical pain overwhelmed his senses. He watched Xigbar's face turn from shock to confusion as he looked at the two, unsure of the situation and how to act.

"Xigbar, that's not Ikxare, if you have ever trusted me, listen to me now! That's not the woman you knew, Xigbar. Move!" Xigbar backed up, hesitant. "Damnit Xigbar, move! She will kill you!" Xigbar jumped then, springing into action.

Dark Ikxare had moved faster, though, and countered his gun fire with blasts of her own. She used the energy waves to increase her speed and flashed across the room. Xigbar's power over space was his saving grace and he kept up with Dark Ikxare's movements. The room had quickly turned to a war zone, and Xaldin struggled to stay out of the line of fire. Dark Ikxare noticed Xaldin though, and sent another blast his way. Xaldin was powerless to stop the wave from coming at him and braced as best he could for the hit.

The hit never came. Xigbar placed himself between the wave and Xaldin and redirected the blast into the ground with a small portal he created quickly. The tile floor exploded, sending shrapnel and debris in all directions. Xigbar turned to cover Xaldin with his own body, taking the brunt of the explosion. When the dust cleared, Dark Ikxare had fled the mansion, leaving Xigbar to decide between following her or care for his fallen friend. Xigbar's left cheek had been hit with a piece of tile and a large gash stretched from his cheekbone to his jaw line.

"Xaldin, what happened? How did this happen?"

"Xigbar, I'll explain everything later, but right now you have to warn the others. She said that she would be taking Kingdom Hearts. You have to get there first. I'll be fine, just go." Xigbar hesitated, not wanting to leave Xaldin in the state he was in.

"I'll send help. Hold on." Xigbar turned and ran through a portal of Darkness, leaving Xaldin in the ruined hall.

Xaldin watched Xigbar merge into the Darkness and whispered under his breath, "Promise?" After that he had lost consciousness.

When he had finally awoken at the Castle that Never Was, he ran from the room he had been put in by whoever had come for him to the Proof of Existence. He watched her fade, the nightmare prevented.

And the truth had been smothered by orders.

The memory lost its hold on Xaldin as he bit the inside of his cheek with his teeth as hard as he could, breaking away and returning to the present. The Darkness was dragging him down, dragging him away from his destination. Snarling he pushed forward, will power overcoming the attempted hold on him, and forced his way out of the Darkness onto the platform of the Alter of Naught. Gasping, he looked at the back of Number I's figure. Never before had the Darkness tried so hard to ensnare him. But what didn't kill a person made them stronger, right?

Taking a deep breath Xaldin looked up at the huge moon in awe. Kingdom Hearts lay so close, and yet, it was still not ready. The struggles that the Organization had fought through were finally showing results.

"I have been expecting you, Number II." Xemnas, Number I in the Organization, turned slowly to face Xaldin. Kingdom Hearts cast its glow down upon the man's silver hair from behind Xemnas. Xaldin watched his leader walk towards the railing of the Alter of Naught and nodded in affirmation.

"I wished to speak with you about a few different things. The first of which is the matter of reassignments I have been considering. Numbers IV and XII to Castle Oblivion with Number XI. They will act out my orders through Number XI who will be my acting leader there. Number VIII is the go-between of the two castles and will be busy attending to his new duties as well. Numbers V and VI will picking up the slack here in the absence of IV and XII. Numbers IX, X, XIII and yourself will remain here and prepare for further orders. Number VII is carrying my orders to Number XI at Castle Oblivion until Number VIII is contacted. Number II will also remain here if he cooperates.

"When I say that Number II will have to cooperate I am referring to his behavior. It is to my understanding that he approached you and placed his duties upon you despite complete understanding of my orders. Now, this is unacceptable. I don't care why he chose to do this, but the role he sets for the other members is one of rebellion and disregard. Today he chose to avoid his appointed duties. Last week he stuck all of the hard copy files of the reports he collected to the ceiling of the Hall of Empty Melodies in the design of Number VIII receiving a 'headshot' from one of his shooters. It took Number IV six hours to retrieve every page as Number II was nowhere to be found.

"I am willing to overlook these matters on one condition. I want you to find Xigbar and force him to see reason and the foolishness of his ways. I want you to explain to him certain matters that have been kept confidential and remind him of his place. If you cannot do this, he will be dealt with." Xemnas turned to face Xaldin, his face passive.

Xaldin studied the face of Xemnas and the man's bright gold eyes, thinking over his options carefully. "Are you giving me the order to tell Number II the truth? Am I correct to understand that you want me to tell him about what happened with Ikxare?"

"I believe that is what I said." Xemnas motioned to a hovering file beside him and it moved to Xaldin. "Here is all the information submitted by yourself after the incident that you will need."

"Why now? It's been six years, so why now?"

"Number III, the time is near for Kingdom Hearts to be complete, and we cannot afford to take any unnecessary risks. Number II's instability is a risk. When I created him, I saw the potential in him and his strength. We will need that power to complete our goal, just as we need the power of every member that has gathered. Have I made myself understood now?

"Yes, Superior." Xaldin watched the lean man carefully. Xemnas was dangerous at all times because he had embraced the truth of being a Nobody and was truly devoid of emotion. Every action he made was carefully calculated and planned. He wasted nothing, and when something or someone lost their value, he had them removed.

"Now, is there anything you wished to discuss with me?" Xaldin looked up at the golden eyes, lowering the folder from his face.

"I wanted to bring forward the problems that Number VIII may cause in the near future. He is trying the patience of certain superior members."

"Ah yes, Number VIII. I fear that he will not be strong enough for the tasks ahead if he continues on this path. I will keep your concerns in mind. You are dismissed. Number III, remember, you are to bring Number II back in a more preferable state of mind, or not at all."

"Yes, Superior." Xaldin bowed and backed away from Xemnas, turning only after reaching the stairway that led to Ruin's and Creation's Passage. He was not keen on using Darkness again any time soon, so as avoid any 'unnecessary risks.' He stuffed the white folder into his coat pocket next to the pen and a leather key chain.

As he began his descent down the stairway he felt a portal open behind him. He slowed his pace to hear who had arrived, eyebrows scrunching as he Xemnas called out to him, "Ah, Number VIII. Thank you for coming at so late an hour. I have a special assignment for you…"

Xaldin shook his head, what those two had to speak on was none of his business. He walked onto the platform that led into the Passage. This was the largest room within the Castle, a cylindrical room with no clear way how to get from platform to platform. From the walls oozed Darkness that slowed moved down along the edge of the room. Hovering pyramids held glowing crystals to provide light within the room. At the bottom of the room was a doorway leading out to Naught's Approach. The Darkness was flowing through that doorway where it would then disperse into the Darkness that surrounded the Castle.

Xaldin moved to the edge of the top platform and confidently stepped off. Hexagonal shaped energy tiles responded to his presence and a pathway was created down to the next platform. Xaldin quickly walked down the glowing path and passed from one platform to the next as the path curved from landing to landing. When he reached the base of the room and continued on to Naught's Approach. Naught's Approach curved around the outside of the Castle as it made its way down to the Proof of Existence.

He entered the small room for the second time this night and moved to the topmost arch on his right. The symbol below marked the arch as the Freeshooter's. With any luck Xigbar would be there and in a listening mood. Xaldin stepped into the glowing archway and felt himself pulled away from the small room. As he finished his step he found himself in a long room with a balcony at one end and small targets at the other.

The range was empty and the targets were still clean. Xigbar hadn't come by here recently. Xaldin sighed and stepped back through the doorway to the Proof of Existence. This left two other places he could try.

Xaldin called up Darkness and created a portal. He stepped into the energy and thought of Sunset Hill in Twilight Town. There was no incident within the Corridor of Darkness this time, and even the voices were silent. Xaldin stepped out of the portal and looked around the hilltop for any sign of his friend.

Walking toward the railing he noticed the shattered board and sighed. "Well, so much for you being in a good mood, Xig. You better be at the apartment." Xaldin stepped back into the portal and thought this time of the small apartment that he and Xigbar shared occasionally in Dark City.

Xaldin stepped out of the portal and found himself before Memory's Skyscraper. Dark City was the perfect place for the Nobodies and Heartless to reside while in the World that Never Was. Kingdom Hearts hung in the dark sky, shining down on the empty streets with neon signs. The most prominent building within the City was the Skyscraper.

Memory's Skyscraper was covered with neon lights and reached stories above the other buildings around it. It kept watch on the streets of Dark City and provided a beacon for all wandering Heartless and Nobodies, drawing the beings to the center of the city where they would be then sent on the Castle that Never Was. The Castle loomed beyond the Skyscraper, hovering above an abyss of Darkess.

But Xigbar and Xaldin did not reside within the Skyscraper despite its popularity. They lived instead in Fragment Crossing, in one of the more inconspicuous buildings. Their makeshift home was small and quiet, but that was all they wanted when they had come to this world. Even though they had grown apart over the years, the apartment was still a refuge for the two men when it was necessary to spend time away from the ordeals of reality and the Organization. This was the last place Xaldin could check for Xigbar before having to send out a search party of his minion Dusks.

Xaldin entered the dark building quietly, using the spare key that Xigbar had given him. The key was tied to a braided leather cord that Xaldin could grab easily from his pocket. Xaldin closed the door behind him and moved deeper into the apartment. As he walked he flipped light switches and the fluorescent bulbs flickered to life. He made his way through the entryway painted in light gray and into the white kitchen. The tiled floors were clean, but since Xigbar didn't necessarily walk on the floor when he didn't want to this was no indication of whether the man had come through here or not. Xigbar had also repressed his presence so Xaldin could not sense if the man was in the apartment or not.

Xaldin moved to a small silver fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out the leather keychain again. A smaller key swung next to the apartment key. This key he inserted into the fridge lock and turned gently. His eyebrow twitched in irritation as the door opened to reveal nothing inside. He was positive that he had stored some alcohol here the last time he passed through, and he had the only key. Well at least he knew that Xigbar had been here, as no one else would have been able to get to the drinks without breaking open the fridge. And since all the booze was gone, Xigbar couldn't have gone far.

Xaldin closed the door and ventured further into the gray apartment, turning the next hall light on and the light to the living room. Both were devoid of cans, bottles, and Xigbar. He turned back to the hallway and look at the two closed doors. One place left: Xigbar's room. No matter how drunk he got or how rude he could be, Xigbar respected Xaldin's privacy and left his room alone if nothing else. Xaldin moved to the second door and checked the handle. The door was unlocked so Xaldin let himself in. The ceiling light was off but a desk lamp had been plugged in to give the room some light. Xaldin walked to the lamp and removed his gloves.

He tapped the bulb gently, noting that it was too hot to hold. If Xigbar had been by, he had turned the lamp on then. The desk was dusty from neglect and the only clean spot was where a picture frame had once been. Xaldin turned around and looked around the room, eyes moving from the floor to the ceiling until he heard a small hiccup from a dark corner of the room. As he turned his attention to the corner he heard a very drunk Xigbar call out, "How long ya gonna stand der, Shaldin?"

Xaldin walked back to the doorway and hit the light switch, filling the room with white light. Xigbar brought his hand up, or down depending on perspective, to shield his eyes. "What da helld ya do that for?"

"Get down here, I have to talk to you."

"I don wanna." Xigbar placed the sake bottle on the ceiling before him and crossed his arms defiantly. His face was red and he was swaying precariously. He had discarded his coat and was sitting in just his pants with numerous bottles and cans spread around him. He had created a gravitational field around himself to keep the items from falling from the ceiling or spilling the precious liquid.

Xaldin looked his friend in the face and judged from the amount of swaying and slurred talk that Xigbar had consumed most of the alcohol in a very short period of time. "Get your ass down here before I make you come down here."

"I can schee you just fine from 'ere."

"I'm not going to ask you again, Xigbar."

"You're just that snot nosed kid who followed me round, watcha gonna do?" Xigbar suddenly found himself being pushed from the ceiling by a strong breeze and let out a string of curses that were slurred together as he fell the eight feet to the ground. Despite his incapacitating state he had managed to twist in the air and land on the carpet without breaking anything but his pride. Xaldin swept all the bottles together with another breeze and brought them down as well to be placed in the hallway.

"Are you ready to listen now?" Xaldin moved to the bed and sat on the covers. Xigbar managed to rise to a sitting position and lean against the wall, rubbing his now bruised bicep.

"Azshif." Xigbar turned his head to the side and grabbed the picture frame that had fallen with him. "Member when she made us take this in Twilight Town. She was so 'xcited, and sho happy when it was printed an' stuff."

"Xigbar, I need you to listen to me. There's something important I have to tell you."

"You pulled me off da fuckin ceilin'. I don wanna listen." Xigbar tried to stand up and the result was an unspectacular face plant onto the carpet. Xaldin sighed wearily. Xigbar could take hours to sober up after what he had consumed. Leaning forward he looked down at his friend and grunted. Xigbar had passed out.

"Wonderful." Xaldin stood and lifted Xigbar from the floor with his wind. He moved Xigbar to the bed and dumped the comatose man there instead. The only thing he could do now was wait for Xigbar to wake up. In the meanwhile, there was the matter of the empty cans and bottles to be dealt with, as well as the fact that now Xaldin could use a stiff drink. Xaldin dumped the trash in the kitchen and took off to go to another world for a drink. Beside Xigbar's head he left a note: "Stay here till I get back. There's something I've been ordered to tell you. –Xaldin"

Xaldin stepped out of the portal into the dim lamplight of Traverse Town. Traverse Town was close to the barrier between Light and Darkness, similar to Twilight Town, only Traverse Town was cloaked in night. Xaldin passed beneath the yellow glow from a lamp and pulled his hood up. He passed by small groups of people and the occasional wanderer without incident; Traverse Town was a gathering place for all those who had lost their homes. The people here kept their business to themselves and asked no questions.

Xaldin paused next to a small shop, looking into the large front window appraisingly. The crowd inside was relatively small but the bar in the back looked well stocked. Good enough for him. He slipped toward the brown door, passing out of the light from the window to the green neon glow from the sign above the door. He didn't look up, it didn't matter. So long as they kept the drinks coming he didn't care what the place was called.

Xaldin pushed the heavy door open and stepped into the room. He felt the eyes of the patrons turn to him. He kept his hood up as he walked slowly toward the bar, effectively letting the rest of the room know that he wanted to be left alone. He passed through the maze of tables as he scanned the room. His eyes searched all the patrons, of which there were three women sitting at the far back table and seven men in the room not including the bar tender, and came to the conclusion that none of the characters were unusually suspicious. He reached the bar and sat on the leather stool.

"What can I get you?" The tall man walked over as he cleaned a shot glass with a towel.

"Sake, cold."

"Nice choice, I think I have the perfect bottle."

Zaldin watched the bar tender lean beneath the bar. Behind him he heard the door creak open, another visitor coming in from the cold. Xaldin lifted his eyes to the mirror behind the bar and turned quickly.

"Steady there, big guy."

"Axel, what the hell are you doing here?" Xaldin tapped his fingers on the lacquered wood of the counter. The bartender behind him stood and placed a bottle and a small cup before him.

"A guy can't walk into a bar for a drink?" Axel sat down next to Xaldin and waved the bartender away.

"If you ordered a drink then maybe I wouldn't be suspicious, but the last time I checked you told us that you don't drink. Why are you here?" Xaldin poured the sake into the small cup and lifted it to his mouth, sipping the sweet liquid slowly.

"I suppose out of curiosity."

Xaldin looked at the man next to him in the mirror from within his hood. Axel was leaning on his hands, elbows supporting his weight. He was staring into the mirror at Xaldin, face indifferent. Xaldin lowered his cup and stood, placing some munny on the counter for the sake. Grabbing the bottle he turned from the counter and began to walk back through the maze of tables. He heard a stool scrape against the ground behind him. His grip tightened on the bottle and he increased his pace through the tables.

Xaldin ducked through the door and onto the cobbled street. He walked quickly down the street, growling at the footsteps that echoed behind him. He left the large street down a side alley. The light from the street strained to penetrate the shadows of the short path.

"Do you plan on following me around all night?"

Axel paused behind Xaldin, echoed footsteps halting. "Oh don't mind me. Pretend I'm not even here."

"The thing is, you're a hard guy to ignore."

"I'm flattered."

"Don't be. Get lost."

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I'm here?"

"Not anymore. I'm tired, I'm leaving. So stop following me." Xaldin prepared a portal behind him and began backing toward it.

"What makes you think I am following you? I'm not that kind of guy, got it memorized?"

Xaldin crossed his arms and backed into the portal. He stepped out of Darkness into the flickering neon glow of Dark City, sake bottle still in hand. Shortly after emerging he felt a shift of energy on the building behind him. Growling Xaldin spun around and turned his face up. He summoned forth his winds and leapt into the air. Supported by his control over the wind he rose to the rooftop of the building, six lances spinning around him and reflecting the light of the neon signs below. The sound of the wind was a roar in his ears as he lifted above the building and looked down on the smirking face of Axel.

"Someone's tense, wouldn't you agree Xaldin?"

"Give me one good reason to not rip you apart right now."

"Well, for one you can't. But let me give you a better reason, so just calm down up there. I'm just looking for Xigbar is all. Since I don't feel like searching myself, I figure following you is the next best thing. I'm betting that you know where he is right now."

"Who put you up to this?"

"No idea what you're talking about. I'm just a nosy guy. Is it a crime to be nosy?"

"Stalking is a crime, yes. So I'll tell you for the last time, stop following me. You can talk to Number II in the morning." Xaldin watched Axel shrug with a sigh.

"I'll hold you to that." Axel saluted with a smirk and stepped into a portal. Xaldin scrubbed his face with his hand and lowered himself to the roof, dismissing the wind and the lances. All he wanted was a quiet evening.