Chapter 7
Sorry this chapter took -a lot- longer to post than I thought. I just kept thinking of stuff to add or changing scenes altogether….hehe…^^' . On the bright side, this chapter is longer than I originally planned!
-I don't know if this will send a duplicate Email to anyone who subscribed, but if it does...sorry. I needed to fix the couple of mistakes I just found (though I'm sure there's more). My eye began twitching melodramatically. Nothing about this chapter changed except for some grammar/spelling issues.
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Xenalor silently followed Axel through the hallways. He agreed to show her the sitting room only because that was his destination in the first place. The awkward feeling in the atmosphere was thick enough to be considered suffocating. Axel didn't seem to notice the tension, though Xenalor was sure it was simply an act. Not even a male could be that blind to their surroundings.
She frowned. Where did that sort of saying come from? Was it something that Lenora would have thought? It was a bitter sense of humor at best.
"This is the room we're going to be in tonight." Axel interrupted her thoughts, gesturing with false bravo at a large door that rose to the ceiling. "Memorize it if you want to watch the film tonight."
Xenalor nodded and stared at the door with ferocious intensity, burning the image into her retinas. Watching with his arms folded across his chest, Axel smirked.
"More than one door looks like this, you know."
She dropped her gaze, unwilling to show her embarrassment. The fatal tumble from moments earlier left a creeping sensation along her spine. He surprised her by not making any wisecracks about it at her expense, though she supposed that was simply because he was trying as hard as she was to forget it. He wordlessly held the door open for her, just wide enough for her to view the other side.
The room was currently empty, but it was by far one of the coziest rooms in the castle. Remnants of a past occupant lingered, a half-eaten bag of potato chips on a large coffee table served as the evidence. Plush furnishings were scattered around the room. A large entertainment center served as the main focal point, impossible to escape notice. Though it was still mostly lacking in color like the rest of the castle, it reminded Xenalor of the library. Both rooms radiated the most warmth.
Axel followed her gaze. "There, now you can just portal right inside." He stated matter-of-factly. She could hear the amusement of his voice as he added, "Saïx isn't going to be happy about that mess."
"I'm not." Another voice said flatly from behind them, causing Xenalor to jump violently.
Axel stiffened beside her in surprise, but quickly regained his composure. "Hey Saïx," He greeted familiarly. "Do you have to pop out like that all the time?"
Saïx ignored the question. "Who left the mess this time?" He asked, a trace of annoyance in his voice. "Was it Xigbar again? Or perhaps Luxord?"
"Dunno, we just got here." Axel shrugged. "You coming down for the movie tonight?"
Saïx stared fixedly at him with a cold, cynical gaze. "What do you think?" He questioned in return before continuing on his way.
Xenalor looked up to find her ex-mentor smirking to himself as he watched Saïx's retreating figure. The poisonous gleam in his eyes caught her off guard and she watched his face unabashedly. She didn't need three tries to guess that his invitation was anything but inviting. Despite how she knew she should react, his open hostility did peak her interest.
Not many seemed to like Saïx, but no one went out their way to annoy him either. Though he was only Number VII, he held a lot of power: a fact proved by him being the one to allocate the missions. Xenalor had yet to hear another member talk back to him. Even Vexen, a proud higher-ranking member, regarded him with respect. The only rude remarks made were from behind Saïx's back-safely out of his hearing range.
Axel tore his gaze from Saïx's back and noticed Xenalor watching him intently.
"What?" He asked, sounding slightly defensive.
She shook her head. "Nothing." She forced a small smile in response to his guarded expression. "I was just wondering if there were any other interesting rooms, besides here and the library."
Accepting the hasty lie, Axel scratched the back of his head. "Well," He began, unsure how to reply. "There is a training room."
"Training room." Xenalor repeated to herself. It certainly didn't sound like fun to her, but it could be useful.
"It's getting late," He stated brusquely, walking past her into the room. He stretched out on a couch with his hands folded beneath his head. "Why don't you ask Demyx to show you?"
"Sure." Xenalor mumbled and walked away. Not that she would, she decided adamantly. She didn't regard Demyx highly at the moment.
That's unfair, she argued with herself. She agreed to the vague bet as much as he did. Her upcoming mission was only the mere consequence of underestimating his agility due to his size. Not that Demyx was particularly large, but Xenalor did impulsively think of herself as the more nimble one.
She pursed her lips, thinking disapprovingly of her own assumptions. It was compensation, perhaps, for knowing she was a horrid fighter. She believed she paled in comparison to the others she had seen. Her element of sound, her stronger attribute, always fell a step behind in battle.
Still, she couldn't help but refuse to ask Demyx for help. Instead, she flicked her wrist casually and made a portal. With any luck, she could squeeze in a nap before her next meal. Stepping through the awaiting swirl of darkness, she headed to the bleak bedroom on the other side.
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Axel yawned and stretched his tall, lean body to its fullest length on the couch. He gave an ungraceful grunt of satisfaction and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. Deep dreamless sleep-something too rare as of late. Any moment now, his mind would slip into an unconscious state. Sink into a realm where time held no meaning.
Engrossed in the image of his eyelid, he didn't hear a portal opening nearby.
"Wake up. You're in my seat." An accented voice said impatiently.
Axel didn't need to open his eyes to know who was speaking. "Just get a different seat Luxord. I got here first."
Luxord emitted a heavy sigh and the sound of rustling plastic came from right next to Axel's ear.
"What do you call this, eh?" Luxord asked, thoroughly peeved. "It's my bag of crisps. I was here first, mate."
Knowing he already lost the battle to fall asleep in spite of Luxord's presence, Axel slowly opened his eyes to narrow slits. Luxord's face leered down at him from above. The bag of 'crisps' could be seen just at the edge of Axel's field of vision.
"Why can't you just sit somewhere else to eat the damn chips?" Axel demanded.
"Don't act like a cranky tot." Luxord admonished, rolling his eyes. Speaking in a condescending tone, he added, "This seat is right in front of the table. I need it if I'm going to play a card game."
Axel scoffed. A card game. How typical. He should have guessed that from the start, given that he was arguing with Luxord.
"Whatever." He rolled off the couch and slouched away. The peaceful time for sleeping had passed. He was wide-awake whether he wanted to be or not.
Behind him, Luxord merely shuffled his cards and laid them out on the table. Probably to play solitaire, Axel concluded with distaste. It seemed like something the old prick would fight for the right to play. The door to the room shut with more force than necessary before Axel trailed down the hall at a snail's pace.
He sighed, fully aware that he would spend the rest of his day awake. Awake and undoubtedly sulking in boredom. He racked his brains for what he wanted to do, and only one option came to mind. An option he had been trying to avoid in this entire resurrected, heartless life. He just wanted to eat ice cream under the red glare of the setting sun.
Though he knew better-any dose of logic screamed the reality of the present situation-he wanted to see him there. Eating ice cream with that distant look he always wore until he caught sight of Axel. Then, Roxas would break into a smile forgetting whatever it was he had been thinking only seconds before.
"You're late."
Axel smiled, recalling the dozens of similar greetings. "No, you're just early."
He was glad for Roxas, even a little envious if it were possible. Part of him was unable to deny that he admired Roxas for his decision and the willpower to carry it out till the end.
Within minutes, he sat on the ledge of the clock tower, out of sight from the civilians mingling below. He looked remotely at the red sunset, gnawing his icecream without passion. It was oddly tasteless today.
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A loud knock on the door brought Xenalor back to consciousness. She groaned and rolled on to her stomach, burying her face in the pillow.
"Xenalor, its show time!" Demyx's voice called from the other side of the door.
That's right, Xenalor remembered with a jolt. She must have slept longer than she thought.
"One second." She called groggily.
She rolled off the bed and stumbled to the door, quickly raking a hand through her hair. Opening the door, she saw Demyx waiting politely. He smiled when she answered.
"I figured we should be early to get good seats. You don't want to end up on the floor, especially in front of Xigbar. It sucks being his footrest-trust me."
"I can believe that." Xenalor said with a small laugh. "Thanks for telling me. I probably would have been his stuck under his feet by the time I rolled out of bed."
"Sure," He patted her arm jovially. "What are friends for?"
Though Xenalor still wasn't happy about the mission with Axel, she couldn't bring herself to harbor a grudge against Demyx. The angers she 'felt' were hollow, but she suspected that he would be hard to stay angry at; even with a heart.
"Can I make the portal?" Xenalor asked.
"Yeah, sure thing. You know where it is?"
She nodded and focused on the inside of the room, enveloping the two of them in darkness. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Axel was already there, along with Larxene and Luxord. She was even surprised to find Zexion and Xaldin, though the two were away from the others who sat around a pile of discs.
"Here's one-" Larxene waved a disc above her head.
Catching a look at the cover, Luxord immediately objected. "No way." He said flatly. "We're not watching some torture-"
"It's not a torture film. It's a hack and slash." Larxene contradicted. "It's pretty funny too. The characters are all idiots-"
"No." A chorus of voices interrupted forcefully.
"Fine," Unperturbed, she tossed the rejected movie aside and dug through the pile again.
"How about this one?" Axel suggested, flashing the disc at the group.
"No racing movies. Those are boring." Larxene interjected, much to Axel's displeasure.
Demyx silently led Xenalor past the squabbling group to the center couch. He practically bounced with joy after they took a seat.
"I never get first pick." He explained animatedly. "This is great!"
After a while, more members showed up. Some immediately took part of choosing the movie while others were more concerned about the seating arrangement. In the end, the room had Xigbar, Xaldin, Zexion, Axel, Demyx, Xenalor, Larxene, Luxord and Marluxia crammed side-by-side. The number of arguments for seating arrangements was remarkably minute. Apparently "first come, first serve" was a generally accepted rule. A rule that excluded Xigbar, who managed to hold a seat on the couch by Demyx. The member most vocal about the rule's biased flexibility was Luxord, who promptly received a painful kick in the side when Xigbar's foot 'slipped.'
The movie itself wasn't bad for a typical action flick. Even though Xenalor felt she could have been just as happy sleeping, the snacks made it worthwhile. During some of the slower parts in the movie, she and Demyx silently exchanged little candies. Axel surprised her as well, by offering a piece of chocolate in exchange for a sour hard candy. She didn't question his begrudging change of attitude; she was too relieved to get rid of the nasty thing.
After the movie, there wasn't much reason to stay once each person's own mess was clean. The room began to disperse soon afterward and Xenalor said goodnight to Demyx.
Before she could leave, Saïx strode in to the room.
"Axel, Xenalor," He motioned the two over. "I've been informed that Xenalor will accompany you on your mission?" He looked at Axel over his clipboard.
"I don't think it's a good idea." Axel replied, trying to sound casual.
Saïx watched him steadily. "That is a yes, I assume?"
Axel's mouth clamped shut. "Yes," He answered finally, barely moving his lips as he spoke.
"Excellent." Saïx murmured, marking something on the board in front of him. "It begins tomorrow. We'll combine her training with your mission and make it into one mission. I should have thought of that before." Xenalor was sure he explained this with the full knowledge that Axel's lip would curl dangerously. "Her abilities with her weapon had better be markedly improved. Then she will be taken off your hands."
With that said, he left. Axel tore his eyes from the empty spot and looked down at Xenalor, his expression now unreadable.
"Rest up while you can, you're going to work your ass off tomorrow."
"Right." Xenalor confirmed to thin air after he left without a second to waste.
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The next morning, Axel found Xenalor already waiting in the lobby. Ignoring her, he walked over to Saïx who promptly held out a small cue card. "The two of you will need to write daily reports as the mission progresses."
"What do you mean, as it progresses?" Axel asked, dreading the inevitable answer.
Saïx raised his brow. "You expect the trainee to take out a large heartless right away? When she's able, the two of you will take it out together. It will be a good experience for her to battle something that isn't child's-play."
Axel nodded curtly and went to retrieve Xenalor. A portal ripped open beside him.
"Time to go. Anything you need before we head out?"
She shook her head and followed him through the corridor. She didn't look around the city with much interest, he noticed. She probably already saw the area when she raced Demyx.
"Let's start by laying down the ground rules, shall we?" Axel summoned his chakrams and absentmindedly twirled them by his side. Xenalor watched his weapons wearily as they dangled expertly from his fingertips
"Not going to be much of a fight today." He promised with a smirk, walking backwards to create a gap between them. "Rule one: You can't use your element-no matter what. Rule two: You have to fight back. Rule three: Break a rule and your personal safety is not guaranteed."
He looked up at her with a lazy smile. "Any questions?"
The girl briefly shook her head and Axel sank into a defensive crouch. She slowly raised her hands in front of her, her face contorted with concentration. Darkness briefly swirled in the palm of each hand, snaking out to a thin line before it evaporated. Axel narrowed his eyes, waiting for the weapon to appear. A moment of silence passed.
Growing impatient, he called out, "I thought you said you could use your weapon."
She looked at him blankly. "I am."
Axel stared incredulously at her empty palms, still foolishly hanging in the air. Before he could make a snarky comment, she spoke again.
"Listen."
Staying quiet, Axel listened. Sure enough, he could make out a faint noise not unlike windmill blades. What threads of patience he had left snapped.
"We agreed on weapons only," He growled. "Just remember-you're the one who broke the rules!" With that, he lunged forward. His chakram positioned before him to strike at close range.
Xenalor moved her hands and sidestepped Axel, thrusting at him with her fist. Her fist glazed over the top of his arm before he dodged further out of her reach.
"You missed." He stated simply, repositioning his chakrams.
She didn't move. "Look at your arm." She told him with a serious face.
"Like I'm going to fall for that." He sneered, advancing forward.
"Wait-" Her panicked plea was cut off abruptly with a swift kick to the stomach.
Axel lowered his weapon and walked over to her. His shadow loomed over the sprawled figure that was gasping for air. Given that they were talking, it was somewhat understandable that she didn't react in time to block his kick. Nevertheless, she should've had enough common sense to at least tighten her muscles when she was in such close range to a hostile enemy.
"Here's a tip," He began, watching her slowly get her breath back, "Don't expect mercy-not even from the Organization. Hell, especially not from the Organization."
Xenalor sat up and glared desperately at him with a stubborn expression. "Your coat." She managed, still winded.
He watched her perfectly resolute face in disbelief. Keeping her safely in his line of vision, he examined his sleeve. Sure enough, there was a small tear in the coat. Something small and sharp missed its mark. He looked back at her suspiciously.
"How did you do that?"
She raised her hands by her head again, darkness once more forming around her palm. Up close, Axel saw that it wasn't her palm so much as it was an elaborate loop around her middle finger. The familiar windmill sound could be faintly heard once again. Axel watched with interest. Being near to her, he could see light reflecting off a small pole that rotated with inhuman speed.
Xenalor closed her hands, grasping a small, thin pole in each one.
"These," she held both silver sticks up to his face, "are my weapons. Emeici." She added helpfully, to his still-confused look.
The ends of one stick ended in small replicas of the Nobody's insignia. The other came to an even finer point and was quite plain, like a double-ended ice pick. Neither weapon boasted decoration or color, but they looked efficient enough. He could see a small silver ring around her middle fingers that connected to the sticks.
Recovering from his surprise, Axel regarded them coolly. "Handy."
"Sometimes." She conceded, letting them disappear from her grasp. "The spinning has little combative purpose other than to confuse the enemy. The piercing can be fatal…if I hit my mark."
That, Axel noted, was the problem. She tried as hard as she could to hit him and barely even sliced his clothing. She should've had the upper hand as well, considering her weapon was as good as concealed.
She pressed on, either not noticing or not caring about the judgments going through her mentor's mind. "I like the sound it makes though. It's useful for me if I combine it with my element."
"Two in one." Axel mused. He scratched the side of his head and stepped back to give her some room to stand. "You've got potential at the very least. But you can't rely on your element alone."
Xenalor watched him in some surprise, an expectant look on her face. Too late, Axel realized the compliment sounded uncharacteristically sincere. Finding her stare unnerving, he turned and walked back to his starting position.
"Are you expecting a doggy treat?" He called over his shoulder. "'Cause you're not getting one. Not until you roll over and play dead."
He smirked at the low 'humph' he got in return.
He pivoted swiftly, facing her. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. For once, she portrayed a desire to fight. To win. Knowing this attitude was what she needed to progress, he gave her a wide smile.
"Now that's more like it!"
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Emeici are Chinese martial arts' weapons in case anyone was wondering. (you tube it…they look pretty cool.) If I got anything about them wrong, feel free to correct me.