(AN: Hey guys! As usual, I own nothing! Nothing but the plot that is. Hope you enjoy!)
Axel sighed as he walked through the streets of Hoshido. It had been about a month since he had discovered Zexion's homeworld. Since he arrived a month ago, he had been doing all that was necessary to get an audience with the queen, which was so much easier said than done. Though his first attempts at entry to the world had been blocked, a world as vast as this had meant weaknesses in the protective shield that surrounded it. So he had made his way in without too much trouble.
Registering documents, background checks, forging an entire life to talk with Queen Hinoka. Axel had learned that in this part of Dragon's Gate, the kingdom of Hoshido had fallen to Nohr, by this "Lady Corrin's" blade. Though there had been a peaceful resolution, Axel was good at convincing people. If he could get the queen's help in ousting Zexion, then things would go well for him. Saix and the others had helped him establish his false identity as a mercenary.
He pulled out a letter Saix had sent him earlier from his pocket. Flicking it open, he scanned it without too much care. The experiments Xemnas had done resulted in failure, but such was to be expected. Saix himself was currently recruiting for the Organization. Pyrrha had finally woken up, and Tracer had already beaten up Xigbar for hitting on her.
Axel smirked as he read that. It reminded him of the old days of the Organization. Crazy things happened, adventures and fun memories. The smirk slowly faded as he thought back. Seeing Roxas and Xion together, eating ice cream… he remembered a term Zexion himself had used. It had been the day Roxas and Xion had started their relationship, after Zexion had convinced Xemnas not to dusk them.
Zexion had said that Axel was like a sort of father or older brother to the keybearers. Reluctantly, albeit, but he still was. A Reluctant Father, that's what he was to them. But now Zexion has wrested them from him, and taken others that were allies.
Axel was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when he bumped into a girl, maybe a few years younger than him, with long blonde pigtails, and a black dress. "Sorry about that." Axel said, embarrassed.
"It's alright!" Elise said, taking Axel's hand to get up. Two older people came up behind her. The first was a hulking knight, her armor pink. The second was a man that Axel could only describe as what anyone would picture if they were asked to picture a hero.
"Lady Elise, did that man harm you? Are you alright?" The knight asked.
"If he did, never fear, my axe will deliver swift justice!" The hero cried.
"...I'm fine you two. It was just an accident. Elise, Arthur, I'd like you to meet… uh, what was your name again?"
"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" Axel said, his grin returning.
"Yup! I'm Princess Elise of Nohr! These are my retainers, Effie and Arthur. We're heading up to the castle." Elise replied.
"Oh, I apologize for the disrespect, Princess. I didn't know." Axel said with a bow.
"Oh, it's fine." Elise said. "What are you up to?"
"Oh, I'm actually a mercenary. I was looking for work, or at least someone to spar with. I get bored when I don't have work." Axel said with a smile. A plan was quickly forming in his head.
"You like sparring, huh?" Elise said with a confident smile. "We have a bit of time. Why not come with us? Castle Shirasagi had the perfect place!"
"Really? Well there's an offer I just can't refuse." Axel said.
"Really? Yay! Come on now, let's go." Elise said with a huge smile. Effie and Arthur eyed Axel warily for a moment, before nodding, and the four people left for the castle.
**************************LOCATION UNKNOWN*******************
Marluxia was the first to wake up. He shook his head faintly as he sat up. He looked around, seeing that he was no longer a mantis. He was his old self again. Still a nobody, but human. He saw the unconscious forms of his companions, Vexen, Lexaeus, Luxord, and the keybearers, somehow holding each other's hands again.
The six nobodies had followed the massive heartless swarm that filled the sleeping copy of Pride Lands. They had fought and fought, defeating countless enemies until they were forced up Pride Rock. There, everyone combines their limit breaks, which somehow tore open reality, sucking them all to wherever they were now. Marluxia wondered now where it was they were. But before he could investigate, he needed to rouse the others.
Going to the Keybearers first, he shook their shoulders simultaneously to wake them. They slowly opened their eyes. "Wake up you two. We made it out, but I don't know where we are."
The two keybearers nodded as Marluxia turned to the other three, repeating the same message. As the nobodies all got to their feet, groaning slightly, Marluxia tried to orient himself. The place they were in looked familiar to him. Too familiar. In fact, by the time Marluxia and the others were all to their feet, Marluxia thought recognized the design of Castle Oblivion, except it was all black, instead of white.
"Is it just me… or are we in Castle Oblivion…? Except it's black." Roxas wondered aloud.
"How observant of you." Vexen snapped. "But you appear to be correct. The question you should be asking is why?"
"Why ask questions we cannot yet answer?" Was Lexaeus's curt reply. "If we're here, we may as well look around. Let's head up to the thirteenth floor. Someone open a Dark Corridor."
Luxord nodded, and cast out his arm as if to make one. Yet nothing happened. He looked to Vexen to help, but Vexen was running into the same issue. Lexaeus and Marluxia also failed, and. It even the Keybearers couldn't muster a sliver of the darkness.
"What… what is happening?" Luxord asked, grimacing.
"Well, it's simple." Came a familiar voice. A Dark Corridor signaled the entrance of the short blonde-haired girl known as Namine, wearing an Organization cloak. "You're not really in Castle Oblivion."
A chorus of disbelieving sounds followed Namine's entrance to the room. Marluxia was the first to find his voice again.
"Namine?! What do you mean?" He managed.
"Well, this is like Castle Oblivion… however, I modified it. I call this place… Forever Fortress." Namine said, spreading her arms in a very Xemnas-like manner. "You can't Dark Corridor because I don't want you to. And because, this place isn't exactly real." Namine said.
"Namine…? What… what are you talking about?" Xion's voice betrayed what sounded like fear in her voice.
"You escaped from the dream world version of Pride Lands. However, this world is more like a memory. A memory of my own creation. Like Castle Oblivion, it's built from memories. The memories of all of you." Namine said.
"So will you assist us? A game partner would be quite welcome, especially when we don't know the rules…" Luxord said.
"Ah, yes. That would help. But that is not my job. I must help Sora wake up. And I need the memories inside Roxas and Xion. And the only way is by eliminating them." Namine said, summoning True Memory.
"If you think I've endured these five for this long to let you take them, you're sorely mistaken!" Vexen shouted, summoning Frozen Pride.
"If you are threatening them, you threaten us. And the chips will not fall in your favor." Luxord added, Fair Game floating around him.
"I will not yield to the nobody that caused all this trouble." Lexaeus supplied, hefting Skysplitter.
"We won't go down without a fight!" The keybearers added in unison, Oathkeeper and Oblivion ready.
"I do not wish to fight you. But should you continue on this path… I shall." Marluxia stated, Graceful Dalilah coming to hand.
"...Very well. If that's how you want it…" Namine said. She took a card, and threw it at Marluxia, who caught it. "Proceed through your memories. If you survive, I'll see you up top." Namine said, as she teleported away.
The six nobodies exchanged glances. "What do we do now?" Roxas asked.
"We proceed." Was Marluxia's response, as he and the others approached the large black door.
****************************CASTLE KRAKENBERG******************
That night, Corrin found Zexion standing out on a balcony, staring up at the night sky, lost in thought.
"The Nohrian nights have always been famous for how enchanting they are." Corrin said, approaching.
"I know." Zexion said. He was unsurprised at Corrin's entrance. "I nearly forgot while I was away. But most nights I come out here to see them."
"Yeah. You know Zexion, you are allowed to relax sometimes. I know you try to plan for everything, but it isn't possible." Corrin said, standing beside him.
"But something as major as Roxas and Xion vanishing from this very castle? Whoever did it was masterful. They got in without being spotted, and out with both of them somehow." Zexion said, staring out over the balcony. "But that should be impossible. There must have been something else…"
"I don't know…" Corrin said. "Maybe Namine had something to do with it. She's a memory witch after all… maybe she has some powers we don't know of, using them to draw their bodies out of here."
"That is true. The extent of Namine's powers are unknown…" Zexion sighed. He felt Corrin's hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Thank you."
"Of course! I have to try something to make you relax. I don't want you to hurt yourself through overwork." Corrin said. "Also, Elise arrived safely in Hoshido, and is in Castle Shirasagi. She said she already met a bunch of friends to bring up to the castle." She laughed. "I swear Elise can't go anywhere without making friends."
"She does have some form of boundless energy. Whether in battle, or on the street, she always has a smile on her face." Zexion added. "I'm suppose I'm glad in some form that Elise can relax here, without the Organization's interference." Zexion continued.
"Yeah, me too. I was hoping when you finally returned we could just spend some time relaxing and all, but you're always on some mission it seems." Corrin replied. "But I don't mind. I dragged you on plenty during the Hoshido campaign."
"Well, I'm glad to have you here now, Corrin." Zexion said.
"I'm glad you're back. But…" A smile creeped onto her face. "As order of me, a Princess of Nohr, I order you to get some rest!"
"I… what? Hey!" Zexion was taken by surprise as Corrin lifted him up, and carried him back to his room, Corrin chuckling all the way.
***************************LOCATION UNKNOWN********************
Saix walked slowly into the new world. It was a world that he discovered a few days ago, and had been doing recon in now since. It was a small town, surrounded by large woods that as he discovered, were home to countless mystical creatures. Heartless were among them, and he had been defeating them whenever they ran into him.
He hadn't cared to learn the name of the town yet. He had stuck mostly to the woods, merely observing the town, but today he pretended to blend in as he strolled into the town, his hood down, his black coat still on.
His target actually was out of town, but he thought he may as well observe the town. He drew few stares from the locals, but was mostly ignored. This was a good thing, he supposed. Either way, the blue haired man made his way throughout the town. He had sensed the downfall of at least one powerful heart recently. So now he went to recruit them. As he walked along the forest road, Saix wondered how Axel was.
Axel had said it may be a while before he went before Queen Hinoka in his last letter, so recruiting needed to be stepped up. They were nine now, so completing their ranks was the top priority now.
Saix approached a clearing with a broken-down looking building. The words "MYSTERY HACK" were nailed to the sign on the roof, though Saix knew by the weathering that an S used to come before the H in the sign. He ascended the steps, and knocked loudly on the door.
A teenage boy answered the door, tall with short brown hair, and wearing a faded baseball-like cap with a pine tree on it. "Hi." The boy said. "Listen, I'm sorry if you came out here for a tour, but the Mystery Shack is closed right now."
"I didn't come for a tour, actually." Saix said. "I came to talk with you." The boy looked skeptical.
"And why should I trust you?"
"You have no reason to. But I come asking for your help. I ask for you to at least hear me out." Saix said.
"...Very well. You can come in." The boy stepped aside, allowing him in. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack, tourist trap of Gravity Falls."
(AN: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter of The Brewing Storm! If you did, make sure to favorite, follow, and share with everyone you know and love. Also, please send thoughts, questions, and criticisms to me in a review or PM. Until next time!)