A/N: Hello. It's me again, bringing part 2 this time. I decided to post two chapters yet again. Why? It's just so happened that I had two chapters completed when I went to add this one. Sorry, if there's any mistakes. Anyway, enjoy.

CHAPTER 9

:The Escape, Part 2:

-FLASHBACK-

"Master Dimitri," Alana said.

He looked at the stairs and saw his apprentice sitting there. She was suppose to be sleeping. Tomorrow, he was going to train her and improve her fighting skills. They were going to start extremely early and he had told her to go to bed two hours ago. Yet she was up and wide awake. "Did you have a nightmare?" He asked her.

Alana shook her head. "I'm fifteen. Nightmares are for little kids. I just have a question."

"What is it?"

Alana stood and walked down the rest of the stairs, her left hand trailing down the railing. She hopped over the last step and landed silently. Then she came to the living room area and sat next to the fire. "You told me that I was to lock my emotions away."

"You misunderstood. I said that you need barriers around you heart to protect you from the Heartless. The first barrier will lock away your fear. The second one will lock away your love. The third one happiness, the fourth one pain, the fifth one anxiety, and the six one anger."

Alana focused on the intensity of the flames as she spoke. "So I'll end up being some unemotional person?"

"It's best to be unemotional. You can't feel anything. There's no anxiety, no worry—it's only you and yourself. This will help you when you come in contact with Heartless. They would have trouble stealing your heart. Because if they do succeed in doing so, the outcome could be devastating."

-END FLASHBACK-

Alana felt the ice creeping up her legs. Somehow, Vexen, the Chilly Academic, had decided to get involved. Probably because he realized that her strength had returned and it was taking too long to bring her down. Alana tried to break free but it had already engulfed her arms. She gasped when the ice reached her neck.

Larxene looked back at Vexen, slightly infuriated. "I could've handled her," she muttered. She clutched her side, surprised that blood was trickling between her fingers and under her palm.

"If that was the case, you wouldn't have been overpowered." Before Vexen had intervened, Larxene had been fighting Alana, who was surprisingly holding her own. Pretty soon, Larxene had stopped using her throwing knives and started to use lightning instead. However, Alana had dodged the bolts and gave her direct blow to her side with her staff's blade. Vexen eyed the Savage Nymph, seeing the result.

The ice shattered and Alana fell onto the floor in a shivering heap. She looked up at Vexen with despised in her eyes. "Bastard," she said. She pushed herself off the ground and onto her feet. I should have known it wouldn't be one-on-one.

Vexen summoned his large, blue shield. Alana ran forward and struck at him with her staff. Vexen blocked the frontal attack with ease. Alana tried again and he blocked once more. The whole process was becoming frustrating. All her frontal attacks were being deflected and she couldn't get a hit in.

She attack the shield again before jumping over his head. She attacked while his back was facing her. But her attacked was parried with an icicle popped out the ground. Another came directly under her and she was forced to move back. More came out after her and soon she backed herself into a corner. Vexen smirked. Icicles shot up at an angle and made a containment cell with the wall.

The door to the lab opened and Zexion walked in. His blue eyes darted to the icicles against the wall. He knew that the girl was on the other side, trapped like a mouse. "What's going on?" He asked.

Larxene finally got off the ground and leaned against a table. She was still bleeding. "Axel tried to escape with our prize. Thanks to Marluxia, we delayed them and got her back."

Zexion glanced over his shoulder and said, "You heard that, Xigbar?"

Number Two walked into the room. "Who would have thought one of the older members would try to turn against us? Then again," he added, shrugging his shoulders. "Traitors must be eliminated."

Damn it, Alana thought as she pounded the icicles. If only there was a way out, I could help Axel. She allowed her staff to disappear----she doubted it was any use to her now----and slid against the wall till she was on the floor. They might actually destroy him and that makes me kind of sad. Axel . . . it's best if you escape without me. They wouldn't harm me. They'll let me live a bit longer till my purpose is gone. But you---

"Naminé!" Larxene cried, catching Alana's attention. Alana looked up and saw the blonde girl in her white dress. Her blue eyes were darting across the room until they landed on the icicles.

"Oh no!" Naminé said in a fake shocked voice. "How did Alana end up in the far right corner of the lab?!"

"What are you doing out of your room?" Larxene asked. "You're helping Axel, too? I already know about Demyx and without a doubt, Roxas are involved. So don't tell me that you're part of their plan." Naminé shook her head and glanced at the icicles.

Alana raised an eyebrow when a portal appeared next to her. Roxas stuck his head out and waved for her to come. Alana looked at Naminé and then at Roxas. She must have told him where to find her. Just now. When she said that line in that ridiculously horrendous acting voice.

She heard Zexion said, "Roxas' scent is in the room . . . Break the icicles now! He's trying to rescue her."

Alana went through the portal without hesitation. By the time Vexen got rid of the ice wall, no one was there.


Axel finally felt the effects of fatigue while Marluxia looked like he had never lifted a finger. Axel thought about it and realized that he had been exerting himself the most. He felt like an idiot for doing so. He saw the flames around him dying out and cursed under his breath as he eyed the pink floral lasers floating around.

Marluxia smirked as he walked up to Axel. "This is it," he said. "Your demise."

Axel held his chakram away from his body. "Not yet." With each word, he threw his chakram at Marluxia. He missed and they came back to him. Marluxia charged at Axel with his scythe raised in the air. Axel ran forward and the lasers fired. He stopped short and leaned back when Marluxia swiped at him. Axel's chakram caught on fire and he threw them like they were yo-yos. Marluxia jumped back, refusing to be injured.

"I thought you said you're going to kill me!" Axel as he jumped in the air and came back down. His chakram hit the ground, creating another firewall. He stood up and glanced at the flames he had encased them in. I doubt they'll last until the end of the battle.

"Again with the flames, Axel? You're starting to bore me!" Marluxia said, raising his hand up and releasing an attack of deadly flower petals.

Axel braced himself, feeling the petals cutting through the cloak and making tiny cuts on his arms. "Look who's talking!" When the attack stopped, his brought his arms away from his face. He moved toward him and Marluxia did the same. They moved with lightning speed and passed each other. Neither of them moved for a second. Marluxia remained low to the ground, his scythe still extended outward. Axel held his chakram away from his body.

Marluxia looked back out the corner of his eye. "What's wrong Axel? You can't move?"

Axel saw the blood seeping through his cloak and allowed one of his weapons to disappear. He touched the wound and saw too much of the red fluid on his hand. He glanced back at the Graceful Assassin. He was ready for the last attack.

Marluxia smirked. "You were right, Axel. Now it's your demise."

Before he could kill Axel, a blast of bubbles hit him off the platform and out of sight. The redhead glanced at his right and saw Demyx. The Melodious Nocturne was holding his sitar with one hand and rubbing his head with the other.

"I have a killer headache," he said to himself. His attention switched to Axel. "So, how long have I been out for? And how did that happen to you? And where's Alana?"

"I have no clue," Axel muttered. "If I knew where to look, I'd go find her."

"She could be with Larxene," Demyx said.

"Do you know where Larxene is?"

"I got no freakin' idea."

A dark hole appeared behind Demyx and he backed away. "Oh, not another enemy. I thought Marluxia was bad enough! If it's that crazy bitch Larxene, I'm running away!"

"That's no surprise," Axel muttered. "Considering the countless times you ran away from battle." Still gripping his wound, he prepared himself to through his chakram. Whatever Organization member stepped through that portal, he would try to kill them.

Someone stepped through and Axel relaxed. It was Alana. He met her slate eyes and he felt as close to happy as he could come. She was fine, she was alive, she was back with him. Before he could ask what had happened to her, Demyx grabbed the girl and embraced her.

"You're alright!" He exclaimed. He picked her up and spun her around out of his hyper excitement. "See, Axel, nothing to worry about! She's fine!" He placed the girl back on the ground and held her by the shoulders. "So, how did you do that? Only a member of the Organization could have . . ." His voice trailed off when he saw another person coming out of the portal: Roxas. It closed behind the fifteen-year-old immediately.

Roxas had a serious expression on his face, probably because their mission wasn't completed yet. "Hey Axel, Demyx. I see you two are fine . . ." He glanced at Axel's injury. "For the most part."

"Don't worry about it," Axel said, glancing down at it himself then meeting Alana's inquisitive eyes. "It's not as bad as it looks."

They heard a rumbling sound and saw a giant Nobody, the symbol on its head. To Alana, it resembled the armor that knights wore in her childhood stories. There was some key differences though. Instead of having hands, it had giant scythes in its place. There was a giant flower coming out from the top of the helmet. Marluxia stood in front of the flower.

"I was hoping he would be dead," Demyx said, a slight whiny tone coming into his voice.

Roxas had keyblades out already. He looked back at Alana and Axel. "I guess you two should be going now."

Axel nodded and made a portal. "Come on, Alana." Although those were his words, he didn't want to leave the others right away.

Alana didn't stir yet. She was looking at Demyx and Roxas, anxiety written on her face. "We can't just let you stay here. They'll---"

Roxas closed his blue eyes before opening them and glancing back at her. He had a small smile on his face. "We'll see you two soon."

Alana looked at him hopelessly. ". . . Right."

Axel grabbed Alana's arm and led her to the portal. "Later, Roxas., Demyx," he called over his shoulder. Alana allowed Axel to pull her into the portal and waved goodbye to the two blondes. She realized that she would miss those two dearly.

"No!" The armor nobody came after them but Demyx strummed his guitar. A giant geyser, knocked the thing and derailed it from its path. Marluxia saw when the portal disappeared and let out a scream of anger.

At that moment, seven portals appeared and seven members walked out of them. Vexen, Xaldin, Xigbar, Lexaeus, Luxord, Zexion, and Saix were all there. The only two that were absent was Larxene, because of her injury, and Xemnas, for unknown reasons.

Roxas and Demyx were back-to-back, ready to defend themselves. Both were nervous that they were not going to get out of this one easy. The only words that were in their heads kept repeating themselves. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

"Go down fighting?" Demyx asked, grinning from nervousness.

Despite the grin on his face, Roxas furrowed his eyebrows. "Is there really any other choice?"


The moment Alana stepped out of the portal, she felt the coldness of the wind hit her. They were in a forest. All the trees were bare except for the tall evergreens around them. They were all covered in snow and so was the ground. There were a few flurries falling around them. In front of them stood a small cabin.

"Where are we?" Alana asked. She looked at Axel.

"We're . . ." Slowly but surely, he collapsed into the snow.

"Axel!"

A/N: Thanks to UnderAgeThinker and SilverGhostKitsune for reviewing last time. Besides that important note, feel free to move on to the next chapter. Warning about the next one: It's been a while since I wrote fluffy/romantic moments. Sorry if it sucks.