Chapter 10

Dawn had just recently broken, and in the twilight of morning nothing seemed disturbed. It began just as every day had on the small world, or so appearances seemed momentarily. Not a soul walked the cobbled streets of the town, but at this time of transition the lack of action was not in and of itself strange; many would still be slumbering in their beds or just rising to greet the ascending sun. Yet the tip off, the evidence that appearances were deceitful, was the serenity of the land.

There was complete and utter silence, nothing stirred. The day was bright, but the town and surrounding land was dead of sound. No chimney even exuded the smoke of a warm hearth, of a meal being made. What was the cause of this disturbing sight, for surely one would expect children running off to school, the shriek of a mother who had just discovered hers had taken to wrestling in the dirt when chores were to be done, yet there was a quiet, a heavy hush trepid with unadulterated fear.

Yes, terror and a dismal weight loomed on the dawn.

One would look upon the world from above and think it abandoned by fear of the new enemy that was leering and hiding amid stars. Yet what a gummi ship could not reveal was that this land was far from deserted. People, many of them, a population full were fortified within the confines of their homes. This world was not deserted in fear of the enemy, no it was a target. They had come.

No one, but the lucky people who had opted evacuation could have known that a few days prior there had been rumors of horrible sounds alighting the woodland air of the forest a few yards off from the city's entrance gate. And no one else would ever know. They would come swift and the city would be in ruins within hours. Another fallen, another notch, another mystery added to the reputation of the new fiends haunting the cosmos.

Then the tension broke to action. It started when a man strong in his age stepped timidly from his doorway which had been opened with the utmost care. His dark hair was matted to his head with some thick liquid. As the villagers watched him step into the crimson light of morning he was exposed. His bare back and pants were stained scarlet by blood and as he turned to the streets, his face was discovered to be tainted by the same hue as that which was trickling from his hair. He grinned in pure derangement, his emerald eyes wide in the same maniacal expression.

The town still did not stir, though instantly a jolt of fright tinged the air with its bitter taste. The man seemed to notice this for he began to slowly chuckle. He was a victim, a member of their society who had succumb to the temptation, or was too weak to resist. He was recognized as one of the town's militia who had entered the forest days before to inspect the eerie goings on. They had said there was nothing to be found. Had they all lied, or had this unfortunate man been the sole prey? Eyes within the houses turned to regard one another, speaking loudly: Are you one of them too? No one spoke, only turned helplessly to watch the man.

He continued to lowly laugh as he turned his back to the paved road and reentered the confines of his manor. When he emerged once again from the warm glow of the doorway many had to withhold a scream of horror. He pulled the limp form of a woman from the entrance, his wife, many realized. She was only recognized as a woman because of the form beneath the clothes, but even that was hard to discern. She was mutilated almost beyond recognition. There was barely an area on her body not painted crimson by her own blood.

The former militia man dragged her out into the morning and released her when he was standing in the middle of the street. She lay on the ground, unresponsive, dead. The man held no remorse for his act, quite the opposite in fact. He stared down for a moment at the form that had once been his loving wife before rising his head to stare into the sky.

His tenor was filled with mirth and happiness. He fell to his knees- distantly regarding his surroundings. To all outside observers, silence still reigned but the tainted man swiftly covered his ears as a defining whistle, like the low hum of a descending bomb amplified beyond baring, sliced through what was left of his mind. Blinding flashes of white danced across his vision as if he were being beaten. Indeed, his head began to throb as if it were being bashed repeatedly with a pipe.

His mouth pulled into an open gape and for a moment he seemed confused. Soon a shriek from an internal anguish ripped from him but all was hushed within a moment as his body convulsed.

All eyes that dared to do so watched his figure jerk, but even the most stalwart felt their stomach churn when his skin began to stretch. Families held their kids close, making sure they were not witnesses to this horrid transfiguration. The man's eyes grew cloudy, pupil less. His body then began to alter right before their eyes and they couldn't turn away; horror borne curiosity bid their gazes lock. They heard the cracking of bones as the limbs lengthened or contorted to a form anything but human. His skin irritated into an inflamed huge a likeness to that of a burn victim, fur of the same color rippled across his flesh like water in a pond. Within moments he was a creature six-feet in length. The only feature that remained to show he was once human was his face, eyes now blank expressionless. His whole body had morphed into this terrible, scarlet creature that ambled on four legs at the base of which were cloven hooves.

Every sound of fright died in the people's throats and their hearts rammed their chests as the creature raised its head over the dead body of the woman and howled, a ghastly sound. What sounded like hundreds, perhaps thousands of the same howls responded.

It sounded like a herd of cattle were stampeding towards the town, but ushering the pack forward was the lone creature who called to them and they called back. All hell had broken loose.

No time at all seemed to pass before houses were being broken into by the monstrosities. In a panic people fled. The air was filled with terrified and agonizing screams and the ascending of pink jewels towards the clouds. Mere hours later the silence had returned.

There were no survivors.

Xemnas grudgingly removed the blankets from his bed. The whole castle was going to need a thorough cleaning and that irked him just slightly. He didn't mind cleaning; it was a necessary part of owning a citadel such as his, but cleaning the whole thing? True, there were thirteen hands now that Lyra would be staying amongst them, but still, even with that man power the task would take a few days. And those days meant there was absolutely nothing they could do to research their newly acquired lives. They could speculate and talk about it all they liked, but no cold, hard evidence would be produced by that. For the next few days they would be restricted.

Xemnas groaned at the thought and, after depositing his bed linens conveniently by the door, crossed his room until he made it to the closet. He pulled fairly clean blankets from the top shelf and remade his bed. Once this was done he returned his gaze to his room. Dust covered every surface, but he decided he had pursued all cleanliness he wished to for the night. He walked back to the door and, lifting the bundle of soiled cloths in his arms, stepped into the hallway of the fifth floor.

He was not disturbed for a long while as he descended the steps and entered a second floor corridor. He adjusted his load and began walking again, his destination known. He was just passing an adjoining hall when a voice called to him.

"Xemnas!"

The culprit, Axel, was soon walking beside him. The lanky man had fallen into step with his superior quite easily. Xemnas had had a long conversation with him earlier, more lengthy and complex than the one he'd held with XI and XII. Their standing now was a complicated one but the oncoming encounter promised to be on the placid side.

"What are you doing down here?" Xemnas glanced at him from the corners of his eyes as Axel stared with smug mirth at the bundle of blankets. It apparently wasn't a question meant to be answered.

No one normally brought their laundry down voluntarily. It had always been a chore for one person in their midst to gather up the others laundry and bring it down for washing. Just because they had the nobodies at their command didn't mean they were short of jobs themselves. Xemnas had done the job for himself because he needed fresh air and time to ponder without the sight of his neglected room harassing his eyes. It appeared that peace was just a fantasy as the man beside softly sniggered.

"I'd rather do this myself than wait a week for the castle's normal routine to start functioning again. In fact, I was just thinking of how much this place needs some restoration. According to Lyra our absence has spanned six years, and I don't doubt that assessment from the state of the rooms and most of the halls."

"So, you're planning on a giant cleaning spree?"

"Yes. Some of us will work on repairing the damaged lower levels while the rest of take on more mundane tasks, such as at least dusting. You honestly think this place is clean?" The disdainful amazement in his voice did not escape Axel as the duo stopped and Xemnas finally rid himself of his burden. The laundry room had maintained its own state of disorder that would do the other rooms proud, garments from times past still littered the floor and, naturally, a think layer of dust and lint had settled over every surface.

"Well, it's seen better days, I'll admit," Axel replied reluctantly, referring to the castle as a whole, "but do we all have to pitch in? I mean can't we get someone else to do it, like the Nobodies? There are plenty of them, ya know."

"You know they're useless for such tasks." Xemnas smirked. It was just like the young man to try and get out of work, he was like Zexion in that department. "Besides, I've not seen any Nobodies recently, unless we fit into that equation, and that girl has said nothing of them." It wouldn't take much effort to summon a few up.

Axel crossed his arms and grumbled. "We just got back. I think we should rest for a while." Xemnas paused again and turned a reprimanding eye on the fire bender. "As if the Eternal Sleep wasn't enough for you during your time in it? At any rate, I didn't find death a tiring place to be." In honesty, Xemnas really didn't remember being dead. Or even in a type of sleep. Nor heaven or, more appropriately, hell.

"It really wasn't all that eternal though, was it? We sure got back awful fast for that to be the case." The man replied sardonically.

Xemnas nodded somberly, "I suspect something more queer behind this than that strangeness which allows us to even exist in this state to begin with."

VIII sighed, "I agree. Something weird has happened, but I couldn't tell you what. I don't know any lead that could direct us in any one way, well, correction, there may be a lead, but I don't really want to follow it. It seems too convenient, too promising, and I do not want my hopes up for nothing. Understanding me?"

"And why do you feel this way?" Xemnas knew exactly what, or rather who, Axel was speaking of. If he had ascertained that the girl may have something to do with it then it was all the more cause to follow his previous curiosity. Someone agreed with him, one his best tacticians besides Zexion and Marluxia. He started walking again, confident Axel would reply.

"She was the only one around when we came to, if anyone else had been here, we'd have found out. And if she doesn't have anything to do with it personally, she knows something, but still, like I said, too easy of a solution…Besides I'd rather not count on someone who tempted the idea of suicide and was readily prepared to pursue it. Too unstable for my tastes. I don't like her, overly dramatic. I think we're better off trying to discover it ourselves without her involvement."

Xemnas nodded, "It is true that she acted ready to end her life, but she quickly saw the error of her ways. She even admitted to its pathetic quality. She may not be satisfied with her life as it is now, but she's certainly past thoughts of completely terminating it."

Axel snorted, "Whatever, what happened to the poor girl anyway?" Xemnas wondered at his sneer. What was causing this? Was Lyra's recent breakdown that unreasonable to him? It seemed unlikely, which meant something else was eating at him and he felt the need to be pissy about everything else.

"By her narrative she's an exile, banished from her home without an explanation as to why."

Axel said nothing for a moment, when he finally replied it was in a slightly more civil tone, "I see."

"Good." Their conversation had almost lasted the entire trip back to his room, and it seemed that Axel wasn't keen on leaving just yet, but Xemnas felt his resolve slowing. He needed some rest, especially if he wished to organize the castle in the short amount of time he wished to. Dealing with a sullen exile and traitors was tiring, and it gave Xemnas relief to know that the day was coming to a close.

"You'd best get your rest, Axel, tomorrow we'll start the real cleaning and you will be helping." The red head gave a hesitant and huffy nod, "and," Xemnas was walking away by this point, "I'm sure I won't have to tell you twice-you'll understand quite easily- but number eight, you're on probation until further notice."

"Not surprising." Axel muttered and turned away, wondering why Xemnas hadn't just said that during their little chit chat earlier.

To say that Zexion was content awaiting Xemnas's return to his room would be an overstatement. He blew at his long cobalt bangs concealing the right side of the his face as he leaned against the wall. His lone aqua eye seemed to stare out into space, but he was focusing on the hallway and trying to breath mostly from his mouth.

He sniffed slightly, and let a small groan. The fifth floor, he swore, had to be the dustiest place he'd come to so far. All this dust was playing havoc on his senses and he cursed his heightened nose. He raised a hand and rubbed in irritation at his eyes, which were becoming bloodshot as a result of his still functioning smell.

He was hoping his nose would become too stuffed up to bother with soon; if it didn't, he mulled over the idea of pulling his simple, black shirt over his nose. He hated this castle for the moment and for once he actually wanted to clean, anything so long as his suffering would cease. He had even contemplated sleeping out doors for a night or three.

He sniffled again and turned his head. A series of light footfalls caught his attention. Zexion crossed his arms, praying that one of the people nearing him was the Superior.

"…Number eight, you're on probation until further notice."

Despite his agony, the schemer smirked. Axel had met some kind of punishment. Though Zexion was positive it had nothing to do with the events of Castle Oblivion- that sentence would have been served during the year following his death- he wondered what the infuriating red-head had done. He could investigate later, he decided, and instead pushed the thought of any interrogation from his mind for the moment. He didn't care about Axel, unless it meant some kind of enjoyment at his expense. Was it wrong for Zexion to despise the man? He had, after all, orchestrated his death. Excuse him for being a little sore about it.

Zexion closed his eyes and waited as Axel's steps retreated and his Superior's heavier ones dominated the corridor. The first thought that crossed the younger man's mind, was one of relief. He had been rather bored waiting for the man to show up.

"Ienzo?" Zexion opened his eyes at the familiar name as Xemnas came into view. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just wanting a little chat. I need to talk to you about something interesting I discovered."

He knew that would capture Xemnas's attention. His weary gaze lightened substantially and he opened his room door and gestured Zexion inside.

He couldn't help the gag/gasp combination that left his throat upon entering the musky room. Would the torture ever end? Xemnas turned to him and frowned in apology.

"Don't worry, this place is getting cleaned starting tomorrow."

"Couldn't be soon enough."

"Would you like to take a seat? The bed's free of old dust at least."

"No," the younger shook his head, "I want to leave as soon as I'm done."

"Is that that bad?"

Xemnas chuckled softly at Zexion's grimace, "You have no idea, but it's no worse than the bathrooms." This was followed by another sniffle.

"So, your reason for coming here?"

"I was wondering how long it would take you to stop any trivial talk and get down to business. I went to the Library and tried looking up the world called Ssendam that that girl said she came from. I found absolutely nothing pertaining to any world ever existing by that name- under any variation of spelling either. I doubt that in our absence a new world has popped up. So I would say she's lying. I wrote the name as I thought it sounded and I found something interesting. If you add another 's' at the beginning and flip the word it spells 'Madness'. "

Xemnas smiled, "Hm... it didn't seem to take her long to come up with that."

"Yes, if she's lied to us then it means her despairing did not warp her sense of preservation and that she's rather logical in distrusting strangers. It's a good sign."

Xemnas smirked, "No, not just good, excellent. She could prove useful; she may not be dead weight like Axel seems more apt to think."

"What are you really thinking about, Xehanort?" Zexion asked, easily brushing off the other man's exaggerated tone.

The look on his face proved the man was thinking about something, and it seemed to amuse him. "Lyra needs to be tested. She claims to be a solider on her world, one of the best. Perhaps to quell any doubts the others have of her she can prove herself. There are plenty of Heartless about and it likely wouldn't take but one command to go out to regroup the Nobodies."

"This isn't only for the others, though. It's the final test for you." Zexion observed, though not harshly. His statement was casual, he wanted to see the extent of the girl's skill too. If she had lied about her world than she could have very well lead them astray of her own worth as well.

"So is that all you came to discuss?"

"Yes, I'll be on my way. I refuse to lie down until my room is rid of any mold or dust. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway with it irritating me. I'll be present to help clean tomorrow, and may I suggest that I clean the Library? The place is need of some dire 'organizing'."

Xemnas shook his head and laughed, "The easiest job? I should have known. You haven't changed one bit."

Zexion offered a smile, "Haven't I?" he asked cryptically but instead decided to follow Xemnas' example, "In many ways neither have you, Xehanort."

And then Xemnas was alone, leaving him to ponder over any loose ends in silence. Lyra's examination would follow their restoration of the castle, that was apparent, and whatever lie in store further in the future could be dealt with when it presented itself.

(A/N): You know, feed back is always nice. We need to be able to judge what parts you guys like and what kinds of things to cut back on. Please and thank you! A thanks also goes to Dawn, she wrote this chapter. Infact, chapter nine and the few that will follow this are mostly her doing now.