Kateracks: This one took a while again. Sorry. School is still being a pain.

KissyNae: Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. Why don't we just go into the chapter?

Kateracks: Good idea. We hope this chapter makes up for the wait but we can't guarantee that any of the next chapters will come out any faster.

Disclaimer: Although Kat has a job now, she doesn't make enough to own Kingdom Hearts and neither does Kissy because she spoils her parents with her money.

Some people say that everything happens for a reason and although sometimes we may not know what that reason is but we shouldn't question the power that placed the event in our midst. Neither should we question when it makes the solution as our companion.

We, as Maidens of the World, understand this and strive to keep the balance of evil and good between the worlds. We are the young keepers of light and are required to bind with ones holding darkness to maintain this balance.

Chapter Ten

–Violet's POV–

It had been a really slow day. Demyx went back to The World That Never Was and Marluxia called Axel away so all I had left to entertain myself was to watch Fae train with the clone.

I almost felt sorry for the Riku Replica last night when Axel told us that when the clone was first created, he didn't know exactly who he was but then discovered he was just an experiment. He was alright with that at first but he began to want what the real Riku had and he tried to prove that he also had a right to exist. He had made progress but then Vexen allowed his memories to be altered so that they could use him to test Sora. When he woke up, he thought he was the real Riku but now he had again realized that he was just a clone. I couldn't imagine how confused he was after all he went through.

But I didn't feel sorry for him once I got to the training area. Both he and Fae were breathing hard, weapons drawn and attacking mercilessly, never even letting the other catch their breath. Flips, kicks, and punches were included whenever an opening presented itself. They each had their share of cuts and Fae had a bruise on her face where the clone had hit her with the hilt of his sword. And that wasn't all. The smell of darkness was strong, almost too strong for even me to stand.

I positioned myself as far away from them as I could and waited for the fight to end. It didn't take long either. It looked like Fae had the upper hand until the clone suddenly jumped back from her. The air seemed to grow thicker and the stench of darkness became stronger. Tendrils began to wind up my legs and I had to use my light energy to fend them off.

Riku let go of his sword and it floated up above his head while he, too, was drawn into the air.

"Time to see who was meant to exist, Fae," he called across the area and then gripped his sword once more.

A portal ripped open behind him and he sprung back into it. Immediately another opened behind my friend and the replica flew out, sword pointed toward her.

But he wasn't meant to exist. There's no option! "Fae!"

But she didn't move. She just stood there with her back to him and as he threw his sword down at her, a sphere of light encompassed her. The sword met the shield and bounced back to his hand as the clone shot past.

Fae smirked from inside the bubble. "You'll have to do better than that, Riku."

He smirked, too, and then disappeared into another portal. Then it looked like ten portals opened at once and he was moving so fast that it seemed he came out of all of them at the same time. Fae's smirk faded when he rocketed past her and repeatedly slammed breaks into her defenses.

He nearly forced her out of it but then stopped his barrage and skidded to a stop on the floor.

Taking his sword in both hands, he smashed the blade down between the tiles, causing explosions of darkness to spring up from the floor. Fae was flung back into a wall that made a sickening crunch! as her back met it.

The clone's shadow fell over her as he stood over her prone form.

–Fae's POV–

I smiled as Riku offered me a hand and pulled me up. I dusted the marble chips from my shoulders and coughed as I popped my back.

"That was a good one," I commended.

"Yeah, but now it's time for the final test–against the Real Thing."

I patted him on the back while I walked in the opposite direction. "Good luck."

He nodded and then exited via portal.

"Are you alright, Fae?" Violet asked, concern clear in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No worries."

"He could have killed you!"

"Riku? Nah, he doesn't have it out for me."

Violet's brows knitted in confusion. "Then what did he mean by 'time to see who's meant to exist'?"

"Oh, that was about his final attack," I explained, leading her back to my room. "The one he's going to use on the real Riku."

"He's going to fight him again?"

"Well, yeah, there can't be two Riku's," I reminded her.

"And you're not concerned?"

"Nope, Riku can handle himself. He has the darkness on his side."

"Not him. I meant the real Riku."

I frowned. "Why would I be concerned about him?"

"Fae, that clone could kill him!"

"Survival of the fittest, I guess," I responded.

"Fae! We're talking about the real kid here."

"He's not a kid; he's as old as I am."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "His time to die hasn't come yet. He still has friends and family to get back to–a life before the lab."

I shrugged, not sure what to say. If all of that in the real Riku's life was so great, why couldn't the stronger Riku get it?

"I think all that darkness is going to your head," Violet snapped.

"Oh, Violet, don't be that way. C'mon, let's find something to do until the boys get back."

Violet shook her head. "I don't want your brainwashing to rub off on me. You can come find me when you get your head on straight but until then, I don't want anything to do with you."

I watched in shock as she turned around and walked in the direction of the living room. How could she just abandon me like that?"

–Axel's POV–

I walked with light steps through the forested area of Twilight Town near the old mansion. It would be more of a hassle to kill Vexen if I didn't have the element of surprise. My orders had been to get rid of any traitors which had been enough of an annoyance since I couldn't watch Fae and the replica fight but to get rid of Vexen while Sora was around was an even bigger annoyance.

I smirked as I rounded the bend to the mansion. Marluxia didn't know how bad that order was going to work out for him later.

Just as I had been told, Sora and Vexen were just ending their battle once I got into earshot. Vexen was on his knees, gasping for breath and using his shield for support.

"Urrgh...Such strength, even at the mercy of your memory..." Uh oh, Vexen, you better be careful. "You are dangerous! You must be exterminated!"

"Fine, whatever!" Sora easily conceded. "Just put Riku back the way he was!"

"Put him back? Fool of a boy!" scoffed Vexen. "The Riku you speak of has but one fate–to sink back into the emptiness of darkness. And you will share the same fate, Sora! If you continue to seek the girl Naminé, the shackles will tighten...You'll lose your heart and become Marluxia's pawn!"

Looks like that's my cue to step in, I thought, silently drew my weapons...

"Marluxia? Who's that and what does he have to do with Nami–"

...and struck! Vexen screamed and fell to the ground, a chakram sticking from his back. I stepped out from my hiding spot and stared down at my victim.

"Axel!" Sora yelled, looking horrified.

"Hey, Sora. Sorry to cut it right when he was getting to the juicy bits." I pulled the chakram from Vexen's body and he groaned, trying to focus on me.

"Axel, wh...why?"

I smirked down at him. "You sure love to talk. It's about time you shut up–forever."

He drew a sharp breath, a seemingly panicked look passing over his face. "No...Don't do it...!"

I shook my head and tapped him with the toe of my boot. Pathetic. "We're Nobodies, Vexen. We've got no one to be–but we still are. So look on the bright side. You're off the hook. Now you can be nothing instead of just being nobody."

Vexen's wide eyes stared up at me fearfully, knowing that with little effort I would take his nonexistence away.

"M-Mercy, Axel! I don't want to...go yet..."

What does he hope to gain from staying alive? The only thing he does is experiment, poke and prod his little project and Fae. He's got no purpose and if Sora fails, Marluxia will kill us all anyway. Stupid old fool, begging won't get you anywhere.

"Now you can tell me I don't respect my elders."

He gasped but couldn't help but watch as I spun my chakrams faster and faster. Fire spun down my arms and ignited the blades; the glow reflected in Vexen's eyes. Giving the old fart a smirk to remember me by, I stopped the spinning and brought both chakrams down point-first into his back. The flames left the weapons and coursed over his body. Vexen's cry was cut short and then he was no more. He disintegrated under my weapons and the last remaining wisps of black were carried off in the breeze.

That finished, I turned back to Sora who now looked petrified. That's right, punk, you didn't even scratch the surface when you fought me.

"What the...What are you people?"

I frowned at him and shook my head as I stepped back into a portal. "Wish I knew the answer to that myself."

It didn't take long for me to get back to Castle Oblivion and when I did, I found Marluxia and Larxene surrounding that globe just like when I left them. They had watched the whole thing.

Larxene turned and smiled. "Nice work, Axel."

–Fae's POV–

I took the stairs two at a time and strode swiftly down the hall. Maybe if I asked nicely, Marluxia would let me watch the fight between Replica Riku and Real Riku in his globe. That would get my mind off of Violet.

As I neared the door, I heard voices already talking inside and crept closer to see who it was. If I was quiet, I might be able to pick up some helpful pieces of information. At first it sounded like just Marluxia and Larxene were speaking but then I heard a portal open and someone else enter.

"Nice work, Axel," Larxene said cheerfully. "Good riddance to that blabbermouth."

Which blabbermouth?

"Marluxia," spoke Axel. "You used Vexen to test Sora's strength, right?"

Vexen? Why Vexen? Vexen was a scientist, not a fighter...

I stepped back from the door and covered my mouth so they wouldn't hear my gasp. I knew what had happened even before Larxene expounded on the subject.

"Not just Sora's. Yours too, Axel. We weren't sure if you had it in you to take out a fellow member of the Organization. Well, I guess you did. You can join the big leagues now. With the three of us, taking over the Organization will be child's play."

I didn't hear anything after that; I was already sprinting back down the hall to Vexen's lab. I was trying to convince myself that Vexen really wasn't dead, that they just knew I was there and were trying to trick me. I hadn't thought or spoken much about it, but the old scientist had become somewhat like a temporary father figure for me–healing me, training me, and fine-tuning me for life later on. He had just helped me this morning to prepare for my match. He couldn't be dead.

That last shred of hope shattered once I entered the lab and found all that beakers cleaned and put away, the temperature of the room becoming warm without Vexen's natural cold to maintain the chill. Those things meant that Vexen hadn't been here in a while and that made me realize that he wouldn't be coming back. I was stuck here, alone, with murderers and traitors alike.

I sat down in the middle of the island counter that was now free of clutter, thinking just for a moment about who may have cleaned the place up and had they known Vexen was going to die? The obvious answer was yes; someone had planned Vexen's death. Those were the last organized thoughts I had, the rest coming in an incomprehensible jumble and causing me to zone out completely.

I sat there for who knows how long, lost in my mind–lost in my darkness–slowly finding my way back to reality. During that time, I barely felt a prick when another energy faded and dimly grasped that Larxene was no longer with us. I didn't even shed a tear for, as I said, I barely felt that she had passed away at all.

Soft footsteps behind me finally broke me from my mental entrapment and revealed Zexion standing in the doorway. He looked at me and then the empty room before his visible eye came back to rest on me.

"You heard then? It hasn't been announced yet."

"I eavesdropped. You?"

"I could smell Vexen's scent fade. It was Axel who did it, you know?" It wasn't a question but I answered anyway.

"I know. How could he do that?"

"Marluxia ordered it. He felt that Vexen's knowledge and inability to keep his silence about experiments and plots would be a danger to our cause."

"I asked how Axel could do it, not why."

Understanding showed on his face and he led me from the depressing room. "Fae, you know what we are but I will explain it to you again. We are Nobodies–all of us. We cannot feel, we just are. No doubt, Axel felt nothing when he did away with Vexen. He was just following orders."

But Vexen has been one of their own. He was important to their cause...wasn't he? How could Axel just kill him and not feel anything? It didn't make sense.

"I won't believe that Zexion."

"Believe what you will or don't, it's your decision but what I speak is the truth."

My eyes began to fill up while I stared at him but he wasn't affected in the slightest. Even Zexion didn't care. I had just lost Violet because of what he and Vexen did to me and he couldn't feel sorry. What did I have left?

Anger mixed with my pain. I turned from the grey-haired scientist and took off down the hall to find Axel. I needed answers and he had just killed the only person who could give them to me. I couldn't focus on his power enough to pinpoint his location, nor would I be able to any time soon so I decided that the easiest way find him would be to wait in his room.

I had just made it to his door when there was an explosion of dark energy which rocked the ground and passed through the halls in furious waves. I stumbled forward and fell to my knees, not just from the earthquake but from the realization that one more of us had faded from existence: Lexaeus.

This is getting far too out of hand. I climbed to my feet and quietly entered Axel's room to wait.

–Axel's POV–

Now that I had gotten rid of Vexen and Larxene and Lexaeus were now out of the picture, it was time to take out Marluxia. I had tried once already but Sora had showed up at the wrong time–the scene he walked in upon making it seem that I was the main bad guy around here. I had let Naminé go, knowing she would fix Sora's memories but Marluxia had caught her again and tried to use her against me. I escaped when Sora showed up but if Sora fails, I'll get rid of Marluxia myself.

I smirked as I opened the door to my room. Marluxia's going to regret hiring me onto his rebellion.

My smirk faded once I stepped inside the unusually dark room. I couldn't see anything because the darkness was so deep. What was going on here?

Lighting my hands with fire, I found the last thing I had expected. Fae stood in the middle of my room, darkness pouring off of her in waves and tears trailing down her face. She had a furious look in her eyes and her hands were clenched into fists.

Her eyes met mine and then she hissed venomously, "Axel."

Kateracks: Again, so sorry for the wait. I've been so stressed lately that there are some days I just want to cry but I haven't yet. Writing has been making me feel better but I just don't have the time. Anyway, the next chapter is already started but it's doubtful that it will come out soon.

KissyNae: The least you could do to heal her poor mind is to...

Please Review!!

Laters!!

K&K