Chapter Nine: Where All is Laid Bare

"Hey! Am what are we going to do with the leftovers? I mean...we ate all the bread but there's a mass amount of spaghetti left over." Demyx giggled from atop Zexion's lap.

"We're going to bag that up and freeze it. So when I'm not here to cook for you, I know that you're not starving on horrible cooking." Am grinned. Ansem walked in just as she said it and burst out laughing. She smiled at him, she'd been wrong about him. He wasn't such a bad guy he just looked a little frightening.

"Hey Am, it's getting late. You want to crash here?" He asked. She nodded. He had asked her earlier if she wanted to go back to her home. But she had been too angry to go home. She needed to cool off before she went home and punished Vexen. Dem leapt off Zexion and took her by the hand.

"Hey let's have a sleepover!" He squealed. Looking to Ansem for approval, he shrugged and Demyx went crazy. He pulled her into the hallway and into the linen closet. Pulling down bundles of blankets and pillows he threw them into a roller hamper. Giving that to Am to push he pulled down another armful and they made their way to the common room. A majority of the Organization was there already, and when they saw the sleeping bags they groaned. Dem just smiled and started to set up his and Am's place. He gave her the couch and padded it with pillows. While the crew was setting up the common room she went back to the kitchen to take care of the leftovers. Pulling out Tupperware and zip-lock baggies she struggled to pour the sauce into the bags without spilling it everywhere. Two tanned hands shot out just as the bag was about to spill over. Looking up she smiled at Ansem.

"That would have been a tragedy." He said, holding the bag up as she poured the rest of the sauce into the bag. "Am, are you okay? You seem kind of down, ever since Magi came during dinner."

Am laughed sarcastically, "I'm doing okay I suppose. Vexen's gone and made me angry, Mangi tried to help but I just barked at her."

"I'm sure she'll understand. I mean, she was programmed to accept things and move on. That's what Vexen said anyways."

Am's head shot up, "What do you mean programmed?"

"Mangi's one of Vexen's experiments. Didn't you know that? When he was working here with Xemnas he created a being of supreme darkness. It grew into the being we call Mangiana."

"Vexen made her? He said she was a wanderer her found while on a business trip." She said shock crippling her.

"Nope, she was bred right here in this Castle. That's why he's been acting the way has. It's because of Mang that he put you in that portal. It's because of Mang that he's been acting so distant, and it's because of Mang that your home is no longer safe. You see, when she was created she was made with darkness, but she fed off the light. She consumes people in the effort of quelling the hunger. She's a voracious eater, and she's managed to inhale three of my own people."

"Oh Gaia, she's the cause of all that? But she helped find Bug, that's what she said! Sh-s-...," Am trailed off, realizing in growing horror that what Ansem said fit.

Ansem watched Am's expressions change quickly, outrage to horror, then to determination.

"There is a way of stopping her from damaging your family. " He said laying a hand on Am's shoulder, and pulling her toward him. She rested her head on his chest and sighed.

"But why would she do something like that? She's not "bad"..." Am said into his chest. Smirking to himself he held her.

"It's not her fault. There was a problem in her programming. A Bug if you will. There is a way to fix her." He said. Her head flipped back up and he was grabbed by the lapels of his coat.

"What, what do I have to do?" She growled. "Tell me and I'll do it. I won't have her hurting people, especially if it's not her fault."

"In the room Vexen put you in, there is a box hidden in a drawer. It contains an essence that is most vital to her repair. He hid it there to stop her from becoming whole. If you were to get it for me, and convince Mangi that she needs to come to here, I can fix her in a couple minutes." He drawled. Am nodded tears streaming down her face, a determined lift to her chin. "However, I think you need to rest tonight. One more day won't make a difference. I'll finish up here, go rest with Demyx." He patted the top of her head and sent her off. Once she was out of earshot he chuckled evilly to himself.

Wiping away her tears Am stalked into the common room. Demyx was engaged in a game of strip poker with Luxord and Saïx. He was losing horribly; both older males had their pants still on while Demyx was left with his boxers and a lone sock. Despite herself she chuckled. Looking up with a pitiable expression on his face.

"Halp?" He squeaked. Giggling Am grabbed his upper arms and dragged him back to their spot in the room. Luxord shouted angrily in protest but she glared over her shoulder and nailed him with her evil eye. Falling quiet he sighed and continued to play with Saïx.

"Dem, why were you playing with them? From the short time that I've been here I've even seen that they want to molest you!" She chided, handing him his clothes and clambering into the couch bed. Once dressed Dem inched up too. She laughed and pulled him up, snuggling up to him she fell asleep.

--

Back in Klåry:

It was the middle of the night and neither Blacktree twin had yet to emerge from the portal. Vexen still paced around Sven's room. He knew the boy wouldn't stop until he'd found his sister, but still....How long could it possibly take? He was slowly losing it, he really was. It was all his fault, being cocky and stupid. Creating that which should not have been, and then bringing it HOME. He'd put everyone he cared about in danger, and now there was a slight chance that it was going to bite him in the ass. And when it bit it was going to bite hard.

Exiting Sven's room he trailed the hallways, mindlessly wandering. The halls seemed long and forlorn. Empty and devoid of all light and laughter. His Am had brought life to these corridors, and had filled it with people who loved her. And he had killed it. All because he was foolish enough to try and toy with the darkness.

Elsewhere:

The darkness immediately latched onto Bug as she stuck her hand into its depths. Bug shrieked in alarm as suddenly she was yanked into it and disappeared from sight.

"Bug!" Roxas cried out, and immediately ran into the darkness after her.

"You morons you don't know what's-"

"Out of the way Riku that crap took Bug!" Vhen snapped and ran into the darkness as well. Riku spluttered indignantly as Vhen and Roxas disappeared, yanked in just as quickly as Bug had been. He backed slightly away from the darkness, the ink black coils trying to make a grab for him.

"Che! I don't like this, but I don't have a choice." Riku complained before running through as well, the darkness letting him in with more ease than the others. As Riku too disappeared into the dark depths, the darkness, slowly began to sink into itself and shrink until nothing but solid rock remained.

"I don't like it here!" Bug whined. This was worse than the tunnels! At least down there was some sort of light. In this void of darkness there was absolutely nothing.

"Bug! Are you all right!" Roxas yelled rushing to her side to see for himself if she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Landed on my butt when I got here, but other than that no problem." Roxas held out his hand to help her up. She grabbed it and stood up just as Vhen and Riku tumbled into the darkness as well.

"Where are we now?" Vhen protested.

"Guys?!" a bubbly voice called out, suddenly a blur ran at them and toppled Riku over just as he stood up.

"Riku! I wondered if I'd ever get out of here!" Sora cried, hugging his best friend.

"Sora! How did you get here?" Roxas asked puzzled and confused.

"It's not just me! Ealair is here with me too!" Sora said pointing behind him. The others looked up to see Ealair with them just as Sora stated.

"What the hell is going on?" Vhen demanded stomping up to Ealair and jabbing him in the chest.

"Like I would know?" Ealair scowled, not pleased with Vhen's finger poking him like that.

"I was drawing when suddenly I was here." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, and I was outside! I was talking to Axel about something-can't remember what now- and suddenly we got sucked down into the ground and here we are." Sora explained. Riku shoved the brunette off so he could sit up, but Sora quickly reattached himself.

"Axel is here too!" Roxas, shocked, looked around for signs of familiar bright red hair.

"He was, then suddenly he left. Leaving us here right as those…black things came up and tried to grab him."

"Strange, it was just Axel they went after? Not you or Sora?" Riku inquired.

"Yeah. As soon as he left, it was just me and Sora. The darkness didn't bother us after that." Everyone looked to Riku who sat deep in thought.

"Hey, Riku. What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering why it targeted just Axel. Sora, you were with Axel when the darkness swallowed you guys right?" Sora nodded his head.

"Ealair, was anyone else in your art room?" Riku asked. Ealair frowned thoughtful, before snapping his fingers.

"Vexen, but he was looking for something, and left real quick, I think right after he left out of the room the darkness swallowed me up too."

"And we've got Roxas." Riku said.

"What's that mean?" Roxas asked, hostility gone.

"It means, that the only reason we got in was because this place…targets Nobodies. Roxas's blood on the rock is what opened it, or at least…alerted the darkness he was down here."

"I don't understand what's going on!" Bug screamed frustrated, pulling at her hair a little.

"What's darkness doing in Klåry? Why is it here? Where the fuck are we? And most importantly, what does Mangi have to do with any of this!" She yelled.

"We're going to find out all of that." Riku assured her.

"First, though, we need to get out of here. It can't be safe for Roxas to be here much longer, since this place supposedly targets Nobodies." Sora pointed out.

"That's true. I am in danger here. We don't know for sure what the darkness was attempting when it tried to grab at Axel, but I can't use my dark corridors anymore." Roxas frowned; this was indeed a bad situation to be in. Bug squeezed his hand reassuringly and he gave her a small smile in return.
"You're right, but how do we get out, I don't know about you guys but I sure don't see an exit sign anywhere." Vhen said, hands on hips and glaring at them all.

"Well, usually I can only manage to create a dark corridor and hold it so that 3 people can travel quickly with me. I can try, to hold it with five of us, but it has to be quick." Riku suggested.

"That's fine. We just have to get Roxas out of here as fast as possible." Bug said.

"Now only one problem." Sora said paling.

"What?" Ealair asked.

"That!" Sora said pointing behind Bug and Roxas.

--

Axel ran as another wave of heat rushed past him, he had barely dodged the fire ball that had been sent careening his way. He dodged behind a tombstone to catch his breath.
Jeez, this woman doesn't know when to quit! He thought, grimacing as a burn on his back scrapped against the grave. He'd teleported himself to Halloween Town, but when he managed to avoid one danger, a bigger one was waiting for him.

"You're making this difficult. Marluxia didn't put up much of a fuss." A voice called out.

"Yeah, well, Marluxia's a pansy!" Axel taunted. He rolled out of the way to hide behind a tree just as another wave of fire blasted the tombstone he's hidden behind. He observed as the fire continued to melt the stone.
'Shit, that's too hot. I would have been roasted had I not moved.'

"Axel, babe, it's your time. Second chances at life only last so long." The woman laughed.

"Mangi, cut it out!" Axel yelled. Mangiana stopped laughing, and it was quiet.

"Come out Axel. This isn't a request you can ignore." Mangiana growled.

"It's not one I can follow either." He countered.

"You nobodies are so troublesome. If I didn't need you, I'd have killed you off sooner."

"Yeah, and you feed off of us Dark beings for our strength, I all ready figured that out. Superior keeps us well informed."

"And you've been playing spy this whole time for him. Keeping tabs on Vexen and Roxas. Using Roxas, so you have a means of doing your tasks. I've been watching you Axel. Got that memorized?"

"Hey, don't use my catch phrase!" Axel protested, peeking slightly around the tree. Mangiana stood not but a few twenty steps away, the darkness pooling at her feet. In one hand she held a scythe, the blade made of pure fire.

"You taking Marluxia's weapon? Can't be original?" Axel taunted.

"He stole it from me, I've had mine since the dawn of time runt. I'd say he was the unoriginal one." Mangiana grinned. Brown eyes, now an eerie pale gold, trained exactly where he was poking his head out from.

"So you are as old as dirt!"

"Bastard!" Mangiana swung and flames lashed out in an arc towards Axel. He threw himself out of harm's way, summoning his own chakrams and stood in a duel stance.

"Finally fighting?" Mangiana smirked.

"If you're done talking." Axel grinned.

"Been done." The two combatant charged at each other

--

"What the fuck!" Ealair growled lurching to his feet. Dancing not fifty feet from him was a Sharnie. Humanoid in body, long clawed hands and feet moved in an odd drunken fashion. It's heavily tattooed face grinned in a mockingly horrifying way, sharp teeth filling an oversized face. It slowly inched forward, malice and hate burning in its eyes.

"Wait," Vhen said, "Is that what I think it is?" Ealair nodded his head and herded the group behind him and Vhen.

Unsheathing his daggers that he had at the small of his back he proffered one to Vhen.

"No thanks Brother mine, I brought my own." Vhen smiled, from her leg strap on under her pants she pulled out a long two handed broadsword.

The beast continued its wobbling course towards them, grinning horribly at its intended prey. Vhen launched forward, feinting heavily to the left and slicing quickly to the right. Ealair parried the Sharnie's glass nails, that were honed to a lethal edge. The thing barked it's fury, and swung in a graceful arc before dancing for Bug. Roxas summoned his keyblade and slashed at the monster. It's arm detached from its body and began to unravel. It howled in agony and redoubled its efforts to maim the girl. Vhen slipped in from the side and hacked it's other arm off. Ealair went in for the kill and decapitated it. The Sharnie fell to its knees unraveling as it went before revealing a small vial on a leather necklace. Vhen warily picked it up and placed it in her pocket.

"What the HELL was that doing in Klåry?" Ealair growled.

"Weren't they supposed to have disappeared after the Tempest of Silence?" Vhen asked. Ealair nodded and kicked at the remnants of the disturbing monster.

"Uh Guys? Quick, before another one shows up." Riku snarled holding the door of the portal open.

--

Far Above The Tunnels:

Vexen was still pacing, twelve hours had pass since Sven had gone after his sister, and neither had shown up. Sighing he went to the room he had shared with Am. He pulled out his weapon, his Shield. Crossing the great house he searched for the occupants that were normally noisily playing with each other. No one turned up. The entire house had a cold, empty feeling to it. Where had everyone gone? He thought to himself. It was too quite, he marched along the halls checking each room, the kitchen, the communal bathrooms, the pantry, even the garden. Nothing. No one was on the estate at all.

He was nervous, this was too odd. Marching back to the common room he prepared to open a portal to the one place he hadn't looked, when he felt a cold chill shiver its way up his back. Turning slowly, he found the source of his uneasiness.

Mangiana was standing there blood dripping from her mouth, feral eyes glinted with malice. The pupils had eaten up even the whites of her eyes. But what was most terrifying about her appearance was the floating body that was lofted next to her. Axel. Eyes closed in a peaceful expression were contrasted sharply with the deep gash that marred his neck. A white and black substance swirled around him causing his fiery hair to move in an ethereal way. Hissing in breath and snarling it back out, Mang took a step towards him. Startled Vexen took a step back and tripped over the ottoman. Mangi pounced on him and purred as she lifted a wicked looking blade. Widening her eyes she hissed at him in a language he shouldn't have been able to understand in normal circumstances.

"We, have come for our final payment. See! The ones are falling." Snarling through evilly sharp teeth, Mang let him drop and stood. "We save you for last, watch as you are left alone." Smiling a bloody smile she stepped back from him and disappeared with Axel.

Vexen tilted his head back in relief. He hopped up and righted his appearance. Bitch wanted to play like that did she? Well then, let's play!

Stepping through the portal he too disappeared.

---

Xemnas's Stronghold

Everything was almost perfect. All that was missing was the guest of honor. Who Am had already left to go get. That and the Box of the Dammed. He'd stressed how important it was that he got that box. Am had willingly complied with what he had wanted. Now, it was time to go and gloat to his prisoner. Not revealing his plans of course, but gloat none the less. The trip to the dungeon was filled with his self applause. That halted when he got a look at what was going on in his prisoner's cell. Not just one prisoner was there, instead he had seven.

"What in the world?" He asked in askance. "Okay, owww! To whoever has their foot in my ear!" Bug wailed.

"Sorry, Bug." Sora wheezed in vain trying to shove Roxas and Ealair's combined weight of his stomach. Every movement caused him to bump his foot in Bug's ear.

"Riku! Get off, your fat!" Vhen protested trying to claw her way out from under the silver haired youth. Riku grunted his head and left leg the only free limbs he had not tangled up in the strange dog pile he was in.

"I'm not fat! You are you cookie freak!" he hissed squirming in vain out of the second dog pile he'd been involved in that day.

"Hey, even better idea. Why don't you all GET OFF OF ME!" Sven yelled. Rather, that's what he would have said, but he was currently trapped underneath all of the new occupants of his cell and therefore all anyone could hear was muffled yelling.

"Hey, was that Sven?" Roxas asked and managed to move one of Sora's spikes and look underneath them all.

"Oh crap it is Sven! Everyone get up now!" Roxas ordered. In less than even half the time it took them to realize Sven was under them everyone had scrambled off each other and was helping the stunned and angry man. Well, Vhen hissed at him, but that was normal for her.

"Sven what are you doing here? Where are we?" Bug asked looking around the cell they were all in alarmed.

"Welcome, you are in my stronghold." Xemnas answered.

"Stay back!" Sora, Riku, and Roxas said at once standing in front of the others to protect them from their enemy.

"I thought we got rid of you! Don't you know how to stay dead!?" Sora yelled summoning his keyblade.

"Tch! You guys don't know when to quit do you?" Riku taunted.

"Bug, you guys stand aside, let us three handle Xemnas and you guys can try and run for it." Roxas said over his shoulder.

"Number 13, you all seem to be forgetting something rather obvious." Xemnas said smirking.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Sora growled.

"That you're inside the cell I'm not. You transported yourselves right into my prison cell." Sure enough, the room Riku had dropped them off in was indeed a cell. The others glared at the platinum haired teen, who cursed under his breath.

"Way to go Riku." Sora said smacking his best friend upside the head half-heartedly.

"My bad! It was the only place in here I could remember properly to take us too. I thought it least likely that anyone would be in here!" Riku huffed, looking away with a small blush on his face.

"Indeed." Xemnas laughed cruelly, before walking away leaving the six of them alone in the white cell block.

Mangiana tossed Axel's slowly disintegrating corpse into the abyss and watched as it fell. The fight between them had been entertaining. Axel could be quite unpredictable in his movements, but she had centuries of experience where he only had years. The gap in skill and power was evident; such a shame she had to off someone who could wield fire as freely as her. She knew with a bit more training he could almost reach the potential to have mastery over it.

To the point even where he wouldn't need to end up killing himself trying to take her out in a mass explosion of flames and heat.

"It may work on you humans, but not on demons like me kid. Not bad though." She sighed scratching the back of her leg with her other foot. She'd spent quite awhile down in the tunnels, devouring what she could of Axel while Vexen was out searching for her.

"Useless man." Mangi hissed. She hated Vexen's type. Beings so sure of themselves and their so called intellect, and always delving into the things that were best left alone. That was how she got here in Klåry to begin with. One of his scientific experiments that had gone wrong and he had triggered a summoning spell that had brought her specifically there.
Turning away from the Pit, she felt a tugging sensation in the back of her mind and scowled. The feeling went from tugging to a sharp sting, and she growled low in her throat.

"Someone's touching it!" She snarled and began stalking her way back up to the surface world. She could normally sniff out who exactly was around her, but the smell of earth and rot was currently hindering her senses, so she'd have to see for herself.

Vexen cursed as he entered Marluxia's greenhouse. The place was completely destroyed, the pink haired man's prized plants and flowers burned to nothing. The glass melted and cracked, while shards littered the ground.

Carefully, stepping over the remains of a crushed Venus Flytrap he searched for the Graceful Assassin. He never cared for Marluxia, even after the strange revival the Nobodies had gone through he despised the young upstart. This resulted in his constant avoidance of the younger Nobody, and only interacting with him in the off chance that his wife needed more herbs for medicines and couldn't get someone else to get it for her if he couldn't.

"Where is he?" He wondered agitatedly. The thought of his wife and yet to be born children spurred a sense of urgency within him and he hastened his search. Going deeper into the ruined building he stopped as he saw it. Marluxia's body, head completely severed from his body which was slumped against an overturned table.

"Damn it, she got to you too! I need to get a hold of Larxene."

Unfortunately, it would be too late, there wouldn't even be a corpse left of Larxene by the time Vexen found her. Her remains as he left Marluxia's week old corpse we're being devoured by the hyena's in the Pridelands.

He wouldn't be getting any outside help any time soon.

Bug frowned as she watched everyone loitering around their shared cell, which had little space left in it now that it wasn't housing just one occupant. Riku, Roxas, Sora, and Sven were plotting a course of action in the far corner. Not a peep of their conversation to be heard other than amongst themselves. She normally would be put off about being left out of the escape plans, but as it was there wasn't much she could do to help them out anyway.

"Look at 'em. Beating their chests and expressing their macho-ness. Clearly, they're neglecting the female occupants in the room." Vhen said loud enough for the group of boys to hear her, but they continued on as normal.

"Jeez, no wonder Mangi hates men most of the time. They do stuff like this!" She protested, but slumped against the wall net to Bug as well.

"You get used to it." Bug shrugged. Really, boys did stuff like this all of the time.

"You shouldn't have to get used to it. Listen, where I come from I never let a man stop me from doing what needs to be done. I'm a better warrior than any of the men there! Any plan those boys come up with that involves us getting out of here should be deliberated amongst the entire group. Right, Ealair?"

Ealair looked up from his sketchbook and shrugged. He didn't really care, so long as they got out of the cell, and figured out what was going on around here he was content. Though, he did acknowledge the not so subtle dig about his masculinity being questioned with a twitching of eyebrows.

"Useless. You're utterly useless!" Vhen snarled and crossed her arms huffily. Bug laughed, for a minute and noticed Roxas look up from their group pow-wow at her. She blushed, realizing she'd been a bit loud and covered her mouth to smother the rest of her laughing. Roxas smiled himself before becoming serious once again and helping the others plan.

"You two disgust me." Vhen said. Bug rolled her eyes.

"You've been hanging around Mangi too long. Just wait until you find a guy you like." Bug teased.

"I highly doubt I'll change at all."

"You won't."

"Shut-up Ealair!"