A Tale of Renewal and Rebirth
Dark Lady Devinity
Eleven
It was clear from the beginning that nothing was going to be easy. They had to trust others to be strong and good while being themselves strong and good. But brave thirteen made it this far. Only now a greater test lies before them.
XxX
This is the time to reconsider one's options and make a decision.
XxX
Aerith was simply amazing. She had prepared a feast for everyone after they had been given a chance to wash up in the rooms she had prepped for them. She managed to keep everyone entertained while coaxing some socialness out of Cloud and Lexaeus. She had also managed to slip Axel a tiny package when no one was looking.
Axel discretely read what was inside and pocketed the keys that had been hidden with the note. He nodded to Yuffie, who smiled knowingly, and then he slid closer to Saix.
"Help me find a bathroom." Axel whispered so only Saix could hear.
Saix raised an eyebrow at him.
"Just do it." Axel muttered.
Saix nodded. When Aerith suddenly started a conversation that directed everyone's attention onto her, Axel and Saix slipped from the huge banquet hall that Aerith had used for the feast. Yuffie was already waiting for them outside.
"So you guys excited for this or what?" Yuffie asked cheerfully.
"Excited for what?" Saix asked.
Axel simply dropped on of the keys into Saix's hand as an answer. Saix stared at the key and then gave Axel an inquisitive look.
"That's the key to the front door of your house." Axel said. "Aerith did some searching and found out where we used to live. The houses are still standing. She even got us a map. Man, I can't remember the last time I was at my house. I spent so much time at yours. I bet I can find your place blindfolded and that I won't even recognise mine."
"I don't think I've ever been to your house." Saix said.
"No, because the only times I could pry you away from your telescope were when we were breaking into the castle or going to school." Axel laughed.
"Oh." Saix said. He paused for a moment. "I wonder if my telescope is still there."
"The sooner we get going the sooner we can find out!" Yuffie said.
"You're coming as well?" Saix asked.
Yuffie nodded. "No one wants any former Organization members out by themselves in case Xemnas attacks. And you two haven't been conscious all that long so you don't have a lot of magic."
"I certainly haven't used any magic." Axel said. "Anyway, let's go. I can't wait to see how bittersweet it's going to be to stand in my own room again."
"You're looking forward to a bittersweet sensation?" Saix asked. Even Yuffie seemed confused by Axel's excitement over a painful emotion.
"Well, of course it's going to be bittersweet. We're home, we have hearts but our families aren't going to be there anymore. The houses are likely empty. But I plan to treasure every emotion I feel until it becomes second nature to have them. I don't even know how bittersweet feels anymore."
Saix sighed but he gave Axel a small, fleeting smile. The red head had always thrown himself into things full-heartedly as a young man and it appeared his heart hadn't forgotten how to do so.
Yuffie smiled and grabbed one of each man's hands, thereby linking them together. She hummed and swung their arms while pulling them out of the castle. Axel swung his arm with Yuffie so that the motion was smooth but Saix looked incredibly awkward and uncertain, which both Yuffie and Axel found incredibly adorable and they teased the blue haired man mercilessly. It was in this way that they made their way to Saix's house.
Saix was obviously apprehensive about entering the noticeably abandoned house. The building seemed cold and it was clear that many years had passed since anyone had been on the grounds. Other than that, the house was untouched. Except for a little decay due to years of neglect the house looked perfect. Axel and Yuffie waited for Saix to make the first move to enter the house. It wasn't something that they felt should be rushed.
Saix eventually pushed the front gate to his childhood home opened. He solemnly walked up the path to the front door and then let himself in. Axel and Yuffie followed close behind. Once inside, they saw that the house looked like a perfect model of what a house should look like and was not at all like a home. Everything was pristine. Isa's mother had been a notorious neat freak and it looked like she had scrubbed the house down and put everything in its home before she and her husband had abandoned the place. Saix looked in a few cabinets in the kitchen before heading to his parents' old room. Axel watched as his childhood friend looked in the closet and dressers.
"All the valuables are gone as well as a good portion of my parents' clothing. It's clear that they were prepared to leave when the heartless problem intensified." Saix commented.
"Your parents would have been prepared for a nuclear holocaust." Axel said. "It's clear where you got your personality from."
Saix actually laughed. "I suppose if the house feels this impersonal then my parents must have gotten off the world alright. This is actually how everything looked and felt when we got home from vacation. My mother couldn't stand it otherwise."
Axel smiled. "I miss your mom. She was the most lacking person I ever met when it came to personality but she was always super nice. And she made the most amazingly bland cookies I have ever tasted."
"She tried really hard to make you perfect cookies." Saix pointed out.
"Oh man. Really? I'm so glad that I always said 'thank you' and 'these are quite lovely' then." Axel said. "I never knew what she thought of me. Your dad, on the other hand, was something special. I learnt more facts about things from him then I did from the teachers at school. He could quote an entire physics textbook and yet was prepared for a zombie attack."
"Your mom gave much too enthusiastic hugs. And your father was the one who encouraged my father to prepare for zombies." Saix said.
"Oh yeah. Our dads were old friends from their university days. I don't think I would ever have bothered getting to know you if our dads didn't make us hang out with them." Axel said.
"You weren't my first choice for a friend either." Saix pointed out.
"Well, I'll admit that those old guys were right about us though. We did make good friends." Axel replied.
Thinking about their parents gave Axel the bittersweet feeling he had been expecting. But that feeling intensified by an unfathomable number when they finally made their way to Isa's old room. The bedroom had the same cold, pristine feeling as the rest of the house and yet it was filled with the heat of a thousand childhood memories. Lea had kissed Isa for the first time on that bed. They had been ten years old and had been curious as to why Lea's older brother made such a big deal out of kissing. Then there was the plain brown folder on Saix's old desk. It was filled with various plans for breaking into the castle. Axel watched as Saix gingerly touched his old telescope. Axel could recall countless nights spent with Isa as the blue haired boy attempted to teach him the constellations.
Finally, Saix swallowed and said, "I'm ready to go now."
Axel nodded and they both went to meet with Yuffie. The ninja had decided to wait in the living room to give the men some privacy. Saix couldn't help himself: he had to fix the throw pillows that Yuffie had shifted when she sat on the couch.
They headed to Axel's house after that. The old building looked much like Saix's house had on the outside. Axel decided to get it over with quickly and just marched right into his old home. He gasped when he saw the place. It looked like it had been robbed. Drawers were open everywhere, clothes were thrown about the living room and there were dishes crowding the kitchen counter. Axel ventured carefully into the home, wondering if his family had been attacked and killed by the heartless. He nervously headed for the television with Saix walking closely behind him in emotional support.
Axel's mother always taped notes for Lea on the television screen because she often felt that it was the only way to get Lea's attention. And, indeed, a note was taped there now. Axel plucked it off the television and quickly read it:
Lea, baby, we have to get out of Radiant Garden. I want to stay so badly just so I can look for you but your Dad won't let me. Everyone's heard that the heartless got Isa and, really, if he's dead then you are too aren't you? There's nothing you didn't do together and why would this be different? Isa's parents have already left the world. Your brother and sister have gone with them for support. If you're alive and you find this note, then go to Traverse Town. I hope you're safe. I love you. Mom. PS. Don't mind the mess, love. Your Dad couldn't find his reading glasses AGAIN.
Axel laughed. "I don't need to see the rest of the house. This is good enough. Anything else I had of value would have been at Saix's anyway."
"Your parents were… something else." Saix said.
Axel smiled. "You know it."
"I guess that means that we're going to return to the castle now?" Yuffie asked.
"Yep. Let's blow this popsicle stand." Axel said.
XxX
It took everything he had in him to freeze and shatter the door but Vexen was free. He made his way out of the basement he had been trapped in and managed to slip out of the building without alerting Xemnas. However, Vexen was concerned with how easily he had managed to avoid Xemnas.
Looking around, Vexen found that he had been in the Villain's Vale. He had never been to this section of Radiant Garden because it didn't really have any value before the heartless. He was familiar with it though as it had been frequently reported to be a base for the dark fairy-witch Maleficent. Grimacing, the scientist realised how long it would take to walk back to the castle from Villain's Vale. Yet he couldn't stay where he was. It didn't take long for Vexen to start his journey home but he wasn't sure if he had enough strength to take on any heartless. He had almost never engaged in confrontations of that kind.
It took Vexen about two hours to reach the town surrounding the castle. He was tired, cranky and frightened. There had been no attempt on Xemnas' part to recapture the scientist. Vexen had no idea where the other man was but he suspected that he wouldn't like the answer. The Chilly Academic was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the faint sound of voices until he was practically on top of them.
Vexen froze, much like a deer in headlights, before he realised that he knew those voices. Looking a little ahead, he saw Yuffie, Saix and Axel in front of an ice cream shop. Vexen was almost upset that the three of them could be so causal. But they were discussing Xemnas' recent actions with Saix asking Yuffie several important questions. This conversation let Vexen know that no one knew what their next course of action should be.
Finally, Yuffie said "We were on our way back to the castle an hour ago! How'd we spend so much time eating ice cream?"
"Radiant Garden sea salt ice cream cannot be eaten in a rush!" Axel cried.
"That's how." Saix said flatly. Axel ignored him.
"Should you delinquents be wasting so much time?" Vexen yelled.
The trio jumped. Then they saw Vexen and were even more surprised.
"Vexen, you look… terrible. What did Xemnas do to you?" Axel asked.
Vexen noticed that Saix was staring at him with a great deal of suspicion. The Lunar Diviner was clearly wondering if this was a trap. Vexen paused, thinking about how he wanted to say what he had to say. "I escaped but… that escape was far too easy. I'm not certain if Xemnas wanted me to escape or if he's so cocky that he didn't think I would. As far as I could tell, he wasn't at Villain's Vale so I don't know where he is."
"Villain's Vale? That's where you've been all this time?" Yuffie asked. "We searched there but we didn't go into the lower levels. That building has recently become unstable structurally. Xemnas must not know that."
Saix was frowning. "I don't like the idea of an easy escape. It's not something Xemnas would allow. But we did bring everyone back with us. It's possible Xemnas knows this and has attacked the castle."
"He did tell me to prepare for company." Vexen said.
"If a fight happened, we would have known." Yuffie said. "My friends aren't exactly subtle in a full out fight and, judging by Lexaeus, neither are yours. Lexaeus sent earthquakes throughout Radiant Garden when Xemnas attacked him."
"With Xemnas, we should always assume the worse." Saix said. "We have no idea who he really is or what he's capable of."
"We need to go back." Yuffie said, biting her lip. "You guys can be sneaky right? I don't want to just burst into the castle if anything's amiss."
"Sneaky is not my forte." Vexen said.
"It is, however, mine." Axel replied. "Let's go."
XxX
Vexen's lack of proper sleep or general physical care meant that he wasn't a viable player in a fight. Axel didn't particularly want Saix fighting either as the blunette was still suffering from a concussion and they didn't understand how his berserker rages worked when he had a heart. So Axel managed to convince Saix to stay behind with Vexen in a protected alcove while Axel and Yuffie stealthily entered the castle.
Axel had to admit that he was impressed by Yuffie's skills. He hadn't expected someone who was so bubbly and talkative to be an excellent ninja. Then again, Axel wouldn't have pegged himself and Marluxia- a man who used flower power- to be the best assassins in a secret organization. The red head quickly pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind when Yuffie shot him a worried look. She put a hand to her ear in the universal 'I can't hear you' gesture. Axel shook his head in the negative: he didn't hear anything. When Yuffie frowned, Axel realised that he really didn't hear anything. No sounds of the party they'd left behind, no footsteps, no gentle conversation, no single human sound. It was as if the castle was completely devoid of life. Even if everyone had gone to bed, someone would have surely stayed up just to make sure Axel, Saix and Yuffie came back.
Upon reaching the banquet hall doors, Yuffie crouched down. Axel did the same, hoping that they would be less noticeable that way. Then Yuffie nudged one door open. When there was no response to the door's movement, Yuffie crawled to the small opening she had made and peered into the hall. The look she gave Axel was not reassuring. Then she slipped into the hall. Frowning, Axel followed her. He didn't like the sight that greeted him. All of the Restoration Committee was slumped down in the same chairs they had been in when Axel and the others had left them. They were all unconscious but unhurt. Riku was sprawled out on the ground with his keyblade beside him, also unconscious and bearing some injuries. Everyone else was missing.
"What happened?" Axel wondered aloud.
Yuffie ran a hand over Aerith's neck and found a small dart, which she showed Axel. "This is what happened. Xemnas drugged them." The ninja said.
"There's no way. Except for Riku, there's no sign of a struggle. That means that Xemnas had to drug everyone and he doesn't have the skill set necessary to shoot that many people full of tranquilizers without anyone noticing. He missed Riku, obviously, but he should have missed a lot more than that." Axel said.
"So what's your explanation then?" Yuffie asked.
Axel scowled. Then his face clouded over in unhappy realization. "Xigbar could do this easily. Especially if he had his magic."
"Why would he do that? He was helping you, wasn't he?" Yuffie asked.
"I don't know. I don't know anything about any of the Organization members from the time they had hearts. Lexaeus and Xaldin removed Isa and I from the castle a thousand times and I barely knew their names. I just knew that they were… hiding… something. Shit!" Axel cried. "What if they've been playing us the whole time? And I left Saix with Vexen!"
"Calm down." Yuffie said. "Look at what you're doing."
Axel blinked. Then he realised that his sides were getting warm. Looking down, he saw that his hands had ignited into flames as he became distressed. Sighing, Axel let the fire go out.
"Well, at least we know that works." The red head said.
"I don't think that Vexen's a threat. He's truly worn down and exhausted. We'll go check on them though. Then we'll take care of everyone here." Yuffie said.
XxX
Neither Vexen nor Saix were pleased to hear about what had happened in the castle. They helped Axel and Yuffie remove the sleeping darts from the committee members' necks. Then the committee members were placed onto their backs on the floor while Yuffie covered them with warm blankets. There was no dart embedded anywhere on Riku's body suggesting that either the shooter had missed him or Riku had good reflexes.
"I feel like only Xigbar could do something like this." Axel said. "Vexen?"
"I don't know. Xigbar has the skills. Braig never said anything of substance but he was the only one who took care of Xemnas and watched over him. He never complained about it either. That was unusual for him." Vexen said.
"Let's say that Xemnas has been planning something ever since he first came to Radiant Garden. Xigbar may have been working for him all this time or Xemnas may have begun to control him around that time. This, of course, assumes that it was Xigbar who actually did all this." Saix said.
"That's not a lot to go on. Did Xemnas say anything to you about why he wants us?" Axel asked Vexen.
"He needs thirteen nobodies to fight against the light in the name of the darkness. It doesn't have to be us but he claims it's easier if it is us." Vexen answered.
"He has Kairi and that means he has Namine. If we disregard how powerful Namine actually was she still helps to increase the number of nobodies Xemnas has at his disposal. He only needs two more former nobodies." Saix pointed out.
"We need to rescue the others immediately." Vexen said. "Xemnas might be ready to start his plan with only eleven nobodies. We don't know at what point in his plan he'll need all thirteen."
"You shouldn't go anywhere near Xemnas!" Yuffie protested.
She was right. But that didn't mean that they were going to sit back and wait for anyone else to stop Xemnas for them. This was something they had to do.
XxX
A true measure of a man is the decision he makes in a time of adversity.
