Where Nothing Gathers
Xemnas was absent from the room for the first time, Sora noted as he appeared on his throne there. Evidently he really did leave the room, though where he'd gone...
Xemnas wasn't the reason he'd come here though. He'd caught Saïx's attention behind everyone else's back and indicated he needed to talk, then come here. Saïx would show up in his own time.
The room looked oddly empty with no one else in it, and seemed somehow smaller because of that. It was probably just a trick of the eye.
Saïx's throne was briefly engulfed in darkness, which cleared to show him already looking toward him.
"Well?"
"Marluxia intends to use Naminé to rewrite Roxas' memories to the point he'll do whatever Marluxia tells him to instead of merely keeping him out of the way. The other members of the Organization that you're planning to send there he just wants to use as cannon fodder to slow Roxas down to give Naminé the time to do it."
"Naminé?"
"Marluxia didn't tell me much about her. All I can tell for sure is that she's a girl with power over the memories of Roxas and his friends."
"I see. Have you ascertained his ultimate goal?"
Sora nodded, "He wants to use Roxas and me to dispatch Xemnas and take command for himself. If Larxene and I survive, he plans to put us between him and the other remaining members."
"Anything else?"
Sora swallowed. This was the only lie he'd be telling Saïx. "Marluxia wants me to test Roxas when he clears the first floor of Castle Oblivion as a kind of test of my loyalty to him. I've told him I can't mention the castle to you or anyone because outside of them, I don't know about it, so I don't see how I'm going to do it."
He hoped Saïx would take it. If he did, there wouldn't be as many, if any at all, repercussions from him abandoning one mission just to take out a personal grudge against his Somebody.
"I will see if something can be done when the operation begins. I cannot assign you to Castle Oblivion, however. While Heartless will appear inside, they will only be memories, and memories do not release usable Hearts."
"I understand. I'm needed more outside. If it becomes possible though..."
"Then I will arrange for you to confront Roxas. Until then, continue to gather Hearts."
"There's a problem with that, Saïx. The people in Twilight Town are starting to recognise me. It's getting harder to find safe places to exit from the corridors, and harder still to find Emblem Heartless."
"There are more worlds than just Twilight Town. Speak to Axel tomorrow, and have him show you the way to Agrabah."
"Right. Before I go... do you know her name? Number fourteen?"
"Xion. Don't interfere with her learning, Sora. You'll have your meeting with her in due time. Go on back."
Sora nodded, headed directly to his room. There was no point in reappearing in the Grey Area. Saïx would return there, and that had a chance of raising suspicions depending on who else was there, and what was said.
He stared out the window for a time, noticing a small crack in the ledge had been left behind by his warning to Roxas that morning. He must have hit it harder than he thought. Not that it mattered too much.
Faintly curious, he brought out his keyblade, noting it was still in the form it seemed to have taken up ever since Xemnas had ordered him to go along with the forming rebellion.
He left it out, glancing back down to Dark City below, then up slightly to the faint reflection of him in the glass.
It was definitely his own reflection, but it gave him a sudden, irrational anger directed at Roxas. The keyblade flashed in his hand, changing form. The handle remained the same curved shape, but was attached again to the end of the grip, the whole thing a dark blue, with an orange grip in his hand. The blade was silver except for the end and the teeth, both black. The teeth of the blade had become a single point sticking out with two smaller blades part way along, looking as if he'd impaled a bat with it's wings spread and sharpened.
The hood on his coat was raised, and his free hand thrust out called a dark corridor to take him down into Dark City. Right now, beating up some of the Neoshadows seemed like a very appealing idea.
Day IX
Agrabah Gates
Xigbar had accompanied him to this world instead of Axel with the claim that he 'needed a bit of a tan anyway'. In the face of the blasting heat from the desert sun, he understood the statement. It was only just bearable.
Before he had a chance to look for any Heartless though, Xigbar stopped him.
"Say, tiger. Where did you disappear off to?"
"When?"
"Yesterday. I went to go looking for you, except you weren't in Twilight Town. Saïx said you should have been there."
He'd been expecting this. Not this soon, but expecting it anyway. Sooner or later, one of them was going to notice the lack of his presence in a world, and if he got careless perhaps even his bunking off missions to work with Marluxia – even if he had been ordered to go along with them, only Axel and Saïx knew that.
"Oh. That. I just finished early, that's all," he lied, finding Xigbar was another one he could lie to easily.
"You didn't come back to the castle though, and you weren't at the clock tower either."
Sora shrugged. "So I like to visit a certain beach in my off-hours. What does it matter?"
"A beach?"
"Destiny Islands. I don't know why. It just seems familiar to me. It's peaceful there."
"You didn't go to... I don't know... say, Castle Oblivion perhaps?"
"Why would I go to a world I've never even heard of if it weren't for orders?" Sora answered, unfazed.
Xigbar didn't look convinced. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be asking you."
"So you think you saw me at this Castle Oblivion place? Is that it?"
"Not me. But there's rumours and rumblings that need checking up on. Xemnas wouldn't be too happy to find our favourite little keyblade master had decided to turn traitor."
"Hah. As if I'd do something like that," Sora muttered. "Come on. Lets get this over with before I melt."
He kept to the shade as much as possible while they hunted Heartless, though the difference in temperature was barely noticeable.
Like Twilight Town, Shadows and Soldiers were fairly common, but there were two new kinds of Heartless he'd yet to encounter. One was exceptionally fat, and seemed to wear an orange jerkin similar to some of the few residents they'd seen. It breathed fire, and seemed impervious to damage except from behind – which was often a task in itself, as it's fat body belied a considerable turn of speed.
They worked together to defeat these enemies, with Xigbar attracting their attention and keeping them distracted while Sora took advantage of the unprotected rear to deliver powerful blows, frequently sending them tumbling and even rolling over other Heartless.
The other new Heartless was far smaller, looking like an animated horn, with a musical note for a head – a head which seemed to be wearing earmuffs. Sora initially ignored these Heartless to deal with the other fatter ones, but after finding their calls not only called other nearby Heartless as reinforcements but also healed the Heartless, they too were quickly wiped out.
During the battles, the keyblade had returned to the unusual form it had taken on the day Larxene had asked about his loyalties. Sora didn't care too much about the form, being soaked from sweating so much in the heat and exertions, and Xigbar didn't look that much better.
"That'll have to do," he breathed wearily after they'd taken out four of the fat Heartless at the palace gates. "More than enough Hearts for a place like this."
"Going to your beach again?" Xigbar asked, somehow managing to keep from sounding too tired. Of course, he had a ranged weapon, the only exertions he'd done were to run around and keep from being hit.
"No," Sora answered. "I think I could do with a nice cold shower to cool off."
"Mind if I get us back?"
"Just get on with it."
Sora knew the reason he'd asked. In case he wanted to head somewhere else, like to check up on Marluxia. There was no point in that though. Unless the plan changed, all they had to do now was wait until the operation began.
The World that Never Was
Library
The Library contained a vast number of books on a wide array of topics, factual and fiction, from all manner of worlds. Some few even originated from right here in this world, such as various intriguing reports collected together by the other members.
After his habitual visit to identify the new Heartless he'd encountered – Fat Bandits and Loudmouths respectively – Sora had started to work his way through some of the more interesting looking ones. Among them was one that detailed the admission of each of the members, himself included. Strangely, Xion was not included, and stranger still, if he guessed the date accurately, it was dated yesterday – so surely whoever wrote it would have had time to add an entry on her? The author wasn't noted on the document however, so he couldn't track them down and ask them.
Naturally the list started with Xemnas, though it lacked much in the way of information, saying only that he was the founding member, and therefore he was technically the first to join.
The remaining members, he read, were given their number in the order they joined, and were not respective of the power they held. Sora had already seen an example of that – even Xigbar went to Saïx to obtain missions.
Alongside Xemnas, the original founding members were Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion. Saïx and Axel joined of their own accord together, and it was noted that they appeared to have their own plans when they did so. Demyx and Luxord came next, then finally Marluxia, Larxene and himself. Like Saïx and Axel, there was a note suggesting that Marluxia and Larxene had their own ideas
So it wasn't just a two-way split in the Organization – it went three ways. What were Axel and Saïx up to? They didn't give the appearance of trying anything, though that may just have been because they were too smart to show it. Certainly Saïx wouldn't dare show any sign of it, as he appeared to be the second in command, handling the missions and it seemed also taking the orders from Xemnas down to the other members when Xemnas didn't give them himself.
This was certainly an interesting discovery. No doubt if the three factions came out in the open, they'd do everything they could to secure him – he was the key to getting their Hearts.
He briefly considered tracking Axel down and asking him about this, but if he and Saïx had gone for this long without anyone except the author of this suspecting them, there was no doubt he'd find nothing.
Which side to take, if it came down to it? What would Axel and Saïx do if Marluxia's plan worked, and he went along with it? If that plan failed, he could fall back on the cover story of working for Saïx, at least – but what if those two then decided to set their plan in motion?
There were too many threads at work to be certain which of them to follow right now. He'd continue on playing both sides of it for now. It was safer that way.
