Larxene stared at Zexion with close scrutinization; she was infuriated behind her mask of calmness. "Saix?!" she hissed. "And Vexen?!" When the Cloaked Schemer nodded solemnly, Larxene said, "And they dragged you in, too?!"
"I can see why Saix would have wanted Zexion in on things, too," Axel muttered, looking straight into Zexion's eyes, all in the room knowing exactly what the pyro was talking about. "You still bear a grudge."
Demyx looked from the pyro to the Schemer, ready to break up any sort of fighting that might break out.
"I agree, Axel," Zexion replied quietly. "But as you can clearly see, I did not choose to side with Saix and his plot. However, you have already payed for your crime." When Axel looked at him, the Cloaked Schemer was faintly surprised to see a flicker of worry.
"Saix," Axel said simply. "He'll kill you if he finds out you betrayed him..."
"Technically," Zexion purred, "I never joined him in the first place. Regardless, he will kill me if he finds out I warned you."
Suddenly Larxene's head snapped up, her cerulean eyes glittering with lightning. "Marluxia," she breathed. "No one's told him yet." Turning for the door, she held the doorknob, saying, "I have to warn him," she muttered.
Axel rose from his seat on Demyx's bed. "Wait," he said. "Shouldn't we be in pairs from now on?"
"If that happens," Demyx put in, "it will only seem suspicious that Saix's targets are suddenly in pairs." When Axel's fists clenched, Demyx added, "Look: of course you can all be in groups like before, but not too noticeable, know what I mean?" Axel nodded at the Nocturne, and Demyx said: "Larxene, be careful."
Larxene nodded and decided to portal out, and Axel could not suppress an ominous shudder.
"Marluxia?" Larxene whispered as she entered the Graceful Assassin's room, cautious. When there appeared to be no one in the room, Larxene sighed worriedly and portalled to the kitchens. "Marly?" she called, feigning nonchalant. A slithering shiver snaked up her spine, and Larxene vanished into the training grounds that were adjacent to the pathway leading out of Proof Of Existence. "Brother?" Larxene called weakly, looking frantically this way and that when there was no response but for the agonizing silence. The Nymph ran along the hallways now, calling out Marluxia's name, her voice ringing out against the empty spaces. "Marluxia!" she called for the umpteenth time, once again gaining no response. "BROTHER!"
"Your 'brother' is not here," a voice hissed furiously. Spinning around, Larxene's eyes narrowed to slits as she observed Saix looming over her. Golden orbs clashed with electric-cerulean ones, both pairs raging wildly with hate.
"What did you do to Marluxia?!" Larxene demanded, flexing her fingers angrily, kunai rushing obediently to her. She stood still, her body taut with fury as lightning danced eagerly around her, awaiting her command.
"I don't feel obligated to answer you," Saix growled smugly, his claymore appearing to his hand in a muddled white light. "However," he growled, his features sharpening to something horribly wolfish, "I do feel obligated to destroy you."
"How...?" Larxene gasped out, confused as to how Saix would be able to go berserk without their moon.
"Fancy knowing how I can change once again like this?" Saix snarled, his canine teeth sharpening in length. "Simple, fool: energy storing. All I have to do is absorb the energy from the moons of other worlds!"
Larxene remained still, but her eyes darted to Saix's every movement, waiting for the tension to break. Without warning, the Luna Diviner lunged forward with extreme speed, his claws tearing across Larxene's arm, the unaware Nymph screaming out as her skin ripped open.
Axel feverishly paced Demyx's floor, never stopping, never taking his eyes off the floor, never ceasing to think of Larxene.
"Why are you so worried?" Demyx prodded, looking up from his sitar. "Larxene's a big girl: she can take care of herself when she needs to."
Axel's head whipped to the Melodious Nocturne, his emerald eyes swimming with unreadable emotions. "Saix is an insane berserk: he'll kill you as soon as look at you." Axel returned. "I don't want to lose her again..." he muttered, more so to himself, hoping Demyx hadn't heard the last comment.
Unfortunately, Demyx had indeed heard. "You really care about you, don't you?" he asked gently. The waves of expression in Axel's eyes were all the Nocturne needed to figure it out. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" He didn't need an answer; Demyx already had it. Softly plucking the strings to his weapon that also served as his instrument, Demyx quietly sang:
Watch as the wolf paces in his makeshift cage
Howling softly for his lost mate
Pacing, tail swishing, teeth clicking
Worried that she may be taken by Fate.
"More like Saix," Axel growled, his ears tuning in to the strange song nonetheless.
He stops, realizing it is all a ruse;
This cage is not here at all
It is indecision that holds him, he now knows
Then just like that, the so-called cage falls.
Demyx's voice had remained calm and soothing until this point, where he now sang roughly but beautifully at the same time, his eyes holding a wild and passionate light.
He rushes to her, senses aflame!
Back off! He's coming! Here to fight!
His fire lights up the night!
A flurry of power and flaming might!
Axel's blood began to sing, pumping with his resolve. Without a word, he turned swiftly and ran out the door, leaving behind Demyx, who smiled humbly. "He wouldn't have left otherwise with that much valor," he said to Zexion, who had remained silent the whole time, seated in the corner.
"I suppose not," Zexion returned quietly, his eyes glittering with approval.
Flecks of blood flew from Larxene's mouth as she was once again pounded into the wall, the bleeding and ripped berserker holding her by the neck. Her limbs shook with fatigue as lightning sparked weakly about her, as exhausted as she was. Larxene tried to bite down on Saix's arm, but she just...couldn't...reach...
This can't be the way..., she thought, her vision blackening. Axel...
Just before she would have lost consciousness -or worse- Saix was thrown off balance by a hurled object. Larxene dropped to the ground with a thump; her body racked with ragged gasps as she looked at the newcomer. The tell-tale shock of pink hair told her it was her beloved brotherly Marluxia. However, Larxene was shocked at the Assassin's condition: his coat was torn in many places, particularly around his arms and chest; she caught a black bruise under his left eye, and his from his bottom lip there was a trail of dried blood.
"You will leave her alone!" Marluxia snarled, his scythe returning to his held out hand. The man pointed it to Saix now, who had risen, panting from the unexpected attack. "I swear I'll kill you if you harm her again!"
Despite his condition, Saix sneered. "Fool," he hissed. "Do you really think I'll mind your threat? I'll just have to kill you first!"
"I don't think you're in much of a position to be saying that," Marluxia seethed, his eyes dancing with blazing fury. He stomped his foot on the ground, and instantly angry vines binded Saix in their thorny prison. Saix howled as the thorns pierced his flesh, more blood coloring the red-and-white floor. Marluxia clenched his teeth together before snarling, "Do I make myself CLEAR?! Do NOT harm, or even touch, Larxene again!"
Saix merely snarled, his claws ripping through the skin of the vines; they only squeezed harder, the thorns digging deeper into his body. The next thing Saix knew he was dropped to the ground; rising, he found himself face-to-face with Marluxia. The berserker did not have time to react; Marluxia slashed across his chest with his scythe, blood flying as the Graceful Assassin kicked Saix square in the wound, sending him flying...landing...not getting back up...
Axel rushed to where his heart guided him; trusting it with everything he had. "Larxene!" he cried when he arrived at the bloody scene. He rushed to the Nymph, who was stooped against the wall, panting and bleeding. Taking her carefully in his arms, he whispered, "Are you all right?"
Larxene nodded weakly before passing out.
"Hey," Axel called feebly, gently shaking her. "Larxene...? Larxene?!"
"Axel," Marluxia's voice sounded calmly from above. "She's all right, believe me."
"What the hell happened?!" Axel demanded as he looked at Saix's unmoving body. "Is he...?"
"Dead?" Marluxia guessed. "No. Merely unconscious from loss of blood." His stone was unusually cold and unfeeling, making Axel think back to the time when they were all devoid of hearts and real emotions. "As for Larxene," the warmth returned to the Graceful Assassin's voice, "the same most likely goes for her: unconscious from the loss of blood."
Axel only held Larxene closer to his body, hoping that his warmth would flow to her.
"Come on," Marluxia said. "Let's get her to Zexion."
"And Saix?" Axel questioned. "We can't just leave him here; it would raise too much speculation."
"I will take care of Saix," a new, cold voice answered. Marluxia and Axel's head snapped to Saix's direction, and found Vexen kneeling over the berserker. The Chilly Academic said nothing else, only dragged Saix through an open portal. Axel and Marluxia stared warily after Vexen all the while, knowing that the eldest member had a grudge on the both of them.
"We'll have Demyx wash away the blood," Marluxia explained quietly after Vexen had disappeared. "Now come."
Holding Larxene in his arms, Axel followed Marluxia through a portal, the wisps swallowing them up, to thrust them into Demyx's room once again.
A/N: Hahah, I was listening to "Thoughtless" by KoRn for the majority of this chapter. But anyway, the song Demyx sings is something I spit up on the spot, so it belongs to me, I guess. But anyway, I hope you like this chapter, hope it wasn't too bloody... Oh, and how Marluxia was already all beat up when he arrived, well, I'll have him explain that in the next chapter.