A/N: This may not be the edited chapter this story deserves. But it will be the edited chapter this story needs.
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The sun was just beginning to come over the horizon when the group filed solemnly out of the house. They shivered— both from the chilled weather that came with the early morning hours, and the knowledge and the weight of what they were going to do. They came out in a line and remained still, waiting for their ring leader to come and give them the last few orders that they would need. Nobody spoke to one another. The most contact that was made came in the form of silence stares or glances back and forth every so often. Nobody was brave enough to shatter the quiet atmosphere.
Thick tension crackled and spark in the air; it was an excited tension, but it was nervous all the same. People were miming battle moves, trying to practice as much as they could before they had to take off. Others were counting and recounting the number of potions they had, trying to commit the number to memory so they could be sparse with the items. And others just seemed lost in thought, staring off into space as they became preoccupied with whatever was running through their mind.
Kairi and Yuffie stood together side-by-side, the two girls taking comfort in the other's presence. The two had become friends in the short time that Kairi had stayed with them before; they had certainly picked their friendship up from where they had left off as soon as she had come back willing. But still, despite their companionship, they still refused to speak, just like the others were doing. They merely lingered together in a sense of mutual need for support in the few minutes before it would all unfold.
Beside the pair was Aerith as well. The girl looked upset and confused. Her lips were moving as she practiced magic spells underneath her breath, and Riku could feel her desperate nervousness almost radiating off of her. He guessed that the girl wasn't much of a fighter. But, thinking about it, Mickey had been wise, like he always was. The King had taken special care to pair her up with an all-powerful wizard such as Merlin; even if she could do absolutely nothing for herself, she would still be fine.
Hopefully they would all be fine, he added silently. Hopefully they would all pull through together and come out okay. Come out with one annoying kid in tow with them. Yet despite the hope, Riku glanced over at Cid and wondered what kind of help the older man would be in a fight like this. In all his years of school in general, Riku had never encountered a computer nerd who would be much help outside of a lab. But when he had offered to spar yesterday in a form of practice, Cid had replied with something along the lines of: "If anyone'sgonna need practice, it's you,son."
So he hadn't really asked a second time.
Gradually, the silence was slowly reduced down to being nonexistent. Murmuring began to break out among the crowd; they must be starting to think the silence to be as stifling as Riku did. Yuffie and Kairi got into a pointless conversation about Kairi's shoes, and Riku overheard a conversation about the weather coming from Goofy and Donald's general direction. Though people were talking now, they were talking about anything they could besides the task at hand. He stared to try and turn over to Kairi and ask her how she was faring with those spells Merlin had taught her, but as soon as he twisted to the side, the sparse mutterings suddenly choked back into silence. And Riku perked as well as he saw Mickey push his way out from Merlin's home, Ansem following close as if he was the King's shadow. The blonde man looked calm as ever; Riku was starting to wonder if he ever looked anything but.
He did not have to call everyone to attention; he had everyone's undivided stares as soon as the door shut behind him. "Alright then," the King said firmly, only stopping once he was in front of the line of fighters. Then he turned, nodding over at Riku graciously. "Riku will pull up the portal that leads to the Organization's castle. On the other side, there can't be any kind of hesitation at all. As soon as we hit the ground, we'll all split up to find our target. Deal with them as quickly as you can; this whole plan lies on pins and needles." This was the side of Mickey that people barely ever saw. Besides Riku, Donald, and Goofy, nobody here had really encountered it. The mouse was completely serious, a grim light in his eyes and a brisk tone in his voice. Like everybody else, he understood the severity of the situation.
"Is everybody ready?" Mickey prompted, taking a moment to look at each person fully, as if committing them to memory. The thought was slightly chilling, and Riku admonished himself immediately for even thinking such a thing. Everyone would come back healthy. They would come back successful and with a gleam in their eyes. No one here would be left behind.
When nobody spoke or voiced any concerns, it marked the beginning of it all. "Right then," Mickey said, stepping to the side and locking eyes with Riku. "Whenever you're ready, Riku."
He had been ready ever since he first realized that Sora had been captured by the Organization. Before then, he let his pride take the better of him, telling himself that Sora would be just fine and that his friend could pull through by himself. He had thought that the boy would be out in a day at least; two at the most. But now that he had seen the error of his ways, Riku was more than ready to make up for it all. He would finish off Xaldin faster than the man knew what had hit him. He would find him and make the man wish he had never laid a finger on his friend.
Shaking off the thoughts as best he could, he dipped his head to Mickey, striding forward and extending his arm firmly. Immediately, a dark, swirling portal yawned to life in front of them, purples and blacks shrouding the other end from view. This is it, he thought to himself, staring into the dark depths of the shadows. Sora is at the end of this portal, and this time, I promise, I will not leave without him. And no sooner had the vow rooted itself in his mind did Riku duck forward. He was the very first to step into the shadows.
And, having found their party members and sticking close to them, everyone else followed suit as quickly as they could. They weren't frightened of the darkness— the only thing they were frightened of was the question of whether or not they would be able to find their friend.
Pretty soon, there was no one left in the clearing by the magician's house; nothing there at all save for the large, flickering portal, which had acted as a door into another world. And even then, in a blink of an eye, the portal disappeared as well. And it left the place completely empty.
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Axel rounded the corner of the hall, his green eyes narrowed in thought as he adopted a rather brisker pace than he was used to. Ignoring the nagging feeling of doubt that was trying to drag him down, Axel sighed slowly through his nose, trying his best not to betray himself and show that he was as nervous as he felt. He reached down, pressing against his cloak lightly and feeling the small box he had stored there inconspicuously. His worst fear was that the thing would fall— how would he even begin to explain himself then if someone saw?
He realized with a jolt that he had been worrying too much; in the midst of his fretting, he'd passed up Sora's door. Backtracking quickly, he turned back and lingered on the other side for a moment more, looking down and heaving out a small sigh. He shook his head. Drew himself up. But as soon as he was preparing himself to reach out and knock, there was a sudden voice behind him that immediately caused a rush of ice-cold dread to wash over him.
"You looking for Sora?" Axel started, whirling around to see Luxord standing at the end of the hall. The blonde didn't seem suspicious; he just seemed curious as he looked over at Axel with raised eyebrows. A sinking pit opened up in Axel's stomach, and he wondered wildly whether or not he had alreadybeen found out. It was barely a plan in the first place, how could it already be ruined!? Axel was preparing himself to try and explain his actions, but Luxord's next words made him close his mouth at once. "He's not in there anymore."
"W-What?" Axel asked, caught off-guard. Turning, he opened the door, his face creased over in confusion. He wasn't there anymore? Where else could he be? But it was true— there was nobody inside of the small room. Sora was nowhere to be seen. Panic blazed through Axel's eyes, and his grip on the doorknob clenched tenfold. He had to wait for a second, just staring inside the room and waiting so that he could compose himself again. And when he did lean back and shut the door, the man wore an irritable look on his face, as if his day had just been ruined. And, in a way, it had. "Well?" he demanded. "Where is he, then?"
"Xemnas moved him farther up the castle," Luxord explained, offering a small shrug. "I think it's so that he'll be better protected. Kingdom Hearts is almost finished— there's no way that he'll let Sora get swiped away now. You know?" He tilted his head to the side, looking perplexed. "Shouldn't you be watching him now?"
Axel twitched, holding back a frustrated huff. "Just get to work, Luxord," he growled angrily, turning and heading quickly down the hall. But no sooner had he walked five paces did he realize that he had no idea where he was going. And, swallowing back a second groan, he turned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "How far up the castle?" he asked, his voice gruffer than normal. Luxord was already walking away, and his only response was to hold up five fingers as he walked away. He didn't even turn around.
But the reply only layered on more frustration. Did Luxord mean that Sora had been moved to the fifth floor, or that he had been moved up five floors from thisfloor? Looking at the ceiling for a moment and willing himself patience that he was sorely running out of, Axel figured that Xemnas would want Sora as far up as he could possibly get the kid. So he turned and rushed in the direction that would take him to the stairs.
Rushing through the floors as fast as his legs would carry him, Axel panted, taking as many stairs as he could at once. He passed the second and third floor easily, without taking too long at all. After all, the faster he got to Sora, the better. The teenager was probably panicking at the moment. Axel had promised that he would take care of him and make sure that he was perfectly okay; he wasn't about to let his promise go…not in the slightest. Not only because of the vow he had made, but also because he was fully aware of what would happen if he was too late.
He couldn't even picture it without his stomach clenching. The thought of Sora being stabbed or tortured to death was absolutely sickening. Despite the fact that the situation surrounding them was truly different than what had surrounded him and Roxas, Axel realized that they had become friends just like them. Maybe not as close— they weren't nearly as close as he had been with the blonde. But the feelings were still the same; it was second nature. He felt the same way he did when he used to look at Roxas.
The words Sora had said to him so long ago still made him feel weird, even now. "You don't need a heart. You can feel without one. What more do you need?" The question rang in his head as he sprinted up the stairs. He thought he knew what he was doing with the Organization. He thought that it was the only place that would be able to be— the only place where he could eventually be given a heart. The only place where he could get to be his own person. But now he knew that such a thought process was wrong.
Being with Sora made him feel like he had a heart.
Just like being with Roxas had as well.
Panting, Axel's pace started to gradually slow, the man rounding past the fifth floor with a pained expression. One more floor to go. Grabbing the railing, Axel remembered why he rarely ever came up here. So many steps! Sooomany steps! Too many steps! Shaking off the complaints like they were water, Axel finally reached the sixth floor, feeling his legs burning and wondering whether or not he should work out more. And upon straightening, the redhead blinked as he realized that he could hear voices echoing their way over to his eardrums. There was a series of mumbles, as if someone was having a conversation with someone else.
Following the sound quietly, Axel peered around the corner, irritation replacing the anxiety in his gaze. It wasn't two people having a conversation— quite the opposite. Xaldin was leaning against the wall his arms folded bad-temperedly as he grumbled underneath his breath. Besides him, the hall was completely empty. Shaking his head to clear it, and yet again wishing that he had a higher threshold for stupidity, Axel emerged out from behind the wall, making sure that he was sure-footed and nonchalant as he made his way over to the other man.
Immediately, the guard turned to eye him as he walked forward. It was more than obvious that Xaldin was suspicious, and Axel was almost surprised that he didn't make an actual stinging retort to him. But the man just remained quiet, staring at him levelly. Axel wasn't sure which one he would have liked more if he had the choice. Clearing his throat, Axel jerked his head to the side in a dismissive manner. "Move over," he said firmly, leaving no room for debate. Or trying to at least; you never knew with Xaldin. "I need to get in there. Xemnas' orders."
Xaldin gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, right," he snorted. "I'll believe that when I beat Luxord at Poker."
"Look, if you don't want to listen to Xemnas, then that's your problem," Axel growled tensely. "Just let me do this; unlike you, I wantto follow orders." When Xaldin refused to move, Axel cursed mentally, trying to find wriggle room he could use. Was he even sure that Sora was behind this door? Taking as blind a shot as he could, Axel started to craft some kind of tool; something that would function as a key of some kind to get him through and over the threshold.
"Look, Xaldin, I've got to get in there." When the other still seemed resolute, he pressed on. "Xemnas wants me to try one last time to reawaken Roxas. I got Sora almost there last time I tried, and now he wants me to do it for good. He instructed me to get Roxas back so that even if reinforcements come, they won't have anything left to fight for. It should be easier this time; Sora's heart isn't nearly as strong as it was before. So…are you going to step to the side? Because I'm sure Xemnas still wants the castle guarded. There's no use standing around here anymore— or at least there won't be sometime soon I guess." On the outside he was irritated, but on the inside he was a panicked mess. Please take it, please take it, please take it…
Glancing from the door to Axel, it was a moment before Xaldin answered. "Fine," he snapped angrily, pushing himself off the door and stepping to the side. Yes! "But I swear Axel, if I find out that you're doing something stupid, then you'll really wish you hadn't lied to me." Axel rolled his eyes, trying to blow the warning off as easily as he could. But Xaldin's glare caused a hint of fear to layer itself in his gaze. He was still very much aware of the fact that ever since that night in the snow, Xaldin has been watching him like a hawk. It was obvious that he didn't trust the redhead. But that remained to be seen whether or not that created an actual problem for Axel.
Nevertheless, the redhead didn't reply, only holding Axel's gaze until the other swung around and left. He hurried quickly down the hall, Axel staying put to watch him the entire way. But he knew he couldn't delay for much longer. If Xemnas came by soon, they would be in much more trouble that Axel had planned for. And he had planned for a lot of trouble. Blowing out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the man straightened, turning around and opening the door just wide enough so that he could slip inside unseen.
Once he shut the door behind him, he was already reaching into his cloak to bring out the cardboard box stashed under there. Looking up, it took him a moment to track down where Sora was. This room was much bigger than the one that the boy had been taken from. But, of course, Sora had taken to being in the far corner of the room, and Axel could see that as soon as he came in, the boy snapped to attention. That was good then; his reaction time was much better than it had been. Recently it took him a few moments at the least to realize that something was going on.
Sora looked freshly battered. Over his right eye was some purple shadowing that hadn't been there yesterday— Axel imagined that it would swell up and blacken in the next hour or so. And as Sora pushed himself up into a sitting position, Axel could tell that the simple movement caused him heavy pain. But the teenager seemed to ignore it rather well. And his words managed to take Axel by surprise. "I'm sorry!" he blustered, looking upset. "I tried to stay so that…so that you could find me, but…" Axel looked at the boy's black eye and immediately shook his head, feeling a rise of guilt tug at his chest.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Axel brushed off, walking over so that he could be closer to the boy. And taking the box that he had stashed away, Axel extended it over to Sora. At first the boy only stared at it, looking confused. "Well go on, open it," he said briskly. "He don't have time to sit around and admire the wrapping. You just need to put it all on over your clothes, okay?" Taking the box, Sora glanced up at Axel questioningly before wriggling off the lid, letting the cardboard fall to the ground. Tucked inside was black Organization cloak, looking identical to the one that Axel was wearing right now. Sora opened his mouth to ask a question but bit it back upon remembering Axel's warning. Instead he just relented, twisting around with a grimace as he shrugged the thing on, trying to maneuver around his injuries.
It was heavier than he had thought it would be. Catching the slightly uncomfortable look that Sora was now wearing, Axel tried to offer him a condolence. "You'll get used to it, don't worry. And hopefully you won't have to wear it for too long." He broke off for a moment and studied Sora with a critical eye. He reached over Sora's head and grabbed the boy's hood, pulling it over far enough so that his face became shrouded in darkness. It left him completely obscured from view, and Axel felt a touch of relief at the way it was all panning out. "…That should do it." He said, seeming quite pleased with himself. "It's a little big on you, but okay."
"Why do I have to wear this?" Sora mumbled, looking over himself with a scowl. He had already been forced to help the Organization; wearing their outfit was like a smack in the face.
"Well, that's fairly obvious," Axel said bluntly, still making sure that Sora wouldn't be able to stick out at all. The more unrecognizable he seemed, the better. "We're going to try to get you out without a fight. That means you can't really be running around in the open. You're going to pretend to be Roxas until we find whatever was able to transport you to the other worlds before now." Referring to the near-escape Sora almost got away with, Axel finally came to a stop, looking down and mumbling under his breath. "…Nobody will notice the shoes, right? Who looks at shoes…?"
"Why can't we just go into the Realm of Darkness?" Sora asked in a huff. "It'd be easier."
"Because that would be just like us putting up flashing lights and asking to be followed. The Organization wields the darkness together; that means if one of us travels, the others know as soon as it happens. It's like a reflex, really. And me leaving without a trace or without permission will send up a red flag. We'll be followed and we'll be brought back before you could say: 'Nuts.' Trust me, I've thought it out, and this is the best way to do things. Soon, you'll be back with your friends and heading off on adventures. Silly stuff like that."
Sora seemed preoccupied, a look of sadness crawling over his features. "Not all of them."
Axel shifted, looking pained at the way Sora's mood had deflated. He wished that he could offer the boy a small bit of comfort. But this was the most he could do, really; he could try and take the kid home safe, but he couldn't bring dead friends back to life. "C'mon," he said, reaching over and putting his hand loosely on Sora's shoulder. Offering the boy a small smile, Axel pointed out bracingly: "Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to fix anything; we can get out of here, but it's going to take both of us to do it, okay? We need all focus, or else this might not work."
Sora hesitated a moment before nodding once. Axel reached up and fixed Sora's hood one last time, nitpicking. But once he had everything settled— once he got Sora fully changed and according to the way that Roxas might look if the two were replaced, he stood up and helped Sora do the same. "Right then," he winked down at Sora and turned for the door. "Let's get you out of here; what do you say?"
Walking out into the hall felt like you were sneaking right through a room full of Heartless. Axel was walking silently, with trepidation as he looked from one direction to the other. Sora, for all it was worth, was struggling to do the same. But with his lame leg, his footsteps were a touch louder, and he was left to awkwardly limp alongside Axel's sure-footed gait. The boy was tense, stiff with fear and nervousness as he tried to take as small of steps as he could. The smaller steps he took, the less noticeable his limp came across as.
But it wasn't really a good thing to do. Axel sighed softly, glancing around the hall before whirling around to kneel down in front of Sora, becoming eye-level with him. Sora went rigid, apparently under the impression that something was wrong. But Axel spoke quickly, looking almost stern as he raised his eyebrows at the boy. "Listen," he whispered softly, his voice barely audible. "You have to relax, or nobody is going to believe for a minute that you're really Roxas. I promised you that I would get you out of here, remember? I've said it like a million times before now. You just have to trust me, and relax. It'll be okay, alright?" He rarely showed his gentle side, and for the first time, he was glad he wasn't able to see Sora's face. He didn't particularly want to see the boy's reaction to his words.
But Sora did give a nod, and when they started walking again, Axel could tell that the teenager was making more of an effort to remain aloof. Or…morealoof.
"Alright, now we have to go down a million staircases, so just stay with me," Axel whispered, wondering how fast Sora could handle steps with his bad leg. If he couldn't even walk normally, how was he going to get down stairs fast at all? And the question was answered soon enough: he wasn't. It was slow going. It was torturous. One flight took about five minutes to handle. Sora was forced to hold on tightly to the railing, the boy shaking with the effort that it took to try and even come close to matching Axel's pace. His leg dragged like an anchor, and every so often, Sora stopped short, as if he was trying to compose himself before he could fall or collapse.
As weak as he was, it was the best he could do. Axel was close to just picking him up and carrying him, but what if someone came by? What would he say? But then again, what would he say when they asked what was wrong with Roxas? He didn't have an answer for anything. All he could do was walk beside Sora and wait, looking back and forth to make sure the coast was clear and try not to show how panicked he was getting to be. But after twenty minutes and only three and half floors, such a thing was hard to do if not completely impossible.
And it was even more impossible to hide his apprehension when he heard a voice echo up to them.
"Axel!" It was Xaldin. Axel spat a curse out underneath his breath, grimacing deeply before turning. Sora tensed as well, but to the boy's credit he didn't react any further than that. In fact, the boy even managed to push himself off of the railing of the steps and stand for himself, though Axel could tell clearly that it took effort. Here was hoping that Xaldin wouldn't be able to do the same. "Axel, there are people attacking the castle," Xaldin said in a rush, not exactly panicking, and yet not entirely calm either. Axel seemed surprised at this, and Sora straightened in a sense of puzzlement. A movement that Axel cursed as it brought attention to Xaldin that there was a third member to the party. "…Who's this?" he asked, his eyes narrowing somewhat.
Axel blinked, hesitating before replying. "…It's uh…it's Roxas," he stated. When Xaldin still looked a little confused, starting to lean over to try and get a better look at the kid, Axel asked hurriedly: "People? What kind of people? What do they want?"
This was effective enough as it reeled Xaldin's attention back in, the man turning back over to Axel with a small shrug. Sora tried to concentrate on breathing— he was struggling not to succumb to hyperventilation, but it was getting rather hard to manage such a feat. "We haven't figured that out yet. They all split up; I was watching them from a balcony. There were certainly a lot of them, though. Saix thought that they're after Sora; he's making everybody come and guard the castle." He paused a moment before adding. "But…if they're looking for Sora, I guess they'll come up a little short when they find Roxas here instead." He flashed a look over at Sora, his eyes glinting.
Axel let out a sharp laugh, reaching down and grabbing at Sora's shoulder. "Alright then!" he said with a large smile. "Roxas and I can go and cover the-"
"Roxas can take up his own spot in guarding the castle," Xaldin interrupted, looking stern as he dished out the command. This caused Sora's heart to freeze over, and the boy hurriedly tucked his hands into the sleeves of his baggy cloak as he sensed them beginning to tremble and shake. Axel looked a little lost, his mouth halfway open as he tried to search for something to say. But Xaldin shook his head before the other could get anything out, reaching over and grabbing Sora's shoulder to tear him away from Axel's side. The burnet had to bite down hard on his lip to choke back a scream— a scream of not only pain, but of terror as well. They were being separated! "Just because Roxas just came back, that doesn't mean you two are joined at the hip," Xaldin snapped. "Go and take up a part in the castle, I'll find a place for this guy."
Axel looked from Xaldin to Sora, seeming unsure of what to do. He started to say a few things, but he bit them back one by one. There was nothing he could say without giving something away, or flashing a red flag that somewhat was up. "Fine," he said softly. Glancing over at Sora, he added: "I'll be right back, then, Roxas." Sora watched in horrified silence as Axel turned and broke into a sprint, racing down the step with Xaldin watching him closely the entire time, making sure he left.
His head was reeling. Axel was leaving him! Sora felt his heart sink all the way down to his feet, feeling his hope run away as well, keeping up time with Axel. …What in the world was he supposed to do now?
He flinched inwardly as Xaldin spoke up, almost feeling the man's gaze burn a hole straight through is cloak. "You know…that didn't take too long," the older man commented, probably talking about the process it had taken for Sora to change into 'Roxas'. "I would have thought it would take more time." Sora did not answer, biting down on lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood started to leak through his mouth. Xaldin frowned slightly. "…Hello?" he asked, trying once again to peer closer at Sora.
Wildly, the boy's mind rushed back and forth, up and down, left and right. What did Roxas sound like, again? Were their voices close? At all? No? He might as well not try it. Feeling tension thick in the air between them, Sora managed to shrug his shoulders in what he hoped was a casual gesture. Xaldin narrowed his eyes at the odd reply, opening his mouth to say something. But thankfully, he seemed to find that this was a waste of time and bit whatever he had to say back before it could escape. "Just go outside and find somebody to distract. Even if Sora isn't here anymore, Xemnas would be furious if anybody managed to get into the castle."
Sora blinked, looking over at the way Axel had gone. If he started now, could he catch up to him? He could barely walk with his injured leg— with how fast Axel had run away, he didn't think that he could manage something like that. But it was all he had to go off of. Maybe Axel was just waiting for him around the corner. So he drew himself up, still making sure that Xaldin couldn't see his face. And, holding a deep breath so that no sounds of discomfort or pain could escape him, Sora started forward, straightening as much as he could to try and hide his limp. He was still very much aware of his uneven walk, but there was nothing he could do. He just walked as fast as he could, his face creased over in agony as he refused to allow himself to breathe. And as quickly as he could, he struggled after the direction that Axel had gone.
Xaldin stayed where he was, his face written over in puzzlement as he watched the boy go down the hall. He was walking like he had a peg leg or something. Had Roxas always walked like that? Maybe he did and Xaldin just never noticed it. He blinked, turning and looking up the steps with a perplexed stare. And, glancing back over at Roxas, who was making nonexistent progress down the steps, the man slowly turned and started to scale the floors. If Roxas noticed that he was going the opposite direction than he was supposed to, the kid didn't say anything. In fact, Xaldin noticed that he was oddly silent as a whole. The kid might have started out being silent as a mouse, but definitely not by the time he had left. So was there a reason that he wasn't making a sound?
He scaled the floor easily, reaching the sixth floor in less than a few minutes. And weaving through the halls, he managed to get to the room where Sora had been transferred as of this morning. He reached over and grabbed the door's handle, opening it with a swing and walking into the room. Predictably, it was empty. That was how it worked…wasn't it? He had no idea how this thing unfolded. But however it worked, it must have…right?
But items thrown into the corner of the room caught his eye and caused the man to perk. Slowly, he turned and walked into the small holding chamber, his head titled to the side. It was a box— a long box that's lid had been opened and strewn carelessly as well. And next to it was a pair of bright, yellow shoes. Those had been…Sora's shoes, right? "…Odd," he grumbled, stooping down and picking up to the things with an odd look. And idly, he turned the objects over in his hands, looking confused as he wondered whether or not this was supposed to be here. After all, he didn't really have a clear map in his mind how all of this worked— did anyone? But…it was odd. Not only all of this stuff around him, but the entire scene on the stairs that he had walked up from.
Axel had seemed much more awkward and concerned when it came to Xaldin telling him that he and Roxas were to split up. If Xaldin didn't know any better, he would have thought that Axel would have been openly reluctant to stray from the boy's side. But that didn't make sense— the man hadn't ever shown his concern for Roxas that openly. He didn't show concern openly in general, really. Sure, they were friends, but Axel was always very well aware of the fact that Roxas could take care of himself when it came to things like fights. He wouldn't ever stoop so low as to try and object, or even hesitate when he was expected to tear off from his side. And even if he did show concern, Xaldin knew a hundred percent that Roxas would not be the type of person to accept worry so easily. The brat would usually make a fuss of such a show— or at least huff or shrug his shoulders. But Roxas had done quite the opposite— he had seemed just as awkward as Axel had.
Thinking back to it now, Roxas hadn't done much of anything. He had stayed in one spot, not uttering a sound and only glancing over at Axel every once and a while. And that walk…that limp— that wasn't something Roxas had before. Did he sustain Sora's injuries when he came back? Why would something like that exist? Xaldin wasn't an expert, but surely that couldn't be right…right? He didn't know— all he knew for sure was that something was wrong. Something in the way that Axel stammered over his words, and something wrong in the way that Roxas had stood stiffly and walked even more so. And looking around at the things strewn in the corner, he couldn't help but feel a small nagging sensation.
The man turned, trying to piece together puzzle pieces. It was all very suspicious, and as the pieces fell, it began to create a picture that was unpleasant to the eye. Slowly, Xaldin stood up, dropping the shoes and the box with a dull thud as his eyes slowly narrowed. It couldn't be…could it? He turned, looking over his shoulder and out into the empty hallway. He thought of Kingdom Hearts— how it was nearly completed now. And gradually, the man's lip curled back into a snarl of anger.
Before he could stop himself, the man was turning and barging out the door. He made for the hall and headed back for the steps, his hands clenched into tight fists as he tried to remember which way Roxas had headed. If it was even who he thought he was. Though the thought was sudden, it clicked far too much to just drop and forget. It didn't click enough to go straight to Xemnas— besides, last time he had gone to the Superior, things hadn't really gone the way he'd wanted. But it was enough to track the kid down. To pull him aside and rip off his hood. He just needed to see some blonde hair and hear him say a couple words. Most of which would probably be: "What the heck are you doing?" But it would be enough.
So he turned and made for the stairs. And when he reached the stairs, he started down with a hurried pace, his eyes narrowed slits as he made for the direction where Roxas had fled with that awkward limp.
He just needed to see a different color of hair. A different-sounding voice.
And if he didn't…
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Riku, Kairi, and Cid were making quick work progressing through the neon-lit city. Yet though their steps were hurried and held in them a sense of undisguised panic, the trio was absolutely silent in their maneuvering. And in their silence, they were able to hear a rising roar in the distance. Sounds of fighting and yelling that barely echoed over to the three as their feet hit the pavement. The others must have found their targets by now with such a commotion; but the three still had yet to find their own. They were left searching and coming up empty-handed. It was clear by the expressions overcoming the party that the fact was not unknown— impatience was rising as well as frustration. Where could one person be?
Riku was at the head, trying to see whether or not he could pick up clues as he ran. This was more difficult than they first thought, he realized slowly. Finding someone to attack was easier said than done— Xigbar could be anywhere at all in this entire city. And here they were left on a wild goose chase with no idea where to go. It wasn't like they knew the guys' personality or where his favorite spot to stand was. If he even had something like that. So how were they expected to know exactly where to wander?
Riku looked over his shoulder, wondering whether or not they could double back a little bit to search more thoroughly. When he suddenly jerked, surprise causing his feet to skid uncertainly on the ground. He screeched to a halt, the other two that had been at his sides having to screech to an abrupt standstill as well. He whipped around fully and raised his keyblade, his mouth pulling back into a snarl as he spotted two figures racing towards him. It was too dark to see clearly almost— was it Organization? But no sooner had Kairi and Cid turned, alarmed and prepared to fight, did Riku relax, blinking rapidly in confusion.
It wasn't attackers. It was…Leon and Yuffie.
The couple were racing towards them, their eyes having lit up with recognition much sooner than Riku's had. He lowered his weapon down to his side and tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows drawing together. What were they doing? Had they finished their target off already? Somehow the thought was a little too outlandish to believe. And, waiting until the pair were close enough, he called out: "What are you two doing here?"
They both stopped about three feet away from the group. Yuffie seemed pained, grimacing as she leaned over at the waist to try and catch her breath. Riku watched with a raised eyebrow, however eventually, the girl looked up, reaching out to gesture vaguely at him. "We could…ask you the same thing," she puffed. And, sucking in one last, sharp breath, she perked and straightened fully. And glancing at Leon, she shrugged her shoulders in a perplexed manner. "We must have snuck past a million other fights on the way over. But we can't find Xaldin anywhere." She seemed irritated by this, her gray eyes flashing as she cracked her knuckles.
Riku blinked, not seeming comforted by the declare. "We can't find Xigbar either."
Kairi started to wring her hands anxiously at this. She turned her head every which way, her blue eyes straining against the darkness to try and search for something tangible. Yuffie looked just as worried, and Leon seemed perturbed as well. One target missing was bad enough, but two? Hopefully it was a coincidence, but for someone like Riku, who wasn't all that optimistic, it definitely rubbed him the wrong way.
A bout of silence rested in between the group. Everyone merely stared blankly at one another, dreading their own type of mental image or ending situation. But eventually Yuffie interrupted the quiet, turning and looking over towards the castle, which was looming threateningly in the background. "Maybe they're somewhere in there?" she asked, frowning. The castle seemed to gleam harshly as it threw a colder sort of light onto the paved streets. The mere glimpse of such a building caused a stroke of nervousness to shake everyone to the core. And such a fact was shown plainly as the group quieted somewhat at the notion.
And as if to accompany the intimidating sight, a sudden roll of thunder shook the ground underneath the group. The sound was earsplitting, and Kairi winced against the sudden volume. No sooner had the thunder ripped its way into existence did the first few freezing raindrops begin to pelt down from the sky. Riku grumbled, swiftly beginning to lose his temper as the rain picked up in no time. Quickly, he shook his head, already feeling his hair start to get waterlogged. "It's our safest bet!" He had to yell in order to be heard above the rain. "If they aren't out here, then where else could they be?!"
Yuffie nodded quickly in agreement. Leon audibly voiced his consent as well.
The others added their own say, but really, what more could they do than that? They had been running to and fro, and the longer they spent trying to find them, the longer they were out by themselves. What were they doing? And the most harrowing question of all: did they have Sora? That question alone brought several more along with it. Was he okay? All that was for certain was that they were running out of places to scour for their targets. If Xaldin and Xigbar were hiding somewhere, it was their job to find them and track them down.
So, as one, they turned and started to make for the castle.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Axel rushed through the halls of the castle, panic and fear making his steps faster than normal. Almost too fast— it felt like every fourth step he nearly tripped over his own feet. But he couldn't hold back the rising tide of horror: he had left Sora alone. He had left him alone. This plan was bad; it was reallybad. He had to find him again. And hopefully when he found him again, Sora wasn't anywhere near Xaldin. The mere thought of the boy being cornered by him made Axel's skin crawl. He had promised – he had sworn– to Sora that he would protect him and make sure that he survived. If he made a mistake…
His pace quickened— he was all but sprinting over himself in the effort to try and double back to where he hoped Sora had gone. But before he could round the last corner that could take him towards where the stairs were, there was a sudden shout. He was forced to skid to a stop, his eyes flying wide as he wondered in a spasm whether or not someone else had run into him. He hesitated just briefly, trying to see whether or not he could just keep running. But that would make him look worse. But eventually he shook his head, whipping around as he heaved for air a little unevenly.
He didn't know who was standing at the other end of the room. They were tall— and the way that their shoulders were held back, some kind of authority seemed to radiate off of him. They seemed a little bit on the older side, but it was hard to tell something like that for certain. Axel started to think maybe things wouldn't turn sour— maybe he couldjust turn around and keep on running. But there was something in the man's eyes. Something dangerous and a little odder than normal.
The newcomer didn't speak for a long time; he just stared over at Axel. He didn't even blink. So, after a moment or two passed, Axel decided that he was to be the one to talk first between the pair of them. Odd enough, considering he hadn't called in the first place. "Who are you?" he demanded, slowly settling down into a more defensive position. Though he wasn't sure whether or not there was a danger to this guy, he might as well be safer rather than sorry.
But surprisingly, the man standing across from him didn't even seemed fazed by Axel's body response. If anything at all, he just seemed intrigued. His eyes narrowed slightly and he titled his chin as if to look down at the Nobody. When he replied, his voice was steady and controlled. It didn't even waver in the slightest. "Ansem," he stated neatly, his eyes flashing as he surveyed the man across from him. "And you are Axel," he added.
He was vexed for a second. Who wasthis guy? And how did he know his name? He was vexed, and for a while, he could only stand and stare stupidly. He opened his mouth, trying to gather his mind together enough to reply properly. But eventually he shook his head, grimacing and speaking out through clenched teeth. "Look, you're distracting me." Ansem's eyes narrowed even further at this, but he tried his best not to show that it bothered him as much as it did. "Let me pass; I'm not the enemy here! You have to let me—!" He didn't have time to finish before he was being cut off.
"Nonsense!" Ansem shouted, sounding suddenly enraged. Axel jerked backwards, angry and offended from the sudden reply. Axel tried to speak, scrambling for purchase before it was ripped out from under him. But as soon as he tried to get a handle on it, Ansem's arm shot out from his side. And from the man's palm, a large, shimmering wall formed itself in front of him. And no sooner had it been constructed did it shoot forward, barreling straight for where Axel was standing. He tried to get out of the way, but the effort was fruitless.
It moved too fast, and before he could even blink he was being shoved backwards. He scuffed the ground, trying to stop himself. But he was slammed back into the wall behind him, pain flooding through him as he was all but crushed. His sides ripped in pain, and as the spell wore off, Axel was left to crash down to the ground, the breath driven straight out of him. The redhead flinched deeply, getting up onto all fours as he held his stomach with one hand. Gagging slightly, he struggled to take in air, looking up at Ansem with one eye closed in pain.
But the man didn't seem to be swayed by the look of pain on Axel's face. In fact, it only seemed to make him even angrier than he was before. "Those siding with the Organization have no hearts. They are unable to make any sort of change for the better. You are enemies of the light; a danger in the dark. Beings without hearts are unable to comprehend anything." The words were just a snarl by the time he was finished.
Huffing and gasping, Axel pushed himself up in a shaking manner. And this time, when he stood, the man summoned his weapons at his sides in a burst of flames. He gripped them tightly, trying to steady himself as he tried to shove aside the pain that lingered over his stomach and ribs. Ansem's words struck him in a similar way that his spell had. And as the words registered, Sora's voice rang in back of his mind. You don't need a heart! You can feel without one! What more do you need!? And the memory with itself caused the man to grow even more desperate. Sora needed him; he could be in trouble. He couldn't just sit here and stare at this old guy and wait.
Feeling anger bottle itself up in the back of his stomach, Axel's face pulled down into a scowl. "Have it your way," he snapped, bending his knees in a readied position. "But just so you're aware…you know nothing."
Ansem seemed enraged. And in reply, the man just crouched down as well, raising his arm and preparing himself for another spell. He was already hurt; his bones were aching from being crushed into the wall. But he had no choice but to defeat this guy— he had to get to Sora, and fast. Before the boy could get into any more trouble than he could handle.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Sora was gasping, his entire body trembling from head to toe by the time that he reached the exit of the castle. Exhaustion was wrapped tightly around every inch of the boy's skeleton— not one bone seemed to be left in peace. Immediately upon his exit, he was chilled to the bone, and as the keybearer stepped outside, his breath escaped his mouth in small cloud, curling away from his lips like smoke. Rain was pouring down from the sky in buckets; he was soaked through in a matter of seconds. The cloak that Axel had given him to wear had started out as too big in the first place. It drooped past his arms, and the hood was drooped low over his fact. But now that the rain was soaking it through, the clothes were getting heavier and much more weighted on him. He felt nearly ten pounds heavier.
It made standing harder— Sora's legs were already threatening to buckle on him, and his injured leg felt as if it was on fire. But the boy was struggling to keep upright. He grimaced deeply, biting down on his lower lip to try and see through the red haze of pain that was starting to fill his vision. But he had to calm down and sort through things. He had no idea where to go from here. He was lost. Slowly, the teenager staggered around in a full circle, looking confused and so, so desperate as he looked every which way.
But as he spun around, the boy stumbled, freezing as he suddenly caught a sense of movements from the corner of his eye. Holding his stomach, he turned, ducking his head and gritting his teeth as he looked down the road. It was quite a way off, and not really in full view yet. But Sora realized with a sharp stiffen that it was an oncoming group of people. Five people. They didn't seem to have caught sight of him yet, but as soon as Sora realized that he could be seen, panic rushed through every inch of him. Hunching down low, the boy turned and limped as quickly as he could, having to bite down on his lower lip in order to keep himself from crying out in pain. The fast pace certainly caused him a surplus of agony, but he had no choice. He had to get somewhere and hide. He had to wait somewhere for Axel. He wouldfind him….right?
Blending into the darkness, Sora headed blindly in a random direction, at a loss of where to go, but knowing he couldn't stay put in one spot. He walked for what seemed like ages, and the boy started to grow more and more unable to hold back stifled noises of pain. His leg felt like it was being stabbed, and his vision was going fuzzy as his head ached and caved in on itself. His stomach was rocking back and forth and twisting into knots, and every one and a while, the boy was forced to stop and lean against a wall, shutting his eyes and trying to keep himself from spilling out what little left was in his stomach.
He made slow progress. With how weak the boy was, and how injured, it was to be expected. And, not knowing where he was going, Sora could only hope that somehow he could either find a place to hide, or even better, maybe run into Axel. Though if he was being honest with himself, he would be the first to say that luck really wasn't ever on his side. But where he ended up wasn't some spot of salvation or solace. It was a dead-end.
He had wandered right into an alley— he hadn't been paying attention at all to realize such a thing. When he did come to terms with his mistake, nearly crashing right into the wall, Sora stumbled backwards, the movement causing his head to spin. Letting out a small noise of complaint underneath his breath, the teenager stumbled, grimacing and cursing at the situation he was in. This was just great. He was lost, he was in an alley, and he was at a dead-end. Which way had he even come in? If he backed up and went left on the way out, would that take him somewhere new, or just where he had been before?
Frustration and weariness was dragging on him like a hundred pounds. Feeling his chest tear and constrict under the pressure of what was happening, Sora ducked his head, his shoulders hunching forward. He felt like he was going to be sick— or that he would capsize right this very moment. But he steeled himself, forcing himself to take in a deep breath to try and steady his nerves. Surely that was all it was, it was just nerves. Mind over matter. Regardless of his state, he had to get back to Axel. So, ignoring all the signs that were screaming at him to stop, Sora began to drag himself back around and head back out from the alley.
But as soon as he turned, the boy froze, panic filling him up before he could even blink.
Though the hood of his watered-down coat drooped low over his eyes, there was no mistaking the fact that there was someone standing across from him. That there was someone standing squarely in the middle of the exit of the backstreet. And as Sora slowly realized who exactly it was that was standing in front of him, it was all he could do to keep his knees from shaking noticeably. Well, really, the boy couldn't move at all. He was frozen in fear, like a deer in headlights.
Silence reigned for a long moment. The only sound was the pelting of the rain, and every so often a clap of thunder. Lightning flashed overhead, and as the sky lit up just briefly, it illuminated Xaldin's face in a picturesque fashion. Sora's chest constricted at the man's hungry, glittering gaze boring straight into him. In blind response, Sora found himself taking a hesitant step backwards. Though the step was small, it was enough to cause the boy to press back flush against the wall.
"Hello, Roxas," Xaldin sneered, his voice dripping with undisguised malice. Such a tone caused a shiver to lance down Sora's spine. "I thought I told you where to station yourself." The way Xaldin spoke made it seem almost nonchalant. Teasing. Sadistic. The man raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise. "What're you doing all the way out here? Surely you knowwhere to go?"
He started to pace forward— slow but with a purpose. Sora's heart was banging painfully against his ribcage by now, and he was wracking his brain to try and figure out some possible way that he could get out of this situation. But Xaldin was blocking the way, and unless Sora could outrun him – which was entirely impossible at the moment – there was no getting around him. He couldn't scale the walls of the alley, and he couldn't just magically disappear. He could only stand with large, horrified eyes as Xaldin traipsed forward, the man taking his time in getting nearer.
Sora was cornered.
Subconsciously, the boy pressed himself more and more back against the wall. Cringing away from what he knew that, by now, he could not stop. The plan was falling apart. It had started crumbling when Axel was forced to leave, and now the strings were unraveling before Sora could try and hold them together. Xaldin stopped only when he was less than an inch away from the boy, who was now beginning to sink towards the ground in his efforts to mold back into the wall behind him. And for a long time, neither moved, nor spoke. Xaldin just stared down at him, and Sora stared up from underneath the shade of his cloak.
But the stillness was broken soon enough. Quick as a flash – too quick for Sora to comprehend, thanks to how disoriented he was – the man stooped down and lashed out. Like a vice, his hands clamped firmly around Sora's neck. He hoisted the boy into the air as if he weighed nothing and held him suspended, his fingernails digging and biting into the skin of the child's throat. The keybearer gaped like a fish out of water, immediately trying to fight as he kicked his legs and tried to claw at the man's hands.
But Xaldin only seemed to get a cold sense of satisfaction from the boy's reaction. "Now, let's see who you really are, shall we?" he mused, reaching forward and grabbing Sora's sodden hood tightly in his hand.
Before the boy could even try to stop him from doing such a thing, his hood was ripped away and his terrified face was revealed. And at the boy's look of horror and pain, Xaldin immediately was seized by laughter, the reaction only causing his grip on Sora's neck to increase tenfold. The teen's head was spinning and reeling— his lungs were screaming for air and his throat was on fire. But there was nothing he could do— he was completely helpless. "You really had me going there for a second," Xaldin chucked, shaking his head as if to say: 'Well-I'll-Be.' "I guess you and Axel's joke was on me then, right?" He grinned, as if waiting for some kind of a reply.
When Sora only replied by gagging and straining for more air, Xaldin's grin turned much more twisted. "But this time the joke is going to be on you." Drawing Sora closer with a jerk of his arms, Xaldin narrowed his eyes into burning slits, nearly nose-to-nose with the boy. "Because this time…Axel isn't here to save you."