Luxord woke in the middle of the night, something was wrong. He looked down at Ariexan, she was sleeping peacefully, nothing wrong there. He just felt that something wasn't right. something was about to break. Like a dam about to overflow. Luxord slid away from Ariexan, wondering why he was feeling this way. He stood up and left his room, looking just in time to see someone go down the hall and into the Hall of Empty Melodies. Who else was up at this time in the morning? Luxord, out of sheer curiosity, followed them.
As he entered, the lights came on. Revealing Xemnas on the bottom floor. Luxord looked at him, confused.
"Something wrong, Superior?" Luxord called as he descended down to the floor to meet Xemnas. The silvernette looked at him.
"Yes, I suppose there is." Xemnas said. Luxord didn't like the tone in his voice. He took a step back about to make a get away if something went wrong.
"And that would be?" Luxord asked. Xemnas looked at him, the Ethereal Blades he wielded appeared in his hand.
"Thirteen's constant resilience to my plans. Kingdom Hearts is almost complete, but it will mean nothing unless I have what I need. Ariexan giving into the Darkened Light to take down all that stands in my way. Though, she continues to defy, Saix, Axel, and you, you're all in my way. And I will plow right through all of you. Starting with you, Ten." And Xemnas attacked, (despite his efforts) catching Luxord off guard.
Ariexan woke, finally noticing Luxord's absence. Through her drowsiness, she heard the sounds of battle.
Must've overslept. Why didn't Luxord wake me, didn't the alarm clock go off? She wondered to herself. She looked to the clock, 2:15 am. Ariexan's eyes widened, the castle must've been under attack. Jumping out of bed, she raced towards the sounds. Stopping, she nearly fell over the edge. Xemnas was attacking Luxord, and winning. The gambler was on the ground, panting heavily, bleeding. Fading. Dying.
"NO!" She shrieked, surely waking up every member in the Castle that Never Was. Ariexan now knew what the Darkened Light meant. It was Xemnas. She let it take control,just enough so to take him down.
The Darkened Light jumped down, landing in a dodge roll to get at Xemnas quicker.
"IF SORA COULDN'T END YOU! I WILL!" It screamed. The Darkened Light tackled Xemnas and sent them both into its home Realm. The Darkened Realm of Light.
Ariexan was left with Luxord, having to watch him fade. Tears streaking her face and a broken feeling inside her.
"No! You can't leave me. Luxord stay!" She was just a faded version of herself, her body having been taken over by The Darkened Light and in the Darkened Realm of Light. She grasped Luxord's hand. Those heartbreakingly blue eyes looked at her in pain.
I'm sorry. He mouthed, not having enough strength to actually speak.
Axel, Saix, and Xigbar came racing into the room. All three of them stopping when they saw Luxord's state. They all knew there was no hope for him. Axel saw Ariexan and shook his head.
"Go help the Darkened Light, it can't win without you. We'll take care of Luxord, ok?" He told her. Ariexan was reluctant, but went and joined the fight, something she knew in her heart that she had to do.
Seeing the Darkened Light actually get throttled, it didn't have a purpose, at least not a strong enough one. She screamed and possessed her body.
"I'LL END YOU!" She screamed through her tears. Land Sliding across the ground, she swung at him. Xemnas jumped back, just barely getting missed.
"YOU'LL PAY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER! I'LL BE SURE OF IT! SO JUST FACE YOUR FATE!" She jumped up, coming down on Xemnas with a powered up strike. Hitting him, the Superior of the In Between went flying back, rolling across the floor. Ariexan ran across the floor swinging, Xemnas rolled to the side just in time and stood. Ariexan threw her Keyblades at him. Both struck twice, once flying at him, twice coming back to their owner. Xemnas struck furiously. Five, Six, seven hits he landed. Ariexan didn't notice a thing. Once his onslaught ended, she back fired, retaliating with an even more deadly attack. He'd pay, no matter what the price was.
"YOU MUST PAY, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO EVERYONE!" The Darkened Light shrieked. What else had he done? Ariexan shrugged off the thought and dove into another combo. Jumping up and sending out a sonic wave, knocking Xemnas off his feet. Leaping up and she came down in a screw dive, spinning rapidly for increased velocity. Xemnas took the damage, giving a pained shriek. Ariexan bolted away before he could return.
"THEY ALL TRUSTED YOU, XEHANORT! AND YOU STABBED THEM IN THE BACK!" The Darkened Light screeched at him, that voice oh so haunting.
Axel watched Luxord fade away with a feeling of pain and mercy for both Ariexan and Luxord. All three of them did.
"Axel, wake the others. Tell them to leave, Xemnas has finally cracked. Tell them exactly what happened. Xemnas will pay the price for treason. Ariexan is ensuring that as we speak. Xigbar go with him. I will wait for Ariexan to return." Saix told them. The two nodded and left.
How had everything failed? Luxord was not supposed to die. If Ariexan beat both Xemnas and the Darkened Light, then it would be a miracle. The Keyblader was not strong enough to defeat them both. Saix looked to where Number Ten of Organization Thirteen used to lay. Saix frowned, his Organization Thirteen would rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of Xemnas' Organization.
Tears streaked her face as she fought Xemnas. How had everything gone wrong. It all started with that damn Aerial Master, the one that attacked her on her mission with Xemnas, the one that woke the Darkened Light. Why, why was this happening to her? She lost Luxord twice now, it was unknown if he would come back. Only so many chances. One last strike sent Xemnas to his knees, panting and holding his side, wincing in pain. Defeated, having been defeated by that dam, that mental dam he created, it finally overflowed and burst.
"Why Xemnas? TELL ME WHY? I TRUSTED YOU! WE ALL DID, ROXAS DID, SO DID AXEL AND XION. YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING FOR EVERY GREAT KEYBLADER OUT THERE. YOU WILL SUFFER! YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE! IF YOU COME BACK, I'LL BE RIGHT THERE TO DESTROY YOU AGAIN!" She screamed and pulled the older Nobody up angrily. With a hiss, he struck out at her, lashing at her again, for one last chance of survival. Ariexan suffered the consequences of standing so close. Xemnas didn't dare stop, not until a Keyblade sliced through him. Then her other, once again, striking mercilessly. Ariexan twirled gracefully, a deadly dancer, bringing both Keyblades around this time, striking through him twice at once. Ariexan jumped back.
That was when she realized that the Darkened Light had taken its own form beside her, working with her, not through her. She had conquered it. She stepped back from Xemnas. He lay there, dying. Those ember eyes. Gazing up at her in a type of pride, was he proud of himself?
"The… power. How can it be? Why…couldn't it... have been…mine?" He muttered. Ariexan looked down on him coldly, piecing silver eyes full of hate.
"Because you gave into the Darkness, Xemnas, you let it have you. That's why. And now, it's all catching up with you." She told him, fading out of the Darkened Light's Realm. She came back into the hall of Empty Melodies. Saix stood alone, Luxord had faded, gone. She gave a miserable moan and fell to her knees, sobbing. Saix came to her side.
"I-I n-need to go S-Saix, I need to get a-away." She shuddered, just barely choking out the words. Saix laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"We are, we're all leaving." He told her. Ariexan shook her head.
"I just need to be alone, Saix. I'll meet all of you back at the world Driaxenne created. Okay? I just need to go. I need to go. I need to go" She told him. Saix frowned, as the new leader of Organization Thirteen, he had to do what was healthy for the Keyblader. He watched her rise, a dark corridor open, and watched her leave, going God-Knows-Where.
Saix heard the thundering footsteps of several people race down the hall above his head, Axel, Exeane, Xigbar and Driaxenne all came into view, just in time to see the Dark Corridor close behind Ariexan.
"Get to the new home world. Now, before this place crumbles around us." Saix told them. They nodded and left through a dark corridor. Saix himself entered the knew world. Looking up in the starry sky to see Kingdom Hearts fade in from the World that Never Was. He looked down and started his way into the castle that loomed ahead of him, towering high above the sad, skeletal trees. All the other members came into sight, Dark Corridors opening and closing behind them. They all gravely approached the castle, mourning their lost members.
Ariexan just roamed the Dark Margin. Walking until she found the shore. Stopping suddenly when she saw a tall blue haired woman sitting at the edge of the dark waters that spanned in front of them.
"Oh. Who are you?" She asked. The woman turned, conjuring a Keyblade. Ariexan stood there in silence as the woman stood. She watched Ariexan dangerously.
"My name…" She muttered, seeming to be racking her brain as though she didn't remember her name.
"A-Aqua, I think. Its been a long time." The woman said.
"Since what?" Ariexan asked, tears welling up in her eyes again. The thought that Luxord was gone crossed her mind again like it had in her several hours of walking. She tinkered with the charm bracelet that he had given her for Christmas. It seemed, so long ago. But that day was only three weeks behind them. The tears streaked down her cheeks.
"I made a sacrifice for my friend. What's your name?" The woman asked. Ariexan looked to the ground, hiding her tears. She sniffled, looking up at Aqua through tear blurred vision.
"Ariexan." She said. Aqua looked at the girl with a type of understanding. She nodded gently. She reached her hand out to Ariexan.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Ariexan didn't reply that time, she just shook her head and turned away. Started to walk off, but stopped short and looked over her shoulder at the older female Keyblader.
"Come on. Aqua." She said. Opening a Dark Corridor.
A/N: Is Aqua too much? Is Luxord dying too much? Did this chapter suck? Did the fight with Xemnas suck? Please tell me I NEED TO KNOW! This is NOT the end I SWEAR!