"What do we do?"
Roxas stumbled back into the dark hall of his shattered house, his head in an absolute turmoil.
"Vincent betrayed us, lied to us from the start! My whole family is gone, not to mention both the Silhouettes and the Spirits, which I remind you, cannot leave the house."
His voice pitched into higher octaves as he grew more panicked.
"Xemnas is going to come back and kill us, no; I will rephrase that, he will pulverise us!"
"Roxas, Shut up!" Axel said crossly as he shut the veil to the 'In Between' by slamming it shut in a cloud of golden dust.
"You have a knack of stating the obvious don't you? I can see exactly what's going on here."
"You really don't seem to care about it though," Roxas cried back. "You're all so bravery and courage won't get us anywhere when the whole world is against us."
"You don't know what it's like to have the world against you," Axel shouted at Roxas savagely. "I have had it for over a hundred years Roxas, don't you start on how you feel so hard done by."
Roxas grew livid before a shouting match erupted out through the deserted house, "Hard done by? Axel, I'm fucking terrified of what is going to happen to us. I am only seventeen, what am I supposed to do?"
"Shut up for one?" Axel snarled, "All you are doing is making it worse for me to think! Just shut your trap."
"Make me" Roxas shot back, "You think you are all high and mighty because you are a Silhouette! Does it make you feel better 'cause you know you're better than a human?"
"I am not high and mighty! I am not proud of being what I am Roxas, I would trade places with you any day." Axel was red in the face, his jade eyes flashing angrily. He spun around with a 'whoosh' of his black cloak before letting his fist hit the wall.
The whole house shuddered with the impact.
Roxas took a step back and averted his gaze from the Pyro. The anger and the hurt pummeled his chest and he found it hard to breathe. The last sentence had hit home. There was really no reason to fight but both the human and the Silhouette were scared and stressed. Shouting just made them vent their anger, but things that were said could never be taken back.
"Axel? Roxas?"
Both the human and the Silhouette jumped when they heard their names. From the shadows, there was a rustle and a figure manifested from the darkness.
The relief was evident in both voices.
"Demyx."
Roxas ran over as the musician stumbled to his feet. His large blue eyes were troubled and afraid. Roxas raced at his friend and embraced him crying out, "What the hell happened? Where's Zexion?"
As the young human pulled away, Demyx looked around the demolished house and muttered brokenly; "Xemnas a-and Saix, they came to get you two, but you were protected." He shuddered in the silver light of the night.
"Xemnas slaughtered the Spirits, he forced them out of the house, Saix attacked Zexion and once Zexion was down everybody else began to fall as well."
Demyx was in a daze and before Roxas could say anything, a flaming fist came out and clobbered Demyx upside the head.
Demyx fell against the stairs with a surprised cry and Roxas shouted angrily; "What the fuck has gotten into you?"
Axel was furious, "You coward, you ran away when everybody needed each other the most. You left all of them to the hands of that bastard Xemnas."
He hit Demyx again, the rage emanating from him. It warmed the cold room up.
"Axel!" Roxas shouted; "Axel stop, you don't have to hit him."
He grabbed Axel's cloak, "Axel- STOP." He pushed the Pyro away and said in a heated voice, "We have to stick together, if Demyx is here alive, that means Zex must be alive as well. We have a chance."
Axel looked pissed and Demyx had his hand over his mouth and nose; dark black/red blood dripping between his fingertips.
Roxas' way of dealing with anger proved to be a better way than Axel's method. "Demyx" he urged "I know your hurting and we are all terrified. But are you able to trace to where Zexion is?"
Demyx pilled his hand away and smeared blood across his cheek as he did so. He narrowed his eyes for a moment then whispered, "Yeah I'm sure, I can do this."
Roxas shot a disdainful glance to Axel before saying. "We don't have time, Xemnas will attack tonight, I bet he took the others so we are easier to pick off when we are alone."
"He's set a trap" Axel said bluntly "Isn't it obvious? He took everyone knowing that we would come and find them."
"But we don't know where they are" Roxas countered, "Xemnas left nothing behind to trace him and by the time he realised he was down a Silhouette it would be too late."
"You may be right there Rox" Demyx said, "All he was worried about was to get everyone in the house. Because he stole Aerith first. He wanted to do something that involved Aerith first."
"My Mum?" Roxas sounded concerned, "Well he was probably coming back for us."
Demyx crunched over to a broken window. "It's nearly dawn. Guys we have to leave before somebody comes here to finish of the rest of us and Zexion's trace is getting weaker."
He looked around, "Where's Vincent? I honestly thought that he would have come to save us."
Axel scowled "He betrayed us."
Demyx fell silent and Axel went on gruffly "Well let's go, up front Dem, where I can see you."
Demyx nodded mutely and Axel reached out his hand to Roxas, "You ready for a rough ride?"
Roxas took the offered hand without a word and the abrupt darkness that consumed him was almost suffocating.
"You won't get a word from me."
'Thwack'
Larxene cringed, clenching her eyes shut. There was another thwack sound before there was a distraught voice, "Leave him alone, you animal."
Saix looked up with red fangs, left the bloody, battered form of Marluxia, and turned to the cowering form of Aerith.
"What are you going to do about it? Human!" Saix roared at her.
Aerith had terrified tears trailing down her face but she said in a wavering voice; "There is no point in torturing everybody when it's me you want."
"No!" Sora howled, "Mum you don't know this mongrel, don't do anything stupid around him." The brunette fought against the shadows that bound him to the wall. "Get yourself together Marluxia," he shouted to the limp form of the Silhouette, "You can't give up."
Saix bounded over to Sora and snarled, "Do you want to die? Just like your Spirit friends? Do you?"
Sora looked boldly up at the mongrel Silhouette then spat at his feet, "They aren't dead!" he growled.
Saix bent down and caught Sora around the neck, a growl rumbling in his chest. "NO!" Aerith screamed yanking on her own chains. "Let my son go!"
Saix hefted Sora up from the cold, wet stones and hit him against the wall. "Everyone you know is better off dead. I will tell you what; I will make you a deal. Let me kill you. It will be quick and painless. Xemnas has everything planned out for you all to die a long torturous death."
Sora kicked Saix in the gut, he was dropped back onto the stone and Saix landed a heavy kick into Sora's chest. The brunette coughed and his cheeks puffed out before blood erupted from his mouth splattering everything around him and started to dribble down his chin.
Immediately all the Silhouettes, who were crucified on the walls by the shadows stirred and Larxene warned dangerously; "Don't-you-dare!"
Before Saix could continue with his torturing, the air became ominous and cold. Everyone went quiet as Xemnas appeared looking outraged. He grabbed Saix by the head and pushed it against the solid stonewall with a resonating 'crack'.
His voice was deathly calm, which made him sound all the more terrifying. "Look around you Saix" he said "Count the blasted vermin."
Saix looked astounded but his yellow eyes scanned the Silhouettes, "I-I don't-" he began, before Xemnas pulled Saix's head back and smashed it back into the wall.
"WE'RE MISSING ONE" Xemnas roared, all eerie calm; gone.
"W-We were always m-missing Axel, Master."
Xemnas ground his teeth before he growled, "Besides Axel you worthless MUTT, the WATER MAGE."
He threw Saix clean across the room, who hit the wall with a 'bang' and fell beside Aerith who screamed and clutched the leg of Marluxia who hung up on the wall beside her.
Xemnas swept up to Zexion who eyed him hatefully.
"You knew he escaped; didn't you?" Xemnas sneered "Thought you could be clever and hide the bastard."
Zexion coldly answered "It worked didn't it?"
Xemnas lost his temper before he sliced Zexion with four long claws. There was a spatter of blood that fell onto the stone and Larxene cried, "No Zexion!"
Xemnas spun around, "If that Mage traces that bastard back here, he could bring along that Master before I have done my experiment."
Xemnas scowled and spun around and shouted to everyone in the room.
"One last thing" he shouted "If I see that blonde human and Axel."
He stood straight and growled "If I so much as see them, you will all die."
As the sun hit the sky and illuminated the earth was when Demyx halted. Axel manifested next to him and Roxas looked behind them and muttered "We aren't even in Twilight Town anymore."
"We're far from it" Demyx muttered "How could Xemnas take them so far?"
Axel nodded in agreement and looked back to the musician who closed his eyes and let the morning breeze ruffle his hair.
After a moment, his large ocean eyes re-opened and he shook his head, turned around, and began to walk.
"Uh Demyx?" Roxas enquired, "Dem, we came that way about two minutes ago." The Mage spun around with a confused gaze on his face. "It's changing now; it's going all over the place."
Axel looked up at the dawning sky "Its Xemnas! What the hell is he doing? He doesn't have the strength to keep teleporting everyone around."
"We don't have a chance do we?" Roxas asked just as Axel said "Maybe he is just toying with us?"
Demyx pursed his lips then said over the banter. "Shut up you guys, let me concentrate." He shut his eyes; he didn't see Axel and Roxas look at each other and roll their eyes.
The sun rose, shining golden light around the trio, diminishing the shadows from where they came from Twilight Town. Around them, life bloomed. Small animals and birds woke from their slumber and began to prance and run.
Roxas smiled at the ridiculous antics of the birds and animals. He looked back to Axel and his smile vanished. The Silhouette looked dark and jealous at the life around him. The sun illuminated the Pyro and as Roxas looked down at the grass, he saw that the Silhouettes didn't even have a shadow.
In life, they didn't even exist.
Roxas opened his mouth ready to say something, but before he had the chance to speak, Demyx piped up; "Hey I got a connection with Zexion, but I don't know how to explain it."
Axel left Roxas, strode to Demyx, and barked "Well? Come on then, just talk already!" His red hair bristled in a soft morning breeze and his emerald eyes flashed dangerously. He was losing his temper and Roxas knew not to interfere.
Demyx bit his lip then said in an abrupt voice, "Zex said we are running around in circles, he's really beat up but he said we have to go back to the house."
"What?" Axel yelled "Demyx, there are no shadows. Are you aware that we have to walk back to Twilight Town?" He stood over the Water Mage and Demyx shouted defiantly "At least I'm trying to help! You getting angry won't help anything."
The Silhouettes were face to face until Axel turned his head and saw Roxas walking over the grass and over the hill.
"Hey!" he shouted "Roxas where the hell-"
Before he could finish, Roxas called back over his shoulder. "We don't have all day, if we stand around fighting no-one will get saved." He kept walking and Axel hissed to Demyx; "Your lucky Roxas has his head screwed on, otherwise I would have pounded you into your next life."
Demyx stuck his tongue out and Axel pushed him roughly before walking after Roxas. The Water Silhouette frowned and walked forward leaving misty droplets behind. When he got further away, the mist darted back to him and disappeared.
"Man, I hate walking" Axel grumbled "Silhouettes aren't meant to walk." He kept behind Roxas, who glanced behind him. Axel almost seemed to be disappearing. His outline going misty, he seemed to be shrouded in shadowy black fire and behind Axel; Demyx seemed to be surrounded by dark rippling water.
Roxas looked back to the front and glanced down to his hands. They shone and sparkled in the light and shined with vivid golden light. He clenched his fist into a ball and through the intense light; he saw a faint shape of a key protruding from his hand. Unable to fathom what it was, Roxas shook his fist and continued to walk up the green slopes, wondering what could happen to his family and friends.
And what he had, could he do it?
"Zexion?" Demyx's voice sounded weary and small.
The Schemer struggled to stay conscious. He had lost a lot of blood and he was close to blacking out.
He couldn't risk it, Axel and Roxas were with Demyx, but if they came looking; everyone being held captive would be killed. But if they didn't come, Xemnas would torture Aerith, capture, hurt and possibly kill Axel and Roxas, then kill everybody anyway.
So it was a lose/lose situation. Where in the end; everyone lost anyway.
"Demyx!" Zexion said tiredly "Where are you?"
"We are going back to Twilight Town. The suns out so we have to walk. Axel isn't happy with me and Roxas isn't talking to neither of us. He's so worried!"
"We can't have them fighting Demyx" Zexion said tersely "We need to have them co-operating at the least." He was losing concentration; "Listen to me Demyx, get back to the house, then let me know when you're there; it's crucial you have Axel and Roxas together."
"Ok" Demyx said before he faded away.
Zexion sighed; utterly exhausted. He looked around the dark room. His sharp eyes seeing the humans fitfully asleep and the Silhouettes quiet, their life force weak.
He was the only one awake and partially more alive. He saw Aerith against Marluxia's leg asleep, the trails of tears leaving stains down her dirty cheeks.
Sora was on the opposite side of the room, Larxene's cloak falling on his shoulders, keeping him somewhat protected from the bitter cold.
Cloud was between the two, under Xigbar. The father had trouble comprehending what Sora had told him. And since no Silhouette was free, Cloud couldn't receive the sight. So, to him, all he saw was Sora and Aerith and himself chained to the wall.
In the dim candle light outside the wall, Zexion heard movement followed by the voices that belonged to Xemnas and Saix.
"They're all out Master" Saix muttered, "Why are you so concerned about Axel and the runt?"
Xemnas was cold and angry when he snapped "I would rather capture them after I have finished the vermin off in there, then when Axel outdoes his usefulness, I'll kill him. But the brat, the human Roxas-."
Zexion craned his ears at the mention of Roxas.
"I have watched him for a while; he has certain qualities that I have not seen before."
"Even for- a human-Master?" Saix asked
Xemnas sounded thoughtful, "Yes, especially a human. But he has associated with the darkness of the Silhouettes. You know, that you can determine a Silhouettes power by the sunlight?"
Zexion assumed Saix nodded.
"Roxas is peculiar; he has inherited a Silhouette trait which would certainly fill him with some sort of dark power. However, he has had a reversed effect."
"R-reversed?" Saix questioned
All Xemnas said was grim, "I think we have before us is a Silhouette of light, he would be the first one in existence. But if I have to fight the three Silhouette Masters for him, I will kill him on the spot, so no-one can have him."
Roxas stopped on the hill, Twilight Town lie beyond him. He looked behind him and saw Axel and Demyx stop behind him.
The Water Mage smiled wearily, despite looking like he had just been hit by a tram.
"We can travel faster now all we have to do is get back to that house, then we can figure out what we are going to do."
Roxas nodded and Axel mumbled something under his breath before reaching out and grabbing Roxas' arm.
"Let's get back to that house."
Roxas looked around the entrance hall and Axel nodded his head in confirmation.
"It's clear."
They looked back to Demyx who shut his eyes trying to connect back to Zexion.
"We're at the house" Demyx whispered. He grew alarmed when Zexion didn't answer.
"Zexion?" he grew panicked but then the link burned to life and Zexion's exhausted voice came through. "Demyx" he sighed and the Mage was shaky, "Are you alright? Don't worry, we are coming to get you; what do you need us to do?"
Zexion sighed again but he said nonetheless; "Xemnas controls Nothingness Demyx, he took us to another dimension, parallel to the house. Axel and Roxas can open it- hurry Demyx."
The Schemer faded out and Demyx opened his eyes to the Pyro and the fair human. "They are in another dimension; Zex said you two can open it."
Axel rolled his eyes "and how do you suggest we do that genius?" he snapped and Demyx shouted back "how am I supposed to know? I'm not firing on all cannons Axel, At least you have Roxas. Zexion is hurt so it's not my fault I'm not the strongest. You're lucky I haven't passed out yet."
"Demyx!" Roxas shouted at his friend "I appreciate your help, without you we would have been walking around like headless chooks."
Demyx's eyes flashed with confusion but he didn't question Roxas' words. He began to sway on the spot and Roxas darted forward and caught his friend. Before Axel could lose his temper and shout to the heavens, there was a dark voice behind them "You of all people should be confident in your abilities Axel."
From the house, Vincent came from the shadows and stared ominously at the trio.
"What do we do" Roxas asked boldly and Vincent turned his blood red eyes on the human and the degrading Water Silhouette on his arm.
"You two can open a new dimension to a magical realm beyond the human imagination, but can't open a fold in the real world?"
"Fold?" Roxas enquired and Vincent swept his cloak up and turned around, "Xemnas has created a fold in our realm, there has to be a visible fold where the scenery changes and doesn't run smoothly with each other."
Roxas nodded and Axel scoffed "So where can we find this 'fold'? If you're even telling the truth."
"He just told us Axel" Roxas snapped and Axel shouted back "HOW do we find it?"
"Just close your eyes" Vincent said. Roxas did what he was told, Axel as well, after throwing a disdainful look at the Master Silhouette.
After a moment of silence, there was the tired voice of Demyx "I see it."
"What?" Roxas asked stupidly, he opened his sapphire eyes and Demyx pointed to the fountain; "It's just there."
Vincent stared ahead morosely and both Silhouette and Human saw what Demyx and Vincent were on about.
Demyx's fountain seemed normal but at the end, on the side of the fountain. A small stream seemed to be just spurting out the top randomly and disappearing.
The trees in the background seemed to be cut in half as well. Two different trees cut in half and clumsily put back together to make the image of an odd tree.
A fold in the dimension, taking part of the world away as it folded in on itself.
Axel strode forward and his sharp jade eyes searched the shimmering fold before snapping, "I see the seam, do I just try to open the veil?"
A nod from Vincent confirmed it.
The Pyro Silhouette turned back and he thought to himself grimly 'how would they cope if the others are already gone?'
He banished the thought and raised his hand.
"Here goes" he breathed and he sliced his fingers down grabbing a white veil in his hands.
