A/N: Here we are, everyone. After more time than I dare recall, we have arrived at the end of the first half of the story. I feel like any further prelude would be redundant. Enjoy, my readers!
Scene 31: Best laid plans
"We have trusted you to work with us for this long. I thought we had an agreement. So why did you decide to do what you did?"
In response to Marluxia's question, Namine's eyes took on a defiant shine. "Aren't we Nobodies? I thought we didn't have any emotions. Which means you never trusted me to begin with."
"You think you're such a clever girl, don't you?" Larxene said, her face contorted into a glare. "Just because we don't feel emotions, doesn't mean we don't feel pain. And that's a lesson I'll make sure you never forget!"
Time seemed to freeze. Jason knew what was going to happen next- Larxene was going to strike Namine. This didn't come as a surprise, Larxene often turned to violence when someone gained her ire.
Jason himself had never been on the receiving end of this. In this frozen moment of time, however, Namine's words from earlier echoed in his head: "When the time comes, I know you'll make the right choice."
Time started to move again, and Larxene fiercely slapped at Namine - and her open palm impacted the side of Jason's face.
Larxene's eyes widened in surprise. "Why did you do that? What were you thinking?"
"When I was recruited into this plan, one of my tasks was to look after Namine's well being." Jason barely felt the pain on his face. "So that's what I'm doing."
"Jason, don't tell me your head is going soft now, of all times," Larxene said, her tone taking on a dangerous edge. "You're not supposed to talk back to me."
"Take it however you want. Until we can get Sora on our side for sure, I will continue to watch over from Namine," Jason said. Then he looked Larxene in the eyes as he said, "Even if it's from you."
"Fine. If you want to side with that witch that badly… if you want to turn your back on me…" Larxene summoned her knives, and she started trembling with anger. Jason braced himself for whatever would happen next.
Except what happened next, no one could have predicted.
From the ceiling, mysterious purple goop fell onto Larxene, enveloping her entire body. Then, before anyone could react, the goop jumped back into the ceiling, then vanished, leaving no trace behind.
"...I do believe that mysterious being has just kidnapped Larxene," Marluxia said, his tone far too casual.
"As if this whole situation isn't complicated enough!" Jason ran towards the stairs to the next floor.
Marluxia looked at Namine. "Did you know this was going to happen?"
"No, I didn't know this was going to happen, exactly. I don't know what it was that took Larxene just now. But what I do know is… you stopped being in control a while ago," Namine said. "If you continue on this path, it won't end well for you."
"Is that a threat?" Marluxia asked, summoning his scythe.
Then he felt something hot strike him from behind. "No, it's a promise." Axel said.
Jason never reached the next floor. He was forced to a halt on the stairs as Xigbar warped in front of him, arrow guns pointed at Jason's head.
"I can't let you go any further, Duskie." Xigbar said coldly.
"Get out of my way, Xigbar!" Jason shouted.
"I mean it. Something about that goop doesn't sit right with me," Xigbar said. "Of course, I don't expect you to listen to me. Which is why I'm not giving you a choice!"
Before Jason could react, Xigbar opened a large Dark Corridor that enveloped them both. It occurred to Jason that even after all this time, he was still at the whim of those who wielded the most powerful darkness.
They arrived in another of Castle Oblivion's nondescript white rooms, this one with a viewing orb at the center. Xigbar approached the orb. Peering into it he said, "You'll really want to get a look at this."
"And I should listen to you... why?" Jason asked.
"Suit yourself, kid," Xigbar said, shrugging.
Jason was about to go looking for Larxene again when he heard the sound of her voice coming from the viewing orb. Dammit. That's why Xigbar brought me here, didn't he?
Even as a part of Jason fought against listening to Xigbar on principle, he had no choice but to go over to the viewing orb to see for himself. And what he saw was...
As soon as Larxene came back to her senses, she realized her body was still trapped within the strange purple goo. Summoning her knives, she ripped into the goo. The knives simply sank into the substance and otherwise had no effect.
Larxene channeled lightning through her body, but again, nothing.
"What is this thing?!" Larxene shouted in frustration.
As if in response, the goo started to grow and change shape. It formed into what looked like the upper half of a person. Except instead of a head, there was a helmet with a mysterious sigil emblazoned across the forehead, and no holes for eyes or mouth.
"At long last. After all this time searching, I have finally found you," a voice spoke from within the mask.
Larxene raised any eyebrow. "You were actively looking for me? Then you know nothing about me."
"No, I know everything about you. After all, I was created from him. I was created for the sole purpose of finding you." The helmet receded, revealing a face under it.
The face under it was unassuming - brown hair that stuck out everywhere, light brown eyes, and tan skin. Yet the moment Larxene saw this face, her eyes briefly widened, then contorted with rage.
Larxene threw knives into the being's face. The knives stuck, but the boy didn't flinch. He continued to stare at Larxene with unnerving expressionless eyes.
"I am Regret's Advent. I am his regret, and I am your regret too. You know of what I speak... because even now, I see it inside of you."
Then the eyes of Regret's Advent began to glow. Larxene recalled her knives so she could could stab those eyes out.
But even Larxene's reflexes couldn't save her. Before her knives returned, she had already looked into Advent's eyes. Larxene's limbs suddenly felt heavy, and her mind swam with a strange fog. While Larxene was aware of what was happening, she couldn't stop it, no matter how hard she tried.
"You will come with me, so you can be together again," Regret's Advent said.
When the mysterious being first assaulted Larxene, Jason fully expected her to tear the being to shreds. She put up a good fight at first. Then the being revealed his face, that of a young man. Shortly after that...
"Wait, why did Larxene stop fighting?" Jason asked. After dismissing her knives, Larxene made no further attempts to attack.
"So the abomination can't be harmed? Then I made the right choice to bring the Duskie here," Xigbar said, as if talking to himself.
"Do something, then! Get Larxene out of there!" Jason shouted.
"So you're making demands now? You really are desperate," Xigbar said. His eyebrow lifted and a dark smirk spread across his face as he tilted his head toward the orb. "That might not matter for much longer, I'm afraid."
Looking back into the orb, Jason saw yet another unbelievable scene unfolding...
Once Larxene stopped resisting, Regret's Advent opened a Dark Corridor and began to drag her towards it.
Then a new voice burst into the room. "Larxene, tell me where Namine is!"
Sora took in the sight in front of him, and was brought up short for a moment. He stared in confusion.
Regret's Advent paused to look at Sora briefly, then continued to the Dark Corridor, unconcerned. Larxene did not react to Sora's presence in the room, despite him shouting her name.
Being ignored replaced Sora's confusion with rage. "Answer me! If you don't take me to Namine right now, I'll make you!"
Sora summoned his Keyblade, and dashed at Regret's Advent. For the first time, there was a trace of emotion on Advent's face: fear.
"What are you?!"
The Keyblade struck the purple goo imprisoning Larxene, and at last there was a reaction. The goo violently rippled, going through Advent's body. Advent started to stumble around, dragging the trapped Larxene with him.
The Dark Corridor also began to expand and contract in an unstable manner. While Sora didn't understand what was happening, he did recognize that the Keyblade was having an effect.
Sora struck out again, and the Keyblade made contact with Advent directly. This time his body went flying, right to the Dark Corridor. At last the mysterious boy regained his voice.
"If we go through like this, there's no telling where we'll end up!" Advent raised a hand towards the portal, trying to close it. The portal did close, but a split second too late. Advent had already fallen through it, and taken Larxene with him.
"Where did they go?" Jason asked, his eyes fixed onto the viewing orb in horror.
"I couldn't tell you. I would say that Larxene's kidnapper would know, but thanks to the Keyblade wielder, even he probably don't know," Xigbar said, grinning.
"Then what's with the smile on your face?" Jason demanded.
"Because this still isn't over. The Keyblade Wielder isn't done yet."
The orb's focus had changed: now it was showing Sora facing off against Marluxia, the Nobody significantly worse for wear. Marluxia fought his hardest against Sora, even to the point of transforming into a large monster. But the Keyblade Wielder possessed a frightening amount of strength. Jason looked on numbly as Sora cut Marluxia down. The moment he had, Castle Oblivion shook intensely for a few minutes.
Once finished, Jason cast his thoughts wildly to come up with anything to salvage the situation. Marluxia was dead, and now Larxene was missing. The only other member of their group left was...
"We need to stop Sora," Jason said, looking up at Xigbar. "He's targeting Namine for unknown reasons, and for the good of the Organization we can't let him reach her."
"Too late. The presence of that little witch vanished not too long ago," Xigbar explained, narrowing his eye. "I'm afraid this contest between us and the Keyblade Wielder is over, and we came out the losers."
That statement hit Jason hard. Everything was truly over? After all the time they'd spent plotting the overthrow of the Organization, in a flash it had all fallen apart. The enormity of it threatened to crush Jason, the undeniable fact that he was stuck in the Organization, but now with no allies at all.
Xigbar opened a Dark Corridor. "Well, what are you waiting for, Duskie?"
Jason was so surprised at being addressed, he didn't even answer Xigbar.
"Once we report everything to the boss man, we have no choice but to lick our wounds," Xigbar said. "But after that, we'll be put right back to work. Of course, if we happen to find either our erstwhile Organization member or our new mystery foe, we might be more ready."
What is your game here, Xigbar? He was being far too generous. The situation was clear - Jason had no choice but to obey. But deep inside of him, there was still the smallest flame of hope.
Eileen was out there somewhere, plotting to help Jason from the outside. Sooner or later, they would meet again. In that time, they would both hopefully be stronger.
Right now, Jason's feelings for Larxene were a jumbled mess. Seeing her truly nasty side against Namine... the argument between Jason and Larxene that shortly followed... and Larxene going with that mysterious being for reasons unknown. Did he know her at all?
Yet that did not erase the months of memories between Jason and Larxene. The times when they plotted together, mocking their common enemies. The rare moments where Larxene praised Jason for being useful. The stolen kisses between them, so few but so electrifying.
All of these thoughts clashed in his mind as Jason walked into the Dark Corridor. Xigbar didn't follow right away. Instead, another malicious grin spread on his scarred face.
"You came close, Duskie. But you didn't quite make it this time. It looks like our battle will enter a second round, so I look forward to see what you'll do next."
Every event in Castle Oblivion was observed from afar by Vexen, and he was horrified by what he saw. Axel was acting completely on his own, Namine was now aiding the Keyblade Wielder and was nowhere to be found, and worst of all, there was that Unversed.
When it appeared again, Vexen summoned Dusk Nobodies to track and study it. The results brought back confirmation of all his worst suspicions. The true nature of the Unversed was dangerous, and so he had decided to report to the Superior, and halt all Castle Oblivion operations.
So Vexen warped into the Castle that Never Was, and immediately ran into Saix.
"I thought the Superior told you to remain at Castle Oblivion." The yellow eyes regarded him coldly.
"There is an emergency, Number VII! I must contact the Superior at once!" Vexen exclaimed urgently.
"First, tell me what you learned. Then I will judge if it's worth reporting to him directly," Saix said.
"For your information, not only was I put in charge of the mission against the insurgents, but I outrank you," Vexen said arrogantly. "I do not have to listen to you."
"Speaking to me is the same as speaking to the Superior," Saix said, his eyes taking on a dangerous glow. "I would hold your tongue of that disrespectful tone."
Something in those eyes stopped Vexen from talking back like he usually would. Not only that, but he found himself spilling all his findings to Saix.
Saix closed his eyes, deep in thought. "So that's the situation. The presence of this Unversed was not expected, but aside from that, everything seems well in hand."
"'Well in hand'? Number VIII is out of control! And Namine is working against the Organization!" Vexen shouted. "I need to report-!"
In a swift motion, Saix summoned his claymore and hit Vexen in the gut, sending him to the floor. As Vexen rolled onto his back, Saix walked over to him.
"I should have made it clear from the start. You are never going to meet with the Superior. It would disrupt the mission," Saix said. He lifted his claymore above his head.
"Number VIII, don't you-!" Those were the last words Vexen said before Saix brought the claymore down onto his head.
With that, it was done. The matter of the Unversed was insignificant. It attacked a traitor, but otherwise posed no threat to the Organization as a whole. As for Vexen, he was but another unfortunate casualty of the traitors. Although Saix would have preferred not to have taken such... direct action.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Axel."
"...And that is everything that occurred in Castle Oblivion," Jason concluded.
"This is an unfortunate day for the Organization. So many of our members were lost, and several were revealed to be subversive elements," Xemnas said. "Did you have knowledge of this?"
"No, I didn't." Jason, of course, was lying through his teeth. "Larxene and Marluxia were having secret conversations, but I was not made privy to them. In fact, they told me that if I reported that they were even talking together, they would kill me on the spot."
"There is also the matter of the Keyblade Wielder. It's been reported that you made progress in swaying him," Xemnas continued. "This is the sole reason you have not been disposed of."
At that, Jason couldn't hide a shudder. This was something that he could never afford to forget: his life continued to be at the mercy of these merciless Nobodies.
"Instead, we will take the darkness inside of you, and nurture it. Nurture it until you are ready to face the Keyblade Wielder again. And anyone else that we have need of you to face," Xemnas said. "You are dismissed."
Xemnas left, and Jason was left alone on this unusual rooftop platform. In the sky, the large, heart-shaped moon glowed with a gentle light.
Jason looked up at the moon. "I'm the only one of us left. The final infiltrator in the Organization. I refuse to believe that you are gone, Larxene. I don't know who you went with, or why you did it..."
Jason clenched his fists. "But I believe that we will meet again. So until then, I will survive as I always have. That won't be all I do, though. I will find the strength so that next time, I'll finish what we started. I'll tear apart the Organization from the inside!"
A/N: How long will it take for the second half of this story to be published? I don't know. But I have spent many years getting this far, and I will take as many as I need to finish this. My passion for this story has not faded after all this time. I hope to see everyone here again soon. See you next time! Please review.