Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
~ Day 353 ~
Resolve
(The World That Never Was)
Axel walked up along a flight of stairs in the castle when he noticed Saïx standing at the top.
"Looks like you've meddled again." Saïx says
"Sorry, did you say something?" Axel asks
"The Organization doesn't need three of them. Just one will suffice. Stop pretending." Saïx says stepping down towards the red-haired Nobody, stopping on his left
Axel looks away, grunting under his breath.
"Think about that." Saïx says
After saying that, Saïx walks away, leaving Axel by himself.
(Moments later)
Axel, Xion, and Xigbar were conversing with Saïx in the Grey Area. Obviously, they were preparing to head out for their mission, but it was strange that the three of them were paired up together.
"Well, here's an unlikely trio. Me, Xigbar, and Xion?" Axel says
"Heh. Worried I might slow you down?" Xigbar says amused
"'Course not. It's just not every day we get to go on a stroll with Number II himself." Axel says
Axel looks over at Xion on his left.
"Ain't that right, Xion?" Axel asks
"Yeah." Xion says
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew enter the room and they saw Axel and Xion with Xigbar. Why were they paired up with him? Curious as to what was going on, the two boys and Pokémon went over and approached them.
"You three are teamed up for the day?" Draxon asks
"You have your missions, Roxas, Draxon." Saïx says
"Can't we trade places with Xigbar or something?" Roxas asks
"What an extraordinarily childish notion. Do you need Axel to walk you both everywhere now?" Saïx says
Roxas wanted to say something, but he dismisses it with a sighs.
"No... I guess not." Roxas says
Draxon looks at Roxas with a sympathetic expression. He clearly understood why he wanted to switch places with Xigbar. He just wanted to be with his friends. Draxon couldn't blame him. He'd want to be with his friends just as much as Roxas.
Draxon looks over at Xion and notices that she had her hood up, covering her face. The young teen felt confused. Why did Xion have her hood up? Was she trying to hide something?
Xigbar opened up a dark corridor and went on ahead. He was soon followed by Axel and Xion. Draxon, Roxas, and Mew watch as their two friends set out for their mission with a sense of unease. Especially after what they had learned during their ordeal the day before.
"They can handle their mission. You both see to your own." Saïx says
Having said that, Saïx walks away, heading elsewhere in the castle. Draxon and Roxas both head into their own individual dark corridors, setting off for their assigned missions.
(Wonderland)
Xigbar jumps back as he was now in a fight with Xion. After the cruel trick by the Organization and the Dark Echo, the young teen felt that it was time to leave and this was her chance. She couldn't risk hurting Draxon, Roxas, or anyone else.
"Ha ha! What a blast from the past!" Xigbar says
Xion stood against Xigbar with her Kingdom Key in her hands while Axel stood on the side, watching the whole thing.
"Xion, stop!" Axel orders
Xigbar summons his two Arrowguns and stares at Xion.
"Of all the faces... Why do I look at her and see yours?" Xigbar asks
In Xigbar's eyes, Xion took the form of Ventus, one of the missing Keyblade Wielders.
"Why is it that you always have to glare at me like that?" Xigbar asks
"Shut up!" Xion yells
Xion runs toward Xigbar and instantly disappears. Xigbar looks around for Xion, but she soon reappears infront of him, catching him off guard, and strikes him down with a left uppercut slash. Xigbar yells out in pain and falls to the ground.
With Xigbar down for the count, Xion de-summons her Keyblade and turns to Axel.
"I'm sorry, Axel." Xion apologizes
"Have you flipped your lid? What are you doing?" Axel asks
"Please... let me go. I have to do this, or else... Just look." Xion says
Xion pulls back her hood, causing Axel to gasp in surprise. She then puts her hood back up.
"Please, Axel. You have to take care of Roxas and Draxon." Xion says
"But... you'd be..." Axel says
"Please!" Xion pleads
Axel sighs and motions her to leave, gesturing his head to the right.
"Thank you, Axel." Xion says
Xion stretches her left-hand out to her side, opening up a dark corridor. The young teen runs off into it while Axel watches her go.
(Berk)
Draxon and Mew exit out of the dark corridor and arrive in the village of Berk within the plaza. Their mission was to find and eliminate a Dustflier, a very powerful draconic Heartless. But before they could get on with their task, some vikings quickly run past infront of the young teen and Pokémon, catching them by surprise.
"Whoa!" Draxon exclaims
"Mew!" Mew exclaims
Draxon and Mew look around and saw more vikings running around the village along with the dragons. It appeared as though they were preparing defenses for some kind of assault. Some vikings carried weapons like swords, bows, hammers, and spears around the village and handing them out to other vikings while others wheeled out boulders in carts for the catapults.
"Go! Go!" A male viking shouts
"Hurry!" Another male viking shouts
"Arm yourselves!" A female viking shouts
"To the Armory!" A third male viking shouts
With all the vikings and dragons behaving like this, it was pretty clear that something big was about to happen. Draxon looks over at Mew on his right.
"C'mon, Mew! Let's find out what's going on!" Draxon says
"Mew!" Mew says nodding it's head in agreement
The young Keyblade Wielder and Pokémon quickly move through the village, passing the vikings and dragons and making their way up towards the Great Hall. Approaching the hall, they head up the flight of stairs and enter. Inside at the fire pit was Stoick, Gobber, Spitelout, Hoark, Phlegma, Mulch, and Bucket conversing with each other.
"Stoick! Gobber!" Draxon calls
The vikings turn towards the entrance of the hall and were happy to see Draxon and Mew.
"Draxon! Glad you could make it to the party!" Gobber says
Draxon runs over to the vikings and meets up with them.
"What's happening?" Draxon asks
"It's the Heartless. There's a large number of them making their way across the sea to Berk. We were just finishing up the defenses. But now that you're here, we stand a fighting chance!" Stoick says
Another invasion by the Heartless. It was just like that mission when that group of Rabid Dog and Snapper Dog Heartless attacked. But at least this time he won't be leaving the village.
"Well, it sure saves me the trouble of having to hunt them down." Draxon says
The doors to the Great Hall suddenly swing open and three vikings, two male and one female, run inside with troubling news.
"Chief! The Heartless are closing in on Berk! They'll be here soon!" The female viking says
Stoick looks over at Mulch and Bucket and gives them an order.
"Mulch, Bucket, make sure the farm animals stay safe!" Stoick commands
"Aye, chief!" Mulch says
Mulch and Bucket head out of the hall and go on with their task.
"Spitelout, Phlegma, Hoark, get everyone armed and ready for a fight!" Stoick commands
The three vikings nod their heads and they run out of the hall.
"I'll go get Kindle ready." Draxon says
"Right. We'll see to it that the village is prepared for the assault." Stoick says
And so, Draxon, Mew, Stoick, and Gobber head out of the Great Hall to prepare themselves for battle.
(Moments later)
Draxon and Mew head through the village and they approach the dragon houses. Kindle, Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm were already up as they could sense the excitement going on. They soon saw Draxon making his way over to them. Kindle was very happy to see her rider and she nuzzled herself against him. Draxon rubs his hands on Kindle's head as she purred with content.
"Hey, girl! I hope you're ready 'cause we've got a fight coming our way." Draxon says
Kindle's expression quickly changed to one of determination and she nods her head, giving a growl that which meant she was ready. Draxon grabs Kindle's saddle and straps it onto her. Just as he was about to mount his dragon, the young teen looks over at the two Deadly Nadders and the red Monstrous Nightmare, which were Roxas, Xion, and Axel's dragons. He really wished the three of them could be here to help with the defense of Berk, but he knew they were busy with their missions. Even with their riders gone, the dragons should still be able to fight to protect their home.
"You guys wanna help?" Draxon asks
Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm roar in response.
"Okay! Let's go!" Draxon says
Draxon mounts Kindle's saddle and the two take off with three flaps of Kindle's wings. They were soon followed by Mew, Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm as they flew off to meet up with Stoick and Gobber to make their final preparations.
(Several minutes later)
The weather was overcast with grey clouds in the sky as the entire village of Berk now stood ready as everyone gazed out into the ocean, awaiting the arrival of the Heartless. All the vikings were armed with their weapons. The catapult were loaded, ready to launch at their targets. And the dragons hovered over the village, ready to defend their home from the invading dark creatures.
Stoick stood on the cliff side that overlooked the docks with a serious expression. To his left was Spitelout and Phlegma. To his right was Gobber, Hoark, and Draxon, who rode on Kindle's back along with Mew, Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm.
Soon, a large mass came into view out in the distance. Right away, everyone knew it was the Heartless. Wyverns, Tailbunkers, Avalanches, Wavecrests, Phantomtails, Windstorms, and Chomper Eggs made up the entire flock. And leading the flock was a Dustflier, which let out a loud screeching roar.
"There they are." Stoick growls
"Here we go." Gobber says
Leading the charge, the Dustflier launches a large fireball at Stoick, Gobber, and the other vikings. Draxon throws Soul Calibur and destroys it in a big explosion halfway through the air before it could even reach the village.
"Fire!" Stoick commands
Upon Stoick's command, the catapult launch their boulders at the flock, taking out some of the Heartless. One boulder hits a red Wyvern, another one hits a Windstorm, and a third boulder smashes into several Chomper Eggs. Some of the dragon-like Heartless manage to shoot a few fireballs down onto the village, destroying wooden carts of supplies and blasting holes in houses. One Phantomtail launches a dark fireball, which destroys one of the catapults, blasting it to pieces. The vikings fought back shooting arrows and throwing spears up at the dark creatures with the dragons supporting them using their firepower, launching fireballs at the Heartless.
Draxon and Kindle soon take to the skies followed by Mew, Bristle, Lapis, Firestorm, and the other dragons that were already in the air as they fight the dozens of Heartless in an aerial battle.
The young teen and his Monstrous Nightmare fly toward four Wyverns, two red ones and two blue ones, and shoot them down with a combination of Soul Calibur's blue energy shots and Kindle's fire blasts. A Phantomtail flies toward Draxon and Kindle in an attempt to ram into them, but they quickly fly down and avoid being hit. Kindle loops back up and around in pursuit of the Heartless. Draxon raises his crystal Keyblade into the air, summoning lightning bolts to strike down on the Phantomtail, sending the dark creature plummeting to it's demise.
Mew glows with a bright light and it transforms into the Legendary Pokémon, Lugia. The mythical draconian-bird Pokémon lets out a bellowing roar at the Heartless, gaining the attention of some Heartless. Lugia conjures up a golden orb of light in it's maw and uses Hyper Beam, unleashing a powerful beam of destructive energy, which outright obliterates a bunch of Wyverns. A group of red and blue Wyverns, Tailbunkers, Avalanches, and Wavecrests fly towards Lugia and attack all at once. The Wyverns and Tailbunkers launch several fireballs at Lugia while the Avalanche and Wavecrest shoot orbs of ice and water. Lugia uses Protect to shield itself from the Heartless attacks, generating a blue barrier infront of it. Then, Lugia conjures up an orb of silver wind in it's maw and with a loud roar it unleashes a powerful vortex of air which completely blows away the Heartless.
Bristle and Lapis both breathe a jet stream of torrent fire at two Windstorms, taking them both out. Three Chomper Eggs fly up to attack Bristle, but the yellow Nadder shoots it's spikes at the small Heartless. A Phantomtail flies up to Lapis and launches a dark blue fireball at her. Using her fast agility, the blue Nadder quickly flies up, avoiding the dark fireball, and dives down on the Heartless, ramming into it's back, sending it falling into the sea.
Firestorm shoots a fire blast at an Avalanche, landing a direct hit to it's head, inflicting a ton of damage. In retaliation, the Avalanche launches a chunk of ice at Firestorm, only to have it blasted to pieces with another fire blast. Firestorm breathes a stream of flames upon the ice draconic Heartless which finishes the job. The gel-like fire melts into the Avalanche's skin, burning it badly, causing it to fall and disappear in a flash of light.
The dragons of Berk were holding well enough on their own against the draconic Heartless. The Deadly Nadders blasted away any Heartless that dared come close with their hot fire breaths and launched their tail spines to attack any others that came into sights. The Gronckles shoot their lava blasts at the Heartless, blowing away groups of them. The Monstrous Nightmares fire streams of sticky flame upon the draconic Heartless. The Hideous Zipplebacks use their gas and spark breaths as they launch fireballs at the Heartless. Some of the Zipplebacks even blanket some Heartless with their gas and ignite them with their sparks, destroying them with explosive effects. Even the Terrible Terrors were in on the battle as they attacked the Chomper Eggs since they were more of a match for their size, using their propane fire breaths and attacking in packs. When their firepower ran out, the dragons resorted to using their teeth, claws, and talons to fight the Heartless. Despite the large number of Heartless, the vikings and dragons of Berk had put up a strong resistance against the dark creatures.
Stoick, Phlegma, and Spitelout each take a pair of bolas and throws it up at a Tailbunker, a Phantomtail, and an Wavecrest. The bolas wraps around the three Heartless, causing them to fall to the ground. The three vikings charge at the dragon-like creatures, each with a weapon in their hands. Stoick used a double-bladed axe. Phlegma used a warhammer. And Spitelout used a sword.
The Tailbunker swings it's club-like tail at Stoick, but he ducks down and dodges the tail as it swoops overhead. Then, the Tailbunker lunges at him with it's jaws in an attempt to bite him. The viking chief leans over to the right and counters with a strong swing to it's head. He follows up with several more strikes, swinging his axe left and right, until the Tailbunker rams it's head into Stoick, knocking him down to the ground and knocking his axe out of his hand in the process.
"Stoick!" Gobber exclaims
Gobber rushes to his chief's aid and jumps onto the Tailbunker's back. The Heartless yelps and thrashes around to shake the viking off. Stoick rises to his feet and jumps onto the Tailbunker's head to help Gobber while he was still holding onto the Heartless, riding it like a cowboy at a rodeo. Eventually, the two vikings manage to pin the dark creature to the ground. At that point, Gobber bashes down on the Tailbunker's back with his war hammer prosthetic.
"Take that! And that! Ya nasty bugger!" Gobber yells
While pinning the Heartless down, Stoick reaches for his axe with his right-hand, grabs it, raises it over his head, and brings it down on the Tailbunker's head, driving it right in-between it's eyes, finishing it off. Almost instantly, the Tailbunker stops it's flailing and slumps down on the ground defeated. Then, it vanishes in a flash of light. Gobber falls through and down on his backside. Stoick walks over and offers his left-hand to the blacksmith, helping him onto his feet. The two of them share friendly smiles, then focus back on the battle helping Phlegma and Spitelout with their Heartless.
After nearly thirty minutes of fighting, most of the draconic Heartless were just about defeated. Draxon and Kindle looked over to see Lugia, Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm wrapping up with their groups of Heartless. They also saw that Stoick and the other vikings began finishing off the few Heartless that they managed to down from the air. Suddenly, the two heard a roar coming from behind them. Turning around, they saw the Dustflier flying straight toward them. Reacting quickly, they fly down and avoid being hit. The Dustflier swoops over their heads and continues flying through the air.
"C'mon, Kindle! It's time to take out the leader!" Draxon says
Kindle lets out a roar in agreement and the two heroes fly off in pursuit of the Heartless. They chase the Dustflier around in the air as it soars through the village, flying over houses and under bridges. Both dragons were flying fast and the flight soon took them out into sea as they flew close to the water. Kindle shoots a fire blast at the Heartless to knock it into the water, but the dark creature quickly shifts to the right, dodging the attack. The fireball explodes on contact with the sea, kicking up a geyser of water, which forced the Monstrous Nightmare to quickly shifts left. Kindle launches more fireballs at the Dustflier, but the Heartless kept flying left and right, evading her attacks.
After a full minute of flying, the pursuit soon took Draxon and Kindle into a foggy maze of sea stacks. Kindle zigzagged around the rocks as she stayed on the Dustflier's tail. Eventually, the draconic Heartless disappeared into the fog. Draxon and Kindle looked around until the Monstrous Nightmare sensed something coming from behind, causing her and her rider to look back. A dark fireball came flying at the duo, but Kindle quickly flies away. Then, the Dustflier comes flying in, now chasing the Keyblade Wielder and his dragon.
"Oh, great! Now it's chasing us!" Draxon says
Draxon and Kindle continue their flight through the fog, dodging the sea stacks and the dark fireballs of the Dustflier. Soon, they make it out of the fog and fly higher into the air to shake off the Heartless. But no matter their efforts, the dark creature kept hot on their tail. Eventually, the Dustflier flew up infront of Draxon and Kindle, cutting off their flight path. Extending it's talons, the dragon-like Heartless tackles into them and they fall through the air, hurdling towards the forests down below. The Dustflier was on top of Kindle, lunging for Draxon with it's jaws. Kindle fights back against the Heartless, biting into it's neck.
Both Kindle and the Dustflier spin uncontrollably in the air as they continue their descent. They soon fall into the Cove with the Dustflier smashing into the ground first on it's back. In the crash, Kindle was knocked off the Heartless and Draxon was thrown off his saddle and was sent rolling across the grass. The young teen slowly got up, shaking off the dizziness from the hard landing. Once he recovered, he ran over to his dragon as she shook her head in recovery. The two of them then turned to the Dustflier as it rolled back onto it's feet and shook the dirt off it's body. The draconic Heartless faces the duo and lets out a screeching roar. Draxon summons Soul Calibur into his right-hand and gets into battle stance while Kindle roars back at the Dustflier.
Draxon makes the first move as he rushes at the Heartless and hits it hard in the head with a jumping strike. He follows up with a left and right slash, striking both sides of the Dustflier's face. The Dustflier lunges at the young teen with it's jaws, but he leans over to the right and counters the attack with a left slash and a left-uppercut slash under it's chin. The Dustflier swings it's clubbed tail at Draxon, but he jumps back over to Kindle.
Kindle breathes a stream of her fire gel straight at the Dustflier, hitting it right in the face. The attack had little effect since the Heartless was mostly resilient to fire. The Dustflier shook off the fire gel from it's head, spreads it's wings, raises it's head, and launches a large fireball at the young teen and Monstrous Nightmare. Kindle counters the attack with a fireball of her own, causing them both to cancel each other out in a big explosion.
The Dustflier charges at the two heroes, running across the cove. Kindle moves up to face the Heartless head-on and the two dragon creatures smash into each other. Using her strong strength, Kindle rammed her horns into the Dustflier, flipping it over on it's back. From there, she bites down into it's neck, causing it to shriek in pain. After a brief struggle, the Dustflier kicks the Monstrous Nightmare off using it's hind legs, sending her back a few feet. The Heartless got back onto it's feet and swings it's clubbed tail at Kindle, landing a strong blow to the right side of her face. Kindle staggers back a bit, but then she retaliates in swinging her long tail at the Heartless, striking it in the face as well.
Draxon runs up to the Dustflier and swings Soul Calibur with a downward slash and an uppercut slash, striking the Heartless twice in the head. Next, he delivers two cross slashes, sweeping his crystal Keyblade left and right with wide strokes, and an overhead spinning strike. Then, he performs a somersault slash, which hits three times, and a right spinning slash, which also hits three times. The Dustflier lunges at Draxon with it's jaws, but the young teen jumps up with a backflip and counters the attack by slamming Soul Calibur down on it's head. The Dustflier breathes a stream of dark fire from it's mouth down at Draxon, but he jumps away a good feet, sliding back across the ground back over to Kindle using his left-hand to catch himself.
Draxon and Kindle had put up a good fight against the Dustflier, but now it was time to finish it. In that moment, Draxon rises up, takes a calm, deep breath and begins to glow with a bright blue aura. Six swords of light appear in a flash out of nowhere, swirling around the Keyblade Wielder as he slowly hovers in mid-air. Kindle watched her rider in amazement.
Before the Dustflier could even make a move, Draxon quickly teleports up to the Heartless and strikes it with a downward slash and a right-angled spinning slash. The Dustflier shoots a fireball at Draxon, but he teleports away in a flash of light and reappears to the right of the Heartless, delivering a strong left-downward slash. The Dustflier swings it's clubbed tail at Draxon, only to miss as he teleports away again. Draxon reappears infront of the Heartless and thrusts Soul Calibur forward, launching a volley of blue light projectiles at the dark creature. Each one detonating in small, but effective explosions on impact across the Dustflier's body.
Draxon flies forward at the draconic Heartless, striking it with a right-uppercut slash from his crystal Keyblade. He then warps around the Dustflier, delivering two strikes in-between each teleportation. The Dustflier tries to bite Draxon, but he was too fast for it. He soon teleports above the Dustflier and drops down on it with a downward strike on it's back, summoning a large pillar of light, which beams down on the Dustflier with powerful impact shortly afterwards. Reappearing infront of the Heartless, Draxon thrusts his left-hand forward, sending the swords of light flying straight at the dark creature. The blades pierce the Dustflier's body numerous times, inflicting heavy damage. The dragon-like creature doubles over and collapses onto the ground, moaning in pain.
With the Heartless now weakened, Draxon saw his chance to end the fight. He hovers high above the Dustflier with his arms spread out and the swords of light surrounding him. Thrusting his Keyblade down, he sends the swords down toward the Dustflier. The swords hover close to the ground, surrounding the Heartless. A circular magic emblem of blue light appears beneath the Dustflier. Draxon holds Soul Calibur infront of his face with both hands and draws power from the light. The crystal Keyblade shines brightly with it's benevolent light. Draxon's eyes were soon glowing with the same light. Fully charged with pure light, Draxon raises Soul Calibur above his head, drops down toward the Dustflier, and strikes it with a powerful, finishing blow, creating a blinding explosion of light, which fills the entire cove.
Draxon lands crouched down infront of Kindle, back to his former self. All that remained of the Heartless was it's captured heart, which floated up into the sky, fading away from sight as it was sent up to Kingdom Hearts. Draxon de-summons his Keyblade and he lets out a sigh of relief. Kindle strides up to her rider and gives him a nuzzle and a lick to his face on his right-cheek. Draxon looks over at his dragon with a smile and pats her snout with left-hand.
"C'mon. Let's get back to the village." Draxon says
The young teen walks over to Kindle's side and climbs onto her saddle. Having defeated the Dustflier, the two take off into the air and fly out of the cove, heading back the village.
(Moments later)
In the aftermath of the battle, the clouds began to scatter, revealing clear blue skies. Berk had survived the Heartless invasion. Luckily, there were no injuries between the vikings or dragons. With the battle now finished, Draxon, Kindle, Bristle, Lapis, Firestorm, and Mew, who had reverted back to it's original form, met up with Stoick, Gobber, Phlegma, Hoark, and Spitelout. Stoick was relieved that everyone made it through the fight in one piece. And he was glad that Draxon put an end to the Dustflier, the Heartless that led the invasion.
"Draxon, I can't thank you enough for what you have done for us. You and your Keyblade are like a gift from Odin himself. Thanks for showing up when you did." Stoick says
"No problem. I'm just glad I was here to help save Berk." Draxon says
Gobber looks over at a house as it suddenly collapses.
"Well... most of it." Gobber says
"Aye. The village got pretty banged up in the battle." Spitelout says
Stoick looked over at the several houses that had been badly damaged in the battle. Most of them having blown holes in the roofs. The chieftain knew that collateral damage to his home was always inevitable, but he wasn't too worried about it. Berk had endured tougher raids against the dragons when they had fought in the past. This was no different. They can rebuild. And they will recover.
"We've been through much worse. It may take a few days, but we can rebuild what the Heartless destroyed." Stoick says
"We sure were lucky with this one. It could've gone worse." Gobber says
Draxon was indeed glad that Berk had managed to defend against the Heartless. But as much as he would like to help the vikings and dragons rebuild their home, he had to report back to the castle. He didn't want Saïx to get on his case.
"Well, my task is done here. Me and Mew gonna head off." Draxon says gesturing behind him with his right-thumb
"Alright. You go fight them Heartless. But when you can, feel free to drop in and help out, huh?" Gobber says
"I'm sure we can handle things here. You go do what you gotta do, Draxon." Stoick says
"Right." Draxon says
And so having completed his mission, Draxon brought Kindle, Bristle, Lapis and Firestorm back to their dragon houses, which surprisingly remained intact. After saying good-bye to the dragons, Draxon opens a dark corridor with his right-hand. Before he walked inside, a thought came into his mind.
"I wonder if Roxas, Xion and Axel are finished with their missions. Better check back at the castle." Draxon thought to himself
Anxious to find out, Draxon stepped into the dark corridor with Mew following close behind.
(The World That Never Was)
In the Grey Area, Axel and Xigbar had returned from their trip to Wonderland and gave their report to Saïx.
"Explain yourself, Axel." Saïx says in a demanding voice
"The old man needs to get his eye checked. She just got away." Axel says
"I'll give him that. Can't toss the blame around." Xigbar says
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew entered the room having returned from their missions. They saw Axel, Xigbar, and Saïx in conversation
and they approached, curious as to what was going on.
"And now we're left with the ones we can't use..." Saïx mutters
"Did something happen?" Roxas asks
Saïx turns around and walks away, saying nothing. The two boys looked back and noticed that Xion was not with Axel or Xigbar.
"Where's Xion?" Draxon asks
"She flew the coop. Flamesilocks here couldn't trouble himself to clip her wings." Xigbar says gesturing to Axel with his left-hand
Axel looks away, not saying a word.
"What?!" Draxon and Roxas exclaim
"Mew!" Mew exclaims
"Your friend sat there sucking his thumb while Xion walked right off. I'm going back to my room." Xigbar says
Xigbar walks off, leaving Draxon, Roxas, and Mew with Axel.
"What happened out there?" Draxon asks
"Nothing, really." Axel says
"Nothing!? Xion's gone! How can that be nothing!?" Draxon yells
"It's just like Xigbar said. I just sat there sucking my thumb watching Xion run away." Axel says looking away
Draxon and Roxas run around infront of Axel to get his attention while Mew watched with a worried expression.
"We're asking you why you did that, and you know it!" Draxon exclaims
"Xion is like a mirror that reflects the both of you." Axel says
"You're not making any sense here, Axel." Roxas says
"Xion is a puppet, created to duplicate your powers." Axel says
"Are you nuts?" Roxas asks
"Xion's a person, not a puppet!" Draxon yells
"She's smoke and mirrors. And when I looked in the mirror... It wasn't you guys I saw." Axel says
"Xion is Xion! You can't expect her to be me or Draxon!" Roxas yells
"That's not what I mean. It was only a matter of time before someone broke the mirror." Axel says
"You mean... they have to destroy her!?" Draxon says shocked
Axel didn't respond, which made the two boys even more annoyed.
"Answer us!" Draxon yells louder
"Roxas, Draxon, if somebody doesn't... then you won't be you anymore." Axel says
"I'll always be me. I'm still your best friend." Roxas says
"And I will, too. Just like Xion is our best friend." Draxon says
"That's not it. You're both missing the whole point." Axel says
"Forget this! Roxas, Mew, let's go!" Draxon says
"Right!" Roxas says
Draxon and Roxas both run out of the room while Axel calls out to them.
"Draxon! Roxas!" Axel exclaims
Mew watched the two boys disappear into the hallway, now appearing even more worried.
"Mew..." Mew says
Mew looked over at Axel, then flew off after Draxon and Roxas.
"I wish you'd both understand." Axel says
(Beast's Castle)
Xion walks out of the dark corridor with her hood down, arriving on the bridge outside the Beast's Castle. There, she met Riku, who stood waiting for her.
"Riku." Xion says
"Did you find the answer?" Riku asks
Xion pulls off her hood, revealing her face.
"Yes. I certainly did. I'm on the verge of losing everything I care about. I can't let that happen. Please Riku, tell me what I should do now?" Xion asks
"Go to Twilight Town. You'll find a girl there named Naminé." Riku says
"Naminé? What's she like?" Xion asks
"You'll find out. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding her." Riku says
"All right. Thanks, Riku. Goodbye..." Xion says
(Berk)
Xion steps out of the dark corridor, arriving on Berk. She knew that there would be no coming back after this. So before heading to Twilight Town, she had to at least say good-bye to her dragon, Lapis. The young teen walked through the village, taking notice of the damaged buildings from the Heartless invasion. Obviously, she had missed out. Focusing back to her task, she continued onwards through the village. She approached the dragon houses where Kindle, Bristle, Lapis, and Firestorm were resting comfortably. Lapis and the other dragons stood up as Xion approached them. The sea blue Nadder squawked happily as her rider walked up to her.
"Hi, Lapis, Kindle, Bristle, Firestorm." Xion greets solemnly
Lapis grabs hold of it's saddle with it's mouth, lays it down infront of Xion, and nudges it over to her. Xion sighs at her dragon's eagerness to fly.
"No. We can't go on a flight." Xion says
Xion picks up the saddle and places it back on it's hanger on the side of the dragon house.
"Not anymore..." Xion says
Lapis tilts her head and squawks in confusion. What could her rider mean? They love to go on flights. Why was she acting so strange?
"I've... come to say good-bye." Xion says
Lapis squawks in shock, staring at her rider with widened eyes. Kindle, Bristle, and Firestorm were also shocked.
"Please. Try to understand. I was never meant to exist. I shouldn't have existed in the first place. But now I know where I belong and I have to go back to where I came from." Xion says
Xion places her hands on Lapis' head while the Deadly Nadder stares at her with saddened eyes.
"Lapis, your place is here. You belong with other dragons. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I have no choice. I have to make things right." Xion says
Lapis crooned sadly and she leans her head against Xion as she hugs her.
"I'll miss you..." Xion says in a quite voice
After a moment of embrace, which felt like it lasted for eternity, Xion backs away and disappears into a dark corridor, heading for Twilight Town. Lapis slumps down to the ground, wallowing in sorrow. Bristle settles down next to the fellow Nadder and nuzzles itself against her, offering comfort. Kindle and Firestorm look on at the sad moment, also feeling sad.
~ Day 354 ~
Truth
(Twilight Town)
All the members of Organization XIII gathered in Where Nothing Gathers, sitting in their respective thrones as Xemnas held a meeting to address the current situation.
"Xion has disappeared yet again." Xemnas says
"Do we know where she was headed?" Xaldin asks
"'It' not 'she' is a replica, merely a puppet." Xemnas says
"A puppet? What does that mean exactly?" Luxord asks
"A puppet is a puppet. They don't generally make themselves." Saïx says
"Talking about the Replica Program, isn't it obvious? It was one of our pet projects." Xigbar says
"The what-ca?" Demyx asks
"Perhaps you care to enlighten us about this 'pet project' of yours." Xaldin says
"The purpose was to duplicate pieces of the Keyblade Wielder's memories and copy it, thus making their powers our own. This was one of several projects of ours being undertaken at Castle Oblivion. However, our efforts were severely derailed by Vexen's untimely demise. Needless to say, losing Vexen was not part of our plans. We were also caught off guard when this particular replica, the one we called Xion, formed an identity of it's own." Xemnas explains
"No one at Castle Oblivion ever reported any instance where a replica formed it's own identity. Do you concur, Axel?" Saïx asks
Axel remained silent and sat on his throne quietly.
"Whatever the puppet may decide to do, we can be certain it will no longer have an impact on our plans, even if she has learned to pull her own strings. Still, it knows of our secrets. We need to shorten the leash... Perhaps even tighten it." Xemnas says
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew's eyes widened.
"Mew..." Mew says worryingly
"Wait. What do you-?" Draxon says
Xemnas looks down to his right at Axel.
"Axel. The onus is on you to capture and bring back Xion. The escape was on your watch. I will overlook any nicks or scratches. Just ensure she still functions on arrival." Xemnas says
"Why would you allow this deserter back under our roof? We should simply eradicate her!" Xaldin says
"It is not a 'deserter' Just a flawed specimen that has wandered out." Saïx corrects
"Are we clear, Axel?" Xemnas asks
Axel silently nodded in understanding.
"Dismissed." Xemnas says
With that said, Xemnas teleports away. One by one, each of the remaining members disappeared as well, leaving through their own dark portals.
"Bring her back alive? It's sheer madness." Xaldin says disappearing
"All this time, I've been talking to a puppet." Demyx says taking his leave
"So now, all we do is sweep it up, huh? As if." Xigbar says vanishing into a dark portal
"If only the whispers at the top carried to the bottom rung... Heh." Luxord says leaving
"Axel, those orders were absolute." Saïx says
Axel glares at Saïx for a moment before disappearing as well. Saïx looks down across the room, noticing that Draxon, Roxas, and Mew were still sitting in their thrones.
"Still here? Proceed with your missions." Saïx says
"Xion is... She's not a puppet!" Roxas says
"She's one of us!" Draxon yells
"A puppet couldn't be part of the Organization." Saïx says
Saïx glances around at the thrones in the room.
"Just count the seats here. We have and always will be thirteen." Saïx says
After saying that, Saïx takes his leave.
"Thirteen, huh? Well, Xemnas could've gotten rid of me and kept you, Roxas. And yet, the Organization kept me anyway." Draxon says
"But why?" Roxas asks
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew shared worried glances with each other. Leaving the room, they went off to find Axel.
(Moments later)
Axel stood infront of a dark corridor, preparing to leave for his task. But before he could, he heard a voice call out to him.
"Axel!" The voice calls out
The voice belonged to Draxon as he, Roxas, and Mew ran over to him. Axel turns to the trio as they approach him.
"Maybe it's best if Xion never comes back to the Organization. But do you really have to do what Xemnas says?" Draxon asks
"If I don't, they'll eradicate me next." Axel says
"In that case... can you at least not try to harm her?" Roxas asks
"That's up to her. Roxas, Draxon, Xion is dangerous." Axel says
"Dangerous? How?" Draxon asks
"Have you both got all your strength back?" Axel asks
Draxon and Roxas share glances with each other, then look back at Axel.
"Not yet." Roxas says
"How long have you known about her? Could it be... that you've known about her for a long time, and not told us anything?" Draxon asks
Axel said nothing and he walks into the dark corridor to begin his hunt for Xion.
(Twilight Town)
Mickey Mouse was walking through the forest outside of Twilight Town, wearing a black coat similar to the Organization as a disguise. He had been investigating into what Organization XIII was planning and all he knew is that their plans involved Devon and Sora. Mickey soon stops as he notices a hooded figure standing infront of him wearing the exact same coat. The mysterious figure unfolds his hood, causing Mickey's eyes to widen. The mouse king jumps back and summons his Kingdom Key D. The figure was revealed to be Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. Surprisingly, he didn't put up a fight. Instead, he puts on a black blindfold, covering his eyes. Mickey was shocked when he saw Ansem change into Riku. He immediately de-summons his Keyblade and approaches his friend.
"Riku!" Mickey exclaims
"Your Majesty." Riku greets calmly
"Gosh, have I been worried about you! Where have you been all this time?" Mickey asks
"I've been... searching for a way to conquer the darkness within me, while we wait for Sora to awaken, and for Devon to find his way to us." Riku says
"The way you looked..." Mickey says
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm getting the hand of keeping the darkness under control." Riku says
"And Sora and Devon... Did something go wrong with fixing their memories?" Mickey asks
"There's a reason the Organization's been quiet since our battle at Castle Oblivion. And now I know it's not because of the depletion in members that made them weak. Taking Sora and Devon's memories apart piece by piece was only the first step in what they were trying to do in Castle Oblivion. And I think they needed more time to fix their memories." Riku says
"You know, you and me were both looking into what the Organization was up to, but what I saw didn't look like much. Almost like they're trying to buy some time..." Mickey says
"Right. Sora's memories and Devon's power is what they're after. And they needed all this time until now to absorb every piece of it." Riku says
"Huh?" Mickey says confused
"The process of putting their memories back together has gone nowhere... They have what's most precious to them... Their memories of Kairi. And they have stripped some of Devon's power, too. Because of that, he can't regain his full potential." Riku says
"Well, then you have to let me help! Maybe I could get the memories back!" Mickey says
"I've got that covered, Your Maj- I mean, Mickey. Instead, I want to ask you for a favor." Riku says
"What would that be?" Mickey asks
"I have to face two of the Organization's members soon. I might not survive the fight. And if I do, it might be because I gave in to the darkness. That means you're the only one who will be there for Sora, Donald, and Goofy, the only one who can guide them for when they awaken. And for Devon should he find his way here." Riku says
"Riku..." Mickey says
"Promise me, Mickey. When our friends wake up, you have to be there to help them out." Riku says
"I promise, Riku." Mickey says
~ Day 355 ~
Unsaid, Unheard
(The World That Never Was)
Draxon laid on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He was unable to rest as he thought about Xion. Everything that Xemnas said during the meeting the other day. It was a lot to process.
"Xion... Replica Program... Xion was a puppet made to replicate my powers and Roxas' powers, the Keyblade's powers. When Xion left the Organization, Axel didn't stop her. Like he wanted her to go. Axel's probably known about Xion for some time now, but has kept it from me and Roxas. Xion, Roxas, and I are special Nobodies. Xion was a replica. A puppet." Draxon says
Draxon sat upright with his right-leg bent and left-leg extended.
"What about me and Roxas? Are we puppets, too? Xemnas said... Sora and Devon was what connects her and us. But who is Sora? Who is Devon? And who are we supposed to be?" Draxon says
Draxon looks over at Mew, who was resting peacefully next to him on his left. So many questions went through his mind, yet he didn't have any answers. He understood that there was some connection between him and Devon. Xemnas confirmed that. So did Lady Olympia. But who was he? Realization swept across Draxon's face as he remembered something.
"Axel... if he's hiding things about Xion, what could he be hiding about us?" Draxon says
Draxon stood up on his feet, waking up Mew.
"Mew?" Mew says
"C'mon, Mew. We're going." Draxon says
"Mew." Mew says
Draxon and Mew head out of the room and they met up with Roxas outside the castle halls.
"Hey, Roxas." Draxon greets
"Hey." Roxas greets
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Draxon asks
"Yeah. I don't think we're safe around here anymore." Roxas says
"You know, to be honest, I don't think we we're truly meant to be with Organization XIII. We should leave now." Draxon says
"Right. But we should go see Axel. He might know something about Xion." Roxas says
"Yeah. And maybe he'll know something about Sora and Devon." Draxon says
(Moments later)
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew walk into the Grey Area and they meet with Axel.
"Axel." Draxon greets
"Hey, boys." Axel greets waving to them
"Did you find Xion yet?" Roxas asks
"You know it isn't gonna be that easy." Axel says
"I suppose not..." Roxas says
"Let me ask you something, Axel. Have you known... about Xion this whole time?" Draxon asks
"No, not the whole time." Axel says
"Since when then?" Draxon asks
"Uhhhh... I can't exactly remember when." Axel says
"Didn't get it memorized, huh?" Roxas asks
"Axel... who are we really?" Draxon asks
Draxon looks down at his hands.
"We're both special like Xion. Roxas and I. We know that. But the Organization wanted us out of the picture. Am I right?" Draxon says
"Yeah. They did." Axel says
"Mew!" Mew exclaims in shock
"I guess it's cause Xion's copied our powers and the Keyblade's powers, and they didn't need us anymore. And Axel, I'm guessing you felt the same way." Draxon says
"You're wrong there! You and Roxas will always be... my best friend." Axel says
"Best friends are supposed to honest with each other! Who are we, Axel? Xemnas says that me, Draxon, and Xion are connected to each other through Sora and Devon. We don't even know a Sora or Devon! Are we puppets like Xion?" Roxas says
"You're both different from Xion." Axel says
"Then why d-" Roxas says
"Finding out the truth doesn't always work out for the best." Axel says
"What makes you so sure about that? We all have a right to know the truth! How did we even get here? Why are me and Roxas so special? Where did we learn how to use the Keyblade? We hardly even know who we are! What is so wrong with wanting some answers?!" Draxon yells
"Draxon... Roxas..." Axel says
"We need to know, Axel. Please, who are we?" Roxas says
"You've just gotta trust me." Axel says
"We don't. And we can't." Draxon says
Draxon turns around and walks away. He was soon followed by Roxas and Mew.
"Guys..." Axel says
"Somebody knows where we come from. If we can't get answers here, then we'll get them somewhere else. That'll be the person we trust." Draxon says
(Moments later)
Before leaving, Draxon and Roxas stopped by their rooms. They both looked down at the ice cream sticks they had that said 'Winner' on them.
"We've tried... But we have to find the answers for ourselves." Roxas says
"You and me, Roxas. We'll do it together. Just the two of us." Draxon says
"There's no reason for us to be here... anymore." Roxas says
"Right. Let's go." Draxon says
(Moments later)
Draxon and Roxas walked through the streets of the Dark City with Mew following them. Axel appears on their right, leaning against the wall of the nearby building with his arms crossed.
"Your minds made up?" Axel asks
"Why did the Keyblade choose us? We have to know." Draxon says
"You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side, they'll destroy you!" Axel says
"No one will miss us." Roxas says
Having said that, Draxon and Roxas kept on walking with Mew following them.
"That's not true... I would..." Axel says
~ Day 356 ~
Place to Belong
(Twilight Town)
Xion finally meets Naminé in the Old Mansion, sitting with her in the White Room in a chair at the opposite end of the long glass table.
"Nice to meet you, Xion." Naminé says
Xion pulls off her hood, revealing her face to Naminé.
"Naminé, are you able... to see my face?" Xion asks
"Yes." Naminé says
"Then what do you think I should do?" Xion asks
"What do you want to do?" Naminé asks
Xion looks over at the wall on her right, seeing the picture of her, Draxon, Roxas, and Axel.
"At first, I just wanted to be with Draxon, Roxas, and Axel forever. But then I started to realize that my memories... Well, these aren't really even mine, are they?" Xion says
"You're not Sora, you're not Roxas, you're not Devon, and you're not Draxon. You're Kairi as Sora and Devon remembers her." Naminé explains
"As I remember more of my past, the more I feel the need to go back where I came from. What should I do... to go back?" Xion says
"So you're going back to Sora?" Naminé asks
Xion nods her head.
"Yes. And I want to return whatever I stole from Devon back to him." Xion says
"If you do go back, then you will disappear. In exchange for not having your own memory, you're connected through other's memories. So when you disappear, no one will remember you. There won't be any 'you' to remember. For all the powers I possess, I can't keep even one piece of the memory called 'you' connected." Naminé explains
"I know. I'm ready. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. I also know that Roxas and Draxon should be going back with me. But... I don't think they would understand. Not yet." Xion says
"I know. Roxas and Draxon can't feel Sora or Devon just yet..." Naminé says
"Naminé, will you please watch over Roxas and Draxon once I'm gone? You won't be alone. I asked someone else, too. There just isn't anything else I can do." Xion says
"Alright." Naminé says
"Thank you." Xion says
"Well, if you are ready, let's go see Sora. Maybe through him, we'll be able to find out where Devon is." Naminé says
Suddenly, a dark portal opens up in the room and out steps DiZ.
"Naminé, it's them! The Organization has found us! They're almost here!" DiZ says
DiZ glances over at Xion on his left.
"This blasted puppet led them right to our doorstep! See what you get for trusting it?" DiZ says
Xion stood up.
"I can handle this!" Xion says
Determined to make things right, Xion runs out of the room while DiZ and Naminé watch her go.
"Wait! Xion!" Naminé exclaims
(Moments later)
Xion stood outside the Old Mansion at the gates, ready to defend against any intruders. She looked around, but didn't see anybody around. Then, a dark corridor opens up infront of her and out comes Axel.
"Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?" Axel mutters
Axel closes the dark portal behind him and confronts Xion.
"Axel..." Xion says
"Xion, what are you gonna do?" Axel asks
"I've decided that I have to go back to where I belong." Xion says
"Well, to be honest, I always felt that was best right from the very beginning. But you know, it still really bugs me.
Something about this just stinks." Axel says
"It's for the good of everyone." Xion says
"But how do you know that? Everybody thinks they're right." Axel says
"This is right." Xion says
"They're gonna destroy you!" Axel yells
Axel gasps in shock as he saw Xion summon her Keyblade and get into battle stance.
"Please don't hold back, Axel. Promise." Xion says
Axel glares at Xion, growling under his breath.
"What's your problem!?" Axel screams spreading his arms out
The red-haired Nobody hangs his head low and looks down at the ground.
"You three... think you can do whatever you want. Well, I'm sick of it." Axel says
Axel straightens up and stares at Xion with a determined expression. He was gonna bring her back no matter what.
"Go on. You just keep running." Axel says
Axel stretches his left-hand out infront of him and summons his chakrams, which appear in a flash of flames.
"But I'm always gonna be there to bring you back!" Axel shouts
Xion stood ready and braced herself as she prepared for a depressing fight against her best friend. She wish it did not have to come to this, but she had no other choice. Her powers belonged to Sora and Devon. She had to set things right and she wouldn't let anyone stop her. Not even Axel.
(The World That Never Was)
Axel limps back into the castle, panting after fighting a hard battle against Xion, who was now unconscious in his arms.
"Why you gotta cause me so much trouble..." Axel mutters
Exhaustion overcomes Axel as he could not go any further. And so, he falls to his knees and collapses onto the floor, dropping Xion infront of him. Footsteps are heard as a figure walks up to them. It was Xemnas. The Organization superior picks up Xion in his right-arm, stares down at Axel for a moment, then walks away, leaving him to lie there.
Author's Note: We are nearing close to the end, folks! Draxon and Roxas have finally left Organization XIII. But where will they go? Will they find the answers they seek? Xion seeks out Naminé and finds her, but now she's been captured again by Organization XIII. What happens now? We'll see what fate has in store for our heroes in the next chapter as we draw closer to the end of days! Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!