I have long been waiting for this chapter to come out. The first part of this is heavily inspired by the KH2 Manga. The rest is where I am going with this Lore. Hopefully, it's not too confusing.
It feels like she has been standing like this for ages, yet Kairi cannot bring herself to leave the beach shores, but… "It seems like everything I'm doing is waiting." She is quite disheartened by this self-revelation.
A strange sound makes Kairi look away from the small island she and her friends used to hang out on and jumps when an ominous black smoke in size of a full-grown person suddenly appears. A man dressed in black walks out from this strange smoke door. He stops before the large smoke, watching her quietly.
Kairi stares at this new arrived. Something about that man's eyes disturbs her; they look dead, cold, and yet... there is an air of sadness around this stranger. "Who are you?" She asks this blue-haired man with an x-shaped scar on his face.
But the man is clearly not here to make friends with her by his reply; "My name is of no importance to you." He then snaps his fingers, and white beings appear, surrounding her. Kairi jerks away, confused and scared of what this blue-haired man is planning.
One of these beings reaches out for her, and Kairi shoves it away. "Get away from me!" She takes the run for it, aiming for her hometown with the idea she has more places to hide.
"I see you haven't lost your spark."
That remark from the man makes Kairi stop, confused as to why he said that. Does he… know her? Her hesitating gives the white beings the opening to get hold of her and throw Kairi onto the sand. After another snap with his fingers, the white beings get off her. The man walks calmly over and pulls her up and with; "You're his guiding light." He starts dragging her into that smoke doorway he came from. Kairi tries to get free, resist his pulling, but the man is just too strong. He pulls her into the dark smoke thing, into a weird place. Still trying to get free from that iron grip, Kairi asks, "What do you want with me?"
"It's what I said;" The man speaks without even looking at her. "You're his guiding light. Sora will do anything to see you safe." Oh no… Is he going to use her to get to Sora?
A bark and suddenly, a yellow dog jumps at the blue-haired man, toppling him over and almost her as well. At least he let go of her, busier trying to stop the dog from licking his face.
Another of those black smoke portal thingies appear right beside her, a whistle is heard from it, and the dog, with some happy barks, runs into that one. Kairi, not wanting to stick around her kidnapper, follows the dog into the portal. Before it closes though, she spots another black-cloaked person. Is that… "Riku?"
He might not be able to feel it, but that was incredibly embarrassing. Saix gets back on his feet, seeing a portal close around Kairi, removing her from his grasp. 'The universe really must hate me…' He groans, jerks slightly his head at the sound of a weapon being summoned. Right as he spins around, he summons his own claymore, blocking the blade aimed at his back. Saix stares at this other hooded, the figure is familiar, like Xemnas, yet this isn't the superior of the Organization. The choice of weapon is wrong— Ah, he knows who the meddler is now. "You should've learned your lesson by now, Riku." He states out, right as his eyes start to glow and understandable, the boy tense, well aware of what is coming.
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Now that she has some money to spare, Shion heads out to browse the flower shop for something nice to the small room she has been staying in since she escaped the Organization's clutches.
She buys some yellow flowers Shion simply found pretty; these flowers are in a plain-looking pot, but it won't be that for long. Shion is planning on decorating it with the seashells she collected during her time in the Organization. Shion walks back to her place with the pot in her arms, watching Swift being silly in trying to catch a butterfly. Her smile fades when the creature suddenly stops dead in its tracks, showing aggression with darkness swirling around its small frame. "What's wrong, Swift?" She asks it, confused over such a reaction, for looking around, Shion does not see any threat. Following the glaring red eyes, Swift is staring at a girl hanging out with the local kids.
Shion titles her head. For some reason, that girl looks familiar, can't put her finger on how she does, though.
The dog accompanying the group notices her and the hissing Swift; Shion gets quite worried when that dog runs over and jumps playfully around the agitated cat monster. But much to her relief, her pet calms down and engages in a game of tag with the dog. Shion kneels down before this dog and giggles when it starts licking her face.
Seeing that the dog, Pluto— according to the nametag around the collar, has run off, Kairi scans the area for her canine companion. She spots him over at a raven-haired girl with a marine blue shirt having a flower pattern, covered by a long, purple shirt dress. This girl is gushing over the dog, quite adorable, really. Kairi walks over, and the other girl notices her.
"Is he your dog?"
Kairi is about to answer, but some very angry whistling makes her forget about the girl and instead focus on a cat-looking… thing. It is glaring at her with dark smoke surrounding its feet. Kairi stares at the creature, not sure what she did to earn such hostile behavior from it. The other girl grabs and pulls the creature up in her arms, saying embarrassingly. "I'm sorry about this. Swift's doesn't really like strangers…."
Kairi nods that she understands and takes a few steps back, which makes Swift stop its angry whistling sounds but is still glaring at her. "It's alright." Kairi smiles sweetly at this other girl, not at all offended as this animal is most likely just protecting its owner.
"Yo, Kairi!" Hayner calls, waving after her. "Let's go, we have a lot of work to do!" More so since Kairi does not have any money to get the stuff she should need in her search for her friends.
That name. How could she have forgotten about it! "You're Kairi?" Shion asks, dumbfounded that she is standing before the very girl that gave her consciousness through Sora's memory. And maybe… also the one who released her from her first prison. This girl is brimming with the same light she felt when she was trapped inside her first prison. This light might be the reason why Swift does not like her as this little monster is a creature of darkness. Kairi nods and trots off with a: "Nice meeting you!" Shion can only stand and watch, not entirely sure how to react on have met Kairi and how that girl does have a clue that the memory Sora has about her... almost led to Shion's destruction. But if looking past that, Kairi seems like a nice girl.
Looking down to the still glaring Swift, "You really don't like people with too much light in them, do you?" she asks. Of course, her freakish pet cannot answer, way more focused on sending the other girl dead glares.
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Inside the corridors of Darkness, Saix, badly beaten but did end out victorious. He shakes off his Surge mode as he watches Riku teleports away from the beatings he took. 'He's stronger compared to the last time we fought. But I doubt he thinks that strength was worth the prize.' Saix thinks, for what face that met him that hood, it wasn't a teenager boy he saw. That revelation would've taken him greatly off guard, but Saix had been too focused on their fight than to recall such an emotion.
With the ghost feeling of irritating, Saix limps away in search of Kairi. Knowing it was Riku who did this, Saix has certain ideas about what world he led Kairi into.
He steps out from the dark corridor and back to Twilight Town, not wanting to stay here for too long as he really does not want to explain why he is doing this to Shion. Not sure if the girl would understand, and part of him wants her to disapprove of this behavior. Shion looks up to him, and she wouldn't like watching him do such rotten things. But enough about his friend. "Find the princess." He commands the dusks, they fly off in search of said girl. It does not take long before they find her and Saix teleports straight to her location. He appears inside the meeting spot of the local children; sitting among them is that nuisance to Kairi.
"Kairi, there you are." He speaks calmly but does recall how to be annoyed at something.
Spotting the blue-haired man, Kairi gets annoyed to see him again. "Why did you come?" She demands, now more annoyed than scared of this man with the cold stare, "Don't you see you're irritating?!"
… She could've chosen those words a bit better, but then again. "You're the one being irritating." Saix deadpans at the girl and grabs her. The two boys start shouting and coming at him, but they are really no threat to him. Two whacks and the teens lie knocked out on the floor. The girl of that trio grabs a baseball bat, demanding: "Let go of Kairi!"
Saix is not impressed by this show of 'courage' and like the boys, quickly dispatches her attempts to stop him. "Don't kid yourself, girl." He tells the knocked to the floor girl and drags the struggling Kairi back into the corridors of darkness.
Hearing barking fast approaching, Saix spins around and commands that mutt hard; "Down!" the dog freezes up and whimpering lies down in a sign of submission.
Saix then resumes taking this annoying girl with him, not going to bother that the dog is following. He does not mind as long it does not jumps at him and licks his face.
"Let me go!" Kairi screams at this jerk, but he firmly ignores her. "Why you…! You took my chance to see Sora again!" She cries in dismay about this fact. To her surprise though, the man tells her matter of factly. "You will see him again soon: When Sora comes to rescues you." Kairi stops struggling against his iron grip, the way he said that. It makes her wonder… "Do you want Sora to come after you?" she does not get any answer.
The man brings her to a white hallway, stopping before a prison cell. He lets go of her and Kairi backs a bit away at where she will be staying. The man turns to her, "If you go in there on your own or I'll have to throw you inside is entirely up to you." He voices flatly.
Guess she doesn't have any choice… Kairi knows she won't stand a chance against this guy, and although he's far from friendly, she gets the sense he's not out to harm her. Reluctantly Kairi gets into the cell. The man waits for Pluto to join her inside the cell before he puts down the bars, "Was that so hard?" He asks sarcastically; Kairi shoots him a glare which he promptly ignores.
Kairi watches him leave this area and ponder, 'Why does he want Sora to come after him?' but highly doubts that man ever will give her an answer.
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He didn't want to leave Sora and his friends. However, he has to know if that part of the timeline is still the same; if it is, then he has to hurry before oblivion takes him. He needs to teach someone, but first, by the bull Keeper's teleportation power, Michi easily gets inside the Organization's stronghold, and after a bit of searching, finds his partner.
"Ah, what brings you back to these walls?" Luxord greets him and from how nervous his comrade seems to be. A simple snap with his fingers, and they stand inside a time bobble, making them invisible for the outside world.
Feeling much safer with this time bobble around, Michi explains Luxord of why he's here. "According to Sora, he and his friends never met 'other me' in Olympus Coliseum. Instead, they encountered Saix. How come?"
Luxord titles his head, not sure himself of why's that the case of this change. "That is strange, what I heard from above; Saix isn't allowed to go on missions without supervision."
"Huh? But… he's the second-in-command."
Maybe in his comrade's timeline but in the one they are now. "I am short on details on how it occurred. Words from the top rarely reach the bottom, but what I know; Saix was stripped his rank and been benched these past weeks."
Michi jumps in surprise at this new information. "No way, Saix got benched?!" His partner nods, and that leads to the question. "But then who is hunting down Axel?" If he recalls correctly, Saix was commanded to take Axel down after he went rogue.
"Saix eliminated Axel about three months ago," Luxord replies, "and after Roxas fled once again, it was Saix who got the command to bring the Key of Destiny back. But he failed his mission and has been under strict supervision ever since." Why that's the case, Luxord does not know and he's not curious enough to figure it out.
Axel is dead in this timeline? So Saix was commanded to bring Roxas back instead but still failed? Things have changed a lot and Michi does not think it's merely out of his influence. Could it be the Boss? No idea, but one thing for sure, Saix has, without knowing, changed Sora's view on him. Michi ponders if this can possibly save him from the future he's coming from? Guess… there's only one way to find out. "Huh, maybe Sora is going to spare other me this time around." Doubts it, Sora showed very little sympathy towards him back when it happened in his timeline.
That Luxord does not know, but will say this; "I am curious how your meddling will change times tides." And from how different this version of his partner is compared to the one in this timeline, then perhaps. "If he is spared, maybe consider joining the other you." He summons a few of his cards. "Grant him the memories you have gathered in your time here."
At first, when he came into this timeline, it never crossed Michi's mind to 'stay' as he was merely trying to change his own fate. But now, after having been around people who genuinely wanted to be his friend. A knowledge the other him does not have and never will if he disappear into oblivion. Michi was okay with going away like that, but a lot has changed since his arrival. "Yeah, I would like to remember this friendship I gained with Sora." He smiles up to the other man, "He's surprisingly a really great guy." something he never would've learned if not told to join Sora's journey.
Luxord merely smiles while fiddling with one of his dices, before turning his gaze to the hallway. Michi does as well, only now realizing how weird his current situation is. For this very moment, he is watching himself having the mental argument he had before… his demise.
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He soon has to leave and confront Sora again. Saix does find himself wondering if that one has learned from their last meeting? He partly hopes so. Otherwise, he might have to throw Sora down to another hoard of Heartless while taunting the kid of what a tool he is to the Organization. Oh, and he also has to reveal to Sora that Kairi is now in their grasp, which should give Sora the push he needs, more so when Roxas is trying to stop him from striking a friend down. 'I do wonder how Roxas will react when Sora does strike me down? Will he accept it, or will he fight against his own Somebody?' That thought is a bit weird for him. Saix cannot imagine himself putting up a fight against Isa, especially when his soul would do anything to join his heart.
He walks down to the prison of the castle, no Dusk is in sight and Saix wants it to stay that way, he does not trust the Lesser Nobodies with this task. Instead, he passes Swift, who Shion has been so kind in letting him borrow. The current lion-sized creature is lying a decent distance from the cage, staring distrustfully at Kairi, who seems unsure of how to react to this creature. Swift does snap away from its staring when Saix steps over and makes a humming sound when he pats its head from have done a good job.
Saix steps over to the cage and puts down the plate and bowl with food for both girl and dog. The dog steps over and instantly start eating. Kairi does not move from her spot. "I haven't poisoned it." Saix points out flatly, he wouldn't have done it even if that dark shadow in his mind had more control over him, but it would've made him a lot nastier towards the girl.
Kairi moves and carefully takes the food, noticing right away, "It looks like microwave food."
"It is." He replies simply.
"Can't you cook?" Kairi asks, still not entirely sure how to feel about this guy. He has a cold stare in those teal eyes and he clearly does not care about her. But so far, he hasn't shown any sign that he wishes her any harm. She wants to know why he gives off such strange vibes in being cold yet friendly at the same time and why he seems determent to get Sora to rescue her.
The man stares at the food. For a moment, he looks to be in deep thoughts, then he answers, "I can, but food does not taste right when you cannot put some heart into it." Kairi titles her head, this man keeps saying he does not have a heart, and Kairi, well, she is getting the idea that it why this man seems so off.
It's weird to think that this man legit does not have emotions, but Kairi senses he's no danger to her, so she decides to push this a little further; "How long will you keep me here?"
Saix thinks that will be the last question from her for today. "You will be free the day your gallant knight comes for you." Does think he would've gotten amused if he had a heart from how red Kairi suddenly got around the cheeks. She tries to deny she and Sora have a thing, but before she can even make a proper sentence, Saix has already left.
Walking down the hall, he notices Demyx walking back and forward, looking quite upset in whatever command he got. Knowing what's going on in his former home, Saix has an idea that Demyx got a mission there, probably to stall Sora. "Why are you still here?" He asks Demyx.
The young man stops, but instead of pretending to be oblivious or make a bullshit lie, "What do you want?" Demyx asks surprisingly cold; it actually catches Saix off guard. Demyx snorts, bobbing his head towards the room of Where Nothing Gather. "Here to make sure I will go?"
"Do I?" Saix decides to ask back in return. Demyx should consider himself lucky that the light of Isa is more in control of his action than the shadow figure, who currently wants to hit this fool with the claymore before throwing him into a dark portal with the threats of elimination if not doing the mission.
This is not how Saix should've reacted… Demyx spins around, revealing that he is upset, but no tears will appear from his fearful eyes even though he wants. "Of course! You're Saix, the second-in-command! It's your job making sure we all do our missions no matter the cost!"
"I'm not the second-in-command anymore." Saix points out, not sure why, but he finds himself intrigued that Demyx can actually show some backbone. He wonders if that's the cause of human memories or if Demyx finally has come to understand he does not have emotions.
Oh, forgot about that little— why isn't Saix the second-in-command anymore? Why are they having a conversation? "What happened to you, man?" Demyx asks the man; it's like as if someone turned off the cruelty switch inside of him. "You're not the Saix I remember."
Saix sighs, if this mission is what he thinks it is, then what's the point in hiding this? It's not like Demyx will return and spill the beans to the others. "No, I'm not." He agrees, "I think this is how I used to act as human, but..." Demyx needs to go, not only so he can be free but also because— "Demyx, you have to go, do the mission they gave you. otherwise, you will end up like me." He gestures to his scar, Demyx's eyes wide. He wasn't around when it happened, so he does not know how he was before. "Xemnas did not only give me a scar, but he infused my very soul with something horrible, something dark. It enhances all the worst in one's personality and it's close to impossible to fight against. Every day is a fight to be in control."
"But you defeated it, right?" Demyx asks, but to his horror, Saix shakes his head, saying somberly: "No, I can still feel it, clawing in my mind. Demanding to do the cruel things you know I did in the past. It's only a matter of time before Xemnas notices my resistance and will do it again. When that happens, I won't have the strength to fight back." Saix's teal meets Demyx's fearful marine-colored eyes. "Do your mission, Demyx. Fading away is better than this living hell." The young man drops his head in defeat, and right as the portal takes him:
For the first time, able to feel some sense of sympathy for one who has given him hell for the time he'd spent in the Organization. "I'm sorry for what happened to you…" Demyx says but sadly, there's nothing he can do for Saix.
The portal disappears along with Demyx. Saix turns around and walks away, it's soon his time to play his part of the act.
A hooded person suddenly appears before him from seemly nowhere. Saix stops and stares at that one calmly, though tense his fingers in case of battle.
"Okay, this might sound weird, but would you like to get a Keeper?" The hooded asks with a voice that sounds a bit strange, as if something is changing the voice itself.
Saix raises a brow, that was indeed a weird question, but he has seen the power coming from those creatures, so this offer got him intrigued. "And you happen to know how to get one?" He asks this person back.
"Yeah, I mean, that's kinda my whole job." The hooded shrugs, dropping his arms with. "I never really expected to even consider teaching you, but from how you treated—" He stops himself, and more off-handed. "Well, if you want to be taught," The hooded pull out an orb that seems to have the space between worlds inside. "we better get started."
The way this person is acting, something tells Saix that this one does not fully trust him and quite in a hurry. 'I wonder why he feels like being under time pressure.' Saix steps over to the hooded and with that strange space orb, takes them to a city he hasn't seen before. It's night, yet these old-looking houses are nicely lit up by the lampposts and several neon lights. It's about there Saix takes notice of people, all transparent and walking around the streets. Some seem aware, while others do not have a clue about his appearance.
Saix turns away from these people when the hooded begins to walk.
"Alright, now, let's see if there is a Spirit that suits you. A Picklemane might be fitting." The hooded muses and bobs his head somewhat towards Saix, "Do you like spiky maned lions?"
What kind of question is that? Saix does not answer, not sure how to answer that question. The hooded groans in a tired manner, "…Feels like you're going to be picky… alright, this way. Should be some around in this area." He waves Saix over, and the blue-haired man follows, not entirely sure what this weird person is talking about. The hooded leads him into some sort of square. For some reason, it reminds Saix of a favorite place he— back when he was Isa, used to hang out with Lea.
He blinks when strange, colorful and adorable creatures appear. The hooded makes a happy sound: "There we go!" Trots over to the playful creatures and picks up what Saix only can describe as a lion-head with short hind-legs, tail and a very spiky mane. "This is going to be your new friend."
Saix stares at the spiky maned lion head with only back legs. It roars friendly up to him, but he's not really getting why this person wants him to befriend this weird creature.
"Come on, say hi to it." The hooded encourage Saix, but drops the Spirit when a calm, smooth voice suddenly speaks from above: "Ah such a small creature won't do." Both the hooded and Saix look up. Sitting on one of the roofs is a teenage boy with somewhat messy blond hair, dark purple eyes and all of his clothing are in light colors. This teen smiles down to them. "Not when Isa here has sworn to be the protector of his friends."
If he had a heart, he would've been startled. "How do you know that name?" Saix demands this boy, able to keep his voice levled.
"You told me, of course, or rather, The boy replies poised. He gets up and jumps off; the fall is practically in slow motion, making his landing very soft and gracefully onto the wall before them. "it was the heart of which you are currently missing."
… His heart is here? "My heart?" Saix asks and begins to look around.
"Unfortunately, there is no chance for you to fully regain your heart in your current state." The boy tells him in a simple but also somewhat snobbish manner. As if it should be a common fact. "The body you have does not allow such a thing, but that can be solved in other manners." The boy briefly glances over to a shop, here, a humanoid figure, made of light is sitting, before turning back to Saix. "Now, I sense your head is screaming with the question on how I could possibly know that this Spirit is not the right one for you." He takes a seat on the wall and smiles at the blue-haired man. "Simple; you have a very close bond to my sister."
Removing his eyes from that light person that might be his heart, Saix narrows his eyes slightly to what this boy is hinting at, but he does not voice it. No wish in letting the hooded person know about Shion. It's bad enough he knows his true name. "What creature did your sister suggest?" He asks this boy who has a tone he is better than them, but that he can ignore.
The boy points at something behind him. "This one."
A creature appears, this one much bigger and looks like a very odd saber tooth tiger. This grey-blue feline walks straight over to Saix and nudges his hand up, making him pet its head. Saix stares at this creature, and a thought strikes him. 'I know this one'. but has no idea from where. Still, he pets the saber tiger, which growls happily at the attention. Confused Saix looks back up to that boy claiming to be Shion's brother.
The boy laughs softly, "This Dream Eater was created from your dreams. you can choose one of the others, of course, but I think this one might prove more beneficial for what you have planned." and with those words, the boy disappears.
… Okay, who the heck was that guy? Michi stares at where that boy had been a moment ago, then at the scene of this bigger Spirit being all buddy-buddy with Saix. He titles his head, both amused how awkward the usual composed man is around this cuddly feline, but also in wonder that Saix apparently has created this one from his dreams. 'Has he been here before?' In any case, that spares them some time. "Alright, you got yourself a partner. Now to the tricky part. Since, well, you don't have a heart." He muses but does blink when Saix walks over to one of the residences of this world.
Saix stops before this humanoid figure, hesitates, before reaching out. The instant he makes contact… Saix blinks when he suddenly is standing inside a black void, though that is quickly forgotten when he notices what, or rather who is right before him. It's Isa, looking exactly like him. But with brighter shades of blue hair, round ears and those eyes are brimming with emotions.
"Missed me?" Isa asks sarcastically.
Saix does not answer; instead, he simply walks over to the part he has been missing, searching for all these years. Before the personification of his heart, Saix reaches out and lets Isa' hand meet his, resting their palms against one another and that simple touch, Saix can feel the light of his heart.
Isa eyes soften in sadness. "I can't return to you… someone has invaded my soul…."
Saix finds this situation incredibly cruel, more than ever, he wants his heart back, but as that boy said, this existence forced onto him after darkness tainted his very body, his heart is unable to enter. Which means… Xemnas has been lying all this time. "Xemnas did something to me." Saix replies his heart and he doesn't want Xemnas to taint his heart like he did his soul. He meets his heart's eyes, asking it. "But do I really have a choice when I fade away?"
"No, but…" Isa looks into the black void, at something only he can see. "There is somewhere else I can go, but it will make you weaker against others' influence." he adds in a manner that this is a warning.
Maybe so, but Saix is willing to take that chance. He knows his heart will be safe and perhaps, it can cleanse his soul when the time for reunion finally arrives. But before Isa leaves him to seek shelter somewhere else. "I am going to need you for a moment." Isa nods and turns into an orb of light. Saix carefully holds his heart in his hands, takes a moment but he notices that the town is back. He turns around to that hooded person, still holding his heart. "I have the heart."
Well, that's one way to do it. "Not sure if one can do it like that, but let's try." Michi says and with the orb, takes them both back to the castle of the Nobodies. Here, he asks the Nobody.
"Can you imaged that creature in your mind?" Saix brow arch but does, fortunately, goes with all of this and nods. "Okay, call for it and when you can touch it in your mind." The hooded touches the back of the hood, eyeing the heart in Saix's palms. "I really hope this is going to work…"
"Just tell me what you want me to do." Saix retorts while trying not to feel too silly imaged himself petting the head of the saber tooth tiger. For some reason, it's quite easy seeing it roll onto its back, begging for further petting like his former dog would've. The hooded lets out a sigh but does explain how to summon a Keeper.
I have long been waiting for this chapter to come out. The first part of this is heavily inspired by the KH2 Manga. The rest is where I am going with this Lore. Hopefully, it's not too confusing.
for everyone who follows me on DeviantART, you may know how Saix's Keeper is going to look like. those who don't follow me: do it, I have several KH drawings from this fanfiction