Xigbar came to Xikira's room - during the day hours.
Xikira glanced up at him from her place on her bed, then looked away. She put her arms around her knees.
"Hey, kiddo. Got some news you might find interesting," Xigbar said casually.
Xikira didn't look at him. Didn't talk to him.
He frowned. "Ah...so we're still doing the teenage attitude thing, huh? Great...Anyways: Xemnas sent me out to a new world today. Big assignment. And wouldn't you know it, I ran across your- eh- mom."
"WHAT?"
Xigbar grinned. "Yep. I got the pleasure of meeting the Princess of Heart in person. And let me tell you, you're not too far off from her. Especially right now," he added. "I thought you could be a stubborn handful in a tiny package, but her? Man...and her fighting prowess is nothing to scoff at, either. She actually managed to impress me a little. Did some great stuff for a kid her age, with that Keyblade of hers...talk about fierce!"
"What world was it, what were you doing there? Why did you- wait, you fought her?! Did you hurt her, did you-"
"Relax, she did just fine - and I didn't go too hard against her," Xigbar cut her off. "Didn't have a reason to, did I? I wasn't there for her. She just showed up at the most inconvenient time. I hear she has a knack for that..."
"Tell me!"
Xigbar told her the whole story, and Xikira found herself warming to him again. She almost forgot their whole argument.
Almost.
It didn't seem like Xigbar had forgotten, either.
"So, doesn't all this just make you want to whip up a portal and go to her?" Xigbar smirked. "And the others with her, too? All your favorite people in one place..."
Xikira glared. "Now you're trying to convince me to abandon the Organization? To be a traitor?"
"You are a traitor; you just decided to sneak back inside the tent after betraying it," Xigbar said, pointing at her. "But there's no take-backs in this Organization, and you know that. Roxas knows it, too, by now. For sure...that kid has attitude problems too. The worlds are being saved by a gang of angsty teens. What fun, am I right?"
"My mom is not angsty! And neither is dad - Sora is the opposite of angsty!"
"Oh yeah, totally - but they've got as many angsty ones as they do blind optimists," Xigbar chuckled. "So it really all evens out, doesn't it?"
"I'm still not leaving yet," Xikira said firmly.
Xigbar's face soured. He shrugged, turning away. "Suit yourself. But I doubt you can stay away from them for too much longer. Your little Heart has to be crying out for them by now..."
"My Heart's fine - and I don't have a Heart, anyways, remember?" Xikira countered.
Xigbar laughed. "Right, right..."
"Hey, Axel!"
Axel turned to her in the Grey Room. He groaned and rolled his eyes, then turned away from her again, arms crossed.
Xikira stalked up to him and sat beside him on the sofa, turning to him. "I just heard from Xigbar...well, I guess you still aren't having luck with bringing Roxas back here."
Axel made an irritated noise, turning his nose up at her. "Don't sound so happy about it..." he muttered at last.
"What's going on inside you? If I knew-"
"What? If you knew...what?" Axel looked at her with narrowed eyes, his mouth twisting.
"I don't know yet." Xikira stood. "But I will. This conversation isn't over, Axel. Believe me..."
Axel looked a little disturbed. But he turned away again, shaking his head.
Xikira smiled as she strode off down the hall.
In her room alone, Xikira found her way into Axel's memories through Roxas's bond with him - and Roxas's bond with herself.
She spent the next few hours going through it all.
His life; he was born and grew up in Radiant Garden. He'd already been a teenager by the time Kairi was four. That was when he'd met Ventus...
She searched more and more memories, conversations with Isa.
And then she found...
Something that almost seemed unbelievable at first.
Secrets...and a familiar, much younger face...
She got to her feet instantly, racing out of her room and walking quickly down the halls. She went from room to room until she found his.
Axel's room.
She opened the door and stepped inside, finding him sprawled on his bed.
He sat up instantly, staring at her. "What the hell-?"
"Tell Saix to meet you here tonight - at midnight," Xikira stated firmly. "Tell him you have something important to talk about with him. Just do anything to get him to come."
Axel narrowed his eyes at her. "What's this about?"
Xikira gazed back at him coolly. "Just tell him. And don't tell him I'm going to be there too."
"And why would you be in my room at midnight?" Axel said skeptically.
"Because you don't want Xemnas to learn you're a traitor," Xikira said casually, flashing a grin. "Or that Isa is one too."
"Okay. You have my interest," Axel said tightly, shock written all over his face. And panic. Alarm.
"Thanks! See you tonight!" Xikira spun on her heel and bounced her way out of the room.
"Why have you called me in here so late...and what is she doing here?"
Upon arrival to the dark room, occupied only by Axel and Xikira, Saix glowered at her immediately. His lip curled at her.
She flipped him off with both hands, standing there - not in her black coat outfit, but in her flowing blue dress. She gave a wide grin. "You should close the door if you don't want anyone else hearing what I'm about to say..."
"Plotting treason, are you?" Saix said coldly, his eyes sweeping her up and down. She saw disdain there - for her dress!
"No more than you two," Xikira retorted fiercely. She grinned even wider at his astonished expression. And the anger. "Sit down and let's talk, Isa."
Saix moved slowly, quivering with that anger. He shut the door and shuffled over to the bed, sitting down next to Axel. "What do you think you know?" he said quietly.
"I know know," Xikira said easily. "I've spent the day going through Axel - Lea's, sorry - memories. I know you joined the Organization to rescue a dark haired girl who was being experimented on in the basement of the castle. Like Kairi, like so many other people. Taken by Xehanort and the other apprentices. I know you've stayed here in the Organization to learn Xemnas's secrets - his true agenda. And to find her. Or at least...that was your plan. But you've forgotten it, haven't you, Isa? All you care about now is becoming stronger. You got a taste of power and forgot who you were. Your own deeply held values. And you too, Lea. You've become a heartless assassin who can't even keep up with any of this anymore!"
"Okay, could you not stab me so deeply here? It's scary shit," Axel said, wincing.
"You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Saix growled.
"You two have been traitors since before you joined. But now you're traitors who lost your way. Your sense of purpose. But...what if I could give you it back. Would you leave the Organization? Would you stop Xemnas, not because you want power, but because it's the right thing to do - like helping that missing girl?"
"And how do you think you could possibly 'give it back' to us?" Saix said coldly. "You know nothing of us, of how our lives have gone. And you know nothing of what we seek."
Xikira smiled. "Actually, I know more than you think. Again. I know who she is, and where she is now. I've met her."
"Liar!" Saix hissed.
"Are you just screwing with us?" Axel said tightly.
"No, I'm not. But...I don't know if I should tell you," Xikira said quietly. "You're too close to Xemnas. If I tell you, would you tell him, Saix? Would you put her in danger? And other people might be really...really upset with me if I did."
"Stop playing games!" Saix snapped, standing. "Either tell us what you know, or leave and never bring this up again to either of us!"
"Maybe I'll tell Xemnas about you two being traitors then," Xikira flared up. "I'll get you erased, or make you have to leave the Organization! Why are you two even here, what's wrong with you?! You're good people, you joined for the best reasons! You don't belong here, you shouldn't be doing all this evil bullshit!"
"Okay, look, it's more complicated than that," Axel said, standing too. He held his hands out to her. "Sometimes good people...have to do bad things. Sometimes they- need to stick it through to..."
"You don't believe that," Xikira said flatly. "I know you don't...Lea."
Axel went silent, looking away.
"Enough." Saix glared at her.
"No - Isa!" she spat back.
"I said enough-!" Saix snarled, stepping forward.
Axel seized his arm. "Don't."
"I know you're angry, and hurt, and jealous - because Lea's been spending time with Roxas instead of you, his childhood best friend," Xikira went on, staring at Saix. "Because you're right, you know: Xemnas isn't telling us everything. He's lying, tricking us. Brainwashing us. He doesn't want Kingdom Hearts to get us our Hearts back. He wants it for power. And he probably won't have a use for any of us if he gets it. And he's also lying to us about not having emotions still. We feel! It's not phantom echoes or memories. It feels every bit as real as before, doesn't it? So how can you possibly think it's not real? If we're emotionless beings, why would we waste time pretending to be pissy and hurtful?!"
Saix tore free of Axel, lunging and grabbing Xikira - her throat - picking her up and carrying her back, slamming her to the wall with an animal noise and-
Axel seized him from behind and pulled him off her, throwing him across the room. "ISA, STOP IT!"
Saix snarled and rose from the floor, his yellow eyes flashing.
Xikira gasped and trembled, rising too, her hand on her neck. But she stared at him, still, from across the room. "Case...in...point," she rasped, tears leaking from her eyes. "Xemnas is also lying to us about something else. If you want to even hear it. Can you face facts, Isa?"
Saix moved again - and Axel summoned a chakram and put it to his neck.
"Leave her alone," Axel growled. "Let her speak. This is what we're here for, right? To know what Xemnas is keeping from us? Lying to us about? But it seems like you don't want to hear it! I wasn't wrong when I told you you'd changed. I don't even recognize my best friend anymore!"
Saix closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Talk..." he said flatly.
"Kingdom Hearts might be able to give us our old Hearts back, but that's not what Xemnas wants it for. Anyways, there's another way. A better, simpler way of becoming human again. Body and Heart reunited. Recompletion."
"Recompletion...?" Axel said.
"If a Keyblade wielder permanently destroys a Heartless, freeing the Heart, and then if their Nobody is also destroyed, they'll be restored as a complete person again. A human again. The Heart freed...the body no longer existing as a Nobody," Xikira said clearly. "Both halves...returned to the whole."
"What? You're saying we should just - just kill ourselves, then?" Axel scoffed. "Nice ploy, but-"
"It's a gamble, like Luxord would say," Xikira nodded. "You can't know if your Heartless has been destroyed yet. By me, or Kairi, or any other wielder out there. But if you were willing to take the chance...you could be yourselves again, human again, and you could even have that friend you were looking for. You'd have no need to stay in the Organization, and no need to serve Xemnas anymore."
"Assuming that such a ludicrous theory is even true," Saix gritted. "Where did you even hear such a thing? How could you possibly know that?"
"I heard about it - traveling the worlds. If you actually take the time to befriend people in life, you can learn a lot," Xikira told him, proud of herself for the lie. And the insult. "It pays off to be nice to people and listen to them."
Saix breathed, taking a step backwards and turning away.
Axel cautiously lowered his weapon, gazing at his friend intently.
"Look, I think you should go," Axel said to Xikira. "This is a lot to think about. I mean, damn..."
"I won't out you guys," Xikira said softly. "Your secrets are safe with me. And all the secrets I just told you...I hope they can be safe with you too."
"Tit for tat, huh?" Axel gave a nod. "I realize now that I've been seriously underestimating you, kid. Okay - deal. We all keep our silence here."
"Deal," Xikira nodded, and she turned to leave. At the door, she stopped. She looked back at Saix. "Lea never forgot you. He didn't replace you with Roxas. He befriended Roxas because he missed you. He wanted you back, all this time. He just...he couldn't keep up with you. How you feel - and those are real feelings, Isa - you need to let it go, and see things clearly again."
Saix didn't react.
Axel looked frightened of her again, though.
Xikira left the room.
"They joined the Organization to rescue her. All they want is to see her safe and happy! If they could know for sure, if they could meet her-"
"What? They'd go traitor too? Like you?" Xigbar cut her off, staring at her in the small, cramped room of Skuld's.
"And like you," Xikira said, glaring. "You think Xemnas would just let it slide if he knew you snuck away his 'most prized subject?' Even back then? He'd have you executed too. You're as much of a traitor as I am, as they both are! You're not different from us, Xigbar, even if you want to say you are! You have your own plans, you have a life outside the Organization, and the things you do go against what he wants! Just embrace traitordom, for god's sake!"
Xigbar laughed loudly, turning away from her. He sat down on Skuld's bed, gazing into her sleeping face. "You have no idea...how long I've spent protecting her. Caring for her. And now you want me to let those two...let the fool and the lunatic just come on over and hang with her? How would we even manage that one without giving away that I'm, as you put it, a traitor too? How do I know he won't compromise me? Compromise her? I may be Number Two, but Saix is up there with me. And unlike me, I doubt he's nearly as attached to her as I am. She's just some fantasy to them, some girl they met once and dreamed of rescuing. I'm the guy who actually rescued her. Who's been here, every day, for nine years, looking after her!"
"Maybe it's time for a change, then," Xikira said quietly. "Seeing other people would be good for her. Getting to bond with more people would help her. Especially them. Seeing familiar faces...I know it would. And it would help them too. They can remember who they were, their purpose - their reasons. What's important to them, in their Hearts."
"No."
"Xigbar-"
"I said no."
Xikira ducked her head quickly, sighing.
Xigbar sighed too. "Listen, it's just...far too risky. Too dangerous. I can't. Not...yet, all right? If you can- help her to the point where she's cognitive, and on her feet, and...able to make her own decisions, then sure - feel free to tell her you know those two idiots. Let her decide to meet them, to talk with them. Whatever she wants to do there. When she's able to decide the risks for herself. But until then...I'm the one making decisions for her - for her safety and health."
Xikira nodded into her lap. "Okay..."
She startled at a hand on her shoulder, dwarfing it.
"You're a good person, Xikira," Xigbar said quietly. "Those were...some good thoughts. Not just for her, but for those two, as well. But...kind thoughts alone aren't good enough sometimes. You have to think about the whole picture - the situation in its entirety - and make your decisions based on that. Not just simple emotions and an empathetic little Heart. The things we feel can help inform our decisions, but we have to be the ones mulling it all over in our heads, ultimately. Higher reasoning. You understand? We have brains for a reason, not just Hearts."
"I understand," she said, not sure if she really did.
"Good." He patted her and let her go.
"So what's your whole picture?" she implored.
He snorted, turning away. "Nice try."
