Kingdom of Chaos

Chapter 16: The Second Gathering

Author: Sketchy Sunshine of OSTOCOM

Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side

Author's Notes: New ratings? Didn't see that coming…

See chapter one for summary, disclaimer and other goodness. Otherwise, here's chapter sixteen! XD

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The first one to appear was Vexen.

He was followed shortly by Lexaeus, then Kalixta with Danix and a reluctant Roxius in tow. The five Organization members regarded each other carefully, unsure of what to make of each other. Their smallest movements echoed off the crystalline walls of Castle Oblivion, adding to the discomfort. Lexaeus, always the practical one, was the first to break the silence.

"I spoke with Zexion. He should be here shortly."

"From what I understand, he's busy confronting the Keyblade master," Kalixta responded. "Or rather, already confronted him without success. That must've been embarrassing."

"Not as embarrassing as losing to the Keyblade master's shadow three-to-one,
Vexen mumbled from behind them.

Kalixta turned to Vexen with a glare. "Hold your tongue, traitor! I'd deal with you myself if I wasn't so interested in seeing what the Superior does with you."

Before Vexen could reply, Zexion teleported into the meeting room. Lexaeus looked visibly relieved that Zexion was now here. Kalixta was about to send her curses in Zexion's direction when Kojix, Alexis and Xavier also appeared.

Alexis did a quick headcount. "We're still missing three. I want to get this over with."

"I wouldn't be half surprised if those traitors don't show," Kojix growled. He automatically unsheathed his two swords. "Because they'll have to answer to me!"

"Should I consider that a threat?" a new, sultry voice spoke up outside the cluster of robed figures. At the end of the hall stood Marluxia, his scythe in one hand. There was a hushed pause…it was the first time anyone had seen Marluxia since he had been destroyed. Those fiercely loyal to the Superior glared at Marluxia with looks that could kill. Marluxia disregarded their hatred with a toss of his chestnut hair.

"Say and think what you will. You all know there is a part of you that agrees with what I did," he smirked.

"How dare you suggest—"

"Have you no sense of honor, you—"

"My quarrel is not with you," Marluxia interrupted Kojix and Kalixta. "I have a score to settle with Axel."

For once, Vexen had to agree with Marluxia. "Nobody's seen or heard from Axel since then," he commented. "Has anyone stopped to ask why?"

Nobody heard Axel teleport into the room, but they did hear him answer Vexen's question. "You should know I like to make an entrance." The red-haired man grinned at the shocked expressions around him. "And from the looks on your faces, it seems I've succeeded."

Axel strode up to the other Organization members confidently. Vexen summoned his spiked shield, and a few of the other men and women followed suit. Axel showed no signs of concern at their hostility. "Larxene's not feeling too well right now. She may be a little late."

"No doubt your doing," Zexion said, his voice simmering. The list of people that had beef with Axel seemed to be growing by the minute.

Axel's smile diminished slightly. "Nothing I do or say changes Larxene's frame of mind. I wouldn't worry about her."

"Explain yourself!" Lexaeus demanded. "Why have you done this to us?"

"We all have explaining to do to the Superior," Axel replied. "Shouldn't he be the one to get this family reunion started?"

The Organization fell silent. The Superior was indeed the one that had called them all here…and yet he was absent. Even with eleven robed figures standing around, the vast meeting room felt eerily empty. The tension between the various members pulled taunt, threatening to snap at any moment.

Xavier finally spoke for the first time since he had arrived. "Fighting is a waste of our energy now. Soon, the path will reopen to the Kingdom of Existence. We will go from here to there…we will leave these wretched Borderlands and control all Kingdoms."

"This is why the Superior told us to meet here?" Alexis asked. This seemed to be news to the rest of the Organization.

"Can't you sense it?" Xavier continued. "It began with the Heartless appearing here…it's an anomaly. The lines between existence and nonexistence are beginning to blur…including this very castle."

Fate seemed willing to illustrate his point. The smooth, glass walls of Castle Oblivion rippled suddenly, and were replaced by a labyrinth of chipped stone and twisting pipes. Hissing steam from the pipes dissolved into the air. Almost the moment the distortion appeared, it returned to its normal structure again. This unexpected occurrence surprised everyone…even Xavier seemed a little unnerved.

"Hollow Bastion…" Vexen said quietly. "Castle Oblivion is the shadow of Hollow Bastion!"

"And our route out of the Borderlands," Marluxia said, picking up on Xavier's suggestion. "I have seen this castle at work. It is unique in its location…one of the few paths into Kingdom Hearts itself."

"And yet you neglected to share this information with the rest of us," Kojix accused.

"The Superior knew," Marluxia replied, his voice full of disdain. "He keeps many secrets from us. And yet you all trust him so blindly."

Several more of the Organization members drew their weapons, daring Marluxia to repeat his statement. However, they were interrupted by a new, unexpected sound.

The huge double doors at the end of the meeting room flew open with an echoing bang. A heavy outside wind flooded in, ruffling the hair of the eleven figures in black. All were shocked into silence at the sight of five adversaries in the doorway: Sora, Riku, Toshi, Donald and Goofy.

Riku and Toshi had abandoned their black robes…keeping their identities secret no longer mattered. However, Riku still wore his blindfold. All five brandished their respective weapons, presenting a formidable force considering their lesser numbers.

This time, it was Riku's turn to break the silence. "You shouldn't have bothered meeting in secret. All your scents collected together are traceable from miles away."

"And we're taking you all down!" Sora challenged, gripping the Keyblade with both hands.

Vexen's eyes darted between Sora and Toshi. Under his breath, he said what the rest of the Organization was thinking. "…They haven't merged yet."

Toshi overheard the comment. "Don't count it out! We know what you're really afraid of."

"You fool!" Marluxia shouted back. "If you permanently merge with Sora, you'll give up your identity as Toshi! You'll become a part of his mind forever and cease to exist!"

Sora glanced over at Toshi…this was certainly a possibility that had not been brought up. However, Toshi did not appear concerned. "I can't recall a time I ever did exist," he replied. "And I'll do anything to get Naminé back!"

"If you're so desperate to find oblivion…" Vexen said, bearing his shield, "…then we shall help you there!"

Sora and the others charged with weapons ready just as their enemies did the same. All of the Organization members moved to attack except for Axel, who stepped quietly to the side.

The fight immediately erupted into full-blown chaos. Sora first met with Kojix, who blocked his Keyblade with one of his serrated swords. Kojix pulled up the other, and Sora barely managed to dodge the lightning-fast blade. Meanwhile, Riku rushed past him with Toshi directly behind. They clashed with Kalixta and Lexaeus, who blocked their attacks and quickly countered.

The Organization gained the upper hand almost instantly. Vexen spread a thin layer of ice across the already slick floor, sending the five slipping. They were kept down by a gravity spell from Kalixta, who sent waves of black energy spiraling through the ground from her shield. Riku recovered the fastest, and launched Dark Firaga at the nearest target on instinct. The charcoal-black flames barely escaped his fingers before another attack assailed them. A thousand sakura petals rained down in swirling torrents, slicing their skin and clothes.

Donald decided it was time to fight wind with wind. Thinking quickly, he cast aero in succession on all of his friends. The spells drained the stout magician of a lot of his energy, but he hoped it was worthwhile.

And for awhile, the spells seemed to help. Attacks from both the elements and the weapons that caused them bounced off the spinning shields of air, allowing the five to finally get some hits.

The tide turned away from their favor again. The few wounds they did manage to inflict were quickly healed by Roxius, whose cure spells were much more effective than Donald's. Worse yet, their respective aero spells were beginning to wear off.

Riku could tell that unless they made a decisive action fast, they would be overrun. The darkness around him frothed in an endless storm of fierce activity. We're not just outnumbered…we're completely overpowered. We're barely even wearing them down!

Riku lowered himself close to the ground, holding the Soul Eater before him. He tried to block out the echoing sounds of battle around him and concentrate on his own darkness…it was there, slowly growing, and bringing with it the lingering scent of Ansem. Toshi sensed that Riku was going to use Dark Aura, and motioned for the others to take cover. Riku raised his blindfolded gaze skyward as the air around him burned with dark energy.

Riku got no further.

He froze in the middle of his attack, trapped in a pocket of time. In front of him, Xavier held his pocket-watch and smiled. With nothing to stop him, he swung the spiked chain and cracked it across Riku's ribs.

"Riku!"

Sora's breath stopped as Riku crumpled against the wall with a groan. Donald and Goofy ran towards him with a cry, both with the idea of casting cure. They were intercepted by a massive, black dragon-like creature…one of Danix's summons.

The dragon, Bahamut, didn't even need to use its most effective weapon. Beating its wings fast against the floor, it barreled into the knight and the magician with outstretched claws and an earsplitting roar. Donald and Goofy were knocked to the ground, and didn't move.

Sora and Toshi locked eyes. Neither of them could hide their panic. "We need to merge!" Toshi cried.

"Now? I don't think I…" Sora stammered, uneasy.

"We have to, or we'll die!"

Toshi and Sora dodged in opposite directions as a heavy tremor split the marble floor between them. The shocks of Lexaeus's controlled earthquake sent shivers up their legs, but they kept running. "Stop them!" Zexion commanded, his hand outstretched.

From his spot outside the battle, Axel chuckled quietly to himself.

Sora and Toshi ran towards each other again, finally realizing this was their only chance. As they sprinted across the battle-scarred meeting room, Marluxia raised his scythe and swung it with incredible force. A slicing wind traveled across the ground and then split, driving them apart.

"Merge with me!" Toshi yelled, stretching out his hand. Sora strained against the wind, trying to reach the blond-haired boy. The ground groaned from earthquakes and increased gravity, and Bahamut's cries echoed in their ears. It seemed as if all of the elements were conspiring together, working in a seething mesh of chaos to keep them apart.

"Merge with me!"

Sora fought against the roaring torrents with all his strength, reaching out for Toshi. He thought of Donald and Goofy, and of Riku. Anything that would get his limbs to move faster, to bring them closer…

I need to do this!

Sora squeezed his eyes shut and leaped. Out of the rushing, pounding gale, Sora and Toshi touched fingers.

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Urk! Well, I needed to stop somewhere… oO

Started the next chapter; we'll see when it gets done.

Check it, I'm doing fanart-ish-type things for this fic here: http : lynxgriffin . deviantart . com (spaces added so that the addy wouldn't be deleted.)

Reviews are greatly appreciated! XD