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Disclaimer: I don't own any characters associated with Kingdom Hearts/Chain of Memories/KH2.
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Kingdom Hearts: Nonexistence
2: Blank Rage
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Larxene led Axel along the once-again colorless landscape. The skies had cleared once more and Axel felt a fatigue that he knew had been caused by the erupting flames. Larxene had mentioned that Axel manipulated the flames, but could she be telling the truth? It made sense to him – he had felt right moments before the flames had erupted around him, and they had followed his every whim. He had not realized it at the time, but when he looked back on it, it seemed to line up with her story perfectly.
"Where are we going?" Axel asked gruffly. "We've been walking for over an hour."
Larxene seemed to giggle inside her hood. "There is no time here. Quit being impatient."
Axel fumed. They really had been walking for some time. If Larxene didn't start talking soon, Axel would fricassee her butt and make a break for it. Why? Axel pondered why he felt that way. He couldn't figure out a valid answer, but he suspected that it had something to do with the fact that she had called him a traitor. Something about that accusation rang true in Axel's mind, and he kind of liked the idea. It's too bad he couldn't remember what he was a traitor of.
"We're almost there," Larxene called back to him, forcing Axel to come back to his dull surroundings in order to look around.
The barren landscape seemed to get smoother, less rocky, and eventually turn into what looked like concrete. A few buildings popped up here and there, eventually becoming more and more frequent until it was obvious to Axel that they were walking into a city. Strangely enough, the red-haired man had not seen the city appearing upon the horizon. Axel looked out to the horizon out past the city's border only to notice that it was still blurry. In fact, the buildings that he and Larxene had passed minutes before were beginning to turn fuzzy as they approached the horizon itself.
"What's with the fuzz?" Axel demanded as he turned around to walk behind Larxene again.
"You'll find out when we get to the back alley," Larxene replied. "Don't worry, it's not far now."
"Good, I'm getting tired of all this walking," Axel growled.
The two of them continued to tread lightly across the thickening city streets until Larxene took a sudden left turn into an alleyway. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Axel followed silently, although a large skyscraper had come into view on the horizon, and although it was fuzzy like everything else at that distance, Axel had been intrigued as to what it had been.
Larxene came to a manhole and pointed down to it. "We're heading down there," she instructed. Axel nodded and heaved the surprisingly heavy manhole cover off of the street. Larxene dropped down into the hole effortlessly, followed closely by Axel.
Axel landed on concrete next to a stream of crystal clear water. There was no smell, no sour presence in the sewer system. Axel was surprised, but he was more surprised that he had expectations of what a sewer should be like. He hardly had any memories at all, let alone concepts to base this world on.
"Just a little farther," Larxene said, her voice echoing through the tunnel. "It's this way." With a point, Larxene began moving, again followed by Axel.
This time, they didn't move very far before Larxene turned down a side tunnel and stopped at a ladder that led up to the streets. Larxene took the initiative to head up first. She stopped at the top and peeked through the crack in the manhole, issuing a confused through from Axel: it's like we're trying not to be seen.
Axel followed Larxene up to the streets after she signaled it safe. When they were both on the street, Larxene replaced the manhole and pointed at an alleyway behind them. Axel nodded silently, following her quiet example, and chased her down the alley to a very tiny offshoot of that alley.
The duo came to a chain link gate that led into a small hallway that approached a large steel door.
"We're here," Larxene whispered to her red-haired traveling companion. "Just be quiet, okay?"
Axel crossed his arms and fumed silently. He was getting tired of Larxene's mouth.
Larxene tapped lightly on the steel door. There were three knocks from the other side, to which Larxene answered, "Savage Nymph." There was a horrible squeaking sound as something on the other side of the door shifted, and the door opened with an audible thumping sound.
"Let's go," Larxene commanded. Axel's arms dropped to his side and he followed the woman inside. The door closed heavily behind them and the horrible squeaking sound followed closely behind. Axel rubbed his forehead to get the ringing out of his ears. He turned around to see that there was a dial on the door as if it had once belonged to a gigantic safe.
A man with long, spikey, oddly-colored hair that hung down in front of his eyes stood facing Larxene, who was saying something to him that Axel couldn't hear. The man nodded a few times and his eyes shifted to look at Axel as Larxene continued to speak.
When Larxene was finished, the man turned fully to look at Axel, who shifted his weight in waiting. Axel was getting tired of all this waiting, and he wanted answers.
"Welcome, Axel," the man said with an outstretching of his hands. "My name is Marluxia. I'm the current leader of the Organization. It is a pleasure to have you here with us."
Axel didn't take part in any kind of friendly handshake with this man. Instead, he stared him down like a dog stares down a cat. "I don't really care who you are," Axel replied, "I want some answers. For starters, where the hell am I?"
"All questions will be answered in time," Marluxia replied airily. "First, however, I'd like to talk to Larxene about the current situation."
Larxene nodded and stepped forward. She looked back at Axel. "We'll just be a moment. Wait here if you know what's good for you."
Axel felt heat reach his face and realized that he was beginning to boil over. That woman's attitude was almost too much in one sentence, let alone an entire afternoon with her!
"That woman has no tact," a man said from behind Axel. The red-haired man whipped around to see a somewhat short man with silvery-blue hair that fell over one half of his face. He, too, wore a black cloak, just like Axel, Larxene, and Marluxia. Axel was beginning to tire of the black.
"It's nice to see you, Axel," the man said with a small bow. "If you'll follow me, I'm sure we can answer a few of your questions."
Axel smirked. Going against the No. 2? That was fine with Axel if he were to get some answers around here. Axel nodded and said, "Lead the way."
The short man turned and led Axel down a long, narrow staircase that led to a long hallway that eventually stopped at a large ivory door. The number 13 was written in Roman numerals (XIII) on the door. The short man tapped on it three times and it instantly disappeared, as if by magic.
Axel was led into the next room, a large, circular room with thirteen thrones of different heights. Above each throne was a Roman numeral leading from one (I) to thirteen (XIII) around the room in a clockwise fashion.
"Where am I?" Axel asked, a little surprised by the sheer size of the white room.
The man did not answer. Instead, he walked to the center of the room, raised his arms, and began to lift off of the ground and towards one of the thrones. He stopped at the sixth tallest throne and turned. He slowly backed up and placed himself in the throne. On his right, a taller throne, was a muscular man with short red hair. On that man's right, a man with long dirty blonde sat in the number four throne. Elsewhere in the room, a wiry-looking man with short dirty blonde hair sat in the ninth throne.
"Axel has returned to us, it would seem," the number four man said.
"So it would seem," No. 5 agreed.
"So what're ya gonna do now, Axel?" No. 9 asked. "This hasn't always been the most precious place for you to be, y'know. In fact, if I remember correctly, you're quite the traitor."
Axel's face ran hot. "I don't remember anything about being a traitor," he admitted. Yet somewhere else in his mind, he felt that they spoke the truth. He had indeed once fought their allies.
"It would seem that Larxene found him in the wilderness," No. 6 told the others.
"How unfortunate that she found him first," No. 5 admitted.
"Yes, quite unfortunate," No. 4 agreed. "We shall make sure that they do not keep their greedy hands on him. His is a true Organization member, regardless of his previous actions."
"How can we be sure of that?" No. 6 asked in outrage. "He outright betrayed us before, how can we trust him not to do such a thing again?"
"Maybe he's reformed," No. 9 said in a tone that led Axel to believe that he did, indeed, believe that Axel had "changed." No. 9 looked down at Axel from his throne. "Whaddya say, Axel? Reformed? Not gonna back out on us and side with Larxene and Marluxia, are ya?"
Axel was beyond confused. Evidently Larxene and Marluxia were plotting against these four, but they all claimed to be members of the same Organization.
"I don't know what's going on here," Axel admitted. "I just want some answers."
"Then answers we can give," No. 4 said, steeping his fingers.
"What do you not know?" No. 9 asked Axel. He was leaning forward in his throne, as if anxious to hear what Axel didn't remember.
Axel looked up at him as if he were crazy for a moment, then stole a glance at each one of them in turn. "Well, first of all, who are all of you?"
No. 9 jumped back in his seat. "You're kidding! You don't remember any of us?"
"I didn't remember Larxene or Marluxia, either," Axel countered sincerely. His patience was wearing thin. Didn't they realize that he was speaking the truth? Why were they asking redundant questions?
No. 4 nodded slowly. "Very well, Axel, you deserve our help in recovering yourself. My name is Vexen, Number 4 in the Organization. To my left is Lexaeus, and farther yet is Zexion. On the other side of the room, there, the loud one is Demyx."
Axel followed Vexen's introductions with his eyes. Vexen…Lexaeus…Zexion…Demyx…yes, he knew all these people. These names were familiar to him. He had once liked them, but that liking had turned to utmost hatred. Hatred for…what? Why had he turned against his colleagues? Axel's eyes fell on throne thirteen and lingered there. Was there something special about that throne?
"What else would you like to know?" Vexen called down to his red-haired colleague.
Axel looked back up at the Number 4. "Where am I?"
Vexen nodded slowly, his fingers still steepled. "I had a feeling that you would ask such a difficult question."
"What's so difficult about it?" Axel roared, throwing his hands out in frustration. "It's a simple enough question, isn't it? Just tell me where the hell I am!"
"Calm yourself, Axel," Lexaeus commanded. His deep, rumbling voice carried with it a force of authority that Axel felt some part of him obligated to comply. "Becoming emotional will not result in your questions being answered."
Demyx leaned his head on one hand. "Yeah, have to admit, you're getting worked up over practically nothing. It's not like you can escape the afterlife."
Axel whipped around to stare at Demyx. Did he just say…
Demyx's eyes shot open in surprise. "Oh, you didn't realize that you were dead? Sorry, man. You bit the big one."
Zexion glared at Demyx. "Show some compassion."
Demyx returned the glare. "Sorry if I don't show my heart on my sleeve," he countered.
Axel stepped back, out of the center of the room. He was dead? How could that be? But, yet, he felt. Why could he feel things? Why could he feel anger, frustration? If he were dead, shouldn't he be above such worldly emotion?
Again, but this time a little more shaken than before, Axel asked, "Where am I?"
Vexen's steepled fingers came unglued as he leaned forward to look down at Axel. "You, Axel, are in Nonexistence."
Axel's ears hardly took in the words. He did, however, hear the word "Nonexistence." So he really didn't exist.
"So I don't exist," Axel murmured, taking it in. "The feeling I had was right. I'm worthless. A nobody."
"That's right!" Demyx said with a grin. "You're a Nobody! Be proud!"
Axel glared at Demyx with a deadly grimace. "You stay outta this!" he cried.
Demyx sat back and nodded as if he were proving himself right about something. He looked up at Vexen and waved a hand out at Axel, as if proving a point.
"It would seem that you haven't changed," Zexion said with a chuckle. "That's good to know, and also a little disturbing."
Axel's grimace deepened. He didn't want to be in a place where others thought of him as a nobody. He would prove to them that he was a somebody, or he would die trying! Axel's arms flashed outwards and the world felt right again as Axel willed the fiery inferno to arise around him. The white walls of the throne room began to glow red as the flames erupted in the air around the red-haired man. The world was right, but something was still missing. Axel screamed out in frustration and that something was suddenly restored to him as two massive chakram appeared in his hands, flames spinning about their sinister points.
"Axel, don't do anything you'll regret," Vexen said sternly. Again, Axel felt a strange want to comply with their orders, but the beast inside of him had already been awakened, and there was little that could calm him down.
Once again, Axel's eyes found their way to the thirteenth throne. He felt a strange soothing breeze overcome him, but as soon as he looked away from the throne to find its source, it was gone, and the beast became even more enraged. With a cry of anguish, Axel leapt into the air, straight up, past Demyx, past Zexion, past Lexaeus and Vexen, too. Axel flew through the air until he was higher than the number one throne. The ceiling was rushing up at him, but it wouldn't be there for long.
Axel flung one of his chakram at the ceiling, flames trailing obediently after it. It slammed into the ivory ceiling and effortlessly broke through. Axel's body slid easily through the hole that it had made, leaving only smokey remains of burnt ivory on the ground as proof that he had even been there.
Demyx looked up at Vexen, didn't say a word, and waved his hand at the burnt ivory as if proving a point. Vexen merely sighed and leaned back in his throne, rubbing his temples.
A monumental crash rang through the silent air above the city as Axel burst through the ceiling of a run down warehouse in a broken down district. He flew into the air until he could see the entirety of the city. Axel stopped, the flames suspending him in midair, and looked around. He looked for it, and looked for it, and at last, his searching eyes found the massive skyscraper that he had seen before.
Whatever it was that had calmed him had to do with that throne, and that throne had to do with that skyscraper. How Axel knew this, he didn't know, but something inside him told the Flurry of Dancing Flames that he would find at least one answer inside that skyscraper.
Tilting forward, Axel began to plummet towards the skyscraper, the flames igniting with every breath that Axel took, sending him towards his target even faster than before. At this rate, it would take less than two minutes before he burst through a wall of the building and began demanding for answers.
To Axel, that was two minutes too long.
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Well, there's chapter two for you. Hopefully I didn't leave too many questions unanswered.
If you leave me reviews, Axel gets a cookie!
