"We're here." Axel and Roxas were lying on their back in the darkness, hand in hand. Axel opened his eyes, feeling the fear of the darkness sweeping back over him.

"Mmhmm." Roxas slowly got up, feeling for balance in the darkness. He heard Axel get up behind him. "Let's see where Larxene is," Roxas said grimly. Light shot from his open hands, swirling around them, swallowing the darkness, and turning it dazzling white. The two blinked in the brilliant glare, looking around them.

"That's impressive," Axel said dryly.

"Thanks." Roxas looked around him. "But where's-"

"Larxene!" Axel began running across the white, his boots sending up clouds of silver sparks. Then Roxas saw her too, lying on her back in the white. He ran after his friend, arriving beside the female girl a minute after Axel had dropped by here. "Something's wrong," Axel whispered. Larxene's eyes stared straight up, not seeing either of them.

"She's dying. Her Life Force is almost gone. She must have spent it tampering," Roxas said softly. "She needs more."

"Maybe if we both gave her some…" Axel started.

It won't work.

Both of them heard the voice in their heads at the same instant; they whirled. A blue black cloaked figure came rippling through the whiteness. Blackness melded with the white in her wake. But instead of wiping it out, an eerie grey light fell over them, like a huge shadow. Larxene is gone, unless if I give her life. The figure kept coming. You are both going to join her.

"Not a chance." Axel was on his feet now. He spread his hands, and in a whirl of flame, the chakrams spun in his hands. "Roxas!" The blonde understood. He took Larxene's hand, and willed. Brown sparks whirled down his hands and into Larxene's body. It wasn't much, but just enough to bring her back. The eyes cleared, her head turned.

"Roxas?"

A waste of Life Force. The cloaked figure kept coming. You are all going to die. Axel shouted and hurled both chakrams at her. The went straight through the figure, vanishing in a poof of flame. The chakrams were useless. Fool! A sword shimmering into the cloaked one's hand, and before Axel could move, the sword had slashed through him. Axel gasped in pain as the sword severed the rows of stiches, grasping his arm as the blood welling out of him.

"Axel!" Roxas shouted. He bounded over Larxene's body, racing towards the bleeding pyro. The cloaked figure intercepted him, stepping in between him and the redhead. Roxas barely dodged the sweep aimed at his head; the sword point swept his forehead, and blood spurted over his face. With a cry of rage, Roxas summoned the two key blades, and dropped into a battle stance.

You little hero. What chance do you stand against me? The cloaked figure hacked savagely at the blonde, and white light erupted as the blades clashed. The cloaked figure whirled expertly, catching Roxas off his guard. The figure's sword hacked in a brutal backslash towards the Nobody.

"Roxas!" Axel dove in a low tackle, knocking his friend over backwards. The sword barely missed Roxas as they hit the ground, Axel spurting blood. The sword had missed the blonde, and has found its mark on the red head instead. The sword point has ripped one of the skin grafts in half; blood was beginning to run out of the wicked slash, bubbling down the front of the cloak in a crimson stream. The Nobody cried out in pain.

You can't defeat me. The bloody sword twirled expertly, concealing itself under the cloak. You are weak! The figure turned towards Larxene. Axel gasped in pain, but managed to pull himself upright. With a weak sputter of flame, his chakrams appeared. Back for more? the cloaked one's voice taunted inside his head. The sword flared out in a brilliant arc of bloody metal, but Axel was faster. He ducked under the blade, swinging at the cloaked body. The chakrams singed he blue-black cloth, but otherwise did no damage. Roxas wiped the blood out of his eyes, rolling to his feet. The twin key blades appeared in a flash. The two friends slowly moved in on the cloaked figure in the greyness, smoke rising around them as they circled. Idiots. Both of you. The figure moved like lightning; it spun to one side in a flash of blue-black, and the sword followed through, cleaving the air where Roxas had stood only moments before. The Nobody dodged, danced in close to her, and hacked with both blades.

To his astonishment, both of them cleaved the cloth, and kept going. They didn't even hit the figure's body. The cloaked one seemed to be laughing inside their heads as she twirled, bringing the sword around in a deadly arc. Roxas felt the blade slipping between his ribs as it seared past, felt the blood spurting ,then felt the pain. He gasped, staggering back. Blood spurted from the wound.

"Roxas!" Axel made a move to help the blonde, but their opponent stepped between the two, bloodied sword readied. Axel gave a scream of rage and with an eruption of flame shot forwards. The fire raged around the two other them, metal rang on metal, then there was a blinding, grating shriek as the two dead locked in the middle of the fire. Roxas, from his bent over position, couldn't see what was happening, until Axel's body was flung out of the fiery circle, landing hard. Roxas heard the snap as his weakened ribs crunched. Axel moaned, then lay still. The figure stepped out of the other side; the cloak was viciously rent, and the edges were stained black with something dark and sticky, but Roxas didn't see anymore damage.

"He's invincible.." Roxas whispered, instinctively calling up the twin blades.

I told you once. You can't beat me in my own element. The figure spread its arms wide.

"We'll see about that!" Roxas dove, hitting the floor in a summersault, taking the figure by surprise. He launched himself up under the figure's range, driving home one of the key blades. Black blood spraying across him as the sharp key blade hit home, then to his shock and horror, the figure reached down and yanked out the blade, and with a twist, sent the Nobody skidding across the grey. Roxas gasped for air, startled and confused. He scrambled to his feet, his bleeding side screaming in agony. But the figure wasn't coming for him. It turned towards the girl instead.

"You.." Larxene whispered. The Life Force had restored her to life, but she was still painfully weak. It was an effort to stand up straight. Now, with both of her friends wounded, and she herself defenseless, the Savage Nymph began backing slowly away.

"Who…who are you?" Axel asked, wincing as he pushed himself painfully off the ground. Blood oozed out over the greyness from under him.

I am Reanel. The figure halted a few yards away. The black swirled around her feet.

"Reanel Katrix.." Roxas said slowly. "So you did find a portal to the Darkness.."

Darkness? Reanel's voice was mocking inside their heads. Oh you poor fools. This isn't the darkness. This is just a taste, a shadow of what the true power and expanse of Darkness is. I did find a portal, a portal that lead me here, into the Dusklands. I control this.. this is my world now. This darkness wills to me!

"No…no…it can't be.." Larxene backed away, fear in her eyes. Then she stopped, her face alive with hate. "It's you! You made me do it! You, you, you!" She was almost screaming in anger and frusteration.

I can control you. Reanel seemed to be smiling under her hood. You and I are joined. You and I are one.

"No!" Larxene's eyes were full of hot tears. "I am myself! I am not you!"

"Then you are her Somebody??" Roxas asked, his voice cold with dread.

How clever of you, little child. Reanel's voice was scornful. Larxene and I are one.. Or we soon will be. Reanel raised a hand and pointed it at the girl.

"Stop it!" Axel summoned up one of his chakrams, and stepped in front of Larxene. Blood splattered the front of the cloak. "What do you want?"

Pain. I want it all. It's my life, my essence. It's me. Something like a mental chuckle shivered through all their minds. I admit, torturing you, Axel, generated a considerable amount of pain. And by harnessing Larxene's Life Force and using her to do it…that was brilliant, you must admit. But that's noting to what I'm about to do..

"What are you going to do?" Roxas demanded. The three began shrinking away from her, Axel and Roxas guarding Larxene's weakened body.

Complete myself. The hood turned towards Larxene. Come to me, Larxene. Complete me! White light shot from her fingertips, cutting straight through the two Nobodies, and wrapping itself around Larxene.

"No!" Larxene screamed, struggling in the grasp of the light.

"Let her go!" Flames spurted from Axel's body, turning the twilight grey to crimson-streaked red.

Make me. Reanel made a gesture with her free hand, and instantly, the two male Nobodies screamed. Axel fell to his knees, gripping his head in pain. He heard the torturer's voice, felt the searing agony of the flesh being torn off his ribcage. All the pain, all the fear, it all came back, crowing into his mind. Axel felt the helplessness, felt the feeling of blood surging out of him, felt the searing agony as his Life Force fled. Roxas was bent double in pain, trying to stop the fear crowding in him. Reanel had brought back the vivid memory of the terror he had felt for Axel, and now it swept through his body, terrifying him. He cried out in mental pain, trying to stop the crushing fear. Larxene struggled, trying to pull away from the light. Reanel gave the two screaming Nobodies a smile, then the hood looked at Larxene. Come to me, Larxene. You belong to me now. I admit, I borrowed your Life Force before, took so little of it that you barely noticed. But enough with games - it's time to make me complete. Give up…just come to me and end your misery.

"No….no.." Larxene protested weakly. She dug her heels into the grey under her, struggling, fighting back as the light invaded her body. Her Somebody was calling to her…pulling her in. A terrible coldness begin seeping up her spine, spreading through her. The coldness of Nothingness. "You…can't…" Larxene gasped. The cold white tendrils plunged deep into her body.

Oh yes. Yes I can. Little golden sparks began ripping loose of Larxene's body, flying across the white light and into Reanel's body. She was sucking, tearing Larxene's very life out of her, and the Nobody couldn't stop it. She tried to escape the light, and found herself trapped. All she could do was stand there, willing her Life Force to stay, and watch it slowly pull free and enter in Reanel. The horrible coldness was stronger now, poisoning her very blood. Larxene weakly tried to pull her Life Force back, and screamed in agony as it was ripped out. Axel and Roxas were still bent under the crushing pain of the mental images, writhing as their fears and pains invaded their minds. Roxas felt the cold fear clutching at him, invading his mind. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The stark terror was poisoning his blood. He felt himself falling on the floor, writhing as his body slowly went cold. Axel was just the opposite, the burning, blazing agony searing his whole body by way of his mind. He could barely see Larxene, saw the sparks of Life Force fluttering out of her, saw the Nobody trying to fight the light. Reanel stood there, coldly watching as her Nobody died, smiling a little as the Life Force fused into her. Her strength was coming back, and the pain around her was increasing. As soon as this pesky Nobody was gone, her power would be too much for the other two. Axel took a desperate gamble; he shut his eyes, reached into his mind for the connection with Roxas, and brought up an image.

Roxas and Axel saw the image at the exact same time. Roxas and Axel sitting on a white staircase in the brilliant sunlight, laughing.

"I'm glad I know you," Roxas said after a minute, sucker-punching Axel's shoulder.

"Yea, well, be careful. That's the only arm I've got." Axel ruffled the blonde hair.

"So…guess we're friends now, huh?"

"Something like that." Axel crossed his ankles. "But don't get too friendly. Might make me think I'm going soft."

"Yea, sure." Roxas grinned at him.

"Stop smirking," Axel told him without opening his eyes.

"Make me." Roxas ducked as Axel grabbed at him. He tried to run down the stairs, but Axel caught him, and hauled him back on the stairs in a headlock. The pyro's knuckles grated over the blonde hair as the younger Nobody laughed and squirmed.

Both pairs of eyes, one pair green, the other pair blue, opened and swung to look at the blue-black cloak. The pain, the fear - it was gone. Almost as one person, the two Nobodies got to their feet. Reanel looked at them sharply, then in disbelief.

"Come back," Axel said softly. "Come back to us." Sparks flew from his body, a swirling path of blazing red sparks. They wrapped themselves around Larxene, around the light. And then Roxas knew. Axel's Life Force was holding in Larxene's.

Fool! Reanel was angry. They all felt it as her voice lashed their minds. With all her will, she strengthened the light. A few of Axel's sparks began ripping away to join the flow of Larxene's. You cannot stand against me alone!

"He's not." Brown sparks joined themselves with the gold and the red. Roxas's Life Force mingled with theirs. The power was too strong; Reanel's Life Force was strong enough to capture Larxene's weakened one, but it couldn't keep its grip on three at the same time. And so the impossible began happening. Their mingled Life Force's began pulling Reanel's out of her.

No! This is impossible.. Reanel strengthened her light, desperately trying to hold in her Life Force. But one by one, black sparks began being dragged out of her, flying through the light, and connecting with Larxene. Then a flood of black began rushing through the light, rushing towards Larxene. Gold sparks began swirling around the Nobody as her stolen Life Force returned to her. You…..no….you can't…Reanel's body began to shake as the Life Force left her. She desperately tried to hold onto it, and couldn't. Black flowed out of her, across the whiteness, twisting and writhing as it was torn from it's owner. No!

"Yes!" Flames cut the greyness in half as Axel hurled the chakram. The fiery wheel went straight through Reanel's body and into the grey beyond. There wasn't need for another blow. The cloaked body hit the floor, and dark blood began welling out. Showers of sparks rose in the air over her body.

"That's it!" Larxene said softly, staring at the sparks. "That's her essence!" Her voice rose. "That's my chance….to gain a heart…my chance to be come a Somebody."

"Don't touch it!" Axel ordered. He grabbed at Larxene, pulling her away from it. She struggled against him.

"Axel, what are you doing?" She asked furiously, trying to wrestle free. "Let me go, stop it!"

"No." Axel's voice was firm. "We're going home. Now." He shut his eyes and brought up a memory of the three of them.

"No!" Larxene protested, struggling in his arms. "Let me go, let me go now! I have to-" She stopped talking and just strugged, trying to break free of him and reach the sparks. The pain began throbbing in Axel's chest as the memory began tying the three of them back to Castle Oblivion. Larxene somehow knew that whatever Axel was doing to stop her was taking final form; she suddenly grabbed his arm, ducked under it, and raced towards the sparks. She plunged her hand into them….and her fingers found nothing but empty air. Reanel's Life Force had died. "No!" Larxene wailed, tearing at the air in frustration. She whirled, looking at Axel. "You!" She shouted in anger, striking out at the pyro. The Life Force was completed; pain lanced through Axel, then all three of them were gone.

"…You should patch it up with Larxene." Roxas sat on the bed next to Axel. Not the infirmary bed; Axel had left that a week ago. Now he was back in his own room, almost back to normal. Almost.

"I know." Axel hugged his knees. "She's….I can't blame her. She had a chance to have a heart, to be a Somebody, and I stopped her."

"Why did you?" Roxas asked. Silence.

"Whatever." Axel got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Roxas asked as his friend walked towards the door.

"To see Larxene." Axel shut the door behind him. He finally found Larxene standing on the castle tower, looking out over the World That Never Was. "Hi," he said awkwardly.

Larxene started to turn away. "Go away, Axel."

"I want to talk with you," Axel said, catching her sleeve. "I…I want to explain it to you."

Larxene turned back to him, and her eyes were full of tears. "Why? Why did you stop me? I could have been whole, Axel, I could have had a heart! So why…" The tears started coming. "Is it just because you can't have one? Is that it? You can't have a heart so you try to stop me…?"

"No!" Axel wrapped his arms around her. "It's not that, Larxene. It's just….would you have wanted to be whole?" She punched him in the chest as hard as she could from her position, answering. "I don't mean like that. I mean….yes, you would have been complete. But Reanel would have completed you, know what I mean? The heart you would have gained would have been her heart; along with the heart, you would have also received her lust, her anger, her pain. I'd rather have you a Nobody just the way you are than to be complete and like her."

Larxene sniffed, wiped away her tears. "Guess you're right…only…." She bit her lip.

"I know. I know." Axel hugged her gently, resting his red head on top of her golden hair. "I'm sorry, but…" He trailed off.

"But what?" Larxene wrapped her arms around his chest.

Axel tipped up her chin and brushed some of the hair out of her face. "I like how sadist you are already. I don't want you any more evil." Their lips brushed, then locked. Roxas, looking from the top of the stairs, grinned and started silently back down the way he had come. There were all one, in a way. The Life Force had tied them together in a way they hadn't know existed. It was time to create new memories.

Axel, Larxene, and Roxas, sitting on a staircase….laughing.