burgeoning replacements
2 - recruitment
Axel scratched at his temple with two fingers, an old habit he'd decided to keep to remind Saïx that he wasn't a patient person. Of course, that would only work if Saïx were in the room.
He glanced over his shoulder, out the wide window, and into the darkness. Someday, Xemnas said, this would have the perfect view of Kingdom Hearts. He didn't really know how to feel about that, except that maybe, hopefully, he would have once honestly said, they wouldn't need Xemnas's help putting it up there.
"Going out with Saïx again?"
Demyx sat on the opposite side of the Grey Area, strumming at the sitar Saïx had talked about breaking one time or another. He had a little grin on his face as he spoke, even without looking at the redhead.
"Maybe. That a problem?"
"Easy," he answered, giving Axel an amused expression. "I just noticed you guys like going on evening strolls. Nothing wrong with that."
Before Axel could answer that it always happened to be evening around here, light, stiff footsteps warned them of another's approach. A blue-haired man his age emerged from the dark hallway, with two scars that formed an X across his face and golden eyes that settled coldly on the sitar player. "That is none of your concern, Demyx."
Finally, Axel would say, but Saïx didn't appreciate his being candid with him around the other members. Meanwhile, Demyx only raised his hands in surrender, shrugging off the overbearing, pointy-eared superior he didn't really care for. "Okay. Oh, while you're at it, maybe you should have a look out for that thing the Dusks have been talking about."
Axel quirked a brow, pretending not to see Saïx's motion to ignore him. "What thing?"
"You know," he shrugged, waving his hand as if that would help explain. "They've been saying something about smelling something new here. Or whatever you'd call it."
If looks could kill, Demyx would be drowning in his own attribute. "And you didn't think to investigate this yourself?"
"But Saïx," said the younger man, probably trying to sound as whiny as he could, "the city is crawling with Dusks. If they can't find them, what can I do?"
"Demyx, spare me this—"
"Makes sense," Axel cut in. "Anyway, it's probably just a new species of Heartless. They're popping up all over the city these days, thinking this place is their turf. Sure you don't want to join us picking a few off, Demyx?"
"Axel," Saïx frowned reproachfully, opening a Corridor of Darkness next to him.
Demyx didn't even need to take one glance at either of them to know he'd rather stay in. "Nah. You guys go on ahead and, uh," he dully pumped a fist for encouragement, "get those Heartless out of here."
"Very well," said Saïx. "And since you still have time, Demyx, I'd suggest taking up another mission. Your yearning to return to the castle should serve as sufficient motivation."
"What? But—"
"I expect a full report when we return," he said, and stepped into the Corridor.
Demyx scoffed, glaring at Axel. "Thanks a lot."
"Hey, you're the one who started talking. See ya," he grinned, and disappeared, too.
The girl picked up the pace. They were gaining on her.
Not long after her awakening, she realized that she wasn't alone in the dead, sleepless city. Hideous, silver humanoids—without bones, maybe?—slithered about like eels, eyeless but with wide mouths always talking, murmuring almost coherently. Opposing them were what appeared to her as shadows taking human form, eyes glowing yellow, milling about and retaliating whenever the silver ones attacked them. To her surprise, the latter could even sink into the ground and move across it to reach their assailants, like paintings flitting across walls.
The girl had come upon them out of the alley, only to sense that something—somethings—were close. She returned to crouch at her hiding place and watched as they appeared, silver and shadow alike. They were monsters, to be sure—intruders upon this world, since no world she knew could house creatures like them. But then this wasn't her world. Was she the intruder and this, their home world? It seemed like the most logical conclusion.
They could have a taste for people, for all she knew, though she wasn't willing to stick around and find out. If she was going to figure out how all of this had happened, she had to survive, first, and that meant avoiding them. It was a feat she'd succeeded at for almost four days already—not that she could tell very well, because this place seemed stuck at nighttime—but she had a feeling that they had sensed her as she did them, and she was starting to grow weak.
Some hours she could rest, break into one of the buildings and find shelter there, but the creatures were relentless. Now she was certain they were on the prowl for her. At this point, she probably knew the dark city by heart. Her goal was the white castle floating in the night sky, the shimmering path to which she had found yesterday—only to find it crawling with those silver things. It was either a haven for people seeking safety from the creatures, or their stronghold itself. She'd backed off to search for a separate entrance but found nothing. She would have to try entering again as soon as she shook this group off.
The farther she ran, though, dodging the main roads and searching for the most peaceful way to that castle, the more powerful her sense of the creatures rang. It almost overcame her, that sudden spike in power she could feel—and hear, she realized.
It was a man, bellowing out. She couldn't hear the words, but she could hear the silver ones murmur and the shadows squeak. The girl followed the source—not soon after, she came upon the most peculiar sight.
Two men, in fact, both robed fully in black, fighting off the shadows alongside the silver things. One was red-haired with tattoos beneath his eyes. He throw spiked, burning, circular weapons, while the other—he was the one she heard screaming. Even with his blue hair, pointed ears, and two scars crossed over his face, what took the girl most by surprise were his pure yellow eyes—almost like the shadows, but frenzied, coming at her with a spiked claymore—
Coming at her, screaming "Begone!"—
The girl knew, in that split second, that trying to dodge would have been fruitless. She was too slow. All she could do was lift her arms over her face, turning her head away—
A barrier of translucent green shimmered to life before her, absorbing his terrible attack but throwing her some yards across the main avenue. The silver creatures broke her fall, bodies shifting in the air until they managed to set her carefully on the ground.
"Isa!"
The girl grunted, hand reaching for her back—and almost as soon as she touched it, the pain disappeared. Ignoring that for now—monsters abounded, after all—she forced herself to her feet and was shocked to see that the avenue was clear. The shadows had been vanquished and the silver creatures were one by one winking out of sight. Only the two men remained. The redhead gripped the shoulder of her attacker, whose head was bowed. Did he call him Isa?
"Why did you attack me?" she called out to them weakly. She knew she should have started running already, given their new history, but she would still rather cast her lot with people than those other things. And if she sounded less panicked at nearly dying than she normally would, it was because she was. She genuinely wanted to know the answer, even as she felt no real indignation at his attack despite her sudden fatigue. "Where are we?"
The redhead turned as she approached, slowly, and gave her a lopsided grin. "Hey, there. So you must be the one the Dusks won't stop chatting about."
"What do you mean?" she asked, eyes naturally following Isa's movements as he lifted his head. His eyes were normal now—an alluring gold. "Why did your eyes change... Isa?" She shouldn't have addressed him so forwardly, but the girl couldn't care less.
Her attacker jerked his head up with a glare. The redhead frowned at once, taking a quick step between them. "It's Saïx. And my name's Axel," he said, that same grin returning to his face as he pressed a finger to his temple. "Got it memorized?"
The girl stared at him. "Sure."
Axel's expression had a tendency to flicker, she noticed. For a beat, he gave her a peculiar look, lip curling and brow furrowing, but that immediately disappeared in favor of mirth. "So, new kid. What's your name?"
She tilted her head, trying to see past him to a recovering Saïx. He stood tall again, with golden eyes that no longer glowed. "What do you mean by new kid? Is this place, filled with those shadows and silver things, your world?"
"The shadows are called Heartless," Saïx interrupted, in possibly the most disdainful tone she'd ever heard. Or remembered hearing. Her memory was shoddy. Axel stepped aside for him. "And you, as well as the simple silver creatures called Dusks, are a Nobody."
"I don't get it. How can I be the same as those things? Or are you just calling me names?" she realized belatedly.
"Man," Axel muttered, "she's the most boring one yet."
"Axel."
Suddenly, the men stood at attention. The girl sensed a power even greater than the kind possessed by these two—however possible that was—and her head spun. A wave of darkness appeared next to her. She took a step back, expecting a...Heartless? Or was it a Nobody, if Saïx was being serious? She expected to face a monster even more fearsome, but the thought of fear was odd, however logical considering her predicament for the past few days.
Only another dark-robed man emerged from the pulsating darkness, which dissipated into the cold night air as soon as he left it. The man was dark-skinned with silver hair, exuding both power and confidence that dwarfed that of the other two.
He eyed Axel calmly. "You should be more polite to our new friend."
"Friend?" she repeated, staring at him until he met her gaze. She knew it was disrespectful, but that thought inspired no guilt in her.
"Lord Xemnas," said Saïx, respectfully inclining his head. His companion did the same wordlessly.
"Lord Xemnas," she copied them, even if she had no idea what he was lord of. "Are you a king? A nobleman?"
"No," he replied, eyeing her carefully. She thought a look of recognition passed his austere features, but it could have been her imagination. "But I can give you purpose."
The girl blinked. "I already have a purpose."
"What...?" she heard Axel mutter. From the corner of her eye, she saw Saïx stiffen.
Lord Xemnas only smiled. It was an affected one. "And what is that?"
"I want to..." she took a deep breath, thinking hard before proceeding. It wasn't her desire, but it was something that she remembered wanting with all her heart. Something she had thought worth risking her life for. Something worth saying. "I want...to find Sora, my brother. And protect him. I should know what happened to him after..." The girl paused, eyes to the sky. "After the storm wracked our islands and I ended up here."
He peered at her, eyes narrowing for a moment, and then his cold smile returned. Unbeknownst to them, Xemnas recognized that vague look—the failure to grasp a memory. "You seek answers. We can give them to you, and more – should you join us."
"I'm considering it," she admitted, noting his tone of authority. It was one meant to comfort, and similar to the one she began to use on Sora as they grew up. "But one of your men just tried to kill me. Answers wouldn't mean anything if I suddenly died."
Saïx scoffed. "Someone who has no existence cannot die."
The girl ignored him, seeing no point in arguing since she clearly did exist. Instead, she glanced at her hands—the same ones that had conjured that barrier earlier. She was sure of it. She didn't remember having power like this, but she'd known the short burst of strength coupled with the sudden loss of energy just as the green light had protected her from Saïx's attack. Just like how she didn't remember ever having not felt before. No irritation, no guilt, no fear. She had wondered about it for days, but the hunger had distracted her. Now she could dwell on it without hindrance. She glanced at Xemnas. "Can you tell me why?"
"You feel nothing." Xemnas held a hand out to her. "Nothing is real. Join us, and you shall understand."
The girl doubted. She glanced at the other men – Saïx, looking resolute, and Axel, she thought but wasn't certain, looking uncomfortable – and sifted through her memories, all of which rang warning bells. But there was nothing for it. Xemnas had come from out of nowhere, and these two seemed to know their way around. Not to mention they'd vanquished those creatures.
Seeing how the past few days had gone, if she was to survive and find Sora, there was no other way but to agree. And he was right. The girl wanted answers. She felt nothing. She'd been on an empty stomach and an aching body that hurt her less sometimes when she begged it not to, holding her hands over the pain and feeling it dissipate—with that same burst and loss of energy as when she summoned the barrier—only for it to return hours later. He would help her understand. And maybe feed her, too. That was currently her foremost priority.
She accepted his hand. "All right."
He nodded. "Your name?"
"Everyone called me Tai."
"Tai," repeated Xemnas. As he spoke the word, her name appeared before her, letters glowing faintly in the dark. How was that possible? She reached out to touch them, but Saïx startled her as he grunted, "Don't," and her arm fell to her side. The letters rose higher into the air. They rearranged themselves around her until an X appeared, a gray letter different from the rest of the illuminated gold, and fit itself into the mix. Then, Xemnas murmured, "No longer."
"A new name?"
"A new you," he corrected. She gave no protest. Taking on the name wasn't as disturbing as she thought. Calling herself the first one had seemed worse.
He appeared to take her silence for confusion. "All will be explained soon," he said, hand resting firmly on her shoulder as he glanced at his lesser companions. "For now: welcome, Ixta. Our Number XIII."
Sitting on their uneven thrones, some languid and others stiff, the Organization's nine other members eyed her only with either indifference or curiosity. All white and gray, the Round Room had blinded her at first, but her introduction to them went fairly well, she thought, despite the complaints some of them had aired about her eyes taking unusually long to accustom to the light. It had gone quickly. Some words by Xemnas, a few questions regarding her power, and taunts in general about her usefulness to the group. That was all right. It wasn't like she could feel. And then they were dismissed.
Ixta watched as, one by one, her superiors—all twelve of them, since she was the last—disappeared through what they called Corridors of Darkness.
After feeding her, Saïx had given her a rundown of the most basic concepts of being a Nobody, as well as the goals of the Organization and their aim to use Heartless once the Keyblade Master appeared. He had also informed her of the likely fate of her world.
The latter was already a foregone conclusion for Ixta, who'd had several days to herself to mull over it all. But her lack of feeling—that definitely explained her first day. Why she remembered being that girl on the islands, but could feel nothing the way she remembered having done. Why, after hours of waiting, of inexplicably understanding that her family must have been destroyed in the storm, she couldn't bring herself to shed a single tear.
And then there was Sora. Tai's brother. His fate, Saïx insisted, was probably the same as the rest of her world's. But after all that had happened, after meeting Heartless and Nobodies and surviving for days without food, living desperately on the rain on the second day, that was one thing she couldn't believe. Ixta didn't know why.
"Hey. You coming?"
Next to her, a familiar redhead waited next to a Corridor of Darkness. Ixta nodded. "Axel, when will I be able to open one of my own?"
"When they figure out how useful you can be, I guess," he shrugged, and entered the Corridor with Ixta following suit. The two emerged into another section of the Castle—a generic white and gray hallway. It had nothing in the way of markers she could distinguish from any other part of her new home. "Why?" he asked as soon as she arrived. "Thinking of escaping?"
She shook her head. "The Organization's providing me with food, shelter, and enlightenment on my...non-existence. I'd be an idiot to try to leave."
"Boring," Axel muttered quickly under his breath. He turned to glance at their newest recruit with disappointment, only to find her staring at him blankly. "What?" he asked, tone quickly changing to mischief. "Trying to get my face memorized? Can't be that hard."
"Everyone's features are easy to memorize. At the very least, each of us can be distinguished by our hair color. Vexen, Larxene, and Luxord are different enough not to be confused for one another." She nodded as if to affirm her statement, ignoring Axel's new deadpan expression. She noticed that despite his initial interest, he had purposefully ignored her after Lord Xemnas's arrival. "But mostly I was staring because I wonder if your spiked hair had anything to do with your specialty being fire." She paused. "You look offended."
"You needn't dwell further on that, XIII." More than Saïx's voice or steady gait, it was the sense of his power that alerted Ixta to his presence along the corridor. "Focus on your own abilities, which we have yet to fully determine."
"Oh?" Ixta paused. "I get it. You mean my attribute. For example, yours is the Moon, while the Superior's is Nothingness. Xigbar's is Space, Xaldin's is wind—"
"No need for a full of recitation, Ixta," Saïx interrupted, lips pursed impatiently.
"I dunno," Axel grinned. "Teacher's pet seems right up your alley. Anyway, you're here. See ya." With a little two-finger salute, he began his walk further down the hallway.
"We're not finished, Axel," Saïx called without even a glance. "I'm assigning you to take Ixta to Vexen in order to determine her capabilities. The barrier she raised was only a small indication."
"Me? Pretty sure I'm better off on the field, and Demyx would be happy to babysit."
"No. Accompany Ixta. Picking up stray puppies... It still seems to be right up your alley."
The redhead visibly clenched his jaw, but said nothing else. "All right, fine. Nothing on my plate today, anyway." He turned to Ixta. "You really don't mind being called a stray puppy?"
Ixta shrugged. "I can't feel anything about being called names. Otherwise, I think determining my attribute is a great idea."
"She's like another Zexion," Axel sighed.
"Observant and practical. We will reach our goals quickly if you remain this way, Ixta. And continue to follow orders, of course," said Saïx, ignoring Number VIII, though he hardly looked like he meant the words. "Now get going."
Vexen was the Organization's main 'researcher' as well as their resident doctor. He checked Ixta's vitals, making sure her body was intact, and prompted the girl with various questions she vaguely recognized from the Islands she had called home. Though Axel mentioned something about the man being a mad scientist, he seemed only ever methodical, his laboratory on the lower floors of the castle neat and properly arranged. Tables on one side, machines and contraptions on another and, in between them, his very own desk by the wall where he could sit in peace and think. It appealed to what Ixta remembered as her sense of requiring order, something she'd kept at their house, herself.
"All right," said Vexen, getting up from his seat after all the poking and prodding. "I have a few more questions, but we can complete them as we proceed to the next test."
Lying down on one of the reclining chairs, Axel jolted upward and groaned. "Finally. Some entertainment!"
At Ixta's blank, expectant stare, Vexen rolled his eyes. "That is enough whining, Axel. Fetch Lexaeus. We shall meet at the Hall of Empty Melodies."
The redhead smirked and threw his legs over the seat to stand up. "Yes, sir." Giving a mocking salute with his stiff posture, he disappeared into a Corridor.
"You should take care not to emulate such an obstructive personality," Vexen tutted to their newest member. "Axel would be a perfect soldier if not for his mouth."
"Why does he fake it? Saïx said we don't feel. It's certainly true for me."
"As it is for us all. Feigning emotion helps us remember our goal—and what is that?"
"To complete Kingdom Hearts and unite with it to gain our own."
"That is correct. And when we do, the emotions will no longer be strange, as the lack of them may seem to you now. I find it odd that it isn't natural to you, but we'll understand that in time," Vexen gave a hollow smile, picking up a clipboard and a pen. Motioning to the door, he said, "Follow me. It will be best to walk to our next test—to accustom you to the castle. Use the Corridors only when you've mastered our headquarters down to every detail."
"Then I'll be able to summon a Corridor myself?"
"We shall see," was his only reply, as they left the laboratory and climbed the castle. There was little to see—all that Ixta could tell was that whoever had built it liked its outer hallways with ramps instead of stairs. Only the inner rooms had them. The Round Room itself had no door—she thought of who might even want to enter that they had to keep it such a secret, but she didn't care enough to ask. "Now... You say you encountered no Heartless or Nobody in the course of nearly four days?"
Ixta shook her head. "I—sensed them coming, but I always left the area before they arrived. It seemed like they could sense me, too, because they appeared more quickly as days passed. I think I had to start running by the third day, changing buildings by the hour."
"And no visible powers manifested during such time? No elements, perhaps—ice, fire, lightning...? Did you stop time to stop them? Manipulated space in order to disappear from where you stood one moment and appear elsewhere the next? Created illusions to distract them...?"
"When Saïx attacked me," she answered, "I raised my arms and something materialized between his claymore and my body. Like a green shield."
"A shield?" Vexen quirked a brow. Suddenly, a shield of ice appeared on his free arm, frozen spikes jutting out from behind it. "Like this?"
"No. It disappeared once the attack threw me back."
"I see." He was jotting things down. "Ah—and sustenance. Did you find food in the city below? I was given to believe it was empty."
"No food," she answered. "...When I was hungry, I—touched my stomach." Ixta made the motion, but felt none of that old power come to her. "The pain left me, then."
"Regenerative abilities!" he decided. The exclamation was a surprise to the girl, but she said nothing even as he went on. "Healing... Yes. Good. Typical—your power manifests when your survival is at stake. It appears latent because you managed to evade the Heartless at every turn until Saïx and Axel found you... All right. Here we are."
The Hall of Empty Melodies was a large room within the castle containing two areas—a wide space on the level at which they entered, and another raised platform across the exit where one could view the venue below. Its roof was made of glass, and the night sky was visible outside. It was raining again, but the place was lit well enough so that she saw two waiting figures as she emerged from the dark hallway: Axel with Lexaeus, as ordered.
Broadly-built and the largest of the Organization, Number V was threatening to Ixta even without emotions. She sensed the brute force not only naturally, as she had with all others she'd encountered, but from his stance, too. Perpetually downturned, his mouth seemed set in stone. His posture was perfect, and he dwarfed even Vexen. If she hadn't seen him move during her initial introduction, she might have thought he was a statue.
Axel could tell this easily from where he stood—he and Lexaeus approached the two as they arrived, and all the new member could do was stare at the Taciturn Stalwart. He was still trying not to scoff at the title. Then again, his wasn't that great, either—but everyone agreed that it matched his attitude, and no one really questioned The Superior's decisions, anyway. "Figure her out yet, Vexen?"
The man ignored Axel's flippancy regarding rank for now, and that was exactly how the fire-user knew he'd gotten results, however small. Vexen was narrow-minded that way. It was easy enough to figure out that most of his memories consisted of his thirst for knowledge and a ridiculous amount of pride. The second, he would always sacrifice for the first—provided it was important enough.
"Yes. Ixta, your glove, please."
The girl removed it and held it out to her superior. Vexen took her free arm instead.
"Watch," said the scientist, and summoned a small block of ice in his hand. It was pointed, like the spikes on his shield, and he swiped it across the girl's left palm.
Ixta yelped in pain, reaching with her other hand to prevent any more blood loss. That prompted a familiar tingling in her right palm and the burst of energy in the left one, right over the wound. When she released it in shock, the gash had closed. Scarred, yes, but dry. It was already crusted in preparation for new skin. "Vexen—"
"Healing," he interrupted her, eyes on the others. "That should be her attribute."
"So what weapon does she have for that?" Axel asked, arms crossed.
Vexen's lip curled. "I was getting to it." Ixta watched him, but he did nothing else besides change his tone of voice. "Nothing yet. But placing her in enough perceived danger should reveal it to us." Finally, he turned to their topic of conversation. "That is where Lexaeus comes in."
Ixta turned her gaze to the man, who watched her with the same stern expression as he did the rest of the world. Perceived danger, her mind echoed. "Is he going to pretend to try to hurt me?"
Axel chuckled at that. "Oh, no. He's going to hurt you—if you don't fight back. Make no mistake."
"You require it, in any case," the giant finally spoke. His voice was just as she imagined it—low and harsh, or maybe just right for the occasion. She couldn't tell. "Even with healing powers, if you can't defend yourself in any way, you are useless to the Organization."
"Way to set the tone," Axel whistled. "I guess I should explain, Ixta. Lexaeus is gonna knock the stuffing out of you if you don't fight back and summon that weapon. You know, Saïx—claymore, me—chakram, the list goes on. Ah" —he raised an index finger to silence her as she opened her mouth— "we know you don't know how to summon it. You don't know how to until you do. Don't worry. It's like..." Now he scratched his head, trying to come up with the words. "Like learning how to fly. You know—take the leap and go, otherwise...splat. Got it memorized?"
"A poor explanation," Vexen muttered, "but do you understand, Ixta? It would be best to determine your weapon and the scope of your abilities as soon as possible. Your missions can begin then, and we will be all the closer to our goal."
"I understand," she nodded. "Fight, or... Splat."
"Good. Lexaeus?"
"Prepare yourself," said the man. As he approached, Ixta wondered what stance she should take. She remembered play-fighting with Sora and his friends on the Islands, but she'd never come up against a real threat to her life before. She wondered what weapon Lexaeus wielded—right as he reached her, reared back his arm, and punched her in the jaw.
Ixta went flying across the room and slammed into a wall. She heard Vexen sigh. Axel groaned out an "Ouch."
"Get up," Lexaeus ordered. "Pay attention. You'll need faster reflexes than that."
She did so breathing heavily. "Okay," she nodded, this time planting her feet on the ground. "Again."
He didn't even approach her this time. Instead, an axe sword appeared in his hand, and he raised it to the air. A rumbling at her feet warned Ixta of the impending attack—but she hadn't expected earth to burst from the floor, throwing her into the air, and then slam backward against her.
Ixta went flying across the room. She would have slammed into the wall if she hadn't held her arms out—another barrier materialized against the wall, but it did little to help her. Anyone could tell that it was just as hard as the wall from the way she groaned upon hitting it.
Axel cringed audibly. Vexen tutted. "Even Demyx had made considerable progress at this point."
"Watch your environment," Lexaeus lectured. "Not just with your eyes, but with your other senses, too. Do you understand? Get up."
Trying to ignore how sore her back and her face felt, Ixta rose to her feet and wrinkled her nose. "Again."
Lexaeus headed for her, axe sword at the ready. Ixta prepared to create the barrier, but knew, instinctively, that creating the other barrier had sapped her strength. She knew then that she had a choice—to leap out of the way or to stand her ground, somehow. As soon as the thought came to her, she felt another power stirring in what felt to be the pit of her stomach. Almost like fear, but it was greater than that. Her survival instinct.
Number V cleaved his weapon down. Ixta held fast and felt the instinct surge through her body until it burst out of her fists—in an instant, she gripped a length of steel against the axe sword: a silver staff with a green, three-pronged tip, almost like a trident. The spectators gasped, but it could only bear the pressure of his weapon for so long.
"Don't just stand there!" Axel yelled.
Vexen appeared to agree. "Lexaeus will crush you without hesitation if you cannot retaliate, Ixta. Do something!"
She took this into consideration. She couldn't possibly disappear after reappearing as a Nobody so recently. But if her attribute was healing, how could she possibly defeat someone whose power was to control earth? Defense seemed all she could muster. If Lexaeus would only stay still for a moment—
As soon as the thought came to Ixta, she felt the pressure lift. The girl paused, relaxing a little, then turned to the others in confusion. Lexaeus stood there, still staring at her with those austere features, but he remained in that awkward position of one ready to strike, bearing down against his opponent.
"...Isn't that Luxord's ability?" Axel asked Vexen.
The scientist circled them, inspecting the man frozen in his spot. "No. It appears to be a simple paralysis spell..."
Ixta watched him write it down. "Now what?"
"Now duck!" Axel called out.
Ixta would have asked why if she hadn't felt Lexaeus suddenly move again, recovering once she lost her focus and swinging around at her. He paused and regained his composure when Vexen raised a hand.
"There must be something more. Paralysis seems an odd spell to mix with her current pool of abilities. Try again, Lexaeus."
Lexaeus took one look at Ixta and ran toward her, much faster than his last attack. Ixta glanced at the staff in her hand, at the sword in his, and ran in the opposite direction.
Axel laughed at the sight. "That tactic's not going to last you very long! Try something else or you'll never see your brother for sure!"
She looked over her shoulder then and saw the man's unforgiving features. With no other recourse, she swung her staff blindly at Lexaeus and felt a burst of energy leave her in her desperation. Her superior stumbled at once, nearly falling, but caught himself. He held a hand over his open eyes and clenched his fist. "I've been blinded."
He stood still, as did those watching. Ixta walked forward, wondering if she might actually defeat this giant, and realized her mistake only when Lexaeus pointed it out to her. "Don't underestimate your opponent!" he growled, swinging his weapon at her. She leapt back, stumbling and falling on her bottom. "Don't be a fool, XIII. My other senses remain intact."
Lexaeus rushed at her again, her painful thud revealing her location. Ixta raised her staff to him, and Axel almost instantly burst into fake laughter. Her opponent's running had slowed—not paused because he was tired, but because his movement had literally slowed down. His eyes flashed at that, gaze settling on her. He'd regained his eyesight.
There was no winning this battle, Ixta realized then. Not as she was. He would regain his speed soon, and all she could do now was—
She must have sat there, trying not to breathe loudly and wondering why Lexaeus had stopped, when the Nobody realized she had managed to disappear. She waved a hand over her face and saw nothing, only her superiors looking around in shock.
Axel broke the silence, as was the custom. "Did she take a Corridor without us knowing, or...?"
"No, no..." Vexen glanced around, pen tapping his notes. "Ixta, are you still in the room? ...Fascinating. Her attribute is similar to that of Xigbar, Zexion, and Luxord. Not quite a tangible element as with ours, but a set of related abilities. Healing is only one of them. The others cause status conditions—blindness, slowness, petrification, as we've seen. And now she has vanished. 'Defense' might be ideal as well. She can sense presences and summon temporary shields. Some would count such status conditions as mainly a defensive tactic." When he appeared satisfied with his findings, he nodded at Lexaeus—now back to his usual speed. "Ixta, reveal yourself. Lexaeus will not attack."
She didn't think it was wise, but Number V had withdrawn his weapon, and she was feeling exhausted, at any rate. Even if she wanted to keep it up, she felt drained, and she appeared to them once more.
"Interesting," said the giant, offering her his hand. She accepted it, but noted that the statement was more obligatory than anything. Not like Axel, who seemed almost genuine whenever he made comments. Lexaeus yanked her to her feet with strength that would have torn her arm off if she'd had the energy to resist. "You'll need to learn basic fighting skills, and soon. Running away won't always gain you more time to save yourself. Keep this up and you'll disappear again in no time. Do you understand?"
Ixta nodded. She turned to Vexen then, hoping for clarification regarding her attribute, only to find herself a little woozy. It was more than just fatigue—it was her, back in the depths of the dark city, having touched her stomach too often as she ran from the Heartless, right before she collapsed. As if on cue, her knees buckled and she barely caught herself on her elbows.
"If magic is her primary focus, she'll have to train in that, too," Lexaeus remarked, sounding disappointed at the development. "She can't be weak on both fronts."
Vexen frowned, summoning a Corridor to his side. "Too true. Ixta, you must grow accustomed to the use of your powers. For now, you'll have to rest and recover. And it appears both tasks," he looked gleeful as he said this, "fall on you, Axel. Remember to give her a tour of the rest of the castle, too. Dismissed."
"What?" He'd been watching the entire exchange in relative silence, taking in all the information about the new girl. Of course they would choose now to spring this on him—so that before he could protest, Lexaeus and Vexen disappeared into the darkness. He wanted to blame them, but this was partly on Saïx, too. Knowing more about their newest member and how useful she could be didn't mean he had to babysit her.
"Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs...?"
He frowned at his new charge, who watched him with that same expressionless gaze. "Stop sitting there with that dumb look on your face," he said. "Do you even care?"
"This is a neutral look," Ixta replied, still nearly sprawled. If he had emotions, it would irritate Axel that she didn't even move a muscle to look less undignified. Like she didn't even care how pathetic she looked at the moment. "If you meant the castle tour, then I should care. It's very informative, but you already know that. If you meant about rest and recovery, I also care. I think...I'm going to faint any moment now."
Wearing an odd expression, Axel bent down and scooped her up into his arms. All Ixta could think of was how he could do that given how skinny his coat made him look. "You're probably the most boring Nobody I've ever met. You're even worse than Xemnas."
"The Superior?" Ixta repeated, instinctively latching her arms around his neck. She did not resist the urge to let her head hang from the crook of his arm, unaware that she was making herself even heavier for him. "You make it sound terrible. He's helping us gain hearts." She paused, watching his face contort. "You look offended."
Axel snorted. "Look at it this way. Why should I fake it when you're not even trying?"
"Why fake it at all?" she replied. "We're both Nobodies who understand what we are. Saïx thinks we aren't Others who should be offended by small things like this. He says we should talk and get to the point without the hassle of manners."
Now she recognized his expression. Disgust. "Big wonder he didn't want to train you himself with how well you parrot him. I'm starting to think your Other didn't have any personality at all. Even Zexion and Vexen don't think that hard about this."
"That's not true," Ixta protested, no matter how heavy her eyelids felt. "My Other was..."
Ixta's pool of memories was shallow for now—natural, said Vexen, for one newly created. But most of her memories consisted of Sora. She helped him around the Islands, made sure he was steady. She studied hard so that she could earn enough munny to support him in case he ever failed himself for how silly he could be sometimes, though she did nothing if not believe in him. "She was effective," the Nobody nodded. "Effective and inquisitive. Being inquisitive made her effective."
"Effective doesn't count. Why would you think that counted?" Axel muttered. "But I guess inquisitive would work. Go with that one. Be inquisitive. Got it memorized?"
Ixta hardly even noticed that Axel had already taken them through a Corridor and into the rooms hallway. "Why?" she asked, yawning.
Axel dumped her on the bed unceremoniously, rolling her there as soon as he was able. He peered down at her with all the patience he didn't have. "Might as well do something with your non-existence, right? When you're not doing missions and your body's tired, there's nothing wrong with a little chit chat."
"...That makes sense, but—"
"Of course it does." He stared at her for another second, then gave a little wave. "Okay. Bye."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm done babysitting you for the day," he answered, turning back only to give her a once-over. "You'd better sleep. The others are going to put you through the wringer training you soon. I only get to watch if I'm done with my own missions."
Ixta didn't really understand what he was saying, but shrugged and asked no more. When she was finally alone in her room, she reflected on his words. At face value, there seemed no point in pretending to be like her Other and being 'inquisitive,' even if she was going to find Sora just like Tai wanted. But Vexen had said something curious—something about feigning remembering what emotions felt like and not being a stranger to them when they finally did regain their hearts. That made more sense than doing it for no reason. It fit with what the Superior had murmured to her, before passing her off to Saïx—
"Do not search for your brother in the meantime. One with a heart could never accept a creature without it—such as yourself. He will only seek to destroy you."
If she did find Sora as she was, without emotion, with only that dumb look on her face, he would try to destroy her. That was far from what her Other could have wanted. She would have to learn to 'fake it' in the off-chance that she would find her Other's brother before they could reach Kingdom Hearts—so she would take Axel's advice. Exploring her attribute took precedence, so first, she would train as Vexen instructed. But after that, as soon as she could use her power without collapsing, she would be as inquisitive as no Nobody ever was.
Welcome back! So, finally drafted into the Organization. We already said this, but don't worry, she won't take Roxas' number for good.
Lots of questions here, like why did Ixta want to find Sora even without really feeling for him, why is she so bad at faking emotions, and why is Axel such a dick? The answer to the first and second will be revealed. As for the third, he kind of is usually, despite his attitude toward Roxas when they first meet (discussed later). His usual response even to people he doesn't seem to 'like' is humor, just like how his Other was, but like he said here, we don't believe he'd care to fake it if the person he was with wasn't into bothering either (unless it's Saix, with whom he has a past connection). He'll tease around Vexen/Lexaeus/whoever because they'd react in some way to his faking, but otherwise, why bother? It's boring, and Ixta's not a child or a mystery/special case the way Roxas will be, so we don't think he'd be as kind to her.
More Organization members in the next chapter! Please be patient with new Ixta. We know the others will have to be. Haha! (You'll see in the next one.)
And please tell us what you think of the fic so far! See you in the next update!