burgeoning replacements

7 – green-eyed

If either of them had a propensity for holding grudges, neither said so.

Ixta slept through nearly all of the next day. She woke to a flurry of activity in her room halfway through it, but her eyelids were too gummy for her to stay conscious. That evening, Vexen dropped by to tell her she must be weaker than expected to require so much down time before finally giving her a potion and allowing her to rest again.

Her body seemed to recover the day after that – waking her early in the morning, as always. Her body still ached, but an advantage to her attribute was that open wounds often weren't a problem. It was the amount of energy that took that Vexen disliked.

Axel hadn't woken her, either. That was odd.

Breakfast wasn't often part of her days anymore. She found she liked eating between missions, eating cheap snacks from Twilight Town as she enjoyed the view in worlds her assignments took her. But she had time today, having expected to be up early for the session she missed with Axel yesterday. Without that, she found her way to the kitchen before eventually wandering to the Grey Area with a yawn.

Naturally, Larxene was about. What surprised her was that Marluxia wasn't with her.

Larxene didn't even turn her head – just glared at her out of the corner of her eye, as usual. "Where are you going?"

"Out." She wasn't copying Leon anymore, but her body ached too much to give a proper response. Besides, she figured her Other would have considered Larxene's manner rude.

As expected, the woman rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you're talking again. I heard you had a little accident."

"I did. I made a mistake and I won't do it again."

Larxene gave a small laugh. "Oh, relax! Do I look like the Superior to you? No wonder Axel thinks you're no fun."

Ixta cocked her head. She couldn't divine what Larxene wanted today… She was never this friendly, if this could be considered that. And did Axel still say that about her? "Is there something I can help you with, Larxene?"

XII seemed to have been waiting for the question. "You're the Organization bloodhound, right? Does that mean you can find the Keyblade Master wherever you go? …Or should I call him baby brother?"

The tone nicked at something red in Ixta's mind, but she brushed it away. "My orders were not to make contact with him until I'm more effective at acting like my Other."

"What?" Larxene tutted thrice. "That doesn't make sense. I think you're doing just fine playing sweet old Tai."

Ixta quirked a brow. Part of her almost felt genuinely inquisitive about where Larxene was taking this. The other part wanted to leave, quickly.

Luckily, she didn't have to decide. Zexion stepped out of a Corridor, giving them both the usual deadpan look from his visible eye – and then addressed Ixta. "We need to speak with Lexaeus. Will you find him and direct him to me, Ixta?"

"All right," she said easily. Shooting Larxene a polite smile, she made her exit.

Left in the Grey Area, an irritated Larxene and a nonchalant Zexion exchanged glances.

"Larxene. Idle as always."

"Zexion. Pretentious as ever."

With an almost-snort, Zexion took a seat on the other side of the room. Larxene herself got up, surprising the Schemer. Larxene wasn't one to be intimidated, though he gave no remark as she made her way out of the room.

Strange.

There was a reason for it – Marluxia emerged to meet her when she was out of earshot of the Grey Area. He looked similarly displeased. "That was…ineffective."

"Don't rush me," she snapped. "Obviously, Ixta is too stupid to fall for my charms, and too obedient to betray information. But she is close to Axel… He's one way we can get to her, if we have to. I say Axel would be more useful."

The annoyance on Marluxia's face remained. "I suppose we'll see."

It wasn't long or difficult before Ixta found Lexaeus. His level of raw strength was unlike any other, and he was still in the Dark City – on one of the castle balconies.

The giant peered down at the city, face stern as always. He didn't turn at her arrival.

"Hello, Lexaeus," she declared her presence, voice taking on a lighter tone. "Zexion asked me to find you."

"Why is that?"

"He didn't say."

Lexaeus turned to her now, and the low light from the castle softened his features. He regarded her quietly. "Were you alone when he found you?"

"I was with Larxene."

"…Then you should thank him."

"Why is that?"

"Do you find Larxene to be pleasant company?"

Ixta thought long and hard on his question. The word she came up with when she considered the woman's company was…

Uncomfortable.

"I guess not."

Lexaeus cocked his head as if to say there you have it. If Ixta caught it, she didn't say so.

After a minute of silence, she asked, "Will you be returning to Zexion?"

"In a moment," the man grunted.

Now that she thought of the company of an Organization member, she couldn't help but think of his – and how it reminded her of Leon. She had once found it difficult to act with V because he was absolutely nothing like Sora. But she had settled into an easy rapport with him… If one could say that rapport could be built with the Taciturn Stalwart.

She bore no feelings for him, but she never thought her Other might want to leave his presence. It was more than what she could say about most other members.

Now that her purpose had been served, Ixta blinked, as though she'd just awoken. She had been so myopic about speaking with Lexaeus that she failed to notice the presence of two other Organization members nearby. Powerful ones – Axel and Saïx.

That explained why he hadn't come for her that morning.

Lexaeus saw it. "You should be more aware of your surroundings. Tunnel vision will get you killed."

Ixta only nodded, leaning against the railing. VII and VIII were clearing out Heartless in the city, just as they had been the day she found them.

"Was there anything else?" asked Lexaeus.

Ixta looked up to meet his gaze. "I'm wondering why you were watching them."

Lexaeus emulated her leaning, eyes on the city again. "Watch, and speak your observations aloud."

Demyx had once begrudgingly stated that everything was a learning experience with Lexaeus. She tended to agree, so Ixta obeyed.

"Axel and Saïx are doing what we always do in training – have the Dusks lure powerful Heartless to their location and defeat them." After a pause, she added, "Saïx is more powerful. Is it because Axel hasn't been fighting lately? Then again, I've never seen him fight – save the day I met them. And he never trained me, given that he was my babysitter at the time… Not that his power is something to scoff at, but is what I sense simply his potential rather than skill? Compared to Saïx, he's lagging behind…"

Before Ixta could ramble on, Lexaeus shook his head. "Never underestimate your elders. Didn't you agree with my assessment that Demyx and Larxene exude the same strength?"

Ixta turned back to him. "You read my reports? …But according to my sense of them, Axel is lesser when it comes to strength. Why are you implying that he's stronger than my sense of him?"

"For your own survival," was all he answered. "Have you any other observations?"

Ixta shook her head.

Lexaeus looked disappointed – or, at the very least, the interest he feigned in speaking with her had disappeared as he opened a Corridor. "Often, the question is not what you see, but why. Come, now."

He entered his Corridor at that, leaving Ixta to take another look at the streets below. Axel and Saïx continued with another wave of Heartless, moving in tandem. They knew each other's moves well – something she was surprised to note in Saïx. He seemed almost as solitary as Lexaeus. But even Lexaeus had Zexion.

Did Saïx have Axel, then?

The thought put a dull, unpleasant ache in Ixta's chest. It didn't reach her, but she knew it was supposed to be there… And that she shouldn't be on the balcony any longer. It seemed like she was intruding upon something private.

For the first time, Ixta thought that she wanted to go home.

She shook the feeling – or almost feeling, wasn't it?

"Odd. Odd," she verbalized, as if that would snap her out of it.

Unknowingly giving the fight below a withering glare, she stepped into the Corridor left by Lexaeus.

Just as she wondered why he hadn't closed it, she saw Zexion and Lexaeus with their arms crossed in the Grey Area.

"Hello," she greeted with her usual smile, any semblance of feeling from moments ago gone.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go," Zexion sighed.

Lexaeus gave her a nod, waiting for her to fall into step. He gave Xaldin, busy reading a book far from them, an acknowledging nod. It was returned with very little interest.

If she were to pretend to be her Other, Ixta would admit that she had disliked the change in schedule that morning. She and Axel were supposed to train, or at least meet before leaving for missions as they often did. She trusted him to keep her secrets, as she kept his… but now he was busy with Saïx.

Still, left alone, she found herself glad for the company of others in the Organization for a change.

Axel strolled into the Grey Area. He never saw Demyx there anymore – something about Marluxia and Larxene always skulking about there. And as whiny as the guy was, he was right. Those two were always there. Never in the kitchen, never in the city. Always in the Grey Area, watching everybody come and go. The only reason Saïx didn't scold them was because they were surprisingly adept at their missions.

So it was a shock to see the sitar player there now, strumming away and singing along, to Xaldin's clear aggravation. The book in his hand was now shut and on his lap, and he was staring at Demyx. IX was either oblivious or pretending not to notice.

Axel gave a small wave as he stepped out of the Corridor fully. "Hey, guys."

"Hey!" Demyx grinned. "Isn't it great when Larxene's not around? Listen to this, will ya?"

He began to sing the song Axel sometimes heard him playing at night next door, accompanied by his sitar. To the Nocturne's credit, his voice really was something. That instrument, though…

"Enough!" Xaldin growled.

Demyx glanced over his shoulder at the man, looking indignant. Almost snobbish. "Why? This is part of my training."

"In what way?" the Lancer gritted his teeth. "Are your clones more formidable the worse you play?"

Demyx squinted. "Maybe."

How he was unfazed by Xaldin, Axel couldn't tell. Demyx had a strange sense of courage. Or maybe stupidity. "Anyway," he said, trying to regain control of the conversation—

"Let me guess," Demyx singsonged. "Looking for Ixta?"

Axel made a face. "Is it that obvious?"

"I mean, Xigbar mentioned Saïx put you back on bloodhound duty. I really thought she was getting better… Even if she's a snitch."

"Xigbar. Of course."

"Don't blame him," Xaldin huffed. "I was given to understand that you were her sitter, Axel. Shouldn't you know? And close that Corridor. Are you now as careless as your ward?"

"Okay. Thanks anyway," Axel said, tone laced with boredom as he waved the portal shut. He wasn't going to bother trading insults today, much less suffer Xaldin's ire. It usually amused him, but his body was aching from fighting Heartless all morning. He'd felt – or his Other would have – that he needed the outlet after his conversation with Ixta the night before. As much as he wanted her not to be such a lapdog to Xemnas, he didn't want her to rebel against him, too.

"Aw, you're no fun," Demyx laughed. "Apparently, Zexion mentioned wanting to test a new theory on Ixta with Lexaeus today. Didn't he run it by you?"

When Axel appeared in Saïx's room, the Diviner was patching his arm up from a particularly nasty scrape. Seemed they were both too prideful to seek help from Vexen. Ixta would have done, but she'd never healed him after a session before. He and Saïx hadn't really gone out to fight Heartless since her joining.

"Axel." The question was in his frown.

"Can't find Ixta," he confessed.

"That's ridiculous. She should have been waiting for you at the Grey Area. Lord Xemnas told her to stay away—but have you sent Assassins to Hollow Bastion?"

"First thing I did," said Axel. "Got what I needed from Demyx in the end. She ran off with Zexion and Lexaeus."

"Lexaeus is harmless. But Zexion…"

Axel shook his head. "I mean, whose idea was it to call that kid the Cloaked Schemer, anyway? Dead giveaway."

Saïx didn't care to feign amusement. "If he has deigned to spend time with Ixta, he must have something planned."

"Hasn't Xemnas told you anything?"

"No." Saïx finished his bandaging and glared up at Axel. "Had you not insisted on this impromptu training session, you could have been with her now."

Axel pretended to be affronted. "I don't know. Seems like you needed it if one of them actually got a strike in."

The glare sharpened, but Saïx gave him that. They had all become complacent of late, with the Keyblade Master starting to fill the moon above the castle. "In any case—"

A knock on the door interrupted him. "My liege," a Nobody eerily begged passage.

"Enter."

Perpetually slouched, an Assassin opened the door. "We have found them."

Its two superiors exchanged glances. Axel sighed. "I'll go see what's going on…"

"And I will uncover this plot."

Members of the Organization were starting to choose allies among each other, that was for sure… And allies necessitated enemies. But Axel was one step ahead of them. He'd known whose side he was on since before he even joined the Organization – and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Axel disappeared in a wave of darkness.

He hated Deep Jungle.

Of all the worlds Zexion could have chosen, why did it have to be the one where everything was attracted to his red hair? Not that mosquitoes could get past his coat – but having to bat everything away every few minutes was starting to drive him crazy.

Especially near the water. One of his Assassins led him to the bank of the widest river he'd ever seen, where he could hear a waterfall crashing in the distance. To be fair, the sight was otherworldly. Mist over the water, vivid colors in the trees... But he wasn't here for otherworldly.

"Oof!" Down along the river, a girl ran into the shallow end of the water, chased by a troop of Heartless that looked peculiarly like monkeys. Powerwilds – and a small Heartless Axel could barely spot whizzing around for its speed.

He was here for that.

"No magic," Lexaeus barked, standing by the bank. "Use Gorgoneion!"

Ixta was surrounded. And worse yet, the Powerwilds were beginning to swarm, grabbing at her coat. Axel knew her well enough to predict that she would have used Bad Breath if she could, but she was trapped. His eyes were on Lexaeus, who stood still and did nothing to help her. Zexion was nowhere in sight.

That survival instinct should have surged in Ixta by then, but she obeyed Lexaeus's order and used no magic. She could paralyze them all, if not use Bad Breath, but that apparently wasn't the point of this exercise. Swinging and thrusting Gorgoneion, she did her best to keep the Powerwilds away, only to start running back to shore out of nowhere.

"What is she doing…?" Axel muttered. Was Saïx right? Was she just getting worse with fighting nowadays? It was one thing to have her reflexes slowed by her injuries the other day, but running back and forth again?

Her impromptu plan was revealed soon enough. As soon as she touched dry land, she turned and smacked that tiny Heartless Axel had seen with the blade of her trident. It ricocheted into the river, sending out a powerful shock that seized the Powerwilds and fried them into nothingness. The small Heartless itself lay in the water.

Ixta hurled Gorgoneion in her hand at the Black Ballade – this time pinning it dead with the prongs of her weapon.

It dissipated with a huff, and Ixta fell to a crouch in relief. Or exhaustion, since she couldn't feel the former. After some time, she turned to Lexaeus, who approached. Her expression was one that sought approval.

Axel would have found it irritating. If he cared.

"…Unexpected, and not how I intended practice for you to proceed. I assume Zexion's suspicions were correct."

Ixta rose to her feet, banishing Gorgoneion with a nod. "He was right. I sensed that the Heartless was preparing an attack – and given that its attribute was lightning, I thought leading the Powerwilds to the water might help."

"So it did. But that was reckless."

"Isn't all fighting reckless?"

Lexaeus paused. Hidden nearby, Axel was shocked too. Talking like that to someone like Lexaeus? For someone like Ixta? That was practically backtalk. He expected the man to summon his axe sword and teach her that his point was to learn her weapon by pretty much annihilating her in battle again – but the Stalwart didn't move an inch.

"And that is why we train – to maximize proficiency and minimize any chance an opponent may have to strike back. Understood?"

"…Understood."

"Sit." Lexaeus motioned to the spot where she stood, and took her side when she obeyed.

Axel felt like he was in some alternate universe. He'd never seen Ixta so quiet, or Lexaeus so accommodating.

When Ixta finished healing the scrapes she suffered from the fight, she paid closer attention to Lexaeus. He was staring at her. "What is it?"

Lexaeus took a while to respond. "Tell me about the world you found when you were injured."

"Lord Xemnas told me not to speak of it anymore. Even Axel agreed."

That second statement seemed to catch his attention. "Axel agreed?"

She nodded.

"And what do you know of Axel?"

"Why do you ask?"

Lexaeus inclined his head, giving her that it was a fair question. "You are one of the few straightforward members of the Organization – I will give you honesty. Axel is not to be trusted. He is not loyal to the Organization."

Ixta's brows furrowed. "How do you know?"

Lexaeus was immovable as always. "You've spent countless hours with him. Don't you realize it?"

Ixta reflected the man's blank expression, even when Axel's memories told him he should have been waiting with bated breath for her answer. "He seems like a slacker. That's all," she said. "Like Demyx, but more effective. Maybe he clings to his demeanor because that is what he remembers of his Other."

"I suppose you are not incorrect. Nor would you be unlike him in that respect. Do you think, then, that Axel is worthy of trust?"

Ixta paused. Axel struggled to stay silent while crouching in a position where he could see Ixta's face. Even when he knew it would betray nothing, some instinct in him wanted him to look at her as she spoke of him. Would she betray him, now that she had the ability to keep secrets?

"He has never given me reason to believe otherwise."

Lexaeus cocked his head at her, and that was the only semblance of emotion she would get out of him. "Very well. We will discuss this another time. In your next mission, you must work on training you to choose your fight over your flight response."

"What do you mean?"

"You could have used your battle with that so-called witch to learn your limit break – a powerful attack you can access only when you are in mortal danger, as Zexion should have explained before. Instead… you took a portal away." If Lexaeus felt anything more about blaming her for choosing survival, he said nothing. But what did Axel expect? Definitely not kindness. "You must have two," he continued. "Because your ability has two faces. One to heal, and one to destroy—aren't you curious about the outer limits of your power? The limit breaks I have seen of our members have so far been brilliant."

"…I would rather not be in a similar situation again, even if it's to learn two brilliant maneuvers."

The man only shook his head. "That is the nature of our non-existence—to always live in danger." With those words, he peered at Ixta intently. Axel wondered if he was seeing things. "Remember that you are never safe, Ixta. You must always watch your back."

Ixta's brows were the pinnacle of confusion. "What about the Organization?"

Lexaeus regarded her with something more indecipherable than just intent. "We will not always be present to correct your mistakes. And one day, your mistakes may cost you."

Ixta was quiet for some time. And then—and then—Axel rubbed his eyes twice to check if he was seeing right. She placed a hand on Lexaeus's arm. "Thank you," she said.

What shocked Axel more was that Lexaeus didn't swat her away. The remnant of some part of him wanted to recoil in disgust – or something – but he was nothing if not thorough. He wanted to see this through. Whatever it was supposed to be.

Eventually, it was Ixta who withdrew her hand, when she got up to open a Corridor. "I should file my report to Saïx, then."

Lexaeus followed her to his feet. "Very well."

"I'll see you later, Lexaeus. Thank you for the training session."

"You're welcome. Goodbye, Ixta. And—" Lexaeus paused, the darkness already undulating at his feet. "Stay out of trouble."

"I'll try," she grinned.

"Hmm."

To an outsider, most of the exchange would have been wooden. And it still was to Axel, but knowing those two, it was as warm as they could get… and that little smile at the end? That just plain rubbed him the wrong way.

No, it didn't. It would have. That was all.

Right?

Right.

And yet he was at Ixta's door at the earliest he'd ever been the next day, with five successive knocks and two final raps. Of course, it was only because he had to listen to Saïx chew him out about it yesterday.

Seconds later, he heard a thud on the floor, and then the sound of shuffling. Eventually, the door opened to reveal Ixta in her green crop top and dark leggings. "Good morning, Axel."

Her hair was a mess, but nothing in her tone suggested she'd rushed to get to the door. Typical Ixta.

He frowned. "Didn't we agree not to let the others see you without your cloak? You're not supposed to wear clothes like your Other had."

Ixta's gaze wandered upward, as though thinking. When it found its way back to him, she punctuated the show with a shrug. "I knew it was you. Nobody else knocks the way you do."

"Whatever." For some reason, remembering what he'd seen yesterday, Axel didn't want to deal with her. He didn't know why – she hadn't betrayed him, right? "Put on your cloak so we can go."

He turned his back on her and started down the hallway, waiting a little for Ixta to rush back inside and then catch up with him, still zipping herself up. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Twilight Town," he answered easily.

"We shouldn't risk getting caught fighting by the locals there," Ixta disagreed, stopping in her tracks.

Axel let her, just to give her an incredulous stare. "Fighting? An entire day with Lexaeus and you still want to go training?"

"I was almost killed by Heartless. In a concerted effort by them, but still… who knows if we'll encounter that witch again?" It was a real question. "You saw my performance yesterday."

He blinked. "You knew I was there?"

"I sensed you nearby. It's a new skill Zexion helped me learn—you are especially weak to water, and surprisingly, ice. You also have incredible magical potential – something you share with members who have elemental attributes. It's what gives you such endurance."

The displeasure of having to hear about his weaknesses was offset by that last compliment, so he let it go. "Right. Tell me about the new skill—after we get to Twilight Town. This is all making me hungry."

"Do you always eat sea salt ice cream for breakfast?"

They were on the clocktower now. Ixta had visited Axel sometimes after her missions, before her little run-in with the witch in Hollow Bastion, but she only ate ice cream depending on her mood. Something about saving her hard-earned munny for when she really needed it. What did a Nobody need to save for, anyway?

Today, Axel managed to convince her to buy one for herself. What was wrong with a little icing on her Learning a New Ability cake, right?

Ixta was peeling the plastic off her popsicle while he had already begun to eat. Axel had never seen the sun rise in Twilight Town – he wondered if it was even the sunrise, or maybe just the perpetual twilight here. Like perpetual nighttime back in the city.

"Not always. Sometimes I take Xigbar's leftovers. Say what you want about him, but the guy's a great cook," he shrugged, then glanced over at Ixta. "Wanna tell me about Zexion's little lesson?"

Ixta nodded, folding the wrapper and shoving it into her pocket. "Zexion realized that if I can gauge the strength of a creature and the attributes of certain objects, then I should be able to sense attributes in various creatures, too – the way he can sense the darkness in them. And he was right," she answered with a slight smile. "Small wonder that the Superior favors him. Saïx likes him, too. He's very intelligent."

Axel watched Ixta from the corner of his eye. "You think so?"

Ixta nodded. "I think my Other would have liked him. He taught me to use a Corridor, after all. Even with everything I said to him, he continues to help me develop my skills for the Organization's sake. And he's observant."

"Observant, huh?"

"Yes. He knew that Larxene's company was…not pleasant to me. And he remedied that."

Axel wasn't a stranger to Zexion. The guy wasn't as doggedly determined to please the Superior the way Saïx was, because he was just that naturally good at everything he did. It was annoying – even though, come to think of it, Zexion had never really offended him personally. His sass was often reserved for Xigbar, and when wasn't that justifiable? For all his being a know-it-all, Zexion was actually pretty okay. It was understandable that Ixta – or her Other – might like him.

For some reason, knowing that didn't endear Zexion to Axel.

"Did he, now."

"Yes. Lexaeus implied it – and I realized he was right."

Axel knew Ixta meant for that to be a point of pride for her than for Zexion – that after all her flubs in her first month of nonexistence, she understood nuance now. That she wasn't a zombie anymore, copying men his age to possibly make Sora care about her. But the statement only made him want to roll his eyes.

Instead, he took a bite out of his ice cream. Not something he often did, crushing the popsicle between his teeth. "Getting pretty close to Lexaeus these days."

"I think my Other would like him, too. He seems dependable. And he looks out for me."

"He's probably faking it," Axel answered offhandedly. "I've only ever seen Lexaeus act that way for Zexion. Then again, the two of you are the youngest in the Organization. Makes sense."

"Well, yes, but he doesn't have to fake it. That's what makes it nice. I never would have thought I could think of Lexaeus that way."

Finally Axel turned on Ixta with a smirk on his face. "All right. Technically, I'm still your sitter, so I'll tell you—since you don't seem to get it. Lexaeus was nice to you because he wanted you to believe him when he told you not to trust me. It's simple, really."

Ixta didn't look surprised that he had heard that – she had known, after all, that Axel was there. Instead, her brows were furrowed. It unnerved Axel how concerned that made her look. Like she was actually offended for the big guy. "I don't believe Lexaeus would feign emotion to get a point across. He was nice to me because he wanted to be, and he says what he thinks regardless of that."

"Jeez, Ixta…" Axel gave into the temptation to roll his eyes and sighed. "It's like I didn't teach you anything."

"You taught me to make the other Organization members like me. I haven't accomplished that with many others, but Zexion and Lexaeus seem to tolerate me well enough. I don't understand what the problem is. Why don't you like Lexaeus?"

"Because he—" If there was ever a time Axel thought his Other would raise his voice, it was now. But Axel didn't, because he didn't care. He was just getting caught up in whatever echoes of emotion his Other once had – and he caught it just before he ran away with it. As for Ixta… He was starting to think pissing people off was part of her attribute. She was certainly managing it on him now.

Letting his shoulders slump, he only shook his head. "Would you trust Lexaeus if you knew he told me not to trust you?"

Ixta paused. "No."

Axel gestured at her as if to say 'there you go.' "Your relationships with other members don't exist in a vacuum, Ixta. I thought you knew that already. I don't have to like Lexaeus to work with him, but you should be careful about who you accept information from."

She cocked her head at him, taking a lick of her ice cream. "So I should trust you instead of Lexaeus?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to think, Ixta. Do you trust me? After what Lexaeus said?"

"Does it matter?"

Axel felt his eyes squint. Things always felt distant as a Nobody – the mind remembering things that were the province of the heart, Vexen had once said. And he'd laughed at that, even if he understood. But this was a different kind of distance. It wasn't a distance imposed by his heartless nonexistence, but a distance he sought from the feeling – the memory of the feeling that kept trying to overtake him when she asked that question.

"Not really," he said, in that same noncommittal tone, as though it would give him that.

On Ixta's part, the question wasn't a flippant one. She meant what she asked, and she didn't know that it mattered to him. Still, his strange, almost sulking response was so unlike Axel that she knew her own had been a mistake.

"Axel," she said, looking at him.

Her mind was racing to find an answer. Feigning emotion made her uneasy when it came to Axel. When did this change occur? With the other members, it meant nothing when they poked fun at her for trying too hard. Nowadays they didn't, given that she often kept to herself and was more effective at mimicking acceptable behavior, but Axel knew her. With Axel, now, suddenly, there was an expectation of…doing better. In the end, his opinion should mean nothing, but she didn't want to look stupid before him.

Not when he could so easily replace her with Saïx. Or had she just been Saïx's replacement while he was busy? She didn't know what to think after the display Lexaeus had shown her yesterday.

She just wanted to be valuable.

Ixta took his hand.

Axel looked down at her small grip on him. He didn't withdraw it, but he didn't move a muscle. How long had it been since anyone tried that?

The truth was, no one had ever tried that before. It was a strange sensation and he didn't quite know what to do.

"I do trust you," said Ixta. "Even if it doesn't matter."

By now, Axel knew Ixta had enough practice sounding earnest. Hadn't she pulled that off with Lexaeus yesterday? Was that was this was, too?

He wanted to think it wasn't. And Axel didn't want to dwell on what that meant for him right now.

A smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth as his eyes flitted to Ixta. Before it could reveal itself, he reached out for the bottom of her ice cream – taking a scoop of what would have dripped down her glove.

"Your ice cream's melting."

Ixta blinked, withdrawing her hand to gesture at his. "So is yours."

Unlike hers, the blue popsicle in his hand was already melting all over his glove. "Oh, jeez!" He lifted it to his mouth to save it, only for it to slip, practically jump right out of his hand—

Splat!

"Ow!"

Far below, a boy with curly, dirty blond hair yelped as an unfinished ice cream stick bounced off his head. His friends, a boy in red and a girl in orange rushed over to him in half-glee, half-shock.

Ixta withdrew her legs from the edge of the clocktower at once, eyes wide and lips forming an amusing 'o.' Axel did the same.

"Maybe," she began, "we should RTC for now."

Axel found himself laughing. Nothing really weighed him down as a Nobody – but he felt strangely light now, watching Ixta angle herself over the Corridor he opened. "Way ahead of you."

Symbolism. LOL

Aaaand we're back! Kind of? Elis here as usual. We've (especially Nit) been working on this update for a million years. Sorry to disappoint, but it does move things along! Ixta needed some down time after that crazy encounter with Maleficent (and so did we apparently. So sorry...).

It's only been a while since Xigbar last appeared, but I personally miss seeing him around. Senna hates him though. Idk. The KH3 trailer made me Xigbar thirsty again. (Too bad he's not going to be a friend here. Like. At all. Heh.) This chapter also reveals a little bit about what Tai was like, if you look hard enough. (Actually, a lot of Ixta's quirks do that - because Tai was repressed as all hell.)

WHO IS HYPED FOR KH3? I think we all cried when we watched the latest trailer together. We honestly have this video in our heads of how the opening cinematic would go if it were about Ixta for every opening song (Simple and Clean, Sanctuary, and Face My Fears), and my goodness Face My Fears is the most emotional one yet!

Now for the reviews, if you guys still remember this fic:

sailorsenshi13: Ahaha! That's understandable. Still - thank you for reviewing!

Savage Kill: Spoiler - though some of them do know each Other's true names (can't be avoided if you're a latter half member), it wasn't Axel who said it. Rather it was a memory on Ixta's part - a memory from being in a similar situation before.

Axdreyy (for some reason if we added the dot on your username, it would disappear when we saved the document! FFN is weird): THANK YOU! For both reviews!

kotoneyuu: Absolutely! Just expect it to take as long as KH3 development and less amazing. Sadly. WE STILL HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

NairaFlammenherz: Yes! The KH3 hype is real and we hope to sustain it long after. Let us know what you think of the update!

And for everyone who added burgeoning replacements to your Favs and Alerts, thank you so much! We'd love to hear from you, whether on reviews or PMs. See you soon!