Chapter 28: On the Verge of Assault
"So, what now?" Xigbar asked.
They sat in the Round Room. Well, Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saix sat in the Round Room. Saix was the only one who actually needed to be there, however, apparently Xaldin wanted to ask Xemnas something, and Xigbar… well… no one had any idea why he was there.
"Well… since Sora has left Castle Oblivion, we can continue our raids on it," Saix said slowly, tersely. "Seeing as there is no longer need to fear him getting hurt in the crossfire."
Xigbar nodded. "Yeah, would be a shame if we lost him in this mess," he agreed. "And, hey…" He leaned towards Saix, a grin stretching across his face. "Instead of sending a handful of Replicas to retrieve the Program, why not I go?"
Saix scowled murderously.
"No."
Xigbar gasped in mock offense.
"Did you hear that, boss?" he asked, casting his gaze up to Xemnas. "He thinks he can up and refuse my help, just like that!"
"Settle it yourselves," Xemnas told them.
Saix rolled his eyes and opened a dark corridor around himself, leaving.
Xigbar groaned, and followed after him.
That left Xemnas and Xaldin in the room.
"And what was it you wanted?" Xemnas asked, turning to Xaldin.
"I have my thoughts about Sora," Xaldin replied simply.
xxx
Xigbar emerged from his dark corridor right next to Saix, and quickly threw an arm around Saix's shoulder to keep him from going anywhere.
"So, what's your beef with me, huh?" he asked, waving his free hand through the air. "I get if you don't want my help, but you could just tell me that instead of—"
"I don't want your help."
Xigbar stopped abruptly, turning to Saix with narrowed eyes.
"We're on the same side, you know…" he said slowly after a moment, tapping at his own chest, now, where his heart would be if he had one.
Saix glared and turned away, pushing Xigbar off of him.
"As if I could forget," he muttered.
Xigbar considered Saix for a long moment.
"You're treading on thin ice," he said, his tone a little colder than normal. But then he cracked a small smile. "It's been, what? Three months?" he continued, with a casual air. "And we still don't have the Replica Program."
"I'm working on it," Saix answered, tersely.
"And so far—nothing!" Xigbar shook his head and tsked. "Never mind getting a Keyblade wielder, we need that Program if any of the rest of our plans are gonna work out, you know? We put you in charge for a reason, after dear old Vexen met his end."
"I know."
Xigbar watched him a second more, then held out a hand his direction.
"Well, why don't you let me lend you a hand, before the boss gets real mad—is all I'm saying," he offered.
Again, though, the offer was met with a scowl.
"No," Saix said. "I can handle it on my own."
Xigbar pulled his hand back, throwing them both up in defeat.
"Alright, alright, fine!" he said. "I'll keep my paws outta it. Just don't come crying to me when your plans keep failing. I OFFERED to help."
Saix sent him one last glare, and then hurried off.
"Man, what's his problem," Xigbar mused to himself, running a hand over the back of his neck.
"Not a clue," replied a voice that sounded remarkably like his own. And, sure enough, from the ceiling up above dropped another Xigbar.
Obviously, one of them was real, one of them was the clone. Surprisingly, it was the one who'd been talking to Saix that was the clone. The real Xigbar had only just entered the scene.
"Why do you want to help him out so bad, anyway?" the real Xigbar asked his clone, laughing. He put a hand on his clone's shoulder. "I thought we didn't care whether or not he mucks his whole thing up."
"All the exciting stuff goes down in Castle Oblivion, though!" Xigbar's clone answered.
Xigbar nodded, conceding that point.
The two of them began walking.
"Anyway, what'd I miss in that meeting? Anything important?" Xigbar asked his clone as they turned the corner.
xxx
"I still can't believe Sora just left like that!" Joseph exclaimed. He was sitting on the couch, right between Riku and Namine. The two of them were less than thrilled about this, but, they couldn't get him to leave. "He didn't even say goodbye to me!"
"He didn't say goodbye to me either!" Namine complained. Okay, she didn't mind much about Joseph sitting where he was—she was too busy being mad at Sora. "Like, we're best friends? You don't just up and leave without telling your best friends goodbye. That's rude!"
"I know, right?" Joseph glared and crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean, me 'n Sora weren't best friends, but, we were friends!"
Riku turned away from the both of them, scowling to himself. "He said goodbye to me," he grumbled. "But it was a pretty lousy goodbye." He didn't speak loudly enough for Joseph or Namine to hear him, which, might have been for the best.
"I didn't get a chance to talk to him about Kairi, either," Namine said, sighing. "Which I guess means he still thinks he hates her, because, I never got to convince him otherwise. And, I drew him a picture about it and everything!" She sighed, then, turned to look directly at Joseph and Riku. "Oh, that reminds me, though. Have either of you seen my sketchbook?"
Joseph shook his head. "Nope!"
Riku squinted worriedly. "It's missing?"
Namine shrugged. "Well, it's not here," she said. "I guess I could go back to Destiny Islands and check…" She supposed that wouldn't be such a bad idea, actually. She still had to go back to at least let Kairi know she was okay, anyway.
Before Namine could voice these thoughts, Joseph jumped to his feet.
"Well, I'll go look around Castle Oblivion for it!" he declared. He turned and grinned at Namine. "See if I can find it."
Namine frowned. "Uh, wait, isn't—"
Riku cut her off, leaning hastily over to her so he could whisper without Joseph hearing:
"No, don't dissuade him, he'll keep bugging us."
"Oh, right."
"Yeah! I'll go look and see what I can do!" Joseph said, and then ran off.
"I feel kind of bad sending him on a wild goose chase," Namine said, once he was gone. "I mean, this Castle seems like it's too big to search every inch of. I just wanted to know if one of you had put it somewhere and forgot to tell me."
Riku shook his head. "No, sorry Namine. I really haven't seen it." He shrugged, grimacing apologetically. "We'll have to get you a new one, probably."
"Probably," Namine agreed. "I mean, I'll have lost all the pictures in it if it really is gone, but…" She sighed and shook her head.
"Sorry," Riku repeated.
"Nah, there's nothing we could've done," Namine assured him. "Though, I should probably check and see if it's still on Destiny Islands, and, while I'm there…" She watched Riku carefully. Predictably, his expression turned sour. Namine glared. "I should get Kairi," she finished, firmly.
"Namine…" Riku began.
"I mean it," she argued. "You wanted me to wait until Sora had things figured out, well, Sora's gone now. So I can go get her."
Riku just grimaced.
Namine plowed ahead. "In fact, I wish I'd gotten her despite what you said! Maybe if she'd been here to convince Sora she didn't hate him, he wouldn't have left."
"You don't know that!" Riku protested. "And, it doesn't matter now, Sora's not here anymore—there's no use chasing him down."
Namine frowned, but, supposed he had a point there. "Well, still," she said. "I should go get Kairi, shouldn't I? She wouldn't want to be left alone."
Riku shrugged. "Sure, but, it's not like she'd like it any better here. It's no picnic." He let out a bark of bitter laughter. "I mean, it's boring, and it kind of sucks in general. She'd hate it! Heck, even I hate it here!"
"Then…" Namine considered him carefully. "Then why do you stay?"
Riku looked away from her.
"I mean, I owe it to them," he mumbled in answer, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "I can't really leave before—"
He didn't get to finish. The sound of several dark corridors opening filled the room.
Riku sent a quick glance over his shoulder, then tense. "Oh, crap," he hissed. He ducked, and reached over to make Namine duck with him, in hopes that the back of the couch would hide them for a few seconds.
"What?" Namine asked. Her eyes were wide in panic.
"Saix has sent the usual," Riku explained. "You better go, before they figure out you're here—I mean, if someone from the Organization wanted to kidnap you…"
He trailed off, but Namine understood. 17 couldn't have been sent after her for no reason.
"Okay," she said. "Stay safe." She opened a dark corridor around herself.
Riku jumped to his feet, drawing his blade. "Boy, did you pick a bad time to show up," he sneered, eyes locking on 37. He launched himself over the couch and attacked.