Kage Ayumu Sakushi: The Cloaked Schemer
My Lexicon—Return of Axel

Harry spent days up in his room, the relatives of this life reluctantly leaving him be. Those days though were not spent unproductive. No—he spent those days experimenting, testing the limits of his abilities of a Nobody now to what they were before. He was surprised, pleasantly so, to see that his control had not slackened over loss of time. In fact, once he began to cast his illusions once more his control if all sharpened rather than weakened.

Then he decided that he'd take a trip off-world, possibly to the World that Never Was to see if he could find his lexicon. He knew it would be somewhere in there, maybe in his rooms at Castle Oblivion. He was stupid not to have kept it on him, or even near him, when he fled Riku. He was pretty sure he barely remembered after losing that battle that he had banished his lexicon…somewhere. He was sure his rooms would be the best bet first.

So, he decided to set a simple illusion around the room rather than around himself like he had usually done. This was something somewhat new to him but it served quite the purpose once he found out he could do it so well. With the illusion solidified in place he opened one of the portals to the corridors and stepped through.

He was mildly surprised to smell a familiar scent in the corridors. It took him a moment before he realized it was only a lingering scent, which its owner had either died or left the corridors. He frowned slightly as he tried to place this particular scent amongst the many that he remembered.

It smelled kind of like brimstone…smoke…darkness…a bit of passion…and one last thing he couldn't quite name. He tilted his head slightly, one hand coming up to his chin as he thought.

Who did he know that smelled of brimstone, smoke, darkness, passion? He knew he should know this scent well, but the last one was throwing him off. Then there were the few other scents mixed in—most of which he recognized as the scent of a weak Nobody, dusks most likely.

There was one scent that smelled clearly of light, very strong light, and power. There was only a tiny bit of darkness within it and there was a smell of completion. This as a normal person, not a Nobody.

Then there was the smell of water, dew, power, and again completion. Another non-Nobody.

A third smelt of iron, strength, wood and once more completion.

His mouth slowly formed a frown as he thought. Three people who where whole, who had hearts, and one who was definitely a Nobody that he knew well, but the Nobody's scent he just could not place….

Instead he tried to place the other three.

The one that smelled of light, power, darkness and completion…he wasn't sure who that was. The darkness smelled a bit familiar in this one but out of place at the same time, so he tried to weed that out and focus on the other three.

"Sora?" he questioned, his brow furrowing slightly. "Yes, that's definitely Sora's scent…but where did the darkness come from?"

He tried to focus on the other scents, deciding to put the new fact of darkness within Sora out of his mind. He didn't recognize these scents exactly, but he had a feeling that if it were Sora's scent here then the other two would be his companions, Donald and Goofy.

If these three where here, in the corridors, then it was simple to say that the Nobody they encountered here was dead…though how they would've escaped if the Nobody here died he did not know. Perhaps it was a betrayer amongst the ranks?

"That would explain the rapidly disappearing smell of dusks," Harry whispered softly. "Yet if this happened long ago then there had to have been thousands of dusks here for this scent to linger and the Nobody had to have been strong. Most likely was that it happened recently…."

He shook his head, lowering his hand. It wasn't recent, somehow he knew that instinctively. It definitely wasn't recent.

"Whatever, I came to these corridors to get to Castle Oblivion…" Harry murmured and flicked his wrist gently. Another portal opened and he stepped through and into the corridors of Castle Oblivion.

No scents lingered here, not much of them anyway. Some of the stronger ones, like Sora's, still lingered. He could faintly smell a scent that reminded him of the King's and one that was similar to Namine's but it wasn't Namine.

Another scent wafted to him and fear gripped him again.

"Riku," he gasped out, taking a staggering step backwards. He shook his head fiercely, "No…he's gone…it just lingers…" with that to reassure him he headed towards a hidden side door that would take him to the hidden rooms with Castle Oblivion. He gently stroked his hand across the wall, searching for the miniscule switch and smiled when he found it. He flipped it and stepped back as the door opened, revealing a ramp down into the bowels of the castle. Their rooms were seemingly underground in this world but they held windows that could see sunrise and sunset. It was an interesting turn about.

Quickly Harry maneuvered his way down the ramp and through twisting corridors. He felt he didn't have much time left before he had to return.

Harry paused before a door, one that held that same scent in the corridors—brimstone, smoke, darkness, passion, the unnamed scent…he glanced at the door and his eyes widened with shock.

"Axel…" he breathed out. The scent he couldn't put a name to now had one and the unmanned scent he now knew was fire. It was Axel's…Axel's scent. "He's…gone…" Harry said softly. This did nothing to make him feel better, if at all his, the humans, heart ached only slightly. He continued on, coming to stop a few doors down that led to his own rooms. He pushed the door open slowly and felt a familiar surge of power, as if welcoming him home.

Several of the books he owned as Zexion came to circle about him as if to greet their master after a long absence and he smiled. Slowly Harry walked deeper into the room, searching for that which was his eternally.

His eyes rested on a single book lying upon the bed and his smile grew wider.

There it was; his lexicon.

With a short laugh of happiness and called the book to him, gripping it tightly as it came to a stop before him. Slowly, reverently, he stroked its spine.

"How I have missed you," Harry murmured softly, "and now that you're back…I won't leave you out of my sight again…."

He let the darkness envelope him and take him back to Number Four Privet Drive upon the world known simply as Earth.

…

Harry sat upon the tattered bed at the Dursley's house, flipping through his lexicon; happy to be reunited with what felt like an old friend—though it was really just his weapon. It was strange, really. Each of the Organization members was in a way bonded to their weapons. It was a way to stay with what they were alive, he guessed, though no one really had the answers. To him, books, his lexicon in general, were his weapon along with his powers of illusion. It showed that he was more of a tactical mind and trickster than one of brute strength and brash behavior, which he was even as a scientist known simple as Ienzo working under Ansem the Wise.

Xenmas used his aerial blades and the powers over nothingness as his weapon. Though Zexion didn't really know the man well when he was Ienzo; Xehanort was Ansem's apprentice, someone entirely unreachable to any of the others that worked under Ansem. He was privileged in ways none of the others were, Zexion even as Ienzo knew this. Still the knowledgeable Nobody wondered as to what really about Xenmas' personality before he became Xenmas had manifested his weapon into aerial blades and gave him powers over nothingness like no other. In fact no one really knew anything about Xehanort, seeing as he was found memory less of his life before. Maybe that was the source of power over the nothingness?

Xigbar, who was known as the Maden no Shashu, Freeshooter, used gun arrows and space as his weapon. Zexion knew Xigbar well enough, or as well one could get when one usually doesn't associate with others, from his life as Ienzo. Back then Xigbar was Braig and merely just another member of their little troop of scientist. From what he could remember of Braig the man held no sense of privacy. He always was up in others business, made it his own business to know. That had seemed to filter on over into Xigbar as well, the eavesdropper that he was. Though he didn't know Braig well enough as Ienzo to know why he had the weapons he had, he could only speculate. He did have a theory that it had something to do with Braig's love of guns, and the stars, but he wasn't absolutely sure.

Xaldin was known as the Senpu no Rokuso; the Whirlwind Lancer. Zexion also didn't know this man well as Ienzo—he knew him well enough to know his name was Dilan, at least. Xaldin's weapons were his six lances and the power over wind. Zexion surmised this came from partially his love of windy days and the number six—which had led to Zexion's constant need to dodge the man, as he was Number VI of the Organization.

Vexen, the Itetsuku Gakkyu—Chilly Academic—had been an annoyance to Zexion both in his life of Ienzo, though at the time Vexen was Even, and then his life as a Nobody. Vexen had been constantly interested in experiments and especially interested in Xehanort's missing memories, thankfully that interest left when he became a Nobody (as far as Zexion could tell, the man though was so annoying that he didn't want to know anything of what he was doing) but his love of experimentation remained. His control over ice Zexion could attribute to his normally cold behavior towards anyone, and the shield most likely represented the need to protect himself emotionally—he did not like weakness if Zexion remembered clearly from his time as Ienzo.

Lexaeus was the Shizuka naru Goketsu; the Silent Hero. Even as his time as Aeleus when Ienzo knew him before he became Lexaeus, Lexaeus was silent and sturdy. He was built like a rock, was emotionally stable like a rock (though he rarely showed any emotion at all) and that might've led to his control over earth. His weapon itself was a giant tomahawk, though what that actually symbolized about Lexaeus as Aeleus still confused Zexion to this day.

Saïx was interesting if a bit disturbing when he went all out, though Zexion never knew him in his life as Ienzo and therefore did not even know his name. Saïx wielded a claymore, which ended up transforming when Saïx went into a berserker mode. He was known as the Tsuki no Mau Majin, the Luna Divider, or the 'Demon Man Dancing in the Moon' which to Zexion was more accurate. Saïx drew his power from the moon in which would pull him into a berserker mode—this made Zexion wonder if Saïx had actually been a werewolf in his life before a Nobody. It would make some sense as to his strange drawing of power from the moon which put him in berserker mode.

Axel, the Odoru Hi no Kaze, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, was one he did not want to think about. The man controlled fire and used chakram's constantly. Zexion admitted though that even though he did not know Axel as Ienzo (and thus not his true name) he did know that the man was passionate, and most likely an assassin in his true life. The fire probably came from Axel's passionate nature and his rather quickly to raise temper (which Zexion was sad to admit he had been on the receiving end more than once) and the chakram's from his possible life as an assassin beforehand. The real reason Zexion didn't want to honestly think about Axel was because the betrayal still stung him, even though it'd been around sixteen years since he'd seen the man (for him at least) and thus he didn't want to remember Axel's role in his death.

Axel was someone Zexion might've considered special, if Zexion wasn't so apathetic in his life as a Nobody, never mind the fact that Nobody's can't feel but only remnants of their lives before. Zexion didn't want to admit that Axel brought out something in him he'd feared when he was considered a Somebody, an actual existing person. Zexion didn't want to admit that he actually liked the feeling of submitting to someone—that he liked Axel's somewhat sadistic nature in the time he knew him.

That most likely was the reason why Axel's betrayal and hand in his death stung him so, as well as no relief felt for the Nobody's own death.

Harry shook his head and went on with the list of Organization members and their weapons.

Demyx, the Yaso no Shirabe, the Melodious Nocturne, was also someone Zexion had sort-of liked in his time as a Nobody. Zexion did not know this teen in his life as Ienzo and did not know his name but still, Demyx was an interesting person. Always full of life, laughing, showing open emotion half the time though Zexion knew that it was really only remnants, memories, of emotions he'd felt when a Somebody, a person. So he could guess the reason for Demyx's control over water and his sitar. Demyx was a playful teen, pulling pranks and such, so water could suit him for that purpose. The sitar could stem from Demyx's natural love of music which he held as a Nobody—Zexion assumed he held it as a Somebody too.

Luxord was the Unmei o Tosu Mono, the Gambler of Fate and Zexion was sure he probably gambled his life away at some point in time, though not knowing him as Ienzo led to him not knowing who Luxord was before becoming a Nobody, it was clear the man loved gambling, clear in the use of cards as his weapon (of all things cards—though he shouldn't complain, he threw books at people as a way of attack after all) and his strange, unique power over time—well Zexion could only guess as to what that stemmed from.

Marluxia he didn't know as Ienzo, tribute to the fact that Xigbar recruited the crazed pink and flower obsessed man. He was though known as the Yuga naru Kyojin, the Graceful Assassin, which led Zexion to believe he also was an assassin much like Zexion thought Axel was (and he couldn't help but wonder, did the two ever happen to meet in their lives before being Nobodies?) yet he had a penchant for gardening, flowers in particular. His weapon of choice was a scythe, giving an idea that Marluxia was a killer in his life before, though the flowers threw him off a bit. He couldn't decide if it was perhaps that the man was gay or just plain crazy.

Larxene, the Hijo no Yoki, the Savage Nymph, was brutal and had a strange outlook on life. She held power over thunder and used knives to attack. Zexion thought her powers of thunder came from her cruel outlook on life, and the knives probably symbolized her torturous nature. He wasn't sure though as he avoided her mostly (she being the only female in the Organization of which consisted of mostly gay men…if Zexion was correct in his assumptions, of course) and he never knew her as Ienzo, either.

The last one was Roxas, the Meguriau Kegi, the Key of Destiny. The only thing Zexion knew of this boy was that he had no memories of his life before a Nobody, which in and of itself was unusual, and could wield the Keyblade, two in fact, known as Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Other than that he didn't know much about the young child who was usually found with Axel (who claimed him as a friend) and thus he had no idea as to why he had two Keyblades as his weapons or even power over light of all things—Nobody's where made of darkness not of light so it was unusual in and of itself. He left it at that, deciding that pondering over the boy would only give him more of a headache.

Harry sighed and continued to flip the pages, looking at the words within the book with an almost sedated nature. Several of the other books from his life as Zexion had come back with him through the darkness and now lay scattered across the room. He vowed to read them once again at a later date, right now content on flipping through the pages of his lexicon. Harry also noted that his journal had somehow found its way into the scattered pile of books. He figured he'd have to find a way to keep that hidden from anyone as it was as much his scientific journal on the Heartless and Kingdom Hearts as it was a personal journal.

It wouldn't do for the people of this world to find out what he really was, what he had been and what he had done.

With those somewhat melancholic thoughts drifting away he flipped through the pages of the lexicon, his body radiating calmness.

A calmness that was interrupted by a loud yell from downstairs.

"BOY!"

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. He flipped the lexicon shut and slid it off his lap, stood and glanced in the mirror, smiling only slightly when he saw himself there—not this scrawny sixteen year old but Zexion the Cloaked Schemer. Having since come to the realization on who he was he saw his true appearance, hidden with the confines of this façade, rather than glimpses of it. He could of course will himself to see the façade that he was now but he rather liked looking at himself—he was vain in that regard.

He moved with a slow, catlike grace that he had been gifted with as Ienzo and Zexion towards the door, opened it, and stepped out into the hall. He had noted the new scents that had entered the perimeter of his current place of residence and immediately could place who was who.

The smell of wolf, lunar power, and animalistic nature hung around the air of Lupin. There was of course the scent of one who still held their heart, who was whole clinging to the man as well.

The smell of age, paranoia, and power hung about Moody.

The smell of canine, a slight flowery scent, and the barest hint of darkness hung about Tonks—though he wasn't sure why she held darkness in her scent. He did not know if she could control the darkness, the scent so faint, but he did not bother with it.

Then there was the smell of a weasel, oil, and light from Arthur Weasley.

Finally, the last of the people to enter his current place of residence was Dumbledore. The man's scent clearly held power first and foremost, a mix of darkness and light that was quite strong within the man, the light more so than the darkness, and deceiver/manipulator hung in his scent.

Yes, Harry knew clearly who was in this house and thus greeted each accordingly once he reached the bottom of the stairs, though he mentally categorized Dumbledore as one to keep an eye out for; the scent of deceiver/manipulator was only a minor cause for concern as Harry was sure in his abilities to be able to outwit the man, but the scent of light and darkness was a major cause for concern. If the man could wield both effectively…then there would be trouble for him later.

Shortly after a brief talk with the aged man Harry had gone upstairs with Lupin to help pack his things. Lupin made a sweep of the room quickly and noted the many books with raised eyebrows.

"Since when have you had so many books, Harry?" Lupin asked before gasping having spotted the lexicon on the bed. "Is that a lexicon?!"

"I've always had a penchant for reading," Harry replied dully, his face slightly apathetic, "I just never show it, and yes, Professor, that is a lexicon. I picked it up when I was younger and had misplaced it until recently. It is perhaps my favorite of all the books."

Lupin stared at Harry in shock as the young boy-who-lived-to-find-out-he-was-Zexion began to pack away the many books that littered the floor, being gentle with each one (hey, he may throw them about as means of attack but that didn't mean he didn't care for them—besides, they sorta threw themselves…) and especially gentle with the lexicon. He paused only slightly over the leather bound journal before picking it up as well and placing it within the trunk. He frowned, noting that the trunk was quite full but shifting a few things around he was able to place the journal somewhere on top.

Harry closed and locked the trunk, turning towards Lupin before saying, "I'm ready to go, Professor."

Lupin stared at Harry for a moment before smiling and giving a brief nod. "Just let me cast a feather-weight charm on the trunk and we'll head downstairs. We're taking a portkey this year," Lupin said before asking curiously, "Harry, how exactly did you know it was us? You didn't even look up when you addressed us."

Harry blinked before giving the dull response of, "Scent," and then bending down to grab his trunk, dragging the now light-weight luggage with him down the stairs.

Lupin followed after, mumbling, "Scent?" to which Harry could still hear. Mentally he shook his head; the werewolf would ponder it for a long while, he knew, but no answer remotely close to the truth would come to him, nor any answer as to what Harry had meant by 'scent' would make sense.

Grasping the portkey presented to him Harry felt the tug behind his navel and disappeared into a whirlwind of color.

…

He groaned and tried to open his eyes but only saw the same thing; darkness.

"Heh, so is this where we go when we die…" he muttered with a slight laugh. "Darkness…."

Darkness….

Eternal Darkness….

…

Harry yawned and opened his eyes slowly He blinked slightly when he felt something heavy on his chest but couldn't exactly see what it was and his mind was still caught up in a sleep induced haze so it was no wonder he muttered, "Axel?" confusedly to the lump on his chest.

That and his vision was a bit blurry due to it being morning (and he just woke up) so he couldn't even spot whatever was on his chest but his first thought was Axel—considering what he had dreamed of last night.

'Why is Axel still in my rooms…?' he thought faintly. 'Usually he leaves before I wake up….' A pang of anger mixed with sorrow hit him briefly and he shook his head, one arm coming to lie across his eyes.

"Axel?" he questioned softly again until the door opened and light shot across his slightly dulled vision, blinding him momentarily through the cracks left by his arm. "Augh…" he groaned. "What the hell Axel…"

"Who's Axel?" questioned an amused voice in the doorway, forcing reality to come crashing down on him and Harry to sit up sharply, knocking his lexicon off his chest and into his lap. One hand came to his head which spun for a moment before the world righted itself. Someone shoved a pair of glasses into his hands (which he dully noted he didn't really need; he just wore them to keep up the appearances) and he slid them on, blinking slightly before turning to stare at Lupin.

"Professor?" he asked, brow furrowing as reality was still rushing at him—then it clicked; it was a dream he had of Axel. He groaned and fell back onto the bed.

"So, who's Axel?" Lupin asked amusedly.

"Dream," Harry mumbled irritably, eyes closed.

"Ah, must've been one provocative dream then," Lupin chuckled to which Harry only groaned in annoyance. "Though honestly, Harry, I didn't know you swung that way, assuming Axel's a guy's name…whoa!"

Lupin barely had time to dodge the book that flew his away, courtesy of Harry's frustration. Now he stared in shock at Harry, who still had his eyes closed, because the book had flung from one of the bookshelves.

"Was that wandless magic?!" Lupin cried and two more books flew at him from the bookshelf.

"What can I say," Harry grinned, not opening his eyes, "books love me."

As five more books came flying Lupin made the best choice he could have, a tactical retreat, and slammed the door behind him.

Harry groaned once more and went about figuring out the best way to get rid of his current problem.

"Hmm….maybe…Vexen in a Speedo…" he muttered and then shuddered promptly at the image. "Oh god that is disgusting!" he cried, sitting up sharply, faintly aware that his problem was gone.

'Probably the reason why I find it so disgusting is I've seen it for a fact; since that one time where Ansem the Wise made us go to the beach one day Even was wearing a Speedo…I think our dear leader got it through his head that that wasn't a good idea from now on….' Harry shuddered again before placing his lexicon in his trunk as well as several other books that he hadn't packed yesterday.

They were, after all, leaving tomorrow for the Hogwarts Express.

Sighing as Harry leaned against his trunk he rubbed his temples before deciding he had to do damage control—no doubt Lupin truly thought what he did was wandless magic when it was just his powers/weapon that he was gifted with. Sighing again he undid the latch to his trunk, pulled out his lexicon, and redid the latch before heading downstairs.

Sure enough, once his feet touched the bottom he could hear Lupin telling them excitedly how Harry had done wandless magic.

Closing his eyes irritably he opened the door and stated quite clearly, "It's not wandless magic."

Everyone turned to stare at him as Harry opened his eyes and said again, "Books just seem to like me in the sense that they want to protect me. I don't throw them, they throw themselves."

Everyone stared agape at him and he shook his head, muttering irritably under his breath, "I swear I got the short end of the stick weapon wise…cards like Luxord would've been so much better." He noticed Lupin's eyes narrow and a frown crease his brow and realized with a jolt that the werewolf had heard him. "Meet me in the Library, Lupin," Harry muttered again as he stalked out, saying aloud, "Close your mouths, you'll catch flies."

Lupin hurried after him quickly, muttering something to everyone that he'd go and see what was up with Harry. They both stepped into the library and Harry quickly stepped behind Lupin before pulling him into the corridors. He didn't want this conversation overheard.

…

Harry watched as Lupin gaped at the corridors they were in. It was nothing special, just a myriad of colors that represented darkness before rounding on Harry sharply and demanding, "Who the hell are you and where are we?!"

"I am Harry Potter, Lupin," Harry responded, "just as I am not Harry Potter." Lupin blinked in response and Harry sighed. "I don't know how to explain this, hell I hoped never to explain this but I forgot about your hearing capabilities. Over the summer I began having some unusual…dreams."

"What?" Lupin asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Harry responded with a dry chuckle. "I realized after one full night of these dreams that ended with a death that they were in reality memories. Memories of my life—not this one, Lupin. The memories were of a life that is not even on this world."

Lupin stared and Harry began to explain as best he could.

"Every star in the sky is another world, another place that holds life, has its own rules. I myself came from a world known as Radiant Garden, which soon became known as Hallow Bastion after the Heartless attacked—I'll explain what Heartless are in a minute," Harry added as Lupin opened his mouth. "My name was Ienzo and I was a scientist working under a man known as Ansem the Wise." Harry walked away slightly as he spoke. "While working under Ansem the Wise me and several others, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus and Xehanort—Xehanort being Ansem's apprentice—were studying the Heartless, beings created from Darkness of peoples Hearts. They go around stealing the Hearts of people and turn them into creatures like themselves. The lowest form of Heartless is known as Shadows—they look like child-humanoid bugs.

What we studied under Ansem the Wise was how these Heartless came into being, the door to the realm of Darkness and something known as Kingdom Hearts." Harry closed his eyes slightly. "There were many discrepancies between Xehanort and Ansem—eventually Xehanort got rid of Ansem and took the name of Ansem himself after Ansem the Wise had us cease our experiments and studies. Under Xehanort we continued to do our research until it consumed us—killed us.

What happened next is something that shouldn't have happened. Once our Hearts were lost to the Darkness we awoke but with one vital difference than before—we had no Heart. We had no emotions. We were empty shells filled with darkness and only memories of emotions such as happiness, regret, loneliness, pain, love. Because we were these empty shells we longed to be whole again, we longed to feel again, and so we sought out Kingdom Hearts as a way to give us back the Hearts we lost.

Xehanort became Xenmas, our leader and Number I. Braig became Xigbar, Number II. Dilan became Xaldin, Number III. Even became Vexen, Number IV. Aeleus became Lexaeus, Number V. I, Ienzo, become Zexion, Number VI. We began to recruit people like our own and called ourselves the Organization. Saïx, another like us, became Number VII. Axel became Number VIII. Demyx became Number IX. Luxord became Number X. Marluxia became Number XI. Larxene became Number XII and Roxas became Number XIII—with Roxas we completed our Organization and began to call ourselves Organization XIII, a group of nonexistent people known simply as a Nobody."

Harry closed his eyes again and spoke slowly, "Each of us had a power, an ability, and a weapon. My ability, my power was illusions, my weapon was my lexicon. I was not a physical fighter; I was more of the tactical mind, the one who thought up plans. I preferred not to get myself into the thick of things, not to fight and thus I was known as the Cloaked Schemer. That also proved to be a great weakness to me—being not a physical fighter. Many Nobodies within the Organization tried to exploit that and none really got far—except for Axel.

Axel held power over fire, and as such could burn through any and everything I attacked him with unlike the others. I proved to be weaker than him though I was superior in the chain of command. He exploited this continually…and I let him. Everything though for me ended quite suddenly when two of our own decided to betray the Organization, Marluxia and Larxene, by using one with great power over Light known as the Keyblade Master. They attempted to destroy his memories using another Nobody known as Namine, she was not of the Organization but was used by us constantly.

In retaliation Vexen, Lexaeus and I decided to use the Keyblade Master's friend against him, one who had great control over the Darkness. Vexen created a replica of Riku, the Keyblade Master's friend, and that replica ended up being our downfall as well as Axel himself."

Harry swallowed but continued, "Everyone was dying off fairly quickly. Larxene, Vexen, Lexaeus, Marluxia…each of them died by the hands of either Riku, Axel, or the Keyblade Master, and faded away into Darkness as we do when we die. Once Marluxia died by the hands of the Keyblade Master it was obvious we did not need Riku and as I was the only one left I went to confront the boy, sure in my abilities to exploit his own weakness against him—his failures and his faults. It failed and he ended up embracing that which he feared. I was weakened and fled.

I was met by Axel and the replica shortly afterwards. Axel was telling the replica lies upon lies about how it could be its own person if it grew stronger then the true Riku. He then set the replica on me. It absorbed me entirely—I was already weak from my fight previous and being not a physical fighter I could not fight back. I…died. Axel betrayed me…and that was that. It has been a little more than a year since all this has transpired but I have been living for sixteen years as Harry Potter, a boy with only shreds of a heart left.

I do not know how I came to be in this existence—a boy with shreds of a heart and yet a Nobody with no heart at the same time. That is why I say I am both not Harry Potter and that I am Harry Potter. It is because I am Zexion, the Nobody without a Heart, and Harry Potter, the boy who holds shreds of one. Do you understand?"

"Yes…no, I don't," Remus said with a frown.

"At least you're honest," Harry replied. "For now we'd best get back to the Black Library and out of these corridors."

"Where are we anyway?" Remus asked as Harry flicked his wrist, opening the black swirling portal of Darkness.

"The Corridors of Darkness," Harry replied before gripping Remus' wrist and pulling him back through.

…

Remus was a little wary around Harry for the rest of the day and even as everyone saw him off to the train station. He though did promise not to tell anyone the truth about Harry's nature or past and so it was with a smile in everyone's direction did Harry board the express, attend the feast, and head off to bed.

That night Harry could not sleep. He slid his feet out of the bed, popped open his trunk and grabbed his lexicon and journal, paused for a moment before grabbing the Marauders Map and then snapped the trunk shut. Placing a simple illusion on himself to make it appear as if he wasn't there he snuck out of the dorm, common room, and down into the library.

Once in the safety of the library did Harry release the illusion and settle himself into a chair, his lexicon placed onto the armrest of the chair and his journal in his lap. He unlatched the leather and flipped it open, opting to read through it and remember instead of flipping through the pages of his lexicon.

He rather quite liked the quiet of the library at night—enjoyed the peace the books seemed to give him. It was no surprise that he relaxed and eventually found himself asleep in the chair.

…

He stared up into the everlasting darkness. This existence he was becoming to realize was quite droll and seemed to stay quite droll. No one answered when he called out so he assumed he was alone and thus had taken his time to fantasize, dream, or just speak about nothing aloud.

This was one of the times he was fantasizing about Zexion when someone spoke up.

"You do not belong here," an ethereal voice called out.

"Wha?" he replied dully.

"You do not belong here," the voice replied. "You who nearly was able to get in contact with your heart, your truth, much like the other does not belong here. You nearly found peace within your existence, twice, though one was more fake than the first. You do not belong here."

"Wait—wha—"

Light flooded his senses instead of dark and the voice called out, in many octaves, "We will send you to the other. Maybe together you can find your heart, though the other is close to it now, with you he may find it faster—your journey is intertwined, has always been."

Suddenly he felt as if he were falling, air rushing through his hair and cloak and the voices said one last thing before pain erupted from his back and head—he having fallen straight onto stone, "Good luck, Axel."

…

Harry jerked awake when he heard the sounds of a portal opening. Books flew off the shelves and swirled around him, including his lexicon and journal, in a protective manner as a familiar scent—a dead scent—hit his nose.

Brimstone, smoke, passion, darkness, fire—he saw a black cloaked form hit the stone floor harshly and a cry rose up from the lips of whoever crashed there.

Black of the Organization—fire red hair—green irises open with pain and shock—red triangles directly under the eyes—Harry gasped in shock and suddenly anger overrode his senses.

"Axel," he snarled out; the books seemed to quiver with his anger and more joined them, swirling about him furiously.

There, slowly standing up, albeit a bit pained, was the one who orchestrated his death, who betrayed him. There, slowly standing up, was none other than the Flurry of Dancing Flames.

There, slowly standing up, was Axel.

…

Dedicated to my only reviewer thus far Raika Katsuya

If you haven't guessed by now, this is an AkuZeku fic, yes, AkuZeku—why is it AkuZeku? Because I fell in love with AkuZeku, you can thank Jander Panell for that. This author wrote two very good AkuZeku fanfics and I suggest reading them.

Chappy two—finished! Thanks! (14 pages!! Not as good as the first chappy but…meh)

MB
Midnight Bloodlust