So… I watched the Hunchback of Notre Dame today for the first time since it came out. I used to hate it, but now I have no idea why… it was so cute. I liked Clopin. Made me laugh. X3 Anyway, that has almost nothing to do with this story. So without further ado, I give you chapter eight. Enjoy!

XXXXX

Chapter 8- Secret

Naminé couldn't bear to watch the scene in the orb. Marluxia and Larxene were intent on it, examining every action and every word of the bright spot of red that was Axel. When Vexen fell to the ground, the sadistic woman shrieked an electrifying laugh that made the young girl shudder, but what was more terrifying was the satisfied smile curving the Assassin's thin lips. It was so unbearable, so disgusting, for Naminé; she couldn't understand how they could do this to a member of their Organization. It was like a society based around self-preservation, she realized; one individual threatened them, and so he was eliminated in fear that he would then threaten another. And to think, Vexen was actually trying to help Sora. He tried to tell him about Marluxia's plans, but the boy refused to listen. His memories were so distorted by her powers that no sense could penetrate his heart. This was her fault… Vexen was going to die because of her… it was not Axel, but her, that had sealed his fate.

The girl flinched away from the thought, instead fixating on the sketchbook in her lap. On the page was her most recent picture of Sora, and before that she knew was the picture of her and Axel. She wished that the fiery redhead was there to talk to her, even if it was his biting sarcasm, because that would mean that he was not doing the deed that she herself had caused.

Sora may have been the one that she hoped would rescue her, the 'hero' that she longed for, but she saw in Axel a different sort of hero. A hero bound to a power that he could not deny, no matter how much he said that no one controlled him, and that was what made him a 'bad guy'. He didn't want to be like that. Axel was a good person trapped in a bad situation. Just like her.

Right?

The sound of an opening portal drew Naminé from her thoughts and it was with mixed emotions that she saw Axel had returned. That could only mean one thing, and that was that Vexen was…

A sharp inhale kept her emotions, however fake they were, in check. She couldn't cry, not now. She never really even liked Vexen, but knowing that she would never see his chilly features again was hard to grasp. Twitching her head just slightly so she could see what was going on, Naminé briefly gazed at the pyro's back before taking in the entire situation. Larxene had sidled to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder and speaking with such sugary sweetness that Naminé felt the urge to be sick. How could anyone put up with her?

"-meet Naminé, so we'll let them meet!" Her name thrown into the conversation made her perk up slightly, but she was careful not to let them know she had been listening. Naminé tensed when the Nymph started towards her as Marluxia said:

"You should be happy, Naminé. It's almost time for you to meet the hero you've been waiting for."

What was she supposed to say? She settled on a weak, "I'm… glad."

Larxene bent at the waist so that she was eye level with the girl. Intimidated, Naminé wanted to look away, but the stronger part of herself struggled to keep eye contact. As if she needed the reminder, the Nymph said, "Remember, don't do anything to hurt Sora's feelings when he gets here! That wouldn't be very nice, would it?"

The girl twisted away from the woman's touch on her chin, "I know."

As though it were a final instruction, Marluxia said just as he summoned a portal, "Make the memories overlap and strengthen these new feelings."

When the whirring of the portals disappeared and the girl thought she was alone, Naminé let out the breath she had been holding in. Sad eyes fell on the drawing of a smiling Sora; her fingers tightened around the plastic binding. In a shuddering breath, she uttered, "Sora… even if I can meet you, what should I…?" The words fell from her lips, unable to complete them. There was no way to finish what she wanted to say. No matter what she did, he would never forgive her.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of thoughtful, peridot eyes was watching her. Axel had been startled by her words, too caught up in his own ponderings about what Marluxia and Larxene had told him. That they would test him was surprising, and that they did it in such a way was even more so; he should have expected it after the discussion he had had with Marluxia. Though he knew of their intentions already, to hear the words slip so easily past their lips, once again, was oddly satisfying. They openly admitted their plans to overthrow the Organization, placing themselves on the same level as Vexen. Such hypocrites. But now something new had presented itself; something that he had been waiting for the perfect moment to do.

While now possible, the problem was that it was almost too damn hard to do it. Though she was treated horribly, Naminé was safe right now. Setting her loose could result in something he didn't even want to imagine. But he had made up his mind long ago; no matter what happened, this was what was best.

Uncertain at first, then forcing himself to go through with it, Axel approached the girl, "All he cares about now is you, you know. Sora, I mean," He clarified when Naminé quirked her head a little, "So you're the only one who can save him."

The girl started, her brow furrowing, "But it's too late. He's already trapped by my fake memories."

Axel's finger was suddenly in her face, wagging like it was scolding her. Her gaze trailed up his arm to his eyes as he said, "Don't jump to conclusions just yet," Letting his hand drop back to his side, the pyro left her to stand by the faintly glowing orb. Lightly, he placed his palm on the cool surface. Alright, this was it… he had nothing to worry about. She could take care of herself. Hopefully, "Hey, Naminé," He said over his shoulder, "Notice Marluxia's not here anymore?"

Naminé frowned. Her tone was that of confusion, "I don't see what you…"

The pyro shut his eyes, "There's no one here to stop you."

He didn't want to say anymore. Naminé was smart. Couldn't she figure out what he was trying to tell her? When he heard her light footsteps suddenly racing towards the door, he knew she understood; one weight was lifted off of his shoulders, allowing him a breath of air that he had been holding for days, only to be replaced seconds later by a new one. Now that things were finally in motion, Castle Oblivion was becoming dangerous; too dangerous for someone like her. Too caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even notice her slight hesitation at the door, her wide eyes staring back at him, before she slipped through the door and was gone.

The soft, closing click nearly drowned out Axel's utterance of, "Don't let me down."

IOIOIOI

Naminé ran as fast as her feet could carry her. There was a loud pulsing in her ears as her breath became labored, almost to the point where she couldn't hear her rampant thoughts. She knew that Axel was good. She knew that he would try to help her, just like he said he would. All birds find their wings, he said, and now his words were coming true. Whether or not the first flight from the nest would end well, she knew that she now had a power that could not be used for destruction. She would save Sora from what she caused. After that, after she made Axel proud, she would go back to him. Back to the true hero.

Her hero.

But how was she supposed to help Sora? She had no strength to protect him from the dangers that lurked in the halls of Castle Oblivion. All she had ever done was replace and destroy; never create and mend. The only way she could imagine correcting what she had caused was by erasing his memory completely, but there was no time for that and still nothing would be gained from it. It could take weeks, months for that…

A gasp escaped her lips as the girl tripped over her own feet and slid to the ground. Wincing, she drew her knees to her chest and a hiss of pain seeped past her teeth as she tried to block out the pain. What else could she do but lay on the floor when she had no idea how she was supposed to save Sora? Axel hadn't even supplied her the means to do anything except run in circles and worry about the fate of a boy that she would never truly know. For a moment, Naminé wondered if this was all a part of the scheme that he had quietly developed and she was never more than a pawn to him; an object to tease and exploit because she was too naïve to realize it. A languid feline, toying and torturing his food until he grew bored with only playing.

Naminé clenched her fists and forced herself to sit up. Even if he wasn't who she had believed, Axel had given her freedom. Maybe he would reclaim her when this was all over, but now she had something to do. A purpose. The pyro was never one to underestimate, so there must have been some reason for him to give her the job to save Sora. Why he wanted that in the first place was unknown, but he was counting on her to do it.

She couldn't disappoint him.

IOIOIOI

It must have taken at least an hour for the giddiness to start creeping into Axel's chest, replacing the initial unease of letting Naminé go. This was the moment that he had been waiting for. Finally, he could put Marluxia and Larxene back in their place by forcibly ending the pathetic excuses that were their lives. Maybe, where ever Nobodies went after being 'killed', they would find Vexen and he would impale his fellow traitors with a spear of ice. As he strolled down the hall with a wide grin on his face, the pyro basked in the empty silence, knowing that somewhere in the castle mass chaos was about to break out. Eventually, he would have to join it, but for now he was content to enjoy the temporary peace.

It would be lovely to be able to take out Marluxia himself, Axel mused. He and the scythe wielder had never been on good terms, so it had been strange to the pyro when the Superior ordered him to join the lower members at Castle Oblivion. Was this some sort of punishment for constantly disobeying orders, complaining about everything that didn't go exactly his way, and harassing each and every member on a daily basis? That was what he had originally thought, and he made this known by increasing his antics tenfold upon arriving at the castle. Now, he wondered if maybe he was stationed here to watch over Number Eleven. Perhaps Xemnas had noticed something that no one else did, and so decided to place Marluxia in a position of power to reveal his true deceptive nature. If that was the case, Axel would have to thank the Superior upon returning to the Castle that Never Was by demanding a better room and a raise on his nonexistent paycheck.

Then again, three senior members- well, two now - were stationed here, too. Whatever happened to Zexion and Lexaeus? He hadn't seen Lexaeus since the incident in the library and he still needed to deliver the data to Zexion. Maybe he should try to find them and see what they made of all this.

He would have to find Naminé, too…

What would happen to her? Axel realized with a start that he hadn't planned any further beyond killing Marluxia. If he took her back to Xemnas, surely they would come up with another plan to use her power, and that would just completely kill the effort he had put into freeing her. Eventually, he would have to go back, but he couldn't leave her here alone. Eventually, someone would find her. Someone would notice his double rations, his constant visits to a 'supposedly' empty Castle Oblivion. He couldn't stay here and she couldn't go there either.

"Hell," He spoke aloud, "What am I thinking? It shouldn't matter what happens to her."

With a bit less cheer, Axel leaned against the white walls and ran a gloved hand down his face. This is what he deserved for not listening to his own resolution, "Ah… damn it, Naminé."

Suddenly, a shift in power swept over his body. Thoughts of the young girl were washed away from his mind in seconds, instead seeking out the cause such a change. It was easy for him to determine that there certainly wasn't any power added to the castle, but rather taken away. His immediate fear was that Naminé had been killed somehow; however, upon closer examination, the redhead realized that the loss in power was too great for it to be the girl. Though this relieved him, he continued to measure what was still present. It definitely wasn't Marluxia. His presence still rang as clear as a bell.

A few seconds of concentration and a small smirk slowly curved his lips.

Larxene.

"So, you didn't have it in you after all. I'm disappointed," He thought aloud with a chuckle, "And here I was hoping to take you out myself."

Now things were getting too interesting for him to simply sit back and watch. Though he was looking forward to finishing her off, it meant there was one less thing for him to look out for. Surely, Marluxia was hiding somewhere in the upper floors of the castle, allowing his puppets to do his dirty work. That meant he could come and go as he pleased without worry. Maybe now would be a good time to find Zexion and-

An even greater shift in power nearly caused Axel to fall over, as though he had been putting his weight on a surface that suddenly gave way. A shudder rippled down his body, causing him to wrap his arms around his waist and he curled in on himself. For a moment, his vision swam and something pulsed in his head, before abruptly clearing and leaving him with a sense of having been expanded somehow. His power seemed to stretch out to greater boundaries, like an invisible leash had been lengthened. Blinking rapidly, he sifted through the conflicting thoughts in his mind to determine what had caused the change this time.

Somewhere, deep within the lower regions of the castle, a great, silent force had been eliminated.

"Lexaeus, too?" Axel gasped, "The brute couldn't even kill himself, he's so strong! How the hell…?"

Now he was just slightly concerned. If something that could take out Lexaeus was running around in the castle, then he was modest enough to say that it could probably snap him like the twig that he was. And if it found Naminé, it would surely show her no mercy. But what else in the castle could contain so much force? Certainly not Riku or the missing replica, but they were the only other people here. Did the boy really have that much strength? No matter what, the pyro would have to make sure the girl was safe from this power. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he realized. That was what he had gotten her into.

A portal was ripped open without any thought as to where he was going. So many places she could be, and her power was so weak that it was hard to distinguish from that of a person to that of a rock. However, resonating in the vast Nothingness was another force that demanded attention. For the moment, Axel focused on it, recognizing it as Marluxia. He weighed his options. He could end this now and dispose of the betrayer, or he could find her and potentially worsen this entire ordeal.

His duty to the Organization won him over. Naminé was weak, yes, but not defenseless. She could handle herself. Axel sliced open a portal where the greatest source of the Assassin's power poured forth.

The pyro appeared just as Marluxia was walking away from him. The Assassin stopped, aware of the other's presence, but did not face him. He did not allow Axel the chance to speak, immediately leaping into his accusations, "I would think you would not be foolish enough to show your face here, traitor, but it seems I am wrong."

Axel grinned. Already, the hypocrisy! Marluxia couldn't even accept what he truly was. The pyro said, "'Traitor'? I don't think I know what you mean."

"You let Naminé go," The Assassin said, turning around to fix his glare on the redhead. His blood boiled to see him standing there, so smug in his false ignorance. It took all he had not to kill him right now for so easily tricking him into believing he was on their side. And to think that he, the Graceful Assassin, even pondered over the possibility that Axel was not as he seemed, but was so willing to dismiss it just because the pyro offered him a few careful words and eliminated Vexen without question. It should have been a warning, not a confirmation of his loyalty. Reigning in his anger, he hissed between his teeth, "You and your meddling, Axel… look at what you have done. The Keyblade Master could have been our slave."

"Oh, I see," Axel said like he had no idea. He even had the nerve to appear apologetic, "Right, the big plan. You use Naminé to screw with Sora's memories, he becomes her puppet," Then his eyes turned dangerous and calculating, fixing on Marluxia's stern glare, "Then, using Naminé and Sora, you and our Savage Nymph overthrow the Organization. Am I right? 'Cause, you know, Marluxia," He chuckled, "That would make you the traitor, not me."

"But you eliminated a fellow member," Marluxia reminded him.

Axel grinned, "I needed you guys to trust me, right? No better way to do it."

A fact that the Assassin already figured out for himself. The redhead really did think too much, plotting out his moves under the radar of all others. If he wasn't so bent on destroying him, Marluxia would have been impressed. Shaking his head with a small smirk, he said, "A double agent then. Poor Vexen was just a cover up, a pawn in your little game."

"Yep. Just like in that game you torture Naminé with. What was it? Chinese Checkers?"

"Pawns are used in chess, not Chinese Checkers."

"Whatever. Either way, the pieces are in place, the Queen has been taken, and now the King has nowhere to go. You know what that means, Marluxia?" Axel grinned, "Checkmate."

The newly strengthened power unleashed itself in a burst of hot air, escaping from his body like an explosion that had been contained for ages, and the Assassin was blurred by waves of heat. The familiar tingling crept down his arms and into his fingertips, and a ring of flames beckoned his beloved chakrams into existence. Like an extension of himself, the deadly wheels spun like blades at his hands until he expertly snatched them from the air. The friction crept through his gloves, warming his skin and sending a spark of excitement up his arms to his chest.

Marluxia smiled dangerously. So this was how it was destined to be. Maybe he wouldn't have to hold back his urge for revenge much longer.

"Remember what you said?" Axel questioned, restlessly spinning his chakrams in his hands, "'Rid us of our traitor', I think it was, and I always follow orders. Larxene paid the price for disloyalty, and now it's your turn!"

The Assassin was ready for the attack, easily evading Axel's flying dash for him with a graceful jump backwards. When the chakrams were suddenly whirring towards him at blinding speed, he summoned his scythe and stopped the weapons in their tracks; the force at which they met his weapon was nearly enough to cause him to slip back. As though on an invisible string, both soon swung back into the awaiting hands of their master. Upon reclaiming them, Axel felt a low vibration travel up to his elbows, then promptly thrust the chakram outwards into a ready position. He was pleased to see Marluxia still bracing himself upon the staff of his scythe. The fire that he mastered seemed to come to life in his voice as he spat, "In the name of the Organization that you betrayed, I will end your miserable existence."

"Go ahead and try," Marluxia taunted, scythe extended.

"It would be my pleasure."

A lethal dance began as both Nobodies fought to gain the upper hand. Though Axel possessed his fiery spirit, he was no match when it came to speed. By the time he was able to reach Marluxia's location, the Assassin had already shifted away behind him. He lashed out with his scythe, slicing where the pyro's legs would have been if he had not leapt out of the way. Axel was hardly given enough time to recover from his landing before a wave of darkness, laced with deadly sharp petals, was thrust at him. His chakrams served as his shield, but even that was not enough to completely protect him. The petals sliced thin lines on his face like razors, and just the force of the attack was enough to nearly send him to his back; metal screeched and groaned in protest against the weight. When the force had passed him, Axel found himself breathing heavily, having already exerted a good deal of his energy evading the attack. Wincing, he forced himself to focus on the other Nobody who had halted his advance. Since when had he been so strong?

It seemed he had something else up his sleeve. Momentarily relinquishing his defense, Axel watched as Marluxia summoned a swirling mass of petals beneath his hand; his eyes had shut in concentration. Slowly, a hazy form manifested itself before the Nobody, illuminating softly at first before filling in with shape and color. When the form had solidified, Axel found that his forgotten fear had come true.

With Marluxia's hand placed gently on her head, Naminé stared with terrified eyes at the enraged pyro. Axel struggled to keep his fake emotions in check, to keep them from showing on his face and allowing the Graceful Assassin to confirm his suspicions. He tried nonchalance, even confusion, but underlying the façade was a fierce desire to protect. And to protect her, he would have to threaten her.

"What are you trying to do?" He demanded, "Hiding behind her won't stop me."

The girl flinched, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited for the attack. She tried to remind herself that he was good, that he was the one that let her go, but seeing such a strong light radiating from him frightened her. Nothing really would stop him from getting to Marluxia. However, the Assassin didn't seem too certain of that. His deep chuckle brought about a shudder from Naminé.

"Are you sure?" He taunted, "You are not as clever as you think."

Oh, damn.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Axel growled. Again, he wished so desperately to hurl his chakram at the traitor, but the possibility of hitting Naminé was something he wasn't willing to take the chance on. He knew that he had been too obvious. Larxene must have noticed somewhere along the line and told Marluxia. Now it was coming back to bite him in the butt in a big way. He couldn't admit it, but he couldn't deny it either… he couldn't hurt Naminé. When he found the girl's wide eyes on him, he turned his head away.

Fortunately, a distraction appeared then, and this train of conversation could not continue. Marluxia's attention shifted over the pyro's shoulder to address the newest guest, "Did you hear that, Sora?" Axel checked over his shoulder, surprised that he had not noticed the arrival of the boy and his friends. The doors creaked as they shut behind them, enclosing them all in the room, "Axel is willing to harm Naminé, just to get to me. You should make good of your promise to her and protect her."

It wasn't surprising when the boy so readily followed Marluxia's instruction. The same man who tried to use him, to turn him into his puppet, and yet Sora had no problem doing as he said. Axel shook his head, "Well… I see you're the newest addition to Marluxia's puppet collection."

"After I finish with you, he's next!" The boy shouted with such confidence that the pyro wanted to laugh. The kid may have been able to take out Larxene, but he wouldn't go down so easily. Though in reality, Axel did not want to fight Sora. If he could, he wanted to avoid it; doing so would be like attacking his best friend.

"Listen, Sora," He said, turning his back to Marluxia and Naminé, "You really don't want to do that. You and I? We have a hell of a lot more in common than you think. I don't recommend forcing me to get serious, but if you really insist," In a flash, the chakram burst into rings of flame spinning at his fingertips. A grin fixed itself on his lips and the flurry of dancing flames that he was named for engulfed his body, "I do have a reputation to think of!"

As the battle commenced, Naminé could only watch on in horror. Both were mere blurs of color and movement, crisscrossing and leaping across the room. Weak spurts of water, ice, and electricity struggled to beat past the near impenetrable wall of flames that so perfectly protected the pyro. It was almost an unfair match, putting a young boy against an experienced fighter, but the girl soon realized that Sora wasn't exactly defenseless. At times, he did force Axel to defend himself. She was unsure of who to hope for. Sora was the only innocent in all of this, the one who could offer her a life free of fear. But Axel was the one who had been her only companion since she was found by the Organization. She had grown closer to him in the past few weeks than she ever thought she would.

But the overbearing presence behind her never left her mind. Marluxia, with his hand holding her back, forced her to watch the two fight to the death; she knew that there would be only one victor, but had no idea who she would want to see come out alive. Would it be wrong to choose? Did she even have the right to deal such a heavy judgment?

"Naminé," Marluxia's voice managed to break through the clashing of metal, "Let's leave them."

"But-"

"No buts," He said, turning her away from the battle, "Unless you want to see your beloved Axel die."

The girl's eyes widened, a blush creeping up on her cheeks, "He won't die! And he's not my 'beloved'!"

"Not anymore, he isn't," The Assassin smirked. At his extended fingertips a dark portal opened, "Say goodbye, Naminé."

Panic tugged at the girl's stomach as she stared into the swirling mass, knowing that once she entered it, she would never see one of the fighters again. Marluxia's hand on her suddenly seemed weightless, like all of his power had been transferred to her, and her body coursed with newfound strength. Somehow, she managed to tear away from the Assassin and she made a dash for the two. It would be only seconds before she was captured again, but she had to try to get them to stop.

"Sora!" She cried, "Axel! Please!"

And that was all she had time for before the strength was sapped away. The hand was placed over her mouth, muffling her words, and darkness swallowed her.

When she was finally given her vision again, she knew that they were well away from Axel and Sora. Marluxia had no qualm in letting her push him away, but there was nowhere for her to go. She had absolutely no idea where he had taken her and everything was too similar to pick out a difference that may give her an idea of where she was. With fists clenched at her sides, Naminé whirled around to glare at the smirking Assassin. His scythe had long since disappeared, but even so, there wasn't a chance of her defending herself against him. Like always, he had her tucked neatly in his palm.

"What's the matter, little witch?" He teased, "You seem upset."

Naminé had never felt so much anger before, so much hatred for this man. It felt like the emotion was trying to burst out from the pores in her skin, regardless of the fact that she wasn't even supposed to be feeling it. At that moment, the girl knew that she was feeling and it was her anger, her frustration. And that was something Marluxia couldn't take away.

"You're not going to get away with this!" She shouted, "Axel and Sora won't kill each other. They'll both come after you instead!"

Marluxia stifled a laugh, "Such confident words for someone who was willing to kill you."

"He was only doing what he thought was best. And if it meant that you would be dead, too, I would gladly die!"

"You really are naïve, Naminé," The Assassin sighed, shaking his head. The girl narrowed her eyes, not buying into his subdued response. Slowly, the man started towards her with his hand extended, to which Naminé responded by taking as many steps back as she could. When her skin suddenly touched cold, marble wall, Marluxia closed the gap swiftly, coming upon her so that they were mere inches away. The girl set her face, strong and confident, but inside she was trembling with fear. The extended hand brushed the pale flesh of her cheek, and she snapped her head away. His fingers hovered in the air for a moment before slowly falling back to his side.

Marluxia made a sort of chuckle in his throat, "Right. Only Axel can touch you like that."

"No one can touch me like that," She spat, "Not you, not Axel, not anyone."

"If it makes you feel better, Naminé, I wouldn't have guessed it from you if it hadn't been for that drawing. Axel was the one who let the secret slip."

A satisfied smile curved the Assassin's lips when the girl hesitated. Her mouth had opened, like she was preparing to shout, but she was suddenly trembling from shock and embarrassment. It had been one thing for Larxene to find it, but then for her to tell Marluxia about it made her wonder what else he knew about her. When his smile grew, Naminé wanted nothing more than to hide under a rock; maybe this was what it meant to feel self conscious. Even so, she would never admit anything to him, especially something like this. What was wrong with having a crush? She was sure that Larxene liked Axel, so why couldn't she like him, too?

"I think you're just trying to scare me," Naminé said finally, "I didn't draw anything. There is no secret."

Marluxia sighed in mock defeat, "I see there isn't any getting through to you. Keep thinking what you want, but I know different. Though," He placed his palm facing upwards and, after a moment, a shower of petals seemed to fall from his fingertips, which were replaced by a single rose resting softly in his hand, "I am flattered you chose to use my power as a symbol for your 'love'. Flowers are quite romantic, aren't they?"

Naminé swallowed hard when his fingers curled around the delicate flower, crushing the petals and snapping the stem in his grip. When his hand opened, a small cloud of black escaped and trailed up to disappear midway to the ceiling. Marluxia frowned, "A shame that they are so easily destroyed by fire."

"Then why won't you be destroyed by fire?"

The Assassin turned his eyes on her, "Because fire only burns the weak."

Footsteps could suddenly be heard echoing from down the hall. Marluxia abruptly removed his attention from her as he awaited the victor of the struggle they left behind. Naminé found herself holding her breath, fearing who she would see emerge from the darkness. No matter who it was, she realized, she would not be happy. The two couldn't work together, nor would Axel even want to work with Sora. Either way, her nonexistent heart was going to broken. A shadow appeared.

Sora…

Invisible shards of glass ripped through the girl's chest, digging and tearing at the very fibers of her being. Darkness crept up on the edges of her vision, threatening to steal her consciousness, but she willed herself to hang on. She forced herself to see the boy and smile, to assure him that she was happy and relieved to see him. If only she could tell him how much of a lie that was, and yet so close to the truth. He was safe and sound, but his enemy was not. His enemy, her friend...

How could Axel have been defeated? He was so strong, so full of spirit, that it didn't seem possible to Naminé that someone like him could ever be gone. To her, he was the type of person that just simply lived forever with no explanation as to why. It defied logic to think that he could be hurt or killed, especially by some young boy with a key. Sora may be strong, but he couldn't kill Axel so easily. But here he was, with hardly a scratch on him, and no one followed behind him.

Tears stung the corners of her eyes. How was she supposed to pretend to be happy when she so obviously wasn't? Torn by two conflicting emotions that she shouldn't even feel, Naminé struggled to keep her head held high. If not for herself, for Sora.

For Axel.

XXXXX

D'aww… Axel dead. Teehee.

I don't have much to say… I guess now that we're getting close to the end, I can go ahead and say that I'm working on a sequel. It's still very far from being done since I've been bad and haven't worked on it. Oops. But in the meantime, it'd be a help for you guys to tell me which worlds you'd like to see in the next one. I've already got The Pridelands, Atlantica, and Notre Dame (see? It was related!). So those are definite. So yea, give me a few ideas and I might take a few of them. :D

Alrighty, that's it! Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading, and also thanks to those of you who have favorited/alerted me or this story!

Until Next Time,
Manwathiel