A/N: Hello, my friends! I have nothing to say in prelude, so read on!
Disclaimer: I don't own.
The Calm Before the Storm
"Superior, the scouts report that the Keyblade Master's friends are gathering an army in Radiant Gardens." Xigbar said, shifting in his large white seat, "It consists of representatives from almost every world, and more arrive every day."
"Thank you, Number II." Xemnas nodded, turning to Saïx. "What do you think?"
"With a gathering that large, we could rebuild Kingdom Hearts in no time," VII replied.
"They are preparing to attack us, anyway." Marluxia inserted. "If we attack now, we avoid bringing the battle to our own world."
"With Sora and Roxas out of the way, it should go rather quickly."
"You underestimate Sora's friends, Luxord." Xaldin replied, sparking an argument.
"If you don't mind me asking," Demyx inserted, "What do you plan on doing with Sora and Roxas anyways?"
At Demyx's question, Xemnas paused, looking pensive.
"I am still reluctant to give up on Roxas. He is immensely powerful, and a tremendous asset to our Organization." he turned to look at the previously silent Axel. "I want you to explain the situation to Roxas. Be frank with him. Perhaps once he understands the full situation, he will be willing to rejoin us."
"And Sora…?" Axel asked.
"Is a liability. Either way he must be taken care of. However, there is still hope for Roxas. Do what you must.
~*~
Sora lay on the floor, concentrating on his arm. Move, curse you! He thought, Move! The limb remained immobile. Sora sighed. By his best guess, they had been captive for about two weeks, but it was hard to tell. The only constant was Vexen coming in every four hours to inject more numbing stuff into Sora's arm, and their only other visitor was Demyx, who brought them food when he remembered. Speaking of food…
"I'm hungry." Sora said, sitting up and looking over at Roxas, who shrugged noncommittally.
"It should be about time for Vexen to come in." he said, hating himself for considering this normal. "Maybe we could ask him to send Demyx in when he leaves."
It was then that the door opened, but it wasn't Vexen that entered.
"Axel?" Roxas asked, "Where's Vexen?"
"It doesn't matter where Vexen is." Axel snapped, "I'm here to do his job. Why? Would you prefer Vexen?"
"You guys are determined to stick pins in my arm." Sora replied, ignoring the sarcasm in Axel's voice. "What does it matter to me who's doing it?"
Axel shrugged, shooting a look at Roxas as he got out the syringe. The younger Nobody was flexing his hand as if the motion would bring back the weapon it usually summoned.
"You won't try to fight, will you?" Axel asked, receiving a scoff from Roxas.
"It's not like I can." he paused, watching the needle draw closer to his Somebody's already bruised arm. "Axel, you don't have to do this."
"Actually, I do." the Flurry of Dancing Flames replied, "But you don't. They're willing to give you one more chance to rejoin us. Roxas, if you say you're considering it, it'll at least buy you some time to-"
"No, thank you."
"They'll kill you if you say no."
"I know." Roxas said, shrugging. "That doesn't change my answer."
Axel growled as he stabbed the syringe needle into Sora's arm.
"You're so stubborn!"
Roxas smiled sadly.
"I learned it from you, my best friend."
Axel snorted, standing up.
"We can't be best friends if you're dead." he exclaimed, looking ready to punch the wall, "But evidentially that doesn't matter much to you." Gathering his stuff, Axel walked toward the door.
"You will always be my best friend." Roxas replied, quietly.
"Whatever."
Finally, Sora couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Axel, can you send Demyx in with some food, please?"
"Oh, sure, Sora." Axel replied, "But I don't think you'll enjoy it very much. You see, your friends went to all the worlds and gathered this huge army to Radiant Gardens to rescue you. Too bad Xemnas gave the order to send our own army of Heartless and Nobodies down there to take care of them, tonight when they're all asleep. I don't think any of them will make it." Axel looked back, seeing the horrified look on the young Keyblade Master's face, and suddenly his stomach twinged. Guilt? Impossible. Axel yanked the door open and disappeared through it, before he let himself say something else.
With a groan, Sora slid to the floor, burying his head in his knees. Roxas walked up behind him, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"They'll be alright." he muttered, almost hopefully, "It's not like they can't fight."
Sora nodded.
"I just feel guilty that I'm not there to help them."
~*~
Radiant Gardens was packed to the brim, and then some. Every world had assembled their own army, which had now blended into one large army that was camped throughout the Great Maw, and up to the castle. The town was full too.
At that moment, a fleet of Gummi ships were landing.
"Your Majesty!" Riku called, smiling as he walked down the gangplank.
"What took you so long?" Mickey asked as he hugged Riku, then the girls. "In the time it takes you to get one army, Donald, Goofy and I got everyone else!"
"We ran into complications…"
"I can tell." Mickey laughed, "We were about to send someone to help you." The King turned to Donald and Goofy, "Could you two gather all of the leaders. Tell them that we are going to have a war council at Headquarters." The two friends nodded, and Mickey began to lead Riku, Kairi, and Naminè through the camp.
The next ten minutes consisted of weaving their way through various groups' camps, Mickey acting as guide.
"And over there is the army from Agrabah, and over there is Halloween Town, and over there is-"
The King was cut off by a high pitched squeal as Kairi was hit around the neck by a pair of very excited arms.
"Kairi! Riku!" Selphie exclaimed, detangling herself from Kairi, only to begin the same process with Riku. "I've missed you!"
"Selphie," Kairi smiled, "You got my letter."
The girl nodded enthusiastically.
"Everyone who could came to help. Our army isn't as large as some of the others, but we're willing."
"Thank you, Selphie." Riku smiled, causing the girl to blush.
"No problem, Riku!"
After a few minutes of catching up, the King reminded them of the impending war meeting, and the Keybearers moved on, leaving the Destiny Islands camp behind them.
"She has a crush on you." Kairi smiled as they walked, "All of the girls from home do."
Riku nodded
"All except you." he chuckled, "You always preferred Sora."
At the mention of Sora's name, Kairi became quiet.
"What if we can't save him?" she asked.
"We will if I have anything to do with it." Riku replied. "Don't worry."
By then, they reached headquarters, where the Restoration Committee had once resided. Inside, a group of people stood around a computer, as they had so many times before.
"The King is back!" a black haired girl sang, running up to them with a small jump. "Hi, Kairi!"
"Hi, Yuffie." Kairi smiled, remembering the hyper ninja from her last trip to Radiant Gardens, then Hollow Bastion. "This is Riku, Sora's best friend, and Naminè, my Nobody."
"Yer Nobody?" the older man at the computer asked, "Well, if that don't just beat all."
"Riku, huh?" Leon drawled, studying Riku carefully, "We've heard a lot about you. Sora talked about you constantly. He finally found you, then?"
Riku nodded.
"Yeah."
"Well that's good." Yuffie smiled as she stepped directly in front of the boy "Because if he hadn't, that would have been a shame. You're hot."
"Oh, uh. Thank you…" Riku stuttered, looking surprised.
"I called a war council." King Mickey inserted, looking at Leon, "Donald and Goofy went to spread the word. They should start arriving at any moment."
There was a knock on the door, and people began to file in.
~*~
It took a while for all of the representatives to arrive, but eventually they all sat around a large table.
"Thank you for coming." King Mickey said, addressing everyone present. "This group includes every known world. We are here to help a friend, though if any one protests, we are also destroying Organization XIII before they can destroy us. I will start off the introductions.
"I am Mickey Mouse, King of Disney Castle. Sora has been traveling the worlds with my two best friends and comrades, Donald and Goofy." He looked to his right, and the introductions began.
Peter Pan of Neverland, Simba of Pride Rock, Aladdin and Jasmine of Agrabah, Jack Sparrow of Port Royal, Alice of Wonderland, Hercules of Olympus Coliseum, Jiminy Cricket of Monstro, Winnie-the-Pooh of 100 Acre Woods, Belle and the Prince of Beast's Castle, Prince Eric and Arial of Atlantica, Jack Skellington of Halloween Town, Cinderella and Prince of Castle of Dreams, Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora of Enchanted Domain, Fa Mulan and Captain Lee Shang of Land of the Dragons, Snow White and Prince of Magic Forrest, Leon of Radiant Gardens all introduced themselves, and then it was Riku's turn.
"I'm Riku, and this is Kairi, and we're from Destiny Islands. Sora is my best friend, and I can't tell you how grateful we are that you are all here. Thank you!"
Riku sat down, and the room fell silent.
"Now that we all know each other," Mickey said, "Let's get down to business-"
"Wait!" someone exclaimed as the door swung open. "Don't start without me!" the sandy-haired boy gasped. "Hayner, from Twilight Town."
With an acknowledging nod from the others, Hayner sat down, and the meeting continued.
~*~
"So is it agreed?" Mickey asked by the end of the hour, "Tomorrow, we attack the World that Never Was."
Everyone nodded, and everything was set. The next day, the combined army would launch an attack on the Nobodies. All those who were unfit to fight would remain in camp. This included Arial, who was pregnant, and Simba's young daughter, Kiara. The volunteers from 100 Acre Wood would help around camp.
The meeting adorned, and the crowd began filling out. Hayner walked over to Kairi, smiling happily.
"It's great to see you, Kairi." he said, "We were worried about you. I'm sorry about Sora."
Kairi nodded sadly.
"But that's what we're here for, right?" he continued.
Kairi laughed, quietly.
"Right. Thank you."
"Hello, Hayner." a quiet voice said from behind them. Hayner turned to face the speaker, a girl in white, clutching a sketchbook to her chest.
"Do I know you?" he asked.
"No, but I know you, better than you might think." Without waiting for his reply, the girl walked out the door, leaving behind a very confused Hayner.
"That would be Naminè." Riku supplied, moving next to the dumbfounded boy. "She can be very cryptic when she wants to be."
"What does she mean, she knows me?"
Riku paused, looking uncomfortable.
"It's a long story." he replied, "Maybe once this is all over, he can explain it to you."
"Who's he?" Hayner asked, curiously, "Sora?"
"Sort of…"
~*~
"Sora, stop pacing." Roxas snapped, as he watched his Somebody move in circles around the room. "It won't do any good."
"I'm sorry, I just feel nervous." Sora replied, still pacing. "I can't just sit there while everyone is in danger!"
"Sit still!" Roxas exclaimed, reaching out to grab Sora's arm. It was hot. Roxas paused. Now that he was paying attention, he noticed something else. Sora was shaking. "Sora, do you feel alright?"
"I'm fine." Sora replied, absently pulling his arm out of Roxas's grip. He then passed out.
"Sora!" Roxas exclaimed, hurrying to the other boy's side. He didn't respond. Frantically, Roxas shook his Somebody. "Sora?" Sora groaned, but didn't wake.
With a frustrated gasp, Roxas leapt up, running to the locked door. He banged on it, yelling until someone finally answered.
"What is your problem?" Axel hissed as he yanked the door open. "Saïx was about to come in here and silence you himself, luckily I got to the door first. Do you have a death wish?"
"Axel, Sora…" Roxas gasped, pointing to where the young Keyblade Master lay. "H-He just collapsed!"
Axel stood in silence, before backing out of the room.
"Vexen said something like this might happen." he muttered, "I'll go get him." He shut the door.
~*~
"So, he was feverous, and shaking?" Vexen asked as he bent over Sora's unconscious body. Roxas nodded.
"Did he appear agitated?" the scientist asked.
"He was pacing around." Roxas replied, narrowing his eyes, "But that may just be because you guys are planning on killing off everyone he knows."
Vexen shrugged vaguely before standing straight, making a note on a clipboard he was carrying, muttering to himself.
"Reaction as previously expected…"
"Y-You planned for this?" Roxas gasped, his hands curling into fists. Vexen looked unimpressed at the younger Nobody's display of rage. If anything, he looked condescending.
"My dear boy," he snapped, "For the past few weeks, I have slowly been increasing Sora's dose, to headway any chance that he might develop an immunity. Even water would begin to show adverse effects after such exposure. Truthfully, considering Septocaine's side effects, it is a miracle that Sora is even alive."
"What are the side effects?" Roxas asked, almost dreading the answer.
"Shallow breathing, irregular heartbeat, and eventual cardiac arrest."
Roxas stood silent, shocked.
"And now," Vexen continued, "We finish it." Reaching into the dark folds of his cloak, the Chilly Academic pulled out the now horribly familiar syringe.
"You're nuts!" Roxas gasped as Vexen began to fill it. "That's what's making him sick! You'll kill him!"
"He is dying already, Roxas." Vexen sighed, upset that the boy hadn't picked up on that before. "This will merely speed up the process, eliminating the biggest threat to the Organization's plans. Also, I must admit I am anxious to study the effect Sora's death will have on you, his Nobody."
"You slimy-" Roxas yelled, the rest of his exclamation lost as he ran forward. In an instant, Vexen summoned his shield, hitting Roxas full in the chest, and knocking the unarmed boy into the wall, a thick sheet of ice holding him in place.
"I had hoped to avoid this sort of thing." Vexen sighed as he stuck the needle into Sora's arm. "Being forced to restrain a foolish boy who I still consider a member of this esteemed Organization." Vexen finished and walked over to Roxas. "But so be it." the scientist paused as if waiting for Roxas to reply, but the youngest Nobody remained silent, glaring.
Vexen however, was unfazed.
"He will most likely suffer spasms just before he dies." he said, motioning toward Sora casually. "I believe that Xemnas is leaving Demyx here to watch over things during the attack. Just in case you get lonely, you can call him." the words could almost have been taken kindly if Roxas hadn't seen Vexen's face. He was excited. This was almost the biggest experiment of the old scientist's existence.
Once the old man had left, the ice holding Roxas against the wall melted away, and Roxas was free to move again. Slowly, he walked back to Sora, who he tried to wake one more time. Nothing. The Castle That Never Was fell silent, the only sound the two boy's breathing, Sora's already fainter. Roxas had never felt so alone.
A/N: Heya! So close! This story will probably only have one or two more chapters. Wow. Okay, I should probably mention that while the things that are happening to Sora are real overdose symptoms of Septocaine, I over overexaggerated a bit, so even though the dentist sucks, your next trip there won't kill you...probably. Thanks for the increased reviews! Keep them coming! I can't say when the next chapter will be out because I don't write much during the summer, but we'll see! See you all later!