Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. Hearts are corrupted. Heartless nobodies? Who in the hell is System X? It's from the King... But Ansem... Roxas... Sora... But he's my friend! Kingdom Hearts... Keyblade. They're... smart! They came after me... It's him... They're working together... We have to do something...

a new journey has begun

Chapter Four: Door to the Twilight

Demons poured out of every corner. Roxas could barely see. "The door should be close... once we get closer, the eternals won't bother us anymore. They're repelled from the door..." Lae said, fighting off some of the demons that were attempting to carry Roxas off... probably to their leader. Sora and Riku were ahead, trying to clear a path for the others and Kairi stood in back, catching the ones that were too much for the others and scouting to make sure nothing weird was happening while they weren't paying attention. Finally, they passed the invisible force and went in – beyond the barrier, looking at the door to the Twilight.

Up upon the door was a cloaked figure, tied up by his hands and feet: with it's head hanging limply over it's body. "AXEL!" Roxas shouted, bolting forward. It wasn't a problem. The ropes that held him up were weak, and easily broken. And in an instant, the hooded figure fell forward into Roxas' waiting arms as the others ran to catch up with him. "Axel, please wake up!" Roxas sobbed, removing the hood and looking at Axel's life-less face. Lae walked over to him and stood hovering over his shoulder.

"It's just as we suspected. Axel himself is not the key to keeping the door open." She said, pointing to the door that refused to close. "He was just a bait to lead us here... because they have the key... they have our heart... That's the key that keeps the door open... that's why it won't shut." A small bout of laughter resounded and a black figure emerged from behind one of the open doors. Everyone gasped in shock as they came face to face with the first member of the System...

She bowed gracefully, before removing the hood. Her face was pale and thin and she was a sickly looking thing. But her hair was black as the night and long and waving gently behind her. "Number Five. Roxis." She said calmly, nodding her head. "It's good to see you... Roxas. You've evaded us far too long. The whole Organization XIII thing was all about getting you and the four other princes... but you were too smart. We never even got the chance to steal your heart and open the door... but we have the other three... and I'm going to deliver yours personally..."

Roxis pulled out two medium sized swords that she wielded like daggers. Lae grinned. "Roxas, protect Axel... until he wakes up, he's no use to us." She said, pulling out her weapon. "Come on, guys... let's show 'Roxis' how we handle the bad guys!" Sora and Riku dropped back and prepared to fight. Kairi took one of Roxas' keyblades and gladly joined them – now wielding two keyblades. Sora took the hint and with Goofy's help, turned into his Valor form, while Donald prepared to attack and heal with magic.

A very one-sided battle began. From the very beginning, Roxis was weak and overpowered. It didn't take her long to realize it too. She growled in anger. "Don't think you've won. The only thing you've won is a heartless doll. You can't close the door and soon we'll come back to take Roxas again!" Roxis shouted, jumping back into the abyss and disappearing almost magically. Kairi dropped to her knees and both Riku and Sora were panting.

"This isn't going to be easy at all..." Sora said. "And she wasn't really that strong, I thought. But we still should have been able to kick her butt. Instead, we're half-dead with exhaustion." Lae turned around and walked over to Roxas, who was still holding on to Axel protectively. Roxas looked up at her sadly and shook his head. He wanted to scream... he wanted to pound something... he wanted to... to cry. Axel wasn't waking up... and there was something moving... maybe one of the eternals had broke through and was attacking him...

MOVING?

He looked down and noticed Axel's eyes were slitted- they were barely open, but he could see. His arm was feeling around blindly and came in contact with Roxas' chest. "Holy... I must be dreamin'." he grinned. "Nah..." he groaned. "I'm in way to much pain to be dreamin'." he told himself, stretching out a little bit. But Roxas didn't care. He practically jumped on him and switched their positions so that now Roxas was on top. "Augh!" Axel shouted in surprise.

"Damn you! You should've woken up faster! We thought you were dead!" Roxas said, pounding on his chest. Axel laughed and hugged his friend. "I guess miracles really do happen, huh? You kept your promise... but... I guess you heard... we were fooled, you know? The System had us wrapped around their fingers the whole time! We had hearts... and now... now I don't... I realize what it's really like now... because... I can remember what it was like to feel. Like... I should feel really happy now... but I'm not."

Roxas sighed. "We'll get it back. Don't worry. We're a force to be reckoned with, here." he said, smiling up at the others. Sora nodded fiercely and Riku grinned. But Kairi just groaned. She was laying down on the ground in exhaustion. Everyone laughed. She looked so pitiful. "But Axel... there's a question that I just have to ask you... okay?" Axel sighed.

"Sure, I guess. What is it?" Axel asked, pushing Roxas off of him and sitting up slowly.

"Who are the other two? I know it's supposed to be you and me and two others... and that we were all in the Organization... so which other two members was it?" Roxas asked. Axel sighed yet again.

"Well, I don't know the other one, but I know Demyx is one of them. Who would have guessed that that little goof ball would be one of the four princes of heart?" he laughed with this empty sort of tone that Roxas really didn't like. Still, it was kind of odd. Roxas remembered Demyx and the wild and spontaneous lover of music who liked smiling and hugging people who really didn't like to be hugged. Maybe that's what made him so... so... so... sooooooooooooooo

Demyx.

But him being one of the four princes with the strongest heart? Wow... And now it seemed like they had a problem much larger than they originally thought. Their hearts had been removed and they were tied to the doors. But they'd have to go one on one with the System to get their hearts back. Lae kneeled down next to Axel and sighed.

"Long time no see, huh? Well, don't worry. I won't let him get away with your heart! You are my nobody... but you have a heart of your own... somehow. I can tell, because... well, I just know. Just like I know that everything will be okay, and we will win! Besides... he has my heart too... along with the hearts of the other two princes AND their others. It's the bond between their hearts that keep the doors open. Or... at least that's what I think, anyway. That's the only reason I can think of that they kidnapped the others and took their hearts too!"

"So... they're after me, too?" Sora asked. Lae nodded.

"You're not number one on the list. But as soon as they have Roxas, they're gonna go after you... That's why I want you two to stay separated. If you two were together, it would be much easier for them. This gives us more room to work with..." Lae smiled. "You see... I escaped, but I left the other two behind. I feel terrible... but now it's my duty to return them to safety... and all of you too! So lets get the others and... and DESTROY SYSTEM X!" she said, grinning madly. Sora nodded, and Riku helped Kairi up to her feet as she returned Roxas' other keyblade.

Riku looked around at everyone and grinned. "Alright... which door comes next?" he asked, looking to Lae for answers. Lae looked at Axel, who just shrugged, signifying that he knew nothing and turned away from her.

"Well, we'll go to the Door to Dusk next. I don't know what's waiting there, but I know that the Door to the Light is reserved for Roxas. That leaves the Door to Dusk and Darkness, and I don't know if I want to deal with that many heartless just yet. Not right after that battle, eh? So lets go the the Door to Dusk first and go from there once we've rescued the Prince of Heart tied up there."

Sora had been absent-mindedly twiddling his thumbs and suddenly began to look alive. "Alright! But... let's stay clear of the System right now... I don't think we could handle another attack right now... Roxas... please take care of Axel." Roxas, who had been staring out into space, trying not to cry, focused on his friend and nodded fiercely.

"I won't let anything happen to you." But Axel just looked at him. Roxas felt his heart aching. He had a heart for so long when he thought he had none, and now he was realizing the true impact of a heartless person. It hurt, because he now knew how Axel felt all those times when he turned him away – saying he had no emotions or feelings... or a heart. Now it was turned on him, only the truth of the situation was – Axel DIDN'T have a heart.

Unlike Roxas, it wasn't a lie... it wasn't a misunderstanding... and that's what hurt the most. When Axel looked at Roxas – when he heard Roxas speak – he felt nothing... he couldn't care less, because he was heartless.

Roxas helped him to his feet and they walked out the way they came. Once again, they formed their position of protection and fought the Eternals as they struggled to leave the area and return to the Crossroads... where they would turn and once again pick a new road... one step closer to the answer and System X's dark evil plan...

Roxis watched them leave. Her eyes glowed with anger – the anger that came from the knowledge that they defeated her. "Don't worry... I'll make sure that you will NOT survive your next encounter. And yet – I will be the one to take Roxas and his other to Master. Believe it!" She said, laughing menacingly and taking out an orb.

"I thought this would be an easy one battle fight. But I was wrong and I underestimated them. Still – everything is still in my court. I have the means of defeating them... it will just take longer than expected." She said, pocketing the orb and disappearing in a whisp, following the small band of good-doers closely with a trained eye. What does she have planned? Whatever it is, it's not good.

And what's waiting for our friends at the Door to Dusk? Or more importantly, who? Is it Demyx? Or is it the other, unknown Prince? Until next time!

KINGDOM HEARTS III /-/ SYSTEM X

So, what do you think? PLEASE REVIEW! I'm working really hard on this, so tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I am enjoying writing it. This is the biggest plot I've ever come up with I think. So leave a comment please and thanks! I'll try to update again soon. I have lots of plans and ideas for this now and as I go on, it's getting easier to write, because it's flowing.

3 Christine Lennoire

P.S. Did I mention... REVIEW! Cake for anyone who does! Or cookies, if cake isn't your thing...