Chapter Ten: Axel
Sora fell silent as Axel began, "Now, Xemnas, Saix,-Opps, almost forgot, Sora, I told you that you can't listen to some of this, but only for your safety. Now good-bye." Axel lifted his head and summoned a dark portal around Sora.
"Hey! Wait, but I-" Sora was cut off as he was taken by the dark portal.
"Don't worry, Sora, Scalvatrx will explain everything you need to know!" Axel called as the dark portal vanished.
Axel looked over at Riku, who was now glaring at him with the deepest of rage, but Axel acted as if he hadn't seen it and began, "Okay, I told him he could not hear the things about the Organization only for his safety. You'll understand after you hear what I have to say." Axel reassured Riku. "You see, Xemnas, Saix, Xigbar, Demyx, Larxene, Vexen, and Luxord are planning things once again. The other three, I really can't say anything about them. Anyway, they are wanting three things: One, power, two, a new world, three, a heart. Every single one of those things can be obtained from Sora."
"But how is that possible?" Riku asked, dumbfounded.
"The power that is in Sora's heart is stronger than Sora even knows, and all they have to do is steal Sora's heart. They would capture his heart, and no doubt, Xemnas would use the power. A heart for each of them would be obtained by his Dark Keyblade, he would unlock others hearts, the Organization may never get their real, true hearts back, but they would have one, but the darkness within their Nobody would most certainly take over that heart within a mere second. The world though, is another thing. If Xemnas is using Sora's heart, he would wield the Keyblade, and with the Keyblade, he would be able to destroy as many Heartless as he pleased and build a new Kingdom Hearts. With it, he would build his world just like the World That Never Was." Axel explained. "Have it memorized?"
"But how would Xemnas get Sora's heart?" Riku asked.
"That, I am sad to say, is not for me to tell you about. Maybe you should be listening to Scalvatrx too, but I can't take you there, for it was not me who made that dark portal, but Scalvatrx." Axel sighed.
"But we saw you summon it." Riku objected.
"It was just a signal, Riku." Axel explained. "Got it?"
"Yeah, but tell me Axel, how do you know Scalvatrx, when no one else does?"
Sora looked around him, but could only see darkness on every side. Was he in the Dark Realm? But why would Axel send him here? "Is anyone there?" he called, his voice echoing through the eternal darkness.
"I am." came a familiar voice.
"Scalvatrx?" Sora called uncertainly. Through the darkness, he spotted movement and saw Scalvatrx remove his hood.
"Axel told to tell you everything, Sora, so listen well." Scalvatrx ordered. "When I was about fifteen, I was play fighting with a friend of mine who is now dead. Anyhow, he was winning when the sword I was fighting with, changed. At first, I could not believe my eyes. In my hand, I held a Keyblade. But is not like the Kingdom Key. It was black and had a blue aura coming off of it. At the very end of it, it was pointed like a real sword. A little while after that, I found myself constantly forgetting things, and the, one morning I wake up with cuts and bruises on me. The strange thing was, was that I was outside, and beside me lay my friend. Blood was caked over a wound to the back of the neck. In my hand, I found my Keyblade with a large blood stain on it."
"After that, I left and never went back. Then, the things about me forgetting everything stopped. The rage that had built up in me since I had killed my friend had grown exponentially after a few years. It was then that I met Axel. I didn't want to befriend him, but I ended up doing so anyway. Well on that very day-I can't give you everything, seeing as I can't remember much-I remember my Keyblade appearing. It was something I hadn't used unless I was in my Dark Form and didn't realize it. Well from Axel's account, my features had changed, you see I had, had black hair, but it turned silver. My eyes, Axel told me, had turned a silver color. Neither knew what happened next because I had knocked Axel out cold."
"But when I was finally able to see again, I remained as I was, but destruction was everywhere. Axel, though, was unharmed besides a few cuts, but none fateful. You see me now as I saw myself that day ten years ago. You may call me an enemy, or an ally, Sora, but be warned, I am neither, nor am I neutral. I can be ally, enemy, and neutral. This is what is going to happen to you unless you find a way to stop it." Scalvatrx finished.
Sora stared in disbelief before saying, "You must have went through hell and back!"
Leon heard someone talking upstairs, but it was not Sora. "Huh?" he whispered to himself. He stood up from where he was sitting, and grabbed his blade. Holding it on his shoulder, he went upstairs, not taking any notice to the following Kairi.
Axel sighed, "I can't give you the whole story, seeing as we are about to have a visitor, you can ask Sora the things I leave out and fill him in on this. But anyway, Scalvatrx was not always his name. I knew him as Arkath. Then the day came, when we met for a meeting about something, I saw the darkness within him. That very night, I discovered he could not change out of his dark form…"
Arkath lifted his hand, looking at it. There were claws-like fingernails on his hands. He noticed his hair had changed, and for some reason, he found that he was feeling calm with all the death around him. His cool eyes traveled down to Axel, who was just picking himself up. "Uhhh…Arkath?" Axel groaned.
"Arkath, humph!" Arkath spat. "I know no one of the such. My name is Scalvatrx!"
Axel picked himself up, looking at Arkath with a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"You know damn well what I'm talking about. I am who I say I am. Arkath is dead." the newer version of Arkath snarled, a sword appearing in each hand. One was his Flaming Destroyer-Keyblade-and the other a long sword with a blue glow around it. "And so shall you be."
"Stop!" Axel cried, his spinning disks appearing in his hands. "Scalvatrx, Arkath, who ever you are, we are friends, are we not?" It was then that it dawned on Axel. Arkath had warned him about a darkness within his heart that would soon consume him. Axel realized that this was the darkness in Arkath's heart.
"You were a friend of Arkath, not of me. So tell me, Axel, why spare you?" Scalvatrx questioned, his eyes flashing.
"Get a hold of yourself! You are a Keyblade wielder, not some murderer!" Axel urged his friend to remember who he was.
"Ah, but I am a murderer, as are you to be." Scalvatrx said. "You may not realize it, but I see it in your eyes, Axel. You're whole life will take a turn that ends up on death road. You don't even exist!"
"What are you talking about?" Axel asked, his hands tightening on the disks.
"You have no heart." Scalvatrx's voice was icy cold, but mockery was plain.
"I do too have a heart!" Axel snarled, wanting to throw a disk, but his body screamed against it, but his anger fueled it.
"Not anymore!" Scalvatrx rushed Axel, his Flame Destroyer pointed at Axel's heart.
Axel just finished his half of the story when the door burst open. "Riku!" came Leon's alarmed voice.
"I'd better go." Axel muttered to himself. "But before I do, Riku. Forgive Sora for any mistrust he has towards you. It is not his own, the real Sora, the real Keyblade master you know, is slowing being confined in darkness. You and Kairi both help him, bye."
"No, you're staying!" Riku growled, jumping towards Axel who had formed a dark portal. "You have to explain this to me! How do I help him!"
Axel stepped into the darkness. Riku landed as the wisps of darkness was vanishing. He could not follow. He clenched his teeth together, very aware of the stares from Leon and Kairi on his back. "Why were you speaking with Axel, and where's Sora?" Leon demanded.
"I can't explain right now. Sora's with Scalvatrx, where ever he is." Riku responded bluntly, looking around the room for his friend.
"Is he OK?" Kairi asked anxiously.
"I'm sure he is…but I can't tell you where he is." Riku stated, wondering about Axel and Scalvatrx's past. Arkath had been good, full of light, while Scalvatrx was cruel hearted and full of darkness. Could Arkath still live on within Scalvatrx?
"Riku, what were you talking about?" Kairi's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife, but Riku ignored her still.
Do not tell them about Organization XIII or my findings, Donald. That was what King Mickey had told Donald before they had departed. Now Riku realized that they had been left in the dark for a purpose, and Riku did not like it on bit. But what else could Mickey know? Riku wondered, his eyes shadowing over.
"Riku?" Kairi asked, though she was at least two feet in front of him, it sounded like miles off to Riku. This time he listened though, "Huh? What?"
"What were you saying to Axel?" Kairi repeated.
"It's not for you to hear." Riku said, looking towards Kairi, his eyes were a hardened blue, but held a deep fear within.
"Why not?" Kairi asked curiously.
"Because it doesn't concern you!" Riku snapped, throwing out one of his arms, expressing his anger.
Kairi drew back with great hurt. It shone in her eyes and reflected with her body movements. She did not speak or leave though, instead she stared at Riku as if she were looking right through him.
"It is time you returned to your friends Sora." Scalvatrx stated as he summoned up a dark portal.
Sora blinked and looked at Scalvatrx as if he hadn't hard, "You wielded a Keyblade?"
"Yes, the Flame Destroyer, but you must go. And remember this Sora: The light is closer than you would ever imagine." With that Scalvatrx flicked his wrist with his index finger and thumb out, he made the dark portal consume Sora. Sora gasped as he felt the cold clutches of darkness on him and then he found himself sinking in it until he vanished along with the darkness.
When Sora appeared on the other side, he found that he was sitting on the bed, his eyes full of trouble and wonder. He caught sight of Riku who was arguing with Leon and Kairi. They hadn't seemed to notice him.
"I tell you that this is something I have to discuss with Sora alone!" Riku yelled, his eyes narrowed. "Axel told me this was only for Sora to hear!"
"Then why did Axel send me away?" Sora asked from where he sat. Everyone turned to look at him.
Sora caught Kairi's eyes and he noticed that they had softened at the sight of him. He blinked at this, but was unable to hold the gaze and looked away. Then he glanced up at Riku and ordered, "Tell me what he told you Riku."
"You two have to go." Riku instructed to Kairi and Leon.
"But I want to hear too!" Kairi whined. When Riku shook his head, she looked at Sora for help. "Will you let me stay Sora?" she pleaded.
Sora looked at her and then at Riku. Kairi had gone through just as much as they had, she deserved to hear it. His eyes grew cold and he spoke his thoughts, "Kairi should stay, Riku. She deserves the right and you know it Riku!"
"That may be, but you yourself do not even know what I am about to tell you. Some of which, Kairi can hear, but not you. Kairi, go." Riku ordered, his cold blue eyes turning to glare at Leon and Kairi. Leon nodded and left without a word, but there was anger in his eyes. Kairi left reluctantly and went downstairs and outside.