"We've looked everywhere. Damn it, he's not here! I was so sure of it too. We should go somewhere else I guess."
Tyler and Riku had gone to Twilight Town in search of me, but I was currently at Olympus Coliseum with Hercules.
"Ok, where to next?"
Riku asked. But before Tyler could answer, a man in a black hooded cloak appeared in front of them without warning. They raised their weapons,
"Relax, I'm not here for a fight… you're lookin' for Sora and that Startux kid right? Well I know where they are."
The figure exclaimed in a calm cocky voice as he raised his hands
Still holding their weapons up, the figure lowered his hood.
"Axel?"
Tyler questioned, still holding his key blade up, not daring to lower it for fear this was a trick.
"What do you want?"
Riku demanded, raising his Key Blade threateningly.
"I told you, I'm here to help you find your friends."
Axel repeated.
"Do you think we would fall for that? You're part of the Organization. This is probably just a trap."
Riku said, getting ready to fight.
"No, you got it all wrong. I'm not with the Organization anymore. Something happened to the others and they started to act funny. Then one day Saïx and Xemnas decided they didn't need the rest of us. So they started taking us out… I barely escaped. Actually it all started right after you and your friend showed up. I may not have a heart, but that doesn't mean I don't care about living and taking care of myself."
(Nobodies are shells of strong hearted people who have been turned into heartless. They lose all emotions but can remember how they felt to have them)
Axel pointed out in his defense.
"You're lying!"
Riku yelled as he charged at Axel. But before Riku attacked, Tyler stepped between them and said,
"Riku no, he's telling the truth. If you can't trust him, trust me."
Riku stopped and said,
"But he's a Nobody, he can't be trusted!"
"Trust me, he's not lying, but he's not telling us why he helping us. It looks like we're not the only people who have lost their friends. Isn't that right, Axel? You missed Roxas and you were hoping you could get him back by getting close enough to Sora."
Axel looked absolutely stunned.
"What would make you think a thing like that?"
Axel asked with his head cocked to one side.
"I know that you were close to Roxas and that you want to see him again. He made if feel like you had a heart. But what you don't seem to get is he never left, he's always there in Sora you don't need to make him a Nobody to see him, trust me. I can even be your friend if you want me to. Now, where are Sora and my friends?"
Tyler said to Axle who looked down after his cover was blown. You could see some emotion of sadness in his eyes which shouldn't be there.
"He's going back to Hallow Bastion. If we go now we might find him."
Axel muttered realizing he wouldn't get his way, but Riku still looked unsure. Then, out of nowhere came dozens of the Giga Heartless, as they were now being called. There was also another new heatless. They Had large arms and seems to just float there.
"Look out!"
Axel shouted as he pushed Tyler out of the way as one of the Heartless whip-like tongues nearly took his head off. The three of them drew their weapons and stood back to back, as they were surrounded.
"Trust me now?"
Axel Grimaced as the three of them leaped from each other at the surrounding Heartless.
"Let's party!"
Axel bellowed as he shot flames in multiple directions, incinerating anything in their path.
"Come on!"
Riku shouted, cutting down three Heartless then blowing them away with a dark blast.
"Isn't this romantic?"
(If you are confused about this line it is something one of the characters says in combat that just is awkward)
Tyler cried out, sticking his key blade through one of the Heartless' head, making it explode, but also making both Axel and Riku stop and look at him funny.
"Umm… It sounded like something good to... Say at the…. I'll be quiet now."
The battle, though short, was not easy. All three were winded after.
"So, you gonna to trust me now?"
Axel said panting, but a strange darkness started to surround them.
"Crap. They are trying to engulf this world in a new kind of darkness. We have to go now or we will be stuck here."
Axel said as the shadow steadily moved towards them.
"I don't know about this, but I guess we have no choice. Let's go."
And with that, the three of them left and appeared at Hallow Bastion, just outside of Merlin's house. There were voices coming from inside and then Tyler heard it.
"We're not going fast enough. We need to hurry. I just have to find Xetryl… I can't let him get hurt."
It was me. I had grown impatient and wanted to carry on the search for Tyler. Tyler went for the door and opened it up. Every one inside went quiet and turned to see who had opened the door. When I saw him I couldn't do anything but stare.
"Looking for me?"
"…Whu?"
Was all I could get out.
"Yeah, it's me and I'm not alone. Sora, come on outside. There are some people here to see you.
"Oh my god, Tyler you're ok… Who, how… What happened?"
I bleared out as I attempted to form words, but couldn't.
"Come outside and I will explain."
So we all followed him outside to find the two black hooded figures. We all drew are weapons, but we were stopped by Tyler. Tyler had Riku come first. I knew who it was right away, even though he looked just like Xehanort, but Sora broke down, like in the game. I was still in shock that after a week of looking, Tyler found me.
"I should go."
Axel said, turning away from Sora.
"No stay, you helped me find my friend, and you have friends here. Plus, we could really use your help with the Organization. Not to mention that you have nowhere to go. You will be safer with us."
Tyler said in protest, pulling Axel back.
"Fine, ok. I'll stay, just let go, geez… messing up my clothes."
Axel complained.
"Sora, come here. This is Axel."
"Um, hi."
Sora muttered, still shaken by the fact that he just found Riku.
"Hey."
Axel said awkwardly. They started talking and soon as they seemed comfortable, we went back inside. After everyone settled down, we started to talk about what had happened while we were separated. I told Tyler how Midna and I had been traveling from world to world trying to save him by making it to the World That Never Was, and he told me how he had searched for me in Twilight Town that was apparently much bigger that it was in the game and about how Duma, Zephon and who knows how many other evil entities had taken over the Organization making them stronger. We knew we had to kill them, because apparently it was a job of people like me, but I wasn't complaining I wanted revenge... No one makes me cry and gets away with it.
It didn't even dawn on me at the time to wonder about whom else could have the power I did. We all had become exhausted in the week of searching. We took a break in Hallow Bastion for a few days, taking turns on look out for any other surprise attacks. Midna had other matters in her own world, so she had left us for now. It went on like this until one day, while Tyler and I were on our patrol shift, a one-winged man with long silver hair and a giant katana came down in front of us.
"You two, where's Cloud?"
It was Sephiroth, and he was even more menacing in person as he was in the game, but I didn't let that stop me from being a cocky bastard. In all honestly I should have nearly crapped myself.
"Why should we tell you?"
I said, drawing my sword pointing it at him, thunder encircling my body. Sephiroth's Theme started to play in the background and I knew it was on. I was itching for a fight, because things were really quite boring in Hallow Bastion since we had been there.
"Shut up, Stuart."
Tyler whispered to me but I ignored him.
"Even if we told you where he was, you're no match for him Sephie, you're pathetic. Come on, you can't even afford a second wing. I'm surprised you don't fly like a retarded penguin with a jet pack."
I mimicked a penguin flying around and crashing into a wall.
"You have just signed your death warrant. You should have learned to hold your tongue, but it is too late for that. Now you will die!"
Sephiroth threatened calmly as he raised his sword and lunged at me. Ready for it I parried his sword and jumped back as Tyler did the same.
"Good job dumb ass, now he's gonna kill us!"
Tyler yelled as he drew his key blade and going into Final form, not wanting to risk getting killed.
"Calm down Tyler, we can take him."
I said, following Dante's Number One rule of fighting. Show no fear, no matter how screwed you probably are. He then darted towards me with a lightning fast slash, but I defended myself and countered him with a swipe of my blade sending sparks at him. With every strike I made, he parried. We were fighting in midair, me rebounding off of walls until a heavy blow sent me crashing to the ground, breaking the cement like a crater.
Tyler jumped in right before the final strike and continued the assault now gliding around Sephiroth with final form, attacking Sephiroth from every angle but not landing a single blow. Tyler was soon knocked from the air into me knocking me back down. My spider sense went off and the reason why was the swirling vortex of death that Sephiroth was creating and trying to draw us in to. I only had seconds to act.
"REFLEGA!"
I screamed as Tyler and I were engulfed in the mass of swirling black ball of doom.
"Pathetic fools."
Sephiroth said as he turned to leave, not seeing Tyler and I standing up just fine through the dispersing cloud of smoke. I took this chance to get him. I jumped up right above Sephiroth kicking him in the back of his head, slamming his face to the ground.
"Xetryl, now!"
I called to Tyler. Tyler shot straight at Sephiroth and used his key blade to send him into the wall, making it come crashing down on top of him. I just had time to move away from Tyler as he went to punch me, barely missing me.
"You're such dick head. Why would you do something like that? We could have died!"
Tyler yelled, swinging at me again.
"Were fine, if we got in any real trouble I would have gone all devily and stuff."
I shrugged as I jumped away from Tyler's bone breaking blow. Then from the wreckage arose Sephiroth, dusting his shoulder off.
"Not bad, but no matter how many times you knock me down you will never win. Now you will die."
Sephiroth glared at us with like white hot fire.
"We're fucked aren't we?"
Tyler growled under his breath waiting for me to go into devil trigger form.
"Sigh…yeah probably."
I mumbled to Tyler but I was cut off by two hooded figures.
"Who are you? Stay away unless you wish to die as well."
But before he could finish, he was tossed aside and cut in half with a quick slash of Dumas Claymore.
"We have finally found you. What are you still doing here? We expected to find you some were more… interesting."
It was Zephon and Duma, and they had tossed Sephiroth aside like a toy.
"It's time to let us out Stuart. Now come on, we will make it fast if you don't resist."
I raised my sword but was knocked back by a darkness blast, as was Tyler. They were coming for us and we were not ready to fight them yet. They were nearly to us, their eyes glowed bright white. They had stopped as a wall of fire rose between us.
"Get the hell out of here! I'll hold them back, just save your selves!"
It was Axel.
"Axel, no don't! You can't win this fight!"
I pleaded to Axel. He had become our friend now and we needed to protect him.
"I know that, but you guys need to live. I'm a nobody, I don't even exist so is no biggy, now go! I'll hold them back as long as I can!"
Then flames shot even closer to us, making have to step back. The flames chased us to Merlin's house. We could see the enormous flames shooting from the direction of the fight.
"We have to go, now! Xemnas is here and he's after us! If we stay it will put everyone here in danger!"
I shouted as I ran through the door. Everyone looked at us, but we had planned for this. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Riku all got up as Tyler and I followed them to the Gummi ship. We had lifted off, but as we left we saw Axel from the ship and Zephon and Duma just walking through the flames straight at him.
"We can't leave! We have to help him, now land this thing!"
I yelled as I look down at Axel.
"No! There's nothing we can do, he's doing this to save us. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."
Tyler said, holding back the urge to join me in wanting to go back. We turned on the ships camera so that we could get a better view of what was happening on the ground.
"What a bothersome pest. Let's do away with this nuisance fast so we may leave."
Zephon said to Duma.
"Damn, doesn't look like I'm going to make it out of this one. May as well go out with a bang?"
Axel told himself and stopped shooting flames.
"Given up just like the rest of your Organization friends, have we?"
Said Duma. Axel showed no sign of fear, partly on account that he couldn't because the lack of a heart, but mostly because he was going to save his friends.
"Hey Xemnas, I quit your little gang and I saved the only friends I got, so I don't know who you're talking about. Oh yeah by the way…fuck you! Got it memorized?"
These words would be Axel's last. He then put all his being into a final attack. We had started to leave when an enormous blast shook the Gummi ship. The screen went black and we all rushed to the window to see what had happened. Axel had unleashed his final attack and it had demolished the entire Bailey. A plume of smoke engulfed the area, debris littered the ground and as the smoke cleared the two figures stood just as they were moments ago dusting off the rubble.
"Cough, we lost him again! Damn it! Now what will we do?"
Roared Duma. We could still hear them but could not see on our screen.
"Patience Duma, we shall will have him soon enough. We have gotten the boy moving along like I had planned, so do not worry."
Zephon replied in a deadly calm voice that was quite the opposite of Duma.
"We were so close! I hate having to wait."
Duma replied in an irritated tone.
"Patience Duma. He will not leave. He is searching for a way to destroy us as we speak. He wants to find us, and when he does, we will leave nothing to chance. We will take him then and there."
Zephon said, watching us fly away with an evil smile.