A/N: Sorry about being kinda slow.
Okiegirlforever: I'm glad Sora scares you. He's supposed to. :)
Mooncry: Agreed.
Reader-girl290: Yup.
Forgotten Lies: Aw, thanks.
RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake: Well, here's your chapter.
Oathkeepra: Yeah, that's the question!
Ahem. I hereby dedicate this chapter to Zeldy (who knows who she is), just because. Many hugs for Zeldy!
Shut up, Pigeon. I'll dedicate a chapter to you, as well. Eventually.
Next To Nothing:
Chapter Eleven:
"The Third Option"
"Se-Second in command?" I stuttered, not quite believing my senses. Across the white marble table, Catássa looked furious. Had Xemnas not told her about his offer ahead of time? Was she really nothing more than a messenger? Was she jealous?
"I don't expect a hurried decision, Relena. Take your time." Xemnas smiled slyly to himself, as if he was enjoying a private joke. Deep inside, I wanted to punch him, just to wipe that stupid smile off his face. "You and Axel can wander the city and the castle as you like, but you won't be allowed to leave this world until you have made up your mind."
"Fine." I said as I stood up, not wanting to cause trouble. Not now, anyway.
"Keep these facts in mind, Savage Nymph." He said sternly.
"What?" I asked, sitting back down.
"Before you are tempted to reject my offer, let me bring to your attention the conditions of this offer. Three things, Relena. Sooner or later, my nothingness will reign supreme, with or without you by my side. You have nowhere to hide. I have seen your humble apartment in Radiant Garden, your friends, your world. And I have Avery."
"What?!" Axel and I asked in unison, startled by this statement.
"You—you have Avery?" Axel asked. This time, he was the one who was stuttering. It seemed he hadn't spoken until now, but his emerald eyes pleaded for the truth of the situation.
"Yes, Number VIII, I know all about your Somebody, your name lies. But I'm willing to forgive you of that much. So, keep in mind, Relena," Xemnas added wryly, "Keep in mind the conditions, if you please."
"Larissa, I—" Axel and I found ourselves in a dark alley, soon after leaving the castle. I needed a quiet, dark place to think, so basically any part of the city would do. But I chose that alley, far from the castle. I sat up against, the wall, my knees to my chest and my head in my hands. Axel, beside me, was doing his best to comfort me and calm me, but it was in vain. I was upset, indecisive, and the inner turmoil was just too much. "He could just be bluffing about Avery."
"No, no, I don't think he is. How—how else would he know your true name?" I shook my head to illustrate my point. He fell silent.
"You don't have to do this, Larissa." He said firmly, as if I didn't realize my own choices. It frustrated me, a little bit.
If I accepted Xemnas' offer, there was a chance that I could save Catássa from whatever bonds he had her under. I certainly could not bear to walk away from the deal watching my best friend suffer under Xemnas. No, no I couldn't. And there was always Avery. If Xemnas wasn't bluffing, and he really did have Avery, Axel could get his heart back. And I knew that that was worth just about anything, having gained my heart back myself. But could I stand to reign darkness over the worlds, as Xemnas put it? Would I be able to put my emotions aside? Could I bear to take over Radiant Garden, my newfound home, my friends? No, no I couldn't. Aerith, Cloud, Cid, Yuffie, Leon, would I be able to destroy their home before their eyes? No. I couldn't bear to do that.
"There—there has to be another way." I stuttered, as I racked my brain. Did I really believe what I had said? Was there really a loophole, something both of us were missing? I thought for a moment, and suddenly, I realized something. "We're making a mistake." I began, a grin spreading across my face like a dawn as my realization spilled out of my mouth. "The same mistake that I made, when I was in the Organization." The look on Axel's face asked a million questions, but I continued, nonetheless. "We're playing by Xemnas' rules." I stood up, and brushed my skirt off. "I say it's high time we break a few."
We decided that Vexen's lab would be the place to start.
I was hardly able to overcome the déjà vu as we wandered around the castle, stepping quietly, as not to be found. I had been so accustomed to sneaking around the castle in my Organization days that it was nearly second nature.
And in truth, Vexen's lab wasn't that hard to find.
For whatever reason, his room had been near to mine, and the smells and sounds that had come from that lab were something to be frightened of. I shuddered at the thought, staring at Vexen's door before me. I had never set foot in that lab (actually, I wasn't allowed to, anyway), so the closed door seemed a little ominous. Axel nudged me in the side. "Go on," he said softly. I pushed the door open.
It looked like an average chemist's lab, at first glance. But the more I looked, I saw pictures of people, of heartless, diagrams of people's hearts hung up all over the room. I was horrified. There was a sketch of the Riku replica, and there was a whole stack of notes and observations on the floor underneath it, with his name spread over the pages. I actually felt bad for the poor guy, being treated like an experiment, nothing more. I remembered abusing him, calling him Vexen's "toy". Had I lost my compassion, too, when I lost my heart? But then, I laid eyes on something that banished all other thoughts from my mind.
I stepped forward, and picked up off of Vexen's table a page that was entitled 'Avery'. I bit my lip as I scanned the page. "Oh, my god…" I said, as I read. I looked up, and saw the door mentioned on the page. "Axel—" I began, unable to produce a full sentence. "Axel—"
"Larissa, what is it?" He asked, his voice full of anticipation and worry.
"Avery, he's—he's been here all along—" Without stopping to explain, I walked over to the door in the back of the room, and opened it. "Avery?" I asked, my voice echoing in the darkness.
"Larissa? Is that you?"
A/N: AAAHHHH, CLIFFIE! Sorry! But I guess you guys expected as much from me.