…I just now realized Xaldin wasn't present at the meeting last chapter. He's probably off butchering some other tiny woodland creature. XD Anyway, thank you to whoever decides to read this story!

Hollow Bastion had been a lot different in Alykx's mind. First of all was the lack of depression that he assumed would come with the name of the world. Then he saw the giant castle completely eviscerated all because of some kid with a key. Roxas's storytelling was a bit unbelievable, and Alykx had to cut him off before letting him get too far. "All we have to do is kill a couple of Heartless," he reminded tersely. "Stay focused, and let's get it done before Xemnas decides to start shooting off energy beams." Roxas scrunched his face up in confusion. "I'm pretty sure Xemnas can't do that."

"Do you want to figure it out the hard way?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Then move your ADD ass to the bailey. According to Vexen's 'reliable' data, we have to go through a straight and down a cliff. There should be a wide open area with 'regal like flooring'."

"Xemnas gave you directions?"

"No, Vexen did though. Who I have every intention of shredding into tiny pieces,"

The two walked through what passed off as a village center of sorts, getting inconspicuous glares from the populace. Apparently they didn't exactly trust anyone wearing all black. Smart people, he thought glumly. Another very noticeable thing was two men talking in heated discussion; one had a sword by his side, though it looked more like a revolver with a huge bayonet. Mysterious man number two had a much larger blade, bigger than him almost. Roxas took advantage of Alykx's momentary distraction to poke him on the shoulder. "You up for asking directions?" Hesitantly, Alykx nodded and cautiously strode over to the men, who instantly stopped their conversation. Roxas knew how awkward he was around total strangers, but then again, the former wasn't very bold either. "Hey do you two guys know where to find the bailey?" Alykx asked meekly.

The two other men glanced at one another. The brunette in leather replied, "Have you two been here before?" Alykx and Roxas looked at each other for a while before saying in not so much unity, "Yeah, but not to the bailey."

"You sure? Because I really remember the whole all black trend thing going on with our last…not so welcome guests."

"First of all, you're both wearing all black, so try a little more description in your profiling. Second, since when is it up to either of you to decide who is and isn't welcome? Third of all, we haven't been here before in any shape or form and desperately require direction to a damn bailey so I can go home and eat some freaking cheese cake!"

Both parties looked at the young boy in surprise. Roxas punched him on the shoulder very hard. Alykx was mad enough to ignore it. The shorter boy timidly said,"I'm sorry, we've both had a pretty long day, it's hot, we live really far away, and our uncle's waiting there."

"Why you're uncle?"

"Parents died…of… tuberculosis. Yeah, I think that was it!"

"I don't believe you."

The brunette readied his sword-like gun at the two. Alykx scoffed. "Oh look at me, I'm so bad I'll try to beat up two kids," he mocked in a dramatically deep voice. "Just a side note, Roxas, don't lie. It's bad for your karma, and you're pretty terrible at it." Thank god blonde emo guy isn't getting into this, he thought, and then realized the other young man was charging at them. Roxas yelled, "Look out!" Too little, too late, the blade rose over the boy's head and fell…

The blade cut through wispy smoke.

Alykx stood behind him, hood now down, and looked at his elder disdainfully. "If I were a normal kid, you'd have hell to pay for. Roxas has a pretty good lawyer named Axel. What's your name, because I need to put you under a name instead of 'Random Biker Dude with a Big Sword'."

"Leon. And I don't think you'll be doing a report or anything else once I'm done!"

"Oh, classy. Take that up with Roxas after he's done cutting you up like a cow."

Roxas had both Keyblades in a kind of scissor against Leon's neck. "I'd take some serious consideration to listen to my friend. We won't kill you either way."

"Roxas, really! Then what was the point of putting the damn things to his neck if you weren't going to smoke his ass?"

"I was hoping to get along on a bluff!"

"Well you kind of ruined that now didn't you? Why would you tell someone you are trying to threaten that you're not going to kill him?"

"Oh, like you've killed someone Alykx."

"Yes! On several occasions! I am related by blood to Larxene, remember?"

"That is a valid point."

"You two need to shut up!" Leon yelled and swung his blade down on Roxas who blocked it with both Keyblades. Alykx summoned his knives and leapt at Leon, only to be pulled down by the hood from behind. As he hit the floor, a very large blade descended on him, point first. At nearly the last second he rolled out of the way, the blond man's sword lodged deep into the ground. "Fine, you want to play too Blondie?"

"My name is Cloud."

"I stopped caring about two seconds ago- when you guys interfered with me and a long afternoon spent without violence!"

"You're a pacifist and supposedly killed people?"

"Nope, lazy and trying to save myself a crap load of paperwork."

Alykx bounced to his feet and charged at his assailant, knives clenched between his fingers. He preferred throwing them, but he'd have to imitate his relative for a bit. His blades descended on the man's head, and Cloud's sword was up in an instant to deflect the blow. The two black clad warriors struggled against each other's opposing strength. Calmly, Cloud flicked his sword in a circle, and Alykx fell downwards a little. The Organization member made an uppercut with his left hand with blinding speed. A grunt in pain from the man confirmed his attack had hit home. As soon as Cloud did however, he batted away he boy with his hand, sending Alykx to the floor. The knives had pierced his midsection, all four of them, and were firmly lodged there. "How you doing over there Rox?" he called nonchalantly. His companion danced with Oathkeeper, Oblivion, and Leon's gunblade with startling ease. "Eh, I've been better. Do you think we should end this?" Alykx smiled almost evilly. "Absolutely." Then, the brunette boy's body became somewhere between smoke and flesh, and he sprinted over to Roxas, the move being almost as fast as the latter when he used his Light element. Alykx moved his hand up and the blades moved through Leon; the boy reverted to normal and the final man fell to the ground clutching his side. Confident both were incapacitated, Roxas sheathed his blades. "Now, let me ask you guys something: is there a place with, uh, regal like flooring in your opinion?" Cloud grunted an answer. "You mean the Castle gate?"

"I don't know, I've never been here."

"Why would you want to go there?"

"Our… informant has claimed there is quite a large concentration of Heartless in that specific area."

"Nothing's there anymore. A few other people and I here cleared it out a couple days ago."

"Are you serious?"

"Yep. Everything there is gone except for the actual place."

"We're checking anyway. Have fun bleeding and what not. By the way which way is it?"

"Just past the bailey and take a right at the research facility. You can't miss it."

"You're being oddly cooperative now that we just beat you," Roxas pointed out.

"The sooner you guys leave the better."

"As good a reason as any. Alykx, let's go."

"Shouldn't we like, you know, kill them?"

"Dude, we already have a huge stack of papers as it is for fighting, do you want to add murder to that?"

"True, but there is the matter of loose ends."

"Just walk."

Alykx gave them one final coy smile before putting his hood back up and leaving with Roxas into a dark portal. Mere moments later, a shattered landscape laid itself open before the two boys. "Wow, this is worse than Port Royal," Alykx laughed before Roxas shot him a warning glare. "Yeah, and just remember there's a kid out there running around like an idiot who can do a lot worse than this." Seeing he wasn't in the light hearted mood, Alykx promptly closed his mouth. He sighed, and made a lawn chair out of smoke and sat on it. "What are you doing?" Roxas asked, still irritated. Alykx raised an eyebrow. "Waiting for you to wise up and take out your Keyblades."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm barely a year old and I know the answer."

"Oh yeah, right."

Roxas did as bidden, and several minutes that seemed to last hours passed. Then, a small hunched over conglomeration of shadow. That small mass became a raging torrent as others arrived alerted to the presence of their hated bane. Alykx's lawn chair dissipated and he stretched his back, hearing a few pops. Roxas had went on ahead and started hacking at them with an almost berserker like frenzy. It wasn't the effectiveness behind it that piqued his curiosity, but Alykx had seen the boy fight many times with more fluid movements, and precise cuts. Something had him worried, so Alykx gave a small snap of his fingers. The smoke that was once his chair whirled around the Heartless and he whispered "See ya," before it settled into small groups and impaled several of the dark beings. A good number was still left, and he was positive Roxas was slowing in movements. A long leap was all it took to be right next to him. "Take a break, mate," he ordered. The blond looked at him quizzically before flashing further away in a burst of light. The blue-green eyed Nobody smiled to him before rushing into the fray of battle. Twenty Heartless, one little old me and probably half an hour before Xemnas gets impatient. Lots of throwing, lots of ice for arm cramps, he decided and readied all eight knives at his disposal. A quick flick of both wrists and two from each hand were gone. Six left, he thought. Alykx had learned he lost count of his knives very frequently, and had to make a conscious effort to 'reload'. A dark Neoshadow leapt for his face, and the boy gored it on a fistful of three blades, and tossed it to the side. "Seventeen!" he shouted to Roxas who gave a thumbs up with one hand while eating ice cream with the other. Lazy bastard, he thought. You did tell him to sit it out, though. His mental musings were lost as another Neoshadow clawed him across the chest. "Oh, you cheeky little cunt!" he yelled furiously, and all was lost in fog.

Ice cream forgotten, Roxas instead focused on the battle. Nothing could be seen inside the veil of smoke, although various slashing noises and curses could be heard. Then he saw a black clad form leap into the air shouting at the top of his lungs "Die!" and Alykx threw his now remaining four knives. What followed them was…unexpected. First of all, the knives trailed what appeared to blue smoke, which upon landing resulted in large explosions. The smoke cleared, and there Alykx stood clutching at his chest cursing madly. Roxas merely tilted his head. "I thought your element was Smoke?" he asked. The former instantly straightened up. "What's an explosion if it's not fire and smoke? Just a breeze. Xaldin can do the same thing. Can we please go now?" Roxas smiled and made a portal. "After you, mate."

Alykx had slept through nearly the whole report, but Roxas had kicked him in the shin to wake him up towards the end. "…And that's what happened Superior," Roxas finished. Xemnas nodded solemnly. He waved a hand. "Roxas, you are dismissed. Alykx, stay a while. I have something of up most importance for you." Roxas left in his own Corridor and just as he left another opened and two figures stepped through. Both flipped up their hoods at their leaders command, and Xemnas grinned slightly. "These two will be your new…partners."

May I get a "Dun Dun Dun!" and a few gasps of shock? No? Right then. I promise the OCs WILL appear the next chapter…which will kind of be about them. *SPOILERS END HERE* Anyway, I own nothing! (kept forgetting the legal disclaimer…) Before I finish, I'm willing to accept ideas from anyone who wants an OC in here (doubt it but I'd be happy to write them in) or just a little idea for the story. Thank you loyal readers! (and some reviewers XD)