Demyx wasn't stupid; that much was evident in the way he observed the Cloaked Schemer the next few days after the meeting with Saix. Zexion had been even quieter than usual, seeming to revert back to his Nobody persona completely; the Cloaked Schemer began to be reclusive, always with an air of one who did not want to be bothered. Yet, Demyx noticed an etch of worry always cross Zexion's features every time he saw Marluxia, Larxene, or Axel. Demyx pondered on this, and when he racked his brain over and over again, still finding no possible connection, the Melodious Nocturne decided to intercept Zexion.
It was on the fifth day after Saix's meeting that Demyx caught Zexion in the Library. Quietly approaching the reading Zexion, Demyx cleared his throat, catching Zexion's attention right away. "Hey, there," Demyx greeted, giving a small smile. When Zexion raised an eyebrow, Demyx said, "Anything in particular goin' on?"
"Not particularly," Zexion answered, "no." Turning a page in his book, Zexion spoke softly, "What do you want?"
"Is there anything going on?" Demyx plunged. "I noticed you giving Axel, Larxene, and Marluxia funny worried looks whenever you see them..." When he saw Zexion twitch, Demyx pressed on. "Is there...something going on?"
Zexion peered at the Melodious Nocturne with a new glow of respect in his silver-blue eyes. Demyx was no longer that coward who ran from nearly every battle; he was no longer the one who would immediately submit at the first sign of hostility. This before him was a new Demyx; one Zexion knew he could tell about the situation. Besides, who was Saix to think he could order and threaten him, Zexion? "Demyx," Zexion began tactfully, "there are some things going on that I believe I can tell you about."
"Where are you going?" Axel mumbled sleepily as he watched Larxene's figure through the shadows, walking through a portal.
Larxene turned her head back to him. "I'm just going to pick up another blanket; it's colder than usual tonight." With that, she left, leaving Axel to wait in silence.
The Flurry Of Dancing Flames had barely closed his eyes again when another portal swirled open. Assuming it was Larxene, Axel waited; however, he reopened his eyes, sensing this was not his lover. The realization barely registered in his head when the intruder snatched at a handful of Axel's fire-red hair; the pyro cried out, only to be tossed across the room by the unknown assailant.
Axel whipped upward, only to have a clout across his face by a large hand. Staggering back down, Axel struggled to get up, embers flickering around his body. Armed with a hand bathed in fire, Axel swung swiftly at the stranger's face, aiming true to the side of their face. Out of nowhere, something large and heavy was struck to Axel's side, nearly cracking several ribs. Axel yelled out into the night again, only to have a foot pressed against his throat. Gagging now, Axel heard one whisper:
"Traitorous coward."
Axel felt the foot begin to crash down on his throat for but a split second...
The portal ripped open with such force that an unknown gust blew through, foreshadowing the furious rage that the virago herself carried. Larxene lunged toward the assailant, snatching at their throat, her gloveless fingers ripping skin. "Have you no honor?!" she screamed, clutching their throat. Lightning sped up her arm, shocking the stranger; the Savage Nymph began to once again live up to her title. Kunai materialized inbetween her fingers upon seeing the weapon the stranger had; she quickly swung across their face with such brutal force that the person yelled out, silenced when Larxene grabbed their throat again. She took a few steps forward before hurling them to the ground with quivering force. She allowed a moment's repose upon seeing that the assailant was most likely knocked out.
The Savage Nymph turned to Axel for the first time, and rushed to his side. "What happened?" she demanded as she examined his body.
"That's the thing: I have no clue," Axel breathed, sitting up against the nearby wall. "Who was it?"
Larxene immediately turned around to look at the unconscious person. Upon close examination, Larxene breathed to Axel: "Saix."
Xemnas narrowed his eyes to orange slits as he heard out the three. Axel stood between Larxene and an infuriated Saix, who had several gaping wounds along his cheeks from Larxene's kunai knives. "What was the provocation?" Xemnas asked quietly, gripping the armrests of his large chair.
"I don't know," Axel repeated. Looking steadily at the Superior, he said, "I have done nothing. Nor has Larxene."
"Something had to have happened to have this incident occur!" Xemnas snapped irritably. "I want the truth, Number Eight!"
"I am telling the truth, dammit!"
"I am no longer certain of your trust, Axel," Xemnas told the pyro, low and dangerous. "For all I know, it could have been Saix who was attacked!"
Larxene's head whipped to the Luna Diviner; the berserker's condition would certainly back up that statement, while she and Axel were virtually unharmed. "Axel's telling the truth!" she addressed the Superior now. "I can back up his statement!"
"ENOUGH!" Xemnas roared, pounding a clenched fist against the armrest to his left. "You shall be separated from Saix; you two are not to come in contact with him at all! The same goes for you, Saix!" Turning to see Saix nodding, he whipped his furious gaze to Axel and Larxene, missing the Luna Diviner's arrogant smirk. "Do you two understand?"
Larxene did not answer; she turned swiftly on her heel and prowled out of the Superior's room, Axel following suit.
"He doesn't believe us," Axel breathed loudly when they had walked a few paces.
"Of course he doesn't," Larxene agreed, keeping pace. "Saix has always been loyal to him, has always been in his trust. Xemnas'll take his word over our's any time."
"This isn't over," Axel growled, a strange, grim smile upon his lips. "Not by a long shot." Quickening his pace, Axel cast a hard gaze back toward the Superior's room.
"Axel," Larxene asked steadily. "What is it?"
"I have to make Xemnas believe me," was all Axel said to her. "But first, I have to figure out why Saix tried to kill me last night..." Walking on now, the two were in silence until steady footsteps came toward them. Looking ahead carefully, Axel and Larxene saw the person to be Demyx. Inwardly shrugging, they resumed walking until Demyx stopped them by coming in front of the pair.
"Axel," he whispered, "Larxene. There's something we need to talk to you about."
" 'We'?" Larxene repeated. "Who else are you including?"
"I can't say," Demyx continued whispering. "But we need to talk somewhere far more private. Let me take you to my room."
Larxene exchanged a confused glance with Axel, and upon seeing the same uncertainty in his eyes, the Savage Nymph thought for a second. Demyx seemed pretty serious, actually, and she concluded that the Nocturne was not simply messing with them. "Okay, fine," she answered, and Axel followed the two through a portal.
"That was quite an ungainly performance last night, Number Seven," Vexen mocked as he experimented idly in his lab, Saix behind him.
Saix growled, but gave no other response for quite a while. Finally, he asked, "I did not count on Larxene's unexpected arrival. As far as I knew, she wanted nothing to do with him." His golden eyes glittered as he suddenly recalled the last time he had seen Axel and Larxene together, back when he had fought -and lost- with the Savage Nymph. It suddenly dawned on him on why she had stood up for Axel that day, and why she had arrived so unpredictably last night to the pyro's aid. What also came to mind was her defense on Axel's part earlier during the meeting in Xemnas's room. He grinned a secret grin; all had fallen into place before his hands.
Vexen turned, and upon seeing Saix's face dark with malice, he raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
"Vexen," Saix responded, deep and calculating, "see if Zexion hasn't spilled any information." When Vexen grunted, Saix went on. "I have it figured out now: I should have attacked Axel psychologically. We shall destroy that part of him that he had strived so hard in the other life to reclaim: his heart."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Vexen snapped.
"Simple," Saix sneered, his tone dripping venom and foreboding. "We take Larxene away from him."
A/N: I would never have thought about putting in the event where Saix ambushes Axel in his room. But I had been listening to the song "Sahara" by Nightwish and it just got me pumped for some sort of fighting! So I threw in that part; quite convenient, I suppose. But anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you keep reading!
