Chapter II: Judgment

The force of the blow sent Larxene skidding across the marble floor of Castle Oblivion, stopped only by a conveniently placed wall. She retched and spat the blood out of her mouth as she raised her head to face her attacker. Though his strike had knocked her at least three yards, Xemnas closed the distance in just a few strides. For a creature who felt only the shadow of human emotions, the anger on his face seemed alarmingly authentic. "M-master…" she fought for air against the rising tide of blood, "forgive me master… it wasn't my fault... I tried."

Xemnas's answer was another earth shattering backhand. Larxene tried to stand but her shattered legs would no longer carry the weight of her body and she collapsed in a whimpering heap on the cold floor. She listened to the steady clack, clack, clack of the superior's boots as he approached. She felt a vice like hand close around her neck and lift her up. "It was… a mistake for me to trust you in the first place, traitor." His grip began to tighten, "I do not make mistakes twice."

"Xemnas," a deep, composed voice spoke, "you cast aside your pawns too lightly. This one's failure was just that, a failure. There is no treachery at play here. She withdrew from a battle she deemed unwinnable and I will discipline her appropriately. Do not forget that she protected the life of a comrade in the process, you and I would have done the same."

Larxene felt herself moving as Xemnas turned to face the upstart. Saïx stood his ground, arms crossed, his expression blank. Xemnas allowed Larxene to fall. Xemnas stared at his lieutenant for what seemed to Larxene like ages. In the blink of an eye, the superior charged, a beam of scintillating red energy in his hand. If Larxene thought Xemnas's movements were too quick to track, she was in good company. Saïx let out a feral yelp as the beam of disruptive energy slashed across his stomach; he fell to his knees, fighting for breath. Xemnas dispersed his weapon with a carefree flick of his hand. "Your wound will heal in time. Do not expect such mercy from me in the future, Saïx. That was your only warning." He turned back to Larxene, "now then, where were we?" He walked to where she lay, but paused. "Are there any other objections?" The cavernous room fell silent, save for Saïx's anguished growls. "How quickly you forget that it was here, in these very halls that this fiend first conspired against us, against all of you." He glanced around at the silent faces of his organization. "Here she robbed you of your salvation, your only chance to truly exist, to be human beings once again. It strains the limits of my imagination why all of you do not clamber to be in my place, to exact justice with your own hands." Xemnas looked down at Larxene and scowled, "My castle, my world, my Kingdom Hearts lost. And it all began with you. You could have stopped him but you didn't. You were too wrapped in your petty schemes with your worthless companion. You bear responsibility for all that we have lost, the blood of every soul in this room, including my own, is on your hands."

Xemnas let the words hang in the air for a moment. From the shadows he heard a voice whisper, "the boss just blew my mind."

Without turning Xemnas growled, "There have been better times for your insolence, Xigbar, unless you wish to lose another eye."

"You are at a dangerous threshold, my lord; I would implore you not to cross it."

"You astound me Luxord, I thought you would be more prudent than this."

There was a burst of shadow energy and Luxord appeared, interposing himself between Xemnas and Larxene. "The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny."

Xemnas snorted, "cute, but it will take more than a wordsmith to stay my hand." A pair of ethereal blades formed in Xemnas's hands. "Do not stand between me and this fiend."

"I will stand between any two fiends I choose, Xemnas."

"It seems I will have more discipline to enact." Xemnas released his ethereal blades and let the two beams of void energy hang in the air. He made a sweeping motion with one hand, and hurled Luxord across the room where he impacted the walls at a speed human bones were not meant to withstand. "Your schoolboy heroics have no place here."

He lifted Larxene up by the neck and began to tighten his grip. "I should not have destroyed you along with Marluxia, traitor. Now I correct my mistake." He conjured another blade with his spare hand and prepared to strike the death blow, but something made him pause.

Between gasps for air, and low, ragged sobs he heard her whisper, "Do it… end me." As she spoke, her body became hazy and indistinct, her facial features began to fade and her skin turned the color of tarnished silver. Even her neck became almost liquid in Xemnas's grasp. So astonished was he that he released her.

There was a soft thud and a feminine yelp as she hit the floor. Xemnas looked down, half expecting to see her transformed into a dusk. Instead, her body was remarkably intact, save for a handful of scrapes and bruises.

Xemnas glanced around the chamber, trying his best not to show his surprise while trying to gauge if the others had seen what he had seen. The mixture of fear and amazement on the faces of the other organization members suggested that they had. "Fascinating," he said, trying his hardest to appear assertive, "you have roused my interest, little rat. You will live… for now." He turned to Luxord, who lay slumped against a wall. "Cure" he growled and a ring of light enveloped the fallen nobody, stitching up wounds and reattaching bones as it passed over him. "Take her back to her quarters, and keep her guarded until I send for her. Xigbar, prepare the lab; there is work to be done. Demyx…" he paused, trying to think of a use for the sitar player, "clean this place up. For every drop of blood I find I will extract a pint of yours. Saïx, come with me, we have much to do." Every eye in the room was wide with surprise at the superior's sudden change of mood. "We are the Organization; each of us has stared death itself in the face and returned. It is time we started acting like it. You all have your orders, carry them out."

Luxord was the first to act, he pulled himself to his feet and began to walk to where Larxene lay, although he slowed as he drew closer to Xemnas, perhaps a bit wary of his master's newfound sense of purpose.

As he knelt to lift her up, he felt a hand on his shoulder, "do not tend to her wounds," Xemnas whispered, "I will need to study what we have… become. Her condition may be important."

Luxord nodded and picked up the half conscious Larxene in his arms. "Can you move your legs?" he asked.

Larxene gave a dazed sigh, "are you asking me to dance?"

Luxord rolled his eyes and carried her to her chambers.

Larxene awoke in her chambers, her mind clouded by pain. The room was pitch black, save for a dim, flickering orange glow. There was a soft rustling sound, like papers being shuffled. Paper, Larxene thought, or cards. The orange glow flared for a moment and illuminated the nobody's face. Panic began to set in, the rest was all reflexes. Under her blankets she conjured one of her knives and flung it for where she estimated Luxord's head was. Perhaps he heard her begin to move, for he doused the light and dodged as Larxene left a knife quivering in the wall. "Well then," Luxord's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. "The sleeping beauty awakens."

"Goddamnit Luxord what are you doing here. Are you… watching me sleep?" She summoned another knife and kept it in hand.

"Think back, dear. The master told me to guard you."

Larxene's head began to clear, her hands stopped shaking. "Oh," she muttered, "right… sorry I… well it's good that you didn't get... you know it's not altogether wise to sneak up on a girl when she's on edge. I thought you were smarter that.

Luxord laughed, "Mea culpa, friend. May I be assured that no sharp objects will be thrown in my direction should I decide to show myself?"

"You're a gambling man, find out for yourself."

Luxord snapped his fingers and several oil lamps flickered into life. Larxene winced at the sudden light. Luxord sat perched on a small stool next to her bookshelf, a lit pipe in his teeth and a deck of large rectangular cards in his hands. "No knives?" he quipped.

"No promises." Larxene yawned and slipped back under the sheets and tried to get comfortable. "So what have you got there, more cards?"

"The lady is astute as always. Tarot, actually."

Larxene scoffed, "curious about the future?"

Luxord continued shuffling, "So much as one such as us can have curiosity, yes. I am."

"Superstition if you ask me."

He snorted, "Yes, I suppose some people see it that way."

She sighed and tried to get comfortable, "so you can't tend to my wounds, right?"

"I'm afraid not, master's orders."

"Figures, ever the loyal soldier," she paused, "you tried to protect me, why?"

Luxord shrugged, "you saved my life, it only seemed fair."

Larxene gave a hollow laugh, "You're a saint." She closed her eyes, "sorry for, you know, throwing a knife at you."

Luxord gave a general grunt of recognition, "no harm done." He returned to shuffling the deck of tarot cards. After a moment of indecision he drew one. The card depicted two figures, a man and woman in what appeared to be the Garden of Eden. Printed across the bottom were the words "The Lovers". Luxord looked dispassionately at the card for a moment and glanced up at the sleeping Larxene then slipped the card back into the deck. "Damnable superstition," he muttered.