The Uprising
The seventh chapter of The Uprising has arrived! Things are quickly heating up now! In case you have forgotten, Larxene and Marluxia have fully brought Sora under their control and are now preparing for the battle over the control of the Organization. You may have forgotten about dear Axel, but remember him you must, for he is back! Let's not forget about Riku or Kairi either, for they will appear in upcoming chapters. I ask you to please take some time out of your day to review my story, if you would. Thank you! Please note that I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Square-Enix, although I do own my ideas, so don't steal them! Enjoy!
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Axel awoke to the sound of an explosion. It shook the Castle, eradicating any possible traces of grogginess in the man. How long have I been asleep? He wondered, grasping the railing in an attempt to remain in place. Roxas and Xion were no longer there, suggesting that many hours had passed. A feeling of nausea passed through the Nobody as the fortress was shaken once more. After vomiting into a nearby decorative urn, Axel realized that only one such force could cause such damage.
Sora had arrived.
The Keybearer, flanked by Larxene, Marluxia, and Luxord, stalked the streets of the dark city. All four entities had their hoods drawn, obscuring their identities from any wandering eyes, however Xemnas knew exactly who they were. He had known of their treachery not long after they conceived of it. The Superior now awaited their arrival on the Alter of Naught, a fitting arena for this mutiny. "It would appear that Axel has failed at subduing the revolt." He said to his cohort, Saix, his deep baritone voice echoing off of the depths of Nothingness. "Go and intercept this useless attempt of supremacy. Their defeat should prove simple enough." The moon-wielder nodded solemnly and disappeared into a corridor of darkness.
Saix appeared behind Xaldin, the third member's dreadlocks blowing wildly about his face in the heat of battle. His assailant, Sora, had sync-bladed his Kingdom Key, now wielding two formidable weapons against the wind-based Loyalist. Lances launched themselves at the teenager, only to be deflected with his fluid movements. At last an opening was made and the Keybearer brought both weapons down on Xaldin, forming a fatal X-shaped slash across the Nobody's chest. With a shriek of pain, he wilted into a heap upon the ground, quickly fading into the darkness from which the Whirlwind Lancer came.
Larxene, whose face was now proudly uncovered, clapped her slender hands in approval. With a devious smile, she strolled forward, meeting Sora, who now valiantly stood before Saix. "Be good now." She said with a giggle, her hand creeping around her minion's narrow shoulders. "I have other business to attend to, my little hero. But don't worry, we'll meet up again." With that, she disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness, followed by both Marluxia and Luxord, leaving Sora in a one-on-one skirmish with the Lunatic.
"Keybearer of Light," Saix began, addressing the boy in front of him, "It would appear that even you can be corrupt. Tell me, how did they sway you? Surely not with the promise of power! No, you are much too noble for that. It must have been love. What a worthless emotion. You've fallen prey to their tricks. I, however, will not bow to such sentiments!" At that, Saix reverted to his Lunatic form, the crossed scar on his face igniting with power. The full force of his claymore came down upon Sora, only to be blocked by his own dual weapons. The Keybearer sprang into battle, only to be deflected by a flurry of the Nobody's own attacks. After a few more of Sora's futile attempts at knocking the enraged man off balance, Saix leaped into the air and came down again, sending out destructive shockwaves across the room and bringing Sora down to the floor. Cracks formed in the structure from such barraging, however the walls held, allowing the two to continue their battle.
Sora's own anger was building, as he thought of Namine and how these people brought her pain (according to Marluxia, anyway). "How dare you touch her?" He cried, kicking Saix squarely in the chest, sending the man out the window and into the Dark City below. Shattered glass fell about him, however he did not yield. With a grunt, the seventh member rose again, grasping his chest in pain. Sora gracefully jumped down to meet him. Their conflict did not continue, however, for Saix collapsed once more and melted into the ground. The Keybearer knelt down, checking the pavement for any form of his opponent left. The man was not dead, but had actually disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness, a handy ability he learned from an old friend.
Now driven by a purpose, Axel sprinted towards the exit, praying to find Roxas before he was eliminated by the treacherous neophytes. He was quite surprised however, to find him (and much to his irritation, Xion) running towards him. "Axel!" His blond friend called. "You're… You're back! Uh, this is Xion." He continued with a note of hesitation. "She's the fourteenth member." Axel looked at the hooded doll before him. How could he replace me so quickly? The Nobody did not say this, though; instead he extended his hand and replied. "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" She took it in her own and with a slight shake, spoke back, her voice feminine and soft. "Nice to meet you, but we have to go. Xigbar sent us on a mission to Agrabah and we're already late. I would hate to be on Saix's bad side again." Axel quickly realized that Xigbar sent them away for their own protection. Not because he cared for them, but because they were essential to their plan. "There's no time for that now! We have to get out of here. There's an uprising happening below and if we don't leave right now, they'll destroy us!" Xion and Roxas were taken quite aback by this statement, completely oblivious to such an event. "But…" Xion began, "Where would we go?" Roxas, finally catching on to why Saix was not the one handing out assignments, opened a Corridor of Darkness. "I know just the place."
As the three members stepped through, they found themselves atop the clock tower in Twilight Town, the sunset casting vibrant rays on them. "Come on!" Roxas began, enthusiastically. "We can get some ice cream, and wait it out up here. Then we'll go back and everything will be alright again! The rebellion will be over, and we'll go back to our missions!" Xion smiled and nodded in agreement, however Axel did not respond. He then slumped down in his familiar position, his boots dangling over the edge. After a time, he spoke, his voice bitter and hopeless. "Don't you get it, Roxas? We can't go back. We ran. We didn't stay and fight. How could we? But no matter which party wins, all three of us will be branded as rogue agents." The two naïve teenagers sat down next to their red-haired friend, their excitement of a day off now diminished to nothing. Axel's words echoed through Roxas's ears, over and over again until his hope was nothing but an empty memory. We'll be branded as rogue agents. One particular word stood out among the rest. Rogue. There was no going back. This was his life now: on the run.
Alright, there it is! Perhaps you are wondering how the events of the Castle are going down? Not to worry! Your curiosity shall be satisfied in the next chapter. Stay tuned and review!