Double Agenda

Xemnas teleported back to the Castle That Never Was in high spirits---well, as high spirited as a Nobody could get, anyway. He was well on his way to getting what he wanted. Any minute, maybe as soon as he arrived in his office, Saix would tell him that the plan had worked and Tine was captured. Maybe she was already in the Castle Dungeons! This made Xemnas' nonexistent heart quicken. He walked up the stairs in Twilight's View and into the Hall of Empty Melodies. "Perhaps I will pay a visit to the Dungeons" the Superior mused to himself. Talking to oneself did not attract good attention. Xeonhort had had that problem a lot. Ansem always was telling his apprentice to stop talking to himself! It made him look insane. But, years later, he was still doing it. Or at least his Nobody was still doing it. Xemnas had no idea what Xeonhort's Heartless did when it was alone. And he didn't much care.

As soon as he arrived, he could tell that Tine wasn't there. There was no radiant feel of many hearts glowing and beating within one body. Just the dry feel of Nobodies and the cold feel of one who has eclipsed their heart with darkness. Following this trail, Xemnas made his way to Maleficent's cell.

The witch had changed in captivity. She had not been fed much, so her already thin body was skeletal. Her mouth was lined with bitter wrinkles from frowning so much, and the substance seemed to be missing from her. This was a sight that Xemnas enjoyed very much. Even beings with hearts could become Nobodies of a sort, under the right circumstances. "And how are you doing, Maleficent?" he asked.

The sorceress sighed. "Why would you care, Xemnas? You obviously are not concerned with my welfare. In fact, I have no idea why you even keep me alive."

Xemnas arranged his face into an expression of what he thought sadness should look like. "Why, I am hurt" he said. "I was trying to keep you in the very best of health, so that you would live to see our surprise for you."

"What would that be?" Maleficent asked.

Xemnas crossed both his hands over where his heart should be. "The return of your beautiful, prodigal daughter, of course. You've done a good job Maleficent. I heard from Xaldin that she is quite pretty." He felt something like happiness as he watched Maleficent's gray green face become pure gray with horror.

"No! Tine must not fall into your hands!" she said in a hoarse croak.

"I'm afraid it's too late for such sentiments" said the Superior. "As we speak, an operation is already underway. Tine should be arriving soon." He looked up at the Dungeon ceiling. "A pity that I could not be the one to go with them. We made a game out of it…whose team would be the ones to go."

"Not only emotionless, but sick as well" Maleficent said through clenched teeth.

"Sick? I think not. We are merely heartless beings that seek what has been taken from us…by any means necessary."

"You know what I mean" Maleficent said, frowning darkly. "Your insane plan to turn everyone into Nobodies."

"Yes…you haven't forgotten?" Xemnas asked.

"How could I? You grabbed me and sprayed me with your spit when you revealed it."

"An error I apologized for" Xemnas said. "Let it never be said that the Superior of Organization XIII, soon to be the Superior of all worlds was a rude being." He laughed. "I had to be a bit rude though, with Lady Morgan."

"Lady Morgan" Maleficent said. "Who is…you don't mean…"

"I mean Morgan le Fay" said Xemnas. "She is moving in soon. I think she will be a good companion and ally."

Maleficent was speechless for a few moments. When she did speak, her voice was shaking with anger, fear, and horror. "If you truly did release Morgan le Fay from her prison, to aid your desires…then you are truly more of a madman than I gave you credit for."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Maleficent, I do have to say I hope for your sake that you become a strong Nobody. And please, try not to commit suicide. When your daughter is ours, you will have a front row seat for something interesting, I promise you that."

"You…released…Morgan le Fay…from her prison…" was all Maleficent could say. This was awful. Morgan was the most powerful dark sorceress there was. She could break a hundred Keyblades if she chose to. Sora and his bumbling imbeciles of friends wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell of beating her and her powerful magic.

"What if she attacks you?" asked Maleficent. "Do you actually think that you can control Morgan le Fay? Or are you so far gone into your madness that you believe you can?"

Xemnas shook his head. "No, I don't for a minute believe that. But once I absorb Tine into my own body, I will possess the power of a god…the power of Kingdom Hearts. I will be able to erase any being I see fit to…or create anyone I see fit."

"And what about the fools who have followed you for so long?" Maleficent asked, already knowing the answer.

"I will cast them back into the darkness from whence they came" he said in a dramatic voice. "And I will create new officers and overseers for my new empire…my new universe." The madman smiled. "But enough of my plans. What are yours Maleficent? Whose side will you choose? Mine…or the Keyblade Master's?"

"I will choose whatever side happens to be winning" said Maleficent.

"A wise choice" said Xemnas. "Perhaps you are not---"

Saix abruptly teleported behind the Superior. "Forgive me Superior Xemnas" he said. "But there is something you should know."

"What is it?" Xemnas asked. "Is it about Tine?"

"Yes. Nexumair arrived and he reports---"

"He reports that Tine is safe and unharmed, and in our custody…doesn't he?" Xemnas asked in a dangerously low voice. The Luna Diviner backed up a step.

"N-no, sir. He reports that Demyx attempted to capture Tine, and that Tine and the Keyblade Master…" he looked at Maleficent and drew closer to Xemnas. "That Tine and the Keyblade Master worked together to defeat and kill number nine."

"What?!" Xemnas raged. "Demyx was killed again by the Keyblade Master!"

"Nexumair also described a weapon that Tine had…he said it was a double necked, bright red guitar. She called it 'Riot.' It's power was astronomical. The blow that finished Demyx could have taken out a section of the Castle, says number thirteen."

Xemnas teleported away, without a word to his aide-de-camp. Saix teleported away as well, hoping that he wouldn't take any of the blame for this.

One person had also been down here, and they sat against the wall, thinking about what they had seen. Axel sat, breathing hard. He had tried to follow Zexion's advice about asking the Superior about the dreams, but he couldn't find time to talk to Xemnas privately. Now he had seen his chance…but what he had heard between Xemnas and Maleficent appalled and repulsed him. He should have known that the Superior was a power hungry madman. Not having a heart didn't mean one was immune to megalomania it seemed. Axel sighed and stood up. Now there was only one thing to do. "Aw man, not again" Axel sighed. He was going to have to betray the Organization.