Author's note:Well it's almost over.Next chapter is the epilogue and then it's bye bye.I doubt there'll be a sequel to this but hey you never know.One day there may be a new story saying 'sequel to fading into the darkness' and everyone will be like uh oh.Depends if I find ideas for another different story or not,but the sequel is never as good as the first.Anyway does anyone know what Xemnas' weapons are called?Seriously I could not find a name for them,unless of course they are just called 'red light beam/lasers'.They're kindda like lightsabers, but I didn't think I should call them that really.In this chapter Marluxia and Larxene have kind of just vanished,but that's because I didn't know what to do with them and I'm sure people didn't want to read about Larxene and Marluxia's great adventure (hey it could be a spin off -crys with laughter-)This is basically a Namine and Roxas story so it has to concentrate round them really,minor adventures would just get in the way of the story.Anyway before I drive everyone away with this overly long A/N, I'll shut up.
It had been some time now since Xemnas had sent off 'Roxas', to go find the keybladers. He could hardly be refered to by his name now been as he was hardly anything like the normal Roxas. An empty shell just filled with darkness that waited for whatever order Xemnas gave. That's how Namine described him. Her Roxas was gone, Axel's best friend...
Namine looked up to see Xemnas re-enter the room, a conspicuous look spread across his hard cast face. The superior and Xigbar had left along with Roxas, to do what, was unknown to Namine. Only Xemnas returned though, and he strode straight over to Namine before hauling her to her feet in one swoop.
"Is this part of your little plan?" he questioned harshly with a rough shake "I have now just lost another member of my organization, I only-"
Then he stopped mid-sentance, as if to think and question something in his mind. He let out a dry laugh "Strange, it's as if I almost 'cared' about them then."
Namine was dropped to the floor and left rubbing the soar spot on her arm. What was Xemnas talking about? He never cared for anyone so why doubt his unemotional approach now?
Five members of Organization XIV were gone now; Vexen, Xigbar, Xaldin, Laexeus and Luxord. Sai'x and Xemnas were the only two actually still following lead in the group, with the other members either betraying them or as in Roxas' case, they just weren't 'there' anymore. As for Namine she was just stuck here, un-able to do anything.
"What did actually you do to Roxas?" Namine haphazzardly asked
Namine partly knew, but just wanted Xemnas' input on it, she wanted his full explanation.
"I did not do anything to him, his 'feelings' made him the way he is. He brought on dark emotions that the heart should only truely feel, anger, hatred...And so this lead to the darkness overwhelming him. I control the darkness, and so control Roxas aswell."
"Will he ever be normal again?"
Xemnas began to walk over to the door "Not likely, but it is not as though there is room for my plan failing now. With Roxas, a keyblader under my control, his abilty twice as powerful as before, I cannot fail. I do not even need those reckless keybladers, but I do want them out of my way."
Namine pushed herself up onto her feet, the large zip on her cloak made a clinking noise. "What are you going to do now then?"
"Why the sudden intrest?" asked Xemnas with suspision rising up over his face
Namine gave a slight raise of her shoulders in a shrug. Suddenly the door opened, this time in walked Roxas, eyes still as black as ever. The boy walked over to in front of Xemnas, waiting for next orders.
"Did you get them?"
Roxas lifted up a palm and black mist formed across the floor below it to leave behind the keybladers Sora, Kairi and Riku, all three of them knocked out. Xemnas smirked.
"I no longer need them, Roxas you may destroy them in a little while, but meanwhile you have other ones to dipsose of..."
Namine backed off slightly as two sets of eyes rose onto her. If Namine ever needed a saviour, she'd need it now.
Demyx tapped his foot impatiently on the floor.
"I am still here," he spoke to the exiting red head
Axel stopped and looked round "What are you doin' here? I thought you left," he snapped
Demyx frowned and wandered over to his friend "You're so rude. Did you just not notice I was here, I can't believe you."
The pair were stood up near the door into the room where Xemnas currently was with Namine and Roxas. Sai'x and Zexion were somewhere else in the castle, but that wasn't bothering Demyx and Axel right now. They were more concerned about getting Roxas and Namine away from Xemnas.
"Let's go break up the party then..." said Axel while placing a slender hand on the door "...But Demyx, just don't muck up alright."
Demyx pulled a face and Axel pushed open the heavy door. They were soon confronted by three pairs of eyes staring at them.
"Sorry to interupt," spoke Axel with a wave of his hand "But you happen to have two nobodies I want."
Xemnas smirked and lifted a sliver eyebrow "Oh but you're just in time, you see Roxas is just about to dispose of Namine."
At this Roxas' Oathkeeper appeared in the boy's hand, the blade however looked different and was smudged with black marks and scratches.
"Roxas won't listen to you, he's in there really, he still remembers his love for Namine and no way will he kill her for you," Axel exclaimed simply
"Roxas does not know feelings, he never did, that 'love' he felt, was nothing. He played up to it though hoping it could make him feel more complete, only now it's let him down."
Demyx stepped up from behind Axel, quietly having observed the conversation.
"We may not have feelings, but we remember how to feel. We remember what it was like," he spoke
Xemnas shot the water lover a glare which caused Demyx to duck back behind Axel. Namine looked at the two boys hopefully. Demyx and Axel had pretty much just saved her, as long as they had a plan to get the four of them out of here before Xemnas had Roxas destroy them aswell. She looked back at Roxas to see he was gazing at her with black eyes glinting. Maybe there was part of him in there, despite the fact he didn't respond to Namine but did just as Xemnas had ordered.
"Organization XIV is ruined, but Kingdom Hearts is not. I will get my heart, while you all just fade into obliteration," said Xemnas angrily
"Xemnas you're just an idiot. You thrive on what isn't there, believing the fake lies you tell yourself. You're nothing and always will be," threatened Axel
Xemnas was un-nerved by the pyro's words, but of course he had no reason not to be. Roxas was waiting on his every command. One word and the small blonde boy would have all three of them dead, no fuss. Then that just left Sai'x and possibly Zexion. They had stayed faithful to the organization, but having them around meant they'd want their hearts when Kingdom Hearts was complete, and Xemnas wasn't about to comply with their wishes. Best to have them gone aswell, he didn't need them anyway.
"It doesn't matter what you say, you'll soon be gone anyway, and there is no other life for you...Roxas, kill all three of them, Namine first..."
Namine gasped and Axel and Demyx instantly summoned their weapons, knowing they were probably going to have to fight off Roxas. Namine watched with glistened azure eyes as Roxas took a step closer. She shivered as she heard the metal of his keyblade scratch along the floor. Blue eyes still connected with his black ones, Roxas stopped, Oathkeeper pulled up onto his shoulder as the Oblivion keyblade appeared in his other hand. He really was going to do it, the person who had saved Namine before was now about to be the cause of her demise.
Except Roxas didn't come any closer. He just stared at her with black intensity, even Axel and Demyx weren't rushing forward to protect her anymore. Roxas lifted his head up and threw his gaze to Kingdom Hearts. Namine was sure she heard a sigh from him, before he looked back at her.
"Roxas..." pushed Xemnas, who was clearly annoyed to why Roxas wasn't doing his job
Roxas, the once so faithful puppet, ignored Xemnas' orders. His eyes flashed over to the superior nobody, hands clenched tighter around the hilt's of his keyblades. Namine watched Roxas as he stook steps towards her, and she suddenly wondered if the boy was only preparing to destroy her. Xemnas smirked as he connected his amber eyes with Roxas'. Namine lifted hands over her face as if wanting to brace herself for an oncoming attack. But nothing came, and Namine decided to squint through a crack in her fingers, to see what Roxas was doing. All she could see was black material. Namine warily pulled her hands away and saw Roxas was now standing with his back to her, like a barrier between her and Xemnas...
"What are you playing at?" spat Xemnas angrily
Roxas' face remained blank and still for a moment, midnight eyes staring distantly into nothing.
"...I'm not your lapdog," Roxas snarled suddenly, his face then screwing up in anger and showing more emotion that it had done since he'd become possessed
Xemnas showed a look a disgust before letting his lips curl upwards into a formidable smile. "Oh but I think you are Roxas..."
Roxas threw a look back to Namine, his jet black eyes shining and the slightest smile on his mouth. Something was definatley clicking in him and overtaking the darkness inside.
"No, I am not," the words slipped off Roxas' tounge in a vile tone "You better go find some other nobody to do your dirty work, I'm not falling for your tricks anymore."
Xemnas was trying to hold back any hint of annoyance from being revealed on his face, but it was slowly winding over his features and the superior looked more than angry.
"I refuse to allow some minor tools to bring down my plans. I don't think you realise just how powerful I am, and how I can easily gain control over pathetic minors like you."
Roxas snuffed then turned to Axel and Demyx "You three should go."
"I don't think so," came Xemnas' response to Roxas' demand to his friends.
Axel stared blankly for a moment, his gaze shifting anxiously to Namine who remained behind Roxas.
"I dunno Rox..." he began
Roxas held up a hand to silence the pyro "Just go, trust me for once."
Axel motioned to Namine to come over to them, but she looked reluctant and refrained from moving. Namine didn't want to leave Roxas, not again. Each time they were split up there was always the doubt of if she'd ever see him again. At least if she stayed with him that worry was cancelled out. However Roxas was going to ensure Namine didn't hang around to get hurt, so he gave her a gentle shove in Axel's direction.
"Un-likely," mumbled Roxas as he gave Namine another gentle shove due to her inching back to Roxas again "My feelings have made me powerful, you have no feelings to go by so there is nothing to fuel any sort of power."
Axel's slender hands scooped over Namine's shoulders and held her from going back to Roxas. Xemnas smirked.
"Of course I have no feelings, may be due to the fact I don't have a heart, just like you..."
"Get going," motioned Roxas to the three nobodies behind him "I'll take care of Xemnas."
"But Roxas-" refused Namine with a strain from trying to pull away from the red heads strong grip
Namine watched Axel's hand reach out in front of her, ready to summon a portal to get the three of them out of this place.
"Axel don't!" she begged
However his hand flicked and Namine watched the dark mist grow up around them. Her face sunk as Roxas was dissapering in front of her eyes.
"I'll see you again," Roxas told her as he looked back at them, but his face and voice disspaered as the three nobodies were plummeted into a darkness.
Xemnas began to laugh "They may have got away but the time until you capture them is short. They don't realise how their attempts at avoiding their fate are merely futile."
Oathkeeper clinked as the blade dragged along the floor
"That fate won't happen if you're not here to ensure it does," spoke Roxas numbly
"Oh, and so you will be the one to get rid of me. Don't you realise Roxas, that can only happen in your dreams. You cannot defeat me, so don't even try."
Two laser beam like swords sparked from Xemnas' hands and glinted with the scarlet glow. Roxas squinted his eyes, before leaping at Xemnas, swinging his two keyblades at the nobody.
Namine struggled away from Axel, spinning round to try and give him her best annoyed look.
"We should have stayed, we need to help Roxas!" she cried
Demyx held out his hand and watched the raindrops splash off his glove "He'll be fine..."
"But you don't know that!"
Axel countered her with a smirk "So you saying Roxas ain't a good fighter?"
Namine sighed and looked away from him, no getting past these two. Footsteps caused her to look back up.
"The organization," spoke a boy with platinum hair
Namine recognised them as the three keybladers. How had they escaped?
"Oh great," mumbled Axel wearily
Demyx held up his hands in defence "Look we don't want any fights..."
The girl with brown hair smiled "It's ok Riku, they're the good guys remember," and she pointed her finger towards Namine.
'Riku', obviously remembered that these three had helped them escape the cells in the castle, and he relaxed slightly. The girl looked back at Namine.
"I'm Kairi. This is Sora, and Riku. Thanks for your help back in the castle."
Namine smiled "That's alright."
She could still feel the nagging urge to go back and find Roxas to help him, maybe if she could just slip away from them...
A hand clamped down on her shoulder and her eyes were brought up to meet Axel's.
"Don't even think about it..."
Roxas dived out of the way from Xemnas' red beam weapons.
"The darkness is always in you, dark and light cannot be as one," came the nobodies voice deeply "You are only dark."
Roxas spun his keyblade at Xemnas' head, missing by the slightest inch. "Well that's just what you think."
There was a sickening spark as metal hit laser beam. Roxas' weapons tangled with Xemnas'. The small boy was using every bit of strength in his body to keep Xemnas from driving his weapons down on him.
"Just give into it Roxas, let the darkness overtake you once more," Xemnas' voice rattled in his ears.
Roxas gritted his teeth together and pushed back up on the two lasers "Never," he gasped tightly
Oblivion swung out from the entanglement of weapons, and came up to knock Xemnas away. Roxas took a quick gasp of air as he became free from the fray, before driving both keyblades in succsession at the superior. Each time Xemnas somehow managed to avoid the blows, so Roxas ducked down and spun lightly on his foot with one keyblade being swung round aswell. The 'thunk' came to Roxas' ears like a sting, and the boy quickly looked up to see Oathkeeper stabbed into Xemnas' chest. A dull snicker escaped the nobodies' lips before he yanked the keyblade out of him, and let himself fall back onto the floor. Roxas stared for a moment before getting up and turning round. He could kill, but couldn't watch them as they died or faded away. He couldn't handle that. Everything suddenly fell into a silence, no noise at all, just nothing...
Roxas stumbled as suddenly something sharp hit the back of his head, his eyesight began to blur in and out of focus. Feeling his knees starting to buckle Roxas tried to force himself to stay stood up, not wanting to become even more helpless by being layn down. He tried to look round to find the source of what had hit him, probably knowing all too well that it was Xemnas. The blonde haired boy felt his bdy tilt as he turned round, the ground seemed to be further away and slanted. Roxas tightened his grip on his keyblades, knowing that these two blades could mean the difference of him succeding or fading away. Xemnas was layn on the ground not far in front of him, laughing cruelly once more as his body slowly broke into black shards.
"You will never, have a heart..." he spoke "You will always be a worthless nobody..."
Roxas gritted his teeth as his legs wavered, a single knee hit the floor.
"I hate you, so much," he stammered, trying to stand back up but finding he couldn't. Oathkeeper and Oblivion clinked sharply as they hit the floor.
"Anger and rage...are the only feelings, a real heart should truely feel..."
Roxas panted as the air seemed to be tighter, his eyesight spun onto Xemnas who was staring at him. Through his blurred vision Roxas then saw a flash of red before feeling a dull, aching pain in his chest. Everywhere started to spin even faster, Roxas found himself unable to conjure thoughts in his head on what he should do. The boy groaned quietly as he felt the sharp object retract from his chest. Roxas tried to find his two keyblades so he could retaliate, but his hand felt lifeless and he couldn't move it. His whole body quaked as he was now unable to keep himself up and just slumped to the floor. Roxas' dulled black eyes lay resting on Xemnas, the nobody meanwhile looking at Kingdom Hearts. He held up his almost dissapered arm towards the giant heart.
"I...need to be, complete...I shall, be restored...with my heart..."
The nobody then completley faded away into black flakes. His laugh stayed with Roxas though, echoing triumphantly in his ears. A biting reminder to the fact Xemnas wasn't gone for good probably. Roxas felt his eyelids starting to droop heavily, willing him into a constant state of darkness...
But how can you fade into the darkness, when it's already in you?