Kyrox and Anix, who was now fully recovered, stood by as their mentors filed through something in the Superior's office.
"Numbers XVII and XXV, it is our wish that you read through some of the Organization members' files and learn a bit more about them. Good leaders always know as much as possible about those under them." Saix told them.
Xemnas came over, holding fourteen folders in his hand. He handed them to the two teenage boys and said, "Here are the neophytes' files. Read them, and commit them to memory. We have exempted you from missions to focus on this."
The boys rolled their eyes at each other when their mentors' backs were turned. They both knew they were excusing them from missions because of the incident on their last one.
Kyrox and Anix each took seven files and watched as their mentors left the room, closing the door behind them. When they were gone, Anix remarked, "They're ordering us to read our friends' personal files? What the heck?"
Kyrox nodded his agreement.
"Yes, it is odd. But," he sighed,"regardless. Orders are orders."
They each took a seat at the Superior's desk and started poking through the files, wondering where to start.
"This is still wrong." Anix declared as they selected the folder labeled "XVIII."
"We are still under orders." Kyrox argued, "Now open up the file and start reading."
They read through the file together, skipping over the parts that seemed too personal and only skimming the basics. They were about to put it away when something on the bottom most paragraph caught Anix's eye.
"Hey Kyrox, look at this."
Xigbar was getting exasperated.
"Demyx, no. No. Nuh-uh, not gonna happen. Sorry, kiddo." he said to the pouting sitarist.
"C'mon, Xig! Please?" Demyx begged for the umpteenth time.
"No!"
"Pleeeeeease?"
"Why should I? I don't owe you anything."
Demyx stopped and thought this over.
"Then how's about you don't do it for me. How's about you do it for the newbies?" he asked slyly.
Xigbar froze and cursed the blond musician.
"Fine, whatever." he hissed.
Demyx smiled broadly and exclaimed, "Alright!"
"Don't get overexcited," Xigbar warned, "what do I have to do again?"
"Just go talk to the Superior and ask him! C'mon, he's more likely to listen to you than me." Demyx said.
Xigbar sighed. "Fine."
"Yay! Hey Xigbar," Demyx said as they walked down the hall together, "you're not going soft, are ya?"
"I can still say no, y'know."
"Indeed you can...so should I shut up now?"
"That's the smartest thing you've said since you joined."
Xiyak and Xavier were arriving back at the castle after a long, trying mission in the Jungle
"That leopard nearly killed us." Xavier was saying, "What're those idiots trying to do, have us—what the heck?!"
They both stopped and stared at the hustle and bustle that was going in the usually peaceful and quiet Castle. Everywhere, Organization members were pinning up black and orange decorations and hanging up weird and creepy banners and things of that sort. Ghosts on strings, spiders on the windowsills, black cat figurines every few yards.
"Roxas!" Xiyak said as the keybearer went by, "What's going on?"
Roxas stopped and adjusted the fake cobwebs he was holding to explain. "We're having a Halloween party."
"Hallow—what?" Xiyak asked.
Roxas shifted the cobwebs again and explained.
"Halloween. It's a celebration that humans have every year on October 31st. They hang up creepy stuff and dress up in costumes and go Trick-or-Treating. They also put candles in cut-up pumpkins and put 'em outside."
Xavier stared.
"Trick-or-Treating?" she asked.
"Who in their right minds would set pumpkins on fire?" Xiyak asked irritably, "They'd just burn down the house."
"Axel or Axbrem would do it." Xavier pointed out, taking her attention away from Roxas for a moment.
"True, true.."
"Trick-or-Treating is when people go out in their neighborhood in costumes and go knock on doors and stuff. When the door opens the kids usually yell 'Trick or Treat!' and they get candy in return." Roxas said, cutting across their conversation. He stopped, then added, "Of course, sometimes the people they're asking candy from aren't there. So they'll leave bowls of it out for the kids to take from."
"So you break in to random houses or rob bowls on the sidewalk for candy?" Xiyak asked, "Humans are even weirder than I thought."
Roxas shrugged.
"I don't know, it sounds fun to me."
"Roxas!" they heard Axel shout from the next room over, "Where are you and those stupid cobwebs?!"
"Coming Axel!" Roxas shouted back. He turned and said goodbye to the girls.
"Go help someone with something, would you? It's supposed to be a really special occasion." he said.
When he was gone, Xavier looked around.
"I guess I'll go find Marluxia then.." she said.
"Or...?" Xiyak asked.
"We pretend we didn't hear him and go watch TV in my room?" Xavier finished.
"Bingo." Xiyak smirked.
"Remind me again why we're celebrating a holiday Nobodies don't even celebrate?" Vexen asked Xigbar and Anix as he worked on a holographic projector for use at the party.
"Can't tell you." the two Nobodies said simultaneously. Anix and Xigbar looked at each other in surprise, and Vexen did too. They were locked in a three-way stare down until Xigbar ventured the question on all their minds.
"What's your reason for doing this, Anix?" he asked.
"What's yours?" Anix countered.
"I'd like to know both of yours!" Vexen said. He pulled back from the projector and switched it on, casting a horrific spectral image of a ghost into the room. Satisfied, he switched it back off and turned fully to the other two in the room.
"Can't tell you mine. It's hush-hush." Anix said, crossing his arms.
"Really? Well what's so hush-hush you can't share it with your comrades?" Xigbar asked.
"You'll find out soon enough. So, what's your ulterior-motive for asking for a Halloween?" Anix asked.
Xigbar looked away and stood up as Axel appeared in the doorway.
"Oh goodie, you're all here." the pyro said, "Meeting with the Organization, Kyrox, and Anix right now. Let's move it."
"Wait, why just us? Why not the others?" Vexen asked.
Axel shrugged.
"Don't ask me. Ask Superior."
Sighing, the Academic, the Freeshooter, and the blacksmith followed Axel through a dark corridor to the Round Room.
"Hmm..." Leixym commented to Axbrem and Axille as they watched Demyx, Axel, and Roxas leave. Axel, to go get Xigbar, Anix, and Vexen for something, and the other two to go to a meeting. "Now I wonder what they're up to?"
"Does it matter?" Axbrem asked.
"If we're not included, it's something important. 'sides, why would Anix and Kyrox get to go but not us?" Leixym questioned.
"They prob'ly don't need us there." Axille said fairly.
"You're keen to just let 'em have a secret meeting without us?" Leixym asked her.
"Roxas wasn't suspicious of anything," Axille shrugged, "so I won't worry either."
"Well I'm not letting this go. I say we go eavesdrop!" Leixym said mischievously.
Axbrem sent her a sideways glance.
"Are you really suspicious or are you just bored?"
"Bored. Why else would I elect to listen in on one of Xemnas' 'I Love Kingdom Hearts' speeches?"
"Fair point."
Axille looked at them before making a move to leave the room.
"I won't help out. I've got ahh...decorations to put up." she said.
"C'mon, Seal! Aren't you at least curious?" Leixym asked her as she and Axbrem went off in the other direction. "Fine, go ahead. We'll tell you all about it later."
"By the way, how are you going to eavesdrop on them in the Round Room?" Axille asked, "It's inac...inaccess...we can't get in there without making portals."
Leixym froze and so did Axbrem.
"Dammit!" Leixym exclaimed.
Axbrem's eyes brightened and she turned to Axille.
"Hey, Seal, you had to go find and bring some decorations to Roxas, right?" she asked.
"Mhm. I found the stuff he wanted, why?"
"Want to go bring them to him now?"
"Everyone, thank you for coming on such short notice." Xemnas said, beginning the meeting. "I—"
"Roxy!" a voice cut into the room.
Out of nowhere, a dark portal opened up and Axille fell out of it, right onto Roxas' lap. She was clutching a light-up Jack o' Lantern in one hand and an assortment of lights in the other. Her eyes were bright and she was smiling broadly.
"Roxy, there you are! I found the lantern and the lights! You told me to bring 'em to you when I found 'em so here they are!" she exclaimed. Roxas blushed as Xemnas cast a glance his way and Demyx, Axel, and Xigbar started snickering.
"Er, Axille? Not right now, this is sorta important..." the Key of Destiny mumbled.
"What? Oh!" she exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes. "A meeting! I didn't know you had a meeting! Why didn't you say so, I would've waited!"
"Um, Axille, not right now..." Roxas mumbled.
"Forget it, Roxas." Xemnas sighed, "Let's just get this meeting over with."
"As you all know, Halloween is coming up." the Superior said, getting back to the topic, "You might be wondering why we're pulling so much effort into this, when we usually don't get involved with the holidays and celebrations of humans. The reason we chose to do it this year, was because on that day, is one of our newest member's birthday."
"Really? Cool!" Demyx exclaimed, "Whose birthday is it? Tell, tell!"
Looking at him, Axille turned her head skyward and mimicked his voice, "Tell, tell!"
Demyx laughed at her and she smiled, turning her attention back to Xemnas.
"October 31st is number XVIII's birthday. We're going to hold a birthday party for her." Xemnas said. "Now the idea wasn't mine. Nor Saix's. It was Kyrox and Anix's. They believe that it would provide a better—ahem—bond, with the neophytes if we begin celebrating holidays such as this with them."
Axille leaned back on Roxas' chest and began processing this information. Xisel's birthday? How fun!
"Don't alert Xisel that we know. It's meant to be a surprise." Xemnas went on. He sent a sharp glance at Axille and she looked up at him curiously.
"That means you, Axille." he said.
"Aw, Superior, no trust in me?" she asked playfully, her voice once again slipping into that indefinable dialect that sounded vaguely familiar but still faraway.
"Considering you dropped out of nowhere into a meeting, no." Xemnas replied, going along with the child's teasing.
Axille crossed her arms and pouted but nonetheless said, "Sì, Superiore. I won't tell her."
"Good." Xemnas said, nodding. As he went on about something else, Axille sank into Roxas' chest and smiled to herself.
Doesn't mean I won't tell Ly and Axby, though.
"Birthday?!"
Axille waited for Leixym to settle down onto her bed before repeating herself. She, Axille, and Axbrem were convened in Leixym's room, where the little mimic was filling them in on details.
"Yep! Birthday. Xi-san's birthday is on Halloween!" she exclaimed.
"Well shoot, no wonder they didn't want us to know!" Axbrem said, "They thought we'd leak it to her!"
"It would've also seemed fishy if all the neophytes but Xisel got to go, wouldn't it?" Leixym asked.
"I guess. Nice job, Axille! By the sound of it, you got into that mission no problem!" Axbrem said, playfully punching the kid on the arm.
Axille glared at her.
"I almost got in trouble with Roxas and the Superior because of you!" she said.
"Aw, I'm sorry, Seal. Forgive me?" Axbrem asked.
Axille glared at her before jumping off the bed.
"Maybe later. I'm going to go help Roxy-chan with decorating. If anyone asks, mum's the word, and you didn't hear it from me, okay?" she asked.
When she left, Leixym turned to a surprised Axbrem and commented something.
"I worry about her. She sounds more and more like the Organization every single day!"