"Can you feel it? The moon's power!"

Truly, this was the great advantage of being a Nobody. A heart wore you like a glove, filling you completely, guiding your every action and thought, selfishly leaving no room for anything save itself.

The absence of one created a void which a greater Nobody could fill with the very essences of existence, becoming one with ice or fire or time itself. Nobodies, of course, could not and did not exist; but these elements gave them the faintest ghost of what the feeling was once like. It was like a drug, this power – a tantalizing sample of a lofty, daunting goal.

And it was the only reason Saïx hadn't destroyed himself years ago.

The light from the great moon, Kingdom Hearts, shone down through the nothing-forged windows of the Addled Impasse, bathing Saïx in its luminescence and reminding him of this fact all through the battle with Sora and company.

"If only these fools knew what they were really doing," thought Saïx, leaping twenty feet into the air and slamming his claymore into the floor just inches from a panicking Donald. The impact would have killed the duck instantly, but in place of a clean hit a lunar shockwave raced outward from the point of contact, throwing Donald across the room. Saïx stood, wrenched his weapon from the ground, and growled, keeping a close eye on the enemies' movements.

"What are we Nobodies but victims of fate?" Saïx's mind ventured as his body sped towards the closest target. "Innocent bystanders on the road of fortune, parted from our hearts and ripped from our lives as rocks in a hurricane."

The Luna Diviner's thoughts organized themselves more or less along these lines, busily working toward a conclusion as he knocked Goofy aside and swung his weapon at Sora. The Keyblade master jumped back, avoiding most of the impact but suffering a nasty cut across his legs. Nothing magic couldn't fix, as Donald immediately proved with a shouted "Curaga!"

Saïx split his claymore into two identical weapons, throwing one at the offending mage; it barely missed, sticking in the wall behind Donald.

As he followed this up with a series of shockwaves forged from the moonlight itself, Saïx cursed Sora and his allies for their misguided crusade. Organization XIII did not seek to destroy. It merely sought to create – to give new lives to its members. All they wanted were their hearts.

At least, that was all Saïx wanted. Xemnas had other ideas.

Sora leaped over a shockwave, hitting the wall and running down its surface to the forgotten claymore. After some struggling, he managed to free it from the wall, seemingly gaining newfound strength from the act of holding it. He turned to face Saïx in a duel of berserkers, Keyblade momentarily discarded.

Saïx smirked, and claymore met claymore with terrifying force. Sora was far less practiced with the massive sword, allowing Saïx room to focus on his thoughts.

"I wonder…Does Xemnas even care about his own heart? Has he forgotten the purpose of the Organization?" Recently, Xemnas had spent more and more time in solitude atop the Castle, in the Altar of Naught, increasingly obsessed with Kingdom Hearts and its progress. This had not escaped Saïx, who questioned the wisdom of such pursuits. It certainly looked pretty, but what use was it to the Organization at large? If any of the Organization's hearts had been recovered, they would have known immediately. But only Xemnas cared. Why?

"It's possible, I suppose," Saïx considered, striking the claymore from Sora's hands, "that he knows something we don't. We might not have any use for Kingdom Hearts, but he might."

Saïx drove his claymore into the ground, creating a burst of blue fire that radiated out to consume the warriors of the Keyblade. Weaponized moonlight sought out a target, any target, but found none; all three opponents were safe within a magical shield. Whose it was could not be determined.

"So it's true, then. All those hearts are for Xemnas's benefit. He knows how to use them for power, and he's not telling us." "Us." A barely appropriate term; not counting Roxas, only two members of the Organization remained. But now that Saïx's suspicions of Xemnas had been confirmed…

Come to think of it, there wasn't really a choice.

The thought of rebellion briefly crossed Saïx's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. True, he was probably the most powerful member of Organization XIII, aside from Xemnas. But there was still that one problem: "aside from Xemnas." The Superior was too powerful to be opposed, especially with a completed Kingdom Hearts on his side. Even Marluxia hadn't dared to stand against him without at least a three-to-one advantage.

Saïx was abruptly brought out of his thinking by a massive blow to his left arm. There was an audible CRACK, and through a cloud of agony he could see that it had been broken. He faced left, and found the source of his pain: Sora. Apparently, he had picked up the basics of claymore combat quickly.

Roaring in anger and agony, Saïx grabbed his upper arm, jerking it sharply and snapping it back into place. It would heal; the moonlight would speed it right along.

That was the other reason he couldn't move against Xemnas. Sora and the others threatened his survival, and this engagement would end with one of them dead. And if you weren't with Xemnas, you were against him.

Which, Saïx reasoned, racing for Sora and slamming his claymore into the ground again and again, was not a good place to be.

"Besides, who knows what Xemnas can do with Kingdom Hearts? He might be able to find my heart, as a reward for my loyalty." It was the only logical course of action, Saïx concluded.

As he swung his claymore and missed yet again, his injured arm burning as the bone repaired itself, Saïx became increasingly confident in this decision. Kingdom Hearts was complete, as Xemnas had wanted, and there was no more need for Sora. The Keyblade master would die, Organization XIII would triumph, and one way or another Saïx would regain his heart.

Kingdom Hearts – the ever-present, ever-faithful moon – would make sure of that. Its power coursed through him even now, healing his wounds and giving him strength.

"Wait a minute." Sora had acquired another copy of his claymore, and was attacking with equal ferocity. That wasn't right.

Saïx was forced to abandon this thought for the moment, quickly moving to block Sora's attacks, attempting to keep from being struck with his own weapon.

It pained him, literally and figuratively, to realize that he was only partially successful in his endeavor.

Sora struck, screaming with the effort of lifting the claymore but making solid hits nonetheless, and Saïx was forced to take one step back, and then another as he blunted his foe's charge.

What had happened? In the time that Saïx had determined the direction his existence (or lack thereof) would take, Sora had changed. He was a veritable storm of power, drawing on some unknown strength to counter and then to attack, driving Saïx farther and farther back. This boy was determined to destroy him; contrary to Saïx's first impressions, he appeared to be capable of doing so.

Was it adrenaline? Or was the moon lending its aid to Sora as well?

Was this the end?

Saïx vowed that it would not be.

A wave of lunar destruction exploded outward from Saix's position as he summoned a burst of power, drawing heavily on the moon's light for support. The shockwave dissipated into blue flames, which burned out as Sora and company frantically regained their balance.

Saïx was right there with them, charging and smiting everything around him that dared to breathe without his permission.

WHACK. Goofy was sent sprawling, his shield the only thing that protected him from obliteration at the scarred Nobody's hands.

"Where did Sora get this power? What could give him such strength?"

CLANG. Saïx's claymore struck Donald's ornate staff, sending it spinning into a corner.

"No mortal could possibly match my strength. Has the moon betrayed me?"

WHOOSH. Saïx stood in the center of the room, and swung his claymore savagely towards Sora's chest with a force fully capable of shattering buildings.

Sora dropped to the ground. The claymore passed over his head, all but ripping the air apart and leaving a scar where it once was.

Saïx roared, raising his claymore high for an attack of unstoppable force. "ALL SHALL BE LOST TO YOU!"

Goofy was still recovering from Saïx's attack, Donald still retrieving his staff. Sora was alone.

But from his crouched position below the enraged, berserk Saïx, he found that it did not matter. Thinking quickly, he reversed his hold on his own claymore. With the sharp point of the hilt facing upward, Sora thrust it upward.

A choked, surprised cry was his response, and Sora looked up to see its source.

Saïx froze in mid-strike, the hilt of the claymore piercing his rib cage and sticking a foot out from his back. An expression of shock and horror was frozen on his face, choked, rapid breaths forcing their way in and out of his mouth.

"Has this been allowed to happen?" thought Saïx. "Where was the moon?"

The copy of Saïx's claymore vanished, leaving the real one in his hand. This, too, was not to last; in his moment of vulnerability, Saïx let it fall. It dissipated upon contact with the floor, the once-formidable weapon dissolving into darkness. Finding that he could move again, Saïx took a quick glance around. The moon was nowhere in sight. He turned around, agony eating at the hole through his chest. Kingdom Hearts seemed to loom larger in his vision than ever before, filling the window with its brightness, seemingly mocking his suffering as it hung in the midst of the eternal darkness of the sky.

Saïx took a step towards the window wall, and then another; he heard no movement behind him, and deemed this to be safe. The result would be the same no matter what.

As he drew closer to the glass, a series of questions came to his mind, the death throes of his consciousness as his form began to lose cohesion.

"Why did I join the Organization in the first place?"

"What have I worked for, only to fail?"

"Why has the moon turned against me so close to victory?"

Saïx was now right up against the window wall, staring sadly for one final time at his beloved Kingdom Hearts – at his last hope for existence. He knew he should hate Sora for what was happening, but found that apathy prevented it. Darkness swirled about him, growing and multiplying like flames, fueled by his body. As he reached a dying hand for the great heavenly heart, his tortured, despairing mind streamlined all his questions into one. This passed his lips in his final moments, a final plea for the world's only true light:

"Why…Kingdom Hearts…Where is my heart?"

But no answer would come. Saïx closed his eyes, the brightness of the moon burned into his failing vision, a lingering monument to his defeat. It was little comfort to him as the darkness claimed its prize.

---

So I open up my email, and what do I find but TEN new reviews. I can't tell you how wonderful that was to see! Thanks go out to - and all the other readers for reading, liking, and putting little numbers by "Inbox." This happens to be one of the most fun things I've done, and it's really exciting to see others enjoying it.
Axel and Demyx should be up before the end of the month; if not, you have permission to put me on the hitlist of your choice.
By the way, I was reading freaky-hanyou's "What If," which is a hilarious KHII fic based on "what ifs" from the reviewers. It made me believe in AkuRoku, and if you don't already you will too. Go read!
Oh, in a similar vein, I want to do another Organization XIII fic after this one. Ideas?
Remember that little Review button right next to the Favorite/Story Alert button, and drive safely!

Love and thanks to all the readers

Zellarius Burvenia