Xemnas is staring directly at me. It feels like his eyes are burning holes through my chest. I can't move from my spot on the ground. I don't know if it's just my fear keeping me here or if he is somehow doing it. He looks away from me and turns his attention to Maleficent.
"You have interfered with my plans long enough. It is time to be rid of you once and for all."
I can see a small trace of fear flash across Maleficent's face, but she quickly hides it. "Who do you think you are? You are not worthy to have Kingdom Hearts." She raises both hands in the air. Green fire grows around her fingers. It's brighter than before. It looks like she is putting considerable strength into it.
Before she can do anything else, Xemnas shoots out these black vine looking things from his hand. They surround her, binding her arms to her side. Xemnas uses the vines to lift her off the ground. Now Maleficent isn't trying to cover the fear on her face. She is outmatched in powers.
"You are wrong, Maleficent. It is all others who are not worthy. Kingdom Hearts is mine. But know that even in your death, you will have your revenge. The Keyblade wielders are next."
Fire quickly travels down the vines towards Maleficent. She looks panicked as she can only watch. "No!" The fire completely engulfs her, burning brighter and brighter with each passing second. I can feel the heat all the way from here on the ground. The sound of the crackling fire drowns out Maleficent's screams.
Suddenly there is an explosion and the fire starts to die down. All that's left of Maleficent are a couple of wisps of jet black smoke scattering in the wind. She's dead. He killed her. I know she was evil, but did she deserve to go like that?
The others are still lying on the ground. Slowly they start to get to their feet. I force myself to follow even though it feels like my legs are made of cement.
"Keyblade masters. How refreshing it is to see that you are all well. And growing in numbers I see." His eyes flick back to me, then to Roxas and Namine.
"What have you done, Xemnas?" How can Sora be so brave? Xemnas has got to be the most dangerous enemy he has ever faced and now he's back from the dead. Does anything scare him?
"Your powers are based in darkness." Roxas steps forward to stand next to Sora. "How did you get the ability to control fire?"
"Why don't you ask your friend, Axel?"
Roxas's dream. Could it have been real? Could Roxas really have felt Xemnas stealing Axel's powers?
"You're never going to get away with this, Xemnas. We've stopped you once and we will stop you again."
"All in due time, Sora. There are other matters that I must attend to first. I will begin with the traitor."
Before anyone can move, Xemnas shoots another wave of vines. This time they wrap themselves around me, pulling me off my feet. Roxas and Sora try to grab me, but I'm moving too fast. Further and further I rise until I'm eye level with Xemnas. I kick my legs and wiggle my arms, but the vines are wrapped too tight.
"Hello, Dexlin. I'm sure you never though you would see me again."
I desperately want to say something back. Something that would show him that I'm not afraid. Something brave like Sora would say. But I can't. I'm too frightened. Any second now he will burn me just like he did Maleficent.
Instead he opens a black portal behind him and starts backing into it. "We have some unfinished business to discuss." He drags me towards the portal.
"Dexlin!"
I look down to see Roxas looking up at me with a look of horror.
"Roxas! Help me!"
But it's too late. I'm already in the portal and there is nothing they can do to help. I'm in Xemnas's hands now.
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We're in Xemnas's castle. That much I can tell. The hard metal floors. The dark sky. Those weird symbols everywhere. It's the only place that we could be. How long we've been here I have no way of knowing. I blacked out as soon as we entered the portal.
Xemnas has me tied up lying on my back on some sort of bench or something. My fear has died down a little. If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already. He didn't want me dead. At least, not yet.
"You betrayed me, Dexlin."
"You lied to me. Sora isn't what you said at all. He's a good person. And he wasn't holding Roxas prisoner. You were just using me to get rid of your biggest threat."
"But you still managed to get Roxas back, didn't you? And instead of fulfilling your end of the bargain, you left me in that dark world." His voice is echoing everywhere around me. I can't see where he is because the vines are holding my head in place.
"Roxas wouldn't have opened the door for you anyway. He's not part of your Organization anymore."
"Sadly, there is no more Organization, thanks to you. When you abandoned your mission I was left with no other course of action but to absorb the energies of the others. I tried using only the one's who betrayed me, but it wasn't enough. I had to use them all."
That meant that Xemnas was as powerful as the whole Organization put together. This is bad. Can he be stopped with that much power?
"Why did you bring me here?"
"In the end, I plan to destroy you, just like the other traitors, but first I will use you as bait to bring the others here. It shouldn't be too much longer."
"Why? You had us all together in Twilight Town. If you wanted to fight us you could have done it there." Maybe if I keep him taking, he will give himself away. Or tell me more about his plan that I can use against him. I doubt that he is that stupid, but it's all I have.
"I don't want to fight you. I want to crush you. Here in my castle my powers are stronger. Darkness surrounds this place and it feeds me. I cannot be destroyed here." That's something to keep in mind.
"They're more powerful than you. You can't defeat the Keyblades."
"Enough!" He suddenly appears right next to me. "I'm tired of your idle chatter. First, you will watch as I destroy the others, including your beloved Roxas. And then, it will be your turn." The vines loosen around me, but not enough for me to move my hands or call for my Keyblade. "Speaking of your friends, it seems they have arrived." Out of one of the windows, I can see all five of them running towards the castle. "Let's get you into position."
Xemnas raises me into the air again.
Don't come in here. I wish I could send these thoughts to Roxas. It's a trap.
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"Guys, this is a trap. Xemnas is setting us up." Riku stops running at the entrance. He stares up at the towering castle before him.
"I don't care! I'm not leaving Dexlin in there alone with Xemnas! He needs out help!" Roxas is angry. His eyes haven't looked like that since his days in the Organization. "Do you have any other ideas?"
"No."
"Riku's right." Sora puts his hand on Roxas's shoulder. "We know that this is a trap. Xemnas is trying to lure us here. So we have to be careful. Don't run in there without thinking."
"But Dexlin needs out help. He can't do this all by himself." Roxas is close to tears.
"He won't have to. Just keep an eyes out for anything the might be a set up." The other four nod their heads at Sora. "Let's go."
They run into the castle where they know Xemnas is waiting.
