Rhiannon: I'll start this off with 'I'm sorry.' My computer is having a few issues... aka the CD-ROM or whatever they're calling it now a days has died. Completely. And since they don't love me enough to let me install a new one myself I have have to send it in and let them do it. That... might take a week. I'll try to post again before it goes... but I don't know how that's going to go. But, other then that, everything should go rather smoothly once I get it back.
Chapter 20—Flower in Repose
Roxas closed his eyes as he stared up at the sky just outside the barrier. He'd taken to sneaking out, just to be away, to gather his thoughts about Axel and place them back into a neat little box where they wouldn't bother him, but it seemed almost as if Axel or rather the 'thought' of Axel as it was, wouldn't leave him alone. He could admit that he wanted to see the red haired nobody again but he felt something. It was such a strange feeling.
"Are you up there Roxas! Sora's returned!" Yuffie's peppy voice called and he perked up a bit. He liked his talks with Sora. He jumped off the building and followed the black haired ninja back behind the barrier.
What he found was nothing of what he expected. Sora was huddled in a chair speaking softly with Laguna looking so sad. Demyx leaned against a wall as was his usual pose but with his eyes closed this time. He moved up next to the nobody, not wanting to disturb Sora and leaned against the wall.
"What happened?" He asked quietly.
"Fucking Zexion." The taller blond hissed. "They're at Castle Oblivion."
"Shit." Roxas muttered under his breath. "Just fucking shit."
"I'm going to take Sora there."
"Let me go with you!"
"Ah, ah, ah. You're still adjusting to not using your powers of Darkness, I on the other hand made no such promise. You get yourself that heart Roxas. Don't worry about me." He gave him a huge grin. "Don't worry at all."
Marluxia was troubled as of late. It was as if he could feel Xemnas breathing down his neck as he went along with his daily actions and waited for Sora to appear. His illustrious garden of illusions had grown so big, he realized as he looked over the large quiet garden sprouting out of the floor. Large, blooms of unusual flowers and green shrubs and bushes grew around pillars and over marble floors. He longed to one day to have a real garden.
After he grew tired of watching his flowers that would never wilt he got up and walked towards his new flowers. One day they would bloom and finish his great plan. He placed his hand on the one with the silver haired teen.
"He would have me pervert you." He stroked the pod that Naminè had constructed and closed his eyes. "But I wonder… are you powerful enough to contain the darkness with in you?"
"Talking to your self again?" Zexion asked from where he sat on a high ledge.
"Just thinking… do you think my little sliver flower is strong enough to conquer the darkness within him? If he is, he'll destroy Ansem." He brushed the pink hair off his forehead. "I can't decide if I want to take the risk or not."
"You're the only one that can contain him."
"Oh, that's right isn't it? I was created because I'm so strong, so very strong… maybe even stronger then the Superior."
"If you are… I doubt that's escaped his attention. Maybe you should put Ansem into the boy and see what happens… If he is of the Shiren Clan and as strong as you might think he is. He should do just fine."
"And once again, your logic is infallible." Marluxia gave him a brilliantly fake smile and lifted up the black orb that he'd been playing with. "Hopefully, my flower won't wilt before it's time to transplant it."
Demyx sighed deeply as he lifted his hand and opened a portal of darkness, the inky blob threaded through with purple, leading to a place he'd hoped to never see again. With a deep breath he slowly turned to Sora.
"Ready?" He asked as he looked to the young brunette and then sighed deeply, he did not want to do this.
"I… I'm ready. Let's go save our friends Demyx." Sora gave him a bright smile and then looked dubiously at the portal.
"Go on, the portal will automatically close behind me." He waved him forward and Sora nodded taking a deep breath.
There was no turning back at this point. They were really and truly entering Castle Oblivion. He just hoped that Riku and the others could hold on—just a little longer. On the other side of the portal was a road. One direction ending just before where the portal had dropped them and in the other direction was a garish looking castle covered in white, green and yellow. It looked like something Sora had thrown up once when he was little.
"So… that's it?"
"Yeah… Marluxia's castle in the space between The World That Never Was, Twilight Town and Radiant Garden… it didn't originally look like this though. Marluxia use to be a great and wise something or other…" Demyx trailed and sighed softly. "Back when he was a somebody."
"What was his name?" Sora asked feeling empathetic to a person that'd never even met.
"I think it was Laiarum… but I could be wrong… right?" Demyx smiled uneasily.
"Lai-a-rum? That's not a very good name."
"Hey… it was a guess! He's isn't actually easy to remember like Ale…" He shrugged and then walked forward. "Not that Axel will ever be know by that name again."
"So um… where do we enter?" Sora asked quietly.
"There." He pointed to the large daunting yellow brown door and Sora sighed deeply, so much for stealth.
"There's not point in sneaking… Marluxia is expecting you."
"Oh… that's just great. We're dead!"
Deep within the dreamscape of Riku's mind, a small orb was unfolding, black as night and cold as ice. Out of the orb came a large mysterious presence, a heart filled with rage, envy and a morbidly primal instinct. It took on the shape of a man, tall and deeply tan with golden eyes. He looked around the dark world he had entered and smiled.
"Who are you!" An almost childish voice called at to him and he saw a silver haired child who could be no older then twelve or thirteen. The person was probably older in real life. But twelve would serve his purposes.
"My name is Ansem… what's yours?" He asked coolly, invoking the child's interest.
"Riku Shiren." The boy stated hesitantly, aqua eyes guarded.
"Ah, I am a magical being Shiren-san… tell me of your fondest wishes." He drawled stepping closer. A Shiren… such power just waiting to be corrupted…
Marluxia clucked his tongue as he watched Riku thrash inside the pod. He pressed long fingers against his lips and sighed deeply. His plans hinged on whether or not this boy could defeat Ansem. Of course, if he defeated him, it meant he was stronger then Marluxia… and Marluxia was by far one of the most powerful in the Organization. Zexion watched him from the doorway before the pink haired nobody turned to face him.
"You should take it upon yourself to meet our guests… Since you invited them after all." He looked over at him. "Or will you simply leave them to Cerberus and the Clockadile?"
"Hm… Actually, leave them alone for now Zexion. I would like to see what happens to Riku first." The pink haired nobody murmured as he continued to study the convulsing body in the pod.
Zexion cursed under his breath, this was veering from the plan. "It is of the utmost importance that you stop the keyblade master."
"I think our goals are quite different Zexion… After all, Cloaked Schemer… you still answer to Xemnas above all, don't you?" Marluxia stood up and turned to face him.
"Of course." He narrowed his eyes at his fellow nobody. "And who do you answer to?"
"Myself. Gather a few thoughts Zexion… Xemnas is allowing me this venture…he is waiting for me to fail… And I assume that you are too?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Our interests are the same. To gain a heart. We both fear that Xemnas is using us to gather Kingdom Hearts so that he may consume its power, not give us hearts."
"For such intelligence… Zexion… you seem to be missing many brilliant points." Marluxia paused with a sardonic smile. "Or maybe you refuse to lay all your cards out to anyone."
"Leave the gambling metaphors to Luxord." Zexion growled and turned and walked away. "My motivations are my own."
"If you remember them anymore." Marluxia hissed under his breath. He had a feeling that Zexion would be betraying him very, very soon.
Of all the things that Sora had expected to find when he entered Castle Oblivion, a flower garden was not one of them. The flowers were really just illusions but they were beautiful all the same. He paused near some sunflowers, Kairi's favorite and leaned forward. They smelled like real ones. He closed his eyes as memories of her standing with sunflowers in her hand on the beach while waiting for him and Riku entered his mind.
"Memories?" Demyx's voice broke the spell and he looked at the disinterested nobody.
"A few." He admitted quietly. "I—I wasn't expecting this at all when you brought me here."
"Marluxia's element is flower." He shrugged gingerly and continued to walk forward. "He's rather mysterious. I have no idea of what he's planning to do with you or with the others. He'll probably turn my ass over to Xemnas with that bitter smile on his face."
"Wow… thanks for the vote of confidence." Sora smiled at him.
"We'll be fine. Come on."
"They're where!" Axel pivoted on his foot and turned back to face Luxord.
"The trap has been set. Demyx took Sora to Castle Oblivion." The blond nobody smiled at him, fingers toying idly with a deck of cards. "Marluxia is one of the most powerful nobodies… I think it's obvious of what's going to happen."
"How do you know this? The last I heard Xiggy had gone to turn the Emperor of the Land of Dragons into a Heartless." The red head clenched his fists; his plans were beginning to go to hell.
"You seem almost upset about it… is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Other then I'd been hoping to do something about Marluxia before all this. "I guess this will get the Superior off my back for a while."
"I think there's more to all this then that." Luxord smiled at him as if he'd solved some big mystery. "I'll bet… that you've just realized that your hand is all played out. Marluxia has all the right cards and even Xemnas' hands look a bit more lucrative then yours."
"I still have a little bit of something up my sleeve." Luxord probably knew that he was bluffing. "Plus, it doesn't matter if my cards are a little on the shitty side. I'm going for the winning side."
"Are you sure? You lost your bargaining chip… Roxas."
"You leave Roxas out of this." Axel tried to calm the fire brewing beneath his surface, he could wager that he was stronger then Luxord but testing that out in the middle of the Castle That Never Was would be a foolish move.
"It was just a comment. But that's okay… Roxas will return once Marluxia has killed Sora… then he'll let go of those pointless fantasies he's admiring." Luxord turned and walked away through the mass of inky blackness that coated the World That Never Was.
Sparks of flame shot out of Axel's fingers as he tired to let his temper wear itself out. He about faced angrily and opened a portal to Castle Oblivion. He'd have to cut a deal with Marluxia. He just hoped the pinked haired nobody would be 'understanding' of his plight.
"Right into my hands." Zexion murmured from where he stood in the shadows.
Rhiannon: Um... well, welcome to my verison of Castle Oblivion. Really, all aside... I think Marluxia is one of my favorite characters then again... most of them are...