Rhiannon: Okay... I know I've been behind... but I was lazy... three chapters will be posted this week though. If stops being mean to me...

-)-

Chapter 22—With Excess

Sora sat on the bottom step with his head in his hands. His heart hurt so much. Not only had he lost the others but now… now Demyx was dead. Demyx who had done so much for them in a cause that wouldn't even help him. That could actually destroy all of his hopes and dreams in the end. Sora was so distracted that he didn't hear the latches as Zexion used his magic to release two more fiendish demons for him to fight.

He felt more then heard the darkness swirling near him and jumped to his feet hoping in vain that it would be Roxas or Demyx but instead it was a nobody that he'd never seen before. He was high above Sora on a ledge watching him with a disdainful look on his face.

"You don't seem like much of a fighter."

"You don't seem like much of one either." Sora snapped back his heart was still hurting and he was just so angry at everything.

"Well… I'm not… That's why I brought friends." He smirked and Sora heard it, the roaring and trundling of two extremely large nobodies.

The little brunette jumped to his feet and called his keyblade to him, standing there holding it in front of him fiercely. Through the large arching doors came two huge nobodies. They paused in the doorway waiting for the other boy's command.

"Meet Cerberus and Scar…" He smiled at them. "I am Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer… and this… is the end of your journey… keyblade master."

Scar was a large lion creature with a black as night mane but was mostly white and furiously glaring. Cerberus looked was a large three headed dog that Sora recognized from many an ancient history class. Well, except for the fact that it was a stark sickly white.

"It's not the end! I still… I still have so much to do!" Sora cried and in his mind's eye he could see Riku waiting for him. He wouldn't give up.

"So you tell me." Zexion waved his hand and the two nobodies charged him.

Sora ran forward and dived out of the way of Scar's claws and managed to cut off the creature's tail before Cerberus flung him into a wall. Moaning, he moved to stand but Scar seemed to come out of nowhere and drag his claws along Sora's side. He cried out in pain as the two monsters seemed to toss his body back and forth, cutting into him, he was barely able to guard himself.

"Still such a coward Zexion." A new voice murmured.

Sora managed to catch a glimpse of a large whirl of darkness and a tall red head stepped out of it. His eyes were the brightest grass green he'd ever seen, like neon lights and his hair was long and spiked even more then his own. The man was more then angry, he was completely enraged. He lifted his hands and the chakrams in them began to glow with fire.

"Well, if it isn't the Flurry of Dancing Flames." Zexion moved down in front of him, seemingly careless of the fight happening behind them. "To who do I owe the pleasure?"

"This is the last time you get in to my way." Axel attack and sliced part of Zexion's robe before the nobody jumped back. Zexion was fast but Axel was faster appearing behind him and shoving him forward with a precise kick to his back that sent him sprawling on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" He lifted up his head and stared at him. "This is what we wanted! What we needed! The keyblade master is going to die!"

"Not on my watch." Axel's laid back fighting pose belayed what it was he was about to do.

Zexion stared in rising horror that he was surprised he felt as he watched the fire grow in Axel's eyes almost as deadly and frightening as the fire that spun around his chakrams. He opened up a portal to escape but one of the deadly wheels flew at him and sent him flying backwards away from his own portal.

"You aren't escaping this Zexy." His smile was frightening in its intensity.

The fire in his hands grew and Zexion realized that there was no way he or Axel would survive this, and that wasn't a comforting thought in any respect.

"Are you out of your mind Axel! AXEL!" He screamed in vain.

By now, the fighting between Sora and the other two nobodies had stopped due the rising heat in the room from the fires that Axel had built around his hands. Sora stared at him, body pressed against the wall, wondering for the first time if this is where it all ends.

"Hey Sora… tell Roxas… that I'm sorry all right? I sorta promised him… to come back but…you know how that goes." And then it rained fire from all sides as everything burred into a reddish white so bright that Sora was sure that he'd died along with everyone else.

-)-

Roxas sat up swiftly clutching his chest in horror an agony. He wasn't sure what he was feeling but he felt and that was enough to disturb him right down to his bones. He leaned over as a cold sweat overtook his shaking limbs and sucked deep breaths into his lungs and sighed softly. He knew what he felt now. Something had gone wrong in Castle Oblivion. Something having to do with Axel.

He stood up and grabbed his shirt and pulled it up over his head and down and grabbed his dirty jeans and pulled them back on. He was about to wander out the door, because if he opened a portal in the First District everyone and god would know. He shifted and walked silently and swiftly though the halls and was almost out the door when he was caught. Cloud and Tifa stood at the door watching him with crossed arms and bright smirks.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tifa asked and as much as he liked the woman he really wished that she would just learn not to keep tabs on him, he wasn't a child.

"I have to go." He replied crossing his arms imposingly.

"Go where?" Cloud asked cocking his head to the side and Roxas had a feeling that there was no way he was getting out of this and that he was about to have some extra passengers.

"I need to go… to Castle Oblivion… I didn't want you to know that I was going to use my powers… of darkness." He looked down sheepishly. "Something happened to Axel."

"Then we're going with you." Tifa murmured. "Open the portal."

"Here? Now? Um…"

"You don't have to do everything alone." Cloud murmured with a soft smile and he nodded.

Roxas opened the portal and hoped for the best. He gestured to them to go first. Tifa paused. "I'm not sure about this."

"The portal automatically closes behind me. It would be best if you go through first." They nodded in agreement to that and walked to the portal. With a long suffering sigh, Roxas followed them.

-)-

Demyx groaned as he opened his eyes, he felt like Xaldin had used him for target practice again. He looked up and realized that for what ever reason he was lying on the floor inside Castle Oblivion and then it occurred to him what had happened. He'd used all his power to defeat the Clockodile. More power then probably needed, but he'd needed to stop the large nobody and fast. Being eaten hadn't been high on his list.

"Wait… if I'm supposed to be dead then why am I lying on the floor in Castle Oblivion?" He asked himself and lifted his hands.

He felt pretty damn solid. So, that didn't answer his question. And then he felt it, the dull thuds in his chest. He pressed his hand to his chest and felt the warmth flowing from it. He sat up urgently and closed his eyes and thought back over everything, everything that he'd ever done from since he could remember. Since he became a nobody and then he realized what was truly different.

Not only did he have a heart, but he could feel. He was… happy, really and truly happy. Then panic gripped him for the first time in his life, Sora thought he was dead, not bouncing around on the floor wondering over the new amenity in his chest. He jumped to his feet prepared to go and find the boy when the doors opened and he came face to face with Tifa, Cloud and Roxas.

"I have a heart!" He yelled at them and grabbed Roxas' hand and slammed it against his chest.

"Um Demyx… I don't like you in that way." Roxas growled and then he felt the dull beating within the former nobody's chest. "You… you really do… but how?"

"I… I don't know." He admitted staring down at his hands. "I just… I remember using all my power to defeat the Clockadile… to save Sora and then… SORA! We've got to find Sora! He thinks I'm dead!"

"Whoa! Calm down! Let's just go." Cloud murmured taking charge a bit. Demyx nodded and led them further into Castle Oblivion.

"Damn this place is big." Tifa murmured after going through large room after large room.

"This is the last one. The staircase should just be beyond this door." Demyx murmured as he pushed the huge door open.

Beyond the door was nothing any of them could have expected. The paintings and the rug that adorned the staircase were on fire, there walls were charred and in the middle of it all was Sora leaning over Axel with tears streaming down his face. He looked up at the opening doors and saw the others.

"Demyx!" He gasped staring at the wide-eyed, one had still clutching Axel's hand. "How!"

"Apparently… when I gave my life for yours… It gave me a heart…" The blond former nobody murmured and then looked over at Roxas that was glued to the spot staring at Axel in horror before he ran forward.

Roxas was hurting inside, he didn't know why or how, but seeing Axel like that, dying. He skidded down to a halt on his knees beside him and pulled his upper body into his lap.

"You promised! You promised!" He cried, clutching both of his hands.

Sora watched him with sad eyes but Axel merely smiled.

"Hey… you heard Demyx, there might be a chance I'll get a heart. Wouldn't that be something?" He reached a hand up and touched Roxas' face. "I think… that I understand what Naminè meant that time… About some of us, having the ability… to gain a heart."

"Axel…" He closed his eyes sucking in deep breathes, wishing he would cry, wishing he could cry.

"Hey… cheer up." The red head's grin grew. "If nothing happens…don't forget all right?"

"I could never, never forget!" He cried squeezing his hands harder and then Axel slowly faded in darkness, dissipating.

Roxas could only stare at his knees, body cold, hands clenched. Axel couldn't be dead, he was always supposed to be there. He was saving a spot for him. He— He jumped as arms wrapped around him and realized that it was Sora, holding him so tightly, still crying for the one who'd given his life for him. Roxas let out a soft sob.

"Wow." Tifa's voice broke the moment and Roxas pulled away and turned and saw Axel, lying unconscious on the ground.

"He…" His voice left him as he stared at what had to be an illusion.

Sora squeezed him. "He gave himself for me. I… I think… that I'm the reason that he and Demyx got a heart." Sora told him quietly sitting back.

"What? How?" Roxas asked.

"When Demyx… died… I prayed for him and I prayed for Axel just now… Maybe it's part of my power as a keyblade master?" He asked quietly.

"Maybe?" Roxas whispered and Sora grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Let me try again." Sora grabbed Roxas' other hand and the blond nobody manage to pull his eyes away from Axel to stare at Sora who sat with his head bowed, lips moving quietly in prayer. Roxas watched as light slowly incased Sora and then it spread to him and slowly covered his body. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he felt different. He didn't understand how but he felt Sora' squeeze his hands and saw that contagious smile.

"It worked." He smiled.

"What was that?" Tifa's eyes were wide.

"The secret teaching of the Shiren family." Cloud whispered his eyes a light in wonder. "That's what Laguna meant."

"What?"

"The keyblade master can… create things out of the hopes and wishes of others. Because Demyx, Axel and Roxas had the ability to gain a heart, Sora could give them one."

"You're close." A new voice stated and they turned to seem a man covered in red bandages.

"What do you want DiZ?" Demyx growled calling his sitar and then gasped in surprise when he realized he still had his power over water.

"Idiot." DiZ muttered cross his arms. "They all started the process, Sora can only finish it. The emotions that you felt Roxas… is what gave Sora the ability to give you a heart. The love you felt for Axel and the love he felt for you. The changes that Demyx went through, since traveling with you. That's what allowed them hearts."

"How do you know all this?" Cloud asked warily.

He laughed and slowly lifted his hands up and removed the bandages from around his head. "My real name… is Ansem the Wise… I've been studying these things for a long, long time my boy." The man underneath the bandages was blond with a very well defined face, his eyes a burnt orange that reminded Roxas of Xemnas. "I must say though, this ruined my plans."

"Plans?" Sora asked raising an eyebrow.

"He… wanted… to merge… you and Roxas." Axel's voice was soft and rough. "I couldn't… let him… do that."

"Axel!" Roxas released Sora's hands and ran over to him and helped him to sit up.

"I'm fine kid." The red head murmured with a smile.

"We both… We both have hearts!" Roxas told him and Axel nodded tiredly.

"I know… I can feel it." He gave him a cocky grin. "Didn't I tell you to hold a space for me?"

Rhiannon: Grr... fanfic... grr... Leave me alone and let me update in peace! The lines are different... if they are even there due to some difficulties with the 'updating' program of