Welcome back.

Now, let me clarify something. The story does start around Day 71 of 358/2 Days, when Axel returns from Castle Oblivion. I know I said I wasn't going to pick, but after I rewatched most of 358/2 Days' scenes, I chose this time to be best, because it is after Sora and Riku's time in Castle Oblivion. By the way, when I refer to the music in certain scenes, it is my recommendation that you listen to the re-orchestrated versions from both the 1.5 and 2.5 HD Remixes.

Also, I definitely am aware that the first chapter was rushed. I assure you, I took my time with this one.

If you want to know if I'm lying, read on.

Play: Sacred Moon - KH 358/2 Days

It has been only a few days since Kirux got his name, and he's already been taken in by "Organization XIII."

On the day he had arrived and shown his room, he was immediately given his cloak. The man who'd given it to him, his name was Saix, also gave him a diary to keep.

As soon as Saix left, Kirux immediately put on his cloak. In order for him to stay inconspicuous and not get caught, he'd have to play the part as a member of this group.

Kirux looked out the window, at the somewhat visible reflection of himself. He could see what faintly looked like a moon in the shape of a heart.

He felt uneasy. This place was harboring darkness around every corner, and he could feel it.

"This castle," he said lightly, "I can sense the darkness here. It's seeping through every tiny hole in this place."

He drew his weapon, holding it before him in both hands. Riku had informed him it was called "Soul Eater," a sword that gets stronger when used with darkness. It would fit Kirux perfectly.

"DiZ says I was created from the darkness inside of Riku's heart. However, in order for a Nobody to be created, a person must lose their heart."

"But Riku never lost his heart. Sure, he was possessed by Ansem, but his heart was never extracted from his body."

He gripped the sword tightly, "So what is it? What happened that caused my own creation? And what would there be to stop Ansem from trying to take control of me?"

He shook his head, letting his weapon fade away. He decided then that he needed to rest. His mind was overflowing with thoughts, and sleep would be his best option to clear them out.

3 Days Later

Kirux shot straight up in his bed. He looked around the room, looking for any sign of, well, anything.

"It was just a dream." He said, looking down.

"What was all that? There were three, no, four of us Organization members, including me. A clock tower, ice cream, and a...sunset."

"Yeah, a sunset."

"It was nice. It felt...peaceful."

...

His door opened suddenly, and Saix walked in slowly. He looked angry, but then again, he looked the same way when Kirux first met him.

"At last, you have awoken. The Superior was starting to get concerned." He said as he reached Kirux's bedside.

"What...happened to me?"

"You've been sleeping for three days now."

Three days?!

Good job, Kirux. Way to make a good first impression.

"I-," he said, embarrassed, "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

Saix shook his head, "No matter. Some Nobodies aren't fully recovered until a week after their creation. But I will admit, some members were a bit worried."

"Speaking of, we will be introducing you to them today. When you're ready, meet Axel in the Grey Area."

Saix turned around, and began to walk out.

"How will I know who Axel is?" Kirux asked.

But Saix didn't answer. He left the room without another word.

Guess I'll just have to guess.

Kirux looked towards his window.

"That place in my dream. Was that some sort of vision, or am I just going crazy?"

He got up out of bed, "Whatever it was, it felt...strange. Like I had some sort of...belonging there."

Kirux walked out of his room, but his mind wouldn't let that dream he had go.

...

He remembered it vividly. He was sitting at the top of a large tower, his legs were dangling off the edge. Along with him were three other Organization members. One was a man with long, red hair and green eyes. The second was a boy with blonde hair.

The last one was a girl. She had black hair, and blue eyes similar to the boy's. She was the one that grabbed Kirux's attention the most.

There was just something about her that grabbed his attention.

It was if the two of them were connected in some way. Kirux just couldn't figure out how though.

'Maybe I'll meet her today, then something might come up,' Kirux thought as he walked along.

As he walked along, he was able to look around more of the castle. For a place that was meant to only hold thirteen Nobodies, the place was massive. The castle itself could hold hundreds, maybe thousands of Nobodies.

Kirux got so lost in it all that he (accidentally) found his way to what they called the Grey Area. The place was large, with tables, couches, and chairs spread around the room. The entire back wall was a massive glass window, which showed some other pillars of the castle and the heart-shaped moon Kirux saw earlier.

Kirux was interrupted by somebody speaking to him, "Well well, look who finally decided to wake up."

Kirux looked over to his left, where a man was standing a few feet away from him. He had black and grey hair tied back, an eye patch over his left eye, and a scar that ended at the base of that same eye.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Name's Xigbar, kiddo. I'm the Organization's No. II, and you think that would mean something, right?"

"As if. Saix calls the shots for us, so don't come crying to me if you don't know what you need to do."

Kirux crossed his arms, "Uhh, okay?"

"So, you just going to leave me in the dark about your name?"

"Oh, sorry. It's Kirux."

"Kirux, huh? Well, hopefully you turn out better than the last newbie."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say she went missing not long before you showed up."

She?

It's got to be that girl from my dream! I've got to find out more about her.

"Can you describe who she is for me?"

"If you insist on knowing. She's got black hair and blue eyes, but that's about all I can give you."

She's definitely the same one.

All I need is a name.

"What's her name?"

Xigbar smiled, "You're a curios one, aren't you?"

"I just want to get to know everybody in this place."

"If you insist, Xion is her name. Got it?"

Kirux nodded, smiling, "Thanks, Xigbar."

Xigbar grinned, "No problemo, newbie. Now, if anyone's looking for me, I'll be waiting for your introduction to begin. Capiche?"

Xigbar walked past him, heading down the hallway.

"Xion, huh," Kirux said to himself, "Wonder who she could be."

...

Xion.

The name brought no familiarity to him. However, Kirux felt a strange connection to this girl. There wasn't any reasoning behind it, it was just a feeling he had.

It's funny, really. Nobodies aren't supposed to have feelings. But in Kirux's case, he felt something, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

Kirux thought about it, but nothing would come up.

Nothing at all.

In the end, he just shook it off and looked around the Grey Area a little more. There was only one other person in the room, a tall man with spiky, red hair.

...

No. It couldn't be.

It was the same man Kirux had seen in his dream! Same hair and everything!

What is going on? Am I having visions of the future or something?

Kirux walked up to the man, calling out, "Are you Axel?"

The man turned around, looking at Kirux with curiosity.

Yep. Same eyes, too. That shade of green that looks almost blue.

...

He smiled all of the sudden, "Already got the name memorized, huh?"

"What?"

"My name, Axel. A - X - E - L. Got it memorized?"

Kirux crossed his arms in confusion.

"Uhh, sure. I guess."

Axel patted him lightly on the shoulder, "Come on, don't over think it. All you've got to do is remember."

"So, what's my name?"

Kirux looked up at him, "Axel."

He smiled, "Good. And what about our boss?"

"Xemnas."

"And his number two?"

"Saix."

Axel chuckled, "See, there you go. Now, you got it all memorized?"

"Sure," Kirux said, but not with a lot of confidence.

"Alright. Now, what was it that Saix told me about? Oh yeah. It's time to finally show you off to all the others. You ready to go?"

Kirux folded his arms across his chest.

...

This guys is a little odd. He wants me to remember his name for some reason.

Maybe he just wants us all to stay connected. I don't really know.

But I saw him in my dream. Does that mean that we're going to become friends at one point? Or maybe be a part of waking up Sora?

It's all too early to say.

But now, it's time to meet the other members.

...

"Yeah," Kirux said, "Lead the way."

Axel smiled, "Good. Follow me and we'll be there in no time."

Axel walked past him, and Kirux followed.

Stop: Scared Moon - KH 358/2 Days

The members were gathered in their respective seats in the Round Room. Xemnas began by speaking loudly.

"Good tidings friends. Today is a momentous day."

"After the loss of five of our comrades at Castle Oblivion, I am pleased to announce that another has been chosen to wear the coat."

The room was silent, as everyone looked down at the center platform.

There, Kirux could be seen (his hood on), standing towards the center of the platform.

"No. XV." Xemnas announced loudly.

While the other members talked amongst themselves., Kirux took the opportunity to look around at some of the them. He could see that every member seemed to have a unique look. One man had long, black hair while another had spiky, light brown. One other thing he noticed were the numbers.

They were supposed to be called Organization XIII, as in thirteen members. However, when Kirux looked at the others, there were only eight not counting himself and the girl Xigbar told him about.

But, Kirux caught sight of one member specifically.

He had found one, heard of another, it was only a matter of time before he found the third.

And by third, he meant the third person from his dream. The boy with the spiky, blonde hair.

There's something odd about him, about all three of them. The ones I saw in my dream are special.

Us four, we're all connected somehow. I don't exactly know how at the moment, but I know that for sure.

The other members were starting to leave, but the boy didn't. He stayed, and continued staring down at Kirux, who stared right back.

Kirux didn't expect the boy to smile but he did, then he vanished like the others.

He looked down towards his feet, "What is it about them? What makes them so special?"

He thought, I don't really understand it, but there's something about the three I saw. Axel, Xion, and the third one. At least two of them have got to be connected to Sora in some way. If I were to guess, it would be Xion and the third, but I can't rule out Axel yet.

What matters it, those three could be vital to awakening Sora. By whatever means, I have to bring them to DiZ and Riku.

Kirux left the room.

He arrived back in the Grey Area after nearly twenty minutes of wandering (it's a big castle. It was easy to get lost.) This time, there were more members there. Axel and Saix were there, but there were two others. The one with spiky, light brown hair and a man with short, blonde hair. The latter two were sitting in the couches and chairs scattered across the room.

Only Axel again, huh? Fair enough.

"Axel," Kirux said, walking up to him, "So, uhh...what now?"

"Axel will be showing you how we operate." Saix said, walking up to him.

Axel sighed, "Again? You're joking."

"The Superior requested you specifically."

"Why am I always the one showing the new ones the ropes?"

"That's not my decision. But, due to our lack of members, you'll have to show him everything today."

"Everything at once?! That's crazy. You think he'll be able to handle it all?"

Kirux spoke up, "I can handle it just fine. I may be new, but I'm anything but incompetent."

Saix nodded, "Good. You two leave when you're ready."

When he was out of earshot, Axel spoke up, "That's unfair. If anybody should be showing you this stuff, it should be either Demyx or Xigbar."

Kirux looked confused, "Why are you so upset? If I'm that much of a burden, I'll figure it out myself."

"No, it's not about that. Just..." he shook his head, "Never mind. We should probably go now, just to get it over with. You ready?"

Kirux nodded, "Only if you are."

"Alright," he lifted his hand up, and a dark portal appeared. Kirux recognized it, the same one Riku threw him into. Axel walked right in, but Kirux was nervous.

This is how we get from world to world? That's odd. I wonder why I can't summon one.

Nevertheless, Kirux walked through.

Play: Lazy Afternoons - KH ReCOM

Axel and Kirux both exited the portal.

"Twilight Town?" Kirux said, "Why are we here?"

"Every time I trained a new member, I brought them here. It's normal for us."

"Okay."

Axel turned towards him, "Alright, so we've got to jam pack five days of learning into one. You think you can take up that burden?"

Kirux nodded, "Let's get started."

"Alright. First off, each mission you go on will have a certain objective that you must complete. You're not permitted to return to the castle if you don't. These missions can range from collecting items, to defeating certain Heartless."

"Heartless?"

"They're monsters of darkness. The name speaks for itself, as they have no hearts. They can be small or large, weak or strong. Any Heartless is a threat. If you see one, eliminate it on the spot."

"By the way, you have a weapon, right?"

"Of course I do. Why?"

"Show me it."

Kirux hesitated, but he reached his hand out and summoned Soul Eater. Axel looked at it in surprise, but that surprise quickly faded.

"Impressive. Now, that sword is the only thing keeping you from defeat. If you were a person, your heart would be your most trusted ally in combat. But, for us Nobodies, our allies are the weapons we carry if we ever ride solo. Got it?"

Kirux nodded.

Stop: Lazy Afternoons - KH ReCOM

Play: Sinister Sundown - KH ReCOM

Suddenly to his left, black figures emerged from the ground. They had distinct, yellow eyes, and their movements were frantic.

"Well, that's convenient," Axel said, "Those guys are the Heartless. If you run into any, don't be afraid. You've got many means off defeating them. Go on, take those out."

Kirux raised his sword, "Got it." Then ran towards the Heartless. He jumped forward, slashing downward at one of them. The enemy disappeared into a black puff. Kirux then moved on to the others, taking out two with a slash immediately followed by a stab. The last one jumped towards him, which he defeated with one downward swing.

Unfortunately for Kirux, more showed up, in nearly tripled.

"Axel, I don't know if I can handle this many."

"Don't worry! You have other means of battle other than physical attacks. Magic is another way to combat them. You can do that to defeat them."

"I'll give it a try!"

Kirux held his sword in front of him, shouting "Fire!", and a dark fireball came out from the blade. It hit one Heartless, evaporating it. Two came in to attack, but Kirux dodged easily. He then tried lifting the blade upwards, shouting "Thunder!". Immediately, lightning bolts of purple and white came flying down, hitting all but one of the enemies and defeating them. The last one was taken down by one strike.

But even after that, Kirux still wasn't done. One final Heartless popped up, a large, fat one. Kirux was worn out from fighting, so he collapsed to one knee.

"Axel...I can't."

"Out of energy, huh?"

Kirux nodded.

"This is where your most powerful ability comes in. We call them Limit Breaks. It's where you have on last bit of power, to lay out massive damage to the enemy. You can do it. Take out this one and it's over."

Kirux stood back up, staring at the Heartless in front of him. He then felt energy rising through him, and darkness began to flow out of his body. He then jumped into the air, a burst of energy floating around him.

"Giving up already?!" He yelled at the Heartless, before he ran forward and jumped, only to disappear.

He reappeared next to them, dealing three hits. He did that again, and again, except five hits the last time. He then returned one last time, slamming the ground in a wave of dark energy, yelling out "Goodbye!."

Stop: Sinister Sundown - KH ReCOM

Play: Lazy Afternoons - KH2 ReCOM

The Heartless disappeared immediately, and Kirux fell to his knees. Soul Eater faded away from his hand.

What...was that? I was consumed by anger and hatred.

That was the...darkness. The dark power inside me.

Have I already fallen to it?

He was interrupted by a green glow illuminating around him, allowing him the strength to stand. Then he heard...clapping?

Axel was cheering for him?

"That was nice, Kirux," Axel said, patting him on the shoulder, "You really showed them who's boss."

Kirux looked at him in confusion, "How are you happy about that?"

"Well you took out all those Heartless, all by yourself."

"But I was consumed by anger, and hatred. The darkness inside me took over, and-," he looked down, "I lost it."

Axel rubbed his head, "Don't let it get to you. Besides, even if the darkness does take over, nothing to lose, right? I mean, we're Nobodies after all."

Kirux sighed, "Right."

"Anyways, you've passed the test. Congrats Kirux."

"What? That's it?"

"Well...no. But that's all nonsense stuff. You deserve what I like to call 'The Icing on the Cake.'"

"'Icing on the cake?'"

"Yeah, something a little extra for completing your mission. Follow me."

Kirux didn't understand, but he followed anyway.

Stop: Lazy Afternoons - KH ReCOM

Play: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - KH 358/2 Days

"When did you find this place?" Kirux said, watching his feet dangle over the edge. They were at the top of the clock tower, sitting on the edge, watching the sunset. Kirux had the same feeling he had in his dream the night before.

"A while ago," Axel said, reaching into his pocket, "By the way, here you go."

Axel was holding out two, light-blue ice cream bars. Kirux took it with even more confusion.

"It's sea salt ice cream. Go ahead, try it."

Kirux was hesitant, but he did take a bite. It had a salty taste, but there was also sweetness.

"It's salty, but it's also sweet. I like it."

"Good," Axel said, "After every mission, each day, I'd come here and watch the sunset before I went back to the castle."

"Must have been lonely." Kirux said, taking another bite.

"It was a little, but it was nice and peaceful. It got better after I was done training Roxas."

"Roxas?"

"He's a member of the Organization. Got spiky, blonde hair and blue eyes. He's a friend of mine."

That must be the boy I saw earlier. He's the third.

Roxas, Axel, and Xion.

That trio is what I'm after.

"Do you think he'll show up today?"

"Shouldn't you be asking me that?"

Kirux turned to his left, only to see the boy they were just talking about.

Roxas.

"Hey Roxas! How was your mission?"

Roxas sat down between Kirux and Axel, "Good. I went to a new world today. It's a really big castle, and I heard a really loud roar."

Roxas stopped and smiled, looking at Kirux, "Oh, and sorry. I never introduced myself. I'm Roxas, if Axel hasn't told you."

Kirux smiled back, "Kirux."

"How long have you been with us?"

"Umm...three or four days. I've already lost count. I was in a coma for a while though."

"Yeah, I heard. I came to see if you were awake once, but Saix told me I couldn't."

"You did?"

"Of course. We've got to look out for each other. Besides, any friend of Axel is a friend of mine."

They both looked at Axel, "You two ARE friends, right?"

Axel laughed, "Of course. Right Kirux?"

"Yeah!"

Roxas took a bite of his own ice cream and laughed, "Good. Once we find Xion, you'll have three friends in the first week."

"Xion...she went missing before I got here, right?"

Axel frowned, "Yeah. We still haven't found her. But Roxas and I are going out to find her one of these days."

"Yeah. Soon."

The rest of their time was quiet, but Kirux's mind was anything but that.

These three are all friends, and it looks like I am too.

This puts a dent into everything. These three are what we need to wake up Sora.

But, now we're friends. I can't do that to them.

Kirux knew then, that this was not going to be easy.

At all.

There we go. Kirux has now officially met Roxas and Axel. Only Xion is left...

Until next time!

-Broncozfan623