The Sapphire Sorceress

Disclaimer: The rights to Kingdom Hearts belong to Disney and Square Enix.

Act 68: The Whirlwind Lancer

"Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong."

Hollow Bastion: Ravine Trail ( Auxaq's POV )

It seemed like an easy goal to accomplish for me and Demyx. While I keep Sora and his pals busy, the distraction made by myself would allow Demyx to kidnap Kairi in order to bring her back into our base of operations. The idea is to help Sora renew his focus on slaying the heartless instead of going after nobodies like they've been doing lately. Still, there was something telling me that I should have confronted Kairi instead of Demyx who wasn't exactly the most trustworthy guy to deal with such orders. That didn't mean I could go against the orders of Xemnas, the Superior's will is absolute and final.

'Defying him would be a regression of everything I have left...' I have come too far to lose everything, and the work I've put in to help build Kingdom Hearts it was time Sora fulfill his role in my "rebirth" as a somebody. Looking at Kairi and Sora head down to battle the horde of heartless roaming around Hollow Bastion I know what time it was, the trap would now be put into action by my hands or rather magical abilities. Watching Kairi run further from Sora's position gave me just the right moment to cast a powerful barrier with the aid of my Oracles.

"Running off so soon? Well, it would seem that only one of you gets to be in the performance of our "Melodious Nocturne" then... " I taunted with a fake grin of enjoyment at their confused expressions.

"Just go Kairi! We will catch up after we deal with these guys!" Oh, you really believe it will be that simple Sora? Please!

"I can break this down with my keyblade and magic if you just help me, Sora."

"We don't have time for that! You can handle things on your own until we get there we trust in you, and I have faith in you Kairi!" We will see if you are correct about that, and while my chosen heir to the right of being a keybearer fled I focused on dealing with my target who knew who I was but not much about our last conversation apparently...

"Why do you keep messing with us?" I know who you are, but I can't recall why I feel so angry at you." How could those memories be forgotten unless...Namine. Of course, the "white witch" was still around despite no longer being under Marluxia's control and considering the fact she helped out DiZ must have meant she erased some of Sora's memories once again.

"Ask yourself that question. I mean if you're been able to remember once before, then it shouldn't be impossible to recall what you've forgotten." Instead of a reply, the reaction from this boy came in the form of a blast of fire at my Oracle nobodies.

"You're just trying to trick us again!"

"Do you really believe in your heart that I'm lying, Goofy? You guys would better than someone without a soul how it could know what it has lost..." Telling would be easy, and yet, these three have gotten this far through hardship by losing their memories in the first place so why not make them go through a little refresher course?

Watching my nobodies fight back against these three I knew it was only a matter of time before I would need to fight them myself rather than observe them from a safer distance.

"Tell me, Sora. Do you believe that you can overcome those heartless below on your own? I've managed to add more heartless to my count, but should you succeed by my estimate you will have added 1000 heartless to your current score."

"This isn't a race or some kind of twisted game," Sora had to remark showing that kindness that I envied not having along with other emotions. "You can't manipulate or play with a person's feelings despite not having any!" Leaping down to face him I watched the last of my precious Oracles that were merely following orders to the bitter end.

'Forgive us, Your Majesty.' Nodding, I made sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain as I drew my own keyblade out to fight this worthy foe that continued to remain a thorn in the side of Organization XIII. Sora didn't wait to try hitting me with his blade, so I blocked it with ease while observing those eyes that one belonged to two others I knew from the group of nobodies that continued to dwindle with each day.

Jumping upward I brought down my keyblade with enough force to knock Sora back a couple of feet before I charged at him with my weapon.

"Leave my friend alone!"

Donald, the duck tried blasting me with lighting so I cast a barrier to deflect the magic spell away from me. I happened to see Goofy running at me, because of Donald I almost didn't see him coming towards me with his shield to attack me with it so I jumped into the air to land on Goofy's shield when he covered his head to protect himself from getting stomped on with my shoes. Instead, the brush I felt was Sora knocking his keyblade into the back of my shoulders while I was dealing with Donald and Goofy.

"Tch, not bad, however," I used Gravira on Sora to weaken him before knocking him down with a swipe from my keyblade. "Sneak attacks will only get you so far!" Moving my pseudo-Stormfall weapon I formed several different ice spears to attack these three while I decided to debate with Sora while longer to help him remember our last conversation.

"Why are you doing all of this? Don't you want a heart again, so why...why do you need to hurt others?!" He once more asked me, but even I wasn't sure why I had to involve the others from this place in our group's objective. They had nothing to do with us...

"There are people with hearts who judge and look down on us for not being like them."

Yes, the ones who believe that we should never exist; those who might see things differently are certainly less in number than people like DiZ or should I say Ansem the Wise. I never imagined Xemnas would tell me that man who was known for his research, his apprentices, and the relationship with that man who called himself "Xehanort" or what I thought could be Terra when I saw the picture in the study room. For a moment I imagined tears were coming down my cheeks, but I couldn't let those emotions from my friend hinder my current self no matter how much pain I felt in seeing what Terra might have become.

"They look down at us, mock our kind, and wish to destroy us simply because we don't have what makes a somebody "normal" a heart!" Running at Sora who tried piercing me with his keyblade, his weapon could only make contact with mine as I began to move it around to keep him from going back on the offense again.

"Not everyone is like that, and you're not helping matters by acting like this! I and Kairi know what it is like to lose what makes you feel alive." Nonsense! I charged up Stormfall to unleashed a charged up shot of thunder at Sora.

"Like you could begin to understand what it is like to lose everything you once had, and only to be a mere shell of your former self. Well, actually you do know what that is like...Roxas."

"Roxas?"

So, Namine has changed those memories about his other self but I wondered if he even remembers Xion considering what she must have done to his mind with her powers.

"It truly is a shame you've gone back to square one considering you were so close to a break-through with my help."

"What? We..talked before?" His confused expression told me everything I needed to know about Roxas and Xion returning to slumber inside of this boy, but then he shook his keyblade in anger before trying to attack me again demanding answers.

"How come I can't remember ever speaking to you before now? I know you're a member of Organization XIII along with your name, but everything else..."

"Does the name Namine ring any bells in your head?" Despite his behavior still being aggressive with this keyblade near my face I could tell my words were getting to him, even if he doesn't understand the full meaning behind what I'm trying to explain to him.

"Events are repeating like before when you came to that castle in search of your friend!" Moving away from his weapon I activated a few explosive circles in order to keep Donald and Goofy away from us, which gave me enough time to explain something else that Sora's forgotten once more.

"You've given up so many memories in order to find your friend, Riku." As expected, the blue eyes that I knew so well light up with desire and curiosity demanding to understand more about this situation. "It was in the castle where you lost all of those moments you had while looking for your friend, but it was a total stranger who ended up taking away those memories that you can't recall."

I heard more clashes of metal as Sora looked even angrier than before once I told him about why he was back to square one, his hands merely waved that weapon around to destroy me like countless heartless and nobodies he's slain before fighting me.

"Enough of the riddles and mind games! Why do I feel like I should know you better, and how come it seems like you've already explained this to me!"

"Ask those who know the truth, the ones who can't wake up because of you." Moving around from the slash Sora made with his keyblade I punched him in the chest trying to avoid using more lethal force with my keyblade. I had to make sure he was not completely out of shape for his battle with the huge army after all.

"Come on, tell me the whole truth already!" His next strike came with a twist, and I could tell that he was desperate to make me admit the whole story while his friends were trying to catch up with us while we moved around the place during our little duel.

"I would, but only the other pieces inside of you hold the answers." Roxas and Xion know what Sora doesn't and until they can awaken once again the answers will remain in the dark void of this boy's mind. Pointing my weapon at Sora my ears rang as I felt one of his nobodies speak to me, the words it spoke interrupted my current train of thought.

'Demyx has fallen. Lord Xemnas requests you return to our home for an immediate meeting and leave the child to his duty.' My eyes widen at hearing this news, which gave Sora an opening with his keyblade as he tried piercing my stomach with that weapon. Blocking it with my Stormfall I knew that our catch-up session had to be cut short in order to report back to Xemnas before I get into hot water like Axel.

"If you want to learn the truth and find your friend, then you must become stronger!" Like a true keybearer defeat can teach you many things that victory does, so hopefully, once you overcome these heartless you will finally understand why I hate to look at your face...

'I see the face of two other people instead of Kairi's friend, and sometimes I even pretend that I'm looking at Ven/Vanitas.'

"Wait, Auxaq! I won't let you get away from me again!" He actually grabbed onto my arm like he was going to force me to stay here, the nerve of this boy to think he could stop someone like me!

"You still aren't ready," Making Sora glow blue I put my hand on his shoulder while I whispered into his willing ear. "Roxas or Xion. Whoever is ready to wake u come find me in that city of heroes. Once you learn about your new motivation that is..."

Pushing Sora back into his friends with a lot of force, the portal to return to my homeworld was opened as I stepped back into the corridor that was filled with nothing. Sighing, I knew that he would soon learn about Kairi falling into the Organization's hands, but at least that would help put him on the right path to finding me again to learn about why he must decide on who he is between the many personalities within himself.

The World That Never Was: Where Nothing Gathers

The room felt even less occupied with another chair being without a member to sit on, the member called Demyx wouldn't be returning to claim that seat as the remaining members of this group had gathered for this important rendezvous. Along with Demyx Axel wasn't here as well likely because of what he did to help aid Sora once he learned about Kairi's abduction.

"Sora knows the truth now. The more heartless that he defeats, the closer he is to becoming our perfect puppet. This new knowledge will make him that much harder to control." So, it isn't like risking everything on luring Sora into destroying more heartless has failed thus far especially with my help.

"What does it matter really? Whatever his circumstances, Sora has never been able to help himself from saving people from the Heartless. It's what his pure little heart wants." Indeed, the duty to protect and help the helpless is too much for someone like Sora to ignore not to mention his desire to find Riku and Kairi would keep on down the path Xemnas wants him to follow.

"There - the dice have been cast. Things are in motion. He can't stop this."

"Nothing is set in stone. If the dice aren't in your favor, you will share Demyx's fate." Gazing at the empty chair I knew that if Kairi was capable of defeating one of us with her inexperience; Sora could be extremely dangerous compared to a learning keyblade wielder especially with Roxas and Xion inside of him.

"The fun is in not knowing, isn't it? What is the pointing of betting on something if you already know the outcome?"

"Insurance." Looking at Luxord despite his hood covering his face, the answer to his question became clear to me.

"To secure and win a bet that one must win at all costs, such is the reason to ensure that the bet goes your way by any means at one's disposal."

"Cheating? Such a vile method to consider, Auxaq."

"Does it really matter considering who or what we are Luxord?" Saix spoke up agreeing with my opinion, which surprised me considering we were not on speaking terms except when he orders me around in place of Xemnas.

"Sora and the others relying on underhanded methods to fight us, so why shouldn't we play by their rules such as using the key's other friend to our advantage?"

"..." Luxord didn't say anything after that, and I knew that he didn't approve of what Axel and Xemnas did to bring Kairi here, but according to Xemnas, she did come on her own regardless of the method used to convince her.

"Are you sure that defeating him won't derail the Organization's plan?"

"If he is to die so easily, he is of no use to us."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. It's not in my nature to hold back."

I couldn't help but worry about Xaldin's comment since I did intend on encountering Sora one last time before he could find the pathway into this world. Before I could leave with the other Xemnas asked me to wait, a powerfully deep voice that I feared and obeyed without question as I waited to hear what he wanted to speak to me about right now.

"Tell me, even with the fear of possible punishment for disobeying direct orders why do you continue to pester Sora to remember? I understand this is what I've asked you to do for the purpose of possibly reviving Roxas and Xion, yet, the methods you've been taking to achieve that goal have been...most strange." Looking up at his face, the answer was obvious however my lips refused to open as my mind continued to ponder the reasoning behind my actions.

"I wish to see and hear them again, and for a moment they were able to break free of Sora's control. They want to regain their freedom, but the inner battle with Sora might end up tearing the boy into pieces." They deserved to have that chance even while being parts of Sora's being no matter if he took them away from me and Axel. Xemnas merely pondered this question while stroking his chin, his mind likely in deep thought about my reasoning for continuing to test Sora.

"I see, and you believe that by awakening the memories Namine has purged Sora's other side can awaken from sleep once more? Very clever in using that desire of regaining those memories to string him further along, friend."

'It isn't about being clever, Xemnas.' My thoughts said before I spoke out loud to the man who helped give me the motivation to continue fighting for my soul.

"I simply wish for Sora to have the strength needed to complete this race with me." Despite removing a couple of heartless in Hollow Bastion Sora had gotten more in the battle with the horde sent by Maleficent and the darkness from that world. The time for Kingdom Hearts to become complete was drawing near, so was the chance to finally undo everything that was stolen from me. The others from the many worlds will try stopping this plan, but one way or another I will feel my heart beat in my chest again!

"That is the case for everyone else, but if you don't mind I would like you to see how our guest is doing." Ah, that girl who was now the person who Sora would continue fighting in order to save. Being suck in the Soundless Prison with no one else to chat with besides Saix must seem boring to her, and she will eventually try breaking out of that place once she gets bold enough. I suppose that she has the right to know the truth along with Sora at this stage in the game.

"Yes, Superior." Nodding, I made me leave through a portal of darkness to make my leave from this round room as I began my search to find Xaldin in this castle before he left for Beast's Castle once again. If he was serious about not holding back against Sora, proving his mentality of the strong being worth to exist over those who are weak. It could actually prove true if he is capable of destroying Sora.

'Okay, even though Xaldin and myself haven't gotten along with each other most of the time...well all of the time actually if I'm honest.' Still, it was important that Xaldin doesn't underestimate Sora like Demyx did with Kairi however not take things seriously enough to actually kill that boy. As I was now standing outside of the door to his room I wondered how my words should be phrased to make it sound like I'm not siding with him, but at the same time not trying to make this man more furious than he always was around the Beast.

"Interesting, the mere fact you are waiting for me like this only tells me you are trying to save that child."

"That isn't the reason I'm here, Xaldin. Look, the issue I have doesn't concern you fighting Sora rather your intentions with the Beast." Looking at his eyes I knew that beating around the bush was the best course of verbal action.

"He clearly has proven to be far more resilient than I anticipated, so the only option left is to steal away the only thing that animal truly values in the world. Once he tastes the feeling of losing that dear rose or beautiful Belle, his heart will shatter apart turning him into a being of hatred providing another heartless and possibly nobody under our power."

'That sounds wrong...and I can't find myself wanting to stop this man.' Something inside me was screaming that I stop these kinds of plans to create more heartless and nobodies, but I refused to act on these thoughts merely ignoring them with the idea being it was a mindset from my former self-resurfacing.

"As for Sora he will be crushed once and for all before he takes out any more of us," Xaldin looked at me before summoning a couple of those lances he uses in battle, the weapons quickly pointed themselves at my face trying to intimidate me despite us both lacking the heart to feel fear or anger with one another. "Your pointless race will be rendered useless when I'm done with the boy."

"You really believe that it will be easy to defeat him?" I almost chuckled at the confidence the Number III expressed with sincere honest showing in his voice. He really looked down on our former comrades like this...

"Of course, he has truly mastered his strength and he is still merely a child in comparison to someone like me!" I guess that could be a thing Xaldin took from his old self back when he was protecting Ansem the Wise in Radiant Garden. The irony of it all; one of Ansem's former apprentices was now fighting against him while preparing to do battle with our own "traitor" Sora.

"I won't stop you, Xaldin. Just remember what happened to Demyx by Kairi's hands." If Xaldin is erased from existence we would be down to a very small number of nobodies left here in this castle, even if Xaldin and I aren't really close he was in the same boat I was as Xigbar put it we all just want to be normal again.

"You overestimate the potential those two have, Auxaq. When I finish crushing that girl's friend along with her dreams I expect you to finish up what that boy has started." I couldn't help snorting at how arrogant that sentence sounded from Xaldin, his reaction afterward merely being to turn his back to me like I wasn't looking at him with concern for his safety.

"Why did you betray Ansem? To satisfy your own desire for knowledge like Zexion and Vexen?"

I never got the full story on the reason for the betrayal by the other apprentices except for Xigbar who merely said that he was working for someone else...the man known currently as "Xehanort" who wasn't really my old master. Naturally, I had to assume he could be saying Terra, however, he doesn't know what happened to him after he became a nobody so I had no idea where he really is right now.

"You ask such worthless questions when my previous life doesn't matter to the current me, but if you are insistent on learning my reason Ansem was a fool. He wanted me and Lexaeus were guards for the ignorant man, but he became even more naive in his older age before we learned the benefits of having darkness."

'That doesn't make much sense. Dilan and Aeleus sounded very loyal to their former teacher. Why did he suddenly change his feelings about Ansem like this?' He couldn't have changed his opinion so quickly unless something drastic happened to him before he lost his heart like falling into darkness...

"Don't think that I will go back to being my old self with a heart in this empty body. Dilan was a weakling compared to the strength I will gain with my new heart!" Did he now reject his former self like Larxene?

"Very well..." I knew nothing else that I could say would sway his mind so I made my leave for where our "guest" was resting after my next mission in Twilight Town dealing with some more heartless.

The World That Never Was: Soundless Prison ( Kairi's POV )

How could this happen to me? No way out of this place with no Sora, Donald, and Goofy to help me out of this situation as I sat in this empty room inside of a hollow castle belonging to beings without a soul. When no one was around my attempts to break down the bars in this cell were proven to be a waste of my strength, such as when Saix told me about how this cell was designed to keep even a keyblade wielder like me here. That is why I was rubbing my arms when I felt the bars electrify my body when I tried breaking out of here.

'Man I wish I had kept that dimension-traveling watch for a situation like this.' How I regretted leaving that back in Twilight Town with DiZ or should I say Ansem the Wise. Whatever that man was or wasn't it won't help me get out of this place, so I peeked outside trying to see if anyone was coming here to stop me from blasting my way out of here with magic.

'Come on, Kairi!' Pointing my weapon at the bars I suddenly felt the room blink red before I felt another zapping sensation come over me. Should have known that would have been too easy...

"Trying to force yourself into needing medical help, keybearer?" Saix, the man who's been giving me quite the "enjoyable" tour of this place before he stuck me in this cell without any food to devour except for a few pieces of bread and a small cup of water. He actually wasn't in front of me when I looked out from my cell rather his voice was the only sign of his presence.

"It truly is pitiful to see how far you've fallen despite being a Princess of Heart." Hissing at the disembodied voice of that nobody I merely slumped down in my room with nothing else I could do at the moment. After learning the "truth" about what this group was up to, however, the need to escape was my number priority since...I've been helping out these guys. Along with Sora, even Auxaq helped out this goal of creating a new Kingdom Hearts although she likely did this willingly. All of this time fighting against darkness; only to discover we've been aiding their master plan from the very beginning!

"Why don't you just finish me off?!" They had to be keeping me alive for a purpose they refuse to tell me but were more than willing to mock me for destroying so much of these heartless, and only for the stolen souls to gather up inside of their artificial Kingdom Hearts.

"Sora needs you to keep destroy the Heartless, such is the desire of that boy's heart to come and save you."

"To use me as bait for your twisted plan! How cruel to take advantage of others who've lost their hearts because for you all..."

"That is why keyblade users like yourself exist, and your only purpose now is to help feed our "moon" hanging in the sky." Feeding...hearts? Wait a minute if all of the hearts get sucked up into that fake Kingdom Hearts like the one they call Xigbar told me before he threw some candy into the cell only for it to be a wrapper instead of real candy, then that must mean the heart that was stuck inside of Aqua's own heartless...

"Where do you think your heart is, Saix?"

"Nowhere like the rest of me. This husk you're speaking with is all that is left, but that doesn't mean your attempt of compassion will break down my will." That must me the hearts end up in this place when the heartless containing them are destroyed. Could Aqua's heart really be trapped inside of that machine?

"Listen! Do you think that another method could be possible in reviving yourself?" It was a desperate plea however if my hunch was correct the truth was far more sinister than I could have even imagined. "What if your soul could be returned to your body in another way that-"

"Don't try fooling me, Kairi. Your words will fall on deaf ears." Damn it you can't just cut off our conversation like this! Not when I began to realize why Aqua couldn't return to normal after all this time. I had to tell Aqua, yet, the chances of her believing in my story would be slim to none considering how much she dislikes me and Sora for hurting these other nobodies. How could I possibly get out of this situation and stop all of this from happening before it's too late?

I couldn't keep track of the days that must have passed by until Saix showed up to remind me in his cold tone and expression, so in the meantime I gather up my strength through some training and physical exercise in order to try a few more attempts at breaking out of here only to realize none of them worked out. I feel so useless to everyone while Sora must be working so hard just to find me. I could take a little solace in knowing wherever this realm was the remaining members of this group were hiding out in, so once Sora finds me we can end things once and for all.

"Woof!" Hmmm? Was that the bark of a dog? Instead of imagining this sound it only got louder until I saw a few lesser nobodies forcing a yellow dog into this cell I was occupying. My questions that popped into my head were quickly answered with a voice I knew all too well by this point.

"His Majesty's pet should keep you company," The nobody was indeed Aqua even if she was covering her face with that black hood I knew her distant voice that was dripping with sarcasm. "With that said I'm sure that with that mutt here you will be needing more food to stay alive so consider yourself fortunate that we've found him when we did, Kairi."

"Listen to me! You don't understand why you can't have your heart back and it isn't because the darkness took it away."

"No! Listen to me, keyblade wielder! Another member has fallen: Number III Xaldin, The Whirlwind Lancer." I was surprised to hear that another member was defeated, and likely because of Sora this group lost someone else dwindling their numbers even further.

"Regardless of our differences, it has become clear to even the Superior you and Sora have become a huge risk to gamble on despite your efforts helping bring our goal closer to completion." I couldn't deny it anymore that we had fallen into the plans of this sinister organization despite only wanting to do what is right in helping out people in trouble due to the darkness.

"Feel grateful that I will be seeing your dear friend again, but I wanted to know if you had anything you wanted to tell him?" Was she being honest about this or is this another scheme or trick by this sorceress? Still, if Sora was looking for me I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let him know that I was doing fine despite how Saix and other members were treating me.

"Tell him...to keep fighting. Don't give up and know that we will be together again no matter what!" Glaring at Aqua I knew that Sora needed all of the determination I could give him since it was the best thing I could do while stuck in this place regardless if I came here to save his life or not. She merely turned around to leave me and Pluto who I petted while he continued barking at Aqua with a nasty growl showing on his mouth.

"You should be careful about how you want to see him again. Wishes have a way of ending up being ruined one way or the other..." The same could be said for your own wish about regaining your heart. Right now she can't be reasoned with, but perhaps if Sora can reach out to her I can make her finally see the one detail she's overlooked about this situation.

"Don't worry I'm sure Mickey will find you..." Rubbing his head to calm down this poor dog I knew at least I wouldn't be alone in this prison anymore. Right now the best a person could do is have faith in the people they believe in, and Sora I truly believe you will find your way to me again much like before when I was lost in the darkness...

[ We have only just under a few chapters before The World That Never Was stage of this arc begins, however, Aqua still has one more encounter with Sora to get through before then. Sadly I couldn't bring it in myself to show the Xaldin fight since it pretty much plays out like it does in the canon story. Much like the other worlds, Sora revisits, but that will not be the case for the City of Heroes next time. As for the newly shown world, I loved Toy Story, so it being in KH3 is like a dream coming true much like the release date. Please, 2018 I don't want another delay for this game! ]