The Sapphire Sorceress

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

Act 70: The Flurry of Dancing Flames

"We've got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about. Hey, I feel like we're friends already."

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

"Tell me...what would you do if I let you out of this cage? Would freeing you lead to my own demise along with the other nobodies left..."

The question was asked to me by Axel, his eyes looked at me while he waited for my answer to his sudden change of mind. At least that is what I hoped was going on with him instead of being tricked once again by these nobodies. How could I convince Axel that he should believe in my words and make him understand why it was important that I'm not stuck in this prison unable to do much of anything as a keyblade wielder. Despite not have emotions, the fate of the universe and all beings with or without hearts must have some meaning to this man.

"How close were you to Roxas and Xion?" His green eyes seemed to brighten up when I mentioned those two former members of this Organization that he seemed to truly be friends with compared to most of these other nobodies. That is why it must still be hurting to not only lose them but to know that Sora was only awake because of their minds being stuck inside of my friend.

"They were the only ones who made me feel like I had a heart in this empty shell of mine, but I guess Aqua wasn't that bad in the beginning either when those two were around." I knew that she must have cared about their safety too, but I would never have imagined that she would go far enough that she would force Sora to remember those events from Castle Oblivion.

"It seems like whatever is going on with Xion and Roxas inside your friend has changed our lives since we both still miss someone we care about. Hey, if you think about it, the two of us could have gotten along pretty well if we have that in common and our hair colors matching." A chuckle came out of his lips that made us both looked at each other in surprise.

"That is strange, you laugh like there is still a heart beating in your chest."

"Yeah, the memories and moments with those two still make me forget that I can't truly enjoy those days anymore." No, that shouldn't be the case despite what you might have done as a nobody. This had to come to an end before more people have to suffer like Axel, Roxas, Xion, and even Aqua have because of the loss of their souls.

"Please...you have to let me out of here before it is too late for either of us to do anything about this situation. I know that things are pretty grim for ourselves, but I refuse to give up and let the world fall under into your leader's clutches. Axel, if you truly cared about Roxas and Xion would you think either of them would want this to happen?" Suddenly, his hands wrapped around the bars of my cage, his voice got higher as he yelled about what I knew about his friends.

"You didn't know him like I did, Kairi. He was something that I wanted to keep safe," He looked away from me and Pluto almost like he was stuck in thought over something that he just realized. "To think Aqua's pal Ven reminds her so much of Roxas that she confused him for that person when she remembered everything she'd forgotten during her first days here."

"Wait a minute. She had forgotten her own memories?" I never heard that before, since I figured most of these nobodies kept onto their moments and thoughts from their previous lives.

"Yeah, but she wasn't the only one who couldn't gather the pieces together when you lose your heart to the darkness. It took me quite a while before I became "The Flurry of Dancing Flames" of Organization XIII. Then, each of us met Xemnas who offered us a place we could stay and find others in a similar position."

I get it now without their hearts and memories these people were practically helpless; an enigmatic figure like Xemnas could easily gain control of them with the promise of new hearts.

"Of course, not all of us wanted to regain their hearts like with Marluxia and his group. That is why the boss wanted me to eliminate all of the traitors in Castle Oblivion - including Auxaq." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This nobody wiped out his own kind even if they were trying to manipulate Sora for their own whims this just...seemed so wrong.

"Well, that last part wasn't on Xemnas' order rather my other friend: Saix. All just to rise up the ranks to become the number two to Xemnas, but now I don't think he even cares about our plan to take over this group." Were they both scheming to perform their own coup de ta against the leadership of this society? They were all supposed to have the same goal in mind to fill up this fake Kingdom Hearts.

"Believe me lacking a heart makes us forget how important morals are to somebodies like yourself."

"That isn't an excuse! You should be aware of how many lives you put in danger because of these actions." I glared at Axel when I spoke up for those who likely lost their hearts because of the manipulations of these nobodies that affected many lives.

"Geez, the thing is while I don't disagree with your words I don't know if there is much that can be done to stop things. You will destroy more heartless if I let you out, and chances are you can't defeat the other nobodies on your own. By the way, if you can find you way around this castle do you think that you might find that other prisoner stuck here?"

'Other prisoner?'

That comment about my lack of strength may be true, but I can't surrender just yet! If there was one glimmer of hope that I could possibly find Sora, then it was a dangerous gamble I was willing to make.

"Sora doesn't know how to get here on his own, so if you don't help him then he might be doomed along with the rest of the worlds. Roxas and Xion wanted to stop Organization XIII, and I don't know about you but I will honor their final wish if it means stopping whatever Xemnas has planned." My eyes were nearly filled with tears as I gave one last attempt of convincing Axel to let me get out of this prison - knocking on the bars when I ran over to grab him when he began to turn away simply leaving me here.

"You might be able to find her since you two share the same smell and with that dog in there. I wonder if Luxord could be right about me taking one last risk for a final reward..." He was just going to walk away from me?!

"One more question. You said that when you destroyed the heartless containing Aqua's heart it floated away into the air. Are you certain about this?"

"Yes, the soul was released but it didn't return to Aqua merely it vanished..." Even now I couldn't figure out why this happened to be the case. Was there truly no way of saving a nobody's heart from the darkness?

"I see...well have fun down here!"

"You coward! I guess you never cared about those friends of yours!" Beating in the bars I was furious that this man left me here with no chance of escape, but then I felt the feelings of these bars disappear as they suddenly retracted back into the ground. Pluto began to bark as he walked past me enjoying the newly discovered freedom as much as me.

'Thank you, Axel.' I figured that he could be heading off to find Sora right now, which meant that I had to take advantage of this opportunity with the first objective being to find this other prisoner in this place. He didn't give me much info to go on besides the fact she was a girl who had something in common with me.

"Do you think that you can help me out, Pluto?" Looking at Mickey's pet I decided to go with Axel's word about following the scent, his nose began to take a sniff at my clothing before he began to sniff around the area to likely find some kind of trail to follow.

'We have to be careful in order to not draw attention to us.' Following after my companion here I looked around the corner to see if any nobodies were around here. I couldn't risk battling anything in the enemy's territory without any back-up to help me. For now, I had to remain in the shadows to avoid fighting in unnecessary battles at this moment, but I did notice the lack of security around here despite this being the prison in this castle.

"Come on, Pluto." I ran through these halls with several rooms containing more cell areas that were empty and devoid of any sign of life. Then, I watched Pluto run past me heading into the cell block that I was looking at.

"I-Is someone there? Axel?" That voice belonged to Namine, and sure enough, Pluto was licking at the hand of that blonde-haired nobody. This must have been the other prisoner that had recently been stuck in this castle along with myself.

"Axel must have sent you here...he must be heading off to find his old friend again." Looking for the button to set this girl free I wondered how she ended up being trapped here as well considering the last time I saw when she reset Sora's memories.

"You mean Sora?" I asked her while finding a panel with a couple of switched that likely controlled the bars holding Namine in this cell area. She quickly pointed out the blue one is how they let her come out and back into this place, so after pressing the right button the bars quickly sunk into the ground letting that poor girl out of this cage.

"Thank you, Kairi. I didn't think that Axel would bring me here along with you, but I guess that make will make things easier to explain to you." She looked determined about something while I didn't understand what she had to explain to me at this moment in time while we are in this castle.

"There is a reason Pluto was able to find me by smelling me with his mighty nose. A reason that we share details in common with each other, the biggest detail about our connection with Sora involves what I am."

"A nobody?"

"Your own nobody, Kairi."

My nobody? Like with Sora and Roxas, the girl stuck in Castle Oblivion was my nobody created from me losing my heart? I couldn't believe what I was hearing, even when Namine explained to me why this was the case my mind couldn't understand this truth.

"The truth is I could never erase Sora's memories, to begin with rather shift them around, so your friend never forgot those memories as I simply blocked and moved the links around to those memories. However, the actions of Auxaq have been breaking those barriers keeping Sora from remembering things that will awaken Roxas and Xion out of their slumber."

Hence, the whole stopping Sora from losing control of himself due to those personalities still inside of him. Namine seemed to have a look of worry while she continued telling me what this meant for my friend.

"Eventually, his mind will lose control of himself to either Roxas or Xion unless he confronts that other side to his heart. Of course, this might have been the outcome Xemnas desired from the start..."

"Xemnas, the whole reason he took me and you must involve manipulating Sora further along with his own followers." My hands couldn't stop shaking at the realization of how many nobodies he was pulling along on strings; those even with hearts were his pawns to control on a board.

"We don't have much time to spend here before-" I suddenly heard a noise and covered Namine's mouth while moving behind a wall, a shimmer could be heard by us as I wondered if my eyes should peek outside to see if anyone was here or was this our imagination tricking us.

"I can hear them...servants of Xemnas," Namine whispered into my ear, she apparently could hear the whispers of lesser nobodies unlike someone like me who has a heart. "They know about your escape, and seem to be inspecting the area."

Nodding, the plan had to be getting out of here without being found by these patrol nobodies. Watching Pluto hide behind us I thought of an idea that might help us get away from this prison area by using Mickey's pet as a distraction.

"I know this is asking a lot, but you are going to be okay if you run and don't stop." Whispering my plan to my other companion Pluto nods while running past us to lure those guards away from us, the way out of this prison was through following Namine's instruction, however, I didn't know if Pluto was coming back or not.

The World That Never Was: Crooked Ascension

While we got away from those floating nobodies we were hardly out of danger just yet. At least Namine gave me some hope by explaining that going down a certain platform will take us much higher into the castle's structure, but I just wanted to get out of this place before we were overwhelmed by these nobodies lurking in this place.

"I think we can get outside by going through the higher section of the castle," Was Namine serious about that? I would have figured that getting further into this place would be a bad idea. "There might be a portal we can use there to escape from this place. Afterward, we will have to join together so that you will become whole once more..."

Join together? Like with Roxas and Sora were supposed to do before Xion absorbed him. Despite knowing she was my other half I didn't want Namine to lose herself simply due to being my nobody. I've come to understand why these beings despite not having a real soul had the right to regain or even become their own self. Why did things have to come to this?

"Tell me something, Namine. Do you care about Sora as much as me?" If she was truly my own personal nobody, then she would share these feelings inside of my heart. Looking at her she merely shook her head before running onto this platform we had to ride on to move upwards.

"It doesn't matter since I could never truly feel anything for Sora." I knew she was lying about that and yet being completely honest.

The World That Never Was: Where Nothing Gathers ( Auxaq's POV )

I had been such a fool. To think Sora has been able to continue fighting and getting strong enough to defeat the likes of Hades, Xaldin, Doctor Octopus, and other villains throughout the universe. It was not a matter of if but when Sora will come to this world to destroy the rest of us. We would all need to get ready for this encounter with the keybearer, and likely his friend since she has apparently gotten out of her prison cell along with Namine who I didn't even know was here until Saix told me about the prisoners escaping.

Despite this threat, he assured me that the scheduled meeting would go on as planned, the real surprise I didn't expect was he would hunt down the escapees himself instead of just ordering one of us to handle this problem for Xemnas. It seemed like everything was beginning to go downhill for us except for that moon that was glowing ever brightly in the sky above this world. With the hearts ripped out of the heartless that me, Kairi, and Sora destroyed had continued building in that device that would restore all of our hearts stolen from us.

'We would finally live again rather than remain as lifeless corpses who can't enjoy the splendors of having laughs and feeling other emotions.' Now, the moment to make our dream come true would soon be realized, even if there are those who will stand in our way by this point in the game.

"Axel?" As I knocked on his room's door I tried to find him in order for us to get to this meeting together. We've had our share of differences lately, but I knew that he also wanted to get restored to normal. I figured that once this whole ordeal was over with, the first thing I would do is take Axel over to Castle Oblivion so that he could mean Ventus. Perhaps he could see why I was reminded of my sleeping friend when I first saw Roxas and together we would be able to wake him up.

When I moved my hand on the door to his room it actually opened up, but there was no Axel here rather an empty space that he usually spent time by himself.

"What's this?" Looking over at his bed I noticed two items were put there: an envelope with my name on it with the other item being a pop cycle stick with the word winner on it. This must be from a sea-salt ice cream that he loves to eat so much however when I opened the envelope I found there was a letter written by Axel addressed for me to read.

"Dear Aqua, The letter you're likely reading must be confusing to you but it is very important you don't tell anyone else about this. You're fighting for the wrong people, Aqua. I know it took me a long time for me to say this and I didn't even want to believe this was the case. Recent events have made it clear that we're both being used by Xemnas and his associates. It won't be easy for you to understand and accept this, but that is why I will try helping out Sora in coming here to put an end to this insanity. You can blame me for Kairi's new freedom by the way."

My hands gripped onto this piece of paper, the words that I was reading didn't make any sense to me despite it being his writing. How could my actions be in the wrong here, and not Sora trying to wipe out the rest of us while taking away our only hope to regain our full selves again? Why could this be the case, they are trying to deny us the right to live again but Axel wants me to just fade away and remain without a soul.

"It sounds unfair to say that you simply give up, and it would be disappointing if you just let those two get away without one last test I'm guessing that you were trying to pressure both Sora and Kairi into becoming stronger on purpose or that was something left over from your days as a Keyblade Master."

Could that have been possible on my part? Did I want those two who've gotten in our way to overcome these odds, so that I could finally be out of this miserable existence that was my current non-life as a nobody?

Even so, such a reasoning couldn't happen not when I was this close to being normal again! They may come all they wish, but there was no way I'm going to make it so easy for those two despite Axel not willing to help them out. He might have let Kairi loose from her cage and went off likely to find Sora and help him out as well. I couldn't turn back despite how deep I've gone down this hole.

"This letter might not convince you to help out Sora and Kairi, but at the very least if I'm not around by the time you read this no matter what try your best to regain your heart. The secret behind your missing soul was in front of my eyes all of this time, but I never pieced it together until I spoke with Kairi and hopefully you realize what I now understand about our situation. So, this pyro-manic wishes you the best of luck with the rest of your time remaining. The outcome will either favor you or those two hopefully..."

He wanted the both of us to succeed in the end...none of this made any sense to me. What should I be doing...

'They might be the ones in the right here after all.'

"So what?! I refuse to surrender at this point!"

'That doesn't mean that I could be right about this issue.'

Looking at the letter and stick my mind was fracturing between two different opinions about what needs to be done next...

'We cannot let these words interfere with our objective.'

"We?!" My head merely shook around with this argument with myself, but no matter what I couldn't be late for a meeting less I risk becoming a mere Dusk. Putting the letter back on the bed I had decided to keep the pop cycle stick with me...because I had a sensation this would be the last time I would hear from Axel despite the fact he wasn't truly gone from existence...

Warping into the white room I saw Xemnas, Xigbar, Saix, and Luxord here without their hoods covering their faces and no sign of Axel. He must have betrayed this Organization if he isn't here right now.

"You are late by three seconds, Auxaq."

"Forgive me, Superior. I was just looking for Axel but I couldn't find him in his room in the castle." When I said this he merely nodding knowing that I was truthful about that statement.

"Your search would have been fruitless. He is no longer with us..."

No...he couldn't be gone as well. Why? How could he have known that letter would be the last thing he would tell me just like with Larxene's own journal! Did Sora finish him off, though if that was the case he wouldn't have been willing to help out Kairi so it had to be something else? Listening to Xemnas explain the details I couldn't believe that he ended up dying like he did just to help Sora enter our world.

"The house is looking pretty empty, huh? I thought I'd get a little enjoyment watching Axel throw one last tantrum. But he went a lot quieter than I thought."

He went out quieter, so that must mean his demise must have come more peacefully if Xigbar that cruel bastard wasn't happy about it. Now, the count was down to merely five of us left here...with Roxas and Xion being unknowns.

"Perhaps he was ready for it. Perhaps he put his existence on the line, and won what he'd been longing for." If Luxord was right, then Axel was trying to win one last gamble that he made?

"What a minute, how would that even be possible? We don't even exist, remember? What you're saying goes against the laws of nature."

"Then, perhaps he bet his NON-existence. Either way, he came out a winner. Oh, Axel. A grifter till the end." Winner. Thinking about the stick on my cloak I wondered if Luxord knows how accurate that statement might truly be if things went the way he wanted with Sora and Kairi now likely being in this world.

"That's absurd. He won nothing, and IS nothing. He couldn't stand the emptiness of being without a heart. And THAT led to his demise. He was foolish and weak."

Saix might have sounded cruel towards his former friend, but I wondered if he was hiding his anger and sadness over the loss of someone who seemed very close to him back when they were just teenagers in Radiant Garden. Once a nobody loses their empty shell nothing remains, the final death for anyone who is struggling to survive after suffering from the darkness eating their soul. Would that fate be in store for the rest of us as well?

"I doubt Axel was a fool or weak, Saix. He could have been thinking about turning on this Organization for quite a while but only acted now when we were cut down to such a low number of nobodies left. Axel might have felt like his life could only end in the fashion he chose to exit from his existence..." Putting my hand over my chin I tried to remain calm when Saix shouted at me with a higher voice than normal.

"That fool was never once my friend, and you are a bigger FOOL for believing his actions were nothing more than simple suicide!"

"He died for a reason, Saix! There was no way the Axel we knew would simply destroy himself if he was willing to help out Sora out at the risk of his life." Despite lacking a soul I know that their relationship must have mattered to Saix and Axel. He couldn't dismiss that friendship as just Axel being weak...

"But weakness has the power to restore that which is dormant. It is clear that though his actions, however foolish they may have been, Axel has touched Sora's heart. Perhaps HE will soon awaken."

Awaken? My eyes widen as the realization of Xemnas speaking about Roxas possibly waking back up from his slumber inside of Sora like I've been trying to do while finding him in the other worlds. Knowing what this could mean I wanted to demand that Xemnas let me handle dealing with Sora once and for all, but he moved his hand over to Xigbar.

"I'm sure you won't mind testing out the traitor should he overcome his own other self."

"Sounds like fun, Boss." He looked over at me with his one golden eye, his grin taunting me about getting the first crack at the invading keybearer and his friends.

"Saix and Luxord will be waiting further in the castle while looking for our escaping prisoners, and that leaves our own personal keyblade wielder whom will join me at the top of the castle after this meeting..." Wait a minute. Xemnas wanted me to meet him at the top of this castle, but for what purpose exactly and why now?

The World That Never Was: Altar of Naught

Despite only coming here once it felt like this was my first time visiting this special area built right near the false Kingdom Hearts floating above this castle. Just being in the presence of the key to regaining myself caused my body to warm up in this cold, dead body that was mine.

"You can feel it pulse stronger and faster with each heart it absorbs." Xemnas's bellow came, his voice demanding despite how empty and lifeless he sounded to me. Stepping forward past the symbols of our group sticking out on the structure we were standing on I looked down at the empty world that I've considered home for quite a few years by now, it fit the current me who was nothing like the Keyblade Master I once was as Aqua.

"There will be others coming here shortly, the people Sora has come across during his journey throughout the worlds. Somehow they've gained the ability to travel into this world as well thanks to Sora's help."

Even more, intruders will be coming here?! Everyone was truly against us now...

"There is no need to pretend that you are afraid of facing extinction. After all, the work you and the other keyblade wielders have done will complete the great Kingdom Hearts in this sky. We are near the end of this "race" as you've put it, so the finish line will have to be as grand as the adventure you, Kairi, and Sora has taken so far. That is why you should know the reason behind my existence: The Nobody of your former mentor Xehanort."

My body walked backward as he confirmed what I had suspected by those eyes, skin, and face resembled him but he looked younger in comparison to that monster that was once a normal man.

"While I am born from him this person you've been working for is merely the shell left behind by his actions, so that is why I waited until this moment to explain the whole story. Should we cease to exist for good at the very least you deserved to know why I resemble both Xehanort and your friend Terra despite not truly being either of them."

"That explains why there was also that fake Ansem making him the Heartless of Xehanort. Does that mean you're been using me and the other nobodies like-"

"Axel must have spoken to you before he made his final move. As for the answer that is indeed the case. Superiors always get the respect and command of those who follow in their footsteps."

"That isn't what I meant! Was the whole reason for gathering hearts, not for the reason I thought it was..." Looking at those golden eyes I despised so much for the answer I wanted to hear out of the person who gave me this new life, to begin with rather than what I expected to hear, of course, what actually was said made me very confused.

"Kingdom Hearts can be utilized in many ways, such as granting power onto those who seek it or in the case of the Organization re-store heartless lost to the darkness. Believe me, your work along with Kairi and Sora have been important and in the end won't be in vain once you get to see your friends Terra and even Ventus once more."

In many ways? That wording certainly put more doubt into me, and for a moment I wondered if I should follow in Axel's footsteps in stopping the man I've been working for after so much time. It would mean my end as either a sentient being or getting erased completely from existence. No, the truth was my chance of abandoning things like Axel was long gone by this point in this race as I had put it. The only thing I could do was simply move forward on this path of emptiness to seek out a new light...

'Still, the two keybearers might be able to shape a future should even I fall next down the line. I suppose that this might be why I feel like testing out both of them one last time to see if they could actually stop Xemnas.' Looking at the nearing completion fake Kingdom Hearts I knew time was indeed running out. These final hours would determine the fate of the universe, should Kairi and Sora overcome the finals trials ahead for them or will I feel my heart beat once more? Axel played his hand as Luxord might say, but this game is far from over.

"The finale is upon us, my friend." For the first time in quite a while, I smiled at the emotionless figure leading this group. This...actually was exciting to me! Could this be genuine enjoyment running through this heartless body of mine?!

"I couldn't agree any more..." This could all be lies used to influence me, but in a way, I deserved to pay for my actions if I was indeed in the wrong about my current views on the world. Only through a battle with someone of my nature can I determine if my beliefs are justified...or should I understand what motivated Axel to betray Organization XIII. The build-up of everything has been leading to this moment, and I couldn't be happier about it! The end of all of this suffering and misery was in sight.

[ At last, the endgame has begun for the KH2 storyline. Next time we get the invasion of TWTNW along with Sora facing his other sides in one last battle. Kairi seeks to find a way out from the clutches of the remaining nobodies, and what will Aqua's next move be?! Only a few chapters left before the conclusion of this story and then the post-story content for this fun project of mine. ]