Chapter II - Organization XIII


Play: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days


Soon after the guy in black had taken him through the dark corridor, Kirux had been passed on to a different man in the same black coat. The guy had long, blue hair, and a massive X-shaped scar on his face.

The first guy in black said something to him, and the second one then waved Kirux along with him. Kirux followed without asking any questions.

He led Kirux to a room, a bedroom to be more exact. The man turned around, holding out something to Kirux.

"Take this," he said, "You are one of us now, and you'll need to wear this at all times."

Kirux took it from him, looking it over. It was the coat, only in his size. It came with a coat, a pair of black pants, black boots, and black gloves. They certainly had a theme that they stuck to.

The guy continued, so Kirux looked back up at him, "Whenever you're done in here, come to the Grey Area. We'll continue from there."

He walked out of the room, leaving Kirux alone.

Kirux looked back down at the coat, "I have to wear this at all times, huh?"

He shrugged, starting to get changed.

He adjusted the glove on his right hand, finally done.

"Okay. All finished." He said, looking over himself.

"That guy said to head to the "Grey Area" when I was done."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "If only he had told me where that was..."

"I guess I can check to castle out while I look for it. That doesn't sound too bad."

He exited his room and began walking down the hall, toward his assigned destination.

"This place doesn't seem so bad," He said to himself, "Everything being white is kind of odd, but overall, not bad."

He walked up a staircase, "I wonder how many other people there are in this place, in this group. They never even told me what this is all about, or what this empty feeling was about."

"Why do I feel so...hollow? It's almost as if I'm missing something..."

"There's a lot that I don't know, and nobody has even offered to tell me anything."

"Here's hoping that changes."

He entered this one large room, a massive glass window taking up the entirety of the far wall. There were couches, chairs, and tables scattered throughout the room, and he noticed a group of three sitting around one of them.

Another one of them was standing over by the glass, staring out into the emptiness.

Kirux walked in, looking around, when somebody called out to him to his left, "Well would you look at that? Lord Xemnas got us another newbie!"

He looked over, seeing the three men sitting at the table all looking at him. One had a long ponytail, a scar, and an eyepatch over his right eye. The second one had blonde hair and a goatee with the same color, and piercings in his left ear. The last one had dirty-blond hair in a mullet style, with bangs falling over his face.

Kirux looked around, then pointed a finger at himself in a "You talking to me?" gesture.

"Well, you just gonna stand there?" The eyepatch guy said. Kirux walked over to them, seeing that they were playing some sort of card game.

"So, um..." Kirux said lightly, but couldn't think of what else to say.

"Man, you're less talkative than Roxas was when he first joined." The mullet one said.

"Cut the new one some slack. If Xemnas was willing to bring him on board, then he must have a reason." The one with the piercings said, shuffling the cards in his hands.

"So, what's your name kid?" Eyepatch Guy asked Kirux.

"Oh, it's Kirux."

"Well, Kirux. Welcome to Organization XIII. The name's Xigbar."

Xigbar pointed to the piercings guy, "He's Luxord, and that's Demyx."

Luxord said, "Greetings," while Demyx said, "Nice to meet you, Kirux."

Kirux waved at both of them, "So...you mentioned a "Lord Xemnas." Who's that?"

"He's the number one," Luxord said, "Call him "The Superior" or "Lord Xemnas." Use either-or."

"So is he the one with the blue hair? The one that gave me this coat?"

"No," Demyx spoke up, "That guy's Saïx. He's Xemnas's second in command."

"After you're introduced to the other members, someone will show you how things roll around here. For now, just hang around until we're called in." Xigbar said, saying "Call" and throwing some yellow orbs onto the table ahead of them.

Kirux turned around, noticing the guy was still standing by the window.

He walked over to him, not saying anything. He cleared his throat, which got the guy's attention.

He turned around, looking down at Kirux. He had a large set of fiery red hair and two distinct markings under his eyes.

"Umm...hi?" Kirux said, waving halfheartedly.

The guy just continued to stare at him, looking him up and down.

"This could not be more awkward..." Kirux thought to himself.

Eventually, the guy smiled at him, "So, you must be the new guy Saïx told me about."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. Anyways, the name's Axel. A - X - E - L."

He then pointed a finger toward his temple, "Got it memorized?"

Kirux crossed his arms over his chest, visibly confused.

"Look, just remember the name, okay? Now, pop quiz. Who's the number one in this group?"

Kirux thought for a second, "Those guys said his name was Xemnas..."

"Okay, and what about his number two? The guy that gave you the coat?"

"They said his name was Saïx."

"Good job. Now, what's my name?"

"Axel."

Axel clapped once, "Perfect. You're off to a great start."

Then he thought of something, "Oh, wait! I never bothered asking what your name was...my bad."

"It's fine. Kirux, by the way."

Axel put a hand on his waist, "Okay Kirux. So, you ready to meet the rest of the members?"

"I guess, but...where do we even go?"

"Don't worry. Saïx tasked me with making sure you don't get lost. Now come on, the rest will meet us there."

Axel walked past him, and Kirux followed.


Pause: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days


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

All of the Organization members were sitting in their respective seats.

Xemnas was speaking, "Following the loss of many of our comrades at Castle Oblivion and the disappearance of No. XIV, I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to join our ranks and wear the coat."

Their attention was then brought to the center platform, where a person in the signature black coat was standing.

He walked into the center, his face concealed from the hood.

He brought his hands up to the hood and threw them back, revealing his face.

"I introduce to you...No. XV, Kirux."

Kirux looked up, seeing all of the members he already had seen. Xigbar, Axel, et cetera.

One that he didn't recognize caught his eye though.

He was staring at Kirux intently. Kirux didn't look directly at him but was able to see him through glances.

He had spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and...for some reason, Kirux thought he'd seen him before.

When he did finally look up, he had already left the room. Many of the members were dispersing.

Axel appeared in front of him, "Alright. Now follow me back to the Grey Area."

Kirux nodded, following right behind Axel.


Play: Sacred Moon - KH 358/2 Days


"Hey Axel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Fire away."

"This group is called Organization XIII, right?"

Axel looked down at him, "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, Xemnas said I was number fifteen. But when I looked around in that room, a lot of the chairs were empty. Did something happen to any of the other members?"

Axel sighed, "Unfortunately, yeah. We lost a bunch of them a little while back. I guess after they were taken out, Xemnas wanted to start filling the ranks again."

"So, why give me a new number?"

"Posterity maybe? I don't know. The higher-ups just love to keep their secrets."

They had reached the Grey Area again, and Saïx was standing at the far end. He looked at Axel and talked to him.

"You remember what your orders are?" He asked Axel.

"Of course I do. Show him the basics. I did the same thing with Roxas."

"Make sure you depart soon. Lord Xemnas wants him in the field as quickly as possible."

"Alright, fine. We'll get on with it."

He looked down at Kirux, "You and I are gonna go for a little walk. Come on."

"Okay, I guess," Kirux responded, as Axel put his hand up and opened one of those dark corridors.

Axel walked through, and Kirux followed behind.


Stop: Sacred Moon - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Play: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories


Axel and Kirux walked out of the portal, back in Twilight Town. This was an area Kirux hadn't been in before.

Axel turned back to Kirux, "Okay, so let's go over the basics of what you will be doing on missions."

"Okay."

Axel began, "Missions are, well...umm..."

He ran his hand through his hair, as Kirux crossed his arms in confusion.

"You know what? Talking is dumb. Let's just get our hands dirty, okay?"

Kirux shrugged, while Axel responded, "Alright. Now follow me."

He went off, and Kirux went to follow him.

Axel jumped onto a higher ledge, looking down at Kirux, "Hop on up. Get yourself moving."

Kirux ran over and tried to jump up onto the ledge. He didn't quite reach the ledge, but grabbed it and brought himself up.

"Good job," Axel said to him.

"Thanks."

"But don't go thinking you can just run and jump your way through every mission. You've gotta be aware."

"What does that mean?" Kirux asked him.

"You hafta look around. Sometimes what you're after is sitting right under your nose. Got it memorized?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Alright then, time for a little test. There's something I've hidden inside these passages. I want you to find it."

Kirux was confused, "That's it?"

"That's it. Just don't hurt yourself, and remember to look around."

"Okay. I'll find it."

Kirux walked past Axel, and Axel followed.

Kirux was looking around the passages and came across a wooden crate.

"Is this what you wanted me to find?" He asked Axel.

"Kirux, did you really think it would be that easy?"

"Umm...yes?"

Axel smirked, "No Kirux. This isn't what I want you to find."

Kirux frowned, "Okay..."

He went to keep looking, but Axel called out, "Aren't you gonna find out what's in this thing?"

Kirux turned back, "But you said that-,"

"I know, but even then, you never know what you're gonna find. Come on, bust open that crate, and let's see what's inside."

Kirux just stood there, not understanding what he was saying.

Axel motioned him towards the crate, "Come on. Open it up."

"Umm...how?"

"Don't you have a weapon?"

"No, not that I know of."

Axel sighed, saying something to himself under his breath, "Okay, fine. I guess we'll do this now. Put your hand out."

Kirux did that, "Now, just wait. Deep down, you've got a special power inside of you. Find it, and it'll take shape."

Kirux nodded to him and closed his eyes.

"Deep down...there's something inside me..."

After a few seconds, Kirux heard a strange sound, and he felt something appear in his hand.

When he opened his eyes, there was an odd-looking sword in his hand. It had a blue, purple, and red blade that looked like a demonic wing. The handle was black and had a large eye connecting the two.

Axel clapped, smiling, "There you go! I knew you could do it."

He stopped clapping, "Now, open this thing up."

Kirux nodded, bringing the sword up, and smashing it into the crate. It shattered, dropping an item.

"Well, would you look at that? You found yourself a Potion." Axel said.

Kirux picked it up, "What does it do?"

"It'll give you your strength back when you're in a pinch. Hold onto it, you're gonna need it eventually."

Kirux nodded, "Okay." He put the Potion in his pocket, and he and Axel continued into the tunnels.

Kirux noticed something up the path to his right. It was a treasure chest.

"Ooh." He said, running up to it. Axel followed behind him.

Kirux turned to him, "Is this it?"

Axel smiled, "Yep. Good job, Kirux."

"So...what now?"

"Well, open it."

"How?"

"Use your sword. Be more gentle with this thing though."

Kirux nodded and pulled his sword back out. He tapped the chest, and it opened.

Kirux pulled another Potion out of it and put it in his pocket with the other.

"Good work!" Axel said to him, "You can keep that stuff you found. Now, time to RTC."

"RTC?"

"Return To the Castle. Now, lead the way back to the dark corridor that brought us here, okay?"

Kirux nodded, and he and Axel walked off.

They easily made their way back to the dark corridor.

Axel started clapping again, "Bravo, Kirux. So, ya think you got the hang of all this mission stuff?"

"Yeah. I think I've got it."

"Good. You're a lot more confident than Roxas was when I went through this with him."

He put his hands together, "Now, no successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake. Come with me."

Kirux was confused again (Axel was good at that), "Wait...don't we need to RTC?"

Axel looked back, "We can go later. There's someplace I want you to see. Now come on."

Kirux, no matter how confused, did follow.


Stop: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

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


Axel and Kirux were up on the clock tower, hundreds of feet above the ground.

Axel handed something over to Kirux, "Here ya go. The icing on the cake."

Kirux took it. It was a light blue ice cream bar.

"What's this?" Kirux asked Axel.

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

Kirux hesitated but did take a bite.

"It's salty...but sweet."

"Yeah. You like it?"

Kirux nodded, "Yeah. It's...good."

"You've only been with us a few hours, and yet here you are," Axel said.

"What do you mean?"

"When Roxas showed up, he was here for a week before we started training him and he began going on missions. Xion was the same way."

"You keep talking about Roxas...but, who is that?"

Axel looked over, "He's the blonde-haired guy you saw in the Round Room earlier. The one that was staring at you."

"Oh, he's Roxas?"

"Yeah. He's my friend. Once you meet him, he'll probably be your friend too."

"Huh," Kirux said, looking back out at the sunset, "Seems like a nice guy."

Axel just smiled in response.

"Axel, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Do you know why I feel so...hollow? I feel like I'm missing something on the inside, and I just can't figure out what it is."

He looked at Axel, "Do you know what it is?"

"How do I explain this..?" Axel said to himself.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. The reason you feel like that...is because you're a Nobody."

"A Nobody? What's a Nobody?"

"You're a being without a heart. You were once human, but lost your heart."

"I...lost my heart?"

Axel nodded, "Don't be hard on yourself. It happened to all of us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Everyone in the Organization is a Nobody. We all lost our hearts, and now...we're trying to get them back."

Kirux looked down at his feet when Axel smiled again, "But hey. You don't need to worry about any of that right now. Just go through your missions every day, and things will be fine."

"Okay."

After about twenty more minutes, Axel stood up, "Okay. We should head back now before Saïx gets on my case."

"Okay."

Kirux stood up, following Axel as they left the clock tower and RTC'd.


Stop: At Dusk, I Will Think of You... - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days


They didn't know it, but they were being watched.

In the old mansion, two men were watching Kirux and Axel through a computer screen.

"You guys see what I mean?" A girl said from the staircase. The girl in white, from behind.

One of the men, in the Organization's black coat, crossed his arms over his chest, "DiZ, what do you think?"

"DiZ" said nothing initially, but spoke after a few seconds, "I think you know what will need to be done -"

"- Riku."