Whoa. Sure took me a while to update, huh? Well, I was kinda busy with school and had a block, but I’m NOT dead, so here ya go!

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Chapter 15: Crisis and Even More Revelations

Up above, leering down at the group from a distant height, was Sora, still in his Anti Form. His amber eyes, gleaming with enthrallment were fixed upon Roxas’ appearance. His anti side wished to tear through and steal the so called treasure within, savoring every bite. Oh how he longed to dig his claws into his chest and rip out what was bound to be a powerful heart. He couldn’t help but cackle at the mere notion. However, his true self, buried deep within frowned upon this situation. Sure, he was able to see Roxas in person, but the fact remained that he didn’t want to endanger the strange boy from his dreams.

“It’s funny how a part of me wishes to spare you, Roxas,” he inquired to himself malevolently, claws digging into the roof in which he perched. “No matter…I will see to it that you become my little prey. It’s part of my nature. Hehheh…” Still eying Roxas with keen eyes, the corrupt Keybearer decided to make his move. So, flexing his limbs, he leapt downward, claws at the ready, preparing for what he had hoped to be a very delicious meal. However, it was not Roxas in which he had used to break his fall. No, on the contrary, Sora ended up landing face first on Seifer’s back, causing the gunblade wielder to hit the ground with a great impact.

BANG! All at once, the fighting ceased as the Anti Sora made his impact. All that was left of the mere heartless subsided; those creatures, though mindless, knew better than to arouse the anger of such a powerful being. Axel and Roxas, however, did not move an inch. It was just too much to bear, especially for Roxas. In truth, his worst fear had come to pass; Sora was here, just a few inches…and that wasn’t the worst of it. No, he was in a corrupt state, meaning things were bound to be dangerous.

“Roxasssssss….”

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

After all he had gone through over the past few days, after each experience, it seemed as if Roxas had been getting farther and farther from his fears. By world hopping, he had hoped to find a place in which he could lay low so he wouldn’t have to fret when it came to his other. Even upon meeting up with Donald and Goofy, the fifteen year old had hopes of slinking away, especially after being reunited with Axel. However, things didn’t always go according to plan, and this was no exception. No, instead of being home free, far from Sora, the nobody and his comrade found themselves face-to-face with the horrid sight themselves. All the boy could do was stare, eyes open wide, as he and Axel contemplated over what to do next.

All the while, Sora’s gaze was never far from Roxas’ visage. His golden orbs, otherwise known as eyes, were fixed on the nobody’s very being. His back was arched, ready to strike, while his claws reached forward. Had his facial features been visible, a blatant smirk would be clearly plastered upon his mug, all due to this victory of sorts. “Hehheh…” he exclaimed, his voice sounding like a mixture of laughter and growling all at once, “Roxas…come here…I’ve always wanted to meet you.” At this the blonde haired teenager stepped backwards slightly, trying his very best to pull his eyes away from the wretched sight before him. The only problem was that Sora’s eyes were very mystifying, almost as hypnotic as those of a serpent. Merely shrugging this off was surely difficult.

Axel, on the other hand, wasn’t as easily attracted to this gaze. Perhaps it was because of his higher level of maturity, or maybe because he was farther from being whole than his friend, regardless, Sora’s little attempt at being fearsome was less than amusing for number VIII. Instead of being taken aback, he simply held on tight to his chakrams, just in case of a sudden strike. Turning his slender head towards Roxas, he muttered, “Watch it, kiddo. Just because he’s your other doesn’t mean you should back down. Got it memorized? It’s either him or us, kid, and if ya ask me, I’d rather live through this.” Roxas nodded, though he wasn’t too thrilled all the same. If he and Axel had left right away, they would’ve been just fine…but, on the other hand, doing so would have been rather selfish. Naminé had told him to head down the right path, in hopes of making a better impression of nobodies, anyway, and so far, he wasn’t doing so well.

There wasn’t really a choice, truth be told. If the nobody remained passive, it was likely that he would be defeated by Sora’s darkened state with little effort. As opposed to mere heartless, Anti Sora was just as strong, if not stronger, than his normal self, which means there was a possibility of him possessing far more strength than even Roxas could withhold. Yet, there the corrupt teenager sat, staring straight at the two former Organization members, awaiting a response. Of course, Roxas would be sure to deliver one alright, though, it wasn’t exactly going to be good for his other. Stepping back slightly, the blonde prepared to rush into combat, as did Axel, who still held is chakrams tightly in his grasp. However, this time, things would be a little…different.

“Roxassss,” Sora spat, not really amused by the actions of his foes, “I thought we could be friends…ROXAS. Why are you being so stubborn?!” He let out a deep growl at that, lowering himself into a pouncing position, his spiky head just inches above the pavement. Even his claws tingled with excitement, though, admittedly, Seifer wasn’t too pleased by the sensation of being scratched constantly as the darkened Keybearer readied himself even more than before. “If you want to fight me, you will lose. Do you really want that to happen, Roxas? Oh well, I was going to take your heart anyway…” With that, he charged forward, his body moving at a rapid pace.

At the same time, Roxas, too, was ready. In a split second, both of his hands were surrounded by a gleaming, all to familiar aura, taking form of not just one, but two Keyblades. That’s right, this time he was going to use Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Roxas didn’t really allow Sora a chance to dive at him. Right as the heartless-like teenager was in his midst, the golden haired nobody swiftly dodge rolled to the side, right as Axel tossed one of his spiked chakrams. The weapon just so happened to hit Sora directly on his posterior, sending him flying forwards, all while yelping in pain. He landed safely on the ground seconds after, sphere-shaped eyes burning with an intense anger. How dare they attempt to double team on him?!

Both Roxas and Axel briskly made their way towards the vicious shadow that once was Sora. What they were doing, to be precise, was attempting to corner him, so they could knock him out. It wasn’t like they wanted to destroy him, after all. Sora’s immediate response to this was much like that of a feline. His body was arched, as he slowly crept backwards on all fours, snarling at his attackers. If they got too close, he would surely strike back. Roxas still wasn’t going to back down, however, and so it was his turn to have some fun. He instantly began to twirl both Keyblades while running right at the dangerous half of himself, while Axel threw both of his spiked weapons forward. Sora sensed this, though, and he attempted to make this little maneuver backfire.

CHANG! CLINK! As a first back-attack, he thrust himself forward, twirling in the air, as the Chakrams came closer and closer. Both disks were blazing red hot and ready to deliver some painful second degree burns. But, sadly, right before they could deliver damage, the Keybearer summoned his weapon at the last minute, deflecting both disks right towards Roxas. Said teen was too preoccupied with his assault to notice this until the items themselves made contact with his chest, filling his gut with that familiar burning feeling which he had experienced several times by now. Each little flame singed his gut with no remorse. However, that was not all this deflection caused. Rather, the teen found himself flying backwards, right into Axel’s chest before the two of them landed smack against the wall.

Upon landing on the rocky cement, Sora could only laugh at the sight before him. “I admit,” he cackled, stepping backwards ever so slightly, “you’re pretty tough. My dreams proved that…but, the thing is, you, my friend, are an idiot. Not my problem, though.” The pressure which led to both nobodies being hurled against the wall was so immense, that the only response Roxas could give was a moan. Whatever had happened to Sora definitely wasn’t pretty, and MAN did he pack a punch! Of course, to Sora, this was all pure entertainment to tie him over until he could capture the heart which didn’t even exist. He shook his shadowy head at this display before adding, “I don’t care about you, Roxas…no…” and it was then that he grabbed onto his Keyblade with both of his hands, “I just want your heart!” Again he charged, though, this time he wasn’t as speedy, due to only moving on two of his legs as opposed to four. Still, the strength of the Keyblade easily made up for this handicap.

Axel’s eyes instantly widened, as his vision cleared. Sora was heading his way, ready to deliver a hardy blow onto his closest compadre. The only thing he could do was shove Roxas out of the way, mostly out of pure impulse, in order to keep him out of range. Of course, in the process, he ended up right in Sora’s path, and thus, felt the painful blow delivered right into his being. WHAM! The Keyblade struck hard, causing VIII to gag at the pressure. Luckily, Roxas HAD been spared this pain, though, and that was all that really mattered to Axel. Sora, on the other hand, was not as pleased. In his frustration at the hot head, he was sure to give said pyromaniac a hard shove against the wall. Following this, he lifted his Keyblade and slapped it against Axel’s head, leading to unconsciousness. It was then that he turned his attention back to his prime target.

“Axel!” Roxas winced, as he lifted himself back to his feet. Not only did he still hurt in the chest from that chakram assault, but being thrown to the side by Axel didn’t really make things any better. Still, there was no sense in backing down, as Sora was clearly determined to steal what he could not give. Plus, he injured his friend, which was a big fat NO. Keyblades in hand, XIII took a dive at Sora, who abruptly turned to his opponent and held out his Keyblade in an attempt to block. This move managed to deflect one of Roxas’ weapons, but the teen pressed on, attempting to knock Sora, who was managing to hold up rather well, to the ground. Likewise, the rather psychotic Keybearer longed to disarm his foe. The task wouldn’t be a simple one, though, as both had incredible strength.

“Sora,” Roxas growled, still learning forward with all his strength, “c’mon, even I know this isn’t like you! You’re letting the darkness control you, for crying out loud!” For once, he was actually trying to help Sora, as opposed to merely running away, but what choice did he have? In his Anti Form, he would probably go as far as DESTROYING him upon finding that he didn’t have a heart. Besides, there just had to be an ounce of Sora left in his heart, it only made sense! The only problem was, the Anti was dominant, and he was tough. That and he kinda was making things difficult for the Key of Destiny to stay on his feet.

“I’ll do as I please, Roxas!” snapped the darkened combatant, attempting to apply even more force than before, “I just want your heart. Is that too much to ask? REALLY?!” His strength seemed to increase, as he continued this stance, trying his hardest to weaken Roxas. Because of his current form, he was holding up far better than he would against a dual wielder in normal circumstances, though that did not change the fact that the two were evenly matched. In reality, he feared that he would be the first to fall. His mind quickly dwelled on ways to take down his enemy with little effort, but he didn’t exactly have any avail, that is, until he decided the only decent maneuver…

CRASH! Sora did the only thing he could think of, given the present state of affairs. Instead of continuing to block his opponent’s weapons, he merely sidestepped, catching Roxas unawares. This resulted in him landing face down on the pavement, before being grabbed by collar of his jacket and lifted up to where Sora could stare him straight in the eyes. “Now then,” he hissed, pulling his nobody closer, “Where were we?” With one hand, he held Roxas, who did attempt to struggle, in place, refusing to get go. Despite his nobody’s attempts of breaking free, he could not relinquish the grasp of the heartless-like being. Now, with his other hand, Sora reached for Roxas’ chest, stroking it with his claws. This sent a strange, chilling feeling into number XIII, who suddenly stopped resisting. His body became still, as if it were in a trance, and even his eyes looked dull.

“Yessss…” Sora’s grip on his chest tightened, as he dug his claws into the area right where a heart would be…if he had one, that is. He could already taste his ideal heart within his mind, scrumptious, savory, and sweet. The idea of it merely made him ecstatic. Sadly, when his hand finally seeped into Roxas’ core, he did not find what he had searched for. There was not even a shriveled up heart in store for the corrupt one. Instead, he found nothing, absolutely nothing. Disappointment instantly replaced the confidence from before. Roxas had no heart. At least, none that he could see. Due to this, he instantly recoiled, making sure to give the bringer of his disappointment a firm kick in the chest in the process. “You…you’re…a nobody!”

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Beast’s Castle

Rolling her eyes, Larxene snarled, “Well, genius, for one, I know you’re planning something, and from the looks of it, it’s definitely not going to help the Organization. You know what’s wrong with that picture?” Smirking, Zexion shook his head, as if to look utterly innocent. He was eager to here Larxene’s opinions, especially since she seemed so intent on finding out his every motive, not that it didn’t surprise him. Still, Larx didn’t exactly enjoy associating herself with…with such a freak. “For your information,” she added, rather aggressively, “last time I checked, you were the one who was always ranting about the Organization being some form of unit, or whatever. Yet, here you are, plotting some ridiculous scheme that I KNOW will only benefit for you. Tell me, now, why this is.”

Stepping aside, the Cloaked Schemer replied, “You are more intelligent than I had assumed, I will give you that. Indeed, I was one of the most passionate, loyal members of Organization XIII. Was. But, I will tell you straight up that my experiences during my year of absence have given me a change of hear, so to speak Heheh…” Confusion filled Larxene, who knew not of Zexion’s experiences during his disappearance, nor did she really even know much of it to begin with. Regardless, the Cloaked Schemer was rather entertained, despite her distrust among other things.

“Look, Zex,” she grumbled at her ally, irate as a nobody could be, “I don’t have time for riddles. Just tell me what you’re up to, ok? You’re really getting on my nerves, and, believe me; you do not want to end up on the end of my kunai.” Already XII’s visage was nothing short of a mere grimace, displaying her vicious side. She clearly did not wish to play any games with Zexion, though one couldn’t exactly say that the feeling was mutual. Why, he simply stood there, waving his finger about with a mischievous expression, as if he actually enjoyed taunting his fellow Organization member.

“You see,” he said humbly, “this is all the reason why you should earn my trust, Larxene. That way you are certain to get a straight answer as opposed to my tedious hints. And, honestly, I’m not afraid of your little death threats, XII…” and it was here that his face shifted to a rather sinister gaze, complete with toothy smirk and narrowed eyes, “and it’s not because I supposedly lack the ability to fear. No, it’s because, frankly, I know you won’t harm me if you truly wish to know what I’m up to.” Larxene then ceased in her aggression. Her mask of terror became a rather disappointed visage, and she merely shrugged. Zexion did have a point. If she wanted answers so bad, harming him wouldn’t do a thing. Actually, it would likely give him more reason to conceal his secrets.

Despite her stubborn, sadistic personality, Larxene did know when to keep her mouth shut. If she had a heart, though, she would surely be enraged by Zexion’s antics, if not ready to explode from frustration. Growling, she replied to Zex’s little taunt, “Fine, shorty, you win. I’ll go easy on you…for now, but you better not be making this up, or I WILL destroy you myself. I always have time for some cold, hard, torture, kiddo.” Zexion merely snickered before simply turning away from the twelfth member. Seemingly, he felt that he had bickered enough with the Savage Nymph, and that returning to his pondering would be a wise plan of action. In fact, he had already began walking further down the hallway when a sudden thought interrupted him. At this, he froze in place.

“Larxene,” he muttered, his view fixed towards the ground, “do you remember Vexen’s replica?” Due to this surprising question, XII couldn’t help but feel rather baffled. To her, him bringing up the Riku Replica was a rather pointless notion, not to mention weird, to say the least. But, on the other hand, that was Zexion for you: as mysterious as it gets at times, but also just plain stubborn.

Cocking her head to the side, she responded, “Yeah, but what’s so important about that thing? It’s dead, anyway…” At this, Zexion rolled his eyes.

“It’s just,” said the Cloaked Schemer plainly, “isn’t it rather ironic? Vexen’s little creation was far more complete than our whole Organization combined. It’s deplorable how cruel that little notion is…wouldn’t you agree?” Following his statement, he sighed deeply, stepping forward a little bit more, ready to disappear into the shadowed depths of the castle at any given moment. Larxene merely scoffed at this, having no idea why Zexion needed to bring that up in the first place. Was there really any purpose of bringing up what was already apparent?

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

WHAM! Roxas’ once again was thrown towards the bricked walls of the sandlot, by a furious Sora, no less. This had been occurring several times since the failure of the heart theft, and yet there was nothing to cease this madness. Continuously, the Keybearer had repeated the same process in his frustration, trying to think of another excuse for why the theft had failed so. After all, it wouldn’t make sense if Roxas were a nobody, right? If he were, then he’d be part of the Organization, quite possibly. Of course, to Roxas, this was inevitable. Already he had experienced attempt heart stealing from heartless, such as mere shadows, or even Cerberus. This was nothing new to him.

“You can’t be a nobody!” shouted the enraged Anti Sora, charging towards his counterpart once more. “No…there’s gotta be another reason…yeah…that’s it! Your heart must be stronger than the others…yes…YES. All the better reason to take it!” It was blissfully apparent that he was not willing to give up in this heart hunt. In fact, due to his darkened state, and his curiosity, there would be no convincing Sora to stop this vicious assault. In fury, he darted towards the organish walls, where Roxas lay, breathing heavily due to the constant onslaught. Just a few yards away from him was the still unconscious Axel, his cloak tossed askew, as his crimson colored locks were matted all over. Though, VIII mattered little to the heartless-like teenager at the present moment, and thus, he focused on his current goal.

As Sora came closer, Roxas’ weakly slid to the side, barely lifting his body upwards. Sadly, he was too slow to avoid being grasped by the leg and pulled down to the ground, his ocean blue eyes locked with the amber ones of Sora. Oh, but he tried to fight back, jerking his body in a futile attempt of freedom, but the strength of the darkness gave the Keybearer an advantage over his nobody. “Give me it…I KNOW YOU HAVE A HEART!” he spat, reaching for Roxas’ neck. “I don’t want to hurt you…I just want to savor that weak little organ… Oh, you won’t DIE…you’ll just be a heartless and a nobody…”

“I-I can’t…” Roxas hissed, jerking back somewhat, causing Sora’s grip to loosen. “And even if I could…I wouldn’t even consider it, Sora.” All this back-talking merely sparked more of Sora’s anger, which led to, of course, him lifting up the blonde again. But, this time, he wasn’t going to get away with tossing him like a Frisbee. Despite being weak, the former resident of Twilight Town was getting incredibly bored of being thrown about. So, right when Sora was about to thrust him, he barely managed to kick him in the shin, the sudden nature of this giving him no time to counter, not to mention causing him to lose his grip.

Just a few yards away, Donald and Goofy stood, with their weapons in hand. Just as they had said, they had arrived to assist Roxas and Sora, but, from the looks of things, the whole situation was way out of hand. Both of them stood there, equally awestruck, as the battle commenced. The worst part is, due to the unconscious bodies of both Axel and Seifer, not to mention the injured Roxas; this was surely more than a mere cat fight. Heck, the whole gruesome onslaught was too much for one to simply stand there and do nothing!

“Gawrsh!” Goofy shouted, his eyes beaming in shock, “We gotta do somethin’, Donald!” At this, the fowl simply nodded in approval, holding his staff forward. His brow was firm, showing much concentration, as he surveyed the scene. Surely a sudden strike would do no good, considering that Sora would likely catch on if they weren’t careful. The castle defender also was rather wary of a head on strike, as that never did seem to work. Yes, another plan of action would certainly be required if the duo were to prove of any help in this huge chaotic mess.

At the same time, Roxas was barely fending off his opponent with his dual weapons. Beads of sweat trickled down his visage, as the tired teen attempted to keep his footing against this darkened fiend of a Keybearer. CLANG! The Kingdom Key struck hard against the handle of the Oathkeeper, which Roxas had just barely managed to hold in front of himself in order to shield his foe’s weapon. Cringing, he tried to push Sora backwards, but with his lack of strength, the effort was clearly in vein. Why, the shadowed teenager simply had to give a hard push to send Roxas hurtling back a few feet.

“Give up already,” Sora snarled, stepping towards his blonde haired counterpart. “I’m getting tired of this. Just give me your heart!” Already he had grown rather tired of this monotonous task of fighting a foe who seemingly was being rather stubborn. Then again, he was too fearful to admit that Roxas might indeed be a nobody. Roxas, who are you? his true self pondered, as he drew closer, his form now looming over the crouching nobody who was gasping for breath. Glaring deep into his pools of blue, Sora lowered the Keyblade down to Roxas’ neck and hissed.

Donald aimed his staff in Sora’s direction, one sky blue eye closed in order to give him better aim. With the sudden maneuver he was planning, accuracy was key, considering he did not wish to accidentally harm Roxas or any others who might be in the nearby area. Once he was certain that his aim was accurate, the poultry mage began to mutter his spell under his breath, while the tip of his want began to glow in a faint blue aura, very much like the chilly ice in which he was planning to unleash. Right as he was about to unleash the blast, he muttered under his breath, “Ready, Goofy?”

Of course, Goofy’s short response was nothing short of a “You betcha! A-hyuck!” In fact, he was all set to go, what with his shield still held up front to prepare for a charge. So, seeing this, Donald released the spell in a flash. The cold, chilling blast rocketed forward at a brisk pace, a complete surprise to Sora, who was in the midst of dealing with his nobody. Why, by the time he had noticed this sudden attack, he had no time to react, as the frozen water enveloped his entire body, from his shoes up to his spiky hair. Crystals began to overtake his very form, creating a thick coating, much like a jeweled case, preventing him from moving. He attempted to break loose, but at the pace he was being swallowed, so to speak, it was rather futile. Yes, Donald’s blizzard spell had done wonders, at least for the time being.

A smug grin spread across Donald’s beak as he surveyed the sight below, once more. Being a skilled magician, though, such a task was no problem for the feathery time bomb. After he was sure things were alright, he whirled around to his ally and exclaimed, “Let’s go, Goofy! Who knows how long this’ll hold him?” It was true that the spell was only a temporary thing; both Donald and Goofy well knew of this. After all, it would take a mastermind at magic to make such a curse last more than a few minutes, really. Knowing this, the defender gave a nod before taking off in a downward direction. Why, Donald didn’t even get a second chance to think things over before darting behind his comrade.

It didn’t take long for the duo to reach the sandlot. After all, they weren’t exactly a great distance from it, such as being back at the station still. Besides, despite their rather unusual looks, they were pretty good runners when they put their minds to it. Luckily, when t hey reached Sora, his body was still encased within ice, thanks to the fowl’s expertise, otherwise, it was likely that the two of them, and Roxas, would be in another battle. Speaking of the Key of Destiny, he was just barely able to stand; luckily the Keyblade made a tool to prop himself, up though. Upon seeing his other’s two allies, he gave a weak smile, glad to see that he and Axel, who was still unconscious, wouldn’t have to take on the pest by themselves.

“I-I was wondering,” moaned XIII softly, “when you guys would show up… Axel and I just didn’t cut it, I guess. Heh. Kinda funny…” He gave a slight cough before limping over towards the two anthromorphic animals. However, he was expecting them to give him rather frustrated glares, due to his running off, only to find that they…smiled. Yep, both of them looked equally happy to see Roxas, despite their suspicions. Though he wondered why, the blondey DID have to admit that this was a relief, considering that, being Sora’s friends, they would be the first to reveal anything unusual upon him returning to his true self.

Now, Goofy was the first to respond to Roxas, chortling, “Gee Roxas, what happened to ya?” The immediate response to this question was a slight frown from Roxas, who wasn’t exactly thrilled in being interrogated on the whole situation. Heck, he remained perfectly quiet until Donald too gave him a curious glance. Yeah, this wasn’t exactly going to be easy…

“I guess Sora wanted to take my…heart…” he replied, cringing at the thought of his lack of completion, “but when I didn’t exactly give him what he wanted, he sorta went berserk, and you can probably guess the rest…” He would have revealed more, but the thing is, there was that slight risk of revealing that he was indeed a nobody, and that wasn’t exactly on his agenda, to say the least. Fortunately, Donald and Goofy both gave approving nods, not showing any signs of suspicion among other things. Rather, they were their usual selves, albeit a tad concerned for their friend who was still encased in ice.

Donald sighed, “Well, we’re still a bit confused about why you ran off like that, but at least you’re ok… But, we should really hurry. Sora’s not gonna stay like this, y’know.” Roxas nodded, calling back his dual weapons in a flash. There was no real need to keep fighting now, since Sora was down for the count. “By the way,” added the poultry mage, waddling towards the block of ice which encased the Keybearer, “don’t think we’re gonna let you and your friend run off like that. Sora’s still in trouble, and we’re gonna need all the help we can get. Okay?”

“Yeah,” said the Key of Destiny in a hushed tone, “my bad. It’s just…if you knew what I’ve been through, you’d understand. The thing is, I’m not exactly too thrilled to tell my life story… But, anyway, I guess Axel and I could stick around for a bit.” From the looks of things, there really wasn’t a way out of this. With the two lackeys of King Mickey insisting that Roxas tagged along, there really was no way out…though, it was likely that Axel wasn’t going to be so thrilled about it. Still, it was enough to light up the faces of Sora’s companions, especially Goofy, who stepped closer to Roxas.

“Ya know,” he explained, rubbing his nose, “ya don’t have ta be afraid of us. Why, we just wanna help Sora, a-hyuck!” Donald then pushed Goofy aside slightly, looking a LITTLE stern. He obviously felt a tad annoyed by his ally.

“Yeah,” he added, rolling his eyes. “Besides, what harm could a palooka like Goofy do? He can’t even tie his own shoes, let alone hurt anything that isn’t black, yellow, and made of darkness! He’s a softy!” Roxas’ initial response was a smirk, and a slight snicker. Though he hated to admit it, these two weren’t all that bad. Heck, he could see why Sora got along with them so well, despite their weirdness. “Anyway,” Donald added, pulling out his staff, “this spell’s about to wear off, but I think that a sleeping spell will hold him a bit longer. That way we can take him somewhere safe, like Hollow Bastion.”

Shrugging, Roxas replied, “I guess that’d work… It’s better if he’s asleep anyway. Eh, but don’t mind me. I guess I’m just a little stressed, that’s all.” Clearly painted across his mug was a slight frown, as he stood, looking towards the friends of his other side. To think that they were being so nice…to someone like him was just a bit surprising. Then again, they were clueless, which was for the better.

“Well, anyway,” intruded the featherbag, “this’ll only take a second. Then we should probably head back to Hollow Bastion. You can make another one of those portals, right?” Roxas nodded, keeping the same apathetic expression. “Well, that’s good, since it’d be a waste of time to go all the way back to the Gummi, if it’s even there. Besides, Cid can probably set us up with a new one, like he did before.” When Roxas merely gave a nod of approval, the fowl wandered towards Sora, who, unsurprisingly was starting to thaw. Already, the crystals around his feet were no more, and the rest of the chilly H2O was starting to vanish as well. With a sigh, Donald pointed his mage staff at the Keybearer’s body, a faint green glow forming around its brownish tip, all before he unleashed the sleep spell. “This should do it for now, at least…”

Now, Roxas would have readied a portal and all, but the sound of a faint rustle from behind sort of distracted him. Curious, he whirled around, only to find Axel leaning against the wall, attempting to keep his balance after the “wild ride” Sora had put him through. Upon seeing the others, he snickered, “Well, looks like the gang’s all here, eh? Took ya long enough. But really, you’d think the king’s lackeys would be a bit quicker. Got it memorized?” A bit unbalanced, he pushed himself away from the sunset colored bricks and pressed towards the trio before him. Donald merely frowned, while Goofy gave a clueless glance to VIII.

“Look, wise guy,” snapped the snow white bird, adjusting his zipper-clad hat, “I don’t like ya, and I doubt Goofy does either. You look like one of those Organization XIII guys…but, if you’re a friend of Roxas, I GUESS we can trust ya, for now. But, try anything, and I swear…!” Axel rolled his eyes at the flustered fowl’s temperamental behavior. He failed to see how anyone could tolerate him.

He shook his head and explained, “Fine, fine. I’ll ‘play nice’… but only because it looks like Roxas isn’t getting outta this one. But, don’t expect us to hang around after you get your dinky little Keybearer back. We’ve got places to go, things to see. Capiche?” Grumbling, Donald forced himself to approve with this, albeit reluctantly. For whatever reason, there was just this itching feeling in his mind that Axel wasn’t to be trusted. Goofy felt it too, but, being who he is, he didn’t mind as much.

“Whatever,” squawked the flustered poultry magician, tapping his large, webbed foot. “Anyway, I’m sick of all this talkin’. Roxas, can you hurry up, so we can get outta here?” Nodding, XIII reached out his hand, as a purplish aura surrounded it. He concentrated fully, as the portal formed from the ground up, looking like the same old doorway into the unknown as before. Luckily, he knew how to control these corridors of darkness now, or else it would be rather difficult to get to Hollow Bastion.

“Alright. Let’s go…”

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Traverse Town

“So, how exactly are we supposed to help Sora, anyway? There has to be a cure, right?”

In the center of the First District, Mickey and Riku conversed once more. As of now, there was no activity within the streets of Traverse Town, as it was rather late at night. Even all the shops had closed down for the evening, leaving the two cloaked beings alone. At the present moment, the duo was discussing Sora’s present state once more, and Riku in particular was very concerned, to say the least. Why, his worry was written all over his face, from his weary frown to his widened, sorrowful eyes.

Mickey himself didn’t look too peachy either, as his brow was firm with apprehension, and his eyes gleamed with a sudden sternness. He turned his large, circular eared head to Riku and replied, “Gosh, Riku, it’s really complicated. You see, the Organization messed with his heart, causing the darkness to take over.” Riku nodded, knowing well of how the darkness had been involved.

“Yeah, I know that, Your Majesty,” he sighed, looking up at the sky for a moment. “But, I just want to know how to help him. I mean, after all the hiding I’ve done, it’s the least I can do, right? He’s my best friend, but I need to treat him like it…” Truthfully, he felt terrible still, and Mickey could easily see that. Then again, who could blame Riku? The way he had given himself to the darkness, and become all but a heartless gave him every right to hide from his friend. After all, though his appearance wasn’t a major change (despite heartless coloration, his face retained its normal shape, albeit nullified by the darkness), it was still enough to show that he had returned to the thing he had promised to abandon.

Mickey sighed, looking down towards the pavement. “Well, Riku, it’s not that easy. Sora’s got too much darkness in him for his own good. And, well, the only way to cure him would be to somehow overpower his darkness with light, or…” Tilting his head, the silver haired teenager gave the King a confused look. What was this other choice the mouse was contemplating?

“Or what?” Riku questioned, still wondering what Mickey had in mind. For a moment, though, the cloaked rodent remained silent, his eyes averted from Riku’s line of sight. For, you see, his answer would be one that was most distasteful, to say the least. In fact, it was downright crazy!

“Well,” muttered the King, in a melancholy tone of voice, “Riku…there’s another option, but…it’d mean that someone would have ta take Sora’s darkness into themselves! It’s a tough choice, really. Gosh, I just wish there was another way…” Riku remained silent as he let this all sink in. What Mickey had said was far from reassuring. There were so few choices…either he’d find someone, or something that could rejuvenate Sora’s light, or someone, most likely himself, would have to absorb the very darkness from his body. But…he couldn’t just let his best friend down like that. He WOULD help…somehow.

“How can I help him?” he questioned, facing away from his ally. “There has to be something I can do…” There was no denying that Riku was incredibly concerned for his childhood friend. He had to help in some way, or he’d never make up for the terrible things he had done a year ago. Even now, he regretted every turning to the darkness, betraying everyone important to him, and becoming Ansem’s puppet. Mickey could see this, and he knew that it was for the best if Riku went on and assisted Sora. Likely, he’d make this slight dilemma and much quicker.

Ambling towards the cloaked teenager, Mickey responded, “Well, I think that it would best if ya went ahead and looked for Donald and Goofy. You should probably tell them about the cure, for starters.” Puzzled, Riku merely raised a brow at this. How the heck was he supposed to know where Sora’s friends were? It’s not like he’d been with them recently.

“How am I supposed to find them, though?” he asked, still rather confused.

“Well,” said the King, scratching his chin with one gloved hand, “I guess ya just gotta follow your heart. I’m sure that if you just pay attention to what you’re heart’s sayin’, you’ll find them in a jiffy!” Smirking, Riku gave the King a look of approval. Not that relying on one’s heart would be the easiest way to find his friends, but who knows? Maybe he would bump into them quicker than he expected. All he’d have to do is look. So, there he stood, one arm reached outwards, ready to summon up a portal, as Mickey simply retained his cheery appearance.

“Thank you, your majesty,” Riku exclaimed, all before calling up the blackened void of darkness that would hopefully lead him to Donald, Goofy, and the others. Somehow, he would make up for what he had done…that was sure.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Two lions, of all things, ambled through a once glorious savannah now overtaken by carnage. The grass had died down, the trees whittled away, and all signs of life scarce. Why, it was almost as if the two were walking through a jungle graveyard! Regardless, the duo remained rather calm during this situation, despite the unpleasant mood this setting had to offer. Now, the first lion looked somewhat young, though he was older than a cub. His fur color was a blondish shade, though instead of having a mane, he had…a fur mullet. Why, this ‘lion’ was, in reality, Demyx! The other lion, too, was unusual, though far more than IX. His fur was a grayish color, while his mane was black…but, the thing is, his body was huge, and almost appeared to be inflated! Plus, his face was certainly not natural. Yeah, it was Pete alright.

Smirking, the first lion, or rather, nobody, chirped, “So, you think we’re really gonna be able to fool that scar guy into helping us? I mean, he’s got all those heartless now, but…I dunno, he seems kinda picky about us ‘outsiders’. I wonder what’s eatin’ him.” Pete merely snorted at this, mostly likely because he was too stubborn to think about anything Demyx had mentioned. Instead, he shook his rather deformed face, laughing at his comrade.

“Are you kiddin’ me?” snapped the obese wildcat. “We’ve got that Scar fellow eatin’ right outta our hands! Why, in no time, he’ll be a heartless!” Yep, Pete was a smug one alright. Too egotistical to think otherwise. Even Demyx could only grumble at his behavior…but the Superior had forced the two to work together, regardless. All he could do was ignore the pest. Instead of responding, he kept on walking, his eyes locked on the sight ahead, namely a large cliff-like structure that residents of this world would automatically know as Pride Rock. Here he and Pete were to have another meeting with the current king, none other than Scar himself. As of late, these meetings had been frequent, especially after the Organization had lent a handful of heartless in order to…persuade the lions to submit, since Outlanders alone weren’t good enough.

Finally, after about, say, five minutes of leisurely strolling, the two felines reached their destination. Looming overhead, still proud and strong, even during this time of tyranny, was Pride Rock, the only symbol of the good days before King Mufasa’s death. Here is where, along with Pete, the Melodious Nocturne would have another ‘pleasant conversation’ with the malicious tyrant himself. In fact, he could already see three of his followers sitting on one of the lower rocks next to the larger cliff. At this, both outsiders wore somewhat pleased expressions.

“Well, well, well what do we have here?” cooed one of them, a hyena, a twisted, toothy smile spread across her muzzle. “If it isn’t the two outsiders off to have another ‘chat’ with the king.” She merely stared at the duo, along with her two partners, also of the same species. Between the three of them, they weren’t exactly pleasant specimens. Their fur was a greenish-grey, while they had tufts of fur on their backs and heads of a darker color, as could be said with their spots. Plus, each of them was always looking snide, and vicious. Demyx especially didn’t like these guys. Even Zira was better!

Backing off somewhat, Demyx retorted, “L-look guys, we don’t want any trouble. We’re just sorta…here to talk to the boss and then get back to sending in those heartless. No harm done, right?” The first response from this was nothing short of a cackle from Ed, one of the dopier hyenas, whose face looked as if it had been hit by a truck. All IX could do about this was shudder at the terrible noise. Why did those freaks have to be so creepy?

Giving a slight snarl, Shenzi, the female, responded, “Ya know, if you two weren’t cool with Scar, we’d have eaten you already. You’d both taste a lot better than whatever food’s left here, especially that watermelon of a lion.” That last bit actually caused Pete to attempt a roar, as he hated being insulted. However, it came out as a mere squeak mixed in with a grunt, which only lead to more entertainment for the trio of minions. “Nice try, kitty, but it looks like you’re still just another reject of a lion. It figures.”

“You watch it, missy!” Pete snapped, stepping forward, trying to look intimidating. “You don’t know who you’re messin’ with here. Why, I’m the MIGHTY Pete, and doncha forget it!” Again, the trio of termite coated canines broke out into sheer laughter, while Demyx simply gave Pete a slight push before stepping forward. Despite his naivety, he wasn’t a total idiot, unlike what many Organization members would assume.

“Look, if you want to see Scar so bad, go ahead,” snickered one of the other hyenas, Banzai. “We’ll just be waiting here ‘til you end up dead.” Despite the trio’s snappish attitude, Demyx and Pete both pressed on, without another word, thankfully. Right now, they were going to simply do Organization business. Not even those three would get in the way… Besides, the more heartless, the better.

End of Chapter

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

AN: Well, I hope this chapter’s ok. I kinda had some ups and downs, but I guess it’s decent. We got some nice foreshadowing here, but I won't tell ya where. ;3 But I WILL say that a certain character I like happens to actually stay alive in the manga, and I'm REALLY tempted to fit him in somehow, considering he fits in with...something

Oh, and that last part was to show what's up with Demyx, since I haven't done much with him lately.

Anyway, feel free to leave a review, ‘cuz it’s appreciated.