AAAAAAAAAAH! I feel so terrible for not updating sooner. But, here’s my explanation: I had a terrible writer’s block. Heck, it was so bad that I had to rewrite most of the chapter. No worries, though, cuz I’m back with a new Roxas chappy:D Anyway, this one has that FF character cameo I mentioned before. Mind you, this is my first time writing for said character, so go easy on me. Oh, and we also find out who the mysterious Organization member at the end of chapter 5 was.

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again?

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Chapter 6: Land of the dead

Roxas POV

Soooo, here’s the deal. Earlier I had wound up in the Underworld of all places after fighting some deformed nobody. How fun… not. From the moment I appeared, Hades wanted to use me as a tool. Of course, I knew better than that, me having Sora’s memories and all. Instead of giving the hothead what he wanted, I just gave Hades a snappy comment… And, well, let’s just say that he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy. Heck, that undead lord was steamed, quite literally…

To sum things up, this is what happened next. First, I was dragged across, the cold, hard floor. Let me tell you, though, that the experience wasn’t exactly wonderful. Just imagine being pulled around like a sack of garbage, and you’ll get the idea. Now, I don’t know how long I was pulled around, but, after a while, Hades stopped in front of some weird gate. Unlike the rest of the place, which was all blue and dull, this oversized door was pitch black and encrypted with runes of some kind. Whatever language they were in, I sure had never heard of it, let alone seen it before.

Slowly, the lord of the dead stomped toward the strange entrance. Just like earlier, I was dragged a long, but by now I had gotten used to it. Sure, my butt hurt like heck, but that wasn’t anything big. The only reason why I didn’t fight back was because I really wanted to see what the flame-head was gonna do with me. Plus, it’s not like he was a threat to me. Anyway, when Hades was just inches away from the gate, he gave it a shove, causing the entry to reveal something….uh… interesting. Let me say that it wasn’t exactly pretty.

Beyond the stone doors there were cells all over the place. Inside each one, prisoners were seen begging for freedom. Even those who were all tough looking had desperate expressions. Heh, how typical for Hades to bring someone like me here. After all, I did mouth off to him… which lit his fuse. So, yeah, the hot head pulled me along this dungeon. As he went, the prisoners screamed and pleaded for food, water, and all that stuff. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. I mean, being cocked up in some cell all day wasn’t exactly a thrilling way to spend time.

Finally, the high and mighty Hades stopped in front of some empty cell. Inside, there was dust all over the place, and not even a cot to sleep on. Sheesh, had I really gotten that far on his bad side? Sure enough, he didn’t even think twice before chucking me inside. THUD! Pretty much, I landed face down on the musty cell floor. Oh what fun! I just loved having pain surge through my body…. Wait, no, I didn’t. Obviously, Hades was having the time of his life, just watching me in there. I mean, he was laughing like some homicidal maniac on sugar for crying out loud! Even after he locked me up and headed towards the exit, I could still hear him cackling. Ugh… how annoying. Once he left, though, I couldn’t help but snicker to myself. Sure, I may have been behind bars, but there was one thing: I had the Keyblade.

It didn’t take any second thoughts for me to summon my oversized key. Why should I just sit there like some criminal when I had a universal key? Plus, there’s no fun in sitting on some musty floor. Whoosh! In a flash of light, the Keyblade materialized in my hand. Pleased with myself, I gave a smirk before lifting my weapon towards the lock. In just a matter of seconds, I’d be home free. However… just as I was about to make my escape, I was interrupted.

“Interesting weapon you have….” muttered a strange man from the neighboring cell. Whoever the guy was, he sure had a strange appearance. His skin was all pale and lifeless, and his hair was pitch black. Around one of his hands was a clawed gauntlet. And, to top that off, he wore this tattered red cape that covered part of his face. All in all, I swear he looked like someone from a horror movie.

I really didn’t know what to say to this guy. Who was to say that he wasn’t some serial killer? He sure didn’t look “friendly”, that’s for sure. Nervous, I backed off slowly, ending up with my back pressed against the bars of the door. Without anything else to say, I just moaned “Uh… thanks?” Surprisingly, the guy didn’t say anything… he just stared at me with this weird look.

“What are you doing, anyway?” he questioned, still giving me that creepy glare.

“Uh… well,” I began, shaking… quite a lot. “I’m going to… escape?” Ok, so I sounded pretty stupid, I admit. But, hey, can you really blame me? It was like the weirdo was interrogating me the way he was talking to me! Well, maybe not that extreme, but, you get the idea. So, after I had mentioned escape, the mysterious man shook his head, giving me this “poor kid” look. Ugh, how irritating. He obviously didn’t know who I was… though we hadn’t met before, anyway.

“Trust me,” he said in a bland tone, “it won’t work… never did for me.” So, I guess the man in red had actually tried to get out before. I mean, why else would he look all serious and give me a warning? As I just stood there, clutching my Keyblade tightly, I guess the stranger thought I was some idiot kid.

Really, I was a bit annoyed that this guy doubted me, even if he wasn’t really to blame. It’s not like every fifteen year old has a universal key. Either way, it wouldn’t be a crime to show him that I wasn’t like any average twerp. So, yeah, I pointed my Keyblade towards the lock again, and said, “Actually… I will get out… thanks to the Keyblade right here.” What happened next was pretty predictable: the guy simply huffed again and took a moment to stare at my Keyblade. I guess he was totally clueless.

“A Keyblade…” he grumbled, very curious. “Interesting. I wait to see how you free yourself, kid.” Well then… it looked like this dude was a bit interested in me. Still, I guess he wasn’t so bad. Sure, he looked a little creepy, but appearances aren’t what make the person. For all I knew, he could have been some happy go lucky gardener… well, maybe not THAT. Anyway, judging by his last statement, he probably had been here for a long time with no success in finding freedom. I knew that leaving him and the other prisoners wasn’t the right thing to do, so, I made up my mind and decided that I’d unlock ALL the cells.

“Say, uh… strange guy in red,” I muttered, slightly nervous, “if ya want, I can get you out of here too.” The strange man remained quiet for a moment. From the looks of it, he was considering my offer.

“Alright,” he finally said, getting up. Nothing else was said between the two of us. Instead of engaging in any conversation, I raised my Keyblade once again and prepared to unlock the gate. As usual, a beam of light emanated from the tip of my weapon, meeting with the lock on the cell door. With a click, the door slowly flung open and I was free. Of course, I wasn’t about to make my escape without freeing the strange man.

As soon as his cell was unlocked, the man walked slowly into the hall of the dungeon. He didn’t seem all too worried about being caught by Hades or the likes, and he was probably thrilled to be free after who knows how long. As for me, well, I took the time to unlock each of the nearby cells as I headed toward the main gate for the prison. Each time a cell door swung open, various prisoners joyfully dashed through the hall as quick as they could. Many of them were frail in structure, probably after not being fed, while others seemed to have been beaten to a pulp.

The hall was filled with madness as I headed for the exit. It was nearly impossible to avoid bumping into other escapees during all this chaos. In every which way, the escapees ran, darted, etc, obviously trying to find the perfect place to hide from the wrath of the Underworld lord. The strange thing is, I couldn’t find that man from earlier. It was as if he had vanished. Soon, I was standing face to face with the exit for the prison. With no sign of the man in red, I decided to just go on through and figure my way from there.

End Roxas POV

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The World that Never Was

Xigbar and Luxord stared in awe at the sight before them. Staring them straight in the eyes was none other than number six of Organization XIII. Clearly he could be nobody else with that almost child-like appearance, silver hair that covered half of his face, and piercing stare. But there was something different about Zexion. A black circle wound around his visible eye, which had gone from blue to yellow, and his skin was unusually pale. There were several small scratches on his cheek, and, all in all, he looked as if he had been mauled to death.

“Zexion?!” Xigbar exclaimed in extreme shock. The look on his face was one of pure bafflement. “How are you still alive?! I thought that Vexen’s replica destroyed you!” Zexion simply broke out into a maniacal cackle at that last statement. For whatever reason, the Cloaked Schemer had avoided death, even though the whole notion seemed impossible. Clearly there was more to the organization’s sixth member than what met the eyes.

“You actually thought that Vexen’s little tool could do away from me?” grunted Zexion, crossing his arms. “I may not fight much, but I’m NOT weak.”

“Then tell us,” replied Luxord with much curiosity, “How DID you survive that little assault?”

Zexion made his way over to the table and sat down. For a moment, he remained silent and took a sip of Luxord’s tea. Upon finishing his little drink, the Cloaked Schemer faced Luxord and Xigbar and said, “Let me explain. You see, back at Castle Oblivion, I was indeed confronted by the Riku Replica. Defenseless, all I could do is endure the clone’s ferocious attacks. I begged for Axel’s help, but got no response spare the horrid sound of laughter. When the replica had gotten what it came for, though, he and Axel simply left me for dead without bothering to finish me off. So there I sat, expecting to be greeted by death’s doors.

“Minutes became hours, and I still remained on the floor in the basement of the castle. Not once had anyone bothered to see if I was still around. I guess it was because Axel was the only surviving member during this ordeal, spare myself. That and the Keybearer knew not of my existence. After what was probably a whole day of lying down, hopeless and frail, I finally managed to gather enough strength to leave that wretched place. Even that foolish replica had been destroyed, leaving me without many options. True, I could have come here sooner, but by the time I left Castle Oblivion, you probably assumed I was dead.

“Instead, I went into hiding for a whole year. During that time, I was able to regain most of the power that the replica had drained through my own means. Though it would be impossible to fully regain my strength, at least I was no longer weak and vulnerable. It was only when I got word of the Keybearer’s awakening that I decided to return to my brethren to become, once again, a member of Organization XIII. To put it simple, I am back, and I expect to regain my authority.”

Both Xigbar and Luxord shared puzzled glances. To them, it was strange to see Zexion in their midst after a full year of assuming him dead. Then again, he always was a tricky being. Whether it was using his powers of illusion, or just the way he schemed, number six was quite unfathomable. Of course, any help was better than none at this point. Already the Organization had lost Axel and Roxas, along with those who had been slain back at Castle Oblivion. The intelligent thing to do was to accept Zexion back into the Org.

Heaving a sigh, Xigbar explained, “Well, if you want to return to our ranks, you’ll have to talk to Xemnas. After all, he passes judgment on any new, or, in this case, rejoining members.” Motioning Zexion to follow, Xigbar formed a portal of darkness. “I’m sure he’ll welcome you with open arms, since he wanted all the ‘dead’ members back anyway.” Zexion was quick to follow Xigbar, making his way into the aura of darkness. Plainly, he was still loyal to the Organization after all this time... or so it seemed.

Finding himself alone in the room, Luxord simply sat back down to play a game of solitaire. Though he was rather annoyed that Zexion had taken a sip of his tea, the gambler simply shrugged it off. What was important was that the Organization was slowly piecing back together. Now the Keybearer would REALLY have something to fear.

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Roxas POV

After escaping the dungeon, I decided to snoop around for a bit. From Sora’s memories, I knew of Hades, but the Underworld was a different story. As I made my way through the cryptic corridors, I could hear snarls and grunts from near by residents. Who knew dead people could be so grouchy? Anyway, the whole place was pretty much the same bluish grey and made of stone. You could pretty much consider it a giant tunnel or cave. I really didn’t have any idea of which part of the Underworld I was in, since, again, it looked pretty much the same everywhere, so I just kept going.

Soon I reached what appeared to be a dead end, if it weren’t for a giant crevice splitting the wall in two. A green fog was emitted from this crack, carrying a TERRIBLE smell. It was probably that stink of corpses or something. But, even though tolerating the stench would be difficult, I didn’t care. All I wanted was to explore this place a bit. So, yeah, I entered the crevice and found myself standing on a narrow path that twisted upwards. Below me was a sea of green liquid of some kind, which was the source of that odor from before.

At the end of the path was a huge doorway. Just like the rest of the place, it wasn’t too pretty. But, maybe it was something important. Just because I had nothing better to do, I decided to continue up this path. As I made my ascent, I came face to face with three dusks. Each of them did that weird, contorting dance of theirs. But, if nobodies were in the Underworld, that meant that Organization XIII was too! Rather annoyed, I pulled out Oblivion and Oathkeeper and charged right at the dusks, doing the reversal move at the right time.

Wiping out these dusks was rather simple. All it really took was a few hits from my dual weapons. Had there been a whole swarm of them then things would be different. With those pests taken care of, I continued to advance towards the gate up above. For most of the walk, I was uninterrupted. Heck, the only REAL disturbance for me was that smell, which I had gotten used to about half way up. It was only when I heard a familiar voice that I stopped in my tracks.

"You have business with Hades?” questioned the man in Red. In shock by his sudden appearance, I jumped back. Seeing my reaction, the man simply shook his head and trudged right past me. The look on his face was rather plain, and it seemed as if he could care less about anything that was going on. But, from what he said, I assumed that the door at the end of the path led to Hades’ chamber.

With nothing better to do, I too continued down the path. Maybe by spying on Hades, I could pick up something interesting. Plus, that strange man seemed to be heading in the same direction. So, I continued my little march of sorts, eyeing the man in red curiously. The farther down the path I went, the greater the stench became. I was surprised to find that the strange man wasn’t even bothered by the smell. His face remained completely emotionless, as if the only thing on his mind was reaching the top.

Finally, he stopped just a few yards away from the gate. Heaving a sigh, he turned in my direction with a puzzled glare. Nervous, I backed up a little. Beads of sweat coursed down the sides of my face. “Uh…” I muttered, trying to think of something to say, “I never did get your name.” He gave me an odd look and faced the other direction before finally giving me a response.

“It’s Vincent…” he said with a sigh. “And what about you, kid?” Well, it seemed like this Vincent wanted to be on a first name basis… or he was just being some interrogator again. Either way, I guess there was no harm in answering the guy. After all, I didn’t exactly like being called kid all the time.

“I’m Roxas,” I replied, trying not to look all frightened. But, eh, that wasn’t exactly easy, even if he didn’t seem like a bad guy. Guess it’s cuz of that homicidal look of his. Though, I have to say that he didn’t really care about how stupid I looked, just standing there shaking.

“Hmm… Roxas,” he mumbled quietly. “That’s an unusual name…” For a moment, Vincent paused, probably thinking of something, but it’s not like I could read minds. “Anyway, that Keyblade of yours is impressive,” he added. “Not even Shinra could replicate it.”

Well, I guess the guy was pretty amazed by my over sized key. Then again, it’s not every day you come face to face with a weapon like it. I was just surprised that he actually complimented me... But, anyway, just because I was curious, I asked another question, though I’m not sure if it was a smart move on my part. “So, uh, Vincent,” I pondered, “why is it that you’re here in the first place? I mean, Hades had to bring you here for a reason…”

Vincent sighed before taking the time to acknowledge me. “I carry a heavy sin on my chest,” he explained. “Hades wanted to use that to his advantage.” The look on his face changed to an expression of near sorrow. Whatever this ‘sin’ was, it must’ve been pretty bad. Why else would Hades try and use him? Now I could see why Vincent was so melancholy. Something in his life must have taken a turn for the worse.

Without another word, Vincent stepped towards the door. His mournful visage had shifted to a look of hatred. He probably wanted to face Hades. As for me, well, I too headed towards the door with no acknowledgement from Vincent. We pretty much just acted on our own thoughts without engaging in conversation. However, the two of us DID take a peek inside the chamber.

Inside, Hades was talking to a member of Organization XIII. Blue locks ascended down the nobody’s face, and his ears were like those of an elf. These strange traits were accompanied by narrow, almost snake-like eyes and a scar across his forehead. Only one member of Organization XIII could fit that description, and that was Saïx. “You know well why I came here, Hades,” Saïx hissed in an angered tone. “I want to not only revive the witch for a tool, but also retrieve the five deceased members of Organization XIII.” Hades simply growled at Saïx and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, and what’s in it for me?” mused the hot headed lord of the dead. As usual, Hades wasn’t willing to give up anything without a price. How predictable. Either way, I was deeply interested in this conversation, especially the last part about Marluxia and the other dead Org. members.

“It’s quite simple,” explained the elf-like nobody. “Accept my simple request, and Organization XIII will reward you with what you so dearly desire. I see no reason for you to reject this offer. After all, you always DO enjoy those deals where there’s nothing to lose.”

For a moment, Hades remained quiet, scratching his chin as if he were in deep thought. I guess the guy was still concerned about his half of the bargain. He’d probably want Saïx to destroy Hercules or something. Heh, like that could ever happen. “You know what?” Hades finally exclaimed in a matter-of-fact tone, “I think I might just accept your puny little offer. Anything I desire, eh? In that case, you can get your stupid nobodies and any other pests you want. Just head back to the entry way and the little runts Pain and Panic will handle the rest.”

I couldn’t believe it. Organization XIII was bringing back Marluxia, Vexen, and the others. This was NOT good. Not only would it be more trouble with an almost full Organization, but with traitors like Marluxia and Larxene around, even Org. XIII would have issues. And what’s worse is that Saïx had mentioned a tool that just so happened to be a witch. The only person I could think of who would perfectly fit the description is Maleficent. Man, why did EVERYTHING have to be so difficult?

So, after Saïx had finished his little chat with Hades, he vanished in a dark portal, leaving the flame head alone. With business taken care of, he went back to lounging in his throne. I, on the other hand, remained next to Vincent, who gave me an odd glance. Heh, I guess he could read the “This isn’t good” look written all over my face. “Hmm,” he whispered, “Hades seems to be getting in too deep.”

“Yeah,” I replied, getting back to my feet. “That guy you just saw isn’t just anyone either… he’s Saïx, a member of Organization XIII. I just know that he’s gonna cause some serious trouble…” Angry at all this, I couldn’t help but stomp and groan. Already Organization XIII was getting an advantage, and there was nothing I could do about it. Some adventure this was turning out to be…

“Well then,” Vince answered, sounding slightly interested for once. “I suppose you should do something about it… after all, if you fail to act, you too might end up carrying a sin… one that you may be unable to atone for.” The look in his eyes just then was really serious. I could tell that Vincent was the type of guy who regretted what he had done in the past, and I guess he didn’t want me to do anything stupid.

Vincent was right, though. Just sitting here behind the scenes wasn’t the way to go. Sure, there was that risk of meeting up with Sora in the future, but to do nothing could lead to things getting worse. Organization XIII would almost be at full ranks if this pulled through, and with Maleficent back in the game, I just knew that this would be too much to just ignore. Because of all that, I did the only thing I could do, and that was make a dark portal towards the entry way.

Oddly enough, Vincent followed behind me. Guess he was either curious or wanted to help me. Not like it mattered, backup was definitely a good thing. So, without anything else to say, I took a dive into the gateway of darkness. In less than a second, I found myself sitting on the hard stone floor of the entrance staring at what I had seriously hoped I wouldn’t see… Yep, Saïx and four other Organization members were RIGHT in front of me. It really didn’t take a genius to guess who the heck these guys were, either.

The first one to notice me was, of course, number VII. Joy. He didn’t exactly look too pleased to see me either, if he even COULD be pleased. “Well, I see you’ve made it this far, Roxas,” he hissed, narrowing his eyes. “You know, it’s not too late to come back with us.” I didn’t know what to do. With five of them and one of me, I doubt that challenging them would have been the right move. I mean, Saïx alone could be a brute, but with Marluxia, Larxene, Vexen, and Lexeaus… I didn’t stand a chance.

“Uh…” I muttered, backing up slightly, “Can’t we just… uh… all be friends?” I admit, it was kind of stupid for me to say that. After all, friendship and happiness were the least things on Saïx’s mind. Heck, he probably wanted to do nothing less than club me to death with his Claymore. But, even with that in mind, I couldn’t say anything to make things WORSE…

“Friendship is a mere trifle,” snarled the Lunar Divine, edging closer to me with each step. “A nobody like you shouldn’t be worrying about meager things like that… no, you should be remembering your lack of a heart.” His last few words sent a cold shiver down my spine. Saïx was almost as bad as DiZ! Just hearing him call me incomplete made me want to shred him into pieces!

Just as I was about to burst in anger, I felt a cold, metallic grip on my shoulder. Looking upwards, I found that Vincent was giving me this weird look, as if he thought I was some psychopath. “Don’t do anything you’d regret…” he muttered. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was dead serious. I mean, there WERE five of them and only two of us… and not a single one of them was even a slight pushover.

“Well then,” huffed Saïx dryly, “It appears that you have made yourself one of these so called ‘friends’. Perhaps you two would enjoy a little… surprise.” After that little statement, the elf man started laughing like someone from an insane asylum, as did the other Org members. It was right then that I knew something wasn’t right. Vincent, on the other hand, remained casual. I guess he wasn’t the type to get scared like some little kid… then again, he had probably been through a lot.

Continuing his ‘evil laugh’, so to speak, Saïx lifted up his right arm and snapped his fingers. As he did, the other Organization members backed up, giving me this… well, let’s just say the feeling wasn’t that great. The ground started to shake all of the sudden, making me feel like I was at some freak show amusement park, and dark tendrils slowly inched their way in my direction. Suddenly, this big, black blob appeared in the middle of the entrance, growing with each passing second. Soon, I could make out three heads, a messed up looking tail, and razor sharp claws. Actually, this… thing looked a whole lot like Cerberus!

As the freakazoid continued to form, my hunch about it being the angst puppy was proven correct. From its huge, muscular form, to the three, sharp nosed heads, this beast was indeed Cerberus, but there was something different about it. First of all, its whole body was all deformed and twisted in some areas, like its tail. Weird marks were found all over its body, and the middle head was REALLY screwed up. For example, instead of being a normal head, like the other two, this middle one had circular eyes like a heartless and jagged teeth. If that wasn’t enough, on the freaky mutt’s forehead there was the heartless insignia, which could only mean one thing… somehow, the Organization had turned this mutant puppy into a heartless.

I knew just standing there wouldn’t do any good. Already, Cerberus was making its way towards Vincent and me. All this time, Saïx and the others just watched from a safe distance, as the mindless mutant charged forward. Great, after dealing with a stupid nobody earlier, I know had to take on some dog that woke up on the wrong side of the Underworld?! I guess a hero’s work is never done. So, without any other choice, I summoned Oblivion and Oathkeeper right before rushing in Cerb’s direction. Of course, I wasn’t watching where I was going, and I nearly got my head chewed off… NEARLY.

Right before the sad puppy was able to have me for lunch, it was stopped abruptly by a flurry of red along with a barrage of bullets. At first, I didn’t realize what it was that had attacked Cerb, but soon enough I realized that it was Vincent. With bullets flying all around the area, it was hard to keep my eyes on the prize... heh. I kept having to dodge role while Vincent whipped out his crazy limits and such. BAM! Cerberus gave a terrible roar, breathing a dark aura from its mouth. Hmm, I guess Vince had overdone it slightly.

Either way, I found myself not only dodging bullets, but also the dark tendrils popping up like daisies. Plus, if you count Cerberus attempting to have a nobody lunch, then you pretty much get the idea of how ‘fun’ this little fight was. So, I ended up making circles around the oversized canine, while avoiding bullets and keeping up my speed to dodge the dark tendrils. I’m sure that I looked stupid enough to be on one of those ‘Funniest Home Video” shows, but that’s beside the point.

After a bit of running, Cerb stopped breathing that creepy darkness. Instead, it, well, spun around, trying to bite my pants. Even though I was running out of breath, I hurried over towards one of the hallways, hoping to lose track of the freak. Oddly enough, Vincent stayed behind, shooting at Cerberus while making swift maneuvers. I would have stayed to back him up if it weren’t for the fact that I wouldn’t be able to run for much longer.

When I reached the hallway, I thought things would run smoothly… but boy, was I wrong. Sure, I got a quick breather, but it didn’t take long for the angry angst machine to find me. What’s worse is that in this hall, there was a lot less space to fight. If I kept running, the dog would have me on a silver platter at one point, but doing a head on attack might have been just as bad. This really was a problem.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to take a risk and head towards the raving beast again. This time, however, I kept my eyes peeled for it’s knife like fangs. SNAP! Cerberus made yet another attempt to chew me up and spit me out, but, thanks to a quick dodge roll, the heartless failed miserably. As I rolled by, the other heads proceeded to do the same exact thing, only to end in failure. Once I got past it front end, I scurried towards his back, jumping on top before it could even fight back.

WHAM! I struck my two Keyblades right on the middle head, causing the heartless mutt to screech in pain. Actually, I would have done the same thing again, had I not been flung towards the wall. CRASH! Back first, I hit the solid wall, and let me tell you, it wasn’t exactly the ride of my dreams. The sudden pain kept me stunned long enough for Cerberus to knock me into the air with its tail and get a good bite out of my leg, though he didn’t actually chew it off.

I could feel the knife-like fangs cut into my skin. Once again, I could feel pain surging within me. There wasn’t much I could do either, because I was caught in the heartless’ grip. So, I was flung towards the wall again. This time, however, Cerb hovered over me, its middle head looming over my chest. That’s when I realized what it wanted… a heart. Just like in Hollow Bastion… I had no heart to give Cerberus, yet it still stood there, drooling over me. The only thing there to break the silence was the sound of more bullets hitting Cerb’s back.

Instinctively, Cerberus turned around and darted towards Vincent. I guess it figured that if I didn’t have what it mindlessly craved, why even bother? Vincent wasn’t a nobody, he had a heart… at least, I think. If I couldn’t deliver what the beast wanted, I guess Vince would have to do. Not that he was scared of Cerb. In fact, he just went on with his long range fighting, all while dodging another onslaught of dark attacks. Realization just suddenly hit me, as I watched the brute fighting to capture another heart: If Cerberus wasn’t interested in me; I could attack it without much trouble.

Running as fast as I could with my injured leg, I charged head on at Cerberus’ back side, ready to strike at full force. As I ran, I twirled Oblivion and Oathkeeper like propellers, concentrating on where to strike. Closer, closer, and closer I came to Vince and Cerberus before… WHAM! Both of my weapons ended up sticking right into the back of the heartless puppy. Instantly, Cerb let out a blood boiling roar before collapsing to the ground. All I could do is watch as its body disappeared, and the heart within was released.

Exhausted, I fell over, propping myself up with my hands. That last move had taken a lot out of me, especially with my leg all chewed up like that. I think that some of my energy had been transferred into the Keyblade as well. Panting, I turned to Vincent and smiled weakly. “Hey… thanks for helping me back there,” I coughed. “You’re pretty good.”

“I did what I had to,” he exclaimed, “it’s going to take a lot to make up for my sins. I’m impressed, though. That Keyblade of yours really is something… and your heart is strong. You’ll go far.” That last thing he said made a huge clot form in my throat. A heart… something I didn’t have. What he said only made me feel worse. I know he didn’t mean anything bad, but, it only reminded me of how incomplete I really was.

Quietly, I pulled myself to my feet, limping towards a wall. I knew I couldn’t stay here. Hades and the Organization were probably still around, and then there was Maleficent… Staying here would only mean more trouble. Even though I had barely any strength left, I concentrated hard and was able to make a portal. Before I left, though, I had to say goodbye. “Hey, Vincent,” I snickered, still sound like a wimp, mind you, “I’ll be seeing you, ok? Hope you can take care of that sin of yours.”

You know what’s funny about all this? For once, I actually saw Vincent crack a slight, and I mean SLIGHT smile. “Farewell, Roxas. Remember not to let the shadows consume you, or you may end up like me: alone, carrying a heavy burden.”

Right as I stepped through the portal, I gave Vince a nod. He really was right about all this. Giving into the darkness would only lead to a horrible life. That’s when I realized something. As I was entering my path to the next world, I thought of Sora. I really was afraid, and even jealous of him, and, really, I could have simply hid from him. The thing is, though, doing nothing would lead to trouble for him and his friends. Even if I didn’t like him, I had to think of others instead of myself.

End Roxas POV

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The World that Never Was

Silence filled the Superior’s chambers. Not even the sound of the wind was there to lighten the mood. The pale, lifeless walls matched with the thirteen thrones within did not add to this dismal place. Why, the only thing that kept the vicinity even close to lively was the presence of a single cloaked figure, resting in the highest throne. As you may have guessed, it was Xemnas, Superior of Organization XIII. Sitting still, without making a sound, number I had been concentrating on his plans. First there was the most important matter: attaining Kingdom Hearts. The procedure for that was simple enough. All it really would require would be the efforts of both Keybearers fighting off the heartless…. However, there was another matter at hand.

It was only earlier that Xemnas had sent Saïx to the underworld to receive the deceased members of the Organization. Now, one would likely consider it a foolish act to revive the two traitors, namely, Marluxia and Larxene, but there was more to this little scheme than met the eye. You see, the duo of traitors was linked to an important, albeit forgotten fraction of Sora’s memories. This missing piece, however, still lurked within the depths of his heart, and by awakening the sleeping memories… interesting things could occur.

Just as Xemnas was about to continue in his pondering, he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps beneath him. Interested as a nobody could be in this sudden intrusion, the Superior quickly made his way to the lower reaches of the chamber. Upon reaching the ground, he could not help but question the being before him. You see, just as Luxord and Xigbar had been earlier, Xemnas was rather surprised to see Zexion in his midst. “…Zexion? How is it possible for you to be here…?”

“That, my Superior… is a long story…” answered the Cloaked Schemer lazily, “Though, if you must know… I suppose I could retell the tale.” So, Zex went through the explanation he had given the others earlier. Everything from being left for dead in the basement of Castle Oblivion to the fact that he had gone into hiding had been rehashed. All the while, Xemnas had listened intently, as he was intrigued by this little ‘story’ of sorts.

“Until recently,” Zexion added after completing his rehashed explanation, “I had been waiting for… the opportune moment to make my reappearance… Interestingly enough… before arriving here, I had gone to Twilight Town and… took a train. From there, I reached Yen Sid’s castle, and after a little… manipulation… I took his place and lured Sora and those fools into a trap… they took a Gummi Ship that I had… altered, so to speak, and it was in little time that they ended up in the past… it wasn’t anything of much importance, true… but I couldn’t resist seeing him for myself, my Superior.”

Giving a nod of approval, Xemnas responded by saying, “Very intriguing, Zexion. You have impressed me more so than any other member in this Organization. To survive such an assault from a clone of Riku, of all people, is an amazing feat. It would be incredibly foolish for me to deny you your place in our happy flock.” Slowly, he pointed towards the sixth throne in the chamber and added, “I am certain that you remember this castle well enough. So, for now, feel free to keep yourself occupied… I will be sure to inform you when you are needed.”

“I understand, Xemnas…” whispered number VI in response before turning in the other direction. So far, things had been proving quite successful for Zexion. Not only had he managed to meet the Keybearer face to face, but he was also accepted back into Organization XIII. However, Xemnas had failed to notice, as Zex had entered his dark portal, that the Cloaked Schemer bore a contorted smirk while clutching a strange slip of paper. As soon as he was within this corridor of shadows, Zexion broke into a maniacal cackle. “That imbecile… now I’ve got the first piece in place…”

End of Chapter

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AN: As you can see, our lovely cloaked figure was Zexion. The reason why I decided to add him into this fan fiction mostly because my friend said that I should in order to make things interesting. Also, you can see that “Yen Sid” was merely a fake, and the Gummi incident was also part of Zex’s scheming. Mind you, there will be more on Zexion in upcoming chapters along with the other formerly deceased members. Know this, though: there is more to Zexion than it seems. Oh, and Roxas’ leg injury doesn’t just disappear… he’ll have it for a bit.

Next chapter is already done, actually. I’ll be uploading it tomorrow, as I may go and revise a few minor things. We won’t be seeing Maleficent for a while, but when we do, she’ll serve a more… useful purpose, especially to Organization XIII. Anyway, preview of the next chapter…

Sure enough, this little Goofy distraction had given Pete enough time to recover, and now the behemoth was heading in Sora’s direction. Rage swelled up in his entire being, and for someone his size, that was incredibly dangerous. By the time Sora realized that Goofy wasn’t going to move, Pete was already flying in his direction. He braced himself for the impact, clutching his Keyblade tightly. But, when it seemed like the two beings would clash in mere moments, something odd happened. In a bright flash, Sora’s clothes changed from their black tone to a fiery red. Instead of a single Keyblade in his hands, he had two. As confused by this sudden change as he was, Sora didn’t take the time to question things. Instead he thrust his two Keyblades at Pete’s stomach and knocked him back.

OooOooh. Looks like Sora gets to drive in this next chapter. Anyway, please leave a nice review as usual. I look forward to your comments as always.