Demyx shut the door and moved down the dark hall, weary of the others. He wanted a bit of peace. He wond his way through the halls, finding a secluded balcony and sat on the ledge. He stirred his finger in a small puddle of water, until he shaped it. At first it looked like Namine, then it shifted and became Kit. He swirled his finger about the long hair and twisted it more, until it became Axel.

With a slight smile, he twirled his finger more and it became some one else. He scooped up the figure and regarded it with his head cocked to the side. It was a slinder figure of a girl, near his own age. The water couldn't depict the girl's auburn hair, or blue green eyes. But she smiled warmly at him, a smile that was like sunshine.

"Hello Demyx." A soft voice said as Demyx placed the figurine safely upon it's puddle of water. He blushed deeply and looked over. The same girl from the figurine smiled that wonderfuly warm smile at him as she came over.

"Hello Avalon" Demyx said trying to hide the blush.

"Is that me?" She asked, gesturing to the figure.

"Just practicing..." Demyx muttered, about to squash the water figure.

"No, it's beautiful. You're getting better." Avalon said softly, sitting on the other side of the figure.

"I can make it others too." Demyx said enthusiastically, taking his finger and running it over the back of the little figure, and made it Axel again, then Kit and finally Roxas.

"I don't know why Saix isn't impressed with your abilities...if I had that ability, I wouldn't be stuck in the books..."

"Er...well," Demyx blushed again and ran a hand through his hair. "Some one had to take over research after...Vexen, you know..."

A silence settled between, Demyx watching the figure of Roxas walking around the puddle. Avalon watching him. Until she finally said. "I heard...about what happened..."

"Oh." Demyx nodded. "You don't know the half of it..."

"What do you mean?" Avalon asked.

"Well, did anyone tell you that Axel saved Kit's life..." Demyx asked.

"Axel saved Kit?" Avalon blinked.

Demyx bit his lip, then asked. "Loni, you know more about Nobodies then any one else here, other then Xemnas...Can I ask a question?"

"You just did," She smiled. "But go on."

Demyx laughed softly, then grew serious. "Loni...can Nobodies love?"

Avalon blinked. "What an unusual question...Why do you ask?"

Demyx grimaced, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." He muttered looking away.

"No, it might help me to answer the question more. Why do you ask?" Avalon encouraged.

"It's Axel...I wanted to know...cause...I think he might be in love with Kit..." Demyx practically whispered after looking around for prying ears.

"Oh..." Avalon breathed and looked thoughtful. "Well...we...that is, you, me, Kit and even Roxas, where ever he is...are younger members of the Organization. And...we can feel...just like others...but love? I'm not sure...I think you need a heart to do that..." Avalon said softly. She was silent a moment, then added. "But I think you may be right...about Axel...Why else would he save Kit from the Superior's wrath..."

"I know...it's the only thing that makes sense..." Demyx muttered.

"Well, it's logical, yes...He hasn't been Number Eight for more then..." Avalon paused. "Six years...And Vexen has notes of some of the others...their first years were emotion ridden. Some times, when a person doesn't give totally into darkness..." She trailed off, staring at the water figure of Roxas, who was peering back up at her.

"Thats why I cam to find you, Demyx!" She said suddenly as if just remembering. "I have to show you something! Come on!" She got up off the ledge and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the door.

"What?" Demyx asked confused.

"I'll explain it when we get there." She led him down the halls, down stair cases, through twisting passages, until they arrived at a work room and she unlocked the door, leading him in, then stuck her head into the hall, looking around, before closing the door.

She hurried over to a table, with a stack of papers. "This is about Kit! Look!" She handed the papers to Demyx, who wearily took them and began reading.

After a couple minutes, he stopped, looking up at Avalon with wide eyes. "No way...it couldn't be!" He breathed.

"It is...It chills me to actually think of what Vexen and Xemnas were doing with her..." Avalon replied softly, gravely.

"Do you think any one else knows about this?" Demyx asked, gesturing to the papers.

"I don't think so...I think we're the only ones...besides Xemnas...and Vexen, but he's dead..." Avalon replied biting her lip, she picked up the papers after Demyx placed them on the desk.

"Kit...an experiment...but she's so...real..." Demyx whistled and stared at the ceiling. "Should we tell Axel...?" He asked her.

Avalon was biting her lip more. "Demyx...Kit is real...possibly more so then the rest of us...Vexen only wrote flawed...because I think she feels more then us... Oh! No! I quiet fancy not being a piece of toast the rest of my LONG and miserable life!" She replied to his question.

Demyx smiled slightly. "Yeah...you're right...he'd fry us for good..."

Avalon actually sniffled and Demyx looked shock to see tears in her eyes. "Poor Axel...he's lost his best friend...and now Kit...And Poor Kit...who knows what will happen to her..."

Demyx sighed and reached over, taking Avalon's hand. "They're strong...who knows...things may work out for the better in the end..." He gave her an encouraging smile. Avalon returned it, still holding Demyx's hand, as they stood there, staring down at the papers.

"But useful." Kitana said softly, from beside him.

Axel snorted and looked over at her. "Why are we here again?"

"To destory heartless." Kitana replied, giving him a look.

"Yeah, so why are YOU here?"

She rolled her dark green eyes, pulling the pony tail of her long hair tighter. "Because Roxas is gone...because the Superior ordered it, and because YOU always screw up some how."

"Hey! I resent that!" Axel replied incredulously.

"Of course you do." Kitana replied with a grin, before leaping onto the balcony. "You ready for this?"

"Always." He whispered dangerously, grinning wickedly.

Kitana smiled a bit more, brandished her weapon and lept from the balcony. Axel wasn't about to let her show off. Though he had to admit, she was worth watching, the way her hair swung, the way the lights bounced off her emerald eyes, her ivory skin. Axel blinked for a moment, shocked at his own thoughts. With a growl, he lept from the balcony, following Kitana, brandishing his chakrums as he went.

Kitana landed softly, amidst the Heartless, who at once noticed her arrival. She ran the edge of the Phoenix Song around her in a circle, sparks kicking up, a glowing outline on the ground. She heard a soft thud behind her and felt the heat of flames. And spared a look over her shoulder to see the wickedly handsome master of flames.

It wasn't as if Kitana DIDN'T find Axel handsome, he was something to look at it. It was just that she knew they'd never even be friends. They saw each other to much as rivals. Or did they? Lately she'd caught Axel looking at her differently. At first, she was amused by it, but then she began to wonder. Wonder if maybe...just maybe, something COULD happen between them...

"Keep up, sweets, I don't wanna have to save your ass." Axel hissed, before flinging a chukram at a mass of Heartless.

Kitana snorted. "You wont have to, darlin'." She retorted, swinging her keyblade around and slicing through another mass.

"Good." Axel flashed her a psychotic grin before launching himself into an attack.

Kitana had to admit, she'd just been harassing him, when she'd said he screwed up everything. No one could fight quiet as good with fire, more then Axel. She took a moment to watch him.

But this distraction proved her down fall. A legion of heartless, the bigger shadows appeared, surrounding her. She struck at them, trying to force them back, but her knee buckled and she went down. "NO!" She screamed as Heartless pounced from ever direction, covering her.

Axel spun after riding himself of Heartless to see Kitana go down. "KIT!" He yelled, before his chakrums began to glow with fire. He ran towards the attacking heartless, slicing them into nothing, but still more appeared, covering Kitana. "Arg!" He launched himself at the group covering Kitana, slicing left and right with the fire laced weapons, knocking them off of her.

Allowing one of his weapons to vanish, he grabbed Kitana's arm, pulling her to her feet. "I thought you said I wouldn't have to save you?" He growled but blinked.

Kitana looked shaken, and she clung to him, her fists wraping around his cloak. "I can't do this, Axel." She replied in a shaky voice, looking up at him with wide fearful eyes. "There's to many!"

He stared deep into her eyes, and it was at that moment, something changed in Axel. He began to question the Organization's actions. He looked around at the Heartless, as they closed in. "Hold on, we're gettin' out of here." He whispered, before releashing his chakrum. At the same time, he opened a shadow portal, just as the remaining Heartless lunged at them from all direction. Kitana buried her face in Axel's chest.

The moment the chakrum returned to his hand, Axel vanished it and wrapped both arms around Kitana, pulling her through the portal as the Heartless landed in the very spot they had been standing a moment before.

The portal dissolved and Axel and Kitana appeared in a chamber of Castle Oblivion. She was still clinging to Axel. He was still holding her tightly. He looked up and around, seeing the chamber, then looked down at Kitana and a grin began to spread on his lips. "Hey...it's over." He said softly.

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, then looked about the chamber. "You...you saved me..." She whispered, her eyes still wide, but no longer fearful.

"Er...well...what else was I supposed t' do?" He asked lamely, frowning.

She began to smile. "You're not as heartless as you claim to be."

Axel frowned more and let go of her, half as much from her statement as much as from the sound of footsteps running their way. "Of course I am." He replied hotly. "I'm a Nobody, I have NO heart..."

Kitana bit her lip. "I didn't mean it like that..." She too heard the footsteps and the door opening.

"What happened?!" Xigbar demanded.

Axel looked away from Kitana, toward the others. "We got outnumbered." He replied simply with a shrug. "There were simply way to many Heartless for us to handle."

"Us?" Xaldin sneered, his eyes going to Kitana who stood silently, staring at the floor.

"Yeah, US." Axel snapped back, giving the man a look.

"You've never had a problem before." Demyx said, gesturing to Axel.

"You weren't there. You wouldn't know." Axel replied sardonically.

"Of course..." Xaldin agreed, but his eyes were still on Kitana.

Axel looked back at her himself, and for a moment, he almost thought he saw tears in her eyes.

He found her later on, on a balcony. She'd discarded her cloak, which lay on the rail next to her and was wearing a calf length black dress, that set off the shoulders. She was staring up at the heart shaped moon, that seemed to become more pronounced every time Axel saw it.

He went over to the rail and leaned on it, next to her. They stood together in silence, both looking up at the moon.

"Is it worth it?" Kitana asked finally.

"What?" Axel asked softly.

"Kingdom Hearts...is it worth it?" She looked over at him. He met her eyes, before turning to face her, leaning his hip against the rail.

"Xemnas says it is...says it's the only way to get what we want..." He answered.

"But what DO we want?" Kitana asked softly, looking back at the moon for a moment. "What do you want, Axel?"

"The same thing as everyone else in this organization." Axel answered, watching her.

"A Heart? Do you remember your past, Axel...before you were a nobody?" She whispered, lowering her eyes to the railing.

"Some." Axel answered, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

"I think...I'm forgetting Axel..." She breathed, and he watched as sure enough, tears fell on her pale hands.

"You haven't been here long enough t' forget..." Axel said frowning.

"But I am...I've forgotten what it's like to really feel...happy...all I feel any more is...sad and confused...and lonely..." She trailed off.

"How can you feel lonely? We're always around...there's Demyx and...and the others...and...me..." Axel said falling soft himself as he looked at his own hands. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?" Kitana asked, looking at him.

"For...for what I said earlier." Axel said, grasping at anything he could.

She laughed softly, once and looked at the moon. "You didn't say anything that wasn't true...we are nobodies...we can't feel anything!" She began crying more. "I don't want to be this way! I don't want to stop feeling, Axel! I can't take it!"

Axel took a few steps closer to her and hesitated, his hand lifted in the action to place it on her shoulder. He looked down at her, biting his lip, and threw caution to the wind. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Kit felt the warmth of his fire control, through his skin. He always felt warm, no matter how cold it was in this world.

"Things...things will get better." He said softly, taking that last step that closed any distance between them. "You'll see..."

She turned her eyes up to him, searching his. "I want to believe you Axel..." She whispered softly.

He found himself wrapping his other arm around her. "Then do..." He replied softly, holding her.

She buried her face, in the crook of his neck, feeling for once, in a long time, secure. She clung to him, reveling in his warmth. Axel held her tightly, but gently, burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. He felt...at peace this way. He felt...happy, like she should be a part of him, and he, her. This felt right. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. Not since before Roxas vanished. He raised a hand, stroking her hair.

"What do we have here?" Came a wickedly amused voice.