Chapter 2
So, wow, here's chapter 2.
Gonna see if I can get all of it up tonight! Woo!
Chapter 2
At those words, ten corridors opened, and ten Nobodies rushed to find a warm bed to sleep in. The only ones left in the foyer were Xemnas and Xigbar.
Xigbar turned towards Xemnas questioningly. "Hey, mister Master. What's all this about? All of a sudden, you're being…nice. It's kinda creeping me out, y'know?"
The Superior didn't answer, but merely opened a corridor, and motioned for Xigbar to follow. Both men entered, and came out atop the skyscraper, standing under the flickering screens.
"What's all this about, Xehanort?"
Still, there came no reply from the other man. He simply took several steps forward, and turned to look up at the memory screens.
Annoyed, Xigbar stalked over to stand beside him. "What are you being so silent for, old man? This ain't like you. What's goin' o-"
He trailed off in shock as he looked up at the screens as well. Flashing upon them were scenes of a battle he remembered all too well. A battle with an angry, teenaged Keybearer that ended with the loss of an eye. Of course, the old man would remember this, Xigbar thought, starting to panic. He was there! But…
The memories continued past that, to a meeting with the two other Keyblade kids, the chick and the boy with that unforgettable glare. These were not the memories of Master Xehanort. These were-
"Terra!"
Xigbar summoned an Arrowgun, pointing it at the other man's face in fury. But before he could fire, an ethereal blade had knocked the weapon out of his hand, and another was resting on his collarbones.
Xemnas smirked at him in amusement. "Really, Xigbar? I know you threatened to kill me if I ever regained control, but I'd have thought you knew better at this point. And honestly, that was a pathetic attempt. Try not to be so obvious next time, hmm?"
Xigbar growled in anger and batted the blade away. "Son of a bitch. Why the hell is it you? Where'd Xehanort go?"
Xemnas -Terra- laughed in amusement. "Hell if I know, Xigbar. He was gone from me when I woke up here. Not that I have my heart or anything- that would be too lucky. All I know is I'm here, and I'm in control."
Xigbar took a step forward and leaned into the former Keybearer's face. "You're saying he just…left you? And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"Believe what you want. My best guess is that he had enough power to get a new body, or make one. So he dumped me like an old suit. Not that I mind, though."
Xigbar stepped backwards and gestured in frustration. "Well, now what the hell are you going to do?"
Xemnas shrugged. "For now, keep the rest of them alive. They deserve to have their hearts back, and I'm not wasting the second chance we've got, no matter how we got it. And…" He looked back up at the screens, at the two faces upon them. "And I have to find Aqua and Ven."
Xigbar shrugged. "Sure, you do that."
"And just so you know, Terra…I'm finding Xehanort. And we'll finish this, you and me."
Xemnas opened a portal. "Fine with me. Get him, if you want. But I'll never let the two of you win."
The next morning, the Nobodies gathered in the main ballroom, waiting for their superior. They milled about awkwardly in little groups, all but Axel, who stood alone in a corner, and Saïx, who was also absent.
Finally, Xemnas and Saïx appeared in the room, and the others came to attention.
"Good morn, fellow Nobodies." Xemnas said, glancing from face to face. "After much deliberation, Number Seven and I have come to a conclusion about a temporary course of action."
He motioned to Saïx, who stepped forward, then continued. "Seeing as none of us are Keybearers, the best we can do at the moment is to cull the Heartless population in the worlds as much as possible, for two reasons. The first is that we do not want the Keyblade bearer or his friends be alerted to our return, and if the Heartless population is properly maintained, he will have no reason to leave his world, and therefore remain unaware. The second, and more important, is that if we continue destroying Heartless, we may eventually discover one of our hearts." He paused. "Bear in mind this is only a temporary solution, until a better plan is formed."
The other Nobodies shrugged.
"Fine with me." Xaldin said, shrugging. "It seems rational enough for the time being."
Xemnas nodded to Saïx, and left the room. The other man coughed once, and then spoke. "I will be sending you all out in groups, in order to avoid encounters with anything beyond our current levels of strength, and to assist in avoiding the locals of worlds." Everyone nodded their assent, and Saïx continued, reverting to his usual businesslike demeanor.
"Your assignments start tomorrow. Xaldin and Luxord will go to Port Royal. Zexion, Vexen, and Lexaeus will go to Wonderland. Marluxia, Larxene, and I will go to Agrabah. Xigbar and Demyx will go to the Olympus Coliseum. That is all. You are dismissed."
The others left, leaving Axel standing a little forlornly in his corner. Once the room was empty save for himself and Saïx, he approached the other man.
"Saïx? What about me? Don't I get anything to do?"
Saïx barely glanced in his direction. "There's nothing for you, Axel. You are dismissed."
"Saïx, what are you talking about? What do you mean by 'there's nothing for you'? How's that even possible? Shouldn't everyone go out now, especially since we're back, and we have to try harder?"
"Like Lord Xemnas said, it is now mandatory that any off-world excursions are carried out with a partner to avoid encounters with anything too dangerous, or alerting natives of our return."
"I knew that! What's that got to do with anything?"
Saïx turned away from him, looking out the skyscraper's window at the now-moonless sky.
"I'll only say this once, Axel. No one wants to work with you."
"Wh- what? What are you-?
"It means exactly what it sounds like, Axel. Don't be so thick. No one wants anything to do with you. You should know why."
"No, no I don't know why!"
He stepped forward, reaching for Saïx's shoulder.
"What the hell are you trying to say, Saïx?"
Without turning, Saïx casually brushed Axel's grasping fingers away from his arm. When he spoke next, it was as if he had punched Axel in the stomach.
"Listen closely, Axel. No one trusts you not to stab them in the back as soon as it's turned. You're a backstabbing, lying traitor to the Organization. The only reason you're still alive is that Number Two thinks you're amusing. If it were up to me, you'd never have been allowed to set foot in our vicinity again after our return."
"Wh-"
"The past is past, Axel. It's all worthless memories and useless sentiments. It no longer matters who we were. I thought you had accepted that already and moved on. After all, you died a pathetic death, fading away after rescuing the Other of the boy who you chased away with your lies, the boy you forsook an existing friendship for."
"But our…"
"Our what, Axel? What do we have now? Nothing. Now get out of my sight."