That was a great chapter. You actually made Luxord look like an alright fighter. I didnt know that was possible.
Well, you have to remember, he had abstained from tea. Luxord can do some crazy things when he abstains from tea.
Alright, I hope you all got to read and enjoy that, I'll post part 2 now. remember that this is STILL the same chapter! There's a third part coming up, as well.
Hope you enjoy it!
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As Demyx was leaving, Axel entered Saïx’s door and muttered to himself:
“Toodle-oo?”
Once inside, Axel walked carefully so as not to surprise Saïx. Upon leaving the small pathway, into the enormous room, he spotted the Luna Diviner, in front of his window, staring outside his enormous window, at what was know a full-fledged heart-shaped moon.
Axel continued his cautious walk, and managed to get into the middle of the room, without alerting him. Before speaking, he gazed at Saïx’s stance. The eeriness of his immobile posture was dwarfed only by the creepiness of his silence. Axel lifted his finger and opened his mouth, wanting to talk, but he couldn’t. Nothing came out. He lifted his finger again and opened his mouth once more...but nothing came out.
He started scratching his head, wondering if he should actually turn back. To motivate himself, he thought of all the questions he wanted answered, all the mysteries he wanted solved. Saïx must’ve known more about what was going on than any Organisation member in the Organisation. What mattered especially, was finding out where Roxas was.
He lifted his finger once again, his posture more pronounced, and his expression being more confident, and opened his mouth to speak:
“Do you feel it, Axel?” Saïx asked him.
Axel was thrown of guard. Although, he still stayed in the same position, with his mouth agape and his finger pointed upwards, only his eyes changed...they widened. He stared at Saïx’s back, wondering to himself if he actually did say something just then. Eventually, Axel gathered back enough confidence to reply:
“Feel what?”
“The moon’s power.” Saïx replied, as he turned around completely to face Axel.
The redhead was now intimidated. Saïx’s eyes were filled with an eeriness that made his spine shiver. His expression was monotonous, and so was his speech. Axel ended up staring at the scar on his forehead, for he was too afraid to gaze directly in his canine eyes. “Don’t you feel its essence? Kingdom Hearts is nearly complete.” Saïx’s tone sounded slightly more jovial as he pronounced these words.
“That’s uh...great...” Axel replied, in a somewhat indifferent tone.
“I suppose it is nearly impossible for someone like you to feel the same. Someone who doesn’t feed on the moon’s force.”
“No...I-I understand what you feel, Saïx...you know, its like when I get around fireworks, or anything that involves fire, for that matter. To each his own, I guess.”
“Indeed...”
An awkward silence filled the room as Saïx stared upward into space. He refrained from moving even the smallest of mucles. Axel took a few steps back, due to feeling extremely uncomfortable.
“I assume that Vexen sent you here.” Saïx said, breaking the silence.
“Well yeah...” Axel answered awkwardly. “I mean, he...” For a moment, Axel forgot what he was supposed to ask Saïx. He stuttered and shifted his eyes nervously, trying to find the right words. “He....um......you know....he wanted to....”
“Inform himself as to where are the Replicas?” Saïx interrupted.
“Yeah! And he said that you knew about where Roxas was, so you can tell me that in exchange for telling me....about uh....the replicas...H-He-He just wants to know where to claim the data and whatnot.”
“Doesn’t he have enough?”
“No..." Axel answered, before realizing what Saïx meant and continued “...oh, you mean Riku? No, I think he needs more, on someone else, I guess. I’m not entirely sure, he just sent me to ask you.”
“Axel,” Saïx said, as finally moved his legs and started to walk towards him. “Do you realize that by coming here, you are neglecting the very orders Xemnas gave you?”
Axel didn’t expect the sudden change of subject, with a confused tone, he exclaimed:
“Ah-wha?”
“Answer the question.”
“Well...I guess I did...” Axel finally answered reluctantly. “But I--”
“Are you also able to grasp” He said, as he continued to walk towards Axel. “that it is my duty, like any other member of the Thirteenth Order, to report this kind of behaviour?”
“That’s a burden we all bear, Saïx.....-y.”
“Then you acknowledge it?”
“I guess...”
“Good. Then you also recognize that treachery, is an offence, punishable by exile, or worse.”
Axel became worried.
“W-What are you getting at, Saïx? Are you somehow accusing me of--”
“It is none of my concern weather you have been neglecting your duties or not.” Saïx interrupted. I am, however, forced to take action if ever a member of the Order does not adhere to its laws.”
“Saïx, that’s enough. If you think that for even one second I would turn my back on this insane asylum, then you’re wrong. I still have some sense of honour left.”
“Good, then I’m sure you would be willing to surrender accordingly.” Saïx said, as he took his last step and stopped directly in front of Axel. "Should you resist, you would be dishonoring the Order's laws, would you not be?"
Axel was downright scared. Never in his non-existance as a Nobody did he ever not feel so scared in his entire life. Saïx’s livid eyes were now staring directly into his, and Axel was now too mesmerized to keep his gaze off of them.
“The hearts that we passed on to the darkness do not die Axel.” Saïx started. They simply migrate. Hearts are eternal, as is light, dark and the betwixt. We, however, are not.”
He opened up his black palm and materialized his claymore in a bright, blue flash. He then slowly brought it towards his other hand as he spoke.
“W-What are you doing?” Axel said, as he took a few steps back.
“Every Nobody has its moment in time, Axel. I’m afraid your time is up.
Saïx swiped him with the claymore, and Axel materialized a lone chakram and blocked. Saïx turned around and engaged in a series of hits as he protruded on Axel’s territory, forcing him to move backwards. Axel managed to block all of his attacks with his lone chakram as he took several steps back, and soon enough, the two’s weapons were locked together.
“Saïx...” Axel muttered to him, as he forced his chakram upon the Luna Diviner’s claymore. “What is wrong with you?”
Without saying a word, Saïx turned around himself and attempted to strike the redhead in the head. Axel simply lifted his chakram to his head and blocked effortlessly. He then used his other hand to thrust a fireball into Saïx’s gut, forcing him to fall back several feet, on his back.
“I don’t know if it’s because your deaf or if you’re hard of hearing,” Axel said, as several strands of smoke evaporated next to him. “but I’ll ask you again: what is up with your psychotic attitude?”
Saïx, having gotten back up on his feet as Axel was talking, responded by saying:
“It mustn't be so hard to understand Axel. I’m simply following orders.”
With that, he smashed his claymore onto the ground, generating large, blue shockwaves that were making their way towards Axel, who avoided them by performing a frontward helix-flip over them. As soon as he had landed, Saïx had already produced a second set of shockwaves. Axel barely avoided these as he hopped towards the side, and continued running towards Saïx, who generated a third wave of shock. The redhead had more time to avoid this one, so he leapt in the air, performed a flip, and positioned his foot in a kicking position as he fell down on Saïx. The Luna Diviner had assumed a blocking position, but Axel’s kick penetrated through, and Saïx hurtled a few more feet away, as Axel landed back on his feet.
“Face it Saïx.” Axel said to him, with a grin on his face. “You just can’t keep up with me. Now, instead of continuing, knowing very well that there isn’t any hope of defeating me, how about you tell me who really put you up to this, and why?”
As Saïx got back up, he gazed at Axel scornfully. Ignoring Axel’s question entirely, he slowly sprinted towards him, gradually running faster, as he hauled his claymore on the ground along with him.
Axel sighed as he uttered:
“Tenacious little guy, isn’t he?” Right after, he materialized his second chakram in a fiery blaze and threw it at him. The now infuriated Saïx hopped lightly and whacked the chakram with brute force, as he turned around himself, sending the flaming disc to the far end of the room. Falling back down, he continued running at a constant speed.
Upon reaching him, he lunged and smashed his claymore down vertically, Axel lifted up his chakram and blocked. Without hesitating, Saïx took off his claymore and hit him from another direction. Axel avoided it by jumping directly over him, and upon landing, back to back, he placed his chakram in back of him to block another hit from Saïx. However, being in an awkward position, he lost his balance slightly once Saïx pulled back his claymore from the chakram. Axel had no leveregae for his chakram, because of this, he was unable to block a hit on the ribs. As such, he was sent flying a few feet away from Saïx.
As he was lying on the floor, clutching his ribs, Axel muttered to himself:
“...that hurt.”
Axel then noticed something in his peripheral vision, a small glimmer of silver. He looked up in front of him, and spotted his chakram from before. He quickly turned back his head, and saw Saïx slowly approaching him.
So, He got back up on his feet and prepared to block. Before Saïx came into full proximity, however, he lifted his arm in the back of himself and his chakram naturally flew back into his hand as it caught fire. He then hurled that same chakram towards Saïx, who easily blocked it as it deviated high into the air, leaving fiery ashes in its path.
Axel was not hesitant, he lunged towards Saïx, and engaged in a series of attacks with his lone chakram. The Luna Diviner blocked all but the last couple of strikes, which he felt around his waist and chest. Axel was still not finished, he leapt into the air, grabbing the airborne chakram that was sent flying upwards minutes earlier, and continued jumping, over Saïx. As he was directly on top of him, he threw both fiery discs, and managed to score a hit, they then returned to Axel’s hands seconds before he fell back on the ground, on the other side of Saïx. As soon as he did, he threw a sole chakram towards Saïx, who whacked it back towards him. Axel caught it back effortlessly.
This time, it was Saïx who attacked without hesitation. As soon as Axel had caught his chakram, Saïx already made his way over to him and belted him in the face. Axel hit the window and writhed in pain as he held onto his face. Saïx struck him again, but Axel ducked this time, and the claymore belted the window instead with a loud "BOOM!". Axel, now sitting on the floor, gave a swift kicked on the hilt of the Luna Diviner’s claymore, forcing the diviner to let go of it.
Before it could fall down on the redhead, however, Axel positioned his feet on the bottom of the window, and gave himself a push. He was propelled onto Saïx, and he grabbed him around the waist, forcing his head into his gut. As soon as the two fell down,they rolled on the floor a few times, but soon managed to stabilize themselves. Saïx was lying on his back, and Axel was on top of him. The redhead materialized both his chakrams and started swiping at Saïx’s face. After a few hits, Saïx lifted his feet up, and performed a backwards somersault, pushing Axel away in the process, and causing him to hurl a few feet away.
Once Axel got back up, Saïx threw his claymore at him. He managed to dodge it by leaping high into the air. He then prepared to strike down Saïx with another airborne kick, but as he looked down, he did not see him. He quickly looked up, and to his dismay, he saw the Luna Diviner, with a newly materialized claymore in both hands, preparing to smack him downwards...
...And that he did, Axel was sent hurtling towards the ground, and fell flat on his face, as Saïx floated gently back down.
Axel was now worried. He was already getting tired and Saïx looked like he was ready to go for another 3 round. As he got back up on his arms, he muttered to himself:
“Tough little guy, isn’t he?”
Eventually, he got back up on his feet, and once more tried to reason with Saïx:
“Look,” He said. “Is any of this really all that necessary? I mean, can’t you just report me or something?”
Saïx attacked horizontally, Axel blocked as he twirled around himself, and blocked once more with his second chakram as Saïx had attacked him once more.
“Well, if you won’t listen to reason...” Axel muttered.
The redhead then engaged in a series of attacks through which he turned around on himself several times as he advanced. Saïx blocked them all by moving his claymore up and down, as he moved backwards. Several ashes flew all around them as their weapons clashed.
During this series of attacks, Axel had swiped Saïx horizontally, and Saïx arched his back backwards to avoid it. He then hit Axel’s chakram out of his hand and kicked him in the stomach. Axel moved away, and Saïx attacked again. This time, Axel turned around, his back facing Saïx, and lifted his chakram towards his back and blocked the attack. While the two stayed in the same position for a short while, Axel stretched his arm out and the chakram that flew out of his hand flew back to it.
Without hesitating, he quickly turned around and threw said chakram, which cut through Saïx’s stomach. He threw the second fiery wheel, which cut through the Luna Diviner’s face. He caught them both back and threw them one at a time, but Saïx blocked them both, and they were deviated towards the back of the room, leaving traces of fire and smoke as they did so.
It was now Saïx’s turn, he lunged at Axel and began his attack. He gave him a few horizontall swipes, which Axel managed to dodge by ducking and jumping. Unfortunately, Axel missed one and felt it in the face. A few more swipes, and Axel still dodged them as he moved backwards. Saïx then proceeded with a downward smash, and this time, Axel caught the claymore above his head, right between his hands!
The two stared in each other’s eyes as they struggled to push against each other’s own force. Axel appeared to be struggling the most, as several beads of sweat ran down his face. Saïx was pushing as well, but seeing that he had the upper hand gave him more confidence.
Knowing he had the element of surprise, he lifted his claymore back up, and quickly belted Axel in the ribs, who fell to the ground in pain. He prepared for another downward smash, lifting up his claymore over a weak Axel.
As soon as he laid it down, however Axel performed a backwards somersault and held himself up on his hands, he still felt the pain. The redhead then propelled himself off the floor, further back, and landed back on his feet a few feet away from Saïx, who was already running towards him.
Axel did not move a muscle, he stood up straight as Saïx continued running towards him. Once he got within close proximity, the Luna Diviner slowed down and attacked Axel with a horizontal swipe. Axel, having not moved an inch since before, arched his back to an almost 90-degree angle with ease, as Saïx’s claymore barely touched the tip of his nose.
Saïx then gave him a swift kick in the legs, as the redhead’s back was still arched, Axel jumped to avoid it, and he was now in mid-air. After performing a helix flip, he fell on the floor, on his back, and quickly kicked Saïx’s claymore out of his hand...again.
Then, as the claymore was flying through the air, Axel did another backwards somersault and got up on the floor on both hands, he then propelled himself backwards, and as soon as he landed back on his feet, he flipped the hilt of Saïx's claymore with his feet and caught it in his hands. He lunged at him.
BAAAM!!!
A very loud sound was produced as Axel’s stolen calymore clashed with Saïx’s newly produced claymore. A globe of blue aura emanated from the two weapons, as they locked firmly together.
“Not using your chakrams, are you Axel?” Saïx said to him, with a grin on his face. “Were they not the superior weapon, according to your tasteless opinion?”
“Well,” Axel responded. “Look who’s decided to speak up.”
The two immediately turned around themselves and struck each other once more, their weapons clashed again. The same "BAAAM!!!" sound as before produced itself, and the same blue aura emanated from the clubs.
“I guess I just wanted to see how you’d react being pummelled by your very own weapon.” Axel said, pressing hard against the twin claymore.
The two performed the same manoeuvre as they did twice before, except this time, Axel lost a little balance, so Saïx took that to his advantage. He gave Axel’s stolen claymore a good upwards whack, and it subsequently flew out of his hand, into the air. As Axel held his hand to recuperate from the shock, Saïx caught the airborne claymore and slammed both weapons into the ground.
Axel was sent flying upwards, but soon regained his balance in the air. Saïx jumped up and quickly joined him.
“Well,” Axel said to an airborne Saïx. “If you really insist than I guess I don’t have a choice.”
Axel stretched both his arms out, his palms wide open, as if they were about to receive something. Saïx was getting ready to pummel him back to the ground below with his dual claymores, but upon seeing Axel’s gesture, it was already too late.
The two chakrams from before had made their way back to Axel’s hands, cutting through Saïx in the process. Both then fell back on the floor, Axel on his feet, and Saïx on his stomach.
“Had enough?” Axel asked arrogantly. “I’d certainly think so, considering you just got two, sharp discs cut through your gut and fell flat on your face.”
Without saying a word, Saïx got up on his hands, and slowly lifted himself back up on his two black feet, and gazed upon Axel with his yellow eyes. He looked only slightly more fatigued than before.
“Oh, that’s right,” Axel immediately said to himself. “the laws of physics gravity don’t apply in this world.”
Saïx still didn’t say a word, he simply kept his gazing onto the redhead, which didn’t make him feel the least bit uncomfortable. Axel wa nows confident that he would eventually emerge victorious, he argued to himself that it was impossible for someone, even Saïx, to continue taking a beating for that long. Although, if Axel only would have known what Saïx was going to do next, would he have thought twice about being overconfident. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about. (wink, wink)
The Luna Diviner spread out his arms, and let go of his claymore, which did not fall on
the ground, but hovered in the air, next to him. Then, he began to slowly ascend into the
air. Axel held tightly onto his chakrams, now knowing what Saïx was doing, and
prepared himself.
Saïx eventually stopped ascending and stood still. As he was in front of the window, Axel noticed that he was directly in the middle of the colossal, heart-shaped moon that stood thousands of miles high into the sky. The moon began to shine brightly, and a thin, blue aura surrounded the Luna Diviner, his claymore still floating by his side. Axel took a few steps back as Saïx closed his eyes. Faintly, he muttered to himself:
“Moon.....shine down upon me. Give me power...”
Axel swallowed deeply as he gawked at the blue aura around the Luna Diviner becoming thicker and thicker, and the moon shining brighter and brighter. Soon, the full shadow of the moon shone directly on the floor of Saïx’s room, and then it happened.
In one swift move, he spread out his arms, and the blue aura around him exploded, and produced a very large wind, which pushed Axel back even more as he covered his face with his arms. Saïx grabbed his claymore by its handle, and gently floated back down to the ground, where Axel was anxiously waiting for him. Then, he finally opened his eyes. His pupils were white.
Axel was scared. Not as scared as he was before, but still scared. So, he stood up straight, held onto his chakrams tightly, and gathered up all the courage he had left, and vigorously set them on fire. Throughout the entire frightening ordeal, Axel was able to utter a sentence to himself:
“Well, no sense talking to you now.”
Saïx, for a few seconds, stayed immobilized, and after Axel had almost let his guard down due to lack of patience, he struck his claymore down into the cround, creating a large shockwave, and this isn’t anything like the shockwaves from before, this wave was produced in the shape of a large, half-circle with a radius of over 10 feet.
“Be gone!” He bellowed.
Axel simply hopped over it. Saïx then produced two more consecutive shockwaves, repeating ‘Begone’ twice more, and Axel managed to dodge them by hopping over one, then barely skimming over the other. Finally, Saïx leapt into the air, backwards, and threw his claymore directly towards the redhead. Axel jumped backwards to avoid it, but the shock was so strong that it even caught him in the air and knocked him against the wall. As he fell down, he clutched his shoulder blade in pain.
However, he knew that there was no time to lose. Quickly, he materialized both his chakrams, lit them on fire, and thrust one of his forearms forwards, ignoring the sharp pain emanating from his shoulder. A small fireball spewed forth from the burning disc.
Saïx smacked it away effortlessly as he sprinted towards Axel. Once he was close enough, he lifted his enormous claymore and struck horizontally. Axel jumped in place to avoid it, and once the blue, silvery weapon struck the wall with brute force, he fell back directlyon it. He then quickly propelled himself off of it, over Saïx, and landed in back of him.
He threw a chakram at him, but Saïx, with his back still facing Axel, materialized a second claymore in his hand, placing it on his back, and deflected it. During this time, Axel had already began running towards him, and caught the deflected chakram seconds after it was deflected.
He then clouted Saïx once more with a burning chakram, who turned around to face him and blocked with his first claymore. He then struck again with his other arm, but Saïx blocked with his second claymore.
Unfortunately, these were the only two hits Axel was able to get in, Saïx had then engaged in a series of attacks to which Axel was barely able to block. As the Luna Diviner advanced towards him, the Flurry of Dancing Flames moved away from him as much as he could.
However, before Axel could completely lose his balance, he had a bright idea come to him. As Saïx lunged downwards with his claymore, Axel performed a flip towards the side, without having his hands even touch the floor. As Saïx swiped at him in mid-flip with a claymore, Axel simply lifted his chakram to block it, as he was getting back up from his flip.
Then, without Saïx even noticing, he separated his chakrams from his hands. He was still holding them, but they weren’t touching his hands at all, they were only parallel to his palms, as if a mysterious force were holding them up in the air. He started to make them spin, faster and faster, until they reached a vigorous speed. As Saïx attempted to strike again, Axel lifted up one of his arms to block, and the velocity of the spinning disc forced Saïx to move back after his attack due to a considerable amount of recoil, as ashes flew into his face. Unfortunately, this was nothing for Saïx, as he was pumped up from the moon’s power, so as soon as he had taken a step back, he took a step forward and hit Axel with his other claymore. The redhead simply retreated his first arm, and lifted up his other arm, and the exact same thing happened.
Axel know took this opportunity to his advantaged, and shot a quick fireball from his spinning disc at Saïx’s hand, forcing him to let go of a claymore. He then gave him a good, hard kick in the face, and the Luna Diviner didn’t even flinch. His head had simply been moved backwards, and he slowly brought it back down, and smiled at Axel...
No amount of words could describe Axel's non-feelings at that precise moment. A good, hard kick in the face was barely enough to make Saïx flinch. Axel’s only feelings at that very moment, though he couldn’t really feel anything, were fear and desperation.
After a brief pause, Saïx attacked once more. He turned his claymore around, making the front part face the ground, thrust it down, causing blue shockwaves to emanate as it had done so before. However, these shockwaves were executed through a gigantic circle that expanded from Saïx's feet, all the way towards the end of the room.
Axel leapt back into the air, and positioned both his arms in front of himself, with his chakrams still floating in front of them. And with all the MP he had left, he shot his fireballs. They were shot one after the other, from each chakram, and were blazingly red. Each one left huge trails of smoke and ashes in its trajectory as they made their way towards Saïx.
The first one hit him, Axel could not see if he had blocked or not, for the explosion produced a far too big smoke cloud to perceive anything. Soon after, all the other miniature comets shot through the air eventually made their way towards Saïx and each produced their own explosion, making the smokescreen even bigger. After more than 30 seconds of shooting, Axel stopped, exhausted.
As he slowly floated back down to the ground, the smoke was subsiding, and Axel saw exactly what he expected to see.
Saïx was still standing, both his claymores were crossed, in a blocking position, and thousands upon thousands of ashes were floating all around him. With one, swift move, he swiped the air with both his chakrams simultaneously. The smoke and the ashes parted to the very ends of the room, and Axel covered his face as the strong gusts of wind blew those very ashes into his face.
Upon the plentiful ashes dancing through the stiff, night air of that stuffy room, Axel noticed a certain one. Gliding freely through the air, almost floating, it was quite exquisite. Axel found it to be the most beautiful ash he had ever laid his green eyes upon.
Slowly, he reached out his hand, and with the utmost gentleness, he grabbed it between his index finger and his thumb, brought it up to his face, and gazed at it. Oh, how he gazed at it. Time seemed to have slowed down for him, heck, time could have stopped completely for all he cared. The other ashes around him seemed to float extremely slowly, but Axel only cared for the one he was holding at this very moment. He gazed upon the blackness of it, the thinness of it, he gazed at its fragility. For a moment, Axel even felt that the ash was actually speaking to him somehow.
The Flurry of Dancing Flames had a sort of epiphany just then.....he knew that he would lose this battle, he knew that after this battle, if he indeed survived, he could never come back here. He could never be a part of this organization, he could never interact with the other members in the same way. No one could be trusted, and no one could possibly trust him.
He was on his own.
In fact, he had almost forgotten why and how he had gotten himself to where he was now in the first place.
Axel placed the cinder directly in front of his face, and gently, he let it go. He simply let it go, and watched it dance away. He watched it float in all the different directions, and felt as though all of his hopes were drifting away in that one little cinder.
A blue blur was barely visible in the background. Axel did not notice that it was approaching him, and frankly, he did not care to notice.
The blue haze approached and caught the cinder, and it disintegrated it into a million pieces, and Axel was able to perceive each individual piece that was produced from the collision disappear into oblivion. The blue haze caught up to Axel, and hit him. Abruptly. The redhead hurled away several feet onto the ground, and did not get back up.
Saïx had both his claymores stuck together. He slowly descended them, de-materialized one of them, and slowly walked towards Axel’s limp body.
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During this entire series of events, Larxene and Marluxia were sabotaging Vexen’s creation. Towards the end of Axel’s battle with Saïx, they were just about finished.
“I’m just about finished...” Marluxia said, as he scribbled down some black colouring.
“Are you sure this is actually going to do anything?” Larxene asked him, looking very bored as she balanced herself on her chair. “I mean, does it count if the sketches are drawn badly?”
“That’s exactly the point.” Replied Marluxia. “The drawings have to be done badly, or else it wouldn’t be sabotage. And if this is actually how you think I draw than you have a lot to learn about me, my lady friend.”
“Wouldn’t sabotaging be more like replacing the drawings Namine put with drawings that’ll screw up his memories, instead of those disgusting scribbles.”
“Larxene, when you grow up, you’ll learn what it’s like to have dominant leadership skills. Until then, I strongly suggest you keep your mouth shut and listen to what I have to say.”
Larxene rolled her eyes.
“I saw that.” Marluxia said, to which Larxene responded by rolling her eyes yet again.
The two stood silent for a short while, as Marluxia continued scribbling and Larxene continued balancing herself on her chair. Eventually though, after doing some pondering, Larxene got sick of waiting and told Marluxia:
“Give me the sketchbook, it’s my turn to draw.” She said, as she stretched out her arm.
“No!” Marluxia responded, covering the sketchbook with his arms. “You had your turn, now it’s mine.”
“You’ve been colouring for an hour, Marluxia, just give me the sketchbook.”
“How could you possibly know that, I broke the clock, remember?”
“Look, it doesn’t matter, just give it to me.”
“Get your own.”
“Marluxia...”
“I’m serious, get your own. Namine must have plenty that she doesn’t use anymore.”
“Will you just give it to me! I’m as much a part of this plan as you are!”
“You wish.” He said, after scoffing. “Savage Nymph, my butt. You couldn’t even fend off against Axel, AND you had me on your side. ME! The Master Gardener.”
"It's not the Master Gardener, it's the Graceful Assasin, you idiot"
"Same thing."
Larxene sighed upon hearing this drivel. Not a sigh of desperation, but a sigh of frustration.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, and ask you to--no, scratch that, give me the sketchbook now!”
“You’re not the boss of me, Larxene, I’m the boss of you. Do I have to show you the diagram again?”
“Marluxia, this isn’t funny.”
“Who said it was? I’m being completely serious about this.”
“No, you’re being a complete baby about this.”
“Oh am I? Am I really?”
“Yes, you are.” Larxene said, matter-of-factly.
“Well you smell bad, so there.” Marluxia said, before sticking out his tongue and continuing to scribble.
“I can’t believe you! First, you steal the orange crayon from me, and now this! Will you just give it here!”
“For the ninth time, no!”
“Why not?”
“I told you, because you smell bad!”
“I can’t believe what a selfish, idiotic, egotistical baby you’re being! Marluxia, if you don’t give me the sketchbook now, I’m telling Xemnas.”
“Go ahead, tell him. See how much I care. ”
“I’m serious Marluxia.”
“I’d definitely like to see you go all the way back to the castle to squeal on Xemnas, and then come all the way back here with him, if you even have the guts to. Oh wait a second, you can‘t! Xemnas will find out about our plan!” He said, before breaking down in laughter.
“Marluxia!” Larxene said, angrily.
Marluxia didn’t respond and kept drawing. It was then that Larxene an idea. She pointed at Marluxia’s hand, the one he was drawing with, and after a brief pause of concentration, he felt a small shock on his hand, and the crayon flew out of his hand and onto the floor.
“Ow!” Marluxia exclaimed, holding his hand. “You shocked me!
“Isn‘t that dandy?” Said Larxene, sarcastically. “Now, are you ready to hand over the sketchbook?”
“Just for that,” Marluxia said to her, still holding his hand. “You’re not my best friend anymore.”
“Give me that sketchbook!” Larxene said, as she stretched out onto the table and grabbed it. Out of sheer reflex, Marluxia grabbed it as well, and the two pulled and struggled over the poor book. Soon enough though, they heard a sharp tearing sound. Larxene quickly let go of the book and found a piece of ripped paper in her hand.
“That can’t be good.” Marluxia said, holding the book tightly.
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At the same time, Zexion, Lexaeus and Vexen,were in the basement of the Castle, planning their plans, and discussing discussions.
“It shouldn’t be taking him this long.” Zexion said.
“I fear you’re right,” Vexen started. “He should have already--”
Vexen was interrupted by a very loud noise coming from the laboratory right next to them. Wondering what it could be, he told the other two to wait and entered the laboratory, wanting to inspect it. Once inside, he saw Riku Replica on the floor, for he had just fallen down.
“I say, what’s going on.” Vexen asked him.
“I-I don’t know.” The replica responded, trying to get back up. “My right leg just fell asleep on me. I can’t even stand up on it.”
“Hmm...” The Chilly academic contemplated, as his black gloves stroke his pale chin.
He went up to the Replica and helped him walk over to the table by putting his arm around his shoulder. He then helped him sit down and asked him:
“How do you feel now?”
“It’s still numb.” The Replica replied.
Vexen bended his knees to get a good look at the Replica’s leg and examined it intently, but noticed nothing unusual. Soon enough, he got back up and told him to wait for him. He then went out the laboratory door and went to see Zexion and Lexaeus, who were still waiting for him.
“We have a problem.” He told them.
“What else is new.” Said Zexion.
“The Replica has lost the ability to use his right leg.”
“What?”
“I have an idea what could’ve caused it.”
“Sabotage?” Lexaeus suggested. “Namine may be tampering with the sketchbook.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Lexaeus. The sketchbook is the source of his memories, not his physical abilities.”
“Well, Namine did say that memories were the chains that bind the heart, did she not?”
“And what does that rubbish have to do with the Replica’s physical capabilities?”
“Well, the heart is what binds a person, is it not? If Namine were to do something drastic, like say, tear the sketchbook into shreds of paper, than the Replica’s heart would collapse upon itself, resulting in a complete loss of feelings in the central nervous system. The Replica wouldn’t be able to see, hear, smell or taste, let alone stand up on himself. In other words, he’d be dead. Considering this, wouldn’t you think that the Replica’s leg injury would be a result of--”
“Lexaeus, I’m going to stop you right there.” Vexen interrupted. “I’m sorry, but that has to be the worst scientific hypothesis I have ever heard. Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
“Yes.” Lexaeus replied. “I do.”
“The question was rhetorical, but if you really want me to humour you then all right:
according to your particular brand of pseudo-logic, the heart is what enables the person to live. If this is the case, then why, pray tell, do we nobodies exist then? Hmm? Answer that for me, will you?”
“But that’s it exactly it. We don’t exist. We’re not even--”
“I’m sorry Lexaeus,” Vexen interrupted, yet again. “I really can’t let this tomfoolery go on any longer. Your untested, unverifiable, completely irrelevant hypothesis may be all well and good in a fairytale land where anything goes, but here in the real world, things work quite differently, I can assure you that.”
“Can we please get back to business?” Zexion said, interrupting the two’s bickering.
“I’d love to.” Vexen answered. “Now, let me enrich the conversation by providing a hypothesis that isn’t completely groundless and asinine: “I believe that there may be something inherently wrong in the Replica‘s data. It could be an error in the system mainframe.”
“But if that’s the case,” Zexion said. “That could mean that--”
“All of the replicas have a bug in them.” Vexen finished. “We cloned them all from this one, after all.”
“Are they all completed?” Asked Lexaeus.
“No, but they’re almost finished.”
“We need to get out of here as fast as possible.” Zexion said. “We need to move to another location, and fix them.”
“I know that, don’t you think I know that! We just need Saïx to give Axel the word to give to us. But we don’t have much time...I’m sure Marluxia already knows by now.”
“Do you know anyone that could help us fix the Replicas?” Asked The Silent Hero to the Chilly Academic.
“Well, there is always Merlin. He and I go way back, I’m sure he’d be happy to help us out...the finest wizard of his time, he was. Far better than whoever it was that educated poor, naïve Lexaeus, that‘s a given.”
Zexion and Lexaeus looked at each other strangely, not sure what to make of Vexen’s trailing off. Soon enough though, Zexion managed to change the subject and get the conversation back on track.
“There’s still the matter of Diz being here.” He said.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about him,” Vexen said, waving his hand as if it were nothing. “As soon as we leave, he won’t be our problem anymore. He’ll be theirs.”
“What about the actual Riku?” Lexaeus asked. “He’s still alive in the castle, could he be a threat to us?”
“Leave him be for now, he may be of use to us later on.”
“So now, we just wait for Axel.” Zexion said, sitting down twiddling his thumbs.
“Yes...you two wait for him here. I’ll go check back up on the Replica in the laboratory. See if anything’s happened since before.
Saying that, Vexen got up, materialized a dark portal and entered it. Leaving Zexion and Lexaeus alone.
“I’m worried about Axel.” Lexaeus said, as he sat down.
“That’s a first.” Zexion replied.
“I mean I’m not worried
for him, I’m worried
about him.
“....And the difference is?”
“Axel may be betraying us as we speak, we have more than enough reason to think so. What if he’s told Xemnas?”
“Why would he do that? He’s in as much trouble as we are?”
“Oh, is he? Is he really?”
“Yes, he is.” The Cloaked Schemer responded matter-of-factly
“Think about it, what has Axel done wrong except leave the castle a few times?”
“He got into fights with a few of us.”
“Everyone here does that. We’ve committed the real crimes, we’re planning to overthrow Xemnas! Axel’s absence is nothing compared to that.”
“Hmm...I’m beginning to see your point...but what can we possibly do about it at this point? We’re too deep in this conspiracy to turn back anyway.”
“Why did Vexen send him there?” Lexaeus said, slamming his fist on the table. “He could’ve sent any one of us! Why did it have to be Axel!"
“Calm down Lexaeus,” Zexion said to the big galoot. “What’s done is done, we’ll just have to wait things out for now.”
Lexaeus got up from his chair.
“This is taking too long, I fear something may have gone wrong.”
“You can’t possibly think of going back to the castle, Lexaeus.”
“If it is what I must do, then so be it.”
“Be reasonable Lexaeus. Axel’s already risking this entire scheme by going there, if you go and join him there’ll be more of a chance that you’ll get caught. Would you just calm down and wait this out? I‘m sure Axel will pull though.....(Pause).....wait a minute, what am I saying?”
“Look, I am aware that Axel’s intentions may be good, after all, we have Roxas on our side, but it’s not just that that’s been bothering me. If I know Xemnas, he must already be aware of Axel’s presence in the castle, and the only reason he hasn’t interfered is that he has a greater plan in mind. I fear that Axel may be in his grasp, and if that is the case, than it would be best to go there and back again and salvage what little time we have left.”
After saying this, he materialized a dark portal, and before entering it, he listened to Zexion’s farewell:
“Just be sure to be in and out of there fast without any interruptions.”
“I’m not called the Silent Hero for nothing...” Lexaeus responded, as he entered the dark gateway.
As the gateway vanished into the air, Zexion was left alone in the room, to contemplate on the situation further.
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So there, I hope you enjoyed the Saix battle, that was the part that took me the longest time to write, and if you didn't like it, then I have good news for you, there won't be another fight scene!
So yeas, tell me what you think of it, plz. I could use any criticism you have since I really don't know what to make of this. XP