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Solace In Nihility v2	By : WolfGoddess77 Category: Kingdom Hearts > General Views: 1458 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any related characters, nor do I own you. No money is made from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Part One
- 2-Part Two
- 1
- 2
Author's Notes: Okay, wow. When I started rewriting this, I had no idea that it was going to get away from me this much. I've never had a story do that before. It got to the point where I figured it would be better to split it into two parts for convenience of reading. There are still a lot of elements of the original in it, but I changed a good bit of it. I hope it turned out all right!

You were falling slowly, your hair fluttering around you. Where were you…? Above your head – or rather, below; you were falling headfirst – you saw a giant white disk, glowing brilliantly enough to hurt your eyes. It continued to grow larger as you came closer, until finally, you flipped over, landing softly in the center of it.

As you touched down, the glow suddenly faded, revealing what looked like a stained-glass window covering the entire surface. It was difficult to make out the picture, since you were so close to it. Taking a few steps back, your eyes widened. It was…you. You were reclined against the border of the “window”, your eyes closed. In your hand, you held a long, dark whip, coiled up into neat circles. Some kind of black substance rose from it; it looked like pieces of it were flaking away. In the background, you could see a large castle made of grey stone, almost incandescent against a dark sky. The border you leaned against was filled with several large circles, each one depicting a different numeral. For some reason, looking at the entire image hurt, like something in your chest had just been torn into pieces. Unconsciously, you reached up, your fingers clutching the fabric of your shirt, as if this could stave off the pain.

Suddenly, the disk beneath you began to quake, and cracks opened up in various places over the surface. As you watched, the fissures widened, and what looked like writhing black and blue flames rose up out of them. The image continued to break apart, until you could barely make out what it had been.

The pieces began to glow with that same blindingly white light, and then they shattered, the small shards floating up past you, rather than falling down, as you might have expected. As you tried to turn around to get a better look, a beam of dark light shot out of the void surrounding you. It struck you in the back, between your shoulderblades. It pierced completely through you, sending a shockwave of agony rippling out through the point of impact, and you opened your mouth to scream, but no sound emerged. Everything was completely silent; had been from the beginning. You felt something inside you break apart, evaporating into nothing. As quickly as the pain came, it was gone, leaving you with a feeling of emptiness that you had never felt before. When you looked down, you saw that the lance of light had disappeared; there was no proof that it had ever been there in the first place. Had you imagined it? No, that hollowness was real; it still lingered within you.

You wrapped your arms tightly around yourself, giving what would have been a soft whimper, if you had been able to make noise. A sudden warmth at your back caught your attention, and you realized that someone was standing behind you; you could feel their presence there, but when you turned around, you saw nothing except the blackness that surrounded you. In spite of not being able to see anything, you could sense the presence beginning to fade away, until it fully disappeared, leaving you alone in this place.

One hand reached out, as if you could grab whoever it was that had been there with you, but as you did this, you began to fall again, surrounded by the still-glowing shards of what had been that strange, melancholy image. They glittered like stars, but even as you watched, they were slowly eaten up by blackness, the glow dimming, and finally fading altogether, swallowed up as if they had never been.

You curled in on yourself, closing your eyes, hoping this might help to fight off the unsettling sensations you now felt. Even if you didn’t fully understand what was happening, you knew that you were lost, had been the moment you entered this strange world. Lost, alone…fractured. The darkness engulfed you, and you knew no more.

When your eyes opened again, you found yourself lying in a dark street of an even darker city. You raised your head, looking around. This place was unfamiliar; you had no idea how you had gotten here. The last thing you remembered was being chased through the streets of your hometown, and then… Had you fallen? You thought you remembered some kind of light, and…pain? But from what? Something felt different, though you couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was. You were so disoriented that it was difficult to focus.

“Finally awake, huh?” The voice came from somewhere to your left, gentle and friendly. Turning your head, you saw a pair of black boots, and the hem of a long coat of the same color. Your gaze traveled up, and up… He – the figure was male, you saw – was tall, the coat clinging to his lithe form. He was leaned back against the wall of a building, his arms crossed as he looked down at you. His vivid red hair was swept back away from his face, the strands terminating in spikes, instead of lying flat against his back. Even in the gloom, his skin looked tan rather than creamy, though you couldn’t tell if it was from sunlight or if it was his natural tone. The slightly slanted eyes that watched you so intently were a bright, beautiful green, with the faintest hint of a blue overlay. Beneath each one was what looked like an inverted purple teardrop.

Slowly, you pulled yourself up onto your knees. “Where…am I?” you murmured.

“Well, this is a good sign. You’re able to speak normally enough. That doesn’t always happen, you know. You’re in The City That Never Was. Our world.” He straightened, moving over to you and kneeling down, propping one arm up on a bent knee. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

You thought for a moment, your eyes troubled. “I was…being chased by these black things. A group of them cornered me. They attacked, and then… What happened to me?” Those creatures had been sighted in your home before, usually singly or in pairs, and always from a distance. After watching them for some time, you had come to the conclusion that they didn’t have great intelligence; they seemed to operate mostly on instinct. The group you had been cornered by had been the largest number you had ever seen until that point. They had seemed harmless enough, until they had gotten close to you. Then they had suddenly become menacing and dangerous.

He offered one black-gloved hand to you, flashing you a smile. “Come with me. You don’t want to be left out here on your own, and I can take you to someone who’ll answer your questions for you.”

You looked up at him, then down at his hand. Drawing your legs beneath you, you tensed your body, preparing to run, should you have to. “I don’t even know you,” you said, leaning back slightly. “What is this place? What happened to me? Am I… Did I die when those things attacked me?”

Quickly, he held up both hands in a placating gesture. “Whoa now, take it easy. I’m not gonna hurt you, and you’ll have an answer for all of your questions in just a few minutes.” His eyes narrowed slightly; he could see that you were beginning to panic. You couldn’t open a Corridor, so there was no risk of you escaping the City, and you were probably still weak after your ordeal, meaning you wouldn’t get far, even if you did run. But he didn’t want to have to hunt you down. “My name is Axel. Look, you’re not dead, and it’s all right to be scared. But isn’t it better to be scared with someone, instead of by yourself?” Once again, he extended his hand. “Come on.”

You studied him closely for several long seconds. Inwardly, you had to admit that he had a point; the presence of someone else in this strange place was preferable to the alternative, even if he was a stranger. Slowly, you reached out, placing your hand in his larger one. His fingers enveloped yours, and through the fabric of his glove, you could feel his warmth; it was a nice sensation, here in this cold place. Axel stood up, easily pulling you along with him. He waved his free hand, and an oval wall of what looked like black flames sprang up in front of the two of you, making you take a startled step back. But he still had hold of you, so you couldn’t go anywhere. The semblance of fire twisted around itself, forming a kind of frame. Within it was a shimmering purple void. He turned to look at you, gesturing to it. “Go ahead, step through.”

You hesitated, not sure how far you were willing to trust him. His grip on your hand wasn’t tight, so you could probably pull away if you really wanted to. The two of you had only just met, but he had kept his word so far; you were still safe. Still, there was no telling what that thing might do to you if you got too close to it. While he had convinced you to believe him to a point, you weren’t sure you wanted to follow him into the unknown.

He gave a soft sigh, and before you could react, he had released your hand, placing it between your shoulderblades. He wasn’t rough, merely firm. “You’re really distrustful, you know that?” He stepped forward, pushing you along. “Now, in you go.” Before you could protest further, he had guided you through the portal, following closely behind you.

In an instant, you found yourself standing in the middle of a blindingly white room, on some kind of raised dais. After the darkness of the street, the brightness hurt your eyes, and you winced. All around you were tall seats, each one set at a different height. However, you didn’t have long to examine your surroundings; in front of you was another figure that commanded your attention.

Vaguely, you noticed that he was wearing an outfit almost identical to Axel’s, though his didn’t contour to his body as snugly as your companion’s did, and the sleeves were a bit looser. What drew your gaze were his own eyes; a blazing amber, they seemed to glow, even here in this bright room. His skin was dark, contrasting sharply with his long, messy silver hair. He was coldly handsome, and you could practically feel the waves of intimidation rolling off of him. This man was powerful. You knew that even without needing to be told.

“This is our Superior, Xemnas,” Axel explained, appearing at your side as the portal faded behind you. “He’ll tell you what happened to you.”

The man named Xemnas stepped forward, stopping a few feet away. He studied you for several long seconds, making you shift uncomfortably under his unsettling gaze. “Can you feel it? That emptiness within you?” he asked at last, his voice a smooth bass that resonated from deep within his broad chest.

You looked away, troubled. “I…I feel something, but I don’t…”

To your relief, he shifted his attention to Axel. “How much did you tell her about her new existence?”

Axel shook his head. “You just told me to bring her back here; you never said anything about explaining things, too. I thought you might want to do it, given that you’re our leader and all.”

You looked between the two of them as they conversed. Axel’s tone was surprisingly informal, almost flippant. There was just the barest undercurrent of respect running beneath his words. Your gaze immediately returned to Xemnas as he turned back towards you.

“You are no longer who you once were,” he began. “You are incomplete; a shell of your former self. A Nobody, devoid of a heart, empty of emotions.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion. “A…Nobody? What do you mean, devoid of a heart?”

“We are born when the heart is removed from the body of a person with a strong will. If that will is powerful enough, it takes physical form; the shape of the one it belonged to.” He placed his hands against his own chest. “We call ourselves Nobodies, for we no longer exist as we once were. Stripped of our hearts and emotions, we retain them only as memories, empty feelings that mean next to nothing.”

We? He seemed to be including himself in that little speech. And…Axel, too? You looked over at your companion, and he nodded once in confirmation, reading the question on your face. Somehow, oddly, it made you feel just a little better to know that you weren’t alone in this, even though you weren’t sure you fully understood everything about what you had just heard. It was going to take some time to fully absorb all of this.

Xemnas’s voice brought your attention back to him. “You have no place to return to, but we can give you one. You will once again have a purpose, should you chose to remain here as one of us. Is that what you desire?”

The question made you hesitate. In truth, you didn’t know what it was you wanted. All of this had left you utterly bewildered. But as you thought about it, one thing became clear. Regardless of what you were, you didn’t want to be alone.

“Yes,” you said finally, your voice firm. “That’s what I want.”

The faintest hint of a smile came to his face at your words. “Do you remember your name?”

You nodded. “I’m…” Your voice trailed off, then. We no longer exist as we once were. Did that name still belong to you, now that you had become something else? “I was (Name).”

“No longer.” He raised one gloved hand, and in the air between you, large, shimmering letters appeared, each one golden and translucent. They hovered in front of you, spelling out your name. He waved his hand, and the letters separated, dancing around each other as they switched positions. When they settled again, they were scrambled. A final letter faded into existence, situating itself in with the others. Your new name hung there in the air for a few moments, then disappeared as if it had never been. “You are now (Name). Beginning now, you will serve the Organization.” Those shockingly amber eyes shifted to your companion. “Axel will further explain things to you.”

The redhead stiffened slightly, not having expected this. “I will?” When Xemnas simply stared at him, he sighed, reaching up to rub one hand over the back of his head. “I mean, right. I will.”

The Superior nodded, turning away. “You’re dismissed.”

You blinked; that had ended faster than you expected, and you were only slightly less confused than you had been when you first woke up. Xemnas and Axel had given you some of the pieces, but so much of the puzzle was still missing that you couldn’t even begin to guess at what the full picture might be.

Axel turned, and another portal sprang up behind you. “I’ll take you to your new room.” He waved one arm, inviting you through the void. This time, knowing that you wouldn’t be harmed, you stepped through it without worry. When you exited, you were standing in a shadowy room, unadorned except for a bed and a large rectangular window. Through it, you could see the dark sky, devoid of stars. Everything was a cool shade of grey; it was so impersonal, almost alien. You felt a shiver run up your spine in response.

On the bed was a coat identical to Axel’s and Xemnas’s. On top of it were a pair of gloves and pants, and on the floor was a pair of knee-high boots. Every article was the same deep shade of black. It looked like this was the Organization’s uniform. You stepped forward, picking up the gloves and turning them over in your hands. The material was surprisingly soft, and thinner than you imagined it would be. No wonder you had felt Axel’s warmth through it. Your hands moved to the front of the coat, and the silver accents that decorated the front chimed softly as you touched them.

You looked back over your shoulder as you heard the sound of Axel shifting behind you. “So, I know I was told to explain things to you, and I will. But if you’d rather wait, I’ll leave.” When you didn’t respond immediately, he turned, reaching for the door handle.

Suddenly, you spun around, reaching out and catching hold of the back of his coat. “Don’t go yet. I don’t want to be left alone in this place.”

He faced you once more, arching one sharp eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t trust me?”

You looked away, the gloves still in your hand. “I never said that. It’s just… It’s so empty here. I’m not used to any of this, and I don’t want to face it by myself. Not so soon after I became…what I am. Please. Just for a little while?”

Axel studied you for a moment. Without warning, he reached out, patting you on the shoulder and making you jump. “Cheer up. You survived your heart being taken. That’s a big accomplishment that not many can claim. In fact, I can almost count the number on two hands.” He moved past you, sitting down on the bed.

Slowly, you sat down beside him, putting the gloves back down on top of the coat. For a long time, you didn’t speak, trying to collect your thoughts. But before long, the silence became oppressive, pushing down on you from all sides and threatening to swallow you up. “What is this Organization that Xemnas mentioned?” you asked.

“It’s what we’re known as. One by one, he gathered up every Nobody that he could find, and brought us here. We were given new names, and titles that reflect our abilities.” He glanced over at you. “You’ll probably get your own title soon, once we find out what you can do.”

You gazed at him blankly. “I have an ability?” This was news to you. If you’d had something like that, it certainly hadn’t been active before you’d lost your heart. Otherwise, it might have been able to save you.

“All of us do,” Axel confirmed. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t have one, too. When we became Nobodies, we developed powers that we didn’t have when we were whole. It might take a while to find yours, but it’s there, somewhere.” Folding his arms behind his head, he lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.

“But why are we all here? Couldn’t we just…go back to our homes?” You looked down at your hands. “If we keep our original forms, even after losing our hearts, then why can’t we go back to our old lives?”

“For the same reason that you accepted the offer to join us. When we lost our hearts, we lost who we were. Xemnas gave us a purpose: we’re trying to create Kingdom Hearts. If we collect enough hearts, we can complete it, and when we do, we’ll be whole again ourselves.”

You froze when you heard this, making Axel open his eyes and look over at you.

“What…did you say?” you whispered, your voice barely audible. Something clenched tightly in your chest, sending a tingle through your body.

This was the first real spark of life you had shown since Axel found you in the street, and it made a grin spread across his handsome face as he watched your reaction. “Sounds pretty good, huh? I said, you can get your heart back.” He touched his temple with one finger. “Got it memorized?”

“Yeah,” you murmured, a small smile coming to your own face for the first time. “Yeah, I do.” You reached up, placing a hand over your chest. “And all we have to do is collect hearts? How do we do that?”

“Those things that attacked you are called Heartless. They’re what happens to a person when their heart is stolen. The empty body becomes one of them; it’s how they reproduce. But if they’re destroyed, all the hearts they’ve gathered are released, and if we collect enough of them, Kingdom Hearts will be created.”

“That doesn’t sound so hard,” you admitted. “Those things are everywhere, aren’t they? I remember seeing them sometimes…”

He shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Only one thing can collect hearts, and that’s a Keyblade. Without that, Kingdom Hearts will never be finished. So far, we haven’t been able to find anyone who has one. But with any luck, you will.”

You fell silent, thinking about this. As you did, you studied him. He had closed his eyes again, you noticed. If he hadn’t just been talking, you might have thought he had fallen asleep. How he could look so…at home…was beyond you. While you felt like you were living in a body that didn’t belong to you, the same couldn’t be said of him. He seemed perfectly comfortable. You had to wonder just how long he had been a Nobody. That wasn’t any of your business, though, nor was it an appropriate topic. Such a thing seemed like a very personal question, and you didn’t want to risk crossing a line and alienating him.

When you made no effort to speak again, Axel opened his eyes, sitting up and propping himself up on one hand. “You should get some rest. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, if you want.” Normally, he wasn’t in the business of trying to cheer up the other members of the Organization; really, he couldn’t care less about them most of the time, but he had also never seen any of them on the verge of panic like you had been, either. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he felt a faint trickle of sympathy for your situation. It had been a long time since he had become a Nobody, and he had gotten used to what it felt like. But all of this was new to you, and you were clearly frightened by it. For some reason, though, you seemed to like having him there with you, even if he didn’t understand why.

“You don’t have to, if you have something else to do,” you replied quickly, not wanting to push his generosity too far. Nevertheless, you felt a glow of warmth spread through you at his offer. When Xemnas had ordered Axel to explain things to you, it had seemed like he found it troublesome, so it surprised you that not only did he say he would stay, it had been his idea.

He waved his free hand. “Nah, I’ve finished my mission for today. I’m free to do whatever I want.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to babysit the new girl. I don’t like it here, but I’ll be fine on my own. This can’t be very entertaining for you.”

This made him give a short laugh, which surprised you. “Babysitting? Not likely; Nobodies can take care of themselves. Even those of us who haven’t found our abilities yet. Look, if you want me to go, I’ll go. But if not, I’ll stay here with you until you fall asleep. Your choice.”

“You know, Xemnas said we don’t have hearts or emotions, but you could have fooled me. Are all Nobodies like you?” There was something about him that was so…vibrant. If this was what he was like as a Nobody, what had he been like when he was still whole? Perhaps that was what drew you to him. He was so full of life that he chased away some of the emptiness within you.

That playful smile returned to his face; you liked that expression, you realized. “Not even close. I’m one of a kind.”

Again, the ghost of a smile appeared on your own lips in response to this. “Is that so? That might actually be a good thing; I’m not sure the world could handle two of you.” Slowly, you lay down on your side, curling up into a ball. “But I would…like it if you stayed. Just a few more minutes.” You closed your eyes, giving a soft sigh. Exhaustion was slowly creeping up on you, now that you were starting to relax.

For several minutes, silence reigned, but at last, you broke it again. “…Axel?” It was the first time you had said his name aloud, and your voice was very quiet, as if you weren’t sure you should be saying it.

“Mm?”

“Thank you.”

You felt his body twitch slightly, telling you that your words had taken him a little off-guard. “For what?”

“For…staying here with me. For telling me that I’m going to be all right. All of this is so new to me, and I would have panicked if I had been alone. I know it was just coincidence that you were the one who was sent to find me, but… I appreciate it, that’s all.”

“It’s nothing. Some of us take to being Nobodies better than others. You’re not the first one to be upset about it. Things are easier to deal with when you don’t have to do it on your own.”

That was certainly the truth. But from what he had said, and what Xemnas had told you, it seemed that his behavior was unusual for a Nobody. Whatever the reason was behind his actions, it had caused you to lower the walls of defense you had placed around yourself when he had found you in the street. In so little time, he had managed to worm his way past those walls and you realized that you were indeed beginning to trust him, whether you wanted to or not.

As you slowly began to drift off, you couldn’t help but think that the two of you might be able to be friends. It was too soon to know for sure, but the potential was there, just waiting to be explored further. You could feel his warmth beside you, solid and comforting. A smile curved up your lips, and you fell into a deep sleep.

An hour later, when he was sure that you were asleep, Axel carefully stood up, crossing the room and going out into the hall. He made his way to The Grey Area, stretching out on one of the couches with a yawn. He had just closed his eyes when he heard footsteps behind him; footsteps that were as familiar to him as his own – or at least, they had been, once.

“What is it?” he asked, not opening his eyes.

Saix came to a stop a short distance away, his molten-gold eyes gazing down at Axel. “Superior has a mission for you first thing tomorrow. You’re to bring our newest member to him, at the place where you found her. He wants to find her ability immediately.”

“Hm, not even a single day of recovery. No rest for the weary, huh? All right, message received.”

“You needn’t be so dismissive,” Saix said mildly, not coming any closer. “I was curious to know if you thought we had found our Keyblade wielder.”

“It’s too soon to say. When I brought it up with her, she didn’t say anything about having a Keyblade. If she did, you’d think it would have shown up when her heart was taken. I mean, what kind of Keyblade wielder loses their heart?” Stretching, he folded his arms behind his head. He didn’t intend to fall asleep in here, but there was no harm in getting comfortable, especially if Saix decided that he was in the rare mood for a conversation.

“Superior is anxious for results. It’s been such a long time; at this rate, Kingdom Hearts will never be completed.” What sounded like a sigh drifted to Axel’s ears, and he cracked one eye open as Saix moved around the couch, taking a seat in a nearby chair and crossing one leg over the other.

“We’re all anxious for results,” Axel replied, his voice a bit less indifferent than before. The other eye opened, and he looked over at the Organization’s second-in-command. “And we all want our hearts back. It’ll happen, we just have to be patient. We’ve waited this long; a little longer won’t kill us.”

There was a long pause from the Luna Diviner, then the faintest chuckle, so quiet Axel thought he might have imagined it. “How can you stay so confident all the time?” he asked. “That’s one thing about you that’s never changed.”

Axel wanted to point out that there were lots of things about him that were still the same, but he wasn’t sure if that was true. Neither of them were the same person they had been before they became Nobodies. But instead, he was silent for a long time, trying to find the right words. “Just a gift, I guess,” he answered at last.

Abruptly, he sat back up, looking over at Saix. “Even if she is a Keyblade wielder, it’s still going to take us a while to complete Kingdom Hearts. Months…years, maybe. You said yourself that we still have a long way to go, and worrying about when we’re going to find the one who can help us won’t make that happen any faster.”

The blue-haired man gazed back at him, his expression unreadable. “I’m well aware of that. But it would still bring us one step closer, and that makes all the difference. Our hearts may once again be within our reach. We can be whole again.”

Axel sighed. He had a nasty feeling that their newest member wasn’t the one they were looking for, which meant that Saix was going to end up being disappointed, if he could still experience such a thing. The two of them might have drifted apart over the years, but not to the point that Axel was completely uncaring about the way his former best friend felt. Standing up, he made his way around the couch, past the chair that Saix was sitting in. He raised one arm, his hand hovering over Saix’s shoulder, as if he would give the Luna Diviner a reassuring pat. But at the last moment, he brushed past, heading down the hall in silence.

When you awoke the next morning, if it was morning, you were alone in the room. You had expected this, though; there was no reason for Axel to remain for long after you had fallen asleep. But it was a new day – so to speak – and it was time to begin the life you had been born into. Standing up, you picked up the uniform you had been given, putting it on. The coat came down to your ankles, and fit you well. It was a bit looser than Axel’s, but was still snug enough that mobility wouldn’t be a problem. The coat opened again mid-thigh, leaving your black-clad legs free to move. The pants themselves were close-fitting, and the gloves were buttery soft. All in all, it was actually more comfortable than you might have first thought.

Running your fingers through your hair to smooth it down, you moved over to the door, opening it. On the other side stood Axel, one hand poised to knock. This surprised you into taking a step back. You hadn’t thought to see him again so soon, yet there he was, only a few feet away. Based on the look on his face, you had startled him just as much as he had you. Slowly, he lowered his arm, flashing you a smile as he recovered quickly from the unexpected greeting the two of you had given each other.

“Uh, good morning. I didn’t think you would be awake so early.” His gaze flicked down to take in your clothes; it looked like you were starting to take to your new life. Even though you had been provided with the Organization’s uniform, he hadn’t thought you would put it on immediately. Given your hesitation with him when he had found you, it would have been more likely that you would have had to be talked into changing. Then again, he had seen the look on your face when Xemnas had offered you a place in the ranks. There had been no hesitation then. Perhaps becoming a part of the Organization was easier than accepting your life as a Nobody. Being taken into the fold, surrounded by those who were just like you, versus being told by a stranger that you were no longer who you used to be, no longer possessing a heart… It was no surprise which one you had gravitated to more easily. On the other side of that, though, when he had left you sleeping in your room, it had seemed like you were starting to warm up to him a little, and you certainly seemed less wary this morning.

You turned to look back over your shoulder at the rectangular window. “How can you tell what’s ‘early’ when there’s no sun?” you asked, the tone of your voice making it difficult to tell if you were joking or not.

“Stay here long enough, and you start to get a sense for time, even when the sky’s always dark. You’ll get used to it eventually.”

You hoped that was true; ever since you had become a Nobody, your internal clock had been skewed. Maybe it was the perpetually dark sky that did it, but you couldn’t even begin to guess at what time it might be. You would have liked to have an idea of the passing days, even though you weren’t sure time even mattered in a place like this. More importantly, though…

“Did…you need something?” Your voice was hesitant; you knew it wasn’t coincidence that he was standing here before you. This wasn’t a social visit.

The smile that had been on his face faded at these words. “Actually, yeah. I was given a new mission; I’m supposed to bring you back to the place where I found you. It’s time to find your ability.”

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. “Already? I thought there would be more time; a few days, at least.” Xemnas didn’t seem to be wasting any time. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours since you had lost your heart and became a Nobody; you still weren’t even sure what it meant to be one.

“So did I,” Axel admitted, placing one hand on his hip and running the other over the back of his head. “But he probably figures the sooner we find out what you can do, the better. You won’t be able to go out on missions until you can protect yourself, after all.”

“What will this entail, exactly?” you asked, not wanting to go into this completely blind.

“I don’t know for sure,” he admitted, looking a bit uncomfortable. “It’s different for everyone. For some of us, our abilities show up without any trouble, but others… It can take a while. You’ll probably be trying a few things, just to see if one sticks.”

Well, that was little help. Essentially, you were being asked to step into the unknown again. But on the other hand, Axel had already sent you into the unknown once, and you had come out on the other side unscathed. Now the question was, did you trust him enough to believe that the same thing would happen again? He had been nothing but friendly towards you since you had first met, and you could sense that he probably meant you no harm. Probably. But you weren’t sure that you were willing to put that trust to the test, not while it was still so fragile. The problem was, you weren’t sure that you had a choice in the matter. Not this time. You had accepted Xemnas’s offer to join the Organization, which meant that you were bound to obey his orders, regardless of what they were. This was just the first of many.

Axel saw the blood drain from your face, and the same wary expression you had worn when he found you in the street crept back in. “Hey,” he said, bringing you out of your thoughts before they could push you any further towards the brink of panic. “Nobodies aren’t exactly common; Xemnas needs all of us to help him complete Kingdom Hearts. And if you are the one we need, what would be the point in hurting you?”

He had a point, you supposed. Why would Xemnas offer you a place in the Organization, just to kill you? It made no sense. In all likelihood, you were afraid for nothing.

“A fight is the usual way it’s done,” Axel continued, making you look up at him. He hadn’t wanted to tell you this, knowing that it probably wouldn’t make you feel any better about it – and in fact, might even do the opposite – but he could see that not telling you was turning out to be even worse. “It seems like our abilities first show up when we’re under stress, so we’ll have to… Well, it won’t be fun.”

Your brow furrowed, and you reached up, placing one hand over your chest. This was odd. “There’s…something I don’t understand. Xemnas – the Superior – said that I didn’t have any emotions left since I lost my heart; that they were only memories that meant nothing. So why can I still feel things? There’s some kind of…emptiness inside me a lot of the time, but just now, what you said made me feel nervous. Am I able to feel things or not?”

Axel arched one eyebrow; he hadn’t expected you to ask him something like this. At least, not so soon. Every Nobody noticed it sooner or later, but having the question raised with him was a first. “It’s…both,” he said at last, choosing his words carefully. “You can still feel things, but they’re not actually those emotions – they’re remnants of them.”

You frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“You remember what it was like to be whole, what it was like to feel those things. Because you recall what it felt like in certain situations, you know what you should be feeling, and those emotions awaken again.” He tapped the side of his head, the shadow of that familiar smile appearing on his face again. “Got it memorized?”

“I…think so,” you replied, your voice quiet, thoughtful. “Then, if they’re just remnants, does that mean what I feel isn’t real?”

He shrugged. “Your memories are real enough, aren’t they? If they’re real, shouldn’t the feelings connected with them be real, too?”

That was certainly something to think about, when you had more time. “Being a Nobody is a lot more complicated than I first thought. Maybe even more complicated than being whole.”

“If we’re lucky, maybe you won’t have to worry about that for much longer.” He waved one hand, and a shimmering black and purple portal appeared. “Come on. We can’t keep the Superior waiting.”

“Right…” Your eyes fastened on the portal, and you stepped into it. The walls of the Castle faded away, to be replaced by the darkened streets of the city that spread out beneath your new home. Now that you had a moment to look, over the tall buildings that surrounded you, the top of the massive structure could be seen in the distance. The grey stone almost seemed to glow, despite the darkness. It was strangely…beautiful, you had to admit. Beautiful and…familiar? It was faint, but as you stood there, you felt like you had seen the Castle before, from the outside. But that was impossible. You had never been to The City That Never Was before last night.

You didn’t have long to ponder this, as your attention was soon drawn to a tall form leaning against the wall nearby. Xemnas stood with his arms crossed, and his eyes closed. They opened when he heard the sound of the portal disappearing, and he looked up at you and Axel as you approached.

He straightened, taking a step away from the wall. Even in the dim light, his amber eyes were almost luminous. “I assume that Axel explained everything to you last night?” he asked, glancing from you to the redhead at your side.

“I can’t say that I completely understand everything, but he answered all of my questions. The rest is just going to have to come with time and experience, I think,” you replied. “This is all new to me, and I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be asking for it to make more sense.” You had been avoiding looking directly at him since he had stepped closer, but now, your eyes raised until they met his. It was a struggle, holding that cold, amber gaze. “But I know what it is you want from me now.”

“Then you understand why we must waste no time in bringing out your ability.” It wasn’t a question.

You nodded. “You’re looking for a Keyblade wielder, so we can complete Kingdom Hearts.” Truthfully, you didn’t really think that he needed to hear you say this, but you wanted to give him some kind of confirmation nonetheless, if only to prove that Axel had indeed told you about the Organization and their goals.

“Indeed.” He waved one arm at Axel, somewhat taking him off-guard. “With that end in mind, the time has come to find out whether you are the one we need.”

Axel’s teal-green eyes widened slightly, looking first at you, then back to Xemnas. “Me? That’s a first. I’ve never been picked to bring out a new member’s ability before.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about this. On the one hand, he had never been one to turn away from a potential fight, and it had been a while since he’d been able to stretch his legs, so to speak. But on the other, he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of taking on someone who had no way of defending themselves. You had no weapon, and there was no guarantee that you even knew how to fight.

He couldn’t disobey a direct order, though. Like it or not, he would have to take his chances. Closing his eyes, he shook his head, his brow furrowing. With a sigh, he turned towards you, backing away a few paces. “All right, then.” He extended both arms, and black and white thorny tendrils wrapped around his hands. Moments later, they transformed into rings of flames, which then faded into his weapons. He gripped them tightly in the center, stopping their rapid spinning and allowing you to get your first good look at them. Completely identical, they were comprised of a single large ring of red metal, more than two feet across, edged in white. Four smaller circles were set into the metal, each one equal distance apart. Around the edge were eight razor-sharp silver spikes. The middle of each weapon bore two white crossed bars, wrapped in black…leather? This was what he now held, rather than touching the outside. Based on the way the metal looked, you had a feeling that the outer rim was just as sharp as the spikes themselves.

He gave you a rueful smile. “Don’t hold this against me.” Suddenly, he lunged forward, drawing back one arm and slashing at you. You had never seen this particular weapon before, so you didn’t know exactly how he planned to use them. For now, all you knew was that you couldn’t let them touch you, or they would tear you to ribbons. Nimbly, you leapt back out of the way; he was fast, closing the distance between the two of you almost before you had a chance to react. It was only because you had been waiting for his attack that you had been able to dodge in time. Despite his height, his form was lithe and graceful, giving him a swiftness that you hadn’t expected. You wouldn’t have called yourself slow by any means, but it looked like he was just as fast. That was going to be a problem.

“I thought you said we were going to be trying a few things to bring out my ability,” you said, realizing as you spoke that your voice was shaking slightly. You weren’t afraid of Axel, but you were afraid of what he might have to do under Xemnas’s orders. Besides, you barely knew each other, so you had no reason to believe that he would pull his punches to keep from hurting you.

“This is the quickest and most efficient method to bring out latent abilities.” This explanation came not from Axel, but from Xemnas, who was standing a short distance away, out of range of the fight. Even though it might have been considered rude to not look at someone when they were speaking, you didn’t dare take your eyes off Axel. You didn’t know if he was the type to attack when his opponent’s back was turned, and it was a risk you couldn’t take.

Again, Axel closed the distance between the two of you, and this time when he took another swipe at you, you ducked beneath the blow, spinning into a kick aimed at his stomach. It meant that you had to move into range of his attacks, but with any luck, you would be able to land the kick before he could bring his arm around for another slash.

Unfortunately, he was just as fast at dodging as he was at attacking, and he took a single step back; just enough to keep you from connecting. As small as you were, he probably wouldn’t have been knocked down, but you had enough strength that you would have left a nasty bruise, and he’d be left without breath in his lungs.

He grinned at you, a spark of that playfulness you had seen before returning. “So you can fight after all.” One kick – and a failed one at that – didn’t prove that you were a master at hand to hand combat, but it did mean that you weren’t helpless. That made him feel a bit better at about this entire thing; he wouldn’t have to hold back quite as much.

For a moment he paused, waiting to see if you would make the next move. But you had no intention of going on the offensive; that would have been one of the stupidest things you could have done, under the circumstances. You would fight back if you had to, but you had no intention of attacking him first. Without a weapon, you were completely outmatched, and he might very well kill you if you tried something like that. This was about survival, not victory.

Axel realized this quickly, and took a step towards you. In response, you backed up, matching his advance to keep the same amount of distance between you. He paused, his eyes narrowing marginally, and took another experimental step forward, with the same result. He gave a light chuckle. It seemed that you didn’t want to be anywhere near him. But you were running out of room to back up; another couple of steps would bring you up against the wall of the closest building, and then you would have nowhere else to retreat to.

A third step, and he saw your eyes cut to the side for just a moment as your back came up against the face of the skyscraper. You could really only move to the left now; Xemnas stood a short distance away in the other direction, and he could tell that you would avoid getting close to the silver-haired leader if you possibly could, probably not trusting him to remain a passive observer. The street opened out into a wider area just beyond the impromptu battlefield, and he guessed that you wanted to have more freedom of movement, which meant that you would most likely make a try for that larger space. The question was, did he want to let you? It would be more difficult to pin you down, but at the same time, it might give you a sense of security that would cause you to lower your guard. It could be worth his while to let you get past him. Not to mention the fact that, just as it would give you more room, it would raise the restrictions on his own movements. His type of fighting was more ideal to large spaces, rather than the confines of a narrow street.

Making up his mind, he raised one arm, aiming the circular weapon at your head. Instead of slashing, this time, he simply thrust forward, and two of the silver spikes buried themselves in the stone wall of the building you had pressed yourself against.

You ducked beneath the strike, darting under his arm before he could yank the chakram out of the wall. But before you could get out of his range, you felt something catch in the fabric of your coat, and the material tore. Instinctively, you went into a roll, coming up on one knee and glancing back at him. When you’d passed by him, he had brought his other arm across his chest, and one of the blades had sliced into the back of your coat.

Your eyes narrowed; he could have easily sank that spike deeply into your spine. The fact that two of them were currently buried in a stone wall was a testament to just how sharp they were, so they would have cut into your skin like a hot knife through butter. That meant either you had been fast enough that he had only managed to catch your coat, or he had deliberately held back so as not to hurt you. You just didn’t know which one, and you weren’t sure you were willing to be wrong about the latter. For your own safety, you had to assume that he had simply missed.

As Axel pulled the embedded chakram out of the wall and turned to face you, he felt Xemnas step up behind him. When the Superior spoke, it was so quiet that the redhead could barely hear him. “You must make her fear for her life,” he instructed. “Her ability will never manifest unless she believes that she is about to be killed.”

He knew that Axel wouldn’t like this; he had never been one to enjoy striking fear into his opponents, and since the Flurry of Dancing Flames had been the one to find you on this very street, it was possible that he felt some sense of responsibility for you. It might be difficult for him to convince you that he intended to end your new life. But it was necessary, if this was to work.

As was expected, Axel frowned, and his hands tightened on his weapons. He was the wrong Nobody for this job. Saix would have been better suited, or perhaps Xaldin. Neither of them ever felt any reservations during their missions, and would have been able to do exactly as Xemnas asked without a second thought.

But to him, you were a comrade now, perhaps even the beginnings of a friend. He didn’t like the idea of frightening you like this, even if it was for the good of the Organization. In this, he wasn’t sure that the end justified the means. But what other choice did he have?

He turned his head away from you for several seconds, closing his eyes. When they opened again, the blue-green orbs were hard. He stepped away from Xemnas, slowly raising his arms. As he did, a large ring of flames rose up out of the ground around the two of you, effectively trapping you inside. You could feel their intense heat, and moved away, towards the center of the makeshift arena, and towards Axel himself.

That last attack seemed to have signified the end of his halfhearted attempts to wound you; that much was clear from the look in his eyes. Adrenaline began to flow through your blood, causing your breathing to come faster. There would be no escape this time. That fire was real, and it was thick enough that you wouldn’t be able to get through it.

You saw his hands tighten on his weapons, and suddenly, almost too fast for you to see, he threw them at you, one after the other. They spun towards you with deadly accuracy, and you jumped out of the way as they sailed over your head, the spikes causing them to sing as they cut through the air. When you looked back at Axel, you saw that he had vanished, and turned just in time to see him lunge at you from behind, his chakrams once more in hand. How had he gotten there?! This time, you weren’t fast enough to dodge, and the tip of one blade caught just below your right ribcage, piercing through your coat a second time and slicing open a shallow channel in your skin.

Crying out more from surprise than pain, you spun around, reaching back to feel the extent of the damage. The wound wasn’t severe; it was little more than a scratch, so it wouldn’t slow you down. But you couldn’t take your eyes off of him this time; he had suddenly appeared behind you with no warning, and you wanted to find out exactly how he had done that. If he caught you by surprise again, there might not be a third time. It was only because you had already begun to turn around that the wound he had given you had turned out to be so shallow. If it had fully connected, it might have damaged the tendons and muscle, preventing you from moving the way you needed to.

Bracing himself, Axel hurled his weapons at you once more, but this time, he changed the pattern of attack. One went high, while the other was aimed in a more downward trajectory. You wouldn’t be able to duck beneath them this time. That left three options. Left, right, or…

Forward. You flipped through the open space between them, your feet leaving the ground a couple of seconds before you would have been struck. Catching yourself on your hands, you kicked out at him again, using your momentum to put more weight behind the blow. But yet again, you didn’t connect, for a different reason this time. Axel summoned one of the shadowy portals that he had used before, backing into it and vanishing.

As you completed the flip, you saw him reappear across the circle, just in time to catch his weapons and turn back towards you. So that was how he had done it. There was no way for them to come back to him on their own, so he’d had to devise another way to get them back, or be left unarmed. This method of transportation was still new to you, and you’d had no idea that they could be utilized in battle. This was very interesting…but it also meant that you were in trouble. No matter where you went within the ring of flames, Axel would be able to catch you if he used those portals, even if you tried to keep your distance from him. Your only hint would be the unique sound they made as they opened and closed, but you didn’t know if that would be enough to allow you to stay ahead of him.

You were beginning to run out of options, and it made a trickle of desperation run through you. The only thing you could do was keep moving, and hope that he tired himself out before you did.

Which didn’t seem likely, as he struck out for the third time, more viciously than before. This time, he didn’t even wait for you to attempt to dodge before he had vanished from sight. You braced yourself to jump out of the way when he suddenly reappeared directly in front of you. It had been a feint; he didn’t intend to let the weapons hit you this time. He had done it expecting you to turn or dodge, and take your eyes away from the front, where he was now standing. Before you even knew what was happening, your legs had been swept out from under you, and your breath left your lungs in a harsh exhale as you hit the ground hard. You managed to keep your head from hitting the asphalt, and you saw Axel catch the chakrams, moving to stand over you.

In one smooth move, knelt down, burying one of the chakrams in the ground at your side, close enough that the spikes caught on the material of your coat, pinning it down so you wouldn’t be able to roll out of the way. You probably could have ripped the fabric free, but with the way Axel was positioned, you knew that you wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

True fear rose up within you as you saw him draw the other weapon up over his shoulder, preparing to bring it down onto you. Was this really it…? You had only just been reborn, and now you were going to die here, in the very place where you had awoken? As frantically as you thought, you saw no way out of this predicament, but you weren’t ready to resign yourself to death just yet.

Axel braced himself, swinging his arm downward. You inhaled, closing your eyes tightly. For just an instant, you thought you felt something in your hand. It was pliant, your fingers slowly moving through it like glue. Whatever it was, it had yet to fully take shape. You attempted to grab it, but it was gone, leaving your hand empty once more as what you were sure was your death descended upon you.

There was a loud ringing in your ear, and a sharp pain cut across your left cheek. Then it was over. Slowly, your eyes opened, and you saw Axel still kneeling over you. His head was turned away, and his shoulders were hunched. Beside you, buried in the ground like its twin, was the chakram you had been so sure that he was going to sink into your chest. A droplet of ruby blood glittered on the tip of one of the spikes, where it had scratched you. But apart from that, you were unharmed. Terrified, and a bit confused, but safe.

Tremors still wracked your frame as you looked up at him, your brow furrowing. You could feel blood dripping down your cheek, but you made no move to wipe it away, not knowing whether he might change his mind and finish what he had started. “A-Axel…?”

Slowly, your opponent straightened, yanking his weapons out of the ground and looking over at Xemnas, rather than you. As he did, the walls of fire died away, leaving the street darker than ever. “It didn’t work,” he commented. The chakrams vanished in another swirl of flames, and he moved back, putting distance between the two of you.

It hadn’t worked? What was that supposed to… Then, it dawned on you. It had been a ploy. He hadn’t missed by accident. He never intended to kill you in the first place. He had most likely tried to frighten you into thinking that he would, without ever actually going through with it. Of course, the same protection didn’t extend to wounds, as you had clearly seen. But maybe… Maybe he really had pulled his attacks enough that you wouldn’t be seriously hurt.

You sat up, looking over at the Superior, unsure of what would happen next. The fight with Axel was over; that much was clear. But that didn’t mean you were safe. With any luck, you would be able to try one of the other methods the redhead had mentioned to you.

“Very well, then. We shall try a different course.” As Xemnas stepped forward, you felt your chest tighten. The hard look in his eyes was one you had seen in Axel’s just a few minutes ago. The fight was going to continue, just with a different opponent – one who didn’t seem to care what became of you.

Before he could come any closer, you scrambled to your feet, watching him warily. Not knowing what kind of ability he might have meant that you had no idea what was about to happen. At least with Axel, he had displayed his weapons for a moment, giving you the chance to prepare yourself for his attacks. But as far as you could tell, Xemnas was unarmed.

Suddenly, his form flickered, and he vanished. There was no portal this time; it was as if he had simply been wiped from existence. Your eyes widened, and you looked around, feeling nervousness sink its claws into you. If it was frightening to watch him inexorably advancing on you, it was even worse not knowing where he was.

You didn’t even have time to turn around. Without warning, something heavy struck you across the back, sending you sprawling onto your stomach. It was over before you’d even had a chance to cry out. A sensation like fire erupted where you had been hit, leaving you a bit dazed. By force of will, you drew your arms beneath you, pushing yourself up onto your hands and knees, then upright. You looked back over your shoulder to see Xemnas standing where you had been, regarding you calmly. In his hand, he held what looked like a slender beam of light, which glowed a radiant crimson.

Your eyes fixed on this unusual weapon; you had never seen anything like it, and it struck you as oddly beautiful. But you had only a moment to take it in, as your attention immediately went back to Xemnas when he took a step forward.

“To bring out your abilities, you must be desperate,” he told you. “If you still have strength in you, they will never manifest. Defend yourself!” With that, he rapidly closed the distance between you, bringing his arm up in a sweeping arc meant to knock you back again. His surprisingly graceful movements were fast, even more than Axel’s had been.

Adrenaline flowed through your body, blocking out some of the pain from his first strike and lending you speed that you didn’t have before. It was only because of this that you managed to get to your feet and lean back far enough to evade the blow. But Xemnas didn’t give you the chance to recover, spinning around and slashing at you again, diagonally this time.

You stepped back, and for a moment, you thought you had brought yourself out of range. That notion was shattered as the beam of light struck your shoulder hard, causing your legs to buckle beneath you. Your entire arm went numb, leaving your fingertips tingling. A cry of pain made its way past your clenched teeth as you brought your other hand up to grip your shoulder. It didn’t feel like your collarbone had been broken, thankfully, but you could barely move your fingers, let alone the rest of your arm. This was exactly what you had been worried about when you had been fighting Axel; now that you were getting worn out, it was getting more and more difficult to dodge.

Xemnas was relentless, even though you had been brought to your knees. He was nothing like how Axel had been; there was no time to recover, no time to breathe between attacks, to analyze them, and prepare yourself to dodge. Already, he was swinging the beam of light down at you again, intending to force you completely to the ground.

Gathering your waning strength, you rolled out of the way, using your momentum to bring you back up onto your feet. This put you out of range for the moment, but you didn’t allow yourself to relax, knowing that he could close the distance in a fraction of a second, and you would be down again.

This time, however, he did no such thing. Instead, he swept his arm in a horizontal arc, and a line of bright red lights appeared, each no more than a few inches long. They hovered in midair just long enough for the final one to form before they sped towards you, each one seeming to pinpoint your location, rather than following a straight line, as you might have expected.

You leapt back and to the side, and they flew through the air where you had been standing just a moment ago before striking the ground, disappearing as if they had never been. It looked like they were blunt, which meant that they probably wouldn’t pierce through you, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. Each one would have left a sizeable bruise, and might have broken bones, had they connected. You were already wounded; you couldn’t afford to let yourself be struck by them.

Movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention, and you saw Xemnas lunging towards you. He had taken the time to close some of the distance that had appeared between you, and was now drawing his arm back for a horizontal strike.

Instead of attempting to move back again, this time, you ducked beneath the blow, sliding around his side before he could bring his arm back around. This put you between him and the street where your fight with Axel had begun. It was off to your left, partially hidden by the wall of one of the buildings. If you could get back onto that street, the wall might protect you for a few moments, giving you enough time to recover some of your strength.

You flexed your fingers experimentally. The movement sent splinters of pain racing up your arm, but feeling was beginning to return, even if the limb remained somewhat stiff. Slowly, you took a step back, watching him warily. Turning your back on him would be a deadly mistake; you would have to do this without taking your eyes off him, somehow.

The moment that you moved, so did he. This time, he raised his other arm, and an identical beam of light appeared in his hand.

Two?! It had been difficult enough just keeping away from one of them! You were already beginning to move as he brought the swords down in a cross-slash, and you felt your hair ruffle as they passed just in front of you. That was too close…

As you leapt back, bringing you closer to the street you had previously vacated, you saw Xemnas go still, his arms lowering to his sides. His liquid amber eyes pierced into you, sending a chill up your spine. “You are weakening. If you aren’t able to call upon your abilities soon, you will be killed.”

There was no doubt in your mind of the validity of his words. He would have no reservations about slaughtering you himself, if you weren’t able to manifest this ability of yours. He’d said that you needed to be desperate, and you had long since passed that point. Still, you remained empty-handed. Whatever had appeared while you were fighting Axel, it didn’t seem like it was willing to come back. Had that been your once chance, and now, having been unable to make it materialize, it had abandoned you?

Xemnas’s form was suddenly surrounded by those glowing points of light that he had summoned before, only this time, their numbers had tripled. You weren’t sure if you would be able to dodge them this time. But you still had to try!

Gathering up the last of your strength, you made one final attempt, turning and leaping towards the safety of the side street. But you never made it. One after another, the small, bullet-like objects slammed into you, sending you to the ground in a haze of searing pain. Your vision darkened, and you had to fight to retain consciousness. You weren’t sure how many times you had been struck; a dozen, maybe? Trying to bring your arms beneath you, you struggled to push yourself up, only to fall back to the ground.

Dimly, you heard footsteps approaching, and you turned your head enough to see Xemnas standing over you, his expression emotionless. In what seemed like slow motion, you watched as he raised his arms, exactly as Axel had done. But this time, you knew that there would be no moment of reprieve. This attack wouldn’t miss. Your new life, as short as it had been, was over.

No, you thought, I can’t… I don’t want to die! I won’t die!

Where you found the strength to pull yourself up, you would never know. Bringing your arms up over your body, you felt something appear in your hand again. This time, it was solid. Instinctively, you struck out with it. There was a sharp crack, and the rustle of fabric as Xemnas leapt backwards.

You looked down to see a sinuous black whip curled in front of you, easily twice as long as you were tall. Its surface seemed to be writhing, and tiny particles rose from it, vanishing into thin air. Like when you had seen the Castle from the outside, a wave of déjà vu washed over you. It looked so familiar… But you were sure that you would have remembered if you’d used something like this before.

Raising your head, you turned your attention to Xemnas. He stood a short distance away, and the red blades of light he’d held were gone. Instead, he was examining his right arm; specifically, the bottom of his sleeve. It was torn, and the edges seemed to be flaking away before your very eyes. He ran his fingers over the tear, ripping away a tiny piece of the material. It crumbled to nothing in his hand, and he frowned thoughtfully.

This was interesting… At first, he thought the surface of the whip was coated in some kind of acid, but that wasn’t quite right. The fabric hadn’t been burned away; there was no bubbling or smoke that would have accompanied the material being destroyed. In fact, it looked almost like it had rotted, all in the span of a few seconds.

“It seems that you have the power of disintegration,” he mused, almost to himself. His eyes traced over the whip, and you could have sworn you saw a flicker of some emotion cross his face. It was gone in a split-second, too fast for you to get an accurate read on what it had been. Disappointment, perhaps? The entire Organization was hoping for a Keyblade wielder, but your weapon had turned out to be a whip. You had to admit, you felt a bit disappointed, yourself. It looked like you wouldn’t be regaining your lost heart any time soon. Still, the appearance of the whip had saved your life, and you were overwhelmingly grateful for that. Not to mention the fact that it seemed to have quite a strong ability that came with it. Even if it wasn’t a Keyblade, it was still yours, and you intended to learn everything you could about how to use it.

It seemed that Xemnas agreed with you, for his next words made a wave of relief wash over you. “Although it was not the ability that we have been searching for, it will still be useful in its own right. Master it, and become an asset to the Organization.”

Slowly, you nodded. “I will.” Movement drew your attention back down, and you saw the same black and white thorny tendrils that signaled the activation of Axel’s own ability twine around your fingers. The whip faded from existence, as if it had never been.

Xemnas turned, opening a portal. “You are dismissed. Return to the Castle and rest; you will be given your first mission soon.” With that, he stepped into the swirling abyss and was gone, leaving you and Axel alone in the middle of the street.

You gave a heavy sigh as exhaustion began to set in. Though you had been sitting upright, now you fell back, bringing one arm up to cover your eyes. The adrenaline flowing through your blood was starting to recede, leaving you utterly drained. It felt like you had been fighting for hours, even though it couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes. Your entire body felt like one giant bruise; it hurt even to breathe.

The sound of footsteps approached, and you raised your arm to see Axel standing over you. He gave you a grin. “I didn’t know if you were going to be able to survive that.”

For a while, you simply watched him silently, not moving. As the seconds passed, you saw his grin slip faintly, and an edge of hesitance creep in. Were you angry at him for attacking you? It was true that he could have held back more, and he probably would have been able to get away with not wounding you at all. But he’d needed to make it look real, or it wouldn’t have worked. Then again, Xemnas had had to step in anyway; Axel’s attempt hadn’t been enough.

At last, you returned his smile, though yours was smaller. “I didn’t, either,” you admitted. Slowly, you reached out to him. “Would you mind helping me up? I’m not sure I can manage it on my own.” You could feel yourself trembling from the exertions of the fight, and you didn’t know if your legs would support you without help.

“Seems like the least I can do after all that, huh?” He took your hand in his own, helping to pull you to your feet. You gave a groan as you straightened, and paused for a moment to make sure that you weren’t going to end up on the ground again. When you were sure that you could stand on your own, you took a step back, turning to look at him.

“Sorry about the, uh…” He touched his own cheek with one finger, indicating where one of the spikes of his chakrams had scratched you.

You reached up, wiping away the drying trickle of blood with the back of one gloved hand. “It’s nothing. You did what you had to do, and unfortunately for me, that meant I was going to come out of it a little worse for wear. I can’t say that I’m happy about that, but… Well, I found my ability. Given how things could have turned out, a scratch is about the best I could have hoped for, don’t you think?” It was funny; now that you knew you did indeed have your own weapon, even though it wasn’t a Keyblade, everything that had led up to its manifestation seemed insignificant in comparison. You were alive; that was the most important thing.

He shrugged. “I’m usually not in the habit of attacking my fellow Organization members. But when you’re given an order, you follow it; even if it means making yourself the enemy.” In fact, that might have been why Xemnas thought to use Axel to try and do this, rather than simply taking care of it himself. If someone was attacked by a person they viewed as a friend, it would usually have more of an impact. Unfortunately, not enough time had passed for you and the Flurry of Dancing Flames to have formed a real friendship yet, forcing him to intervene.

“I’ll remember that,” you said quietly, not sure you liked the way that sounded. You looked down at your hand, flexing your fingers. Abruptly, you changed the subject. “Axel, have you…ever had a feeling that you’ve seen something before, even though you have no memory of it?”

He tilted his head slightly to the side as you glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”

“When that whip appeared, I had the strangest feeling that I had seen it somewhere before. But I know that I didn’t have any kind of a weapon like that before I became a Nobody,” you explained, knowing that you might not have been making any sense. “The feeling was so strong… And that wasn’t the first time, either.” You turned and pointed to The Castle That Never Was, its uppermost towers shining in the distance. “When we first got here, I had that same feeling about the Castle.”

This made him frown thoughtfully. “Everyone feels that way sometimes, don’t they? You might not be remembering one specific thing, but just something that reminded you of it, and that made it seem familiar. Memories are strange things. They can play tricks on you sometimes.”

Slowly, you nodded, though you weren’t sure if you quite believed this explanation. It was true enough, to be sure; you just didn’t know if it applied to this particular situation. Your memory wasn’t infallible; like everyone else, there were gaps left behind from pieces of your life that never made enough of an impression to be fully remembered. That had been the case even when you were whole, and you were sure that the shock of losing your heart had jarred loose a few more. But nothing could account for the feeling of familiarity that you had felt.

If it had been just a one-off thing, you could have overlooked it as an odd occurrence and moved on. Having it happen twice in such a short span of time, however, made you think that there was something more to it. You couldn’t help but wonder if it was just something that happened to Nobodies, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

You shook your head, deciding to put it out of your mind for now. Distantly, you heard Axel open a portal, and you turned your attention to him. “You have to teach me how to do that, so I won’t have to wait for you to do it every time.”

“Sure. It’s not that hard to learn. But I think that can wait for now; you look like you’re ready to collapse.”

You gave a small smile. “I’ll hold you to that, then.” Body aching, you made your way into the portal, and back to your new home.
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Solace In Nihility v2