Life with Organization XIII: Part VI

“Wow, this looks dreary as heck,” you said, looking around the plain white area that is Castle Oblivion. “How could anyone be drawn to this place? Heck, I don't even think Sora would find this place interesting!”

“Well, it's big and... unusual, I guess?” Axel replied, shrugging. “I don't know. But Marluxia will get Sora here somehow with some crazy way.”

“I hope so, I want to leave already,” you sighed, slouching as you did so. “Are the others coming or what?”

As if on cue, various members warped into the area that you were currently in looking as cheery as they always are (sarcasm intended) and dumping their luggage on the floor-Marluxia and Larxene having considerably more than the rest.  Pretty much everyone looked unimpressed with the room and how it looked.

“Wow, doesn't everyone look bright and cheery on this fine day?” Axel asked sarcastically, giving a small smirk to you at the end of his question.

“Shut up, Axel,” Marluxia groaned. “Don't bother with your witty remarks today. We have work to do.”

Axel raised his eyebrows and had his smirk increase a bit more but did not say anything in reply surprisingly! Marluxia glared at him for a moment before walking to a point to where he was standing in front of everyone so they could see him.

“As you know, our main goal is to capture Sora to further our ideals more swiftly,” Marluxia stated. “However, there is also a likely possibility that intruders may come along to the lower parts of the Castle. Therefore, I'm assigning Vexen, __, Lexaeus and Zexion to deal with them in whatever manner preferable-for now. Axel, Larxene and I will deal with Sora until further notice. Understood?”

He gained mumbles for answers including some mumbling as to why he was in charge and they were not. His lips tightened slightly as he gestured for his group to follow and he vanished into a portal. You stood there, realising that you were going to be stuck in the darker parts of the castle and were probably going to have to fight... things. Turning to the two males whose heights seemed on the opposite ends of the spectrum looking at them together and the annoyed blond, you grumbled, "Shall we get going then?"

"We might as well," Zexion said with Lexaeus only nodding and Vexen giving a 'hmph'.

They left in their portals and you were about to leave in yours when a hand made its way to your shoulder which made you stop.

"If you get into trouble, come find me okay?"

You turned, seeing Axel behind you-obviously he hadn't left yet- who seemed to stare into your soul. You wondered why he would say that as it sounded a bit suspicious but you ignored it and smiled at him, nodding, before you teleported away.

~~~

A few hours later...

"Zexion?" you asked.

"What?"

"Is anyone here yet?"

"No, there isn't. Stop asking me."

"... Zexion?"

"__, I swear to Kingdom Hearts, if you ask me that again-"

"Is anyone-OW!"

You rubbed your head at the pain of one of Zexion's books hitting you in the head, whining as you did so. You threw it back at him and managed to hit his arm but he didn't seem at all fazed as he just stood there with his hand under his chin in thought. You could see that Lexaeus was trying to hold back an eye roll at your actions as he crossed his arms.

"Could you two stop acting like children for one minute?!" Vexen hissed.

"Could you stop acting like an old man for one minute?" you hissed back.

"How dare you talk to me like that! Have you not realised that I'm of a higher position than you?"

"I have, and it shows that you are the weaker person because you lost your heart first!"

"To think you would grow up to be such an ignorant, little-"

"Someone's here!" Zexion cut in. "Two presences in fact-in the lower basement."

"Well, who are they?" Vexen asked impatiently.

"One of them is almost like Maleficent-a convincing double but her presence has vanished now. The other seems to be... Riku. His scent is very similar to the Superior's though as he's doubled in the darkness."

"Wait," you said. "I thought that he was trapped in the realm of darkness?"

"It's probable that that darkness helped him get out of the realm," Vexen suggested, sounding more interested by the minute.

"Maybe," Zexion said. "But that doesn't explain why he appeared here in Castle Oblivion."

"It's simple. His existence resonates with another hero's."

"Sora's in the castle already?" you asked with a surprised look which was shared with Zexion and Lexaeus.

"He arrived earlier. Marluxia is already using Namine's power to meddle with Sora's heart."

"And he didn't even bother to consult us," Zexion sighed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It's nice to know that we're so important."

"Well, Marluxia seems to want to have the Keyblade master for himself. Though it's a wasted effort; the much more interesting existence is Riku."

"That may be the case," you said. "But what are we going to do about him? I'm assuming we can't let him get too close to Sora as that would ruin Marluxia's plan."

"Someone will have to slow him down for a bit," Lexaeus decided to input. "But who should?"

"... I suggest that __ should hold him off first," Vexen put forward.

"What?! Why me?" you moaned, waving your hands in the air.

"I need to plan how I'm going to get data from him and Zexion needs to be here to check what's going on at the higher floors."

"What about Lexaeus?"

"He'll fight Riku when the time is right."

You glared at Vexen and looked to Zexion and Lexaeus for help but they just looked away. You huffed in annoyance before turning away

"Screw you guys," you muttered as you teleported off.

~~~

"Wha..?" someone gasped with the sound of a weapon being summoned soon after. "Who the heck are you?"

"Now that's not a nice way to greet someone now, is it?" you chuckled as you came into view in another one of the pale white rooms. "Won't get many friends with that. But if you insist, I am __ and I'm assuming you're Riku?"

"Yes... what do you want and how do you know who I am?" Riku asked wearily.

"You do not need to know about that. However, I am interested with your little problem with the dark."

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you so worried about the darkness? Why not try and control it early instead of waiting for it to control you?"

"It's not exactly easy, you know," Riku growled.

"No it's not. But it's not going to get any easier the longer you put it off. Or are you saying that you're too weak to handle it?"

"I'm not weak!" he cried, getting into a fighting stance.

"Aren't you?" you said, summoning your weapon. "Then prove it to me!"