Resurface (Org. XIII)

[theguardian]

The light cast upon the dark remnants of the World That Never Was seemed to hold a hallowed quality about it, a shell of what used to reside here. The former glory of Xemnas' Kingdom Hearts that cast over the Castle and the Dark City below no longer radiated from the parting of the clouds, for now the light shone dimly upon all without the euphoric intensity that once gave all Nobodies hope. The hope that a new state of existence, of completion was just beyond their grasp, waiting for the moment when all who had been robbed of a heart would find what was rightfully theirs returned. That fallacy of a dream coming true was stripped away the moment Sora's Keyblade had dug its last wound within the Luna Diviner, when his form gave way to the darkness that beckoned it. Standing within the silent halls of Addled Impasse did little to divert the attention of Number Seven from the memories that lingered, his body remaining motionless as he continued to stare at the placid white of the floor beneath his midnight black boots. The means in which Sora and his friends had discovered the World That Never Was had been known to him all along, for there was no mistaking that it had been Axel who had betrayed their cause, and Saix himself.

The Flurry of Dancing Flames had cast away their friendship for the hopes of a misguided, ill fated delusion, one that had lead to the very downfall of the Organization. Yellow eyes narrowed as they moved from the floor to the sky beyond the windows of his private chamber, where Kingdom Hearts no longer lingered in divine solace. The Key of Destiny had brought ruination to the very thing Saix had held dear to himself, the only thing he had truly been able to care about without the need of a heart; the promise of a life once lost, returned. It was inexcusable in the eyes of the Diviner. The soft sound of his footsteps toward the glass echoed in the dead silence of the room, and quickly came to a stop as Saix slowed his pace into a stand, his eyes fixated upon the same spot.

'For all the work we had put forth, only for it to fall apart so easily....'

The single thought echoed in the depths of his mind, dominating every other as it seemed to fill the room, yet all that surrounded the composed lunatic was silence and nothing more. The truth behind such a thought was absolute though, for Number Seven was all but certain that things fell apart too easily. Who was to blame for such a fault though? Was it himself? Saix felt this to be impossible, as he had done everything in his power to secure the expanse of Kingdom Hearts for as long as it had lasted. The other loyalists had done their part to keep the Keybearers at bay, but in retrospective, the Diviner only saw their efforts to be mundane and trivial. They were not worthy to wear the cloak of the Organization, having failed the cause of the group, and themselves so easily. The fools sent to Castle Oblivion were no better, bickering over their petty rivalries and strife rather than utilizing their resources toward achieving a common goal. Marluxia's deem for power proved ultimately irrelevant given his list of followers, and means for carrying it out. Vexen's research had cost the group just as much, for the replicas had proved little use in the end. Xemnas had been right to scrap the project, however had done so after these costly mistakes had been made.

A sense within himself told the Diviner much though, and saw this as a means to right the wrongs; a second chance to obtain what rightfully belonged to him. Already Saix could feel the return of Xemnas, the sense of the Superior and his presence was too powerful to ignore. It had already taken hold of the Castle That Never Was, and it was unmistakable to the lesser Nobodies that the commander of Nothingness continued to stir within the unknown. Number Seven cast a glance over his shoulder toward the ring of iron bars at the center of Addled Impasse, then let his golden eyes wander to the floor as he pondered the return of the Organization. If Xemnas was to return, then all would be put in place once more, and the road to completion would start anew. It was possible that the less useful and dedicated members of the group could return as well, but this time Saix would be sure to put them all in their places, to keep them in line to allow no room for error. Returning his gaze once more to the emptied sky, Saix let a small smirk tug at the corner of his lips, as the hopes of completing himself had been found not entirely extinguished.

[Deleted]

Xion stepped out of the swirling depths of her Corridor, tugging her hood up higher as the rain began to hit her cloak. It was one of the few benefits of still having the Cloak..it kept you dry. She looked around, standing before the Castle. Why had she come? What was the purpose here? She wasn't sure..all she knew was that something had changed..there was a different sense here. Had Xemnas returned? And if so....what would that mean for those who had come back...but had not rejoined? What waited inside the former headquarters of the Organization..abandoned since the falling, she presumed.

She headed inside, her boots hitting the floor with a soft echoing sound as she explored, trying to determine the source of the presence. It felt familiar...but..ominous, as well. She had left the Organization..deserted, and traveled with Riku for a while..before Axel had appeared, under orders to bring her back. They had fought..and she had lost. Knocked out and returned to the Castle... Xion rubbed her head, remembering that fight...and the following one where she had seen Axel for the last time. She had, again, failed to win, but she hadn't been trying to win. She had hoped that he would defeat her, and she would be returned to Sora..

Xion shook the thoughts away. Focusing on where she was wandering, she realized just how long it had been since she had been to the Castle. She stopped, and then turned, following the hallway to the Grey Area. If anyone was here..perhaps they would be where they had met up before and after missions..
She only prayed that this presence wasn't Vexen's....anyone but him..

[demyx]

[atrb=width, 450,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=background,http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa302/yukineko109/Request_Demyx_bg.png] Demyx turned around as the corridor swirled away from behind him; he quickly turned around to watch it disappear from behind him. After being defeated by Sora, Demyx started to get the chills whenever watching the darkness dissipate into nothing, a solid reminder of the past and that if he wasn’t careful that darkness dissipating would be him again. Though Demyx wouldn’t let that happen ever since he was brought back from the darkness he had felt a new found pride in re-finding his heart, he hadn’t delivered ends meet on his end of the Organizations promise of hard work to regain your heart. That was part of the reason Demyx had come back, he felt that he was going to find something of important pertaining to the Organization here; perhaps another member hoping to re-light the former flame of the Organization, and thus ultimately giving Demyx a second chance at winning his heart back. Though Demyx had made a plan to shake off the fact he had come here to another member if he were to find one, most likely a cover up such as searching for a item he left here before he was defeated, he wouldn’t want them to think he was willing to actually work to get his heart back. As he walked through the narrow halls of the castle that never was his boots seemed to make an echo of footsteps as he walked, hopefully loud enough for someone to find him. As he made a turn down a long bleak white corridor he approached something that caught him slightly off guard, in front of him was the door way to his old room in the castle. Suddenly flooded with memories of his days in the Organization, Demyx felt a feel of nostalgia come over him as he stood there silently reminiscing the memory of his lazy days strumming the Sitar away, he wished those times would be back soon. Demyx turned away giving himself a reminder to stay on track, as he walked further into the castle an Idea hit him about possibly going to the Grey Area and relaxing to play the Sitar for a bit. Instead of roaming the halls of the castle, I’ll just have them come to me.Demyx thought happily as the feel of light heartedness spread across him. Approaching the Grey Area, Demyx lightly hummed a short tune he had over heard a while back when he was on the streets of Radiant Garden. Finally once Demyx had arrived at his destination the sight of a smaller feebler member caught his attention, why would she return? Demyx hadn’t the clue, but none the less she was a former member and could possibly help in the re-kindling of the Organization. Figure he ought to play nice with her he decided to start up some chit chat to lighten the mood, “Hey, you’re looking lively!” He exclaimed cheerfully to the girl, Demyx then plopped down onto the couch in the Grey Area, summoned his Sitar and began to strum. “Why don’t you join me? Music can be very relaxing.”

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[theguardian]

Why did this continue, why had nothing happened? Had he not been promised a heart, and had easily conquered every challenge set before him? The strength that had conquered his own, Sora’s, it was enough to baffle anyone who had a heart, for even in his state of nothingness, The Diviner could only recall memories of feelings; these feelings of course reflecting astounding qualities, yet all were underlined with subliminal rage and resentment. Sora, Roxas, the very wedge that had driven apart his plan, and his friendship with Axel, had also been the very source of his heart’s denial. As his head rose, the uncertain and wondrous expression of Saïx soon met his reflection in the glass before him, and then hardened into a scowl as his sights focused on the skies outside it. His hand remained placed on the very spot he had last touched before his fall into the abyss, and his focus, was on the very location that Kingdom Hearts used to be found, but no longer. The skies these long dreary days were now empty, deprived of the ecstasy of the heart shaped moon’s glow, and lacking all significance that had been held before. Dark clouds filled with rain and bolts had replaced this hallowed nirvana, drizzling despair and emptiness down upon the Dark City that surrounded the Castle. It was very disheartening, and as ironic as such a statement could have been claimed to be, there remained a fire of determination within his shell of an existence.

As it had been in the early days of the Organization, the fortress and headquarters of the Nobodies appeared quite empty, devoid of much activity. Simply for the lack of members, lack of direction and order, or the undesired to uphold authority, there was much disunity that could be sensed within the confines of the Castle. This sense of meaningless idling would soon expire, for Number Seven was beginning to become more eager to get things moving once more, no matter what Xemnas was doing, or what plans he was intending to carry out. The Superior’s lack of presence only told The Luna Diviner that it was up to him to begin preparations for the next crusade of hearts, and with the lack of power in numbers, security in the world of Nobodies would have to be tightened to the extreme once more. His right hand that remained placed upon the glass slowly tightened into a fist, and as the leather creaked, Saix looked down to the palm of it before removing away from the window. He would not allow Roxas, Axel, or anyone else from obtaining a heart this time, and it was this very oath to himself that provoked his determination even further. Liabilities would be dealt with as he saw fit, what would serve in the best interest for the Organization, and this time, no idle fantasies would get in the way.

It was then that an unusual presence within the Castle came to the Diviner's senses, one that seemed to radiate a false sense of power, and yet not longer after, another more powerful and familiar sense had arrived in turn. The eyes of the lunatic moved from the glass to the ethereal gateway leaving Addled Impasse, the means to travel to the Proof of Existence, where all Organization members could access their private chambers. Without warning, and a desire to investigate the identities of the survivors by their headstones, a Corridor of Darkness overtook the form of Number Seven, leaving nothing in his wake as he departed the room. Within moments the darkness that had taken Saïx emerged within the Grey Area, some few feet behind the couch that Demyx had taken an eased comfort upon sitting.

Yellow eyes fixated upon the back of the dirty blond mullet of the Melodious Nocturne, narrowing every so slightly before moving to the other presence. As the sights of his eyes fell upon Xion, Saïx took a moment to recall where he had seen this face prior. It was irrelevant for the time being though, as the Luna Diviner returned his attention to that of Number Nine. "The time for relaxing is over, Demyx. I see you've wasted no time to indulge in such since your return from the darkness," paused the emotionless voice of Number Seven, as the Nobody took the time to round the couch to stand where his fellow Organization comrade could look upon him. "The time of the Superior's return draws nearer, and it falls upon us to provide results for when he does." The statement was a bold one, yet Saïx remained adamant in enforcing the claim, for it would instill obedience within Number Nine. The Organization's ways would not falter under his watch, for until Xemnas returned, it was up to Saïx to pick up the pieces. No one would jeopardize his chance to become complete, never again.

[Deleted]

The pink haired Nobody known as Marluxia wandered down the quiet pathways of Darkness calmer than he had been in the last few days since he had been reawaken in the worlds. At first, he had awoken a bit disoriented and confused as to why he had been given a second chance at life, but then shrugging it off he had decided to try to fill in the gaps that had been left thanks to time and his death. It was this simple path of finding information that had led him into trouble. He had found Twilight Town and Olette first and had sought to use her and any other cooperative being he found to start building a nice network of information gathers and pawns to use in a greater plan that he would’ve form when he had gotten a better a grasp upon the situation the worlds were in; however, a small issue came up—emotions. He didn’t understand where they had come from or why they were present. He didn’t understand why he felt the need to play nice with people and gain trust when in the past he had simply taken what he wanted and made use of it. He didn’t understand this want…no need to protect something that was growing within him daily. He didn’t understand why he suddenly cared as if he were a Somebody instead of the empty shell he really was.

What had that keyblade brat done to him when he destroyed him? What had reawakening done? Were either of them the true cause of this problem or was he perhaps tricking himself into believing in such a thing? Was it pure desire to crush Sora that drove him into this state of near insanity? Or was it the fact that when Sora destroyed him, his purpose had expired and now that he was back amongst the living, he was afraid he was going to fade away if he didn’t hold onto something? What was it? What made him unsure? What had shaken and changed the Nobody so?

Questions and no answers again. The Nobody paused in his walking as he bowed his head trying to sort through the mess in his head that was becoming more of knot by the second. He had wandered about, met many different people, had learned more than he thought he would about the keyblades, and finally began questing the idea of Hearts.

He knew that he was a shell that shouldn’t have been capable of even feeling or thinking on emotions. It was what made him, him in the past. The empty shell that did not pretend as he manipulated people to his own will, but things had changed. He had pretended to have emotions to win some over, but at the same time remained cold and distant. It wasn’t until that incident with back in Twilight Town, when he had wanted to protect Olette and the child Ryhme from the Heartless boy, that he actually begin to question himself and this idea of being empty. Sure, he had told himself he was protecting them because like the town, he had laid claim over them, but the more he pondered the situation, the more he began to wonder how much of that was true.

Of course bumping into Namine hadn’t helped either. While he had let the girl live and even toyed with the idea of actually aiding her, the Memory Witch’s words and actions had lingered about his mind. She was pretty sure that while she was separated from her Somebody that there was a Heart out there for her. It was laughable on one hand. After all, all she had to do was return to her Somebody if she wanted her Heart back, but on the other, Kairi and Namine didn’t look alike nor act the same. They were as different as Roxas was from Sora, so it made Number 11 wonder….Was Namine really just Kairi’s Nobody? Or was she like Roxas a truly special case with a hidden meaning behind her? And on that note, why was everything connected to that brat Sora so complicated? Special cases with different connections all to him? What was the boy really? What made his Heart so powerful while others were weak? What was it?

More questions…no answers. It was infuriating not knowing, but the Graceful Assassin wanted to know the answers and wondered if it required finding his own Heart to gain the knowledge. He pondered this question a bit longer before pushing the thoughts asides and focusing once more. Alright. So he was done collecting data on the happenings of the worlds. He understood from those he met and the things he saw that the worlds were connected and open to each other once more and while he had yet to be in battle himself, he knew of the war that constantly went on between the Light and the Dark; however, as long as Castle Oblivion or Twilight Town were not attack, Marluxia did not care that much about the war. As for the people he met, he wasn’t really sure where to put most on his board, Olette and Namine were his possessions, so in turn as long as the two did not do anything to give him reason to turn his scythe against them, they had his aid… for now. They both still had work to do as far as getting Marluxia to trust them again, but at least unlike everyone else they had a high chance of winning him over, if they played their cards right. Anyway, a lot had been accomplished in a few days, officially completing the first few objectives he had given himself when he had reawaken. Now it was time Marluxia set himself on a different path.

This time he was to figure out just how “empty” he really was and if there was a way to be whole once more. He needed information on this subject and fortunately for him, he knew exactly where to look. Xemnas had spoken on becoming whole again and had given everyone in the Organization the false hope of becoming whole again making them work to build an artificial Kingdom Hearts to achieve the goal. Most of the Organization had bought into the talk, but Marluxia had had his own agenda back then, so he just played along until he had enough of playing the pawn and made his move. When his plan came undone and in turn he was destroyed, he thought he would be lost in the darkness forever, and yet here he was alive and well once more. A second chance that he still did not understand, but at least he would not waste. Setting his mind on his next goal and location, the Nobody’s cold blue eyes looked around the dark pathways searching for the correct path to take. After all, the world he was going to was known only to the Organization and a few trouble makers outside of them. It didn’t take the Nobody long to track down the path he wanted to be on. He was further pleased when the Darkness around that hidden path easily obeyed him and turned into a Corridor as he reached out to it. With his doorway opened, the Graceful Assassin slipped through the Darkness and entered The World That Never Was.

As soon as he was out of the portal, he found himself in one of the many hallways of the Castle That Never Was as the Corridor closed quietly behind him. The pink haired Nobody stayed where he was listening to the familiar silence and taking in the familiar presence of the castle…and Xemnas. While the Organization leader was not to be seen, his presence was sunk deep into this castle along with many memories both good and bad that Marluxia did not dare to linger on at the moment. It had been a while since the Nobody had walked these halls, but like his own castle, Oblivion, this castle recognized him immediately and automatically seemed to keep a cautious eye on him, but it did not turn him away. As he began to move quietly down the hall, the castle let him by easily enough, still recognizing him as part of the Organization despite what he had done. Besides he held no malice towards the place. After all, it was still home was it not?

In any case, he had not come here to go down memory lane. No, he had come here to dig for as much information as he could find before trouble found him. He was going to get his answers. He was certain about that, but first he needed to figure out a way into an area that held Xemnas’s presence the most. He knew he’d have the castle herself to deal with, but he figured with enough time and patience, even this castle would yield to him and give him what he sought. Confident and sure once more, Marluxia continued to walk down the hall for a while longer, but froze in his tracks as he sensed clearly the presences of others in the place. Unlike the boy called Lucius (check spelling), these presences definitely belonged to Nobodies that belonged to the Organization. Had he walked in on a gathering then? If so then, perhaps he wouldn’t be able to do as much digging as he had hoped to do, but then again this little unexpected turn of event was useful in its own way. While he was sure that not everyone from the Organization had returned or if they had would return here, this did give him the opportunity to “see” who was here and determine if he had to be truly concerned or not. Who did we have here?

He let his senses stretch outward. The furthest away were two presences gathered in the Grey Area where some Organization members used to hang out in when they were one unit and had no missions to run in the past. From what he could “see”, one presence belonged to Vexen’s little toy…what was her name again? Xion, no? Anyway, Xion had never been a problem to the Nobody in the past and the few times he had bumped into her along his current path, nothing bad had ever happened, so she was no threat; however, he had to wonder why she was here. Was she still doing her research as she had been when she was in Oblivion? Or was she here for another reason? Hmm….valid questions that he would not dig into if the puppet did not get in his way. In any case, she wasn’t alone. The other presence in the room. Who was that? The Nobody poked around a bit more until he saw the other Nobody clearly. Demyx….definitely not a threat under normal circumstance. More like of a waste of time really. The music loving Nobody wasn’t useful unless threatened and what good was that when he still didn’t get the job done and would try to give it to someone else? The beautiful and ugly thing about Demyx is that if he wanted to, the Graceful Assassin could easily chase him off; however, the younger Nobody’s cowardly nature could always back fire and cause the water user to start a ruckus and that would do no good. No. For now the best move was to stay away from the Grey Area. No need for unwanted attention. Now who was this last presence that was closest to him?

The pink haired Nobody tilted his head in the direction of the last presence a little ways ahead, focusing on it for only a second before feeling himself both repelled and attracted to who was there. Saïx….now that. That could be a problem. Number 7 was loyal to Xemnas in his own way, but had the ability to manipulate and step on people as easily as he did as long as the overall goal for the Organization was achieved. Granted Saïx played his game with a bit more patiently than Marluxia, but at the end of the day the pair were equally cold and cruel. Marluxia would never admit out loud that the other Nobody did indeed deserve some form of respect and caution and he would never say that maybe under different circumstances the pair might’ve actually gotten along; however, as things stood, Saïx was the threat here. If he was still as loyal to Xemnas as he had been in the past, then perhaps he had come back hoping to find Xemnas and resume the plan to create Kingdom Hearts and become whole again or maybe he had his own plan. It was hard to guess, but Marluxia knew he couldn’t just find the Nobody and ask. After all, he was very sure that Saïx wouldn’t have forgotten what he had done. No it would take a miracle for that to happen.

He couldn’t escape the place either and pretend he hadn’t been there. Depending on how long Saïx had been in the castle, he probably already knew about his “guests” and exactly where they were, so now it was a matter of what to do. Where to step, so he wouldn’t provoke the vicious fighter into action. Hm? His thought process paused as he sensed Saïx moving from his spot and moving elsewhere. Deciding that following would be smarter than linger in the halls, Marluxia became a quiet whirlwind of flower petals as he teleported from his spot in the hall reappearing in the shadows of Grey Room a second after Saix had. Not really caring if he had been noticed or not, he leaned against the wall as he listened to what Saïx was saying. A slight frown appeared on his face at the words.

Holding the fort down for until Xemnas returned? He didn’t like that one bit. He didn’t want to work for Xemnas…but then again. If he did repair his relationship with the group perhaps he could find his answers and if they proved to be…less than beneficial somewhere down the road, he could always turn against them once more. Mhmm. That was at least a plan. Deciding to test the waters to see what would happen, Marluxia folded his arms as he looked over at the group from shadow and spoke his words.

“And what results are to be presented, hm?” he asked in his usual monotone way. He didn’t expect a straight answer or even one at all. The question was more of testing if he could even get in on whatever was going on here. The risk was high, but as long as no one attacked him directly, he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize this.... unique opportunity.

[Deleted]

Xion watched the gathering members, feeling rather out of place. So far, the only one who had actually acknowledged her openly was Demyx..and to be honest, she was surprised he knew her at all. Sure, they had been on a mission or two together, but he had spent most of it strumming away on his sitar. Not that she blamed him...it was more experience she gained when learning to fight on her own. She was curious about how easily he could simply settle back into things, but she supposed that's what Demyx knew best..going with the flow and seeing what happened next.

If Xion had a pulse, it probably would have stopped for a moment when Saïx appeared. She should have known better..asking for anyone you dreaded usually got you someone worse...and her thoughts about Saïx were not pleasant. She recalled his words, Broken, useless...nothing more than a Puppet. Xion tugged the hood on her cloak more snugly over her head, feeling as invisible as ever. Maybe...that was a good thing. She wasn't sure...how she felt about this. She listened as he spoke to Demyx, and Marluxia when he showed up.

Marluxia...he was the one who had confronted her in Castle Oblivion..she had been planning on doing more research into the Organization and its projects...one particular Project in mind. She watched him curiously, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't usually say much, it seemed..the few times she had met him before had been the same. She glanced at Saïx as Marluxia spoke, waiting to see if the Second would answer...or simply ignore the question.

Xion, too, had questions and sought answers..but she wasn't about to ask Saïx.

[demyx]

[atrb=width, 450,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=background,http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa302/yukineko109/Request_Demyx_bg.png] Out of all the members in Organization XIII, Demyx just had to meet up with the two buzz kills and the shy puppet. Of course they would have to do if the team ever wished to regain the rest of the Organization from the darkness, the time for waiting was over. The Organization was on its way to returning to power, and it definitely was what Demyx had planned to achieve when he was on his way here. Though as the more he thought about it the more work it would have to be for him when there are less members, but when he began to recollect more the real missions started once they had gained that Keykid Roxas. If the Organization really was going to start up again they would need a Keybearer after all that’s was the only way to Kingdom Hearts, by collecting hearts. As Demyx thought more about hearts, the more it began to settle an internal conflict within him. After all he had risen from the darkness for a reason, though what if it wasn’t the one he assumed? Perhaps he was given a second chance at life, one without a Heart, but still with life. This thought was quickly shaken off with the thought of what life would be without emotion or a hearts; Demyx honestly didn’t like being the bad guy, but knew he had to. After all collecting hearts was the Organization’s primary objective and he was trying to help recompose the Organization, but if the former tactics hadn’t work why would they work this time? All these questions made Demyx’s head begin to hurt, Demyx wasn’t really a thinker he was definitely more of a doer. Though as he had been lost in thought he was spoken to by Saix, but figuring it was a rhetorical question he decided to leave it best without an answer. Until Marluxia spoke, now let’s get one thing straight here Demyx has never been fond of him, though now he has somewhat of a respect for him being able to rise up the Organization himself and have the nerve to come back here again. Though Marluxia spoke in a condescending tone towards Saix, he had obviously lost his false respect he had presented him once before his true self had been revealed. As Demyx listen in on their situation he fell bored under the circumstances so began to set his head on the couch and closes his eyes hoping to catch some sleep while those to bantered on.

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[theguardian]

The yellow eyes of Number Seven remained fixated upon that of the Melodious Nocturne, yet when Demyx had refused to say anything in response to his words, Saix merely ignored his silence. There was much for the Nobody to think about given the circumstances of his failure in the past existence, and his demeanor at this given time left the Luna Diviner to wonder whether the water wielder had come to terms with his defeat at the hands of Sora. It was an interesting thought to ponder on, for it remained possible that like himself, Demyx too pondered the last moments of the half life possessed before falling into the darkened abyss beyond. Though in the spectrum of what needed to be accomplished, how Number Nine felt about returning to what he once was was, in all accounts, irrelevant to Saix's agenda to regain what had nearly been his.

Number Seven walked calmly past Demyx and stood near Xion for a moment, watching the hooded figure with little interest as another presence made itself known. The unmistakable sound of darkness had eluded his ears upon his arrival, yet the tone of the voice that followed it had not managed to slip past the berserker. Yellow eyes met light blue as the Diviner turned to look over his shoulder, laying sights upon that of Marluxia as the latter stepped from the shadows of the far side of the room. At first glance the blue haired lunatic narrowed his eyes, yet after a moment his expression softened but a fraction, yet never relenting in the stern resolve it continued to hold firm. The sight of a traitor in the halls of the Organization was not unexpected, but it was certainly not welcomed either. In the long run The Superior's plans had revealed Marluxia's ploy to those who remained here in the World That Never Was, and the disposable weakened links within the chain of the group had been broken by the Keybearer.

Saix could only imagine that Marluxia, as well as the other weaker members of the Organization, had returned seeking what was owed to them. In truth however nothing was owed to those who had turned their back on the Organization's ambitions, and put one's own priorities ahead of the goal of completion. Number Seven looked down upon Marluxia for believing he could control Sora, to turn and use the Keyblade Hero for his own means to conquer and seize control of the group for himself. Though he recognized the similarities behind the motives of the Graceful Assassin and his own, it did not sway the fact that Number Eleven remained a potential liability to the restoration of Kingdom Hearts. He would be watched carefully if he was to be considered any use to the group, yet with the absence of Xemnas remaining, the decision of whether or not to cast away the former betrayer rested upon no one's shoulders but his own.

"That of which you failed to provide from your time in Castle Oblivion...Marluxia," began Saix in response to the Nobody of Flower, raising a hand to point towards the former resting place of Kingdom Hearts. "With your efforts, and those of the careless, we have suffered too great of a set back." For a moment Saix let his intense yellow eyes wander to look beyond the glass of the Grey Area, then slowly returned to look upon the Graceful Assassin once more. "We were so close, and yet we allowed it to slip from our grasp. An unfortunate circumstance of idle fantasies, and miscalculated agendas." Number Seven lowered his hand then remained focused upon Marluxia for but a moment longer, and turned to walk a few steps towards the nearest of the glass windows. Once more his reflection came up in the shine of the surface, and as Saix stared upon himself, he began to think about Axel and Roxas once more. How the Flurry of Dancing Flames had so idly cast aside their friendship for a make believe one, it had only been one of many costly liabilities that had ruined Kingdom Hearts for the Organization. Saix stared with an intense burn at the glass for a moment in silence, then cast an indirect glance over his shoulder towards Number Eleven once more.

"Why have you returned?"

[Deleted]

This was an odd gathering filled with tension as each of the three members—well, four he supposed if he counted Xion— present was lost in his or her own thought of the past. None gathered here really cared for each other and while he could not say much about the puppet, he understood and could read Saïx and Deymx well. Neither one liked him and quite frankly he did not trust either, but in his current situation, he was running up against brick walls in his quest for answers on his own, so while he did not care for most of the Organization members, he did see the benefit of reconnecting with the group. The only problem was playing nice with what he had to deal with. His cold blue eyes scanned the room again taking note of what the others were doing.

The puppet was clearly uncomfortable in this situation. He watched as she tugged at the hood of her cloak and remained quiet. Perhaps hoping no one would pay her any mind. After all, despite being a puppet did she not have a keyblade? And would that not make her a perfect tool for collecting Hearts? Had she not just placed herself within Saïx’s hands by coming here? No, she would not be overlooked. As he was thinking this, Saïx moved next to the puppet and paused only for a moment observing her with as much interest as one gives a fly on the wall. The man always did see her as a broken tool, so there seemed to be no change there, but this mattered little to the Graceful Assassin. So just as quickly as he observed the pair, Marluxia’s cold blue eyes moved from them to glance back at Demyx.

Of everyone gathered, the water controlling Nobody probably was the least happiest to be here. After all, if Saïx’s little plan worked he would be expected to work and from what Marluxia knew of the younger Nobody, work was the last thing on his mind. Seriously, look at him! Trying to take a nap when he within the same room with a traitor and a loyalist to Xemnas. At any given moment, this whole situation could turn bad and perhaps a fight would break out, but instead of being tense and on edge like the puppet, the blonde had chosen to attempt to sleep. Marluxia shook his head inwardly at this. Tch. Typical, he thought and yet…Sometimes he envied how easily that one could relax and throw away worry or caution and at other times he simply wanted to strangle the other for being lazy. He was a headache to deal with at times when it came to planning, but at least he wasn’t too much of his problem yet. After all, Saïx was the one that had to make or break this group. He had to play leader. Marluxia, for the moment, was here to see if he could make use of this small gathering. He could remain civil as long as Xemnas wasn’t here. If the Superior did show up, he’d have to rearrange his plans, but for now playing it by ear was safe.

Now then where were we? Oh yes. Back to observing this group. While it was true that Demyx could be bullied into working, Marluxia was curious to see how Saïx planned to get this group to work as one unit again. After all, he had noticed the narrowing of the eyes and had felt the distrust that ran high in the room. Everyone had questions or was drawn here by the thoughts of Hearts, but still even with a somewhat common ground or slight understanding of one another, it did not change the fact that this group had changed.

While Saïx planned to go about collecting Hearts again, he had to wonder how on board most of the people in this room were. Had ideas changed? Were the ones present questioning the plan now? Were they in doubt or perhaps searching for something else?

From the corner of his eye, his focused on Xion as he thought that last thought. Saïx still saw her as a puppet and while he did not know the girl well, he wondered why she had appeared at his castle, in Twilight Town, and now for a third time here. She had mentioned doing research, but what sort of research? What was she after? He pondered this for a bit being reminded of Naminé and her strong determination to find the answers behind her own questions regarding Nobodies and Hearts. He began to wonder if the puppet had this will too and if so what would that do to well-placed plans? Would she pursue her questions and wander off track or would her questions keep her right where she was?

An interesting factor and something that caused the Nobody’s earlier plans of hanging about to only grow stronger. He’d stay just to see what would happen to this odd group. Of course that left one little problem, didn’t it? To stay he’d have to obey once more. And the one he had to obey was Saïx. An annoying thing to do, but he could play ally for a while. After all, he’d much rather not worry about the Organization coming after him. While the cost was the rearrangement of his plans as he went along, he was willing to adapt to insure he remained the one benefiting from the deal. If the others reaped rewards too that was fine by him. At least with everyone content, he wouldn’t have to worry about stress later, but enough of what if’s. It was time to focus on the present.

He asked his question, got the glare, felt the mood in the room shift to tension as different things came to play within each present, but despite all that the Nobody had remained emotionless and without fear. When Saïx answered his question, the pink haired Nobody’s eyes followed the direction he pointed in, his eyes looking at the dark skies where Kingdom Hearts used brightly illuminate the place. His eyes lingered on the spot for only for a second before he was looking back at Saïx. When he blamed, Marluxia and the few that had followed him for the setbacks the Organization had suffered, the Nobody’s eyes narrowed a fraction and became cold. He had half the mind to snap back at the blue haired Nobody, but instead held his tongue reminding himself that he had not come here to cause trouble. So when the other turned his yellow eyes to Marluxia once more, the Graceful Assassin met his gaze evenly as he listened to his words.

They had all been close to gaining their goals indeed, but in the end had fallen thanks to those keybladers that had interfered and other strings that had been snapped by others of the Organization. In the end, they all had fallen, so the blame could easily be laid upon the ones left behind too, but there was no point in starting arguments over that little issue. That was one thing that would never end and the Nobody was in no mood for debates, so instead of fighting he played stubborn instead.

“Hmph,” was all he said before Marluxia simply folded his arms and turned away slightly at the blame that was laid upon him. He kept his head held high never denying or apologizing for what he did. He would not. It was just not his way.

Following the small response was a tense silence in which Marluxia could’ve sworn he felt anger coming from Saïx’s direction, but whether this anger was directed at him or something else was hard to say, but it was there. Had he perhaps changed too? Could feel again? Doubtful since he planned to bring Kingdom Hearts back, but he wonder if he was really doing this for Xemnas or had an alternative motive under it all. In any case, he didn’t ponder this too long before he was drawn back to the present by a question from the Second. As he heard it, he paused only for a moment to consider how to answer before speaking.

“Why have I come back?” he repeated his tones never changing as he moved from his position by the wall and casually made his way towards the seating area. “I was searching for Organization members, so thought if I started from the beginning I’d find what I sought,” he paused, stopping a safe distance from the others before continuing. “And indeed I did find what I sought. Not as many as I hoped for, but this will do.” Marluxia said his tones held a hint of arrogance in it as he looked down at Xion and Demyx just for show’s sake rather than a necessity. Then after watching them a moment, he was returning his gaze to Saïx, his tones serious and monotone once more.

“In any case, I was hoping we could put errors of the past aside and try this all again on new grounds. After all you can’t build Kingdom Hearts alone, so I’m sure I can be of some use to your cause,” he said keeping his words straight to the point and calm. He hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t told the whole truth either as was his way. Every Organization member had their own agendas and plans and the less they knew about each other the better. The only true concern here was how much one could use the other without getting bitten. He had thrown his offer to help out there, but this did not mean he trusted any of them. He held no ties to the Organization anymore, but understood the need for others to get what he wanted in the end. So why not start with what he was familiar with, hmm? It would be tricky and dangerous if he was let back in and he was certain that he’d be carefully watched in turn for his actions in the past. He’d expect that and to be honest, he’d be watching them too. If all went well, the Nobody would indeed keep his end of the bargain and be useful to the Organization…as long as they remained non-threatening and gave him what he sought. The question was now would Saïx take his chances with the flower with thorns or not.

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Xion felt immensely uncertain as she watched Saïx. The tall blue-haired Nobody made her feel extremely unneeded, and at the same time, she still remembered his words the last time she had seen him. Even now as she thought of them, she stiffened slightly, anger seething through her. She remained expressionless. He considered her a broken puppet..useless, and unnecessary. Why should she prove herself useful to him..? Saïx was addressing the other two, completely ignoring her. It was best that way, she thought. It would keep her from scrutiny, from questions that she would not answer. Demyx, she wasn't worried about. He was cool and all..rather laid back and relaxed. Not a threat..at least not here, and certainly not to her. Her gaze drifted to the pink-haired Marluxia. He had come as well? How curious. She had seen him several times before. Had he come here for the same reason: to see who would return? She refocused, and suddenly realized Marluxia was looking right back at her.

Xion averted her eyes, and then went completely still as Saïx walked over to stand near her. She could feel his gaze; those glowing eyes, burning, uncaring, disinterested. She watched him from beneath the refuge of her hood, glad that she had left it on. She was not about to face the Nobody who had been second to Xemnas. They had seen her as nothing more than something to be manipulated, a tool..They had even tried to pit her against Roxas, in the hopes she would destroy him. She clenched her hands into fists, certain at any moment something would happen. But instead, Saïx went to the window, still speaking to the other two members, and indicating where Kingdom Hearts used to sit in the sky. A slight smirk formed on the hooded girl's face. So..it really had happened. Kingdom Hearts was gone..set free. A shame...or was it? She recalled telling Roxas that Xemnas shouldn't have Kingdom Hearts. Had he managed to keep Xemnas from it?

As Saïx finished speaking, and Marluxia answered, Xion wondered what part, if any, the now-in-command (if only for now) Saïx would have them all play...she doubted he would bother remembering she had a Keyblade. She was broken, right? A useless Puppet in his eyes. The thought reminded her of her real purpose for coming. She had wanted to see if Vexen would come...