Chapter Twenty One: Unknown

Erxart had kept the information from Axel and Larxene in mind regarding the other keyblade wielders. After all, the Organization had a directive to ensure the Keyblade wielders do not come to harm, so it would behoove him to know who they were, as well as their companions.

Yuffie Kisaragi, young ninja mercenary. Axel and Larxene did not seem to mind her too much, but you could never be too careful with someone dedicated to the art of stealth. As evidenced by her holding still her kunai at the ready.

The girl in white, blue, and green, Naminé. The girl who had escaped from Castle Oblivion and found power so close to the keyblade. For someone Larxene had described as "Helpless", she seemed quite capable, staring him down with a blade and cards in hand.

Which left Ventus.

The one who seemed to be the spitting image of Roxas.

The one who called him by that same name as Aqua did in his dream.

The boy took a step back towards his companions, eyes wide and shaking his head,"N..not your name?" A moment later he blurted out, "What do you mean it's not your name?!"

He had to admit, seeing someone so close to Roxas this distraught…

It hurt.

But Erxart knew who his friends were, so he did his best to stay calm and shake his head, "I mean you've got the wrong person. My name is Erxart."

Naminé moved to the keyblade wielder. With a frown she asked warily, "Ven, are you really sure this is Terra?"

That same name from a dream…

No. Focus. He couldn't get distracted again.

Yuffie shrugged with a nervous smile, "I mean, it's been how long since you saw each other? He probably got a haircut at l—"

"No...no! There can't be a mistake!" Ventus desperately pleaded as he walked towards him, a hand on his chest. "Terra, It's me, Ven!"

No, it wasn't just him mishearing. He was using that same name. "Ven..." Erxart furrowed his brow. His head began to ache. Like it was trying desperately to piece together...something! He winced as the pain began to grow

Ventus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small charm as he continued, "Don't you remember our promise?" Erxart tried to focus on the object, a star of silver and green, "Together with Aqua?"

And as he looked at it. There was an echo of a memory...down in the depths…

"Won't be needing this anymore."

Bloody hands.

Pieces everywhere.

A black keyblade

"Now, to make two from one…"

PAIN.

"Well, isn't this a reunion and a half!" Larxene's voice interrupted the vivid flashes of whatever Erxart had been distracted by. Though surprise seemed to be Larxene's strong suit. Case in point, her suddenly leaning on his shoulder as she continued,"Honestly, if Xemnas was here, it'd be really interesting!"

Though of the two, the comment got Erxart's attention most as he spun and looked at her, "What? What does he have to do with any of this?" If there was any member of the Organization that had set Erxart on edge, it was Xemnas. Superior or not, he just didn't want to interact with them more than he had to.

Letting him go, Larxene tapped a finger to her cheek as she continued, "I mean...he does have your face Erxart. Just a bit different with the silver hair, yellow eyes."

No...it couldn't be. It had to be a coincidence. He knew he had nightmares of a man going around with his face. Other than dreams and suspicion he had no real reason to distrust the nobody. He had been nothing but cordial in his management over the organization.

But no matter how much he tried to drown it out, some part of him didn't want to trust a word Xemnas said.

Did Ventus know? Was that why his face grew pale? Why he began to shake and mutter?

"Hey, do you hear something?"

Yuffie's observation was almost welcome. He needed to get back to the mission, though Larxene hardly seemed to be as welcoming, "Hear what? Listen if you're trying to distract us…"

Naminé shook her head, "No...I hear it too." Immediately the group quieted, though Larxene seemed almost annoyed at first. But soon a voice could be heard.

"...magic mirror,"

"Yeah, someone else is around for the mirror." Ventus' face became serious as he summoned his keyblade again. It was faint, but clear.

"...farthest space,"

"Sounds like it's coming from this way?" The three began to head towards the window at Yuffie's suggestion. Erxart took a step to follow, but Larxene held him back.

Smirking at his questioning look she explained, "Let the heroes do their thing. If that's Maleficent down there, why not let them do all the hard work?"

"Through...and darkness...summon thee."

The voice rose to a crescendo, and it was unmistakable from outside the window as Ventus pointed her out. "There!"

"Speak! Let me see thy face!"

It was the voice of the witch that used him like a puppet to take hearts. And there was no way he was going to let her walk away with anything today. "I want to fight because I want to make things right." Larxene seemed baffled at his words and let go of his shoulder. Seeing his chance Erxart charged forward, keyblade in hand.

There was no way he could hesitate any more.

Ven couldn't wait, he had to think of something! Terra showing up had thrown him off, and now Maleficent had managed to snag the mirror while everyone was distracted. A dark portal? Her magic? The how didn't matter, but what did was that down below the tower was the magic mirror they were searching for. As Maleficent finished the incantation the object spoke, "What wouldst thou know, mistress of all evil?"

"No! Don't tell her anything!" Ven Began to try and bash away some of the bars, hoping that one of them might have come loose in the fight. He had to do everything to stop—

"Stand aside!"

That was the only warning he got from Terra. Looking behind, he saw his friend cloaked in darkness itself, with a keyblade so mangled and corrupted…

"What do you mean about Terra being a different person?"

"Exactly what I said idiot. The Terra you know will be gone forever."

All of a sudden, Vanitas' words didn't sound so stupid anymore.

"Ven, Move!"

Naminé's hand pulled him away from the window. Just in time to see Terra, wreathed in shadow, crashing through the window. To the courtyard below.

He could only stare and listen to the sound of the beginning fight outside. Did...did he really not know anything? Was he wrong about Terra? Their friendship?

Larxene hardly seemed to care as she laughed, "Well. I better make sure our friend doesn't get too hurt."

With that taunt, she vanished into a dark portal. Ven could only call out after her, "Wait! Stop!" But she was gone before he knew it. He dropped to his knees, numb from everything. Just when he thought he knew what he needed to do he was lost again. "Terra...I...I couldn't…" He couldn't save him. He couldn't keep his promise.

But then a hand on his shoulder brought him to his senses. "Ven, we'll figure something out." Naminé smiled and helped him to his feet. Oddly enough, just listening to her helped to soothe him

By now sounds of a fight had already begun to fill the courtyard. Yuffie turned to jump out the window, "Listen, we can talk later, but right now we've got to go stop—"

"You."

Then everyone stopped and turned at the sound of Ven's voice. A much colder version of Ven's voice. In the doorway stood his doppelganger in the organization, eyes focused on his counterpart. Raising a keyblade toward Ventus, the boy in black demanded, "Who are you?"

Summoning his weapon as Naminé and Yuffie readied up beside him, "I'm just Ventus. Who are you?" Not much point in giving his nickname to someone he had a feeling he wouldn't be friends with.

"My name is Roxas," he advanced, keyblade still in hand. Still staring daggers at Ventus as he growled out, "Why do you have my face?"

"Now that's a real good question I'd love to hear the answer to," Axel's voice preceded him striding into the room. As the trio backed up to the wall, the members of the Organization advanced. Axel demanding, "Well? We're waiting, Ven."

"I don't know! The only guess I have…" Ventus tried to calm his nerves. Keep Axel from getting to him with a friendship that had come apart. At the very least, he had to make sure the worst hadn't come to pass. So he asked, "Have you ever heard of a man called Xehanort?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow as he heard the name, "Xehanort? First time I've heard of that." As Axel similarly shook his head, Ven let out a breath. At least Terra and Aqua were able to stop him. But then another question came, "What are you after?"

And at that point, Ventus had enough of having the conversation controlled by his enemies. Vanitas and Xehanort did it time and time again when he confronted them. Right now, he felt like he'd given enough information. He stood his ground as the two Organization members advanced, "Why should we tell you?!

Axel just waved a hand casually, "Tell us, don't tell us, doesn't matter, really." In a flash of flame, his weapons appeared as he smirked, "We're just here for Maleficent."

Yuffie scoffed at the answer gripping the large shuriken on her back, "Yeah right. We're the ones trying to stop Maleficent."

But at that, Roxas stopped."Wait…" His brow furrowed in confusion as he lowered his weapon. "If you're just here to stop her then why are we being so secretive?" He stepped forward and offered a hand, "Shouldn't we work together?"

Ventus looked at Roxas' hand. A chance to not have another enemy? To maybe find a way to bring Lea back from what he'd become?

But he couldn't.

Not after what the Organization did. What they wanted to do.

"No…"

Of course, if he was going to be beaten to that answer, Naminé had the most right to do so.

Axel chuckled, and scratched the back of his head, "You know...when someone's offering help—."

Her sword was shaking as she held it in her hand, "No! The Organization tortured me to make me work for them! I'll never work for them again!"

"Not to mention they wanted to mess up a friend of mine just to make him a weapon!" Yuffie now her fuuma shuriken ready to lob at the two Organization members, "So yeah!"

"There's no way we're working together! Not after what they did to my friends!" Ventus took a step forward with his keyblade toward a retreating Roxas.

But then he stopped, as he realized the expression on Roxas' face wasn't just shock, it was horror. He shook his head at the accusations, "No...The...the Organization wouldn't do something like that! Right Axel?!" He turned to his friend, only to find him strangely silent, "...Axel?"

And even stranger, Axel had no smirk, no quip. Just desperate attempts to explain, "I mean...Sometimes we needed to do a bit of dirty work. An icky job here or there. Not all the time but…"

But as Axel went on, Roxas retreated further away from him.

If someone only did evil because that was all they were taught, or they didn't know better...

Shouldn't they have the chance to change?

So Ven slowly offered his free hand, "Roxas, Come with us. You don't need to stay with the Organization."

"Roxas, don't listen to them!" Axel moved between Roxas and the three. Flames gathered around his weapon as he spoke, "We're Nobodies, remember? There's no place for us in these worlds!"

Naminé shook her head, "I've met people outside the organization and told them what I am. They're more understanding than you think." Her eyes were on Roxas as she pleaded, "I believe there might be a place for Nobodies in the world."

Roxas was silent, lips tight as he heard everything. But eventually, he shook his head, "I can't."

Yuffie was flabbergasted, sputtering out "Why not?! You clearly aren't happy with what these guys are doing!"

Roxas frowned, as he looked down to the ground, shaking his head,"My friends...I can't leave my friends. Erxart or Axel."

For a moment, the flames stopped as Axel looked back in surprise, "...Roxas. You still…?"

But before anyone could speak further, a column of shadows erupted from outside the window. For a moment, everyone was silent as a loud cackling filled the air. Ventus realized he had gotten so caught up in talking to Roxas, he'd forgotten about Maleficent.

A few moments after the shadows vanished, he saw something hurtling toward the tower from the ground. "Look out!" Just in time, everyone managed to avoid the body of Erxart as he tumbled in through the hole in the tower.

Then the tower shook, the sound of rock being crushed audible. And as the shaking grew worse, the massive claw of a black beast gripped the bottom of the hole in the tower. Just as soon, a dragon's head with green eyes, mouth filled with vermillion flames barged through the castle wall. And the creature bellowed with Maleficent's voice, "IF YOU KEEP ME FROM THE BLADE I SEEK, THEN YOU WILL BE CRUSHED BY THE MISTRESS OF ALL EVIL!"