Moon Shadows

Takes place not long after Saïx joins the Organization.

Saïx was wandering the streets of the Dark City when he found it: a dark mass that was somehow blacker than the pavement underneath his feet. It was lying in the back corner of some forgotten alley. His first thought was that it was merely a Shadow—the city housed a seemingly endless supply of them—but this black thing did not move.

He approached the mysterious object and knelt down to examine it more closely. It was a pile of some kind of dark material. Upon lifting it up, he saw that it had been torn to shreds.

There was a sudden flash, followed by a deafening bellow of thunder, and the lights emanating from the buildings around him flickered. He studied the sky and wondered if it might actually rain tonight. The heavy clouds that hung overhead always threatened to storm but rarely ever followed through.

His gaze returned to the material in his hands, and he fingered its threadbare edges curiously. It was weighty and thick, and he doubted that this kind of damage could have been done by an ordinary Shadow.

Another flash illuminated the alley, and he was able to identify the material as the same that was clothing his own body: the robe of an Organization member. A strange buzzing filled the back of his mind, then fizzled and died as quickly as it had come.

Xigbar, he resolved, must have been careless with his guns…or was using the robe for target practice. But why would it end up here?

Gathering up what was left of the robe and its scattered pieces, Saïx stood up and exited the alley. There was a third flash, and the city lights winked out.

In the darkness, he could see brief images—familiar and yet unfamiliar—of horrifying, unspeakable things: splattered blood, torn flesh, and jagged edges ripped through his mind. Screams pierced his head, causing him to double over in pain.

When the visions finally ended, he was dizzy and could barely see. And he was terrified. There was something monstrous in this blackness…and it was after him. He tried to run, but his trembling legs refused to support his body. He stumbled several times and eventually fell to his hands and knees. He turned his head to the sky.

"Moon, light my way…" he whispered pleadingly.

But she chose to remain hidden on this night and left him to crawl around in the dark, dragging the robe with him. No matter…she was no substitute for the sun anyway.

When he finally made it back to the castle twenty minutes later, the lights had been restored, and Xemnas was waiting for him at the entrance; his arms were folded over his chest, and his expression was stern. Saïx offered the remains of the robe up to his superior.

Xemnas threw up his arms in exasperation.

"What good is this going to do? Do you think we can actually repair it? You are an extremely important asset to the Organization, but it's costing us a lot of time and money to keep replacing your robes, you know. You must learn to control your powers! Now, come inside and we'll get something to eat."

Saïx hung his head in shame—not because of his superior's chastising words—but because he was once a man, and yet he had been reduced to a being who was afraid of its own shadow.

Author's Note: This may turn into a larger project, depending upon the reviews. I have another that's already written and I'm gathering ideas for a third. The aim is to depict Saïx's transition from a newbie Nobody to the self-assured, no-nonsense Organization member we see in KH2 through a few short scenes. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so please be constructive with your reviews!