Falling for a Nobody

Chapter 10: Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

Disclaimer: All rights to the Kingdom Hearts Franchise belong to Square Enix and Disney

AN: Here's another chapter. I've been cruel to those of you who follow this story, and believe me, I wouldn't be ANYWHERE without you guys. So please, keep reading... because within the next two months this story will be finished.

Axuqa calmly stepped out of the darkness, smiling as the dark tendrils swung against her feet. When she first embraced darkness as her chosen element, the chills agonized her. Simply summoning a Dark Firaga would leave her hand numb and cold. Now the low temperature no longer bothered her. Even at this moment, standing in Radiant Garden as hail pounded the ground beneath her, Axuqa neither flinched nor shivered. Truly, she had embraced the darkness. And through that, she felt nothing from the cold.

How fitting for a Nobody.

Taking in her surroundings, Axuqa glanced beneath her. The floor was stone, resilient enough to withstand the downpour from above. Squinting a bit, she saw through the hail and began making out the design on it. A flower with four petals, each one perpendicular to another, stretched across the landscape. In every corner, a smaller flower eclipsed the floor. Looking more closely at the floor, Axuqa realized how decorated the stone was. A faint stain glass design with sharp angles and similar colors constituted the stone. The pattern was more than beautiful; it was peaceful. Surely the design aimed for such a depiction. A decade ago, Radiant Garden had stood above the other worlds as the epitome of tranquility and prosperity. The courtyard's art complimented the city back then.

Now, however, the art merely stood as a reminder of what had been lost

Yet Axuqa held no compassion for the fallen city. To her, the courtyard solely signified what she had lost decades ago. Even now, amidst the veil of ice falling from above, she could imagine her opponent. Hair once brown had turned a light shade of gray, as if the man had aged half a century. Rather than the peach shade of skin she longed to touch, his skin was almost a sickening orange. And his eyes no longer held the alluring tint of teal which could sooth her with one glance. Instead, they burned yellow, striking fear into her heart.

She had been a fool to not understand what had happened. If she had seen Master Xehanort's weapon during the first battle, she would have understood. She would have known Terra had been possessed by Xehanort. She would have understood how dangerous it was to sacrifice herself to save him, to send the bane of the Realm of Light soaring back into its capital. Xehanort had been the reason Radiant Garden lost its bright reputation. He overthrew their esteemed leader, corrupted the world with the darkness it sought to combat, and caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

Yet Axuqa felt no remorse. Her freedom from emotions robbed her of any sympathy for what happened to the world's people.

And the guilt towards Terra had morphed into burning lust for Xemnas.

Turning towards the castle, Axuqa marched forward, her hood failing to shield her from the impact of the hail. Her eyes shifted upwards, noting the features of the building. Numerous towers jutted out of the building, some tilting away from the structures and others toward it in a bizarre manner. The building seemed more menacing and grim than it did ten years ago. Rather than cogs and gears at the front, an enormous heart overlooked the ruined city. She quickly recognized the design as a Heartless symbol, much like the ones decorated on the many creatures she had destroyed over the years. Xemnas told her that after he became a Nobody, his Heartless counterpart used the castle as a home of sorts. Though she had destroyed that entity five years ago though, she had reason to believe there were new occupants in the castle.

Reaching the top of the staircase, she peered down at the end of her road. A large blue abyss stood between her and the castle, with scattered cyan platforms to leap upon.

"I'd rather take a shortcut," she stated to herself.

Snapping her fingers, Axuqa summoned a corridor of darkness, intent on taking a safer route across.

Stealth and darkness went hand in hand. As Sorceress of Darkness, Axuqa found it easy to lurk in the shadows and use her powers for less aggressive tactics. Her boots, normally black with short sticks at the heel, were covered by thick, indigo auras. Her footsteps were no louder than a pin dropping, adding to the stealth she already had. Though Axuqa hoped nobody inhabited the castle, she felt it was unlikely. Xehanort had not been the only villain in the worlds she visited. Hades, Cinderella's family… so many people had embraced darkness. And, as she knew more than anyone, darkness fills people with ambition, enlightens hearts with newfound freedom: the freedom to abandon one's insulated sphere and explore the true world.

Eventually, darkness congregates its victims together. Today would serve that purpose, with these figures gathering together in accordance with an obsession to the dark. An obsession determined to gain power and thus gain control.

And though the rebels of her organization did not truly belong to the dark, they embraced it all the same.

But they weren't the only practicioners of the dreaded element.

For months, Axuqa and Xemnas had been tracking the movements of a grassroots organization. The members were rare in that they knew about the limits of their worlds, and more importantly, escaped them. Xehanort had orchestrated the creation of this movement, years before Aqua destroyed him. From what she could gather, the intent had been to eventually capture the seven princesses of hearts and thus unlock the door to Kingdom Hearts. Now Axuqa would finish what remained of his master plan.

Basking in the comfort of the shadows high above, Axuqa scanned each member of the group. Months of espionage provided her with all the intel she needed.

Oogie Boogie, a gross sack of critters whose eyes were as black as night.

Captain Hook, a timid yet intimidating pirate with a quest to end a bitter rivalry.

Ursula, a witch from the sea that held a heart as ugly as her appearance.

Jafar, a mage hungry for power and the darkness such authority would provide.

Hades, a bothersome deity who Axuqa intended to strip of immortality.

There was one more… one who filled Terra with grief and helped set him down his path to doom. She contributed to Xehanort's plans and the torturous tread in the dark realm Aqua endured as a result…

Maleficent, a female as malevolent as her name, stood at the center of the group with a wicked smile. Noticing the grin, Axuqa's fingers clenched, her fingernails nearly cutting her skin from the pressure. The scent of the witch's darkness sickened her, hammering dark memories into her head. The witch had predicted, accurately, that Terra would fall to darkness. At the time, Aqua was furious, hopeful that Terra would overcome it.

"Terra… you better stay strong for me," Aqua's voice echoed in her head.

She never expected Maleficent's self-fulfilling prophecy to come true.

Footsteps resounded from the corner. The organization, it seemed, had new members. Clothed in their usual attire despite their treachery, Saix and Axel stepped forward.

Maleficent grinned. "As our newest members, you have quite some catching up to do. Consider it your… initiation."

"Sorry, witch, but your hazing will have to wait," a feminine voice echoed.

Recognizing the voice, Maleficent whipped her head sideways, eyes slowly widening as a dark portal appeared. Axuqa stepped forth, her footsteps more silent than the clink of her zipper.

"My, you've certainly changed," the woman noted, examining her foe's amber eyes. "Tell me, woman, did you ever find your friend Terra?"

"What she found was merely a shadow," Saix cut in, his tone deriding.

Such a statement would bring the Nobody to the brink of feeling rage.

Gritting her teeth, Axuqa raised her keyblade. Tendrils of darkness erupted from the ground, strangling the traitor. Gasping for air, Saix managed to lift his arm from the mess. A weapon appeared in his hand, its shade predominantly blue with the shape of an axe. Violently swinging, Saix ignited the tentacles with a blue fire. He raised his line of vision, eyes narrowed to face her…

… only to find her gone, with no trace.

Before he could speak, an ache resounded across his torso. The feeling mimicked that of a sword slicing through him. Or something close to a sword…

Falling backward, he glanced up to see Axuqa standing, her Keyblade glowing with a blue angle at its end. Before he could even speak, he found his mouth coughing with blood.

"Forget this!" Axel yelled. "The membership fee was overpriced anyway!"

Axel hoisted Saix on his back, and printing away, the Nobody vaulted down a nearby staircase. They were nuisances, but Axuqa did not come here to hunt them. She was still a bit surprised that Axel would so readily join the villains on their hopeless cause. Rather, she was here to exterminate what remained of Xehanort's legacy.

Captain Hook raised his metal accolade. "The man had the right idea. It's time to make like a tree and leave!"

He snapped his fingers, grinning in anticipation of his dark portal. The smile faded as he realized nothing was happening.

Nervous, the other Disney villains began snapping their fingers as well. To no avail, however.

Maleficent glared at Axuqa, her eyes boiling with understanding. "You did it, didn't you? You fell to darkness!"

The Nobody stepped forward, her yellow eyes bright with glee. "I don't obey darkness, Maleficent, or anyone for that matter. If anything… darkness obeys ME."

Raising her weapon, the Nobody smiled as a orb began to form with it. Initially black, it began to take on a pattern of blue, red and purple. The orb erupted into an inferno, crashing into the Pirate leader.

Maleficent looked at the spot in shock. The explosion left only ashes, with not even Captain Hook's metal appendage surviving. The witch aimed her staff at the girl, summoning a field of thorns.

Cartwheeling away, she dodged the thorns. Suddenly, a tentacle caught her by the waist, lifting her into the air like a doll. She peered down to see the hideous face of an octopus, its lips smeared with red lipstick. The creature was grinning at her.

"Those tentacles you showed before are nothing compared to mine, sweetheart," the being mocked. "Though you are beautiful, I'm sure there's something you want in this world. Make a deal with me, and I'll-"

Ursula screamed in pain, her tentacle suddenly in half due to a stroke of her captive's Keyblade. Gracefully landing on her feet, Axuqa sneered at her.

"The fact that you're trying to make deals after what I did to Black Beard imitator over there says one thing… you're TERRIFIED."

Ursula backed away, her tentacles fumbling over each other as she did so. Aiming her Keyblade, Axuqa sent a huge ball of fire into the sea witch. Spreading her hands, the octopus created a thick shield of water. It absorbed the shock, leaving only steam in the place of the flame. Panting, the octopus glanced to her side as a second orb of flame hurled towards her.

The explosion blinded the other villains in a flash of white light. Little remained of Ursula, save for a few crisp pieces of her tentacles.

Axuqa glanced at the tentacles, licking her lips a little.

"Anyone up for calamari?" she asked them, the sadistic tone clear in her voice.

"Jeez, ten measly years go by and you go from heroine of light to dark carnivore?" Hades rhetorically asked. "I held out for a few centuries before I turned evil at least."

"Enough of this!" Maleficent announced. "She's too powerful! Surround her!"

The remaining four villains closed in on Axuqa, each preparing to attack. In response, she dug her Keyblade into the ground, closing her eyes. Angered by the taunting, Maleficent unleashed a green ray of lightning towards her. At the same time, Oogie shot a horde of locusts towards her. Hades conjured a swirl of fire, the flames racing towards her as his face turned red. Jafar blasted a purple beam towards the girl, its magic capable of knocking her unconscious.

The attacks closed in on her…

Only to hit her Reflega barrier, its crystal walls shining and mirroring the shocked expressions of those surrounding it.

Redirecting EVERY attack, the barrier fired back at the awestruck villains. Maleficent fell to the ground, her body severely weak from her own attack. Jafar felt the impact of his own spell, the beat of his heart slowing until it ceased. Hades felt the flames overrun him, which did little more than piss him off. Oogie turned on his toes, running away from a horde of locusts. He gunned for the staircase, a smile coming to his lips as he tasted freedom…

Only for a pillar of darkness to evaporate his grotesque form. The bugs faded into wisps of smoke, none of them even contacting the ground.

Hades smiled. "Aw, you saved me for last. Are we finally having our first date?"

Fighting back the bile in her mouth, Axuqa aimed her Keyblade at him. "Don't be so cocky. Just because you're a deity, doesn't mean you're invincible."

"Sorry sweetheart, but gods can't be killed," he informed her. "No matter how powerful you are, you can't strip me of my immortality."

"Perhaps," she noted. "But there are things worse than death…"

Confused by what she meant, Hades noticed a clear barrier surround him. Underneath him, blue symbols began to form on the floor. He looked up, confused as he glanced at the woman.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Giving you a taste of just desserts," she explained. "Consider it payback for manipulating people's darkness over the years."

Feeling his insides burn, Hades glanced at his arms. Scales began to protrude, covering his arms as they glinted underneath the dim light. His eyes morphed into solid shades of yellow. Two fangs jutted from his mouth, replacing where the teeth had been. The scales expanded across his body and glowed with dim blue flames. It's back began to shudder, changing in texture as something emerged: a tail with spikes on both sides. At the center of his chest, an emblem appeared, one all too familiar to Axuqa. She had seen it on countless peons slain by her Keyblade. The symbol was a heart, its outline red while its interior was black.

Hades had become a Heartless.

Growling, the creature dashed towards her like a crocodile. She aimed her weapon, yellow eyes brimming with confidence as the air began to swirl at the tip. The air grew colder, slowly turning a shade of cyan and generating specks of frost. The swirls flew toward the creature, slowing it down on impact. The creature continued to slow, its eyes growing wide with realization as its skin color began to change. Its once gray scales were more colorful, more blue. The heat that once warmed the monster was suddenly absent.

Axuqa grinned, satisfied that she had frozen the monster solid. Raising her weapon like a sledgehammer, she brought it down on the creature, smashing it into thousands of pieces.

Rather than melt into water, the cubes of ice evaporated into darkness as a heart emerged from the creature. This element was not an organ protruding arteries and veins, however. Nor was it in the shape of a typical Valentine's Day gimmick. Instead, it was a orb of pure light, its tint golden. The energy faded, which meant it had merged with the Organization's Kingdom Hearts, just like any other heart obtained from Heartless.

Turning towards the witch, Axuqa retained the smile on her face. "I must tip my hat to you, Maleficent. Darkness is definitely a powerful element."

Grunting, the witch pushed her feet against the ground. Slowly she attempted to stand, only to fall back down again.

"What's wrong?" the Nobody cooed. "Can't stand the taste of your own medicine?"

The witch narrowed her eyes. "Such insolence. Go ahead, turn me into a Heartless if you dare."

Axuqa shook her head. "No."

Maleficent blinked, her eyes wide with confusion. "No?"

"You have caused so much misery to my past life… you're part of the reason Ven still sleeps and Terra was forced to do terrible things out of amnesia. When I kill you…"

She raised her Keyblade, the tip glowing once more. This time, rather than glow with a single hue, it emitted several. Every shade of the rainbow and then some appeared at curved end of the weapon. The hues jumped from the Keyblade, taking on individual orbs as they floated in the air. Rather than fire immediately, they waited on her command.

Axuqa breathed deeply, her eyes burning with rage. "I want to see you SUFFER!"

The lights pounded against Maleficent, each burning shreds of her robe. Another round appeared, and another… each barrage penetrating the witch's form. She cried out in pain, her gasps suddenly turning into sorrowful shrieks. She watched as the lights approached her face, each speeding with a dark aura. The pain came, and with that all she could see was darkness. In a defense mechanism, her vision had blacked out to save her from the horror, despite her eyes being functional.

Suddenly, green fire erupted from the sorceress's chest. The fire spread, consuming her form like a wildfire. The conflagration continued until any human aspect of her body was gone. The flames began to fade, as did her screams, and when she was gone, not even her robe or staff remained. Everything had been destroyed from Axuqa's vengeful attack.

The Nobody mused over the sight. In previous years, she had heard rumors of Maleficent's incredible regeneration abilities. So long as one piece of her persona remained intact – even if it were just a robe – someone could revive her simply by thinking of her. Yet no matter how many followers she had, the evil fairy was dead for good.

And knowing that alone brought Axuqa closer to emotion than she had been in years, her smile almost genuine at the sight.

Satisfied with her mission complete, the woman summoned a dark portal nearby. She calmly approached it, humming as she did.

Suddenly, the portal vanished.

Stunned, the woman turned her head back and forth in a sea of confusion, searching for any member she might have missed. Her eyes darted between piles of ashes, then to Jafar's corpse.

Paranoid, Axuqa aimed her weapon. "Fire!"

A powerful burst of Firaga raced towards Jafar, consuming his lifeless body. As the flames faded, only ashes remained, mirroring the lifeless remnants of the rest.

Catching the sound of footsteps, she turned in surprise. The unknown's clothing was familiar, identical to an Organization cloak. The hood was pulled down, however, revealing his face… a face which she had grown to detest.

This man was an idealist, a man whom Axuqa held responsible for most of her suffering. Peach cheeks fumed red with anger as Axuqa took in the sight of him.

Speechless, Axuqa hoisted her Keyblade high, as if to offer it to the heavens above.

She refused to even speak his name.

"THUNDER!" she shouted, her eyes narrowed in rage.

Red sparks erupted against white walls, the colors blending seamlessly. Riku dug his foot into the ground, his breath vacuuming the air around him. Pivoting on the foot, he spun around with his blade aimed towards Xemnas. The older man raised his luminous blades, catching them. Pushing his weapons together like scissors, Xemnas twisted to his side. Ripped from Riku's hand, the blade landed on the ground.

Xemnas glanced at the discarded weapon, noting its design. Wings of an angel and demon formed a circle as the hilt, with a blue eye at the center. The hilt sprouted into a red and blue wing, resembling something of a monster's anatomy. Near the tip, a glamorous wing jutted away from the weapon. The Keyblade was neither fully dark nor fully light, but rather symbolized an ongoing struggle between the two forces.

Panting, Riku caught the man's attention, snapping him out of his gaze.

"You've done well, pupil," he emotionlessly stated. "But you could be stronger."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "How? By using darkness?"

"Try not to see the world as black and white, Riku," Xemnas said, his smile never leaving his lips. "Rather than walk the path of light or darkness, take the road in between."

His chest returning to its usual breathing rhythm, Riku squinted in confusion. Before Xemnas could elaborate, a portal erupted behind him. Turning, he saw Axuqa, her face absent of joy.

"We need to talk," she said.

Exchanging a glance with Riku, Xemnas proceeded to follow her.

"Rest for today, Riku," he commanded. "Your progress is commensurate so far."

The pair vanished in a dark portal, leaving Riku to scratch his head as he walked away.

"Commensurate? What's that word even MEAN?" he muttered.

The boy walked towards his room, still too inexperienced to use a corridor of darkness.

He still felt a bit conflicted about living with Xemnas. Being in the World that Never Was proved to be lonely, and his solitude was deepened by how unfriendly most of the Organization was. He should have asked for more time, enough to think over his decision.

But how could he have hesitated? Destiny Islands was a prison, despite its glamorous beaches, sunsets and palm trees.

Here, at least, he was free...

Or as free as he could be. Xemnas forbid him from leaving the castle grounds, claiming that the city outside was dangerous and filled with Heartless that could devour him. Until his training had progressed significantly, he could not leave without the Superior accompanying him.

The boy glanced up, realizing he had arrived at his room. He often forgot how close it was to the training facility.

Lying on the bed, Riku took in the sight of his new quarters. Having only been there a few days, he was still adjusting to it. The room was white, as if he were in an insane asylum of some sort. Even the bed and sheets spotted that color, further emphasizing the blank slate of the room.

His thoughts wandered as his eyes shut.

Back to pleasant memories.

Memories of sitting on a palm tree... with two others...

One was a boy, his hair brown and spiky. His smile mirrored his upbeat personality.

The other was a girl, her hair red like a strawberry. Her smile... was different... for Riku at least. It was warming, soothing even. Just the thought of her sped his heartbeat a bit.

He hoped he could see her soon.

Drifting off to sleep, Riku escaped reality for the moment.

The two sat in their bedroom, secluded in privacy found nowhere else in the castle. Axuqa glanced towards the desk, noticing that Xemnas had his star charm out in the open. Usually, he kept it guarded and hidden away for occasional study. Yet today it proudly exalted itself on his desk.

"What's happened?" he asked.

Snapping out of her trance seamlessly, Axuqa turned to him grimly. "Xehanort's back."

"Xehanort has returned?" Xemnas inquired skeptically.

The female deflected his suspicious gaze, evenly staring at him from her throne. His breathing relaxed, eyes shifting away from her.

The woman nodded. "I saw him with my own eyes."

She nodded. "It was him, I'm sure of it. He must have reincarnated."

Xemnas looked forward, his eyes downcast. When he had apprenticed himself under Ansem the Wise, he discussed numerous theories with his mentor. One such was the possibility of returning from death. Normally, those who die with their heart, body and soul together pass into the next world. But those who are fragmented… Heartless… Nobodies… can never truly die. Parts of them cling to the realm of the living, holding them back from whatever afterlife was in store. This rule formed a foundation of his studies with the monarch.

But like every rule, it had an exception.

Axuqa noticed his expression, her eyes widening a bit with surprise. "You were expecting this?"

"We had a theory… that if a heart and its body were separately destroyed… they would return to our realm rather than fade into oblivion," Xemnas explained. "Heartless and Nobodies aren't truly living creatures. Rather, they're tormented beings that in some ways are already dead."

He frowned as he continued. "Heartless lack the power to develop free will. They are slaves to their passions and emotions, all twisted in darkness."

"That makes our existence sound like paradise," she replied with a smirk.

He chuckled. "In some ways it is."

She examined him, her smirk fading. "You're… happy."

Xemnas turned to her, his eyes narrowed. "Axuqa, has insanity finally taken hold of you?"

"I'm serious. You seem genuinely happy."

He reclined a bit, tossing his robe aside. Underneath he wore a black shirt and pants, his muscles relaxed yet still noticeable underneath the fabric. "I'll be honest, things have been different with Riku around."

"You're showing the most emotion I've seen in years," she remarked skeptically.

What could be causing this? The last time Xemnas truly felt emotion, Axuqa was Aqua. In her human form, her heart radiated with light and leant its emotions to Xemnas as if to heal his pain from years of solitude. Once she had turned into a Nobody, however, those sensations vanished.

Could Riku be having the same effect?

Aqua now removed her robe as well, revealing her purple tank top and gray pants underneath. Xemnas glanced at her form, his eyes soaking in the sight. Even with modest clothing, Axuqa's beauty stood out to him. Growing up, the two rarely saw each other out of their usual attire. Things grew more complicated during their teenage years, with both Aqua and Terra developing an underlying attraction to each other.

Notcing his stare, Axuqa smirked. "Need some attention?"

He mirrored the expression. "If you have the time."

She motioned towards his arms, the man embracing her as she did. In this room, they weren't the feared leaders of Organization XIII. They weren't even the fierce warriors that so many foes had fallen to.

They were man and woman.

And in that simplicity, they found refuge in their primal connection.

As Xemnas closed his eyes in solace, Axuqa's eyes stared towards the ceiling. Her sapphire hair rested against the pillow as her amber orbs flashing as conflicting ideas swirled in her head.

Yet she kept smiling, doing her best to mask her thoughts should Xemnas notice her expression.