A.N. OK so this is my first attempt at a crossover fic. Wrote it a few years ago and thought it may as well do something productive, so here it is! Review Please!

Two points of red light glimmered coldly amidst the darkness. The air around them began to tremble, shuddering with apprehension. Maybe this time, after all his efforts, it would work. Maybe, this time.

Slowly, a body began to take form: tall and thin, crowned with grey, matted hair. The face was thin and tanned and a smile of triumph hovered expectantly about the lips.

"Almost there. Just a little more and-"

The form vanished, separating into a thousand fragmented particles that spun away in angry circles. Xemnas sighed. This time was no different.

Exactly two years ago, according to his misplaced sense of time, Xemnas had died. His memories of that time had faded and tarnished, until now he had only a vague sense of self. Xemnas tried to cling to the few images that he recognised to draw himself back into being, but they always slipped away from him. The more he grasped, the more he reached out to them, the more they seemed to pull away.

Surrendering, for the moment, to the hopelessness of his situation, he began to float again. Without his body, he had travelled to many worlds and places since his death. Some were familiar: the Castle with the waterfalls and the garden; the strange town covered in snow. Others, he did not recognise, such as the one he now found himself in.

This world was grey. The ruin of the city lay rotting beneath a grey sky. People wandered about the streets, beside him, even through him on occasion, with no knowledge of his presence. The buildings sagged.

He was thinking of leaving this dull, depressing world, when a voice caught his attention.

"Ah, come on boss! That wasn't my fault! And 'sides I already fixed the damn chopper."

Xemnas froze. That voice. Where had he heard it before?

"We've been over this. Until that helicopter starts flying you are still in debt to the company."

The second voice was deeper with a rich, musical quality, laced with the lightest of threats. A voice in control.

"Come on, boss. It –"

"Enough." The first voice was cut off. Xemnas could hear the individual shifting uncomfortably inside the room. He waited outside the door, momentarily forgetting that he was intangible to the humans inside.

"No matter the situation, we need Cloud on our side. As you know, Tseng is still on leave, Elena won't return for another few days and Rude... well. He is unsuitable for the task."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"So ya want me ta convince the chocobo to consider helpin' us out?"

What was so familiar about that voice...?

"Yes."

A heavy sigh reverberated through the door.

"Fine, yo. But I don't think anyone could convince him to work with us again, yo."

The door opened and Xemnas glanced up. He took in the man standing before him in a second: the red hair; green eyes; thin, lanky frame and the tattoos. Memories drifted back to him: Sora, Castle Oblivion, the Organisation and... Axel. That was his name. Xemnas remembered how it felt to grin in triumph. The spark of an idea ignited in his brain.

Axel paused in the doorway and for one dreadful moment, Xemnas thought he had been seen. But the red-head just shivered and turned to speak over one shoulder.

"Don't suppose we could get the heating fixed could we? Freezin' my ass off out here."

There was an answering chuckle and Axel closed the door. He wandered off, down an adjacent hallway, and Xemnas let him go. The spark had become an inferno in his head and he grinned. It would kill two birds with one stone...