Kingdom Hearts

Torn Apart

By: SMS

Chapter 8

I knew the answer… So why didn't I say anything? Because you know that you are NOT the Hero of this time. You are the Guardian of said Hero… But why does it have to be her, with her red hair like Kairi's and aqua eyes like Riku's? Why? Stop! If you don't stop and pay attention then Queenie will figure out that you know more than you should… Vincent already knows, I think… My thoughts rolled around my head as Ladah's shell-shocked eyes raced from me to Vincent and then back and forth several times. I had the feeling that she wanted some confirmation that she was not who the Queen said she was. I stayed quiet. Vincent was her Hero Support and I was the Side-Kick. Two very different rolls. I fight with my mouth shut… Though I'm finding it harder and harder to control my sarcasm... and Vincent is her moral support, magic and verbal showers… Why am I here? Why? Why didn't they send Roxas to do this sappy crap? I'm a fighter! A killer! NOT A BABYSITTER!!

"I'm the…"

"Hero, yes." Vincent said to Ladah's half spoken sentence.

"And you two…"

"Knew. Yes." Vincent finished again as Ladah pointed to him and me. I smiled and waved as her eyes caught mine. It was enough to knock her out of the stupid phase. Her aqua eyes flashed into a hard stare and I could tell that she wanted to snap something out at me. Thankfully, being in the presence of her Mousiness, Ladah kept her tongue.

"So I'm the Hero. What do I have to do? Other than fight some heart… less." Ladah asked turning her attention to the Queen. I could sense that she still wanted to say something to me, but I let it go. I was here on a job and no amount of baby tantrums and bickering from her Hero-ness was going to deter me. Who knows, maybe this gig lines me up for a better skit in the next life.

"Heartless, which will be found in almost every place you will visit… But first I think a few things should be collected. Of course you will be able to take the Gummie Ship with you to aide in your travels, but first you must understand your assignment. The Six Princesses I mentioned are each on a separate world and must all be brought to the castle for protection. Some of them will have their own protectors, but, unfortunately, they are not allowed to leave their worlds. Only the Princesses may leave. You, Ladah, with your Guardian and your Mage have your assignment. Now all you need is the proper attire and equipment. And by equipment, of course I mean weapons." Queen Millicent said which of course caught my attention. I'd been missing my little weapons and upon hearing that I would soon have a new one to play with, I was quite happy… Well happier than I've been since arriving on this love-fest-of-animals.

Her Queenly-ness stood up and as if on cue Vincent, Ladah and I all stood at the same time. Gave me the willies to be so connected with these two, but who's splitting hairs? I get a weapon!

-

Twenty minutes later had us riding an elevator to floors deep underneath the castle. There were many that the elevator stopped at, but the Queen always punched the last button to get the car moving again before the doors could open. I had to admit that I was quite curious as to what could be hidden so deeply underground. Treasures perhaps? More weapons? The King's Harem? My mind was doing flip-flops at the possibilities. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors creaked open. Queen Millicent left the car with the rest of us following her. The new floor looked like a vast library with floor to ceiling shelves much like the library we left. But unlike that one, this one had podiums with glass cases over them, much like you'd see in a museum. Some of the shelves were stone and had holes in them instead of rows of books. These holes, upon closer inspection, contained old rolled up pieces of paper.

"This is a very impressive archive you have here your majesty." Vincent said in his most butt-kisser-y voice he had. The guy was tough but sometimes he made me think of a little girl. The Queen chuckled, if half-heartedly.

"Unfortunately, all you see here. This whole floor is devoted to past wars and battles, not only on my home world but on others as well. This Hall of Heroes, as it's sometimes called, was established a long time ago. So that in times like these, we can study past battles and gleam advantages to certain situations… Or maybe just to keep from making the same mistakes as we have in the past. The last three battles, or what is known as the Last War, are located in this section over here." She said as we came upon a roped-off hallway that branched from the rest of the halls. Unhooking the rope from one side, she let it fall as we all walked onward. The section had been in shadow, but now lights overhead came to life as we walked further and further down the hall. Each bare span of wall between the bookshelves was covered with paintings and pictures of certain places. Some I recognized because I had been there, some I didn't. There was one picture that stopped me. The copper eyes stared into mine as the rest of our party continued on. An unbidden memory came to mind.

"You have your orders. I expect you to carry them out just like all the other members do. You are no one special and we need him." The tall cloaked figure said as Diz sat in his chair in front of the computer screen. As always Xemnas was the leader, Diz taking the backseat on his own plan. I couldn't understand it. I knew that he was superior but why then would he let the weasel Xemnas take over?

"I don't understand why he had to be sacrificed. He was one of the best Members, way better than Zexion, why send him away!" I yelled. I was upset and it was no wonder, Roxas was the only friend I had in this hell-hole. There was a crack and a broken pencil fell to the floor beside Diz's feet. He slowly rose and I took a step back as did Xemnas.

"The reason Roxas must be sacrificed is because he is a part of Sora. Without Roxas, Sora will not be whole. He won't heal and he'll never be able to kill more Heartless, which is what we need him to do. You will have to cope Axel; Roxas must be sacrificed for the greater good." Diz paused a moment and then continued, "You know, as well as I, that if the choice was reversed, Roxas would sell you out to regain his heart. It's the way of life for a Nobody. All we want to do is exist."

Defeated, but not wanting to accept it, I stormed out of the room. I would do my job, I knew this, and there was no way I would give up the chance at a heart… But it still hurt like hell.

"Axel?" Vincent's voice broke the memory and I shook my head. Casting one last glance at the good, yet evil-rooted bastard who'd entrapped me, I ran ahead to catch up with the others. The end of the long hallway ended in a gallery of sorts with multiple glass enclosures that held books or other things on pedestals. We followed the Queen past three such pedestals, two of which held worn leather journals. The third one was empty. Ladah paused to study the two journals that were there, but she quickly caught up with the rest of us.

"Oh, my." Queen Millicent said as she placed a hand to her breast. Before her were three other glass enclosures, but there weren't any pedestals, only racks. "These are the ancient weapons of the Heroes of the past. I'm afraid though that one does not belong… or else it has changed to better suit its new master." The Queen leaned toward the closest glass enclosure and pressed a switch that was invisible to the rest of us. She picked up the first weapon by the handle and then laid the blade across her other hand. Turning toward Ladah, the Queen bowed her head as she offered the weapon. "This is the Keyblade. It passes from the Hero of the past to the Hero of now. Use it well and its many forms will aid you."

Ladah cocked her brows at the awkward weapon. The hilt was that of a sword and would fit any hand, but the magic within the weapon would always return it to its true master. The blade part was just as deadly as a regular sword but wrought to look like a huge golden key, for it too was used to lock or unlock certain doors, as I well remembered. Taking the weapon by the hilt, Ladah swung it around experimentally.

"It's very light." She said in awe as her swings became more erratic and careless. The Queen took a step back as the arc of the sword smashed toward and through the glass of the second weapon. "Oops." Ladah said pointing the Keyblade down by her side. Queen Millicent giggled.

"It will take practice to master the Keyblade. One does not know automatically how to fight when armed for the first time ever. Besides, you made my job easier." Turning toward the destroyed glass case, the Queen picked up the shiny golden rod that held a glowing red orb at the end. As with the Keyblade she held it by the hilt and placed the orb in her other hand, she turned to Vincent and offered him the weapon. "This is the Mage's Wand. It too, like the third weapon, has changed to best fit its new master. I know not why it is golden with a scarlet orb. Only you, Vincent, will discover that." She handed the weapon off and I could tell by the shine in Vincent's already red eyes, that the rod held imaginable power.

"Thank you very much. There is much more power stored in this than I may ever need." He said holding the Wand in front of him, but his eyes were clouded now. I wonder what that means... I thought as I turned to the last case. It had still been in shadow, but now the light above it was lit. I smiled.

"And this one must be mine." I said more to myself than to anyone else. The Queen walked around Vincent and stood in front of the case.

"Yes, Axel it is, but as I said this weapon has changed. The Hero of the past who wielded this one had no need for attacking opponents. His job was to guard the Keyblade wielder, thus he was armed with a shield only. Since it has changed, I would imagine that the battles you will be facing will be harder and you will need a weapon to attack. But let me warn you," She said as she turned her back to the case and faced me. Her brown eyes were intense and I could feel the power she wielded as Queen in her words. "Your job is still the Guardian, thus you mustprotect Ladah at all costs. I fear that if she fails there will not be another chance. This is it." Her words stilled my inner thoughts of deception and flippant adventuring. Her words took me back to when I realized that Xemnas was lying about my heart and that the only way I could redeem myself was to help Sora. Her words took me back to my sacrifice, of which I wished to forget. Solemn now, I waited patiently for her to open the case and retrieve the weapon.

Queen Millicent turned back to the case and unlocked it as she had the Keyblade one. She had to use two hands to pick up the scarlet six foot staff. The hand holds were two feet apart and at each end was what I assumed was a tribute to my weapons of old: two half wheels with spikes. "This is a deadly weapon to one who does not know how to use it. The Guardian Staff has changed and only the one who wields it, Axel, may know what this change means. Use it well and do not forget your true title." The Queen said as she offered the weapon to me. I took it by the hand-holds, which were just the right size for my long thin hands. I stepped back a ways as to not knock anything over and experimented with the weight to which I found both wheels equal. I had no experience with a weapon this long and I knew that I would not be able to throw it like I did my others, but I must possess some skills, otherwise the shield would not have changed.

"Thank Queen Millicent. We receive these gifts…"

"These are not gifts, Ladah. This is not a party. This is very serious and I do know that you were only thanking me, but think of this: If times were not like this, we would never have met. If darkness did not draw near and more powerful, I would not have to give you these burdens. Yes, they are burdens. They are weapons. Not weapons to defend, but weapons to kill, thus I do not see them as gifts. I see them as curses. Something that will ultimately help you lose a part of yourselves. I am saddened that I have to give them to you, but I also know that because I have to, and because you have to use them, our worlds will be better off." And with that she turned and headed back the way we'd come.

Each of us clutched the weapon that was, what, destined? Gifted? Chosen for us, we followed the Queen back to the elevators. "You will have plenty of time to train with your weapons later, in fact Merlin is expecting you, but that is later. You have your weapons, now it is time for your armor."

Less than ten minutes later found us in the North Wing of Disney Castle heading down regular hallways that housed rooms for guests. I was less impressed with our surroundings, and unlike the Keyblade, which Ladah was swinging back and forth effortlessly, this damn staff was heavy. My right arm already ached holding it against my shoulder. I tried walking it along, but every time the top most spike hit the floor or carpet, it left a sizable hole, which thankfully Vincent used his new Wand to fix. Finally, I figured out that I could rest the sizable thing on my shoulders off the floor and let my left and right arms as well as my back take the weight, but I did wander just how I was going to keep up my strength while fighting with it.

"I have three very handy seamstresses and each one has decided to take on one of you instead of all on one at a time. I hear it will take less time to craft your armor that way. Hurry on, Vincent you have the pink door, Axel you have the blue one, and Ladah you get the green one. Merlin will wait for you in the library." Queen Millicent said as she smiled to each of us. Ladah waved as the Queen walked off and Vincent headed for his pink door with no complaint. Ladah looked at the pink door and made an icky face toward it. I couldn't help it.

"Awe, pink's the Princess' favorite color, isn't it?" I asked, before ducking through the blue door, just in time too as I felt and heard what I think was the Keyblade strike the door. Smiling a satisfied smile, I turned around and looked the room over. Finding a suitable couch to lay my staff on, I looked through the only other door in the room, to find a water closet. Turning back I wandered where my seamstress was. I nearly tripped over her as I headed back to the couch. A tiny blue-clothed woman was sitting on the floor beside the door I'd just checked.

"Miserable… That no good… Pink is not better… Blue is prettier… Blue is girl-ier… Not only for boys… I'll show her…" The little woman was mumbling about something, but I nudged her to get her attention anyway. She gave a soft squeak as she looked up at me. Then with a hard scowl on her face she flitted up to my height. "Bout time!"

"You're a fairy?" I asked dumbly, noticing for the first time the iridescent blue wings on her shoulders. She looked at me with an even deeper scowl and then pulled a face I'd seen Ladah do a lot. One of those 'well-aren't-you-a-dumb-ass' looks.

"No, because I have power of the color blue, it allows me to hijack fairy wings and use them to my own biding! Of course I'm a fairy!" She was practically yelling, but only in an old lady way which was really just scolding. I tried my damnedest not to laugh. She was mad about something. "You'll be my subject then? I'm Meriwether and I'm to create your armor. Stand up straight with your arms out." She instructed and I was just too tickled not to do as she asked. Something really was bothering little Miss Meriwether.

"Yes, that's good. My you are a little thing… Well not little, you have to be close to seven feet tall, but terribly thin. Still it won't be too hard to…" She trailed off as an unrecognizable noise sounded from the room next door. This only intensified the look of disgust on Little Miss Fairy and she started raising her voice again. "Thin, thin, thin… All I ever get is the thin ones… Ooh! I'll show Flora for sure. I won't use blue at all, well maybe just a little blue. Do you like blue? Well doesn't really matter does it? It's me who's designing your armor. I'm afraid you're stuck with what I give you."

I was too stunned to say anything to Meriwether's tirade. Apparently this Flora was the reason behind her bad mood. I stood as still as I could, but I still felt pin pricks from the different fittings. The blue smoke was beginning to cause my eyes to water, for she hadn't thought to open a window for clear air. Finally, I think she was satisfied because she stopped muttering and stood still.

"Twist, turn, move. Tell me how it feels." Meriwether instructed me and I did as she asked. "I don't like the colors!" She said unexpectedly and waved her wand again. The light blues and dark greys were gone, replaced by reds and yellows that even I could see clashed with my hair. Another flick of the wand and copious amounts of blue smoke and I was clothed in silvers and greys, which I thought looked okay, but she didn't. Ten more minutes of switching colors there came a knock on the door. Meriwether turned and scowled. "I'm finished when I'm finished!" She scolded to whoever had knocked. She then raised her eyebrows and flitted over to my Staff lying on the couch. "Is this the weapon you were given?" I nodded and she slapped her forehead with her wand hand sending blue sparks flying. "Of course. What better colors? I can't think of any better colors that go with hair as red as yours and this scarlet weapon."

Another flick of her wrist and my clothes changed in color, for what I suspected would be the last time. "There, yes. That suits you just right." Smiling for the first time, Meriwether motioned for me to open the water closet door. On the back, which I had failed to notice was a full length mirror. There I stood in none of the clothes I had been wearing twenty minutes ago. My hair was the same but now it was held by a black thong instead of a rubber band. I surveyed the clothes or armor as Queen Millicent had called it.

I had a black tight fitted ribbed vest that zipped up the front. It didn't have any ornamentation on it; it was plain black, except where the light hit the ribs, in which it lightened to a dark grey. The collar was zippered too, but it wasn't closed, instead it was unzipped to my collarbone. I had no undershirt on and my upper arms were bare. I had a pair of gloves, or what the Queen would call gauntlets, though they looked like regular gloves to me. Black with silver knuckles to protect my hands. "Those gloves are weaved with a spell of gravity. Anything you pick up will seem much lighter to you now so be careful. Just as super-strength takes getting used to, so do these gloves."

Meriwether said as I surveyed my pants. They were loose fitted, snug around the waist though. Deep pockets on my hips and in the back as well as cargo pockets on the thighs. They were a deep blue that almost looked black, but the black of my vest told the difference. The legs were just wide enough to settle over my boots, which felt good. They were nondescript black and durable. "The pockets in your pants are weaved with a spell of space. Whatever you need you can place in your pockets without feeling weighed down. To retrieve an item, stick your hand in your pocket and simply call the item to your hand. Any object placed in any pocket can be retrieved from any other pocket. So you can not lose items as long as you remember that they are there."

I nodded appreciatively. I liked my outfit and it was a good thing too because I had the feeling that it would be the only set of clothes I would need. "Your boots are woven with the spell of speed. You are not super fast, but no weight that you hold on your person will obstruct the speed at which you move unhindered. You will move as if you are naked, which I've heard from others is a very handy thing. Your thong, the piece of fabric in your hair, will never break and can be used to latch onto unattainable objects. Just toss one end at the object, it will extend on its own, and latch onto whatever is available. It's very useful on flat walls as well. Those are all the gifts that I could weave into your armor. There is of course the garden variety of shields and magic protection that goes into all my clothes. The others are waiting for you."

"Thank you." I said, meaning it. This little Fairy, even though she'd been ticked at this Flora had done what she'd said she would. She created my armor and for some reason I found that very endearing. Maybe I don't have to be such a cold bastard all the time… I thought as I headed for my Staff. Testing the gloves for the first time, I was amazed that my arm muscles did not protest against the weight that I thought would be there. Now it felt like I was carrying a feather instead of a six foot Staff. I now knew what Meriwether had meant about learning to control myself with these gloves, I would easily break things.

"One more thing. Your shirt, or rather your ribbed vest… It was not new. I made that vest for a very special person once and it served him well. When he passed, he sent the vest back to me and told me in a letter that someone who needed it would one day come for it. I knew it was meant for you. I can sense your troubled past… life? Anyway, the vest will protect against any chest wounds that your heart can deflect. It uses the strength of your heart as a shield, which if I do say so myself, was a pretty hefty piece of magic. Any wounds you get on your upper body will like-wise be healed by the magic as well. But remember, for this is important: The magic only works with the strength of your heart. It takes a lot of faith to keep your heart strong. Lack in faith and one strike will kill you." The little fairy said gravely. I smiled and tried to laugh it off, but something she'd said struck a note. Was my new heart strong enough?

I walked out the blue door leaving behind my hot tempered seamstress and was greeted by two very loud awes. I looked up to see two more fairies, one pink-clothed and one green-clothed. Their wide staring eyes said it all. Little Meriwether had indeed showed them. I smiled and started twisting and turning as if to stretch out my muscles, but I was really showing off my clothes to them.

"That's why I couldn't use it…" Both little fairies said at the same time. "She gave it to him…"

Then I caught sight of Vincent. Forgetting what the little fairies were saying, I noticed that I had competition on who looked better in the new armor. I would of course vote for myself, but what would Ladah say? Vincent was sporting a brand new red bandana around his head, exactly like the one he'd left back on Destiny Isle. He had a tight fitting white slinky-kind of shirt with three-quarter sleeves that showed his muscles off better than my vest did. Attached to the white shirt about the midriff was a red band that looked to have no working purpose that I could see. His pants were like mine, but instead of dark blue, his were dark brown; darker than his hair. There was also a red holster attached to his upper thigh that I knew was for his brand new Mage's Wand. He sported little black gloves too. His boots too were exactly like mine. As to the magic weaved into his clothing, I could only guess that they were similar to mine, but more for magical enhancements and protections.

"Wow, I don't think you've ever dressed so smartly Vinn… er Vincent." I said almost slipping and calling him, 'Vinny' again. I flipped my collar as he smiled at me.

"I could say the same to you." He said good-naturedly. "It's amazing what they can do to clothing. I never would have thought to enchant my cloak back home." For a minute I thought I saw a blush cross his face. "I tried to get Flora to give me a cloak, but she said…" Vincent trailed off as the pink-clothed Fairy came flittering by.

"I told him that his backside was too sight-ly to hide it behind a cloak. And besides, he doesn't need one. The shirt has all the protection that he needs. He doesn't need to hide behind something extra." She smiled and beamed at her creation of armor, but frowned again when she caught sight of me. "I think it was quite careless of Meriwether to give you that vest. Fauna and I…"

"You leave me out of this!" The green-clothed Fairy, Fauna, said from across the hallway in front of the green door. "You know just as well that we both tried to use the same vest. I think that in the end the vest chose for itself." She said with a glint in her eyes. Just then Ladah emerged from behind the green door. She was smiling insanely and so I knew that she must just love her armor. I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, I have to say that Miss Fauna has out done herself. You look great Ladah." Vincent said yet again playing to the girl's ego. Although looking back at her dress, something in her clothes made me think of Sora. Her black gloves were kind of like Vincent's with the silver knuckle savers as I like to call them. She wore a nondescript grey top, sleeveless from what little I could see because it was covered by a blue and black jacket like thing that was also sleeveless. Her shirt was wrapped with dark blue ribbons or straps that crisscrossed over her stomach. She had on a very short red skirt that would probably show her ass if not for the black tights she wore underneath. The tights only reached to her calves though and the rest of her legs were uncovered all the way to her shoes, which were not boots at all, but little girly shoes. In all I would say the outfit made her look girly while at the same time warning off people that she could indeed kick their asses. If she knew how to kick asses, that is…I thought smiling. It would be so gratifying to actually go up against her… Knowing that I had years of training on her. Knock her right on her black-tighted ass!

"Thanks Vincent. You look… nice, really nice. I don't think I've ever seen you dress like, well, that." She said going all blushy and girly. Oh god, kill me now… "Wow, I must say Axel the clothes actually fit you now." She said laughing. My thoughts went back to the too-short shorts that Vincent had had me wearing when we'd first met her high-ness.

"Hardy-har-har… I think maybe your shirt needs to be longer, can't have the whole world seeing your twelve-year-old bottom now can we?" I think the best part of my day is when I rag on her. That fire-y glint in those aqua eyes, the way her cheeks redden with rage, the intent to kill me plainly written on her face; it is such a nice feeling. Before I knew it though she'd swung that damned Keyblade around her head and had aimed for my own; instinctively I swung my staff around my own head and covered myself with it using both my hands. Her attack hadn't been totally unexpected, but even as I was in the moment of defending myself, I had to stay off the instinct to attack back. The glowing fire that lit my eyes and once my hands and weapons were right on the surface. It took a lot of effort to recognize her face as a friend.

"I am not twelve!" She said, seeming to think my expression was one of fear when in fact it had been of concentration. I know I had felt the heat of the fire. It was so close. Could I possibly still have that power? I'll have to see later... I thought as she backed off. "Come on. Merlin's waiting for us. Besides, I wouldn't want to kill my Guardian…"

"Ladah…"

"Leave it. Let the Princess think what she wants." I said to Vincent as we followed the hot-headed Hero. I'm not the only one who needs practice at companionship… Though I had goaded her into it…My fire? Do I still have my fire? If so what does that mean? I didn't have any power before I was an Organization Member, could this mean that I'm still connected to them then? So many questions with not enough answers.

This chapter came off way too easy I think… NEway, I never realized how hard it would be to write chapter nine. I'm having the most difficult time… I was waiting to post this chapter until I finished Chapter 9, but seeing as how that won't be NE time soon… Review! I commandeth you…eth.