Revenge of the Hearts

Chapter XXXII

"Got it memorized?" ~Axel (Kingdom Hearts)
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We were transported to the alternate Twilight Town, just as we hoped. As we stepped off the pad, I glanced over to see the remains of DiZ's computer, remembering what happened the last time I was here. "Are we back in the same place?" Donald asked as he looked around.

Everything looked the same, but the only evidence we were in the alternate Twilight Town was the destroyed computer. "This is the other Twilight Town..." Sora muttered. "Roxas' Twilight Town."

"There's gotta be an entrance to the dark realm somewhere..." King Mickey said. "Let's split up."

King Mickey ran off somewhere and Sora, Donald Goofy and I looked around in the room. We entered the next room where in the corner stood a floating orb of swirling greens, blacks, whites, and reds. King Mickey joined as we approached it. "This is it," the King nodded.

Sora, Donald, Goofy and I came closer to the orb and it glowed, transporting us to someplace else. It looked to be an alternate dimension with no walls or floors. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of colors. "What is this place?" Sora asked.

"Well, which way should we go?" Donald said.

"Riku! Kairi!" Sora yelled.

A bunch of Dusk Nobodies appeared, surrounding us as we drew our weapons. We easily took out the group that surrounded us, but the battle didn't remain easy for long. More and more Dusks kept appearing and slowly overwhelmed all of us. They had Sora, Donald, Goofy and I cornered as we stood with our weapons out, panting, exhausted from the constant fighting. A small group of Dusks isn't that big of  a deal, but when they become an army...they become a force that shouldn't be reckoned with. "Don't atop moving, or the darkness will overtake you!" A familiar voice yelled. Axel appeared, slashing the Dusks with his chakrams. "Get goin'!"

"Why?" Sora demanded.

"Don't ask," Axel snapped. "Just do it!"

A Dusk tackled him and I quickly ran over, slashing them away so they weren't on top of Axel. "You okay?" Sora asked.

"I kidnapped Kairi, but she got away from me," Axel explained as he slammed his fist down on the ground. "After that, Saïx caught her. He's a member of Organization XIII. Saïx. Got it memorized? Now go save her!"

A Dusk tried to pounce Sora but I cut it down with my Keyblade. "Leave us alone!" I screamed into the literal void.

Axel got up and covered his chakrams in fire as he threw them at the Dusks, alternating which one he threw each time, burning away the Dusks. Sora and I charged through them, slashing them with our Keyblades. Goofy spun around with his shield and Donald was casting various elemental spells on them while providing aid to us when needed. Despite our best efforts, the army wasn't letting up.

Sora, Axel, and I stood back-to-back to each other. "I think I liked it better when they were on my side," Axel complained.

"Feeling a little...regret?" Sora retorted.

"Nah...I can handle these punks," Axel smirked. "Watch this!"

Axel jumped into the middle of the army of Dusks. He lit his chakrams on fire as they circled him and Axel spread his arms out, summoning pillars of fires that at first surrounded him but spread out to wipe out the Dusks. Once the fire burnt out, Axel had turned half the area reddish-orange from his attack.

"Whoa!" Sora yelled.

Instead of gaping there in shock, my eyes widened once I saw the state Axel was in. He was lying on the ground as ashes crumbled off of him. Sora and I bolted over to him as we knelt down. I sat there quietly as Sora saw the ashes that were coming off of Axel. "You're fading away..." he muttered.

"Well, that's what happens when you put your whole being into an attack," Axel sighed. "You know what I mean? Not that Nobodies actually HAVE beings...right? Anyway, I digress. Go, find Kairi. Oh, almost forgot...sorry for what I did to her."

"When we find her, you can tell her that yourself," Sora scoffed.

"Think I'll pass," Axel chuckled. "My heart's just wouldn't be in it, you know? Haven't got one."

"Axel, what were you trying to do?" Sora asked.

"I wanted to see Roxas," Axel replied. "He...was the only one I liked...he made me feel...like I had a heart...it's kind of...funny...you make me feel...the same."

Axel gave a soft smile as I placed a hand on his shoulder. He eyed the hand and glanced up to me. I took a deep breath, swallowing the dryness in my throat. If I don't say this now, I never will be able to. "Axel...I'm sorry," I spoke the words I wished to say to him for the longest time. "What happened to me there wasn't your fault...you were just following orders and didn't know what was going on, right? You didn't lie to me, or trick me into doing anything. I'm sorry for blaming you for everything that happened to me.  That's why I treated you so horribly. I just didn't want to admit it was my fault and I was the one who walked into that trap. It's funny, you know...looking back at it now, even at the times when I treated you like garbage...I still thought of you as a friend and valued our friendship together."

"...Wow," Axel smirked. "I must be pretty special to get an apology from Sakura. And you're getting so emotional over me as well."

"What?" I laughed dryly. "I'm not." I wiped my eyes only to discover that indeed I was crying. "Well," I took a shaky breath. "I just didn't want you leaving this world and leaving me with a regret that I didn't apologize to you. Don't think you're that special, Axel!"

"Yeah..." Axel laughed as well before his eyes showed a determined look. "Kairi's in the castle dungeon. Now go!"

He raised his army shakily and used the last bit of energy he had to summon up a Corridor of Darkness to get us out of here, "Axel..." Sora whispered as we watched his body disintegrate into dust.

"Saki...what did you mean with what you said to Axel?" Sora asked.

I took a sharp breath, remembering the promise I too made to Riku. Not yet, Sora. Not yet. "Let's...just say I knew him before all this happened," I stated as I stood up and faced the Corridor of Darkness Axel summoned for us.

"That should lead us to..." Sora started.

"Aw, some on!" Donald cried. "Let's get going!"

Sora nodded as we all walked through the Corridor of Darkness that lead us to the Organization's main base.