Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Game Master! ❯ Organization XIII gains new members ( Chapter 26 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Castlevania, or Death Note. There are too many crossovers to name who does. Most of them come from Square-Enix, Ohba, Konami, and Takahashi.

 

Sith wasn't doing a particularly good job of getting herself, Aeon, or Mello inside of the tower. She had managed it, of course, and she had Kaiba to help her out a bit, but now she was just plain lost. Something had happened, something she couldn't quite explain, but the more she tried to get a bearing on where she was, the more confused she simply became. It was as if the tower itself shifted every time she thought she knew where she was. Hallways twisted and turned, heading up or going down, and soon Sith had no idea where she was or which way they'd come from. It was almost like her mind was being torn apart by the constant changes. She certainly wanted to bash her head against a wall, to say the least.

 

Right then, she had forced them to stop along one corridor in the high tower, which would have - no, it should have! - taken them back to the main channels of the fortress. But instead, it seemed as if the hall stretched on, having no end whatsoever. The only thing to tell her that she was making progress was the outdoors; it showed they were heading closer to the western coast with every step. But that barely had any significance. Without knowing just where she was, she could have been in a dungeon, for all she cared. She sighed tiredly. She was too damn old for these games.

 

“Kaiba, tell me you have a map on this thing,” she said miserably, wiping her forehead. Sweat had collected, a cold sweat that stemmed from the panic she began to feel. Why couldn't she remember this place anymore? She heard clicking on a keyboard, and knew Kaiba was working hard to bring one up. He frowned as he looked at it.

 

“…according to it, you're outside,” he told her, and she stopped. That wasn't right. Clearly, they were indoors, and the map was wrong. Was this Falnika's doing?

 

“Really? I thought nature had trees and shit in it,” Mello stated sarcastically, and snickered, “Unless we're in the stone age.” That earned him a whack on the head from Aeon's blade. Obviously, the time keeper was in no mood to joke.

 

“Stop fooling around, Mihael. We have work to do,” Aeon told him sternly, gravely, “Something's amiss in this tower. But I can't tell what it is.” He glanced around nervously, seeing shadows everywhere, but not knowing what ones were real, and what could be potential enemies. Sith was not the only one affected. She simply didn't know this. She turned to her old friend, staring blankly at him.

 

“So I'm not the only one who thinks this tower's changing before my eyes?” she asked, and laughed, “What a relief. For a moment, I was sure my age caught up to me.” Aeon snorted, blushing in embarrassment, knowing he was older than she was, easily three times so. Mello, of course, gave her a pat on the shoulder and a hug, grinning at her as if he was simply indulging her. He most probably thought he was.

 

“Not unless we're all going completely postal,” he said gently, and added, “Besides, you're not that old. And if you are, you're good-looking for your age.”

 

“Mello!” Aeon scolded sharply, and the blonde just frowned at the shrill call, “Now isn't the time, you idiot. Something's right here.” Mello finally understood how urgent this was, and he stopped disapproving of Aeon immediately. He let go of Sith and looked around, trying to see just what his companions saw. But there was nothing wrong; the hall looked like a normal hallway. Then again, he was human. The other two weren't.

 

Then he saw it, only slightly. There were shadows that shouldn't have been there. The light wasn't at the right angle to create them. Yet, they were there, shifting just subtly, just beyond his mortal perceptions. His brow arched as he tried to make out just how they moved. But the movements were too small. It could have been anything. Still, Aeon was right. Something was indeed wrong. Instinctively, he took out his gun and fired a shot. It rebounded off of the stone floor, off the ceiling, and then fell harmlessly out of the window. He expected that, but the shadow had scattered. That was enough to confirm Aeon's warnings.

 

“Goody. My guess is, there's tons of them, too,” Mello growled, as Sith drew Zealacht, and Aeon drew his own blade. Yet, none of the other shadows made a move. Sith waited, and waited quite a while. Then, slowly, she lowered her blade.

 

“What on earth could they be?” she asked curiously, taking a step forward and then stopping, “Is this from Falnika?”

 

“Why wouldn't it be?” Ishtar asked her, from inside of the sphere beside her. Sith looked down to see Kaiba typing on his computer, and the three spirits trying to all fit within the sphere's range of sight. She took a breath.

 

“I can't see her wanting to change this castle while I'm in it,” Sith told him warily, “And I certainly can't see her summoning shadows. Demons are one thing; darkness is another.” Ishtar knew too well that Sith's words meant more than they seemed. What she implied was that Falnika wasn't alone, and no one was prepared to argue the point. Mystics had many allies, and Sith had too many enemies. Any one of those enemies could be the cause for this new worry. But whatever one it was, Ishtar couldn't say.

 

“Who could, though?” Bakura asked her. But she shrugged, looking at the shifting shapes in one of the corners. They concerned her a good deal, for reasons she did not know.

 

“I don't have an answer,” she replied grimly, and looked out the window, “Who's to say it's even my enemy? Or that it's one I know of?” Again, her tone implied that she knew something they didn't, and Bakura wasn't thrilled with that. He'd have rather known who they should be expecting, rather than going around blindly, trying to swipe at ghosts. But that's how the Mystics played, and Sith was just as adept at it. Blindness was oftentimes one of her best tools, when used correctly. It had kept Amber off guard, after all.

 

Sith and her team continued down the corridor, and were relieved when it finally turned toward the southern wall, where the old battlefields of Vector came into view. Sith could see the crumbling walls of the old city from there, and was reminded again that she had played a part in this destruction. It was a slap in the face, considering she couldn't even remember how that came to be. With only a passing look, she continued on. Yet more of those shadows came by, and the torrent was thicker here; she could see that several shadows overlapped each other, but for some reason, they kept a respectful distance from her, and in particular, from her sword.

 

When the path opened up onto a balcony, with no way to pass from there, Sith had to stop. There was another balcony on the adjacent wall, and the railings on both were broken, as if someone had blasted through them at one time and taken a decent chunk of cement with them. She watched for a moment, intrigued. A bridge would have connected the two balconies solidly. Was that a path they could take? The jump, she realized, was too far. She might have made it, but neither Mello nor Aeon would have. She frowned, turning to them.

 

“Should we jump it?” she asked them both, knowing Mello would agree just to try something crazy. Surprisingly, Aeon smiled at her, a smug, little half-smile that said he felt he had no choice. In truth, he didn't.

 

“If I say no, are you going to leave me here?” he asked her mockingly, and Sith just grinned. It was a game both of them were used to by then, to see which one was more loyal to the other. Oftentimes, Aeon won simply because he couldn't bring himself to leave Sith. But Sith could easily justify leaving anyone behind, and often did. He understood the unsaid threat even before she answered.

 

“Yes,” she replied easily, and turned to Mello, “Let's go.”

 

“You will not be going anywhere,” came a deep voice from beyond, and Sith froze, turning to the balcony. She saw just one figure emerge, but his power was so intense, it sent shivers up her spine. He wore only a black robe, the hood pulled over to mask his features, and she could see that even without his supernatural power, he was well-built and muscular. For once, this concerned her a good deal, for she did not know whose side he was on. And she had a feeling several more were only a few steps behind him, all equally as powerful, or just around it. He stared at her, and smirked, “Hello, Sith Winchester. It is nice to meet you.”

 

“Who in hell are you?” Sith snarled, drawing her sword immediately. She felt Mello loading his gun directly behind her. The man on the balcony just laughed. It felt dry and humorless.

 

“Who are we?” he corrected, and now several figures joined him, and two more blocked the doorway Sith's team had just entered, “We are Organization XIII. And we are pleased to finally have you in our presence.” Sith was far from wanting to be cordial. She could see the man speaking was grinning. She wanted to jump across and punch his teeth out. And then make him choke on them.

 

“Stand aside or I will cut you all down,” she growled. He just sighed, shaking his head.

 

“Pity. I offer my friendship, and you treat me as you would those Mystic scum,” he said simply, and sighed again, “I was going to offer you the fifteenth rank, as well. You would have made a fine member, possibly exceeding most of our younger members.”

 

“I have no intention of joining you!” Sith yelled at him, and now her eyes blazed with red, “What do you want of me? Why have you come here!?” Mello put his hand on her shoulder to steady her, and Sith silently was glad for it. Right then, she was becoming afraid; she had no idea who this man, these people, were. And she did not want to know. But she knew she had more enemies. The man just smiled, but whether it was wicked or not, she could not see.

 

“Power, Sith, and nothing more,” he told her honestly, “Believe me when I say that we want Falnika eradicated, and believe me further when I say we'd prefer it to be done with you alive and well. We wish you no harm.”

 

“I don't believe you,” Sith was quick to say, and for a split second, the man winced. That was enough to let the silence linger. And it did so painfully. The two simply stared at each other for a very long moment, and only the click of Mello's gun reminded them that there were others with them. Quietly, Sith said, “Give me a reason to.”

 

“There is none,” the man replied firmly, “I give you a choice, Sith. Join us, become the fifteenth member, help us achieve power, and help us complete what we wish. Or walk away now, and let us absorb the darkness Falnika has created.” Again, the silence dragged on. Behind her, Sith could feel Mello wanting to shoot everyone who had appeared, and could feel Aeon wanting to erase them from time. But for some reason, she felt no evil from anyone here. In fact, she felt nothing at all. She studied the man very carefully. But there was little she could figure out. That was a first for her.

 

“What is your name?” she asked him. Surprisingly, he answered her.

 

“Xemnas.”

 

“And what if I were to refuse your offer, Xemnas?” she asked him. His next reaction did not surprise her in the least. Finally, he removed his hood - white hair cascaded down his shoulders, and she saw that his eyes were a piercing golden, and his dark complexion did nothing to hide it. Despite that, though, he looked calm and even a bit amused with her words. But that was not what had caught her attention. What had done it was the fact that, as his hands dropped to his sides, a blade of red energy appeared in each. For all of his calm and cooperation, he had no intention of hearing a refusal.

 

“I am afraid, Sith, that such an answer is unacceptable,” he told her, and a smile appeared, a smile that she could not trust, “You understand that this isn't personal, correct?” Sith just snorted, and a smirk appeared on her. To the other members of the Organization, that was a stupid idea. But to her, this was another man who did not know who she was or how many like him she'd already killed. And to Xemnas, this was a foolish woman who did not understand how much his generosity was worth.

 

“I understand when a threat has been issued,” she said quietly, and in a heartbeat, she leapt off of the remainder of the railing, right toward Xemnas, “And I understand how to eliminate those threats, too.” And with that, she struck.

 

The hit had connected with a terrifying, sickeningly loud crack. Sith had flown right across the chasm, and had met Xemnas head-on, Zealacht slicing through and hitting him solidly. By all accounts, and from Mello's view, she should have won. But Sith had seen Xemnas as she struck him, and knew that as soon as her sword hit, she had lost. For, while it went through him, that was what he wanted. And he had melted as the sword went through, only to reform a second later, when he was safe. And this time, Sith was vulnerable. He thrust both blades forward, skewering her. But rather than shove her over the edge, to her death, he pulled her closer until he had one arm around her, the other keeping one blade in her. She was pinned. And she was horrified.

 

“That was a terrible mistake,” he whispered in her ear, and she jerked wildly, her body no longer responding properly to her commands. Blue blood was already dripping off of his blades, but he paid it no heed.

 

“You… bastard…” Sith breathed, but he just laughed and pressed his arm tighter, Sith wincing as the blade went deeper.

 

“I will turn you into a heartless, even if I have to tear your heart out of you,” he said to her, “I don't like the word `no.” He laughed again, knowing that if Sith could have, she'd have struck him soundly. It was almost funny; she was his peer in power, yet she could do nothing right then. He grinned and said, “Well? Nothing to say?”

 

As a matter of fact, she had a lot to say. And her first step was to spit in his face. Then, she said, “If this is how you get a heart, you suck at it.” With a strength she should not have had, she shoved him backwards, and he stumbled, crashing onto the floor and staring up as if she had struck him. Likewise, his companions were shaken by the move, as well. Xemnas should not have been pushed away so quickly.

 

“You…” he breathed, and then suddenly he stood and smiled, “What a powerful will you have. Truly, your power is incredible.” Sith would've been flattered, if she weren't currently on the brink of bleeding out. Those blades, whatever they were made of, were the bane of her. They cut deep and left inward burns that ate at her, sapping the little bit of strength she had left. It was all she could do to just stand.

 

“I've heard that before,” she growled in pain, “Got any other tricks at winning a heart, or can I try my hand at breaking yours?”

 

“We don't have a heart!” one of the others whined, and this time, both Sith and Xemnas turned. Whoever it was, he immediately regretted speaking at all. And when three blades were aimed at him, he wished he were dead. Mello had to admit, as he let his gun drop, that he was impressed. Whoever these people were, they were dumb as horseshit.

 

“What are you all?” Sith asked, standing beside Xemnas as he stared at his fellow flatly, almost annoyed. He glanced at her for a second. There was something about the way he looked that made Sith soften. Despite the attack, he did not seem to want to kill her. Just to take her heart, and turn her into some sort of monster.

 

“We are Nobodies,” he replied calmly, “People without hearts.”

 

“And so you're going to take mine,” she concluded, incorrectly at that, “You should have chosen better. My heart's far from pure, Xemnas. I'm just as heartless as you, and I've had four thousand years to dirty it up.” Xemnas's smile softened, as if he were speaking to an old friend about things that had transpired and were beyond them both.

 

“But you still have it, and its power is great,” he said to her quietly, almost shyly, “We need it. Just as we need the Mystics' power. To complete us.” Sith finally stumbled and was about to kneel; the pain was growing too much and her vision was dimming a bit. But Xemnas wasn't entirely evil. He held her up with one arm, and stared right at her. She understood now why she felt nothing. Because, without a heart, there could be no good or evil within them. She felt pity for them, all of them.

 

“You understand that if you do this, you will be blamed for the corruption Rath has caused,” Sith told him gently. He seemed to have already known this, for his smile widened a bit, and he nodded.

 

“We are more than prepared,” he replied, “Even for your kind.”

 

“I want to help you, for I understand what it is like to lose part of yourself,” she said truthfully, and he didn't doubt her words, “I am also seeking something I've lost to the darkness, though it is not a heart. If we are not truly enemies, then we can aid each other.” Xemnas hummed, considering that. He wanted as little to do with mortals as possible, but Sith had a point. Falnika wasn't the end, and Rath may have known of his group already. Sith would have a lot of information, and he would have a way to get to the mad Mystic easily. But what was in it for him?

 

“And what would benefit my group from this?” he asked her plainly, but she didn't answer before Mello aimed his gun, straight for Xemnas's head.

 

“The fact that you're still alive should've been enough of a reward, you son of a bitch,” Mello growled, as Aeon said, “Release Sith or we'll end your lives, heart or not.” Xemnas arched a brow. If he `released' Sith, she'd fall to the floor and harm herself. He still needed her. Besides, could one man and a time keeper truly stop him? He didn't think so. He chuckled, shaking his head.

 

“Pitiful fools. I am trying to help you,” he told them, “Did I not say we wish Falnika dead?” Aeon was quick to admit that he had, but Mello wasn't as trusting. And for the three spirits within the sphere, they had also seen that Xemnas had done a good deal of damage to Sith. Help or not, if Sith died because of that damage, they would lose regardless.

 

“Sith can handle the Mystics without you,” Bakura said quickly, as Joey came up to see and added, “Yeah, we did fine without you jerks!” Xemnas stared at the sphere for a long moment, and half considered shattering it and ending their annoyances. Sith seemed to be the only one who understood that he had more than just a set of ethereal blades at his disposal.

 

“Then why is she about to die, if I let go of her?” he asked them softly. Mello already had an answer for that, and it came in the form of a blast from his gun. It hit Xemnas squarely in the chest, and he hadn't been prepared for it. The Nobody staggered back, dropping Sith, who crashed onto the floor as he did.

 

“Because you fucking skewered her!” Mello yelled furiously, and then realized the consequence of his action. Sith could not support herself. And he was across the chasm, unable to get her back up. Xemnas growled, knowing he took far more damage than he should have. He snapped his fingers, and two of the others ran to him. He pointed to Sith.

 

“Xaldin, take her and wrap her wound. Xigbar, keep a gun on those two at all times,” he ordered sternly, and looked, realizing that three others hadn't joined him yet. He frowned and said, “And for the love of hearts, someone figure out what is keeping Zexion so long.” Some of the figures looked at each other for answers as the two in question performed their respective orders. Mello realized he was at a complete disadvantage. His gun took time to reload, and Xigbar had two guns pointed at him. He knew now why Sith chose not to fight. Xemnas had a lot of ways to convince people to let him be, and sheer power was one of them.

 

“What're you going to do after you kill Falnika?” Yami asked, and Xemnas looked down into the sphere, “Go after Sith?”

 

“No. I said clearly that we have no reason to kill her,” Xemnas told him, “Sith is of no concern, and may prove useful in times to come. But I do see we have many other problems to eliminate.” Yami backed up, knowing that Xemnas spoke of all of them. And if he crippled Sith in just one move, he could easily wipe them all out as well. The only difference was that he'd enjoy killing them all. He did not enjoy hurting Sith.

 

When Sith was securely in Xaldin's arms, Xemnas turned toward the arch they had entered through. He had seen enough, and he had Sith with him now. There was no need to stay, and with Xigbar standing at the rail, those fools of hers wouldn't dare follow. He glanced at Xaldin and looked down at Sith quickly, to which the other Nobody nodded. She would live. Xemnas smiled, and moved to leave the room. Behind him, he heard Mello screaming at him, but he simply ignored it. If the fool wanted to try to stop him, he could leap over the edge. He simply wouldn't make it, and either the length of the chasm or Xigbar's bullets would be the end of him. It was no small consequence, no risk at all.

 

Yet, when Xemnas left the arch and walked down the stairs toward the lower floor, the doors were blown open. And out crashed four figures, slamming into the wall just next to Xemnas, forcing him to stop. For once, his eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected that, hadn't even heard anything happening on the lower floor. Had he been so occupied that he lost his concentration? He couldn't say, but he shook his head to clear it. There lay three of his members, and one human who looked like he should have died moments ago. He just blinked. What had happened, he could not possibly say.

 

“DIE, YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF SHIT!” Saix roared, not even noticing that he had crashed right into his comrades, or that Xemnas was even there. He merely jumped up and lunged right back into the room, claymore out and whirling. Xemnas heard crashing in the next room, and sighed. Saix obviously wasn't in his right mind right then. He looked at the remaining two members, who were dazed from the blast.

 

“Axel… Zexion…” he said flatly, as the former looked up and grinned, “What is going on in there?”

 

“We found you an Esper god, boss man!” Axel told him excitedly, as Zexion groaned miserably and said, “Yes, and I believe my abdomen, shoulder, neck, spleen, hip, and rib cage have all been dislocated thanks to your commander.” Xemnas could only stare, unable to figure out if he should just shake his head and walk away, or kick them both and drag Saix back out. What they'd done was just reckless, after all.

 

“…Ryou!?” Sith asked, when she shifted a bit in Xaldin's arms. She looked down and saw that he was even more of a mess than Zexion was. Though, that really was just because the others had all landed on him, not because he was seriously hurt. He looked up at her, and was genuinely glad to see that she was moderately safe.

 

“Hi, Sith. Did you meet Organization XIII?” he asked, knowing she already had. Her reaction was priceless. Her mouth dropped and her glasses fell off, revealing the disbelief and sheer terror in her eyes. Ryou wasn't even afraid of these freaks and their idea of getting power. And right about then, with Saix's loud outburst, that idea consisted of roaring, snarling, crashing into things, and generally causing enough destruction to wipe out the continent. And nearly killing her and her friends in the process. She shook her head. This was just typical.

 

“What have you gotten yourself into?” she asked, though she hadn't really expected an answer. Then, of course, she realized that there were a few problems. Matt, Malik, and Yugi weren't with Ryou. Curiously, she asked where they had gone to. And when she learned of their fates, she turned and glared at Xemnas.

 

“What does he mean, you left my friends to die!?” she yelled, and struggled to get out of Xaldin's powerful grip. But Xaldin would not let her go. Xemnas's brow was arched in confusion as well. As far as he was concerned, Vexen had gone to send them right back to their worlds, save for Matt.

 

“I assumed one of the three I sent as sentries would see them back just fine,” he told her truthfully, and then he thought about it a second more, “Save, of course, for Mail Jeevas. We left him in that trench so he couldn't interfere.” He soon learned that was a terrible mistake, however, for at that, Sith did manage to break free. She leapt away from Xaldin, her tail slamming into his face when he tried to grab her again. And then she lunged straight for Xemnas, knocking him clear to the ground. Her bulk was far more solid to him than he thought possible, given her size.

 

“You left Matt! You son of a bitch!” Sith yelled, clawing and punching the Nobody with every ounce of strength still in her, “You liar! You have no use for me at all, or for my friends! You will be the death of us all!” Xemnas grunted and threw her right off, sending her sprawling onto the ground before him. But he didn't attack her afterward; she was half-right, after all. He merely stood and dusted his cloak off, staring down at her as if she were a spoiled child he'd been berating. Then he sighed and looked at Zexion.

 

“What is the report on the upper floors? Can we get up?” he asked seriously, barely reacting when another loud explosion from inside the room sounded. Saix was obviously winning the fight, or at least he was close to. Zexion noted this, for his eyes narrowed a bit and a drop of sweat rolled down his face.

 

“As soon as Saix is done, we can,” the young Nobody told him flatly, and looked at Sith, “…sir, is she… dead?” Xemnas didn't look back, but he knew Sith hadn't moved yet. He smiled. She wasn't dead; something so pitiful couldn't kill her, though it probably knocked the wind out of her a bit.

 

“She is not. Pay her no heed for now,” Xemnas told him, and his eyes flashed for a second, “Should she prove troublesome, I'll restrain her.”

 

“Please don't hurt her!” Ryou pleaded, though he knew that sounded pathetic against all of the Nobodies in the room. They turned, and he was quick to add, “She's the only one who can stop Falnika and safely seal the void that'll be left behind.” At that, silence greeted him, a silence that told him they didn't like what he had just said. But he didn't care. If they didn't like it, they could fight Sith about it later.

 

“We intend to absorb that void,” Xemnas said calmly, simply. But Ryou shook his head. He wasn't an expert, but he knew nothing could be that easy, and that what they truly wanted wasn't actually what they thought it was. Amber might have reined in their shadow power, but Falnika hadn't.

 

“If you do, you'll be devoured by the darkness, not strengthened,” Ryou told him, and Xemnas stopped, staring, “The void left behind is a piece of Oblivion. It swallows anything that gets too close. I've seen it, it's almost done so to my own world twice. Sith is the only one who can close it.” Xemnas was not concerned. He waved the problem away and turned.

 

“It will not swallow us,” he said, but Ryou couldn't agree, not ever. He grabbed Xemnas's arm as the man tried to walk away. Xemnas glared at him.

 

“Please don't try!” Ryou urged, “You'll be killed by it!” That silenced anything Xemnas would have said, for he could only stare down at the smaller boy, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected that such a thing could ever kill him; he was darkness itself! But more importantly, he hadn't thought a human would care. Humans shunned Nobodies for their lack of hearts. Which was almost ironic.

 

Quietly, Xemnas asked, “Why would that worry you?”

 

“Because Sith wouldn't want that,” Ryou answered honestly, brows creasing, “You might think you don't have hearts, but I don't think Sith agrees. That's why she didn't kill you. Because she knows how painful losing something is. Please, you have to believe me. If you want your hearts, don't absorb the void!” Xemnas wasn't sure if he could believe the boy, but some of his cohorts weren't as rigid about the voids. They looked at each other, some murmuring, others simply staring, but no one knew what to say. Darkness was darkness… wasn't it?

 

“How can we believe you?” Zexion asked seriously, but Ryou knew that if he had any hopes for stopping Falnika and saving Sith, it'd be by pressing forward.

 

“Because hearts can't be created from nothing, and that's what Oblivion is,” Ryou said firmly. Everyone just looked at Xemnas. The choice was ultimately his to make. He looked back at Sith. She was still, hadn't moved an inch. Was it possible Ryou was right, and only Sith could do this? If so, then she might be able to give their power back afterwards, regardless of Falnika's fate. Xemnas had to consider it.

 

He was silent for quite a while, and it was painfully clear that whatever that meant, it terrified the rest of his ranks. Ryou could tell he was deciding on what to do. Sith would be difficult to convince to give their power back, but it wasn't an impossibility. Her job was to ensure balance between power, and the Mystics had tipped it too much in their favor. But then again, Xemnas had attacked both her and Mello. She wasn't about to forget that one. Ryou knew he'd have to help out if it came to that conclusion. Xemnas also understood this; he didn't miss Sith's reaction when she saw Ryou.

 

“Xaldin, gather Sith up and let us get Saix,” he said firmly, “We have a Mystic to eliminate.” Ryou smiled weakly. For now, they gained some powerful allies. But that left Mello and Aeon, who were still cornered by Xigbar. It was even likely that Mello had gotten himself killed.

 

“What about Sith's friends?” Ryou asked, and then pointed to the sphere, “And my own world?” Xemnas stared flatly. He loved power, but all of these different parties were too much for him to possibly handle alone. He now wished he hadn't hit Sith at all. She was better at crowd control.

 

“Your friends can watch and wait,” he said pointed, and then looked up the stairs he had come from, “Xigbar! Cease and desist! And bring that pathetic human and his time-keeper with you!” He smirked when he heard a complaint from the `pathetic human,' but it didn't take long for Xigbar to come down, with Aeon beside him. Mello, unsurprisingly, was now unconscious and slung across Xigbar's back. Ryou almost laughed, except that if Sith woke up, she might actually consider killing Xemnas. A fight between the two would end in several casualties that Ryou didn't feel was necessary.

 

“So, what's the plan, then?” Axel asked, when everyone was gathered together, save for Saix. They all heard another roar, and then a gurgled scream as something was sliced in half. Once again, another flat look crossed Xemnas's face, and he shook his head. His plan was to go and storm the upper chambers. But now he knew the best bet would be to first knock some sense into Saix and remind him that being berserk was good only when he was fighting alone. Which he wasn't doing right then.

 

“We stop Number Seven from destroying the damned castle!” Xemnas yelled, hoping his voice cut through the noise Saix was making, “And then, we deal with Falnika.” Unfortunately, Ryou saw one flaw in that plan. Falnika had caused some hesitancy with the group as a whole, but the thought of trying to stop Saix made about half of them want to wet their pants. Ryou didn't blame them. For four hours, he'd dealt with Saix's moodiness, and the man had been berserk for most of that time, as well.

 

But Xemnas was the Superior, and the leader of all of them now. Not even Sith held that authority, for she was unconscious and barely scratched Xemnas when she had struck. And he certainly did not give them the choice to be afraid of Saix. He was already through the door by the time their fear registered.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

With Organization XIII's help, Sith managed to be reunited with Ryou. Unfortunately, Xemnas is not so fond of letting the two leave peacefully. For he has his own intentions regarding Sith's ability to seal Oblivion, and that intention is to make himself far stronger. Now, with Sith and Mello unconscious, it's up to Ryou to make sure Xemnas doesn't betray Sith and absorb Oblivion. But against thirteen powerful foes, three Esper gods, and the wrath of a million Mystics, just what hope does Ryou have? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!