Keyblade Master Rixec

Where is this store located?! I demand answers! 

Rixec

“I don’t have to tell you nothing you over-bumptious-oof!” Braig was shouting before I slapped him with the back of my hand. I had him by the throat in the other hand and had him pressed against the wall. The rest of the Organization – minus Larxene and Xemnas – was littered on the floor behind me; all of them had been useless in procuring the Intel I wanted.

“Look, I actually walked in the front door, I held up my hands once I was surrounded and asked if there was a way to wake up my friend, and I just kicked all your @sses without using my Keyblades,” I explained calmly. “Now are you capable of helping me or not?!”

Braig just chose to spit in my face and I retaliated by slamming his head against the wall multiple times until it went through completely. I let go of him and he slumped to the floor, his head getting caught in the hole with blood oozing around it.

“That is one of my precious hosts,” a calm yet angry voice stated.

I turned to see Xemnas floating up to me and I crossed my arms. Finally, someone important shows up. “I just want information Xemnas,” I told him.

“I think a letter would have sufficed,” Xemnas replied as he held out his hand toward the fallen Organization members.

“I didn’t throw the first punch,” I stated as I held up my hands innocently, “but I’ll certainly throw the last.”

Xemnas floated up to me and smirked. “You think yourself so important ‘Bringer of Light,’ but there have been several like you and they have all fallen in one way or another. You weren’t chosen simply because you were the best, but because you were the only one left who was ready to take on the power.”

I raised an eyebrow at what he was saying but I paid it no heed; I wasn’t here for me. “Do you know how to help wake up Lexa? She’s in a state similar to what Kairi was back when Sora first stopped Ansem,” I explained.

“You all have hearts to give up yourselves, don’t you?” Xemnas smirked. “Or are you too selfish and cowardly to do it?”

I glared as Xemnas as I tightened my fist.

“Don’t push me Xemnas,” I gritted.

Xemnas laughed loudly at this and exclaimed, “Insolent fool! You may have power hut I could destroy you without giving it a thought-!”

Before he finished his sentence I jabbed my right hand forward and hit Xemnas right in the face. He fell back a few steps, dazed, before falling to the ground. Smirking, I walked up to him and pressed him against the wall, right next to Braig. “One punch, b!tch,” I said. “Now tell me what else you know. There’s no one left here to save you and…”
 

My voice trailed off as I thought about what I was saying. There was no one else here, but there should have been. “Where’s Larxene?” I asked.

Before he lost consciousness Xemnas smirked at me and said, “Securing a new base.”

Sephirix

I slashed threw a Nobody as three more slithered toward me. I cast a spell and an icy wing shot out at them, freezing them over. I leapt over and smashed them to pieces with ease. I glanced up at a house above and saw Larxene dancing upon it, lightning striking random places in Traverse Town. People were running and fighting, every one of them scared. Larxene had shown up unexpectedly and started a war right here. Many had already fallen and there weren’t that many warriors that could stand up to them that well. 

“I’m beginning to think Leon and the others should have stayed here,” I mumbled as I slashed off a Nobody’s head.

I heard a scream and saw s small group of children surrounded by Nobodies.

“No!” I yelled as I started running toward them but a swipe from a club knocked me to the side and one of Saix’s Nobodies stood before me. “Out of my way!”

I jumped at it but it blocked my attack and threw me back. I quickly jumped to the side and got behind it and started slashing at its back. It finally fell and I turned to go help the kids. I didn’t need to.

All of the Nobodies had been slain and the children were looking at their savior with awe. I was surprised myself since he wasn’t heading anywhere near here, but then another thought came to mind. “Replicanitas?”

Vanitas’s replica turned his head and smiled grimly at me. “Guess that’s my name now. Hey Sephirix.”

“Thanks for showing up, I could use the assist,” I explained.

“Why would you want somebody like me?” he asked. “I’m nothing.”

“Oh for the love of! OK, you may not be Vanitas, but you’re still you, you can make your choices,” I told him. “And everyone here could use your help right now.”

“We need to get out of here!” Neku shouted as he ran up to us. “There are more Nobodies on the way, along with real fighters. Our scout said they have about seven million!”

“Damn,” I muttered.

The children started to stiffen, worried on how they would escape. Neku reassured them, “Don’t worry. Everyone is heading for a Gummi ship that will evacuate them to safe worlds. Head that way to get to it.”

The children nodded and started running toward the ship. I looked at Neku and said, “So Traverse Town is being abandoned.”

“There’s nothing else we can do,” he insisted. “But the army of seven million is closer than I let on. I don’t know if we’ll make it in time.”

“Then I’ll buy you time,” I said.

“By yourself?” Neku gaped.

“He won’t,” Replicanitas said as he stepped forward. “I’m here.”

Neku started to say something but he hesitated. He sighed and started running toward the ship but he stopped and turned around to say, “Thank you!”

We watched as he left our sight and I gripped my Keyblade. “Man, this is gonna suck.”

“Not really,” Replicanitas said before he slammed the butt of his Keyblade into the side of my head. Everything blacked out.

I woke up later and I saw people looking over me. I stood up and asked, “What happened?”

“Someone brought you here to get you to safety but he stayed behind,” someone said. “Said he would buy us time.”

“NO!” I roared.

Replicanitas

I struck the ground with my Keyblade as I caught my breath. I had already killed so many enemies but I had barely placed a scratch in their forces. I didn’t think I could stand for much longer. I looked up and the image of Lexa before me. I knew it wasn’t real, but at least it gave me someone to talk to. “Man, why did I do something like this?”

“For your friends, right?” she answered me.

“Heh, friends,” I muttered with a smile. “Lexa… am I going to die?”

“Probably,” she said sadly. “Well, if that’s the case you better make sure to go out like a hero!”

“Right,” I grinned as I rose to my feet. I yelled as I charged at nearly seven million army before me.

“Enemy!” a general shouted as fireballs and lightning were fired at me.

I dodged each attack and jumped at them and swung my Keyblade, a blast of darkness killing a hundred of them. The dust cloud made from the attack gave me cover as I ran out and started slashing at them all, buying everyone the time they needed.

“Look out!” Lexa shouted as a large fireball landed at my feet. I was thrown back but I jumped to my feet and struck the ground with my Keyblade for support.

“Damn, if I knew this was going to happen I would have asked Lexa that question sooner,” I grinned as I stood up.

I watched as they pointed all their guns at me and fired a hail of bullets. I raised my Keyblade and filled it with darkness; I started blocking the bullets with supersonic speed, each bullet falling to the ground dented. I was sweating terribly as I stood my ground before the oncoming metal. After a few minutes two caught me in the leg and another grazed my cheek. I roared as I struck my Keyblade into the ground and let out a Dark Gamma Bomb.

The explosion covered a good chunk of area and I grunted as I felt someone punch me in the chest. When the explosion ended I fell to the ground, panting heavily. I was covered in blood and I was holding my chest with one hand as blood poured out. I glanced around and saw thousands of soldiers and Nobodies dead, but there was still more than six million around me. They all kept their distance though as they reading their magic and guns.

“Lexa,” I breathed, “I don’t want to die yet.”

Luckily,I  had gotten something important from those I had killed. I had done the reverse of what Lexa did with Sephirix. I had transferred Hearts from those I had killed and had started sending it to Sephirix to hold onto. He would know what to do with it.

“NO!” Lexa shouted as I smiled one last time at her image.

“FIRE!” Larxene shouted and every soldier and Nobody left sent out their attacks. Fireballs, lightning, bullets, and cannonballs went up into the air and then they started to come straight down at me.

“LEXA!!!” I shouted before they hit.

Sephirix

“Dear God,” I cried as I felt energy transfer into my heart. Replicanitas was gone.

Rixec

“Our lives have more drama than any soap opera,” I concluded. “Even more than all of Twilight combined!”

We were all sitting around the table, some of us worse for wear. Sephirix was seated nent to Avon in his new armor – I would have to find time to learn more about that dark light I had been hearing about.

“We should be looking for Replicanitas,” Xoncron suggested.

“We should focus our efforts on the real Vanitas,” Anders declared.

“We should find them both,” Sephirix stated. “Especially Replicanitas. Nothing good ever happens to those guys, particularly after they head off on their own.”

“Where do we start looking though?” Nita pondered.

“We’ll just have to send out squadrons of SOLDIER knights to search the surrounding worlds,” Avon sighed as she tapped the table depressingly. “The Plan has fallen apart and God knows what we’re in for in the near future.”

“And what about Xero?” Anders asked as he crossed his arms.

“Notwithstanding her actions we leave her alone for now the moment,” Avon ordered. “Things have gotten too far out of hand as they are. I’d rather not mess things up any further.”

“What are you talking about?” Xoncron asked.

“Not important,” Nita answered gently. “Not now, anyway.”

“What about Lexa?” I asked. “We need to find a way to wake her up.”

“I agree,” Avon said grimly. “But that heart essence was our best shot. I don’t even want to think about what the consequences of destroying it are.”

Xoncron averted his gaze from the rest of us. He was still blaming himself partially for its destruction.

“Isn’t there something else we can do to help Lexa?” Sephirix whispered, his fist tightening.

“Who rained on your parade?” a familiar voice said.

We all turned to see the form of Vanitas behind us. “Replicanitas?!” Xoncron exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

“Do I look like a replica to you?” he smirked.

“Vanitas!” Sephirix yelled with a big grin on his face. Scary.

“Now where’s Lexa?” Vanitas aksed, serious once more.
 

We led him to the room where Lexa was currently sleeping. Once Vanitas saw her… my heart broke for him. He walked up to her slowly and took her hand in his, holding it firmly. He gently kissed it and we decided to give him some time alone. After twenty minutes he finally emerged, tears streaming down his face. “How did this happen?” he asked. “Sephirix?”

Before Sephirix could answer I spoke up. “It’s been Xero and Replicron,” I explained. “They’ve been manipulating us for a while, breaking our bonds of trust to make us weak, vulnerable. Didn’t help that your replica went to the extreme in trying to help Lexa. Things have just gone to hell since we beat Norcnox.”
 

Vanitas took a deep breath as he thought about what I said. Sephirix glanced at me but I shook my head. We had already been through enough crap. No point in adding any more to the mix. Especially considering what I’ll have to do once we save Lexa.

“Now that we’re all together again,” Xoncron said, “what do we do now?”

“We should go look for Replicanitas,” Sephirix suggested.
 

“What, did you fall in love with him while I was gone?” Vanitas smirked. If only he knew.

“Maybe we should,” I mumbled. “He might be able to help us. We could learn more about his creation and possibly a way to help Lexa.”

“How?” Xoncron asked.

“I don’t know – I’m grasping at straws!” I admitted. “But we might as well hope there is.”

“I agree,” Sephirix nodded. “We should get moving.”

“Normally Xero or someone like that Replicron would be good to follow up leads, but I don’t think we’ll want to run into them right now,” Vanitas said.

“Good call,” I said. “We need to-!”
 

An alarm rang out and we all froze as we realized it came from Lexa’s room. We smashed through the doorway and saw Lexa on her bed, her chest up heaving as her mouth gaped open. Vanitas ran to her, whispering to her that he’s her, that he’ll help her. Xoncron tried using healing spells and Sephirix was trying to hold her down to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. I just stood there, realizing that Lexa was running out of time.

Two medics rushed into the room and pulled out a syringe. “Hold her down!” he said.

The other medic, Xoncron, Vanitas, and Sephirix took a limb and held Lexa down as the shot was inserted into her heart. After a few moments she started to grow calm and was back in her tranquil sleep.
 

“She won’t last three days,” Avon said as she entered.

“That can’t be…,” Vanitas paled.

“We have to work fast,” I said, my voice raising. “We have to split up.”

“Split up?” Xoncron repeated. “After all it took to get us back together?”

“Lexa won’t last like this,” I argued. “We need to divide our forces – preferably into four – to search more area. That’s Lexa’s best chance!”

The guys looked at each other a few moments before finally nodding to my logic. We all gazed upon Lexa, our leader; we had three days to save her. May Kingdom Hearts guide us.

Sephirix

I was starting to think Vanitas was a lost cause; how could he possibly come back from something like this?

I grunted as I rose to my feet, Avon readying her sword. “We have to take him alive,” she said. “We can’t afford to lose him.”
 

“I think we’re a little late,” I said as I fired a Dark Firaga at him.

The blast hit him but it seemed to merge with his shadow body rather than harm him. A ripple started to appear on his body and it made its way upwards until it reached his throat. Vanitas arched his head back and then snapped it forward, a larger Dark Firaga spewing out of his mouth. Avon and I cast wind and reflect spells to block the attack, the black fire dancing around us as our spells protected us. I groaned and bent one knee; my injuries were starting to get to me.

“Heal,” Avon said as she cast the spell on me. I was still in pain, but at least the bleeding stopped.

Vanitas leapt forward and landed on top of our defenses, shattering them. Avon cried out as she stumbled backwards and hit her head against the wall. “Damn!” I muttered as I looked into Vanitas’s hollow eyes. I couldn’t see any sign of the person I once called ally. The only way to save him might be to kill him.

I gripped my Keyblade as I charged at him. I slashed Vanitas across the chest and he screamed; it sounded like nails on a chalkboard while whistling. Vanitas stumbled back and growled. He sunk into the shadows, meaning he could attack from anywhere. I frantically look around as a whooshing sound enters my ear from behind me. I dive to the left as Vanitas thrusts a clawed hand at me.

Vanitas lunges for me while I’m down but a blast of lightning hits him in the face and he cried out again as he hits the floor. I looked up to see Nita who had her sword out. “Leave you alone for two minutes and this happens,” she scoffed.
 

“Thanks,” I said as I stood up. I glanced at Vanitas who was getting his second wind. “I don’t think we can save him.”

“We have to,” Nita said.

“Why? What’s so important about saving him for you?” I asked.

Nita bowed her head before she turned to face me. “It just is, all right,” she whispered. “We have to save him.”

I didn’t know why, but I felt like it was Lexa speaking to me at that moment. Maybe it was because of Vanitas here. What was so important about him? “All right,” I said.
 

Vanitas lunged at us, bullets made of darkness firing from his claws. Nita and I dodged to the side and proceeded to attack with fire and blizzard magic. Vanitas started howling as the combined heat and cold struck him, the change in temperature getting too much for him. “We’re doing it!” Nita cried.

Yeah, we were doing it all right. We were making him angry!

Vanitas roared and the sound waves emitted paralyzed us for a moment and the after effects of the attack threw us against the wall. Nita’s sword clattered toward Vanitas and he proceeded to step on it, smashing it to pieces. Nita groaned as Vanitas crept toward her. “No!” I yelled as I rose to my feet and charged.
 

Vanitas just b!tch slapped me though and I was sent fying behind him. I skidded across the floor as Vanitas came closer to Nita.

“Sephirix,” Avon muttered as her eyes fluttered. “Don’t hold it in.”

I glanced at Avon and then over at Nita, who was vulnerable. “Stop it Vanitas,” I growled as I rose to my feet. “Don’t touch her!”

Suddenyly,a  dark light appeared above us and Vanitas turned away from Nita to look at it. I couldn’t help but look to, look and feel its familiarity. I felt the power within it, the power I had lost sight of. I had let myself grown weak over time, well no more.

I raised my Keyblade up and I felt the dark light come down and wrap around me. After a few moments it broke apart and I was standing before Vanitas in knight armor that was black with silver linings. The armor was light and flexible, but it felt as if it wouldn’t break easily. My guns were holstered onto my arms. I glanced at Vanitas who started speaking.
 

“Sho tht s te drk lite,” he growled. “Doesh thsh men it has choshn its oen mstr thn?”

 Vanitas walked closer before me and stopped. Black electricity cackled at his right hand and a dark, twisted blade appeared in his hand; it had no handle. Vanitas gripped it tightly as he stared at me. I pointed my Keyblade at him as I summoned my power. I could feel it flowing, ready to burst. I had been holding back for far too long. I cried out as I charged at Vanitas and he howled as he came at me.

The dark light emitted around my Keyblade and I swung my weapon at Vanitas. Our blades clashed, a metallic ring echoing through the base. I used the force to jump over Vanitas and swung again, but Vanitas parried the attack and distance was put in between us. Avon and Nita were fully awake now and were watching us with awe.
 

I placed a hand on the ground and the shadows came to life and shot straight at Vanitas. He didn’t even try to dodge so when it the attack it a look of shock came across his face as he cried out. I grabbed a gun and fired twice. As they hit Vanitas they exploded into two large fireballs, the heat melting the metal on the walls around us. Vanitas growled as I ran at him and thrust my blade. Vanitas knocked it aside and tried to bite my neck but I ducked and avoided it. I rolled under him and pressed my fingers to my Keyblade and ran them among the edge. Vanitas roared as a black light encompassed my Keyblade. “Dark Sunshine!” I yelled as I swung my Keyblade and a blade of dark light shot out and headed for Vanitas. Vanitas tried to knock it aside but it went through his blade and hit him in the chest. He stumbled back as blood started to pour out of his chest.

Vanitas roared as he charged at me and I did the same. Our blades clashed and darkness and black light started to pour out as we struggled to win. The combined elements blinded Avon and Nita to our fight as we cried out as we pressed our blades forward and moved up, our backs to each other. The elements died, leaving the two of us standing. I turned around and pointed my Keyblade at Vanitas’s back. He looked over his shoulder and groaned as he looked at me. It was then he fell to one knee, his blade disappearing, before falling down. The darkness around hi started to disappear, turning him back to normal. But he wasn’t alone, next to him was Aqua, the missing Keyblade Master!

Rixec

“I’m fine,” I grumbled as Xoncron reached out his hand.

I scanned the area and was upset that the replica got away. “I don’t believe this,” I said.

“Now do you believe me when I didn’t bug you guys?” Xoncron asked even though I had already figured that out.

“Coming from the guy who thought I murdered a village?” I raised.

“Hey, I saw what I saw,” Xoncron defended. “I didn’t expect someone to go around looking like you.”

“After finding out you had a replica and seeing me kill people you couldn’t put it together?” I gritted.

“You didn’t figure out the replica wasn’t me!” Xoncron yelled.

“Because he’s a replica! Even Sora couldn’t tell the difference with the Riku one!” I yelled back.

We both grew silent after that, unsure of what to say. It didn’t matter that we knew the truth now; the replica did job. “You shouldn’t have come here,” I said.
 

“If I didn’t come here then-!” Xoncron started to say before I cut him off.

“Then the heart essence you broke when you smashed me into the wall wouldn’t have been destroyed and Lexa would be fine!” I told him. “And you wouldn’t have placed us all into a dangerous situation with your darkness.”

Xoncron bowed his head. If things ever got to be the same again it wouldn’t be for a very long while. “Come on,” I said. “We better get back to SOLDIER. We’ll have to inform them of what happened.”

Sephirix

Avon was not happy to hear that the heart essence had been destroyed.

We all – that is, me, Rixec, Xoncron, Nita, Anders, and Avon – sat around the table as we discussed on what to do now.

“You really messed up,” Anders said to Xoncron.

“I didn’t see you doing anything!” Xoncron exclaimed.
 

“Because that’s what I was supposed to be doing,” Anders shrugged. “But you had to go and ki-.”

“She’s not dead bro,” Nita said soothingly as she placed a hand on top of her brother’s. “We’ll find another way.”
 

“At least our Bringer of Light is doing well,” Avon said. “Save for that devil deal.”

“Not important at the moment,” Rixec said. “What matters are Lexa and Vanitas.”

Everyone grew silent at that.

No one knew what to do about either of them, and Avon seemed the most disturbed about that. Which made me wonder about her. She always seemed to expect things to go her way, but ever since Lexa saved me it was as if her own little world had shattered. Just how long had the world been in the palm of her hands? Who exactly was Avon?

A loud snap echoed through the base and I saw the SOLDIER members at the table pale up and I knew why. “Vanitas,” I whispered as we all jumped to our feet and ran down the hall. When we got to his cell we saw that the door had been busted down and his chains had snapped. Two dead SOLDIER knights were at our feet, claw marks through their armor and skin. The blood was still spreading meaning Vanitas must still be nearby.
 

“Weapons out,” Avon said. “But don’t kill him.”

Xon, Rixec, and I summoned our Keyblades while the SOLDIER co-founders summoned their own swords made for SOLDIER. Avon started speaking, “All members of SOLDIER, the subject has escaped. Force is allowed but killing him is not. Subject is also highly dangerous and should be taken with caution.”

We deiced to split into two teams to hunt Vanitas down. Rixec, Xoncron, and Anders went to the south end while Avon, Nita, and I went to the west. We proceeded down the clean hallways. That meant Vanitas hadn’t been here yet since he hadn’t painted them red.

“Help!” a voice cried and we ran down the hall and turned left. We saw a young man squirming on the floor, his right arm nearly torn off. Avon and Nita ran toward him while I searched the area; where was Vanitas?

“He’s a monster,” the man breathed as he closed his eyes.

“He’s still alive,” Nita said, “but he needs immediate medical attention.”

“You get him to the infirmary while Sephirix and I hunt down Vanitas,” Avon ordered.

Nita grew a little glum but she agreed to. She slung the man over her shoulder and started walking down the hall. It was then I heard a slight growl coming from behind Avon. “Look out!” I yelled as I pushed her out of the way as the claws slashed me across the chest. I gasped as I crashed on top of Avon as we hit the floor. That attack had nearly hit my heart!

Avon and I looked up to see what Vanitas had become.

His eyes were solid yellow, fangs protruded from his mouth, long, sharp claws her on his hands, a pair of bat-like wings were on his back, and his body seemed to be made of shadows. Fresh blood dripped off his claws as he grumbled, “Whr s Lxa?”