A Glimpse of the Night [Soren/Open]

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

A town that feels so bleak, I will rest here for the night.
Traverse Town theme

A white Gummi Ship known as 'The Graceful Light' left the world of Agrabah just as it turned to night, a contrast to the black cold sands below. From on the ship was Ain at the helm and Soren, the winged angel guy as a accepted passenger to some extent, off they went into the black but still quite colorful in-between. There was never a set destination during the travels of the silent soldier, it was no wonder however since he had never really thought about the finer details until he had met King Mickey Mouse and to a much lesser extent Lillian and Elrick. It was no wonder that he wanted to find direction and purpose as both a former marine and a person.

Blasting through the space in-between, the white Gummi Ship soon arrived at the gate leading to another world, Traverse Town. While he had passed many worlds on the way, he had decided to not visit everyone of them blindly. Leaving the ship outside the gates he took his first few steps into the town.

Ain looked around the dark streets, the street lamps giving just enough light to allow himself to remain calm to some level. His dark hair and eyes blended with the shadows, while his white and red clothes kept him clear in contrast. Walking into the streets slowly, he noticed a few people just casually standing outside as if it was day time. It was surely the strangest place he had been to yet, from a beautiful ocean to scattered islands to a desert city and now a lamplight district. For a second he wondered what Soren was doing on the ship but the thoughts soon passed.

[Slash]

Ah, somewhere I actually know.

The ship ride was boring- Soren still could hardly get a word out of Ain. The sailor dude wasn't hostile or anything, just indifferent. At least, he thought the sailor wasn't hostile.

He followed Ain, being the nice sort of guy that he was. Since Soren had lived here, he knew where everything was, and would be able to help Ain out. Or something.

It was nice around this place- no one cared about a winged kid. It was Traverse Town, after all- a world built on weird people and things. There was all sorts of crazy stuff around here, if you knew where to look. And Soren certainly knew.

"Hey, Ain. Welcome to Traverse Town, where it's always nighttime. This is where I live. Want a tour, or are you just looking for a place to stay?"

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Six days have come and gone.

Ain stance faltered slightly as he stumbled forward ever slightly, his eyes were now red and his body showed lack of form. It had been several days since he had last had a chance to sleep and now it was taking a large toll on his body. He then turned to see Soren had followed him after all and immediately straightened out his body and walked tall, it wasn't entirely obvious from appearances alone that anything was wrong with him aside from a bit of sweat on his brow. He didn't like showing weakness to others if he could help it, he would rather die in a ditch, even his dying mother was no different before she passed.

"I---We should find somewhere to rest for the night, I have no interest in a tour." he stated bluntly as possibly, starting off from where he stood he approached the stairs leading to the few shops that existed outside the market which included the accessory shop and the general shop.

Slowly he walked with his breaths getting deeper as he did, at that pace he could concentrate on keeping his stance and no one would be the wiser. Even still it was exhausting to keep up a facade. In hindsight he should have asked Soren to take the helm for a while during the travel time to allow him to sleep but his pride as a marine could not allow as civilian to complete his own duties. He just had to reach the hotel, but as he continued his vision blurred more and more.

He glanced back with his reddened eyes to see how Soren would respond, didn't he say he knew this place? Whatever the case he waited for him otherwise he would just get lost wandering aimlessly in the streets.

[Axel]

I'm Not Going on a Sight-Seeing Tour Just to Find You

This marked the second time Axel had ever been to Traverse Town. He had still received no word from Zexion on where to meet him, so the Flame figured he would try retracing his steps. The last time he had run into Zexion, it had been a chance meeting here in Traverse Town. Maybe the same thing could happen again. This town had a funny way of helping you meet just the right people.

When he stepped out of his Corridor of Darkness, he did so right next to the fountain he and the Schemer had spoken by earlier. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Zexion now. Of course, Axel didn't expect there to be a giant neon sign broadcasting the Schemer's current location, but something to point him in the right direction would have been helpful. Anything. He didn't think he was asking for too much here.

Hopping fruitlessly from world to world was going to wear his patience thin very quickly. In fact, it was already beginning to erode. Had there been anyone present in the town's Third District, Axel's outburst might have turned some curious and even wary heads. He clenched his fists at his sides and tilted his head back to yell at the sky. Like Zexion could have heard him. "Oh, just send me a damn Dusk already! You can send it now! Any minute! What happened to Mr. Impatient?!" Having gotten that out of the way, he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed heavily. If the Schemer was doing this just to toy with him and not because he was swamped with work, Axel would be more than happy to introduce Zexion's face to his fist--this time, without relying on a Dusk mediator.

[Fate]

Bringing Zexy Back

Zexion had not stopped to go back to the World That Never Was after his visit with King Mickey, instead heading straight for Traverse Town. He and Axel never set up a meeting point after their initial one, but this would at least be a decent place to start. The Flame had been in the First District when he first happened on him, which led to the Schemer's Corridor going off in the alleyway. By some miraculous luck, Axel was indeed in this world, but not in this district; he was in the Third and seemed rather stationary. After a quick peek around the corner, Zexion darted through the main part of that district and slipped into the Third.

Axel was standing there near the fountain with his arms crossed, seemingly agitated; he was most likely not too pleased with Zexion at the moment for not contacting him in a while. He would need to be approached with a bit of caution, which the Schemer did by walking first into the Flame's line of sight before approaching him. He stopped several feet away, his arms crossed over his chest with a blank look on his face. He was indeed still mulling things over from Disney's Castle, but he wasn't about to tell Axel where he just was; those details were unnecessary.

However, an explanation was in order; Zexion always expected it from others when they did not do their job and he did not want to seem too hypocritical. "The Superior has assigned me the task of tracking a certain 'Tool of Darkness' down. That is why I have not sent you the Dusk a second time. Though, I doubt it would want to be sent to you again; it seemed assured that you would act violently toward it." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I assume that you made progress."

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[Axel]

If I Kill You Now, I'll Just Be Bored Again

When he saw the Schemer slink into the corner of his vision, Axel wasn't sure how soon he should attempt to punch him. It was a bit stupid to act so angry when he could not truthfully experience such an emotion, but it was fun, anyway. Kept things interesting, which he needed right now. Boredom was a cruel companion, and Zexion was, fortunately or unfortunately, the Flame's only current mode of diversion. Well, he did have to admit that playing messenger was preferable to facing the vengeful stares of certain other Organization members, former or otherwise.

He watched Zexion approach and wisely stop a few feet from him. He then proceeded to offer excuses for the lack of communication, which Axel normally would have dismissed. But the mention of a so-called "Tool of Darkness" caught his interest. That was a new piece of information that was immediately filed away. Maybe that was why he had originally run into Zexion here. If the Organization was looking for this guy--at least, he assumed the Tool was a guy--then he must be a pretty big deal. What all had he missed while he was dead?

The Flame couldn't restrain an amused chuckle when Zexion said the Dusk he had sent to him in Destiny Islands had been reluctant to return for a second meeting. He just couldn't help being easy to set off sometimes. It depended on the situation, really. And in the Dusk's case, it had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Axel lifted a hand from his chest and waved it in the air. "Yeah, I've had progress made for long time now. You're late." He fixed those passionless blue eyes with an annoyed stare for a moment. Then, he smirked. "But I can take consolation in the fact that it seems you've been running around as an errand boy for Xemmy."

[Exodus]

From the Darkness of End of the World came another Corridor, this one appearing in the Second District upon the steps to the Gizmo Shop. From the seemingly alive portal, which sprawled upon the concrete with lifelike tendrils of dark, a heavily armored being walked from it's contents. With each step the figure took, a dense, metallic thud rang from his boots against the cobblestone path in front of the hotel. The Corridor dissipated just as quickly as it had arrived; once reaching the peaked height of the figure that had used it, it returned to nothingness in a reverse of how it had appeared: dark vines erupting from the spot, followed by an obtuse circle of pure blackness.

His armor was as black as night, and the spheres of energy that burned from within the hellish helm he wore, a bright sapphire blue. It was to this world that he came to further his search for this 'Kingdom Hearts' he had heard so much during his time on Thornos, another world now lost to the Darkness. This world hopefully held promise for his search, and the Dark King soon came to a full stop in front of the doors leading to the First District. However as he began to sense for other presences in the area, there proved to be little next to nothing within the vicinity. That was until two presences of the Light were detected not far from his very location, in fact on the other side of this door. Perhaps he could alleviate some boredom by disposing of a pair who sought refuge in the Light? It would prove mildly interesting for the time until something more suitable and worth his attention came along.

This idea was quickly disregarded at the arrival of something more peculiar. The return.

An event that did not belong to the Dark King however. He could feel it, another presence, another being, recoiling from the darkness that had trapped its essence. It was curious, there were not many that could be reborn after destruction, and Exodus could tell that this was no Heartless. There was no darkness in this presence, there was absolutely nothing at all.

He had sensed this kind before. However there was little recollection of just where it had been.

Exodus' charcoal grey cape billowed out behind him as he raised his hand, willing a portal of darkness into existence. There was no small advantage to being a creature of darkness, the power was intoxicating.

It was not enough.

The portal brought him to another location in Traverse Town, a world that he would long to cover in destruction. The presence that he had sensed turned out to be two, which were identical in the same nothing that replaced darkness or light. Moments passed as the Dark King simply observed the nothings from several feet away; beings that were useless to him. If anything they existed only as an obstacle, though a poor one. Exodus stepped forward, he would grace these purposeless creatures with his presence, for a time.

[Fate]

Three's a Crowd

Axel was one of the Nobodies who conveyed a little more than many of the other Nobodies of the Organization did. He snickered at the mention of the Dusk and gave Zexion an annoyed stare after telling him that he was late. The Schemer was not particularly thrilled with that, but being the Superior's "errand boy" was his first priority at the moment with this being his second; loyalty to the Organization came first. However, the information that he was seeking could possibly change that... no, no it would not. Zexion was determined to stay loyal to the Organization and its goals; he did want his heart back, after all.

"If you wish to put it that way, yes," he replied, a slight touch of sarcasm in his words, "Tell me, what did you find? I assume you had no trouble with the Keyblade Bearer." That was a plainly obvious thing; if he had, then he would not be standing in front of the Schemer at the moment. Even though Axel was no easy fight himself, Riku was a very powerful force to be reckoned with and Zexion had seen that power first hand. The only question now would be if he was able to procure any information.

Before Axel could answer his question, a new presence quickly alerted the illusionist's senses. His eyes quickly diverted to another area of the Third District and away from Axel, his gaze narrowing. There was a strong force of darkness here; there was no way he could not sense that. Was it possible that it was the same one that attacked Radiant Garden? It seemed rather doubtful; he doubted the Tool of Darkness would randomly show up in a world such as this. It was someone, or something, else. Zexion was not about to try and find this new force of darkness at the moment, not willing to contend with it. Instead, he took another couple of steps toward Axel and lowered his voice down a couple of notches so it was a bit above a whisper.

"We have company," he told him briskly, "Powerful company."

[Axel]

Could You Be Any More Obvious About Which Side You're On?

Getting a reaction out of any of the Nobodies always amused Axel. Some were easier to prod than others, but Zexion was certainly one of the more challenging ones. That small trace of sarcasm in the Schemer's words meant the Flame was having a good day. Perhaps that fortune could carry over to their imminent meeting with Sora. The kid was powerful, sure, and shouldn't be underestimated, but between the two seasoned manipulators, they should have little to no trouble getting Roxas back.

He didn't realize he had allowed himself to get temporarily lost in his thoughts until he saw Zexion move closer to him. That was a bit of a surprise, and Axel had the perfect line to bother the Schemer further, but when he heard Zexion say they had powerful company, the Flame immediately became serious. No names had been given, just the description, "powerful company," which gave Axel pause. Zexion would have been able to tell instantly if another Organization member had shown up. Besides, had Zexion been able to display any sort of emotion, Axel almost might have said he heard a hint of worry in those words. In an equally low voice, the Flame asked, "Is it that guy you've been looking for?"

The sound of heavy armor clanking against itself made him arch an eyebrow, and then he turned around. Some really tall guy with the most ridiculous get-up he had ever seen was walking toward them. Honestly, all that armor looked like it was more of an annoyance than a help. It certainly would have been had Axel been wearing it. People who deliberately chose to wear giant pieces of metal all over their bodies obviously valued brute strength over speed. Having copious amounts of strength was all well and good, but speed meant having the ability to move quickly out of the way after already having attacked. The Flame much preferred the latter.

"Oho?" His voice had a singsong quality to it as he appraised this new presence. The man was intimidating upon first glance, and he did have a look that screamed, "I am with the Darkness, and I will kill you all without mercy," but Axel didn't think that the Tool of Darkness Zexion was searching for would just walk up to them like this. What, did he want to have a little chat over dinner? "Well, hello there. Don't think I've ever seen you before. I definitely would have remembered that." He nodded semi-seriously. If this guy was looking for a fight, the Flame would have no qualms about giving him one. He did need to blow off some steam, after all.

[Exodus]

After the shorter nothing's obvious gesture to it's comrade, they began to acknowledge the Dark King's presence. There were no physical signs of hostility from either party, merely a silent observance of one another before the taller nothing spoke to the Dark being. The spheres behind the helm continued to burn with their eldritch qualities, giving away no sign that this Embodiment of Darkness had once been human. It was of little relevance that either of the shells had not been introduced to his power in a time before, for now they were all here in this moment, a perfect opportunity for new acquaintanceships to be made. "You cannot feel, yet you must reassure yourself of some insignificant detail?" asked the Dark King in a rather commanding tone that bore an undeniable charisma. The question was rhetorical.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Impatience should be a virtue...

The air started feeling more dense which he understood as the presence of heartless, while it wasn't like he could sense them or anything of the sort. It was just that when darkness was near he felt the pull of the dark, in a world like this he figured many heartless dwelled. When he had a focus it was easier for him to stand up straight, it was a hunch but he should probably search the streets a bit. It was still apparent that he needed to rest, however he was not one to stop until he fell on his face due to fatigue.

"Soren, resting will have to wait." he stated bluntly, and without caring anymore about his presence ran off down the street. His unwavering eyes scanning for heartless as he made a dash for the third district.

Ain moved quickly as his loose fitted clothing floated behind his back and his gauntlet at his ready for any fight that he would encounter. A few townsfolk looked at him but didn't pay him as much attention as a offworlder would usually get, maybe they were used to it. His eyes dead-fished, and his expression tensed as he opened the gate and continued on to the oddly designed Third district. Stopping fast he looked on at the people that were standing around, three people that looked like they just got back from a Gothic convention. One in a black cloak, one armored and weird looking as hell, and the last was one with the red spikey hair that he remembered from Destiny Islands that was being chased by that crazy chick -except he had no clue what his name was.

The last time he simply walked through he was attacked, so this time he decided to practice his social skills.

"Standing in the streets like this makes you all look pretty suspicious.."

[Fate]

Rhetorical Answer

Zexion's questioning would have to wait then, the foreboding figure approaching the two; to think he had been so close to knowing if Axel's story matched the Kings. It was most certainly not the one the Schemer was looking for, armor where a robe should have been and not a trace of red hair. He could not imagine traveling in that sort of attire, never one for heavy armor or anything of the sort; he preferred to move without a sound, something that seemed impossible with all of that metal. He stayed quiet; Axel was doing all of the talking anyhow.

The figure did not answer the Nobody's question, instead asking a rhetorical one of its own. The Schemer instantly became rather bored. It would be pointless to answer such a question and a waste of time, which was what he was considering the man right now. If he truly wanted to get something out of the Nobodies, asking such questions was not going to earn an answer. Zexion glanced away, rolling his eyes a bit before turning them to Axel; he was going to get his answers whether the powerful figure liked it or not. If he did not, then he could contend with Axel; the Schemer needed some entertainment once in a while.

"He is not the one I'm looking for, no" Zexion answered in a nonchalant tone, "Though, his scent is not one I am familiar with either. You never answered my question. What did you find out?" His look was expectant as he crossed his arms. Once Axel's story was told, he could tell the other that he was indeed upholding his end of the bargain. His moves had already been made and the Flame needed to know what was going on.

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[Axel]

Acute Paranoia

This guy was already proving to be a stick in the mud. Axel didn't really go for all that dramatic evil stuff, and he especially didn't like these people who walked around like they owned the world and had all the answers. That betrayed an attitude of immediate contempt for anything living and breathing. Hell, this guy probably held inanimate objects in contempt, too. Walking around like a god deigning to reveal yourself to the inferior mortals of the world was just about the quickest way to get Axel not to trust you.

With an unconcerned shrug, he said nothing to Mr. Burning Blue Eyes. Come to think of it, this guy and Zexion might get along. They had something in common, at least. Smirking at the thought, he decided to keep it merely a thought, and turned his eyes fully back on the Schemer. If the armored guy wasn't the Tool of Darkness the Organization was seeking, then Axel didn't find him very important, either.

He was just about to reply, with plenty of biting sarcasm, to Zexion when another voice caught his attention. That was when he saw the pirate guy from Destiny Islands standing nearby and pointing out how suspicious the three of them looked. Axel suddenly tensed and dropped into a half-crouch, looking around the Third District warily. Crazy lady wasn't with the pirate, was she? Any moment, he expected to find himself on his back with a face pressed into his hair. "Yo! Pirate dude! Uh...that woman from Destiny Islands...she's not here, right?"

Aware that he probably looked more than a little paranoid to Zexion, Axel straightened back up. By now, if crazy lady was around, he wouldn't be standing anymore, anyway. "Yeah, I got your answers for you. Riku confirmed what I told you already. Xemmy tried to use the power of Kingdom Hearts to take out the Keyblade masters, but he couldn't do it, even with all that power on his side. I told you he's bad news."

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Crazy lady is not included.

This was a big crowd of weird people. Why did he walk over to them, if he knew anything he would just leave before one of them turns on him and starts attacking him for reasons that won't be adequately explained. Still, it wasn't like him to consider running away in the face of danger but the cold feeling he got from the brooding dark armored guy was far from the warm light of Mickey mouse. As he listened in a little he heard one thing that stood out from the rest. Keyblade master? What exactly was a keyblade master?

In his mind he remembered something, during the fight with the heartless of Agrabah he was saved by King Mickey with a sword that looked like a key. Was that a Keyblade, was in fact the wielder of said keyblade a master of the art of using that weapon. If that was true then Mickey was a Keyblade Master but he couldn't say for sure. The rest of what was said was lost on him, noting however he did. Maybe in the future such information will bear fruit.

"No, the crazy bitch is probably still on the islands, I imagine." he stated dully, not even attempting to sound like he was making a effort to answer properly.

Ain took a few steps forward with the majority of his attention on the overlord-ish guy, and glanced at Axel. His expression void of emotion as he advanced and stood next to them. A gutsy move considering how dangerous these people might be but he did not fear in the first place but logically he knew he was making a error. "Keyblade masters, Do you mean King Mickey?" he stated grasping at straws using what little he knew in hopes that he may be right.

[Fate]

Hints of Ambiguity
Sly by Massive Attack

Zexion had not paid heed to the other person who entered the scene before, not seeing it worthy of his time to greet every person who entered this area. Though, it seemed obvious that Axel knew him. In fact, his behavior became quite peculiar as he got into a crouch of sorts. The Schemer raised an eyebrow at this and looked to the other that had entered the Third District. He did not look particularly threatening, though Axel seemed more concerned about who might possibly be with the man; a crazy woman. Later, after this meeting was through, he would perhaps have to meet this woman; he wondered what sort of reaction Axel would have if she had been here in person.

Naturally, the Flame's words after that were much more intriguing. He confirmed what the two had discussed previously; Xemnas had indeed tried to use Kingdom Hearts to destroy the Keyblade Masters, but failed in doing so. Part of him did not want to believe this information since he had always been loyal to the Superior and the Organization in the past. However, if that had been done in the past, there was a possibility of it happening again. He could not act immediately with this information; rather, he needed it to sink in and wait for events to unfold. If he saw the Superior making a suspicious move, then something would be done. For now, he would bide his time.

The pirate man seemed interested in their conversation at the mention of the Keyblade Masters, even going so far as to mention King Mickey. Zexion was not pleased with the man eavesdropping and butting into the conversation, though he supposed he could be polite and answer. "Yes," he replied simply, "King Mickey is one of the Keyblade Masters. There are others: Sora and Riku are their names." There were also others that Zexion knew of, but those two were the most famous.

He turned his gaze back to Axel, nodding his head. "Thank you for his confirmation," he told him at first, "I will have to think of how to respond to such information. For now, I will tell you that my end of our deal is being kept. Tomorrow, I want you to meet me in the place where you killed Vexen. The Entrance Hall will do." He was not about to be specific with two others in close vicinity; Axel would know what he meant anyhow. "I have arranged for us to meet him there tomorrow. Do you wish to speak with him first, or do you wish for me to?"

There was a reason behind that question. Axel had something that Zexion did not, and that was Sora's trust. Therefore, Sora would be more likely to listen to Axel than he would a person he had never met. The Schemer would much rather go with a plan that had a higher chance of success.

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