Unforeseen Denouement (Nyxar, Zexion, Axel)

[Angelus]

Speak of the moon, but not of it's beauty. How droll.

Marluxia scowled as Zexion and Axel conversed as if he and his apprentice were not here. But his scowl was all the more apparent when Axel said this was a meeting of traitors planned for the moment. He spoke up when the two were done speaking.

"Beg pardon, but I believe you two were not invited to this gathering." He walked toward the former number eight, and the Schemer, and smiled.

"And if the moon is some sort of reference to Saïx, then you need not speak in metaphors. I can only assume by your words that there was more to Axel's participation at Castle Oblivion than simply weeding out the traitors. Unless of course, Zexion was a traitor as well." He turned toward the silver haired Nobody.

"Ah, but the recreation of the castle's events cannot be completed without the missing players, two of which you did not mention. I refer to of course, none other than Larxene and Lexaeus. But if we are to switch roles of some of the players, then I suppose Nyxar over there would perhaps suffice as a suitable role for one of the three that is missing." He held out his hand, and a rose appeared in it. He pointed the rose toward Zexion, and let it drop, knowing that offering such a token would do little to still the uneasiness present, nor the desire to turn the traitors in.

"What's the matter Zexion? Must you always get others to do your dirty work, or are you just too weak to rid the Organization of the traitors yourself?" He paused momentarily. "After all, the Superior may question your coincedental run in with Nyxar, Axel, and myself; and your failure to do anything other than report that you saw us." Words that he hoped, would convince Zexion to take some action, and perhaps reveal whatever was between Axel and Zexion.

[Administrator]

Nyxar laughed. Of course, it was a faked laugh, as nothing Nobodies did was ever truly emotion based...but it was the thought that counts. The new number Eleven shrugged. Of course, then he noticed Zexion showed up, and he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak. Which was not fun. Of course, maybe he could lie his way out of it, but there was always the want to or not, and Nyxar didn't feel like it.

"Well, it appears that there are a few traitors and a few loyalists here. My only question is why no one has tried to kill anyone yet." Nyxar smiled. This was good. "The way I see it, there has to be a reason for that, right?" Of course, then Marluxia mentioned a Saïx. He noted that name, and knew that, so far as he knew, there was nobody by that name reentered into the Organization.

But was that a good thing or a bad thing? I suppose I'll find out later. Zexion and I are going to need to have a little talk. "I would say that no one needs report anything. If we did, then perhaps the Organization would lose some of its members so soon after regaining those lost. And we would not want that, would we?" Well, Nyxar supposed Marluxia and Axel would, but Zexion? He wouldn't want to jeopardize his nonexistence. Not if he could help it, at least.

And Nyxar wouldn't either. "I propose we both, Zexion, stay silent about this meeting. I will not report a failure to exterminate the traitors, nor will you. I feel there are far too many secrets we haven't told each other." Nyxar smiled, a polite smile, almost filled with pity. "Or rather, I would feel so if I could. As you all well know, we can't feel much of anything."

[Axel]

Musings in the Midst of Acts

It was too bad the conversation between the Schemer and the Flame couldn't have gone on uninterrupted. Flower Boy just had to interject. Something about not being invited to this meeting. Oh, but Nyxar had been invited? Did Marluxia even realize what he had just said in that sentence? "Oh, I see. Only Nyxar was invited, and he chose to accept an invitation to meet with a known traitor to the Organization? That doesn't sound suspicious at all."

Apparently, the moon metaphors were at an end now. Marluxia had correctly guessed that Zexion and Axel were talking about Saïx, but Axel wasn't going to give the Assassin the satisfaction of a verbal confirmation. Instead, he found himself wandering along a surprising track. His eyes were steady on Marluxia. "And what else would there have been for me to do in Castle Oblivion besides eliminate traitors? My orders were to see to it that no one disloyal to the Organization left that castle. Being the highly suspicious Nobody that I am, I didn't trust Zexion and thought, while he may not have been working with you, that he was also planning to usurp Xemnas' power. Things happened. He ended up dead." He finished with a shrug.

When Marluxia mentioned Larxene, Axel fought to keep the utter disdain from showing on his face. "Nyxar would have to be Larxene. He's not buff enough to be Lexaeus, and he isn't annoyingly arrogant enough to be Vexen."

...A rose? Really? What is it with this guy?

The entire gesture was more than odd. It was stupid. And Axel was ready to let Marluxia know it. With a smirk, he watched the rose fall to the ground and then lifted his mocking gaze back up to Flower Boy. "How sweet. Is that your idea of a peace offering, or are you proposing to the Schemer? You two might make a cute couple if there wasn't such a huge difference in your heights." Another scathing remark which just begged to be shared aloud struck him then. "Marluxia, you'll have to be the woman. It only makes sense."

All kidding aside, Marluxia and Nyxar's words to Zexion were important ones. Axel had been increasingly curious as to what the Schemer would do, now faced with more and more information implicating Xemnas in his power game. Did Zexion truly have the backbone to do what was necessary against such a power-hungry leader? Nyxar's suggestion to keep this meeting under wraps was a smart one, though it was more of a temporary fix. Eventually, Zexion would have to do something with the evidence against Xemnas.

The new Eleven then said something that struck a chord with Axel. But he was careful not to show any acknowledgment of it.

Speak for yourself, new guy.

Nyxar and all the rest might not be able to feel anything, but something was going on with the Flame that he couldn't quite pinpoint. First, there had been all that rage at Sora and Zexion in Castle Oblivion. Then, there had been that flicker of regret with Saïx. Where was this coming from? Surely, it was not all Sora's doing?

[Fate]

Lack of Retribution... For the Moment
Holy by Immediate Music

"Is that how you explain the events after Marluxia's death?" Zexion asked Axel rhetorically, a bit of bitterness in his voice, "Contemptible, as always." He would follow the Flame's lead on this; it would be pointless to expose the information regarding Saïx and his previous plan with Axel involving usurpation of the Organization. Marluxia did not need anymore information than he already had, though now Zexion was curious. How much had Nyxar been able to truly tell him? What did he know about the Organization and where it currently stood? Would he truly attempt to start another rebellion of sorts with them? If that were the case, then precautions had to be made.

Zexion gave the rose on the ground a brief look, raising an eyebrow at it. What was Marluxia trying to do with that? Perhaps trying to goad him into something? Axel's theory seemed to be that the rose symbolized a peace offering or a proposal to the Schemer. A peace offering was a bit too much to ask for, at least in the case of Marluxia; Zexion was not about to accept one from the traitor. Though, he wondered if he should take pride in the fact that Axel came to the conclusion that Marluxia would be the woman. He decided not to; it was trivial anyhow and it would be best if he left that alone. There was something else much more important that he needed to consider at the moment. He had to determine what his next move would be.

"Oh yes, you're referring to what you did as well Marluxia?" he asked, "You dealt with Sora directly, did you not? Though, you sent out Vexen, Larxene and Axel before you to do so." That little bit of dialogue covered up his musings as he attempted to figure out what he should do about this. It was obvious that Nyxar had some sort of alliance with Marluxia, the latter even saying so much as that he invited the former.

Nyxar's suggestion seemed to be that he would not report the 'failure' to dispose of the traitors and Zexion should not either, keeping this meeting under wraps. It could be considered a smart move, though it was only temporary and Zexion would have to deal with the loose ends later as it was. The only other option would be to take on Marluxia and dispose of him, though he was not sure he could win that battle. The entire castle shook when Marluxia was disposed of last; that said something about his power.

"I will not fight a battle that I cannot win," he concluded aloud, "To face you both only to fail will do nothing for the Organization other than disgrace it." He felt it was a reasonable answer and it made it so he would not have to face Axel or expose his temporary alliance. He brought his gaze back to the rose and then back up to Marluxia, narrowing it and creating a glare. "What exactly do you want?"

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[Angelus]

Lo and Behold, the Question Arises.

Marluxia ignored the words that came from Axel that were directed toward Nyxar, but quickly replied to the rest of Axel's statments.

"Invitations mean little more than the opportunity to attend something. This invitation to Nyxar was little more than a chance to test his loyalties. And I can say with certainty that much like the rest of those here, his loyalty lies with only himself at this moment in time." He said this in one tone, hoping that Nyxar would catch the fact that Marluxia's wording was only to calm the Flurry's and Zexion's suspicions. He turned toward Axel.

"As for the rose, it was a symbol, but so too was it dropping. The rose itself was a symbol of peace, but as for it dropping..." he paused briefly, and put his index finger and thumb to his chin, as if thinking on how to say what came next. "That was a symbol for the success of such. My peace offering was meant only in the respect of what Nyxar said. None of us reports to anyone's superiors those they encountered here today, nor do they report what was said here today. Simple as that." He turned back toward Zexion. Addressing Zexions rebuttal of his attempts to goad the Schemer into a brief conflict, he smirked.

"Ah, but I only followed such a path to eliminate those who would have sought to hinder my plans. Larxene's demise was an unfortunate, and unforseen denouement. She wanted to have some fun, so I felt obligated to let her. I had no reason to believe that at the time she would lose to a fledgling Keyblade wielder, who only held a portion of the power his Nobody had." He said this and glanced toward Axel, wondering how he would take having his friend referenced to. He thought for a moment about what exactly this meeting held for each individual here, as Nyxar had been unable to directly tell his true master much of anything. The only viable information he'd gathered as of yet was that there was a price on the heads of all traitors. He took this opportunity to answer Zexion's question about what exactly it was that Marluxia wanted.

"I simply wish to know what has happened in the worlds during my absence, and since my return. Information that I have been unable to gather as of yet. Information any of you three could easily provide." He moved to a spot and turned so that he was facing all three of the other Nobodies.

"Now that I have stated what I want, would you three be so kind as to state what exactly you wish to gain from this meeting?"

[Axel]

Are We Done Here Yet? I'm Beyond Bored.

Talk, talk, talk. Marly loves the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?

Rather than listen to every single word that came out of the Graceful Assassin's mouth, Axel let his mind wander to other things. It was obvious to him that Nyxar had some sort of arrangement with Marluxia, despite the former Number Eleven's attempts to squelch those suspicions. The Flame hadn't been born yesterday. This was no random invitation, especially if Nyxar was newly recruited. So, either they already had some sort of arrangement prior to this meeting, or such an arrangement had been in the process of being made when he had stumbled upon them.

After Marluxia finished explaining the reasoning behind the rose, Axel arched an incredulous eyebrow. Once again, he couldn't help but think that Marluxia had no idea what words he was stringing together most of the time. He glanced at Zexion. "I don't know about you, but I'd say our pink-haired host is having a little bit of trouble with his metaphors. Or lack thereof, actually." With a smirk, he shifted his gaze back to Marluxia. "Try again next time."

More talking. Just drones on and on and on...

Was that comment about Roxas supposed to elicit some sort of reaction out of him? Did Marly think he broke down at every mention of his friend? Regardless, the Assassin had his facts all wrong. Again. Where he had gotten the notion that Sora was weaker than Roxas, Axel had no idea, and again, he was going to make sure Marly knew it. "Sora? Weak?" He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head mockingly. "If that were the case, I'd hate to have seen how many pieces Roxas would have left you in had you two fought. He probably would have finished you off in about ten seconds."

After listening to Marluxia explain himself, Axel couldn't restrain a chuckle. "You didn't hear me the first time, did you? I didn't come here for any particular reason. Though now I'd have to say that the one thing I wish to get out of this meeting is puncturing your severely inflated ego for my own amusement." He grinned. "Mission accomplished."

[Fate]

Metaphorically Speaking...

Marluxia and Zexion had their differences in Castle Oblivion, both of them with a completely different agenda. The two of them were the planners for their respective sides and their differences could not be more pronounced. The traitor was bombastic in his ways and his words matched his nature: flowery. Zexion, while being someone who did like to talk, often chose conciseness instead of making his language full of unnecessary fluff. From this bit of talking, the Schemer was beginning to grow bored of what was probably supposed to be poetic dialogue; nonetheless, he forced himself to pay attention to every word.

"Xemnas was not one for metaphors either when he spoke," he responded to Axel, still listening to Marluxia, "Perhaps that's where he learned it from. What a shame." Zexion's sarcasm was of course intentional, pointing fun at the fact that the former Number Eleven learned how to monologue from the Nobody he betrayed-- he may be Xemnas's second, but that did not mean that he was a fan of long soliloquies. The illusionist let his eyes wander back to the new Number Eleven for a moment; no matter what Marluxia said, the two had some sort of alliance going. Marluxia was fairly manipulative, but it would take much more than that to convince Zexion at this point.

Naturally, Marluxia was attempting to justify his actions. The Schemer was not even going to bother to reply to that one. The events of Castle Oblivion were in the past at this point and there was no point in extrapolating even more on them; it served no interest at this point, though Zexion did have to wonder if the Superior would send him on a similar mission that he had sent Axel to do long ago in search of something. It would probably be best not to think about that at the moment.

The last part of Marluxia's speech concerned a need for information. He was asking the right Nobody for this, but he was not in said Nobody's good graces and would not be receiving any information. Zexion shook his head. "And why would we want to give you information, Marluxia? I do not see any reason to. However, I will answer your latter question: I merely followed Nyxar out of curiosity. That is all."

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[Axel]

Well, I'm Leaving

There was no point in continuing this verbal dance. Each of them would only hint at knowing things the others did not, and they would simply go in circles in the hopes of causing more confusion. This place, which Axel had hoped would provide some quiet in which to sort out his thoughts, had turned into an unexpected meeting that did nothing except bore him. Well, he had gotten a little bit of interesting information out of this. Specifically, that Nyxar, the new Number Eleven, was working at least loosely with the old Number Eleven. Such information would more than likely come in handy later.

Stepping in before Marluxia could respond to Zexion's comment, Axel spread his arms and shook his head. "Nobody here is giving anybody any information willingly. So, we're either going to start fighting, or we can all just walk away and forget this ever happened."

Fat chance.

"I have a good idea that none of us are in a fighting mood, so let's just end this meeting." He turned his back on them and summoned up a Corridor of Darkness. "I'm sure we'll see each other again." That was mostly directed at Zexion, but the other two didn't have to know that. Besides, despite how much he didn't care for Flower Boy, Axel had an inkling that he'd be seeing him again, too. Without another word, he disappeared from the scene.

[Fate]

Parting Ways

Zexion couldn't say he liked where this meeting was going. He was not about to give away any information to Marluxia and that could possibly cost him. The former Number Eleven wasn't exactly one who took "no" for an answer; it came with his arrogance, or so the Schemer supposed. If Marluxia did not get what he wanted out of either of them, a fight could ensue and Zexion couldn't say he was prepared for that. He knew of Marluxia's strength and he was not about to test that when it was unnecessary. Thus, Axel made a fair point.

"I will leave as well then," he said, watching Axel leave through the Corridor. They would end up meeting again, though the statement was vague enough to be applied to all currently present. He locked gazes with Nyxar for a moment before speaking again. "I expect you back at the Castle." He said this in a nonchalant manner. If Nyxar was truly loyal to the Organization, he would return. However, this alliance with Marluxia would have to be nullified; the Assassin did not need to know what was going on in the Organization.

Without another word, he created a Corridor of Darkness and vanished from the Dark Meridian. Planning had to be done now for the next course of action. He would be meeting Axel sometime soon and he needed to track down Sora again. He also needed to track down Everto and put that into motion. Then he also needed to consider what needed to be done concerning the Superior. He hadn't thought everything out fully yet as to what he would do, but things needed to change soon or the Organization would surely crumble... again.

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