Stagnation [Axel]

[Slash]

Back in the Castle.
[July 26th, 2010]

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Saïx was angry.

Actually, angry was a very poor way to describe it. Had he emotions, he would have been angry, but as it was he felt almost no different than he would if he was in a situation where it would not be angry. Save for a cold, detached sens of being bothered by something, of course. As if he had a rock in his shoe.

He had gone to Castle Oblivion as he had before the "fight" at the Graveyard, but this time it was him who had summoned Axel.

They had quite a bit to discuss.

[Axel]

Maybe we can pick a different meeting place from now on?
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A Corridor opened in the middle of all the white, and Axel stepped out. He couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at Saïx. All of their meetings since their resurrection had been either the product of chance or arranged by Axel.

He had an idea of what Saïx wanted to talk about, though. It really wasn't that difficult to figure out.

"A whole lot of anticlimax happened at the Graveyard, huh? Apparently, people have been stressing out over some guy parading around like he's the evil cousin of Jack Frost."

Axel had no clue what had happened after the Champion had left, but it couldn't have been all that important. Even without the Organization backing them up, the light warriors had far outnumbered those of the dark. The Keybladers were probably safe.

"Things have been pretty quiet since then." Shocking that no meeting had been called. Then again, Lexaeus was never one to talk much, so maybe he wouldn't call meetings for every little event that happened.

[Slash]

I have a few problems with the current situation.

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Saïx nodded. "People...as in Zexion. He was the one who reported the 'threat'. He was the one who kept gathering information and urging us into battle, which was an absolutely pointless waste of time."

He almost considered pacing back and forth angrily. Almost. Instead, he stood still, his voice getting progressively colder.

It was all Zexion's fault, yes. The Schemer had fallen so low he couldn't even gather intelligence right, let alone make plans to benefit the Organization's goals.

"Not that most of the Organization doesn't have the time to waste. Xemnas's death was apparently an excuse for no one to do any work- save for us, and perhaps Zexion if one considers chasing leads of absolutely no consequence work. And Lexaeus hasn't done a single thing since nominated to his position. It would have been more efficient to just put a large boulder in the leading position."

He took a quick breath, having gotten progressively faster in his speech. He hadn't reached levels like this in forever- the last time he'd been like this was the first time he'd grown dissatisfied with Xemnas's leadership. His heart was always just out of reach, held back by something or someone else, and the other Organization members acted as though getting their hearts back didn't matter.

"The Organization is stagnant, gathering rust. And there is nothing Lexaeus is going to do about it."

[Axel]

If we're going down this road again, I have some things to say.
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Axel couldn't restrain a chuckle. "A little pissed off, aren't you?" He made air quotes around "pissed off" and grinned.

It was only natural for Saïx to act this way. Even with Lexaeus' appointment to the unofficial but still official leader position, the Organization was just as unorganized as ever. Not that Axel would mind seeing it fall completely apart. He had no use for most of them, outside of Saïx and maybe Zexion.

Really, though, he had only worked with Zexion to get Roxas back, and now that he had pretty much abandoned that plan, he didn't have much use for the Schemer, either.

"I think you need to consider the possibility that the Organization is always going to be stagnant, no matter who is in charge. Even if you want to suggest that we stage yet another coup and take complete power for ourselves, and even if the remaining members accept that, I'm willing to bet that it won't change a thing."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Hostile takeovers only truly work when the people forced to follow the change in regimes can feel fear and apprehension about it."

[Slash]

...You may have a point.

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It was true that another hostile takeover would do nothing. The last one didn't, contrary to Saïx's expectations. Really, he shouldn't have depended on any of the other Organization members to be worth anything even with the Superior out of the way. What use had any of them ever been?

"I overestimated them. All of them. But there's no other way that we can be certain of getting our hearts. I'm not going to waste time on wild off-chances."

[Axel]

How far can I push this?
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Good. At least Saïx agreed that forcing themselves into power was not a good idea. It wasn't necessarily a bad idea, either, but it was pointless. Why waste the time and energy?

Oh, yeah. That's why. Saïx still thought that the only way to get their hearts back was through the Organization and Kingdom Hearts. Axel had been told differently, in a very cryptic way, but he wasn't so sure Saïx would listen if he tried to explain it.

For now, he'd try a different tactic. "If the Organization isn't doing anything to reach the goal, then why stick with it at all? I think we could do enough work on our own to more than match what's being done right now. And if we separated from them, no more dead weight."

If he could get Saïx to leave, maybe he could find Origas again and get some more concrete answers.

[Slash]

Would we count as squatters?

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Saïx replied, "Yes, but Kingdom Hearts appears over the Castle. I do not think that they will just allow squatters."

He considered the matter as carefully as he could. He wasn't going to give up the one certainty he had- that Kingdom Hearts could appear. If it came to that being the only way, he'd take the load on his own shoulders and claim his heart.

However...

"I will not leave as of yet. However, the Organization is lax with reporting in now, so it may be time for some...independent research."

It was obvious that Axel wanted him to leave the Organization, and Saïx knew that he had intended to make it obvious.

"I know what you want. But there will have to be another certain way to a heart before I will leave."

[Axel]

Well, I might have an idea...
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Axel certainly hadn't been obtuse in his efforts to get Saïx to leave. There was no reason to be, after all. But even if Saïx wasn't leaving right now, that didn't mean he wouldn't decide to in the future.

Now might be a good time to play his hidden card, as Luxord would say. Nothing to lose here. If Saïx thought he was an idiot, well, that was nothing new.

"I met someone in Deep Jungle who might have an answer or two. He seemed to imply that Kingdom Hearts isn't where we should be looking for our hearts."

[Slash]

Do you check your sources?

[/center]

Saïx was immediately suspicious. Someone in Deep Jungle? Who could Axel have talked to in Deep Jungle that had a way to get their hearts back.

"...Did he explain how? Do you know he's not just insane, and actually knows what he's talking about?" He paused. "Do you have proof?"

[Axel]

This is going out on a limb.
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Leave it to Saïx to ask the obvious questions. Unfortunately, Axel didn't have very satisfactory answers to them.

"Actually, he has a split personality. One side is named Shardd, and the other side is Origas. Origas was the one who told me Kingdom Hearts isn't what we should be focusing on. But... he didn't get a chance to explain himself before Shardd took over again."

He was aware of how ridiculous he sounded. But it was the truth.

"I know, I know. Sounds crazy and everything, but it's better than sitting around in a defunct Organization."

[Slash]

I think that's a little too hard to accept as genuine.

[/center]

Those answers were...Axel expected him to go on that? Really? Was he insane or merely desperate? And when did a man with a split personality become the ultimate authority on hearts?

Saïx would need far more specifics before that would ever happen.

"That's insufficient. If you can get any specifics on his idea and it's not the ravings of a madman, then I'll listen. Meanwhile, I will search for something. We can meet again in a week or so, when we have alternatives, and discuss which one is the best. If there is a best."

[Axel]

If that's all, I'll see you around.
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It was better than what Axel had thought he would get. He just needed to find Origas again and get some clear-cut answers.

"All right. Will do. See you in a about a week, then. I'll assume you'll want to keep meeting here unless I hear otherwise."

That was all that needed to be said. Axel summoned a Corridor and left.