Chapter Two

Chapter II

"There's no such thing as an ending. Only new beginnings. And I'm about to get a fresh start. As someone else. Number XIV."

      I wake to a swaying motion. I'm slung over his shoulder. Axel's. I groan, and mumble, "Where are we?" My sensitive gaze flits from one place to another. I can't see anything. It's just.. darkness. So bleak. Unchangeable. Inky, menacing darkness.

      "This place? Oh, somewhere." He keeps walking. "We'll be home soon. Just relax," he says. After a long, silent moment, he asks, "Why didn't you fight me? I've seen what you can do, Valora. Why just give up?" He pauses for a moment and sets me down. "I trust you enough not to run away like an idiot. Walk beside me." He offers me a lopsided smile that was meant to be friendly. He walks onwards.

      Sighing, I begin to walk at his side. Looking up at him, I clear my throat and tell him, "It was useless to fight you. You have flames at your fingertips." I disregard everything else that he had said and our eyes meet for a second. "I wanted to save Garrick," I mumble.

      "I see," he narrows his eyes and a spark of something lights in them. Envy?

      I frown, and stop walking. "Axel," I say sternly. "When will it happen?" I want to scream it at him. But I can't. I haven't the strength. When he turns to me, I glare at him. "When?"

      He puts his hands behind his head leisurely and huffs. "Not sure," he says, avoiding my angry gaze. "but when it happens, it'll be brutal." Rolling his eyes, he lets out a frustrated sigh. "They'll probably just stick you in a cluster of Heartless to fend for yourself until you have no heart."

      I begin walking again, quickly. I outpace Axel by at least two feet. "That's nice of them to do," I lie.

      Axel speeds up and meets my pace. "Woah, slow down. There's really no rush." He looks at me, his expression somewhat concerned. "Look," he says, "it'll be over with swiftly. Almost painlessly. You won't even remember it."

      "Axel," I whisper. I look up at him and soften my gaze. "I won't remember anything, will I?"

      He frowns morosely. "No."

      "That's all I needed to know." I mutter.

     "You'll earn a new name," Axel chimes, trying to lighten the mood. "you'll have friends."

     I give him a questioning look. "I didn't think Organization XIII members had  friends, let alone need them." I roll my eyes and keep walking, steadying my pace. Friends? Is he insisting that he'll be my friend?

     He smiles awkwardly and the words stumble out of his mouth, "You'll.. ah, have me. And Roxas."

     My eyes widen at the name Roxas. Where have I heard that name before? It's so familiar. Reminds me.. of...

    No way.

   I push my delirious thought aside. He couldn't be. There's no way. "Number?" I ask.

   "Thirteen," Axel replies smoothly. "We're nearly there. Want me to carry you the rest of the way?"

   "No," I huff. "I'm a big girl, I think I can walk on my own."

    He just shrugs and keeps walking. For what feels like the next twenty minutes, we're silent. We don't even look at each other. The suspense is killing me.

    I blink, and when I open my eyes, I'm no longer in the darkness. Well, not completely. It's bright. Axel is nowhere in sight. But I can clearly see that there are thousands of heartless around me. They surge towards me, and I drown in a wave of shadows.

   I'm a goner.