Barren and torn like some piece of trash that had been crushed beyond all hope. Yet still it floated within the chain of a million other worlds. Slowly a dark figure walked through the barren wasteland that was the Exiled’s home world. The figure held a blade disfigured as if it had seen many battles but still held the basic outline of a key. Suddenly the figure stopped as the sandstorms picked up blowing through the planet even stronger. Then without warning they halted in midstream as if frozen in fear by someone or something that had approached out of the blue. Slowly the figure that had been trekking through the barren planet lifted its head staring forward, it’s bright green eyes locked on something that had until recently been hidden by the sandstorm.
“…The fact that you show your face here of all places proves that you are indeed impertinent beyond my wildest dreams,” a voice said.
“I’ve been searching for you for a long time,” the dark figure said.
“Oh? What reason would you have to be searching for me,” the voice asked.
“A long time ago a boy who was far too young to know what color his blood was lived peacefully on a green and luscious world, he barely knew the love of a mother or father for you see it was stolen from him when he was barely 5 year old. They invaded his world and took everything. Not just the supplies but the people and their hearts and souls as well. But still the gluttons had not filled their thirst for water and blood. They moved to the most sacred place of all on that planet, the heart of the world. Like pigs in feast they gorged themselves taking everything they desired. When they had completed their mission they left and allowed the boy’s planet to sink into darkness as if it were nothing but trash,” the dark figure said clear anger growing in his eyes. “That boy swore to kill those involved and so he would. He moved forward and gained support from a blade of keys and struck down two of the people whom had defiled his world. But that wasn’t enough, for you see the one who had orchestrated his world’s defiling still drew breath. The boy grew more still and along with it his rage until he suddenly died.”
“What an interesting story. But what point did it serve telling it to me,” the voice asked.
“I am the embodiment of the boy’s anger and rage towards those who killed his planet and I am also his brother,” the dark figure said.
“How interesting and yet I find no reason to have listened to your most tedious story,” the voice replied.
“You should have for you see you are he, the man who murdered our home and slaughtered our people, the glutton Salix,” the dark figure said.
“So many worlds, it becomes difficult to remember everyone I’ve eradicated,” Salix replied.
“Murderous fiend! I will not allow you to breathe another breath,” the dark figure shouted.
Swiftly without much effort the man rushed forward at Salix. Reacting to the sudden assault Salix jumped backwards and threw his right arm out to the side before summoning a single steel claw to his arm. Hearing the man approach he raised his arm in front of his face as the Keyblade smashed into the cold steel of the steel claws throwing Salix back further. Attempting to regain his footing Salix immediately summoned the second steel claw to his left arm. Without much thought Salix threw his left arm up as the steel claws slashed at the man who had attacked him. Focusing in on the area around him Salix slowed himself to a halt as his sensitive ears searched for any sounds at all. Instead it was blank, not a peep. Suddenly Salix felt a vibration on the ground next to him. With zero hesitation Salix threw his right arm up as the steel claws caught the Keyblade mere inches away from his face.
“Your senses seem to be heightened. You appear to be more aware then perhaps even I of your surroundings,” Salix said.
“I’ll use every advantage I have to kill you,” the dark figure replied.
Twisting the Keyblade Salix could hear scratching sound of metal against metal as both Salix and the other man broke free from each other. Suddenly once again the other man disappeared from his ears. Salix focused harder but still nothing. It was as if the man had stopped existing all together. Without any warning this time the Keyblade rushed forward leaving no error in the approach or the attack. However the sound of the attacker approaching him left him with just enough time to jump back. It did not however give him enough time to avoid the attack as the Keyblade slashed through the front of his cloak. The attack didn’t stop there as the attacker switched directions. In an instant the man was everywhere and there was no room for Salix to move as he was instantly cut to ribbons by the many attacks. Pieces of cloak and drops of blood flew everywhere along the ground. The man had been too fast and too skilled at knowing his and other’s senses for Salix. Slowly the man turned around as he faced Salix who slowly fell to the ground. The attacker felt his breath catch up with him as he began to breathe heavily being tired and worn out from increasing his speed so suddenly and to such extents. The man looked down at the ground seeing his shadow except it looked deformed as if there were two people where he was. Suddenly he felt an arm slam against the back of his neck as he collapsed to his knees and then landed face down on the ground unconscious. Slowly a man in a deep sky-blue cloak walked forward but stopped as he looked down at Salix’s body. The wounds had already healed and the bleeding had more than stopped.
“What’s up old man are you that tired,” the man in the deep sky-blue cloak said.
“Your timing is as impeccable as ever,” Salix said sarcastically as he slowly lifted his body up from the ground and stood up facing the only man who would dare speak that way to Salix, Xishn.
“I try my best, but were you really going to let him attack you like that,” Xishn asked.
“I was incapable of switching so instantaneously. His speed increased so suddenly and he caught me off guard when he showed his ability to completely hide all and any sound from me,” Salix explained.
“So what now? Do we just wait for him to wake up,” Xishn asked.
“No the wait won’t be necessary,” Salix answered.
Xishn turned a bit surprised to see that the man he had just knocked out was slowly rising to his feet as if he had just fallen asleep and was waking up from a mid-day nap. Xishn took a step towards the man but Salix turned his head slightly and Xishn immediately backed down. The look Salix had on his face said to back down unless you want to die. The man gripped the Keyblade in his hand tightly as his eyes shimmered filled with anger and rage at Salix.
“I won’t let you get the best of me. I’ll slaughter you and take back my home,” the dark figure shouted.
Immediately using the same tactics the man vanished from Salix’s hearing as Xishn watched the man who was fighting Salix move at such incredible speeds. Wanting not to be caught up in the attack Xishn turned and walked away. With a hole in Salix’s defense the man rushed at Salix. The man had increased his speed for sure as he swung his Keyblade down at Salix with no warning. However this time prepared Salix moved with great flexibility and speed, dodging the assault. The man watched as his Keyblade slammed into the ground. Angrily he turned his assault as he moved his attack at Salix again. This time again with the great speed and flexibility that Salix had used before, he managed to move out of the way and dodge the attack. Looking around the man saw he had missed again and increased his grip on the Keyblade. Suddenly the man felt something brush up against his back as he swung his body around and slashed across with his Keyblade cutting only through the air. He felt his body come to a halt as his vision blurred for a second and he felt something wet drip down his clothes. It was blood. Salix listened to the sound as he heard what he knew to be blood slowly drip off his steel claws before landing on the ground. Moving the steel claws around a bit Salix slowly removed them from the body as more blood flooded out from the wound. Panicking the man swung clumsily at Salix but missed every swing. Dying from the loss of blood the man collapsed to his knees. He felt his body go limp as he loosened up the grip on his Keyblade and looked around as his vision started to go blurry. Salix walked forward as he listened to the blood drip out of the wound he had made and the pounding of the man’s heart as he began to die.
“Death shall give you life and you shall see me again soon,” Salix said as he raised his steel claw on his right arm.
Swiftly without any emotion he swung the steel claws across at the man’s neck slicing it open and killing him without any remorse. Blood flew through the air as it splattered on the ground everywhere. Salix watched as it fell to the ground and the eyes of the once living man glazed over.
“No mercy. What made you kill him so brutally like that,” Xishn asked.
“…He reminded me…of me,” Salix said hesitantly as he knelt down.
The job was not finished yet as he reached out his right hand over the body. Slowly Salix felt the heart begin to float out as it hovered soon completed exited from the body. Standing he held the heart close staring at it as it shimmered brightly. Turning he watched as it disappeared safely to where he kept all the other hearts he collected. Xishn approached him as he snapped his fingers and created a Corridor of Darkness in front of him.
“Bring the body. It’ll change soon. We’ll need to reprogram him,” Salix said coldly as he turned and walked into the Corridor of Darkness.
Xishn walked over to the body of the once living man who had tried to kill Salix.
“Poor fool,” Xishn said as he stared down at the body.
Reaching down Xishn picked up the body and turned around quickly following Salix into the Corridor of Darkness. Slowly the Corridor of Darkness vanished bit by bit until it had completely disappeared just as it had arrived. Soon the merciless winds began to pick up as the sandstorms started once again as if relieved that they had left and the planet returned to its normal chaotic state.