The large mass of fog drifted down the hallway slowly, slipping under the doors of the many rooms that it passed. As soon as it entered a room, it quickly exited, apparently satisfied with its findings, and rejoined the main mass. In the main hall, four separate streams converged into one solitary mass. It slowly rose, features began to fill in; a head, then the torso, the arms, and so forth. After the body formed, it began to fill with color. The black robe was first, then the skin and hair.
“Well, that’s everything.” Zixan checked off things on the clipboard he was holding while slowly making his way to the back of the castle. “This place is lucky to have me on security.” He made a few scribbles on the bottom of the clipboard. “I’ll need to tell Banxon about the leaky pipe in the basement. I’m sure he has some kind of spell for that. Hmm…I’ll need to also tell everyone to clean up after themselves after they leave the kitchen. I refuse to have this place crawling with those damn abominations known as mice and roaches. Uh, I guess that’s everything.” Zixan flipped the page to double-check. “Yep, that’s everything.” The clipboard rose into the air and vanished in wisps of gray mist.
Zixan made his way down the hall, toward the courtyard. I think I deserve some fresh air. It’s freshest in the wee hours of the morning anyway. He stopped as the hallway opened into a small circular room. On the wall directly opposite Zixan, there stood a large, marble-white door. He slowly began walking toward the center of the room when his gaze snapped immediately to his left. There, by a door leading to one of the many stairwells, stood a figure adorning the same coat as he did.
“Is there a reason why you’re out roaming MY hallways, Lexinoth?” Zixan watched as the nobody turned to face him. “You know fully well that no one is to be in the halls at this time of the morning.”
“But it’s only 2 o’clock in the morning.” He defended.
“Try 2:53, now either you leave the castle or go to your room. You’ve been roaming for approximately 23 minutes and I’ve been quite lenient, if you ask me.” Zixan made no move toward the other nobody. “23 minutes is more than enough time to find your room, yet I find you here. Is there a reason?”
“I couldn’t sleep…” he said feebly.
“Just go, okay? If you’re going to lie, at least put some more effort into it. Please, don’t let this happen again. I’m paranoid enough as it is about security and I’m currently resisting the urge to recheck the castle, thanks to you.” Zixan made his way to the large white door.
“I’ll try not to let this happen again, okay?” Lexinoth said quietly as he pushed his way through the door. “Who the hell does he think he is?” he mumbled as he made his way up the steps.
A frown spread across Zixan’s face as he pressed against the large door that led to the courtyard. If you have something to say, then you could at least have the courtesy to say it to my face. A loud crashing sound, followed by groans of pain filled the stairwell Lexinoth had just entered. That’ll teach him to mumble. I hope he doesn’t bleed on the steps. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised. He did just fall down about 20 of them. With a slight smirk on his face, Zixan made his way into courtyard. The cool, early morning air gently caressed his face as he briskly made his way across the beautifully crafted landscape. He came to a stop at the edge of the courtyard and looked into the sky. The full moon, eh? I wonder how people find beauty in such a thing. Zixan gave a huge sigh and outstretched his left hand and seemed to hold the moon in it. He quickly closed it tightly.
“To think that some nobodies actually want their hearts back. Why?” Zixan slowly opened his clenched fist, revealing a small gray heart. “All this does is hamper one’s judgment. It causes one to second guess oneself. It makes one feel regret...remorse. All it does is hold you back, making you weaker. There is no power hidden within a heart.” But the keyblade, what about that? “The keyblade…the heart’s only weapon. Even that struggles against we who exist in neither the light nor the darkness. It’s a shame that those deluded nobodies can’t grasp the power that they possess and the unlimited possibilities that are laid out in front of them. Oh well, it’s their loss, not mine.” He crushed the tiny heart and watched as the mist rose into the sky.
“Just another day in the Exiled castle, I suppose.” As Zixan turned, he was met with a rather strange looking claymore hovering just inches before his nose. “Maybe this is why memories of detestation fill me when I look at the moon.”
“You know nothing, brat! Neither the moon’s divinity nor the heart’s powers are things your mind can grasp!” Saix spat.
“Is there a reason why you’re here?” Zixan asked casually as he pushed the claymore aside.
“As you know, our last encounter was interrupted. My task was to recruit you into our ranks, yet you were so persistent not to join. Fast-forward a bit and you’re struggling to stay on your feet, let alone catch your breath.” Saix explained.
“So you’ve come to recruit me again?”
“Not exactly, I’ve come to finish my job. It was either you come with us, or die. You refused, so I’ve come to claim your life. Those who are against us are against the completion of Kingdom Hearts. No one will stand in the way of me receiving my heart back, no one!”
“That happened so long ago and you just happened to stumble upon me when I was new to all of this and thought the world was mine for the taking. I was weak and naive then...” Zixan’s voice began to trail off.
“You weren’t meant to be an elite nobody then and the same goes for now. You’re destined to be weak. Now, standby as the moon passes judgement on your pathetic soul.” Saix lunged forward and impaled Zixan through the abdomen.
Zixan stumbled backward, eventually falling to the ground. His breath came in huge gasps and his eyes bulged. I see he’s not the one to toy with his opponent. I guess I’ll take this nice and easy. I’ll see if he has any new tricks before I recklessly pull out my bigger techniques. After all, I can have all the techniques in the world, but without a strategy, they’re useless. “You...you monster!” Zixan exclaimed with what breath he had left.
“You haven’t even seen my bad side and you call me a monster now? I knew it, you’re still the same weak whelp now as you were then.” Saix teased. “Xemnas will be pleased by this news, indeed. It was nice talking to you, traitor.” Saix turned to leave, but was stopped by Zixan’s shallow laughter.
“Like I said before, I’m not the same as I was so many years ago. I’ve grown stronger since then.” Zixan said as he faded away into mist.
“What is it with your fascination on clones? All they do is waste energy.” Saix commented as he re-summoned his claymore. “Oh well, you’re just prolonging the inevitable.”
A large gray snake struck from Saix’s left, but he easily slashed it away. Another lunged from above, but the result was the same. “Come now, Zixan. If this is your big improvement, then you might as well give up.”
Detector nobodies rose from the ground and rushed at Saix. He fended them off for a while, but they kept coming, eventually piling on top of him. The numbers continued to increase and soon Saix was buried within the heap of nobodies. A large mass of cloud appeared and formed itself into the shape of a human. It’s features became more distinguished by the second, eventually changing completely into Zixan.
“Surely this isn’t all that you have to offer, Saix.” Zixan taunted loudly.
“Moon shine down!”
Upon looking into the sky, Zixan noticed that the moon seemed to give off an eerie pulse of energy. His attention immediately snapped towards Saix. A blinding light was being emitted from within the horde of Detectors. The light grew brighter and brighter until the whole area was engulfed by it. As it dimmed, Zixan found himself kneeling on the ground gasping for breath again and before him stood his adversary, unscathed.
“Obviously, the moon deems you worthy of seeing me in this form.” Saix breathed as he brandished his reformed claymore.
Saix’s eyes were bulging and the scar on his forehead seemed to grow more distinguished. His hair seemed to stand on end and his breathing came in rasps. His claymore was now larger and featured a slimmer shaft and far deadlier spikes at its tip.
“You never showed me this form when we fought last time.” Zixan stood up. Just as I thought, he has a stronger form. I wonder what else he has to reveal. Surely, this can’t be all of it. “No matter, you’re still going to die here today.” Two large gray snakes emerged from the ground, but Saix expertly swung his claymore and eradicated them with an immense wave of energy.
“You, now I know who you remind me of! That damn snake, Daxic! His use of clones and his snakelike personality! Are you trying to build your fighting style off of that pathetic excuse of a nobody?” Saix chastised.
“I look up to him, yes, but my fighting style is my own, no one else's!” A gray snake slithered up Zixan’s leg. “Let me show you just how diverse I can be!”
The snake coiled itself around Zixan’s hand and Zixan took off toward Saix. Along the way, the snake changed its shaped into that of a large axe with intricate designs covering the blade. Zixan gained speed and was closing the distance, but Saix suddenly ran forward as well. With every stride, a wave of energy was released as he wildly swung his claymore from side to side.
“Come, Zixan, show me your growth!” Saix slammed his blade into Zixan’s axe.
Their blades met and a loud screech pierced the air only to be replaced by the sound of the ground being compressed under their feet by the sheer force of their collision. A sadistic smile spread across Saix’s face as he continued to push against Zixan’s axe. Zixan inched backward slowly.
“Come now, Zixan! This isn’t all you’ve got!” Saix continued to shout madly.
“You’re right; this isn’t all I’ve got.” Zixan said as he gave his all to push Saix backward.
Saix tumbled across the ground, coming to a complete halt in front of a small statue. Using his claymore as support, he pulled himself to his feet. He looked up to see clouds rolling in and upon seeing the sight he yelled out in frustration.
“How dare you try to block out this marvelous view of the moon?” Saix barked. “I will not stand for this!”
“You won’t have to!” came Zixan’s voice from behind him.
Another Zixan came bursting through the small statue and lunged toward Saix. Turning quickly, Saix just barely managed to pull up his claymore to defend against the attack. He glared at the Zixan standing in front of him.
“Here we are again, caught up in this pointless standstill.” Zixan smirked.
“This clone business is getting a bit old!” Saix bellowed.
“Well, as long as it works I couldn't care less!” came Zixan’s voice from behind Saix again.
Saix looked at the Zixan in front of him and then quickly took a moment to look at the Zixan running at him. He was currently tied up at the moment with seemingly no outs whatsoever. The charging Zixan raised his axe and brought it down on the seemingly helpless Saix.
“Moon shine down!” came Saix’s voice just before the other Zixan’s attack connected.
Another pulse of energy was released from the moon and two waves of bright energy were released from Saix. Both Zixan’s were engulfed by the attack and blasted back in opposing directions. One Zixan was obliterated completely while the other slammed into a stone pillar supporting a small balcony, which immediately came crashing down.
“See Zixan, you never had a chance!”
From within the small pile of rubble, that was once a marvelous balcony, Zixan arose. His axe hung loosely in his right hand. His coat had been burned open to reveal his bare chest. A small stream of blood was coursing its way down from the top of his head, past his eye, and to the corner of his mouth.
“Lucky shot…” Zixan said, wiping the corner of his mouth.
“Lucky shot? I’ll show you a lucky shot!” Saix charged at Zixan.
With every stride he took, the ground trembled. Small pulses of energy were released as he closed the gap between himself and Zixan. He brought his claymore up and dropped it down on Zixan only to have the attack barely blocked by Zixan’s axe.
“Is this...supposed to impress me?” Zixan struggled to say as Saix continued to apply pressured with his claymore.
“Oh you’ll be impressed and then you’ll give the moon the respect it truly deserves!” Saix barked as his claymore pushed down into Zixan’s shoulder.
Trying to avoid further damage, Zixan pushed Saix backward again. Unfortunately, upon being forced backward, Saix’s claymore ripped through Zixan’s shoulder. Zixan cringed, dropped his axe, and fell to one knee.
“Ah, so I’m fighting the real Zixan now.” Saix mused as his eyes went over the bleeding shoulder that Zixan now graced.
“Well, it seems I was wrong to wait so long. I was sure you had some more tricks up your sleeve, but you’ve proven otherwise. I guess I can start getting serious now.” Zixan revealed as he ripped off his torn sleeve.
“Please, who do you think you’re fooling? You’re hurt and you’re trying your hardest to fend me off. If anything, I’ve shown you mercy.” Saix chuckled. “See, the moon can be gracious, even to its naysayers.”
“Today, the moon will be blocked out!” Zixan vanished.
“You’ll take that back! Moon shine–” Saix began to say, but was smacked away by the broad side of Zixan’s axe.
“The moon won’t be shining down anymore!” Zixan declared.
“But how? When did you become so fast? Saix marveled. “You couldn’t have been...no! No one toys with me! Moon shine–”
Before Saix could finish his chant, a gray snake coiled itself around his mouth, muffling out any other sound. The rest of the snake’s body seemed to have wrapped itself around Saix’s arms, and legs as well.
“Did you think I was joking? Do I look I’m the type to joke around?” Zixan asked slowly. “You’ve had your playtime, but now that’s over! From here on out, you’ll see just how much I’ve grown!”
A round of thunder sounded from the sky and Zixan instinctively looked up to see more clouds rolling in. “Now, that’s a sight to marvel at!” Zixan exclaimed as he brought his axe down on Saix.
The axe came down at impressive speed, but was reflected back by Saix’s now spinning claymore. The ensnared Saix, and his spinning claymore, slowly rose into the air. The claymore slashed away the coils binding Saix.
“You thought you could defeat me so easily? Now, face the wrath of the moon itself!” Saix declared as he began to glow. “Moon shine down one last time!”
A bright orb of flight engulfed Saix and began to spread outward. Zixan began his retreat backward, but was too slow to get out of the orb’s reach. He was swallowed quickly as the orb quickly expanded. The ground shook fiercely and small fissures were beginning to run the length of the courtyard.
“This is what you are up against, Zixan!” Saix’s voice was heard as the light dimmed. “This is the might of the moon!”
“You sure do yell a lot, don’t you?” Zixan stated as he returned to his feet. “Might I suggest anger management?”
Saix hurled his claymore forward. “Shut your damn mouth!”
The Moon's Lament pt. 4
Zixan, now fully coatless, jumped back out of the way. As the claymore struck the ground, it released a large wave of energy as well. Zixan quickly re-summoned his axe to block it.
“Why so serious?” Zixan taunted as he picked up Saix’s claymore. “Losing your temper only hurts you in the end, after all. Look at what you did. You’ve practically given me your claymore.”
Saix summoned another claymore even though his original was already embedded in the ground. Not wasting time, Saix dropped to the ground and charged at Zixan. Larger waves of energy were released as he charged forward.
“Well, I guess that solves that problem.” Zixan mentioned as he watched Saix advance.
Saix’s claymore and Zixan’s axe clashed together, but Saix quickly gained the upper hand as he put on the pressure. Just as it seemed Zixan was going to be defeated, Saix was yanked backward, dropping his second claymore on the way.
“Those darn snakes have a way of just popping up out of no where, don’t they?” Zixan teased as his axe vanished. “Anyway, I guess it’s about time this little skirmish came to an end, eh Saix?”
“I couldn’t agree more!” Saix roared as he jerked out of the snake’s grip, summoned another claymore, and rushed forward.
“Well, aren’t we just the anxious one?” Zixan yelled as he ran forward, picking up both of Saix’s former claymores. “Oh well, it’s your funeral.”
The two fighters clashed once again, but this time Zixan used one of the claymores to knock Saix’s claymore out of his hand. He followed up by slashing Saix with the second claymore. Saix stumbled back a few steps, but Zixan rushed forward and continued his assault. Zixan slashed Saix left and right. Bits of Saix’s coat could be seen falling to the ground as Zixan continued his onslaught.
“Where’s your divine moon now?” Zixan asked as he launched Saix’s into the air. “Here, let me give you a better view of her!”
Zixan jumped into the air and began spinning, slicing Saix with every rotation. “Now, for the finale!” Zixan shouted as he flipped and brought both claymores down on Saix. He was propelled toward the ground, headfirst and before he hit another Zixan kicked him off to the side.
“You didn’t think I’d let you hit your precious head, now did you?” Zixan landed on the ground. “You should thank my clone for being so thoughtful.”
The clone dispersed and Zixan was left standing alone. Saix was on all fours and staring at the ground pathetically, blood dripping down from his wounds.
“Why...why is this happening? This can’t be happening! I’m stronger and have the moon’s power, so why am I being defeated?” Saix asked angrily. “I refuse to let this happen! I refuse to disappoint the moon!”
Saix forced himself on his feet, despite his injuries, and charged forward with a newly summoned claymore. Zixan let his two claymores fall to the ground and summoned a single axe to replace them.
“And now for the curtain call…” Zixan mumbled as he and Saix were surrounded by replicas of Zixan’s axe. “Phantom Ceremony…”
Zixan and Saix came to a standstill again as their weapons clashed together. No one was gaining any ground, but the ring of axes surrounding were alive with activity. They were disappearing and reappearing in rapid succession. Cuts, of varying sizes, began to appear on Saix’s body.
“What is this madness?” Saix yelled.
“Silence! The ceremony has begun.” Zixan reprimanded as he pushed Saix backward.
A large gash appeared on Saix’s chest as he stumbled and soon the scar on his forehead was reopened and bleeding profusely. His claymore fell to the ground in a bright light, quickly disappearing. He fell to one knee afterwards, grasping his head.
“My own blood…” Saix whispered as he brought his hands down from his forehead. “Who’d have thought that it would come to this?”
“Your problem was that you were hung up on the past. You thought that I would be the same weakling that I was then.” Zixan explained slowly as the ring of axes disappeared.
A large gray snake lightly bit the back of Saix’s neck and brought him to his feet. Zixan rose his axe into the air and let it loom over Saix’s head for a moment. “To answer your previous question, as mighty as the moon is, it will always be shut out by the clouds.” Zixan whispered as the last beam of moonlight vanished behind the clouds above.
With those last words, Zixan slashed through Saix. He fell backward slowly, wisps of black smoke lifting from his body as he descended. Now, sprawled across the ground, the dying Saix stared blankly into the sky. “If I had a heart…” He murmured as he faded away into nothingness.
“Well, that’s that, I guess.” Zixan sighed while resting the axe on his uninjured shoulder. Upon quickly glancing around the courtyard, his face dropped. “Oh, Banxon’s going to kill me. Just look at this mess! Even in death, you manage to get me in trouble, Saix.”
“Die now!” came Saix’s voice from behind Zixan.
Saix came falling from the sky, claymore held high above his head. Zixan heard the voice suddenly, but made no move to turn around. Instead, a smile crept onto his face. It’s just as I thought. A gray hand had grasped Saix’s neck, stopping the attacker and his manic banter at once. Upon further inspection, Saix could see that the hand was protruding from the center of Zixan’s back.
“Honestly, you disappoint me, Saix. You’ve been the benchmark that I’ve strived to surpass for so long now. Little did I know, I had already passed you. You had only one trump card, your berserker mode. That only managed to destroy my coat and give me minor scrapes. You landed a few good shots, but your overall performance was pathetic. I spent most of my time holding back in anticipation of you showing more, but I was wrong. That’s the last time I overestimate my opponent.”
“But how?” Saix began to ask. “No, it can’t be! You’re a–”
“A clone?” Zixan answered with a question. “I’m not the type that stays in one spot for long. Plus, I expected some sort of surprise attack. You were, after all, practically second in command. Surely, feigning your own death wasn’t out of the question.”
“Your insight is impressive. I should’ve killed you back in the past. I wouldn’t have had to go through so much trouble.” Saix said as blood ran out of the side of his mouth. “I’ll just end this now!”
Saix struggled to get free, but two medium-sized snakes emerged from Zixan’s back and bit, then coiled, around both of Saix’s arms. “You should’ve gotten away while you still had a chance. I would’ve been more than happy to let you go hone your skills to give me a better fight. Unfortunately, you had to come back.” Zixan rebutted as gray tendrils rose out of his back and began to wrap around and draw Saix in.
“What is this! Let me go, you insolent brat!” Saix barked.
“Consider this a favor. You no longer have to obsess over not having a heart.” Zixan said softly as the rest of his body turned gray. “Phantom Explosion…”
“Phantom Explosion...” Saix repeated. “Explosion!”
“To be honest, I expected you to push me more. Y’know, push me to my limits?” Zixan sighed. “I guess I was wrong.”
Zixan’s clones suddenly exploded. The surrounding area shook violently as the huge cloud mass expanded outward, smashing into the wall that served as a barrier between the courtyard and the outside world. The cloud mass ravaged anything it came in contact with. Statues were reduced to dust while the foliage was vanquished altogether. The explosion came within inches of the actual stronghold itself. The clouds above roared to life as lightning streaked across the sky. It was as if they were enjoying the spectacle Zixan had produced.
After several more minutes, everything was calm again. The courtyard was now reduced to shambles, now donning a huge crater in its center. As the dust cleared, the last wisps of black smoke were disappearing into the air.
From the clouds above, a large mass floated down to the ground. It quickly gained a familiar humanoid shaped, eventually revealing itself to be the real Zixan.
“Now Banxon’s really going to kill me…” he muttered to himself. “Hmm…I’ll need someone to take care of these wounds while they’re fresh.” He poked at the gash on his left shoulder. “…which reminds me, I’ll have to ask Daxic how he goes about performing self-regeneration. I’m sure he’ll have a few pointers for me.”
With that, Zixan was swallowed by a Corridor of Darkness.