Silver-Tongued Xaldin
All the members were in the Grey Area, discussing issues with one another.Xemnas had some business to take care of and left Saix alone to deal with the usual missions.He started announcing who was partnered up with who.Roxas and XIon were paired up with each other again, so Rixa thought she'd end up with Axel.She was shocked when she heard Saix say that she would have to do recon with Xaldin at Beast's Castle.When he finsihed, everyone left to their respective missions, leaving Xaldin, Rixa and Saix in the room.Rixa stood quietly, trying to calm herself.Xaldin wasn't someone she liked being around and she had hoped to never have to go out on a mission with him.He had a thing of speaking that made you grow angry at him.He especially enjoyed pointing out others' flaws if you ever tried getting into an argument with him.
"Let's be going, Rixa.", Xaldin said in his deep voice, "We have recon to do."
Rixa nodded, opening the portal and letting him go in first.Before she entered, she gave Saix a nasty glare, knowing that he had planned to put them together.Saix ignored her and focused on some papers he had with him.After they left, he walked toward the window and stared at the sky.
"Let Xaldin provoke her this time around.", he whispered to himself, lifting up his left sleeve and looking at the bandages.
Arriving at Beast's Castle, Xaldin smiled to himself.Rixa noticed and couldn't help asking why he smiled.
"This place has much potential.I have already been here a few times before with Roxas...", he answered, "For today, let's just see how well the Beast fights."
"Who's the Beast?"
"He is the master of this castle.", he replied, "I'm surprised you haven't run into him."
"Well, I've been busy.Fighting the impostor was my top priority the last time I was here."
"The impostor?That's only a rumor.An invention by Xion to explain why she failed to complete her mission."
"Says you.I saw him with my own eyes and he is very real.", Rixa said, angry that he thought Xion was the kind of person to make up excuses, "He's plenty tough."
"Keep believing her lies, Rixa.We'll see how that ends for you.", he said coldly, not even looking at her, "Seems our target has arrived."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a pillar, shushing her before she could complain.Rixa was about to hit him when she heard a loud roar.Xaldin held her close to the pillar, observing something with a pleased look in his eyes.
"What the heck is going on???"
"Silence, Rixa.The Beast is here."
She finally had a look and she saw a big creature appear.He was brown, with big claws and two horns on his head.Some heartless had surrounded him and she thought that he would die right there.The shadows chraged at him, but he hit them hard, sending them flying against the wall.One of the shadows landed right next to them, looking at them with it's eyes.Rixa was about to kick it when the Beast grabbed it, holding it down, and hit it as hard as he could.The shadow disappeared, leaving only a crack on the floor where it had been.The other shadows began to run away, realizing that they would be next.The Beast went after them, slashing each one until they were all gone.He looked around to make sure none were left, and when he finished, he went back inside the castle.Rixa was still in shock when Xaldin walked away from her to examine the crack the Beast had left on the floor.He bent down, feeling it with his hands, and smiled at himself again.
"Such power...His rage shows so much promise!", he said, "If we had even a bit of it under our control, the possibilities would be endless."
Rixa didn't move, thinking that the Beast would come back and attack them if he thought they were heartless.She thought that neither one of them would stand a chance against him if that happened, after the spectacle she had seen.Xaldin called out to her, saying that their mission was completed and that she could leave.
"Why just me?", she asked, "Aren't you coming?"
"I have something else to do here.", he said, looking a bit angry at her, "Now go and leave me to my business."
She didn't complain and summoned the portal, looking back at Xaldin and sticking her tongue out at him.She walked out of it once she knew she was near Twilight Town and headed off to the Clock Tower.Roxas, Xion and Axel were already there when she arrived, talking about their day like they usually did.Rixa sat down, and sighed.Axel stood up and sat down next to her, giving her the Sea-Salt Ice Cream he had saved for her.She took a bite out of it and stared at the clouds.
"That bad?"
"Yes, that bad.He called Xion a liar for telling me about the impostor."
"I'm not a liar!I saw and fought him!", Xion yelled.
"I believe you, Xion.", Rixa replied, trying not to talk about how she had fought him and ran into him recently, "Who cares what Creepy Xaldin thinks?"
