Betrayal

"Max?" Seycax asked as she saw the member in the hallway alone. She appeared to be sleeping while leaning against the wall, but her head snapped up after hearing her name."Yeah? What's up VI?" she stretched.

"Your nightmares." Seycax brought up their previous conversation.

Max's ears flushed and she suddenly became really interested in her feet, shifting her weight nervously. "Yeah... what about them?"

Seycax eyed her funny, then shrugged. "Nothing. You just woke up screaming last night is all."

It was Max's turn to shrug. "I wake up screaming a lot."

Seycax inspected her hand. "I know, but last night seemed worse. You were crying." She looked up to see Max's reaction.

Max muttered under her breath, "With good reason..." then looked Seycax in the eyes, her voice keyed and a bit overly loud for the causal conversation. "Is that right?"

Seycax frowned. "What do you mean 'with good reason'?"

"H-huh?" Max's eyes widened with unpleasant surprise. "I didn't say that..."

Seycax sighed. "Forgot about my super hearing, didn't you?"

Max's voice was monotone with dread. "You have super hearing?" She groaned and rolled her eyes.

Seycax shrugged again. "Yeah. I can kinda hear any sound within a 25 mile radius."

"Well that's just great..." Max narrowed her eyes sulkily. "Yeah, the night was nothing..." memories of that scream, the vision of the fading member all came back to Max with sickening detail. She shuddered. "Nothing at all...."

"Really?" Seycax tried to mask the doubt she was feeling. "Then you're well enough to sleep in the room Nexan cleaned out?"

Max squired uncomfortably. "I really... haven't been sleeping anymore..."

Seycax shook her head and tisked disapprovingly. "You're going to pass out eventually, and knowing you, you'll be doing something important when it happens."

"No I won't. I've sorta been.... functioning off of pure darkness for a while now..."

"YOU WHAT!?" Seycax exploded, forgetting how much her voice projected when she was shocked. She used her powers to lower it, staring at a cringing Max who was covering her ears. "Sorry..."

"S'okay..." Max knocked a hand onto her ear to un-deafen herself. "Yeah, it's a bit like being buzzed on coffee, with.... more side-effects."

Seycax did a facepalm. "When and where did you get coffee?"

Max shrugged, smiling slightly. "Well, Superior and I had some when we were awake at like... 3 in the morning a while back."

"And that was it?" Seycax was dreading a "no".

Max frowned sheepishly. "Yeah... I can't figure out how to make it on my own..."

Seycax motioned to Max and the two of them headed into the library. They sat at a small table and Seycax poured herself a small glass of whiskey, while Max made the most of her boredom by experimenting with her powers.Seycax downed the glass. "'Kay. I'm better now."

Max had a horrified expression on, then switched it for a tight smile as she turned to Seyax.

Seycax eyed her suspiciously. "On second thought..." she downed the whole bottle.

Max leaned in her chair to get a better look at something behind Seycax, still wearing her "HOE CRAP!" expression. "Yeah you might need that..."

Seycax turned around and sighed as she saw a puddle of darkness oozing on the floor. She turned back and eyed Max in a no-nonsense manner. "As long as it doesn't get out of control."

"'Kay!" Max smiled, but somehow it looked twisted to Seycax."Why are you looking at me like that?" By the way Max struggled to mask the smile. Seycax was sure it was twisted, and Max knew it as well.

"Like what?" was her response.

Seycax shook her head. "Never mind, stupid whiskey." She looked up and saw Max had fallen for the ploy.

Under the table, Max pulled out Xemnas's dairy and re-read the instructions he had given her. Then she quickly tucked it away and looked back up attentively. "I uh..."

Seycax looked at her. "What?"

Max didn't meet her eyes, instead focusing on a point behind her. "I have to uh... go... somewhere, um...." She stood.

Seycax waved her away and Max didn't hesitate. "Be back in time for dinner. Xahssa and VIII will kill you if you're not." Seycax stood and began to head deeper into the library.

Max sighed and muttered under her breath. "Now to Halloween Town..."

"What?" Max froze. She had totally forgotten about Seycax's super hearing. "You're not allowed out without an escort, III."

"I...I um... I..."

Seycax smiled. "If you want, I'll go with you."

Max didn't smile back. "Uh.... h-how much whiskey have you had?" She titled her head curiously.

"Just a bottle. Not much." Seycax frowned as if to warn Max. "I'm not even tipsy."

Max cringed hopefully. "Would you believe me if I told you I was allowed out on my own now?"

"I'm not that drunk yet."

Max stared at Seycax, seriously considering blasting her with darkness. It would be an efficient way make reaching Halloween Town easier.

"Why are you looking at me like that?' Seycax was feeling a bit unnerved by Max's harsh, unwavering stare. "Max...?"

Max flexed her fingers, concentrating the necessary power to destroy Seycax. "Oh nothing, VI. Don't concern yourself."

Seycax glared at her. "Let go of her!" she yelled. "That's not Max, that's the Darkness!"

Max blinked at her. "You're speaking nonsense. It's me, your friend." She gestured to herself. "It's Max."

Seycax continued to glare. "No it's not! I can tell!"

Max frowned, puzzled. What was she...? Max clutched her head.

Seycax heaved a sigh inwardly. "There you go, get control of yourself Max. You can do it."

Max blinked at her again and shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about VI. It's me!"

"Now it is."

Max's face creased in confusion. "Huh?"

Seycax became confused too. "You mean you don't remember what just happened?"

"What? Of course I do...!" Max jogged her memory, but no matter how hard she tried, the truth was she couldn't remember what had just happened. It was like her brain just didn't bother to store the last minute of memory.

"Really, what was I just saying?" Seycax was becoming increasingly worried and concerned. She herself had never seen or experienced Max loosing control, and now she knew why no one liked to discuss them.

"Uh...."

Seycax's frown deepened. "So you don't remember what just happened?"

"I told you I do!" Max said indignantly, but she was less than convincing, even to herself.

"Really?" Seycax sighed. "I know it wasn't you. It's okay."

The confusion on Max's face was rapidly becoming panic. "You're... you're not making sense.... I was here the whole time!"

Seycax tried to keep herself calm in an attempt to calm Max. "Physically maybe. The darkness took you over, Max. It was going to kill me. I saw in your.... its eyes."

Max looked at Seycax. What she was saying made sense. Max was suddenly overwhelmed with an urge to kill Seycax. She's seen too much, she knows to much! her head screamed. Max frowned and shook her head to dislodge the urge. "No.... I wouldn't do th-.... no, you're wrong!"

"No I'm not." Seycax was taking a stern tone with Max now. "I saw it. It gave me ultimatum, though, like it didn't want to kill me but would."

Something lit up in Max's face, something close to recognition. "That would mean..." then panic swarmed her emotions again. "VI! What time is it!?"

"8 o clock." Seycax thought it was time to out Max in her room for bed. "Why?"

The look of Max's face, a look of utter horrific terror, was enough to startle VI.

"SHI-!" Max cut herself off. "I've got to go... now!" She turned and ripped a portal open from thin air.

"Max? Where are you going?"Max ignored her, muttered hysterically. "I shoulda been then by now.... ooh, I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm late! I've got to destroy the place... Xemnas asked me to...-"

"Xemnas?" Anger and confusion invaded Seycax's emotions. "What the hell!?"

Max ignored her again.

"I'll follow you!" Seycax threatened determinedly.

"Don't!" Max whirled around, snarling with her eyes black. She then grunted and shook her head, blinking open semi-normal eyes. "For your own good, don't..."

"See? You're going in and out again. You'll hurt yourself!" Seycax tried to reach for Max, to keep her from leaving.

Max jerked away from Seycax's outstretched hand. "I'll be fine! The darkness has absolutely no reason to turn on my now!" She took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, I can't stop you from following me, but just... please... don't...." Then she stepped into the portal and it closed behind her.

Seycax stared at where Max had disappeared. "Think! Where was she going? She said earlier... Halloween Town! Well, I guess I know my destination..." She conjured up a portal and stepped through.

Max arrived in Halloween Town. Its destruction had already begun without her. Buildings were falling apart and smashed, purple fires burning on many of the roofs and some in the streets. The entire place was deserted except for the heartless and dusks that pillaged and ran ramped in the streets. Darkness oozed from the shadows and covered most of the town. It was Max's job to finish covering it.

Max sighed, a smile twitching at her mouth, threatening to expose her true emotions. "Better get to work..." She walked determinedly farther into the town, ignoring the heartless that bounced at her feet and hissed their malicious jubilee in her ears.

A voice stopped her in her tracts. "I'm not going to let you!"

Max whirled around to face Seycax, who was standing alone, shooing away a scared, yapping dog.

It took a minute for Max to realize how much danger VI was in by just standing there. The heartless that clawed adoringly at Max's heels were already dashing towards her, ecstatic to have a new victim to tear apart."Go away VI! This... wait you guys, STOP!" The heartless halted not far from Seycax, shoving at each other to get closer to VI, but none of them willing to disobey Max.

Max glared. "It's gotta be done."

"No it doesn't." Seycax countered.

"You don't understand, Seycax!" Max growled, but was choked by a sob caused by the overwhelming sense of total isolation.

Seycax felt sympathetic towards Max, but she knew it was no time to be soft with her. "Yes I do, to an extent at least. I know what its like to be alone, sure i had my brother, but do you know how emotional he is? Hes like a freak'n ice cube, till Raven I had no one. When i first came to the organization i had no one. The darkness took all that away from me. Like it took everything away from you. The only difference, you don't know what your missing."

Max's eyes melted into the one of her childhood, the soft innocent eyes she once had. Then that oh so brief moment was over, and they hardened again as she remembered her place, remembered all she had gone through to get to where she was now. "No, you're wrong. It took everything, so that I could have something, something better! Something I would never accept if it hadn't taken what I thought meant the world to me, and put me into perspective. It's given me power, VI. A power you can't begin to comprehend! Not a physical power like you've seen me use, but a power over myself, over things beyond life itself... this is all I have VI! And I won't let you stop it from letting me achieving greater!"Max turned sharply on her heel, trying so hard to do what she thought was right. Mentally, Max released the heartless from their restraints, and they swarmed forward again to have at Seycax.

Seycax glared murder at Max's back. "Then you're a traitor! As good as dead!" She glances a bit uneasily at the rapidly approaching heartless.

Mentally, Max signaled the heartless to stop again. They did, this time only a few feet from Seycax.

Slowly Max glances back at Seycax, her face ashen and void of expression. "Traitor?"

Besides the heartless right in her face, Seycax's blood was boiling. "Yeah, no better than one of us, who actually are heartless! Mickey's even better than you! At least he's trying to do good, not destroy!"

Max turned back around. "How would you know what I'm trying to do?"And with that, she walked off and disappeared into the smoking, darkness-oozing ruins of Halloween Town.

The heartless, shifted nervously. They had been given an order, but now there was no one to take the command away. It wasn't a few seconds after Max left that they attacked Seycax.