On Why Saix and Axel think the Way They Do

I don't think I need to delve too deeply into the relationship between Axel and Saix that we see IN the games.  It's rather obvious what we see.

Basically, we know these events happened: (in no particular order)

-Lea and Isa have a plan to overthrow the Organization from the inside-out.

-Lea and Isa get turned into Nobodies.

-Axel and Saix join the Organization.

At some point after that, we get these events:

-Axel works to get Saix to the top of the Organization, killing people (Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion) who are in the way.

-Saix *appears* to be brownnosing Xehanort.

-Axel befriends Roxas, even though this shouldn't be possible because he doesn't have a heart.

-Both Axel and Saix feel like the other has betrayed the their end of the deal.

-Axel betrays the Organization for his friendship with Roxas.

(So, the reason why 'appears' is in astrixes, is because there is debate on whether or not Saix actually 'befriended' Xehanort, or if he was really just putting on a charade in order to get to the top.  I think Axel feels that Saix ditched their friendship first--and that is what matters in this post.  Though, it is entirely possible that Saix was just putting on a charade the whole time and the lack of emotions on multiple parts screwed with everything else.  Regardless, Axel felt that Saix betrayed their friendship by getting too buddy-buddy with Xehanort in the process of figuring out how to overthrow the Organization.  Saix felt that Axel betrayed their friendship by betting tied down to a friendship with Roxas.)

   

Moving onto the stuff that actually happens in MY fic.  Which is the stuff I have control over.  Basically, after becoming a Somebody again, Saix gets picked up by Xehanort and is offered a position with him again.  By this point, Saix just wants power and he's figuring he can get it from Xehanort.  He begins to loathe himself and hates having emotions again.

Meanwhile, Axel wakes up in Twilight Town with really no memory of what's gone on.  Olette finds him and gets him a job and a sense of stability.  By the time he remembers everything, he's sworn to get rid of Xehanort and anyone associated with him.  There is a level of revenge associated with this new goal. 

Saix believes that he can give up emotions again without being a Nobody.  He still thinks that they are worthless and distract from his true goals.  Axel, however, is fully aware of the emotions that he is experiencing (regardless of how annoyed he may be at them at times). 

Saix feels that his friendship with Axel is long over.  It was probably gone before they were Nobodies, or if it wasn't gone by then, it was definitely gone by the time the lack of emotions kicked in.  He also feels too betrayed by Axel to even want to rekindle said relationship. 

Axel, on the other hand, wants to rekindle the friendship, though he does a very horrible job of showing it at times.  He is annoyed that Saix is still working with Xehanort and his feelings conflict on that fact. 

Regardless of what either of them feel, every time they run into each other, they at least end up throwing insults--if not weapons.  Every battle between them gets lower and farther beneath the belt.  Each battle, Axel tries to win Saix over to the side against Xehanort.  Saix always refuses.  In addition, each battle between them gets bloodier and bloodier.  The battle in the Enchanted Dominion is bloodier than the one in Hollow Bastion.  The battle in Castle Oblivion is definitely bloodier than the one in the Badlands. 

By the end, it is not Axel that kills Saix, or Saix that kills Axel.  (Though, the claymore through the gut probably would have killed Axel eventually if Aerith hadn't gotten to it.  It certainly was bad enough to get Namine to nearly curse.)  Rather, it is Xehanort that kills Saix.

Saix's self-loathing gets to a point where he feels that either 1) the only way to achieve true power would be to kill Xehanort or 2) in an attempt to regain a lost friendship he should kill Xehanort.  Either mean leads to the same end.  Unfortunately, Saix tries to destroy Xehanort with darkness--which is most of what Xehanort is at that point.  (Though, not true, complete darkness--just mostly darkness.)

Xehanort then turns the attack right back at Saix and Saix doesn't survive.

Axel is left completely shocked by this new development.  It was one thing when his former best friend and him were fighting on different sides.  At least said former best friend was still around.  But now, that former best friend came back around to the side against Xehanort in time to die.  He’s not coming back.

And Axel has to deal with that.

Sure, he has a plethora of new friends.  He has Roxas and Xion back.  But he wouldn't be where he was without Saix to a certain extent.  And his old childhood friend is gone.

 

To quote Axel himself: "War leaves a bitter taste in your mouth."  (Before the Epilogue, chapter 4.)

So, now we get to see Axel's development AFTER Saix's death.  He’s a tad moody, for understandable reasons.  Roxas and Xion certainly have told him to move on and simply just respect Saix’s wishes to “remember him as he was.”  Kuin has certainly served as a distraction for this.  But that’s not to say he’s completely forgotten.  The chapter that I just posted in Betwixt and Between (go read that guys if you haven’t yet, seriously!) is made up almost entirely of Axel searching for Saix’s journal for proof… of something.  Axel isn’t entirely sure of what he’s looking for yet.  But he wants proof. 

He’s trying to remember Saix as he was, so he wants proof that Saix wasn’t always a horrible person. 

And… that’s all I can really talk about because that’s all I’ve posted in-story.  So… I’ll leave this to your opinions.