Th1rteen R3asons Why
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
The Superior of the In-Between
I pass the brown parcel over to the brunette on the other side of the counter. Her emerald green eyes stare at me curiously, forcing me to look away in case the intensity got stronger. I see her pink lips forming words…but I couldn't hear them. I'm too focused on the thought of the next victim's face when…oh, right…there isn't a next victim…
"Wait," I tell her. I squint at her nametag: Olette Fair and I apologize. "Can I have it back, please?" Olette nods and passes the brown package back towards me. "Thank you." My cerulean eyes gaze up at her eventually and hers were shining brightly. She nods with a smile on her face, her brown curls bouncing up and down, up and down, up and—
I should really get going. I grab the parcel and shove it back inside my black backpack. Why did all this have to happen to me? Of course, there were twelve other people but…never mind. At least I had been given the privilege to throw these things to hell at last. It's just that…she…we…could've been more if all these bastards hadn't ruined her life.
I sigh. I hear Olette clearing her throat and I apologize again. I run a hand through my spiky hair and start walking towards the exit, avoiding the other stares of strangers waiting in line. The air of silence passed. Not a word was spoken until I opened the glass doors to the outside world – or, to be more specific, the post office.
A gust of wind blew on my face, ruffling my blonde spikes. I start making my way towards the beach where the water is cool and fresh and no-one would be around at sunrise. It's time these tapes stop messing with our minds…and maybe I'll give Naminé a proper burial now.
My brother Sora knocked on my room three times. I groaned and sat up, letting my eyes adjust to the bright shaft of light that was targeting my eyes directly. My warm feet touched the cold carpet as I made my way to the door, ignoring the pile of dirty clothes in one corner and the other mound of books which were distinctly shaped like horse manure. When my hands touched the brass doorknob, I shivered uncontrollably. I sensed something bad was going to happen soon. I flung the door open and took note that Sora was not smiling. He thrust the brown parcel towards me and left without a word…not even a good morning.
I closed the door promptly and headed straight towards my bed. Who cares if I don't fold my blankets or fluff up my pillows? I've only got one thing on my mind right now.
I took out my letter opener (in this case, a parcel opener) and ripped the paper. My address was on it, scribbled with the name Roxas L. on the front. Once I had removed the crinkled brown paper, I took off the lid of the blue shoebox and peered inside. There was bubble-wrap everywhere so I hurriedly removed them as well.
An album. It had a strange silver insignia on the front cover with the initials N.S on the corner. I flipped the case over to look at the song list. I've never heard of them before so maybe this guy or girl sent this album to me to listen to and perform at least one of them in the school talent show. You know, that would be awesome. I scrambled out of my bed and searched around the room to find my radio. Everything was in complete haywire and I can barely see my wardrobe. I think that pile of dirty clothes is my wardrobe. Ugh…
I opened drawer out of drawer to find at least something but to no avail. I sat back on my mattress and sighed. Something clicked in my head. I pulled up my denim jeans and put on a plain T-Shirt and hoodie with XIII embroidered in silver at the back. Stuffing the album inside on of my pockets, I was ready.
I sprinted downstairs hurriedly. I was fortunate enough that it was a Saturday. Enough time for me to get through a playlist of thirteen songs. Their titles were interesting so the content should be interesting as well. "Mom! I'm going to Vanitas' for a school project!" I called out to my mother who was in the kitchen. "I'll be back by sunset!"
"OK, Roxas, take care of yourself!" she replied. This was one of the reasons why I love my mom. No questions asked.
"Whaddya want, Leonheart?" a boy my age rubbed his eyes from morning glory. "It's what? Nine o' clock in the morning?" He had black spiky hair much like Sora's and glowing amber eyes. He and my twin bro Ventus absolutely hate each other but I really don't know what's wrong with Vanitas. He's just grouchy at times.
"Can I borrow your walkman?" I said, feeling the warm plastic of the album in my pocket.
"It depends on which one," Vanitas gruffly answered. "Riku is using the one which plays tapes. Don't ask why. He's in love with the oldies." He laughed briefly. "He even dyed his hair the color of old people hair. Talk about obsessive." He laughed again. I shifted uncomfortable where I stood.
"I'll have the CD walkman, then," I said, not wanting to stay here any longer. Vanitas was cool but the house just reeks of dead bodies. He took out a circular piece of equipment and handed it to me as if he had been waiting for me to ask. I held it with doubt. "Um…"
"Have fun with it," Vanitas winked devilishly and closed the door shut. Shrugging, I opened the CD compartment and put the CD inside it.
Track One: The Superior of the In-Between.
Hello. How are you? Nice weather we're having.
Wait a second. I…I know that voice…
Naminé Strife here, reporting for duty, sir.
No fucking way. She's dead. She's been dead for a month now. Not that I was counting. She was a loner at our school – an outcast – but whenever I saw her around, I couldn't take my eyes off her. I've always wondered why such a beautiful girl would distance herself from the crowd. The news of her suicide spread around the whole school. People were blamed jokingly (or seriously) but I knew they weren't the reason. Naminé was more complex than that. So why did she record her voice to put on an album? Or worse…how many people had listened to her?
I'm here to talk about me, myself, and thirteen other people who played significant parts to why I made my decision. If you're listening to this recording, you're one of them.
What? Hell no. I've never done anything to her!
So please, before you even start to think you never had a fault, listen. I have two rules. One: You listen, of course, duh. Two: You pass this on to whoever is next on the list. If you're the Key of Destiny listening, then hoorah! You get to throw these tapes away if you want…but only after you've listened. Sit back and relax for one heck of a ride.
I hit STOP on the walkman and breathed. No, no, no, no, this can't be happening to me. Naminé…Naminé didn't even know me. I checked the song name once more. The Superior of the In-Between. Now who was that? I hit PLAY – only out of curiosity. I still didn't believe that I was on the album.
Hola, Xemnas, or should I say… the Organization's Number One. You rule with an iron-fist and a sense of control and aura of intimidation. You scare me, yes… but am I scaring you now? Probably not – you've been through a lot of frightening events in life so a dead girl won't be enough to really knock your socks off.
Xemnas? Why was he on here? I mean, yeah, I used to be in his pack of dogs that went around with him everywhere he went and followed his orders whenever he wanted us to do something but I would never have expected that he made Naminé commit suicide.
It's too bad that you really did use your iron-fist on me whenever you can.
I am going to kill him.
But, really, you don't need to apologize…yet. All you really did was bully me, punch me, bully me some more, shove me, and punch me some more. Are loners your cup of K.O. tea? Because I saw what you did to Kairi Seeyan. And I saw your face when you stabbed her multiple times with your light sabers or whatever you call them.
Oh, my God. Xemnas…Xemnas you bastard! I kicked a lamppost with my foot and winced in pain. The trees around me all rustled in chorus as the wind brushed through them. I shivered. It's summer, for God's sake! Winter ended long ago.
Pure pleasure. And that's when you saw me, right? A blonde, petite, blue-eyed girl standing a few feet away from you, staring at you with big eyes. You said, "Staring is rude, did you know that, pretty girl?" I nodded obediently like a scared puppy. We all know that Saïx would be the scarier one but that's for another song.
Saïx? I laughed and stopped. I shouldn't be joyous at a time like this. Yeah, I remember when Demyx gave him that nickname for his birthday and accidently spilt a whole tub of blue dye on his hair.
You punched me. Right in the stomach. I doubled over in pain, clutching the spot where you hit me with a grimace on my face. I think I was wearing my white dress that day. You know, the one that only went up to my thighs?
I remember. She always wore that dress.
Well, you took that opportunity to stamp on my legs repeatedly until my femur cracked and I had to be dragged off by Ms. Gainsborough after you left without a trace. When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor said I broke several bone of my ribcage (from when you threw me on the wall) and yes, my leg bone and multiple bruises everywhere. The memory is clear to me now. My father crying beside me…
She sighed here. I hit PAUSE on the CD player. Ms. Gainsborough just married last month to a man named Zack Fair, the day after she took her dad's Buster Sword and pierced her heart with that massive thing. I started walking again after a few minutes of trying to make my foot feel a little better. Maybe I'll go visit Twilight Town and go up the Clock Tower. Then again, I'll just do that when the sun sets….and that won't be in a while. I'll just go to Hayner's place to go play videogames and to take a breath from these stupid "songs". But I'll finish this one first.
…he never cries. Never. So why did you, Xemnas, Superior of the In-Between, make him? Why did you, Xemnas, let him bring out his sword once again to relieve off his stress? Why did you Xemnas, allow me to use that sword to kill myself? Huh? I'll tell you why…but not on here. I'll tell you when I meet you in Hell. But for now, let me say this: you broke the walls Cloud Strife, my father, had been trying to build ever since my mom died giving birth to me. And that, Mansex, hurt even more than any of your punches ever did. Do you hear me?
I hear you. He heard you, probably. I fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. We all knew that Naminé cared deeply for her dad. I mean, I didn't even know her let alone know that she loved her father but she just had this aura of family love circling her. And yes, Tifa Lockhart, was one of the most memorable martial artists in history. No wonder she married the most memorable SOLDIER in history…maybe right after Mr. Fair but still memorable.
Now that that's been done, let's move on to track number two, shall we?
I groaned. Please, no more. I reached Hayner's house at last.
You're next, Uncle Xiggy.
So...how do you like it? I figured I needed a break from Bad Memory so I came up with this thing. If you've ever read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher then you probably know what's going on and how I'm going to do this but if you haven't then enoy! When I first picked up the book, I was like: "Wow, I can imagine Namine and suicide and Thirteen Reasons! Perfeeeect!" My original idea was to actually take the real plotline and incorporate it within the story but then that would be too much plaguerism in one story so I stuck with the Organization XIII version. If you've read the book, did you see the changes I put in? Heh heh heh... Please review! They make me happy! :) and they make me want to write more XP
