Author's note: This one-shot fic is an aspiration of fellow author Cloudhead who is the King of his HeadCanon series "The Reculant Father"(sorry for the spelling mistake) which is set in an alternate longer version of KH 358/2 Days. Another note:
I don't own Kingdom Hearts.
~Trouble-Painting Dusks.~
If there's one thing that most of the members of Organization XIII have learned through out their entire existance as human-formed Nobodies, was that not only the Dusks couldn't get the facts straight, but that the normal, pathetic looking and weakling Nobodies were a bunch of smart-assed trouble makers, much worse than little human children, and much, MUCH, worse than human punk teenagers.
Axel, number VIII, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, should know, because he had to put up with the dusks for ten years since he became a Nobody. Sure, he was a punk himself when he was human, back when he was Lea. Sometimes he figured that human-formed Nobodies were more behaved than the Dusks will ever be. And Saix has a problem with the members? That guy, who, once upon a time, was known as Isa when he was a human, and was also Lea's childhood best friend, should really start watching the Dusks too.
Even the giant Thornside Nobodies are probably more behaved, even though no one dared to go near those things. Heck, even Xemnas didn't have the guts to do so either. The Thornside was considered as equally dangerous as the Darkside Heartless.
Even Xion, the Puppet created by Vexen even though she doesn't know about her true idenity yet and that she is his creation, was more behaved. Heck, Xion even told the Dusks to go away everytime they played make-up on Roxas who would be sleeping.
Personally, the Dusks were probably the only Nobodies ever to be such trouble makers, and Nobodies don't even exist for cryin' out loud!
So imagine everyone's reactions when they woke up this morning...to find the Castle that Never Was...in a colour of different colours!
Axel this morning was far too comfortable in his sleep, that he actually looked like a baby, but that's just a man who doesn't want to get up first thing in the morning and one of those people who are late risers...
Psst! Sometimes I wish I was like that too, to tell you the truth, but I'm always an early riser in body.
Just when he was having a nice dream, all of the sudden, he was rudely awoken by a loud echo of numberous blood curdling screams that jerked Axel awake and he sat up quickly, somehow not recongising his room at all, his still half-asleep brain trying to figure out where the hell he was, before realising he was in his room, in his bed, and once his vision cleared up, still in the castle itself. Just...his room, bedsheets, bed, and furniture...were red. Bright red. To match the colour of his hair.
'Oh crap.' He thought, as he lets out an angry yell, "THOSE STUPID DUSKS! I'M GONNA KILL THEM!"
"Alright, I want each of you to write down the colours that have been placed in your rooms. Then, we are to investigate where else the paint has been covered." Saix informed everyone else in the room once the rest of the members, even Xemnas for once, had gathered.
"Oh that's easy." Larxene said in irritation. "My room has Lightning-bolt hidous wall paper!"
"Mine has waterfall pictures painted on my walls, with a single wall that is painted with a picture of Atlantica." Demyx said in dismay.
Axel, fully awake for once, was scowlding, "I'm tellin' ya, it's those Dusks! I mean, who else would waste their time pulling off this kind of prank, huh?"
"I agree with Axel." Xion nodded in agreement. "I just know that they're on the loose doing this stupid painting thing."
Even Vexen, who disliked Xion's relationship with Axel and Roxas, agreed with the statement. "I must admit, even Larxene is well behaved better than those useless miscreants."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Larxene snapped, causing Demyx to flinch in fright.
"Start, writing, NOW." Saix demanded the order, with Xemnas glaring at the rest of the members who quickly got to work in writing down what happened to their rooms, including Xemnas and Saix, and not Larxene or Demyx since they already mentioned what happened the their rooms.
Xemnas's room was painted with a design of creepy, evil blue-cat eyes all over his walls and bed which seemed like out of a horror movie.
Xigbar's room had a Pirate theme to it, much to his frustation. He was even given a pirate costume to add to the theme.
Xaldin's room had been painted like in the Medievil times, with armors of knights and ancient swords.
Vexen's room was given an icy look to his room, with snowmen and igloo statues to add to the theme, rather than a science theme, which was rather unusual, even to his standards.
Lexeus's room had portraits of giants all over his walls, and normal sized people painted on his walls with a gesture of 'shh's to keep people quiet, which suited the Silent Hero perfectly.
Zexion had wall papers to look as if he had his own Library in his room.
Saix's room had a Moon theme happening all over his walls, which unfortunately suited the Lunar Diver. Saix in turn facepalmed himself in irritation, mumbling that Axel was right for once.
Axel already knew what his room was like. Red. Bright red. Just red paint all over the place with a red silky bed covers and a red covered fluffy pillow.
"At first, I thought I was in a hotel or something when I woke up." Axel admitted once Saix finished reading his report.
"I think we all thought that way." Saix admitted.
Quirking an eye-brow at this, Axel frowned, and asked, supiciously, "Who are you and what have you done to Saix?" but he was ignored.
Demyx was skipped, since he already revealed his 'lovely' Atlantica look, not that he liked it. He decided that he would use his Water abilities to wash it all off if he had to.
Marluxia was given a garden look to his room, and, unlike everyone else, he added plants to make it more perfect. A lot of them groaned in dismay at his lack of frustration when it comes to things like this.
"You do realise that the paints gonna get washed off, right?" Axel asked skeptically.
"But it's so deary!" Marluxia pointed out.
"He's lost it." Roxas admitted. Axel, Xion and Demyx all nodded in agreement.
Larxene was skipped like Demyx, and was even considering on going through the trouble of reconstruction her room by frying it with her lightning.
"That's a little overkill, don't you think?" Demyx stated carefully, "Why not use your powers to fry the Dusks instead?"
The blonde considered it, then gave out a wicked smile, saying, "Actually, that's even better."
Roxas and Xion both had a theme that resembled to an island that seemed familiar to both of the young teenaged Nobodies, which neither knew how or why, nor did they want to know, since they wanted to get rid of the paint and find the Dusks, even if they kinda liked the new look.
"I wonder why the Dusks suddenly decided to do this?" Roxas thought.
Xion shrugged and admitted, "They paints faces on you when you were unconscious for three weeks the last time. I kept on wiping the ink off, but they kept on doing it until you woke up."
"And they did that rather than look after me?" Roxas asked, recalling how he woke up, starving. "No wonder I was hungry."
"Let's just say that we're lucky that we're all special Nobodies since we take on forms of our humanselves." Axel shrugged. "The Dusks just like to mess around, especially with newbies. Plus, they never get everything right."
Saix then approached the trio, and informed the group, "Right, now it's time to find them, and make sure they haven't painted anywhere else in the Castle." before turning to Axel and Larxene, saying, "You both have permission to punish the most guilty Dusks and eliminate them."
Both Axel and Larxene grinned wickedly, and the former said, "It's 'bout time I get the chance to do that."
"Mind if I join in too?" Xion requested, causing Roxas and even Axel to flinch slightly at the new scary look the black-haired girl held on her face, once that might even scare Vexen.
Saix, seeing the serious look in the Puppet's eyes, and how Xion was actually more behaved than the Dusks, not to mention more useful, finally said after a moment, "Well, alright." which surprised Axel even further, that the redhead slumped in total disbelief.
The pryo turned to his golden-haired Keybearer and asked, "Am I dreaming?"
"No, this is real." was Roxas's simple reply. Okay, that's just what Axel needed. A simple answer.
Soon, the Organization got to work in finding the guilty Dusks. Unfortunately, their bed rooms were not the only places that had paint. The Throne Room had also been coloured into that of a blinding raindow, walls painted in blue with white clouds, and all thirteen thrones matching the colour of the thirteen Nobodies which was too much to see.
The Kitchen had now wall papers from the old country and...cows?
The bathrooms had strangely the Agrabah look to it, which is weird considering how Agrabah was a desert with sand, sand, sand, sand, and more sand. In fact, sand is everywhere in that world, it's hard to believe that people inhabited there are used to it.
The Lounge area, which the others had noticed earlier before the meeting, had a jungle them to it that resembled to the Deep Jungle with Gorillas and a man who was raised as a Gorilla for some stupid reason.
Thankfully, the area where Kingdom Hearts floated above wasn't touched...yet anyway, but the rest of the castle outside, which Demyx and Vexen had investigated, was beyond the horrors of all fears, even to those who didn't have hearts.
The outside of the castle, in a matter of 24 hours...was painted with butterflies, zombies, mummies, ponies, fish, fairies...it was a nightmare of a scene!
"This is gonna take us forever to clean up!" Vexen grunted.
Demyx shrugged helplessly and suggested, "I could always cover the entire place with water and then we just clean up the wet mess afterwards."
"At this rate, I'd much rather a flood than having to cope with this." Vexen sighed.
"There they are!" Roxas cried out, pointing his Keyblade at the thirteen Dusks which were just about to start their next work on the Naught that Never Was who pause and looked at Roxas who was accompined by a very peeved Xion, an extremely pissed off Larxene, and a furious Axel who all glared at the Dusks who, silently realising that they were caught, dropped the paint brushes and cans of paint in defeat.
Even Roxas felt unsafe from the trio, and muttered, "I'll...let you guys handle this, while I report to Saix."
"Yeah, you that." Axel agreed, not blaming the poor kid. Once Roxas teleported away, Axel held up his Chakrams which were now covered in flames, whiel Larxene's knifes were crackling in electricity, and Xion's Keyblade sparkling in light.
Yep, the thirteen guilty Dusks were screwed.
It was a week later after the incident, and it took an entire week to get the Castle back to normal(with complaints from Marluxia, but even Demyx told the pink-haired guy to shut up), and after another hard day of missions, Roxas, Xion and Axel once again met up on the Clock Tower, eating Sea Salt Ice Cream.
"Man, Dusks are such a pain in the butt." Axel sighed.
"Axel, can I ask you something?" Roxas began.
The redhead sighed, knowing all too well what this meant. Even so, he wasn't going to say no, so, he replied, "Go right ahead."
"How come we take on form of humans and the other Nobodies don't?" Roxas asked, curious.
Axel was not expecting that. He nearly choked on his ice cream before regaining his posture, before replying, "Well, uh, it's basically because, believe it or not, but when we were human, our hearts were so powerful and strong that it made some sort of connection with our souls and wills. Only those with a very strong heart can keep their human forms, even if they lost their hearts."
"Even if they never knew that until they become Nobodies?" Xion asked.
"I guess you could say that." Axel shrugged, before sheepishly added, "Though I'll admit it, even I never knew that my heart was that special. Always thought I was just a normal punk of a kid when I was human."
"That's good then, because I prefer you being in human form than a Dusk." Roxas smiled.
Axel flushed red at this, and pouted, "Hey!" before laughing along with his best friends.
THE END
A/N: No, this is not set within Cloudhead's Reculant Father series, but in a mini one-shot AU kind of thing.
I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and look out for more stories in the future.