"Life at the islands sure hasn't changed all that much for the year or so that we left it, huh, Sora?"
The gang was all there, contently sitting on the soft, sandy beach. The sun was just setting and, of course, it was absolutely beautiful out. Who could resist this chance to just chill'ax with close friends, and just talk? The one who had spoken was obviously Riku, the oldest of the three and probably the most mature, cool and collective. On either side of the the silver-haired teen was Sora, the way too optimistic, naive brunette, who just so happened to be the one and only keyblade master, and Kairi, the almost as cheerful redhead. Of course, Riku and Kairi could wield a keyblade, but they certainly were not the chosen one.
"Not at all, Riku," Sora replied casually, flopping onto his back with hands behind his head. His trademark, goofy grin was there, of course. Kairi sighed, shaking her head with a playful scowl set to play.
"Why would it change, Sora? Destiny Island will always be - and hopefully will be - the same as it always was." She was obviously trying to sound all perky, but the mood was starting to get all gloomy, and of course, Riku had to spoil it more by pointedly adding, "We've all changed pretty drastically. Who's to say that our beloved island couldn't do the same? One can never know."
Sora was all thoughtful for a moment, grin vanishing almost as suddenly as it had appeared. Sitting up straight, he punched his friend in the arm with a scold. "Great, you ruined the mood. Do you always have to be the party-pooper, Riku? Just because your oh-so much older than us. By, what, a year?" 'Pffting' for the moment, the brunette was suddenly sorry for the way his close buddy looked all glum and downcast. "Man, I'm sorry. Didn't mean it in a bad way."
"He didn't mean it, Riku, no worries." Casting her brunette friend a warning glare, the redhead patted the older teen gently on the shoulder.
"Oh, I know. Things just slip. Just more than usual..." Riku added half to himself, and quietly. Grunting, he heaved himself up and planted fists on his hips, glowering at them both affectionately. "C'mon. Lets not all get moody and mushy here. We have time to just be ourselves, and relax." When Kairi and Sora only looked at each other with those smiles of theirs, he stomped a foot, crossing his arms in a feigned, fed-up way. "Like gosh, how much times do I have to say it?"
"Yeah, Kairi, you heard the boss. We have to get up or he'll kick our sorry asses from here to Disney Castle." Smirking aloofly, the keyblade wielder rose to his feet, Kairi following his movement soon after. Once the group were all on their feet, Riku nodded, almost like he was satisfied. "Eh, you guys could've done that more smoothly and faster, but who could complain. Your all so lazy, you don't move around much. I can't blame you. You guys are just...ah, out of practise."
"Shut it, Riku," Kairi laughed as she tugged a strand of his hair.
"What miss redhead said. Your such a prissy know-it-all. Plus, your one to talk." Rolling his eyes, the cerulean-eyed chosen one nudged Riku in the ribs, a tad bit rough. "Care for a spar? And not with the dumb wooden swords like we used to. I frown upon it when I look back on it. How could that have been fun? We should definitely just go at it with your Way To Dawn and with my Kingdom Key!"
"Sounds like-" Riku began, but was interrupted by a scoff from Kairi.
"Hell no. What am I going to do? Sit here like a numbskull, drooling idly as I watch you two spar with keys? Nuh-uh." Folding her arms across her chest in a decisive way, she earned an exasperated sigh from Sora.
"Come o-o-on, Kairi! It will only take a few moments! Thats all I need to kick Riku's sorry behind."
"What are you talking about, Mr Cocky? Who says you can defeat me? I've always kicked your sorry behind, if you look back into the past." Smiling smugly, Riku called his Way To Dawn, twirling it subtly.
"Yeah, well, I've improved much since that time we three were separated, and you know it. Or..." Sora began slowly, raising an eyebrow, "you just won't admit it, because you know it's true." Riku had to cough at that, and not without a touch of arrogance to it, either.
"Psssh. Stop pulling my leg," the teen drawled, gazing boredly at the brunette.
"How about you two just get it done and over with," Kairi gave in relunctantly, putting her hand to her forehead as she heaved out a defeated moan. Those two could be so hard-headed and stubborn sometimes. Damn, she just hated having to be indulgent.
"Thats great! Now we can actually start a man's spar! Thanks a ton, Kairi!" Sora roared jubilantly, pumping a hand up in triumph. Riku barely managed to surpress a snicker at his friend's reaction to Kairi's comment, or the way Kairi sniffed, as if she couldn't believe that she had just said what she had said. "Fine. But I won't play it easy on you, Sora."
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that tons upon tons of times." Feeling confident, the brunette had his Kingdom Key in hand swiftly, practically bouncing from foot to foot in bottled up excitement. "Come at me, Riku! Show me what you got."
"Definitely," Riku replied solemnly, raising Way To Dawn into its usual offensive position. Sora copied him, but had his own keyblade into its own familiar stance; at his side. Just as the two stepped forward to confront each other, exhilaration pumped up to the extreme, an ear-splitting screech, like something grating on stone, filled the air. The sudden, shocking noise startled the birds that had settled onto the fronds of the paopu trees, sending them squawking indignantly and flapping away angrily. Nevertheless, the three friends almost acted the same way, but not quite. Kairi let out a tiny squeak of surprise, clamping her hands to her ears in an effort to silence the noise. Riku and Sora pretty much did the same, jumping up slightly, only to drop their keyblades and mirror Kairi's gesture.
"What the hell is that noise!" Riku cried out, teeth gritted together as the screeching noise continued relentlessly.
"Why don't you ask the thing thats making the horrible noise!" the redhead wailed, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to maintain calm composure and yell at the top of her lungs at the same time.
"God, do I wish I knew what was making it," Sora replied loudly, glancing around him to find the source. Blinking, he finally realized that the sound had ceased, and slowly unplugged his ears warily. His friends did the same, staring around them in a sort of awestruck wonder.
"H-Hey, look over there, guys!" Kairi shouted, pointing a quivering finger to something in the distance. "What... What is that thing?"
Sora and Riku followed her trembling finger, gasping aloud in awe. Not too far off, a shimmering, pure white disc lay swirling near the water's edge, its appearance befuddling the three teens.
"Maybe we should go and investigate...?" Sora mildly spoke up after a minute of silence stretched on. Riku automatically shook his head 'no' in a vigorous manner, the brunette responding with a glower meant to kill. "Why not? It's something worth the investigation! Who knows? An adventure might come out of it!"
"Seriously, Sora, do we know what we could face by even being near that alien thing?" Riku snapped. Just as it looked like they would both grow fangs and leap at each other in a fury, Kairi stepped in, placing a hand on each of their chests to indicate backing off. Well, they were advancing on each other.
"How about you both don't kill each other in the process? Sounds like a good plan, no?" Kairi said calmly, staring them in the eye one by one until they finally backed off, the both smoldering and glaring daggers at the sandy beach before them. "I propose we go check it out. Not too close, mind you," the redhead added quickly, as Sora's expression beamed and Riku's became more sour by the word.
"Fine. But I don't have to like it one bit," Riku spat, sniffing contemptuously. The brunette only dipped his head in thanks to Kairi, and rolled his shoulders in preparation.
"Well... What're we waiting for, you two? I'm positive that that thing won't be there forever. We only have a limited amount of time to inspect it! But first..." The brunette turned tail, and before Kairi could shout after him, he yelled over his shoulder, "I'm just going to get Donald and Goofy! I'm sure they want to check it out, too!"
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"What in heaven's name is this place?" Xemnas muttered, being the only one of the Organization to be awake. As he mulled over his thoughts, gloved hand on his chin, the rest of his members slept contently. Which he found weirder than weird. Weren't they all... Dead? Including himself? However, this place seemed way out of the ordinary, and the Superior had a sneaking suspicion that their feelings and emotions were...back...? No. He was sure of it. Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked over to his side as the nearest member, Saix, began to stir, eventually getting up to his knees to rub his head wearily.
"I feel as if someone threw a boulder at my head..." the Luna Diviner muttered to himself, unaware that Xemnas was also awake.
"I felt the same way, VII, so relax. And don't look like that," the amber-eyed Nobody commented as Saix gazed at him in utter confusion, suddenly becoming aware to his newfound surroundings. "Wh-What is this place?"
"I don't know. Very isolated... But nevermind that. Shake the sleep off, and get to waking up the others. It's a command, Saix, obey it," Xemnas added as the scarred member quirked an eyebrow questioningly, almost ready to refuse. Seeming to think better of it, he only shrugged, getting up to his feet the precise moment that the Superior did. Heading off in opposite directions, Saix went up to the slumbering Xigbar, prodding the eye-patched Nobody with a foot. "Wake up, one-eye."
"Ungh, wha...?" Unsteadily getting to his feet, the Freeshooter blinked at Saix, squinting his eye. "Aren't you dead?"
"Weren't you supposed to be dead too, nitwit?" Saix replied coldly, wheeling around. "Help the Superior and I wake the others, Xigbar," Saix threw over his shoulder as he advanced to Demyx next. II only sighed heavily before turning to Marluxia.
The Superior had already woken up Zexion, Luxord, and Lexaeus, while Saix had Demyx, Axel, and Xaldin awakened. They were together in a confused group, and in unision looked up to see Xigbar herding Larxene, Marluxia, and Vexen towards them. "Sorry, Larxene was being a total prick."
"Your the one who is the prick," Larxene spat at Xigbar, probably mad that the Freeshooter had awakened her. Xigbar only shot her a glare, but quickly looked over to the Superior. "So... Anything you have to say?"
"Yeah, like why we're in a strange, foreign place?" Axel spoke up tiredly, rubbing an eye as if wanting to just lie down and curl up in sleep.
"I-I don't like this place one bit. It's almost like it was...burnt completely, and..." Demyx trailed off as Lexaeus gave him a look of silence.
"Shush, IX. Let the Superior speak." As soon as the Silent Hero finished speaking, all eyes turned to Xemnas expectantly.
"For one, Axel, I do not know the answer to your well deserving question. If I could, I would answer, but I am just as befuddled as any of you to wake up in a strange place." The Flurry of Dancing Flames looked crushed and disappointed, muttering something uncomprehendable, and the other members began to converse among themselves in hushed whispers. Xemnas held a hand up to quiet them, and when they fell silent, he began again. "However, I am well aware that we have our...feelings...back." Immediately, most of the members eyes widened in disbelief, Vexen and Zexion glancing at each other with a look that said, 'maybe'.
"Thats highly inprobable!" Luxord spoke up, mutters of agreement coming from Xaldin and Marluxia.
"Well, don't you feel different in anyway possible? I know I do," the Chilly Academic spoke softly, shutting up Luxord, who was about to protest.
"Well, I think it's all hogwash! Just hocus-pocus. I don't feel any different," Larxene hissed harshly, earning a small chuckle from Axel. "Why are you laughing, pyro?"
"Oh, only that your always heartless. Of course it wouldn't feel any different," Axel replied casually, the rest of the Organization sniggering in agreement. Larxene huffed with forced dignity, turning her back to her comrades with an air of 'I hate you all'.
"Enough, all of you," Xemnas finally commanded, silencing everyone once again. "This is not the time to squabble amongst ourselves. We'll need each other in order to survive."
"And why would you even suggest, 'in order to survive', Superior?" Marluxia interrupted boldly, arms crossed.
"We don't have any clue what could dwell in this place. Isn't it that obvious?" the amber-eyed Nobody said in a whisper.
To back him up, Lexaeus replied steadily, "Not to mention, I have a bad feeling in my gut about this place. It should definitely not be trusted one bit."
"Thank you, V." Xemnas gave him a curteous nod, before opening his mouth to speak again. But as he began to talk, the same screeching noise that had startled the gang in Destiny Island commenced, drowning Xemnas's words and forcing all the members to plug their ears from the sound that could deafen them.
"Okay, n-not cool!" the Melodious Nocturne gasped loudly, eyes half-shut.
"For once, I agree with mullet-boy!" the redhead of the Organization shouted, trying his best not to look shocked at the sudden, deafening grating sound.
"Settle! Calm yourselves!" As Xemnas yelled these words, the noise had stopped completely, leaving the large group confused and bewildered.
"What in tarnation...!" Xigbar half shouted, half mumbled.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, II," Vexen grumbled, Zexion standing by his side with a blank face. He still hadn't spoken for awhile, and didn't plan to anytime soon. There was nothing worth talking about; why should he waste his breath with meager talk of inferior fear?
"Well, we may not know whats going on, but I know what I see," Marluxia proclaimed, poking a finger in the direction of a swirling white disc that was laid upon the ground.
"That wasn't there before." Xemnas seemed intrigued more than frightened, and the Graceful Assassin already looked wary, scythe out.
"O-o-okay, who cares to check it out first? How about you, Larxene? It's okay if that thing is a trap and swallows you up instead of any of us," Xaldin suggested, with a hint of mockery. The Savage Nymph only sniffed, rolling her eyes. "Not on your life, Lancer."
"Well, all of you, don't get too near the thing. For all we know," Xemnas directed this at III, "it could be a trap, or something worse. Be on your guard. Though, we may not need weapons, XI." Giving Marluxia a meaningful glance, he stalked up to the disc, inspecting it with interest from a reasonable distance. The members of his Organization trudged after him, muttering to themselves as they preceded as slow as possible towards the Superior, who was only about three feet away.
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I bet this story isn't all that good, and that any of you have read much better ones. Anyway, give me any of your constructive critizism in a review to help me make it better.