Guest Appearance: Rinoa from Final Fantasy.
Unto the Open Sky
"The tension is here
Between who you are
and who you could be."
- Switchfoot, Dare You to Move
Chapter Two: First Fight-Defend Your Friends!
He was staring into a mirror except that it wasn't his face looking back at him. It was someone else, a small little boy. The boy looked so happy to see him and had a big grin brightening his face. A small hand rose up to lay gently upon the shimmering blue. Slowly, he rises up his own small hand to press up against its reflection. The mirror is cool to the touch, but he can almost feel the warmth of the other boy's hand. He looks back up to the mirrored eyes. The boy's smile grows wider as he opens his mouth and screams…
In a tangle of limbs, Roxas fell over and off the bed and onto the hard panel floor. The shock to the body made the blond gasp as his mind was immediately forced to focus in on his surroundings. He was disoriented for a moment before he remembered yesterday and that he now had a new bed to sleep in. The shrill of the alarm clock continued to shriek its indignity and Roxas figured that this was what had made his heart thunder away so early in the morning. Slapping down on the clock a little harder than necessary, his heart and ears filled with relief at the silence.
Now thoroughly awake, Roxas turned to survey his new room. The bright morning sunlight turned out to illuminate a less than tidy room. Boxes lay all over the floor with wrapping and crumpled bags. His study was also a mess with tiny machines laying all over the desk surface. "Oh man," he groaned, stretching, "I totally forgot to clean up last night… Ah!" He went to the desk.
There, sitting above all the mess, was his newly created angel- Sora. He took the doll down and stared again at the product of his hard work. It was still a bit hard to believe… "Well," he said aloud, a bit playfully, "good morning." He glanced back at the mess on the floor. "Might as well get started cleaning up," he announced, setting Sora back down.
And so the morning began.
Roxas found that, despite the new environment, he managed to fall into a morning routine rather well. First, he tidied up the room, clearing away all the boxes and storing away the various products that he had used to build Sora. Then, after making the bed, he headed towards the bathroom to take care of the daily toiletries. Luckily, despite his lack of wardrobe, Kratos had managed to pick up a school uniform for him so that he actually had something to wear.
Though he had worn a uniform to junior high as well, the high school uniform felt different somehow. As he buttoned up his white collar shirt, he reflected that it was fairly decent for a uniform. White collar shirt, blue plaid pants, plaid tie, and a light blue jacket- all in all, not a bad combination. All the same, he put his last remaining change of clothes at the bottom of his backpack. Perhaps he would explore the town after school…
Just as he was grabbing his jacket and preparing to leave the room, he caught sight of Sora still sitting on the desk. He hesitated. It was illogical, but he had a very strong urge to take Sora with him. The angel would serve no purpose at school, but then again, there was afterwards. Maybe he could stop by a store and buy Sora a proper battle uniform. Then there was learning how to play Angelic Layer in the first place…
And so the backpack strap went across the shoulder, the jacket folded over the arm, and Sora was carried carefully against his chest.
Roxas was an early riser for two reasons; one being that it was a pet peeve of his to be late and the second being that he just didn't function well without breakfast. Luckily, that breakfast did not need to be a full course meal. So, enjoying the wonderful metabolism of youth, he unwrapped the second to last toaster pastry he had managed to unearth and happily plopped it into the toaster. Then, because he was a growing teenage boy and always felt as though he had six stomachs instead of one, he threw in a microwaveable goody he had dug out from the freezer. Sora seemed to be watching contentedly from the kitchen counter.
Just as he set the timer, Roxas heard the shuffling of feet. "Oh," he thought aloud, as though speaking for Sora's benefit, "Mister Kratos must be awake."
Sure enough, a slightly disoriented red-head entered the kitchen. He seemed to be slightly confused at Roxas being up so early. "Good morning," Roxas greeted, biting down slightly on his lower lip. Kratos had nothing near to the comical version of "bed-head", but his hair looked slightly more disheveled than usual with little strands sticking up here or there. He was wearing his suit, but it needed to be tugged and straightened in a few places. The man was also blinking away the last bits of sleep although it was slightly hard to tell since he still maintained his apathetic appearance. Roxas had a feeling that it would be out of line to laugh at the poor man and so didn't say anything.
As he thought, Kratos was an orderly man. Even as he murmured back, "Good morning, Master Roxas," he was straightening his hair with his fingers. The mischievous strands fell right back into place and soon Kratos looked like his professional self. "If I may ask," he began, taking a seat at the counter, "what are you doing?"
"Making breakfast," Roxas answered, swiping his pastry as it popped out of the toaster. The microwave soon let known that it was done. Opening the microwave door, Roxas offered, "There are still two or three pastries left if you want to warm something up." Grabbing the two parts of his meal, he settled himself across from his house mate.
Kratos peered down his nose at the sugary goodness distastefully. "Thank you," he replied, not looking all that grateful, "but I shall grab something later while you are at school." He looked back at Roxas. "Shall I drive you there, Master Roxas?"
The blond absently wondered how long he should wait before breaking Kratos out of that master/servant attitude. "Thanks," he managed to get out after swallowing the last morsel, "but I'll use my skateboard." He threw his trash away.
"Are you sure that is wise?" Kratos put forth hesitantly. Roxas reminded himself that it was Kratos's job to take care of him. What a weird idea.
He struggled for a moment, trying to put what he felt into words. Before, back where he used to be, he would have just been shuffled off into the car and he would never have been able to get the words out. But that was there and this is here. A different place, a different time. Roxas glanced at Sora. "Please," he said at last, "let me do this." It sounded weak but it had taken quite a bit of strength to say.
Kratos peered at him for a moment and Roxas expertly fought down that urge to fidget. He had a sinking feeling that Kratos would say no and then what would he do? But then the man said, "You have the proper safety gear?"
It caught Roxas off guard. "Y-yes," he stuttered, "of course." To prove it, he lifted up his helmet from its spot near his seat. "I have the pads too," he inserted quickly.
"Very well," Kratos rose from his seat. "We shall try this, I suppose. Do not take advantage of the privilege." That said he made to go back to his room.
Roxas couldn't believe it. "You'll," he swallowed, "you'll really let me?" Perhaps it was looking a gift horse in the mouth, but how else was he supposed to feel after he had, for the first time, put his hand against the window only to feel no glass?
Kratos turned back to him. There was a strange look on his face. "I am not your jailer, Master Roxas," was all he said. Then he was gone.
After strapping on his safety gear, Roxas wondered where he was supposed to put Sora. There was a side pocket on his backpack. Would that be enough? It would have to be for now, but Roxas couldn't help but wish, as he set Sora snugly inside the pocket, that there was a more secure way of transporting the angel. That settled, he turned back to the open front door. "I'm leaving!" he called, feeling that no one at all was in that two story house. Still, it had felt wrong not to say something to alert Kratos to the fact he was going. The whole relationship seemed to have quickly turned awkward. Roxas was no longer sure how to act. But just as it had seemed right to call out his farewell, it had seemed just as right to leave a note on the table of his after school plans. He closed the door and then he was off.
As always, he was handily prepared with a set of directions to the school. He found, to his enjoyment, that this area of Bastion had plenty of open space and wonderful neighborhood scenery. It was not at all crowded as it had been back where he had come from, but instead he could easily share the sidewalk with the pedestrians. There were also lots of trees. They came in so many shades of green that it was fun to look at them all.
Turning a corner, he found that his right side view had become a white wall. What was over the wall he couldn't see, but the barrier seemed to stretch on for quite a bit. He double-checked his instructions. "It says here," he told Sora, "that I should turn left at the light." The problem was, he didn't see any traffic light. Just a street and some trees on his left and then the white wall on his right. "It must be further down," he decided, and continued onward.
It really was a long wall and Roxas couldn't help but look at it. Just what was on the other side? He got so wrapped up in it that he forgot to look where he was going. More importantly, he was unable to see the dozing schoolgirl standing right in his path.
The crash was inevitable really.
Roxas was awfully confused on why he was on the ground. A sharp pain run up his spine and he had a feeling that he had landed on something soft. He sat up slowly, rubbing his back. The pain made him grateful that he had worn his helmet. If only there was some sort of protection gear for his rear…
He soon whipped his backpack around to his front to check on his angel. After seeing that Sora was completely undamaged, he let out a breath of relief.
The body across from him soon caught his attention: a young blond with a white school uniform. His skateboard lay between them like a smoking gun. It didn't take much for Roxas to put together what happened.
'Oh no!' he thought wildly, rushing to the girl's side. 'I've killed her!'
He obviously did not if her breathing was anything to go by, but he didn't like the fact that her eyes were closed. Grasping her gently by the arms, Roxas picked her up slightly off the ground. The motion seemed to bring the girl to her senses for her eyes opened slowly to reveal dazed blue eyes. Roxas carefully released her as the girl managed to raise herself up onto her knees. However, her eyes remained unfocused as though she were still asleep.
"Um," Roxas's eyebrows furrowed. He had no idea how to handle this. "Are you alright? I'm very sorry about crashing into you."
The girl raised her head and stared up at him without recognition. As she did so, he caught sight of an angel nestled in a side pocket of her backpack, the same way he had strapped in Sora. It was a pretty doll with red hair and a sporty pink outfit. It could have been mistaken for any other girl's doll, but Roxas felt instinctively that it was an angel. If he were right, that would make this doll the first angel he had seen personally other than his own.
"Namine!" called a voice to his right. Startled, Roxas turned to see an opening in the white wall. Instead, there was a black iron gate and beyond that, a giant house that amazed even Roxas with its size. Running out to the gate, wearing the same uniform as Roxas, was teenage boy with long red hair. He seemed to be in a hurry if his speed was anything to go by. Roxas immediately leaped away from the girl, certain that the boy was going to yell at him. However, the red-head seemed to hardly see him. Instead, lilac eyes narrowed down at the girl as he pulled her up to her feet. "What are you doing? Did you fall asleep outside the gate again? You gotta stop doing that…" The girl didn't seem to hear him. "Oh, whatever. C'mon! We're going to be late!" With a firm grasp on the girl's arm and with no glance at Roxas whatsoever, the red-head sped down the street, dragging the girl along with him.
Roxas was left standing on the sidewalk, blinking after them. Deciding not to say anything- aloud or to himself- he picked up his skateboard and continued on to his first day of high school.
Roxas was relieved to have not only arrived at the school in one piece, but to have also found his locker without a problem. There were so many people though… Strange how that seemed to be the only thing it had in common with the junior high he had left behind. Even the people felt different around here. More sophisticated and elite. Adjusting his backpack's shoulder straps slightly, Roxas headed gamely for his home period.
Seeing as how all first year classes were on the first of the three floors, Roxas easily found his classroom of 1-D. From behind the door, he could hear the noise of a classroom full of unsupervised high school students. Taking a long, deep breath, Roxas opened the door and strode in.
Twenty-something classmates were scattered through the room, divided into their own little cliques and chatting away. Despite it being the first day of school, everyone seemed to have someone else to talk the free minutes away with. The only oddball was a tall, spiky-haired blond sitting by the window, strumming idly at an electric guitar and ignoring everything else around him. Roxas remained frozen in the doorway, surveying the room with a sinking feeling. There were quite a few open seats, due to the students being clumped together, but Roxas looked at the desks with dismay. They were partner desks- meant to be shared two to each one. No matter what, he would have to sit next to someone. But who?
"Excuse me," came a soft voice from behind him. Startled, he looked over his shoulder to see a beautiful young lady standing behind him. She had soft silvery hair that flowed gently out around her neck and there was a definite sense of poise about her, especially with the feminine curve to her soft, blue eyes. This was definitely a mature young woman. "Would you mind letting me through?"
It suddenly occurred to Roxas that he was still standing in the doorway like an idiot. "Ah!" he yelped, scurrying out of the way. "Yes! I'm sorry!" What was wrong with him? This was not a good first impression to lay on the woman who was obviously his teacher.
Sure enough, the woman strode forth confidently to the front of the class with a black briefcase tucked up under her arm. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted. "Please choose the seat you like best for it will be yours for the rest of the semester." Everyone scurried to their chosen spots, the murmur slowly fading away from the class. Roxas scanned the desks frantically, but still couldn't find a spot to resign himself to. The pressure was starting to make him slightly claustrophobic. "There's a spot right there," the teacher called to him kindly while arranging her things. She gestured over to the last empty seat- right next to the guitar player. Blushing slightly, Roxas hurried to take his seat.
"Hey," the blond nodded to Roxas, still strumming softly at his guitar.
Roxas murmured a quick, "Hello," as he sat down.
"Young man," the teacher addressed his neighbor strictly, "please put the guitar away. I assure you this will not be music class." A few chuckles sprinkled through the class. The blond pouted but put the guitar away in a black case. The teacher then turned to address the class.
"Hello and welcome to your first day of high school," she surveyed the room. "I am Professor Sage and I will be your Homeroom teacher for history."
Groans immediately filled the air at the thought of discussing history- of all things- every day so early in the morning.
"Professor," Roxas noted under his breath, impressed.
The blond next to him chuckled, "They weren't kidding when they called this a prestigious school."
The professor's eyes narrowed at the cries of dismay. "What are you all complaining about?" she reprimanded hotly. "Do you not understand what a wonderful opportunity this is for you? How anyone can not find history fascinating, I don't understand. Your textbooks are filled with fascinating dates and exciting finds! Without history, we'd be in deep trouble- I'll tell you that much. We'd have numerous repeats of tragedies all over again! Like the Civil War that ended just before your lifetimes, I suppose we'd want a repeat of that, not to mention the Great Earthquake…"
One brave soul rose up a lone hand, "But, ma'am, the earthquake was a natural disaster. Mankind had nothing to do with it."
Professor Sage seemed to have a ready answer for that, "Who's to say mankind could not have done anything to prevent the earthquake from wrecking as much damage as it did? Looking back…"
Things went on like this for a little while.
Roxas blinked up at the woman, wondering where the mature persona had gone and whether he should be taking notes during this rant. Then he felt a poke in his side and he turned to see his spiky-haired neighbor grinning at him.
"Hi there," the stranger whispered, "I'm Demyx." He held out his right hand.
Sparing a quick glance at the teacher to make sure she was still preoccupied, Roxas put forth his own hand and shook the other boy's. "I'm Roxas," he replied softly.
"You're new around here," Demyx guessed, releasing the hand.
Roxas cocked his head, "New?"
Demyx jerked a thumb towards the rest of the class. "Most of the people who grew up in this city went to the same elementary and junior high schools," he explained. "Because of that, you get to see the same faces over and over again. But you," he winked, "I've never seen you before. And I'm pretty good with faces."
"Oh," Roxas blinked. Then he nodded, "Yeah, I just moved here from Twilight."
Demyx whistled. Then he spent a few moments in thought and Roxas wondered if that meant the end of the conversation. He turned his attention to the front in time to see that Professor Sage had decided to move on.
"Now if everyone will please take out their notebooks," she flipped open her lesson plan, "we will begin."
Roxas obediently pulled out his notebook when he felt another poke in his side. Again, there was Demyx grinning at him. "I get the feeling," the blond teased, "that you're not planning on sitting with anyone at lunch. Am I right?"
Once more, Roxas could only blink.
"C'mon," Demyx insisted, pulling on his arm. "We have a whole hour for lunch. Let's go get some grub!"
Truthfully, Roxas had no reason to decline, but he didn't like the inadequate feeling that came with interacting with Demyx's overpowering personality. He hesitated.
"Oh, c'mon," laughed Demyx, adjusting the guitar strap across his shoulder. "It'll be fun!"
The blond smiled brightly, in a carefree and open-hearted way that Roxas had never observed of his previous friends. With one more gentle tug on his arm, he stood up awkwardly. Before his table mate could drag him off, Roxas quickly swung his backpack up onto his shoulder. He spared only a quick glance to check on Sora's condition.
The motion caught Demyx's attention and he caught sight of Sora. "Is that," he tilted his head, curious, "an angel?"
Roxas tensed, slightly defensive. "Yes," he said at last.
"Awesome!" cheered Demyx, making as though to grab at the doll. He stopped at the same time Roxas twitched. His hands hovering, Demyx grinned sheepishly, almost shyly. "May I see?"
A small part inside Roxas wanted to shout out, "No!" and clutch the angel to him. In reality, he just nodded and watched as Demyx carefully took Sora out. There was a smidgen of pride when Demyx made various noises of approval.
"Nice," Demyx whistled. "I can't tell what type he is right off the bat, but he certainly looks capable." He looked to Roxas. "What's his name?"
"Sora," Roxas blurted without thinking.
"Sora," Demyx echoed as though feeling it out. He nodded approvingly. "Cool. I like it. But, uh," he handed the angel back to its deus, "you should get a better uniform, man. An angel wearing that would get laughed out of the layer!"
A flush of red graced Roxas's cheeks softly. "Yes, I know," he admitted. "I was hoping to perhaps buy one after school."
"Well, be careful," Demyx warned. "Angelic combat uniforms have to be made out of a special material to withstand battle." Roxas tucked Sora back into his pouch. "Shall we go?" He led the way out into the hallway with Roxas following quietly, but feeling less awkward.
The prestigious Nomura High School was located just three blocks away from the town center, Livion Hall. The areas surrounding these two locations were known for being the high-end of town. Livion hall- named after the renowned military commander Osment B. Livion of course- was not only Bastion's center of government, but also a center of culture. Various cafés, art galleries, and museums surrounded the perimeter of the town hall. Students of Nomura High often took advantage of their ideal location to hang out at the cafés and grab lunch.
Demyx's favorite café happened to be owned by a very talented- but very eccentric- man who insisted on being called the Wonder Chef.
"I am the mysterious gourmet, the Wonder Chef!" he announced himself from behind the food bar. "Today I shall prepare everyone's favorite- Mac n Cheese!" He gave a dramatic thumbs up and smile perfect for a camera. "All you need are noodles, cheese, and cream!" The man then set ferociously to his work, his hands creating a blur of motion with bits of various foods busting out every now and then.
Roxas watched with wide eyes blinking and his posture a bit straighter than was comfortable. Demyx, beside him, lounged on his counter chair with an oblivious smile. "Does," Roxas asked slowly, "he always do this?"
"Hm?" roused Demyx. "Oh, you mean the whole preparation act? Every single time." He chuckled.
The Wonder Chef appeared to have finished with their meals for he then presented them both with a stunning display of the home-cooked favorite. The sight and aroma made Roxas think that the man could be forgiven his eccentricity if he always managed to cook like this. The man seemed overly satisfied with their reactions and with a fond, "Farewell!", he went to attend to his other customers.
"So this is," Roxas put it together, picking up his fork, "normal for him?"
Demyx laughed, "If that's what you want to call it." He eagerly shoveled the food into his awaiting mouth. Then he glanced at Roxas, "But enough about him, what about you?" Seeing Roxas seemed surprised at the sudden question, he added, "Tell me about yourself."
Roxas took smaller bites and regained his composure. "What is there to know?" he answered sincerely. He truly was a boring fellow. If this Demyx character was just after the latest scoop on a new student, he wouldn't find much to report on.
"Dude," chuckled Demyx. "You've got, what, sixteen years behind you?"
"Fifteen,"Roxas interrupted, accurate as ever. "I'll be sixteen in a month."
Demyx waved him off. "Yeah, yeah," he continued. "Over fifteen years have gone by. You've gotta have something to say about your life."
Roxas suddenly found the food a bit hard to swallow. His mouth was full so at least he didn't have to attempt an answer. Suddenly, he was unsure of what he would say.
Awkwardness.
Demyx's sheepish laughter broke it. He playfully tapped himself on the head with a knuckle and stuck out his tongue. "Stupid me," he sighed. "I'm always opening my big mouth only to insert my own foot. Mom tries to teach me better but then I head over to Dad's house and back to a bad example." He laughed.
This caught Roxas's attention. "Your parents are divorced?" he blurted without thinking. His mind immediately went blank, horrified at himself. Did this boy have a detrimental effect on manners?
Luckily, Demyx did not seem insulted. Quite the contrary, he seemed pleased to get to talk to himself. Demyx casually divulged information that would have been unthinkable for Roxas to share. "No," he chuckled, "my parents were never married. They had this thing going on when they were in college- and that's all I cared to ever know about the subject. But when it comes to me, you couldn't tell they weren't married. I'm the one thing they have a united front about. Too bad I don't have a sibling because that would really help take the pressure off!" He jabbed a thumb in his direction. "But why would anyone want to continue after they already have this bit of perfection, you know what I'm saying?"
"I see," Roxas commented as Demyx laughed at himself.
"So now that we're no longer strangers," Demyx went on, "why not share something about yourself?" Roxas still paused, this time unsure of what exactly to say. "Like, why did your family decide to move here?" Demyx supplied helpfully.
Roxas lowered his spoon, finished with his meal. "My father decided it," he said finally. "He had heard about this school's reputation and determined that this would be the best high school for me to attend. So I came here. My father, however, stayed back in Twilight."
"What?" exclaimed Demyx, wide-eyed. "You came by yourself? Who takes care of you?"
"I take care of myself," Roxas replied hotly. It struck a nerve for anyone to think that he was incapable of looking out for himself. Who else would do it after all? "But there is also an employee of my father's that lives with me."
Demyx's next question took Roxas by surprise, "What did your mom think?"
Roxas looked down at his empty plate, a shadowy reflection mirrored back to him. "There is no mom," he said quietly. "She left when I was younger." There was no bitterness to his voice, just fact. He tried not to dwell upon the woman- a woman he could no longer remember- who had chosen to leave him behind with that man who was his father. She must have been a stronger person than he, for he liked to think that he would run away too, if he ever had the opportunity.
"So just the bodyguard and you," Demyx murmured. He then continued on with his lunch. "Interesting."
"Is it weird?" questioned Roxas, feeling a bit defensive.
"Weird, normal," Demyx waved his spoon in the air as he lectured. "You put too much stock in those words, you know? Really, who am I to decide? It's just the way you live after all."
As though relieved of a burden, Roxas relaxed his shoulders. The sentiment was somewhat odd, but he decided that he liked this feeling Demyx's presence provided. It wasn't as overwhelming as he had thought. Demyx was just the sort of person that you could be open and honest with. No wonder Roxas wasn't used to that. "Thank you," he murmured quietly.
Demyx went on to scrape the bottom of his plate. Feeling contented, Roxas lifted up his bag and took Sora out of his pocket. The angel stared back at him with an unfocused gaze. Remembering his classmate's earlier comments, he had himself ask, "Demyx, do you like Angelic Layer?"
"In this city, who doesn't?" Demyx answered in his cheerful tone. He pushed his plate away and pat his belly, pleased. "Though I don't have an angel of my own."
This surprised Roxas. "Really?" he blinked. Demyx had seemed so enthusiastic about Sora; it seemed odd that he wouldn't have an angel of his own.
"No, because you see," Demyx's voice turned serious and he looked Roxas straight in the eye, "I believe Angelic Layer is actually a governmental conspiracy to brainwash people into total world submission."
It felt as though something had flown over Roxas's head. "Um," he stumbled, "what?"
Demyx leaned back, his tone more casual. "Yeah," he nodded. "So far it's just a theory, but it's gotta be true. Think about it. Angelic Layer is connected everywhere through computers and Internet. It even uses brain waves to function! Who's to say that there isn't some dastardly villain with a concocted scheme that decided to misuse his power? It would be way too easy! Yep!"
Roxas replied blankly, "That sounds more like a plot for a comic book then a real theory."
Demyx nearly fell over. "Ouch!" fake tears streamed down his cheeks. "Man, that was harsh!"
Roxas sighed.
Finally stopping the crocodile tears, Demyx looked at his cell phone to check the time. "Whoops!" he cried. "Time goes faster than I thought!" He nudged Roxas. "We should get back to class."
Roxas nodded, "Alright." He placed Sora back into the pocket and hefted the bag abroad his shoulder. That's when he caught sight of Demyx's shirt. "Demyx," he called, "your shirt! You should tuck it in."
"What?" Demyx blinked in surprise before glancing down. Then he laughed. "Oh, c'mon, man, it's cool!" A fiery passion sprung into his eyes as he curled a fist dramatically. "This uniform is worn in this way as a tribute of respect to Axel the Great!"
"Axel... the Great?" Roxas tilted his head. "Who's that?"
"Oh, that's right, you're new," Demyx muttered to himself. Full of passion, he turned on Roxas. Grasping him firmly by the shoulders, he cried, "Axel is the legendary idol of our school! He's the champion of champions, legend of legends! Some say he is on his way to becoming the greatest deus Angelic Layer has ever known! I believe it!"
Roxas squirmed. "And," he said slowly, "he wears his uniform like that?" Seemed like a silly reason to risk getting detention.
"One of the minor reasons he's so popular," Demyx released his friend's shoulders and puffed out his chest proudly. "But, still, he's a rebel who's not afraid to be a man! He's my hero!"
"Interesting," Roxas murmured, not really interested. He was in no particular hurry to meet this Axel character. More importantly, "He's a famous Angelic Layer player?"
"Yeah," nodded Demyx, returning a bit more to this planet, "I've seen videotapes of his games and he's amazing! Him and his angel, Riku. If you're going to get involved with Angelic Layer, keep your eye out for those two! You'll have a few years to go before you're at their level."
"I see," Roxas glanced back at Sora. "Thank you."
"No problem," Demyx chirped happily. Then firmly grasping Roxas by an arm, he sprinted them off toward school. "Now off to the oppression known as the classroom! Ha ha!"
Feeling as though he were dangling from Demyx's grip, Roxas reflected that he would probably continue to spend a great deal of time with this oddball blond.
The idea did not perturb him as much.
After the bell announced freedom, Roxas bid farewell to Demyx and changed his clothes into a more casual attire. Strapping on his safety-gear, he patted his pocket to be sure that the instructions he had received from Demyx were still there. Apparently there was an excellent Angelic Layer store not too far away that also served as a practice arena. Homework was light that night so he decided to go for it.
As he approached the Piffle Arena, a conversation was taking place atop its café terrace. The girl that had almost become roadkill earlier that morning was stirring her now-cold tea in a bored manner. A cute angel with red hair and a cute pink outfit sat upon the table beside her. "What is taking him so long?" she sighed to the red-head across from her, who was currently busy admiring the legs on a new waitress. "Does he think we just have all the time in the world to wait for him?"
"He'll get here when he gets here," remarked her brother absently. "Though I wish he would think of poor Zelos at times like this. Being forced to babysit you when there's a girl over there I have yet to introduce myself to."
Blue eyes narrowed at him. "Why do you always do that?" she pursed her lips. Being a womanizer was not the sort of a status a girl wanted for her brother.
"It's a way to pass time," Zelos explained distractedly as he fiddled with some strands of his long red hair. "What else would it be for?"
Namine fumed, "If I didn't know better, I would say you were a horrible person."
"Oh," chortled Zelos, "so you think you know better?"
"Zelos!" cried Namine, annoyed. She attempted to kick him from under the table but her reach fell short.
"Now, now, none of that," teased Zelos. Feeling mischievous, he reached across the table and picked up the angel. "Let's see what Kairi thinks shall we?"
Flabbergasted, Namine took a moment to respond before trying to lunge at her brother over the table. "Zelos!" she shrieked. "You idiot! You don't just grab someone's angel! That's rude!"
"Sitdown, you she-thing," Zelos retorted, holding Kairi above their heads with one hand and trying to push his sister away with the other.
As Namine's arms were not long enough to reach that height, she settled for trying to hit him instead, "You're going to drop her!"
"I'm not going to drop her," Zelos snapped, offended. He tried edging backwards. "Unless you keep doing tha-"
His words were interrupted as, with an unexpected shove, his hand loosened and lost its grasp on the doll. Two pairs of eyes turned at the same time to stare in surprise as the unsuspecting angel was dropped into a free fall towards the ground. Forgetting her brother, Namine leaned over the railing. "Kairi!" she cried in despair, watching helplessly.
Her cry did not go unheard. Roxas was just about to pass by the Piffle Arena when he heard a girl call out from above. Instinctively, he looked up in time to see a strangely familiar angel's descent toward the earth. With a sudden burst of speed, he swung the board around in an acute arch. Curving around, he held out his hands palm out and together- and the angel landed gracefully in his grasp.
Letting out a breath he hadn't even known he had been holding, Roxas stared down at the brunette angel in his hands. This doll really did seem familiar. He also couldn't believe that he had managed to make that catch. Despite his adequate talent at skateboarding (he could get from point A to point B and vice versa), he had never been particularly athletic. Seeing that the angel was in one piece and unharmed, he couldn't help but feel a touch of pride. Although he had only had Sora for less than a day, Roxas could tell that he would have been horrified at the thought of anything happening to him. The owner of this angel was sure to be relieved.
In accordance to his thoughts, a voice called from above, "Hey, hey!"
Looking up, he saw a blond waving to him ecstatically. "Thank you!" she cried sincerely. "Thank you so much! Meet me inside. I'll be right down!" With that, she and a red-head turned away from the railing and presumably headed back inside.
Bemused, Roxas looked back down at the angel in his hands. "Well," he admitted to himself, "I guess I have no choice. C'mon, let's get you back to your owner." Picking up his skateboard, he made his way onto the first floor of the Piffle Arena.
Upon entering the building, Roxas reflected that Piffle Arena did not at first seem unlike any other teenage hang-out. The front seemed to be entirely devoted to those that had come to enjoy a coffee drink and some conversation. Even from where he was standing, however, Roxas could see hints of what occupied a building that took up half a block. People gathered around table centers that were lit up with beams of light. From the noise and gathered technology, Roxas hazarded a guess that this was where Angelic Layer duels took place.
He was interrupted from his observations when he heard someone stumbling down the stairs. Turning, he stiffened with shock at the realization that this was the same blond girl he had almost killed just that morning! Suddenly this situation got a lot more awkward. As the girl approached him, he found himself already stuttering.
"Thank you so much for saving Kairi," the girl smiled cheerfully. "That was amazing!"
"I," the words stumbled out awkwardly from Roxas's mouth, him momentarily forgetting to give the angel back to the blond's waiting arms, "I..." The girl blinked at him and then blue eyes widened when Roxas suddenly thrust the doll towards her. "I'm sorry!" he cried, bowing slightly with apology. "Forgive me!"
"Wh-what?" Namine blinked.
"What a freak," Zelos teased.
His sister ignored him and gently took the angel. "Did you damage her?" she asked, confused.
Roxas blushed fiercely, forcing to talk despite his feelings of idiocy. "N-no," he explained, "I meant for this morning. For when I ran into you. I never did get to apologize."
"You got ran into?" Zelos blinked at his sister in surprise.
"Hmm," Namine had to think about it for a moment. Then, as if in an epiphany, "Oh, yeah, I do remember that."
'She... she had to think about it?' Roxas thought to himself in amazement.
Namine continued, smiling, "I didn't recognize you as the same person. What a small world!"
Roxas blinked, "You're... not upset?"
Namine playfully hit herself on the head with her knuckles and stuck out her tongue. "No," she giggled. "It was probably my fault in the first place. I'm so terrible at waking at the morning. And my idiot of a brother takes so long getting ready that I often fall into a doze. I guess it wasn't the best of timing on my part."
Roxas allowed himself a sigh of relief, "Well, I still apologize. It was a terrible lack of skill on my part."
"Well, how about this?" Namine proposed. She held out her right hand, "I'm Namine," she gestured to the red-head next to her, "that's my older brother, Zelos," she held up her angel, "and this is Kairi."
"I'm Roxas," he introduced himself shyly, shaking her hand gently.
"There," Namine smiled brightly, "now we're friends. No need to worry."
Roxas smiled back hesitantly as Zelos pretended to gag, "Enough already! I'm getting a tooth ache..."
It was then that Namine caught sight of Sora. "Is that your angel?" she asked. At Roxas's nod, she perked up excitedly, "He's adorable!" She peered closer. "But... he still has the basic clothing sample?"
"Um," Roxas tucked his head sheepishly, "I just made him yesterday, so..."
"My non-fat, double-shot espresso with whip and caramel," Zelos spoke up, a bit whiny.
"I know!" chirped Namine, clapping her hands together. "How about I make you a new outfit? As a thanks for saving Kairi!"
"Espressoooo," moaned Zelos pointedly.
"That's very kind," Roxas responded to the girl, unsure. "But I don't know if I could..."
"Oooh," Zelos continued.
"Don't worry!" Namine assured. "I'm an expert!"
"But, I," stuttered Roxas.
"Look, kid," Zelos butted in, staring at Roxas intently. "She really is an expert. Let her make you something and you make a girl happy. Smooth no?"
"Zelos!" Namine cried, burying her red face in her hands.
"Um..." Roxas blinked, realizing that he no longer knew what he wanted to say. Just how did he get himself in this sort of situations?
"Perfect!" the red-head cheered gleefully. "Now, onward to the espresso!"
And so, though Roxas knew that was how he had ended up sitting across from the pretty blond and self-absorbed red-head, he was still quite unsure had he had gotten himself into this. Zelos, once properly reunited with his beloved drink, promptly tuned out the rest of the world. Namine settled Sora on the table next to Kairi and lifted up her bag. Roxas settled for watching her movements carefully. He was surprised to see her take out a miniature carrying case. Setting that on the table, she picked up Sora to take a good look at him.
"Hmm," she murmured, her eyes taking in every detail. She began to comment out loud, "A lightweight... with an emphasis... but a surprising balance on power as well." She looked up at Roxas, "Is he your first angel?"
Roxas started. He had been impressed that the girl had noticed something like that just by looking. "Y-yes," he nodded. "How could you tell?"
The girl smiled sweetly, but this time it looked a bit strained. "Like I said," Namine chuckled, "I'm an expert." She set Sora down once more before opening the case. Roxas peered over to see little folded bits of different kind of cloths. In a corner was a needle set with various spindles of threads. Namine's fingers hovered thoughtfully over one piece and then another, unsure. Then, finally, she smiled- this time one of pure joy. "I know," she whispered, "this one." She picked up a packet of black cloth. Roxas looked at it closely, but unfortunately could see nothing particularly special about it.
It did, however, cause Zelos to perk up. "That one?" he gaped. "Are you sure?"
Namine just nodded serenely. "Yes," she answered, picking up a needle. "Now Roxas," she instructed, without looking up from picking her thread, "you might want to order something for the wait. This will take a couple of minutes. Zelos, get a waitress."
Zelos, reverted back to his previous attitude, huffed and rolled his eyes. "Right away, your highness," he retorted sarcastically. Roxas opened his mouth to say that he could just go downstairs and order- like one was supposed to- when Zelos called over the new waitress he had been eying earlier. With a boyish grin on his face, the red-head looked up at the bemused woman adoringly. "Pardon me, my dearest beauty," he apologized with high levels of sincerity, "but my friend here would love to try some of your establishment's lovely, er-" He stumbled upon realizing that he didn't know what Roxas wanted. Sending a pointed look in the blond's direction, he wanted for an answer.
Catching on, Roxas quickly quipped, "Hot chocolate." For the most part, sweets did not attract him, but the smell of coffee had always been more of a turn-off. Hayner had often played at being grown-up by carrying around containers of coffee and the others had seemed to enjoy it. The various experimentations with the hot drink had been yet another activity Roxas had been excluded from.
True to form, Zelos wrinkled his nose at him, but turned a flawless expression back to the waiting waitress. "Isn't he cute?" he chuckled, shrugging one shoulder. "So, one hot chocolate," he leaned back, "and a refill on this, would you?" He tapped a finger against his cup before smiling brilliantly up at the woman. The stranger blushed deep red and nodded quickly before taking his cup. As she made her way downstairs, Zelos simply laid back with his arms folded behind his head, a satisfied smirk well in place.
Roxas blinked, noticing Zelos's uniform for the first time. The plaid and blue were replicas of the one stored within his bag. "You attend Nomura High?" wondered Roxas aloud, hesitantly. While the teen had been open and charming around the young lady, the atmosphere seemed to be shuttered closed and tight as far as Roxas seemed to be concern. It gave Roxas the impression that his presence wasn't wanted, but in a way that he had not encountered before. He had never really fit in anywhere and thus had never particularly reached out to people. It occurred to him that while he wrapped himself in stillness and quiet to keep people out, Zelos might have a different sort of walls.
Zelos deigned him with a glance before shrugging, "Second year. What's it to you?"
Roxas settled his hands upon his lap, his gaze upon the pristine white tablecloth. "Recognized the uniform, is all," he replied honestly. "I started as a first year as of today."
"Did you really?" Namine spoke up, surprising Roxas. Zelos had not so much as even twitched, but then, Roxas had not really expected him too. "I'm a fourth year at Panettiere Junior High myself."
So that was why she had a different uniform.
"I don't remember seeing you before," Namine continued. "Did you attend a different junior high?"
This was twice in one day that someone had asked him for information about himself. It must be a record.
Roxas nodded and found himself reiterating, "Yes. I just moved here from Twilight."
Namine carefully threaded her needle, "Is Angelic Layer popular there?"
He had no idea. Fads were something other kids paid attention to. If something had managed to become especially popular, small trickles might make its way back to Roxas, but by then it made no more sense than a foreign language.
"Not that I know of," he admitted honestly. After all, Hayner or any of the others never mentioned having an angel around him. "I had never even heard of Angelic Layer until yesterday."
"So you went and bought an angel with little idea or understanding of Angelic Layer," Zelos commented under his breath, with an implication Roxas didn't quite understand.
Very little conversation followed after that and Roxas lost track of time. He didn't mind the silence. Even when the waitress brought Zelos's drink- forgetting Roxas's own order and insisting the espresso was on the house- he didn't stir. In the midst of Namine's sewing and Zelos's gentle tapping on the glass, he could focus in on his own breathing. This was what he treasured. Peace and stillness- the feeling of his own mind was well-known and he basked in the feeling that there was nothing to fear in there. Also, though a cool autumn breeze wavered through the trees and ruffled the bright white covers, sitting still like this allowed him to feel how warm the sun was. Opening eyes he hadn't known had slid shut, he looked to Sora, seeing only a tuft of brown hair. From his memories of yesterday's match, Angelic Layer seemed filled with lights, sounds, and people. Was he really the right sort of person for this game?
"It's finished!" Namine declared, holding the suit up for all to see.
"Took you long enough," Zelos snickered, taking in the outfit approvingly.
His sister laughed, "Well, I wanted to do a good job on this one!"
And her hard work had paid off. Sora officially looked cooler than he had in that tissue paper substitute. The outfit was mostly black, with pieces of red, blue, and yellow showing through. There were only two pieces of armor which sat atop either shoulder. Two hand-gloves, a hood, and...
Zelos begun snickering, "What are with those shoes?"
The shoes were about two sizes too big of what they were supposed to be. Though it did not destroy the overall effect, it did make Sora look a bit childish. Namine blushed prettily and bit back a retort to her brother, her eyes focused a bit anxiously on Roxas. As she handed Sora back, she explained, "I sort of... did them on purpose. I can't help but feel they suit him." Roxas carefully took back his angel and surveyed Sora with new eyes. His mind was racing with possibilities, possibilities which flew by too fast for him grasp. This... this was the look of a champion. He was sure of it. Sora would become strong enough for the both of them. As for the shoes...
"I like it," he assured Namine. His long, thin fingers softly traced the edge of a shoe. Smiling fondly, he added to himself, "It reminds me of that angel I saw yesterday. The mouse..."
Both Namine and Zelos sat up, though the red-head looked mostly disinterested. "You're talking about the Champion," she murmured. Her gaze turned thoughtful as she looked upon Sora. "Hmm..."
Roxas, surprised that they had heard him, nodded. "Thank you very much for this," he made to stand up. "But I should go. I did not mean to disturb you for so long."
"Wait!"hastily, without looking behind her, Namine stood to stop him. Because of that, she ended up accidentally pushing the back of her chair right into the back of a passing patron- a teenager with a black beanie and white coat. The boy stumbled and ended up jostling his coffee onto his shirt.
He cried out in pain, "Gah!" Whipping around furiously, his angry glare focused upon Namine. "Watch what you're doing!"
"I'm sorry," Namine hovered apologetically, unsure of how to help. "I didn't mean to."
"Yeah, well, that's not going to do a lot to help, is it?" he growled, wiping at his blue tank-top with a napkin. Roxas was able to spot an angel upon his shoulder- a female with brown hair and blue overcoat.
"She said she was sorry," Zelos's tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp as they peered over the rim of the cup. "Let's let it go at that, shall we?"
Beanie-head straightened himself up haughtily. "A real man does not go issuing fights without an angel to back his words up," he scorned. Roxas started, realizing for the first time that Zelos was the only one here without an angel by their side. Zelos's lips went thin as he pressed them together. There was a strong desire for a retort, but something also hindered him from saying anything. Namine seemed unable to say anything as well, her blue eyes looking helplessly at her brother.
"I have an angel," Roxas's mouth formed the cold words and issued them perfectly, his eyes staring down the threat. Inwardly, he was shocked stupid that he was saying anything at all. Of all times to exercise his ability of speech! "Just what sort of trouble are you planning on backing?"
Beanie-head, now with an appropriate target in sight, smirked. "Kid, don't go throwing yourself into situations you can't handle," he warned, chuckling. Tilting his head slightly, he smiled coyly. "Or else you'll find yourself facing the promise of a duel."
A duel? He had not even been in town for forty-eight hours, had known of Angelic Layer even less than that, had not even possessed an angel for twenty-four hours, and was as of yet still unaware of even how to operate the game. Now he was facing the prospect of an immediate duel?
Zelos stood now, "Give the kid a break. He barely moved here. Do you really want to fight someone who doesn't know how to duel yet?"
Beanie-head's shoulders slumped with a clear look of disappointment. Though he said nothing, Roxas could interpret his feelings rather well: No, it wasn't worth it. Roxas wasn't worth it. What a shame. A more considering look was sent Namine's way.
That wouldn't work either. Roxas did not know Namine very well, but already he could tell that she would not be much of a fighter. Beanie-head, however, was in for a fight and Namine's very nature would lead her into accepting.
Suddenly, Roxas felt as though he couldn't take it anymore. The brightness of the daylight reminded him of that wide sky behind the glass and what it meant to him. Kratos had told him that he wasn't Roxas's jailer, because, in truth, Roxas was his own jailer. There was no room for 'Roxas the Observer' anymore. "I can take you," he cut-in adamantly. "I will manage."
Namine gave a small smile and Zelos raised his eyes exasperatedly. Beanie-head gave a wide grin. "If you say so kid," he chortled. Turning his back, he added, "Come with me downstairs and grab us a layer." He jabbed a thumb in his direction. "The name of your opponent is Seifer. Don't forget it."
Zelos twitched.
Demyx tiredly pedaled his bike down the street. Only the first day of school and already he was feeling the effects of breaking his previous sleeping cycle. Honestly, was there any good reason why a person should be up and about before noon? He added the thought to Theory #1115, which was that the world would be a much happier and peaceful place if people would be allowed to get some damned sleep! It was then that he spotted his salvation: Piffle Arena.
Piffle Arena was known for two things: its state-of-the art Angelic Layer duel centers and its wonderful variety of everything coffee.
Demyx thought that, yes, he would go for door number two.
Inhaling the rich aroma, he dreamily parked and locked his bike before heading inside, his guitar case still strapped over one shoulder. He had just received his special chocolate latte- with sprinkles- when a group coming down the stairs caught his attention.
In the lead was an arrogant looking fellow that was obviously one of those that were from uptown, but liked to act as though they were some kind of threat to society. The black beanie atop his head and the swagger said as much. Behind him, though, was Roxas, dressed in his street clothes and with a look on his face that meant he was thinking too much about something again. Following him was an annoyed looking red-head and a pretty, petite blond princess.
His heart beat against his chest as he stared at her, but loyalty made his feet head straight for Roxas. Something was going on here and nothing was allowed to happen in Bastion without Demyx knowing about it.
"Roxas," he called, catching the other boy's attention. The blond seemed surprised to see him, but had none of that awkward, resistance that Demyx so often saw in his peers. In fact, Roxas looked almost happy to see him. The thought made Demyx smile. "What's going on here, man?"
A bit of flush graced the smaller boy's cheeks. "I've been challenged to a duel," Roxas informed him in that straight-forward manner of his. The uncomfortable movement of his shoulders let Demyx know that the boy was really much more nervous than he let on. And with good reason too!
"Your first right?" Demyx blinked in surprise as the boy nodded. The guitar-player whistled. Poor guy.
"Roxas," the blond beauty spoke up. "Zelos and I will go with Seifer to get a table. Can you get the card?"
"Card?" Roxas blinked.
"You can't just take a table," Zelos explained, surprisingly patient. "You have to register with the head desk first." He made a vague motion over to a counter, where a brutish-looking blond with a cigarette was reading a newspaper. "They manage time and also turn on the power of the Layer so that the angels are able to operate. Just tell them what you need and they should give you a confirmation card."
Demyx watched as Roxas processed the information, most likely storing it for later use as well. The kid seemed to do that with new things he encountered. It was kind of weird, which made Demyx like him all the more.
"No worries," he saluted. Hooking his arm through Roxas's he added, "We're on it!"
"We?" Roxas raised an eyebrow as the two of them walked toward the counter.
Demyx nodded. "You bet ya," he declared. It was time to give Roxas an important lesson. "A man never leaves a friend's side in the midst of battle. On the layer, you might be on your own, but you won't be fighting by yourself. I'll be there to help," he glanced down, a little unsure, "if you like."
Roxas looked bewildered for a moment. "I," he started, but stopped. Then, simply, "Thank you."
Demyx's spirit was once more uplifted. "Of course!" he chirped, striding forward. "What else are friends for?"
Inwardly, Roxas wondered at his sudden ability to meet and make friends. Or, to be more exact, the sudden rate of people strewn into his path and declaring themselves to be his friends. He hoped that any future instances would be in less unusual settings.
"You used the new cloth Dad gave you, didn't you?" it wasn't really a question the way Zelos phrased it to his sister. Both were standing on the sidelines as Seifer eagerly prepared his angel. "The prototype?"
"Yes," Namine admitted with no qualms. "It just seemed... appropriate to use somehow." Her eyes closed peacefully. "You have to admit it turned out well."
"Hmm," Zelos refrained from commenting, but Namine knew that he had been impressed, despite himself. "So some sort of feminine intuition?"
"I prefer to call it 'intelligence'," Namine quipped, playfully. "Something I suppose neither of my brothers know about. How unfortunate," she sighed.
Zelos wrinkled his nose, but refrained from sticking out his tongue. Something occurred to him though. "Speaking of which," he posed the question aloud, "do you think he'll ever show up?"
Namine hung her head, "Who knows."
Roxas's eyes were caught by the many duels currently going on. Crowds of people everywhere and so many fights going on at once. Were there always this many people?
As if in response to his unvoiced question, Demyx commented, "There sure are a lot of people here today. I wonder what's going on."
"It isn't always this crowded?" Roxas asked, peering around.
"I don't think so," Demyx answered in a way that reminded Roxas that his classmate was not a deus himself. And yet this same classmate had promised him his help, despite previously admitting to never having played Angelic Layer himself. The strange thing was Roxas believed that Demyx could help.
"They really do move," he whispered, catching sight of one angel dodging a particularly vicious blow.
"Only on the Layer," Demyx instructed. "An angel won't move unless you have them hooked up to the Layer. Kind of a shame, really."
The glint of a blade reminded Roxas of something that had been nagging at him. "What about the key?" he asked, remembering yesterday's match. Both of those angels and all the angels here were fighting with those strange keys, though none looked like the other. "I don't have one."
Demyx thought about it, "The keyblade- is what it's called- also only appears on the Layer. Something to do with computer programming and molecules... I don't really understand it." He glanced back, reassuringly. "But don't worry, you should be able to summon yours with no problem."
"Hmm..." the smaller teen murmured, recording the information. At the moment, it all seemed terribly complicated. His grip became a little tighter around Sora.
Upon approaching the counter, however, Roxas stepped forward to take matters into his own hands. "Excuse me?" he tried to catch the man's attention. Despite the name tag proclaiming the man's name to be "Cid" and that he was "eager to help", Roxas couldn't help but feel awkward. "I need to-"
Cid sighed and picked up a blue card from a thick stack. "Name?" he prompted.
"Um.." the teenager floundered, "Roxas."
"Opponent's name?"
"Seifer."
"Table number?"
This one Roxas didn't know. He glanced back at Demyx, who had looked back at the table with their party. Turning back, he fingered the number eight back to him.
"Eight."
"Perfect," was the final answer though Cid sounded anything but pleased. He stamped the card and handed it to Roxas. "Plug this into the computer slot and it will record your results. Enjoy your game."
"Thank you," Roxas managed to get out before he and Demyx quickly turned and headed to their table. He had been intimidated before, but it was like walking on eggshells around that man!
"Well, that's pretty cool," Demyx's happy-go-lucky voice snapped him out of his musing. "Usually you have to pay to rent a table."
"Really?" Roxas looked down at the card, already calculating where he could get the money to continue this hobby.
"Yeah." Demyx started to speculate, "Maybe they gave you a break since its your first game?"
"They would know that?" Roxas blinked in surprise.
That look from the Wonder Chef's café returned to Demyx's eyes. "Dude," he murmured seriously, "computers know everything. I'm telling you," he pointed to his own head and mouthed, "brain-washing."
A pit dropped in Roxas's stomach.
"Did you get the card?" Zelos inquired as they approached. Roxas nodded and handed him the card. Zelos started to insert it into its slot when his eyes suddenly widened. "This... is a card for an official game."
Roxas had no idea what that implicated, but got a bad feeling from the way Demyx winced and Seifer whooped.
"That must be why there are all these people," Roxas overheard Demyx mutter. "It must be an official game day and the guy at the counter just assumed that's what you wanted."
Roxas wanted to understand, but apparently his confusion continued to show on his face.
Zelos sighed and explained, "There are two types of games. Official and unofficial. Unofficial games are considered like practice games- they don't go on record. Official games, on the other hand, make up a player's status in the Angelic Layer world. Kind of like a permanent record." Then, so Roxas would really understand, "Not a smart move for someone's first try. Your record is clean right now, but your first game determines a lot. This is a pretty risky move."
Roxas wanted to explain that this was not him trying to be cocky, that instead this was just a misunderstanding,when Demyx decided to put in, "Don't worry about it. Roxas will be fine. He'll cream this guy, no problem."
Seifer only laughed, "It's fine by me if you want to put your humiliation on record. Another victory will only help mine."
Zelos looked to Roxas for the final decision and the blond felt himself nod. He was starting to become less and less confident. The red-head pushed in the card and there was no turning back.
Brother and sister took their places on the sidelines while Seifer seated himself on one end of the table in a big white chair. When Demyx started to follow Roxas to his side, however, Seifer began to protest. "What do you think you're doing?" he cried. "It's just deus and angel from this point out."
Demyx snorted, "This is the guy's first time. I'm just gonna help with the mechanics."
The idea sounded logical and Roxas was relieved when Seifer grudgingly agreed. As Roxas sat down upon his own white chair, Demyx flipped him a thumbs-up. A man didn't leave a friend's side in combat, no matter what.
It was time for the duel to commence.
Seifer settled upon his head a headgear that had a screen go across the eyes and when a button was pushed on the side, three white metal tips that looked like feathers suddenly propped up. Something glimmered across the eye screen and the table lit up, transforming into a layer. Zelos, as the stand-in referee, declared, "Enter the angels!"
Seifer stood up and held up his angel. "A knight and his lady," he declared. Swinging his arm back, he threw the doll forward. "Go Riona! The angel descends!" As the small body pierced through the column of light, it suddenly became animated. With a back-flip and a twirl, Riona landed lightly on her feet, casually flicking back strands of dark brown hair.
A tiny part inside Roxas was snickering like made. What was with this display? A poke in his side reminded him that this was not the right time. Turning to Demyx, he asked, "What was that?"
"Battle cry," Demyx shrugged. His demeanor was strangely serious, something Roxas was used to seeing only when discussing his conspiratorial theories. "You'll have to do one too. Nothing fancy for right now, but you have to at least announce your angel's name as well as the part Seifer said at the end. But first..." he grabbed hold of Roxas's own headgear and shoved it onto him. Roxas's vision suddenly turned pink from the eye screen. "You need your headgear and... let me turn it on for you..." The button on the side was pushed and Roxas felt the metal tips push up through his hair.
His gaze was suddenly focused in on the Layer surface, details of Riona becoming clearer. The layer seemed so big now! On the bottom and top of the screen were ruling measurements as well as a depiction on the left of what Sora's condition was. Numerous other options along the sides gave the impression- though Roxas didn't know it- of playing a videogame through first-person perspective.
"The screen is mind operated," Demyx's voice instructed. With Roxas's side vision cut off it was hard to see him. "You only have to think it to see what it is you need. You'll get familiar with it and your options soon enough. But no time for that now. You have to enter your angel."
"Enter?" Roxas swallowed silently.
"Throw him in," Demyx insisted.
"Right," Roxas breathed, staring down at his angel. Throw Sora? It was counter-intuitive to do so, but seeing as an angel was animated once they entered the layer, Sora should be alright. His heart was beating so hard in his ears that he swore that he could feel the doll pulsating in his hands. Feeling slightly silly, he cried, "Go Sora! The angel descends!" A swing of his arm and Sora was tossed toward the layer.
Again, that small body pierced through the column of light. However, instead of moving on his own, Sora proceeded to flop onto the ground face-down. He didn't stir.
There was a very long awkward pause.
Roxas turned to Demyx, "He's not standing."
Demyx slapped his forehead. "Of course he's not standing!" he cried. "You have to make him stand!"
"What?" Roxas staggered. How was he supposed to do that?
"Use your brain!" Demyx tried to coach, though he was growing frustrated. "Focus your brain and make him stand up! I thought everyone at least had that down."
"Well, not everyone does!" Roxas ground his teeth.
"I thought everyone did," Demyx retorted, feeling a bit defensive.
Roxas found himself shouting, "Well, excuse me for being a country hick!"
"Gentlemen," Zelos's voice cut-in pointedly. "If we could continue the game?"
Both Roxas and Demyx blushed in embarrassment and turned their attention back to the table where Sora was still becoming well-acquainted with the ground. Demyx placed a reassuring hand on Roxas's shoulder in way of an apology and Roxas cocked his head, ready to listen and thus accepting it. They continued on faultlessly.
"Just picture it," Demyx rephrased his previous command. "Picture it clearly and precisely in your mind. Sora standing up. Concentrate."
'Concentrate..' Roxas echoed in his mind as he closed his eyes. 'Concentrate.' Sora standing... but what would that look like? With his mind's eye, he drew as precise a picture as he could. Two feet on the ground, solidly encased in those two big shoes. Shoulders a bit forward with a touch of incorrect posture. Sora was just a kid, after all, and would be too laid-back and care-free. But there he would still stand tall, proud and confident. Fists clenched loosely at the side, ready but not threatening. Yes, there was Sora. The image was so concentrated in his head that Roxas was incredibly disappointed when he opened his eyes to see Sora still laying there like a doll.
"Keep concentrating," Demyx suggested, but Zelos's usual drawl cut-in.
"You have to make him get up first."
Two pairs of eyes swung over to look at the red-head. Zelos continued in his now usual lecture-mode, "No matter how strongly you want to stand or move forward, you have to first pick yourself off the ground." He raised a sleek eyebrow. "It's basic logic isn't it?"
Roxas felt the words sink in. It was basic logic. Sora was stuck on the ground- stuck in place- so first he had to lift himself up. Using his own strength and no one else's. But, strangely enough, Roxas wasn't worried. Because Sora was supposed to be strong. Strong in a way he could never be.
He closed his eyes once more. 'It's ok, Sora,' he thought. 'I may be stuck as someone I don't want to be... but through you, I will gain that strength. So please... stand up..'
Standing up.
Placing your own two hands steadily against the ground and lifting up your face. Getting to your knees because you had to first crawl before you could walk. Move one foot forward- don't forget to balance. Balance was important, essential. One hand poised atop a knee and you have to push. Just as you were pushed into the world, so you must push yourself to face it. Then your hands are free and the other foot comes to join its partner. It's alright if you stagger. Remember to balance and remember your own strength. It's ok if you feel like you're going to fall. Falling reminds you of why it's so important to stand. There you are. You can lift your head and the steady feeling in your legs means you can go anywhere.
This time when Roxas opened his eyes, there was Sora standing tall- just as he had always imagined.
There... now they could move forward.
"He stood up!" cried one spectator that had stopped to watch.
"Finally!" laughed his friend. "I was starting to worry that this match will never start!"
Namine let out a breath of relief, "He did it."
"Yep," nodded Zelos. "Now, he's ready." He raised up an arm. "Now," he announced, bringing the arm down sharply, "Angelic... Fight!"
With one arch of her right hand, a keyblade shaped like a magician's staff appeared in Riona's grasp. In the next moment, she was charging forward- and quickly.
"Don't just stand there!" Demyx nudged him. "Make Sora move!"
Move? Roxas didn't really think, just focused everything he had in making Sora do what was needed.
Just as Riona stood before Sora and brought her staff around, Sora dodged quickly to the right, his dash ending in a roll. He quickly propped himself on his knees, blue eyes carefully watching for Riona's next move. Placing her weight on the ball of her right foot, she spun around sharply, driving her staff down in several sharp thrusts. While she appeared to be poetry in motion, Sora just tumbled heels over head clumsily trying to get out of the way. So far he managed to get by with only scrapes, but people observed the whole scene awkwardly.
"What are you doing?" Demyx wondered aloud, confused as anyone.
Roxas just gritted his teeth and focused.
With a desperate spring of his legs, Sora finally managed to put some distance between him and Riona. This caused Riona to lunge a little too far and she stumbled. Seizing his change, Sora quickly rose to his feet- but without a keyblade he was still at a dreadful disadvantage.
'I have to attack,' Roxas realized in frustration. 'But how?'
Riona quickly regained her footing and turned it into a lunge. Swinging back the keyblade, she swiped it forward with one hand. The blow was so fast Sora had no chance of dodging it. He was struck hard in the side. Vision going blank for a moment, he was unable to see the two extra blows coming. The blade hit him like a club, on the shoulder and on one arm. Sora, in pain, stumbled back, his mouth open in silent pain. The two big shoes tripped over one another and Sora landed down on his rump. Instinctively, he turned on his side to hug his ribs. The determined gaze still looking through those sharp, brown bangs, however, proved that he had not yet given up. If only he could get a keyblade of his own...
'Attack,' the word resounded in Roxas's head like a mantra. Unfortunately, he was still unsure of how to go about that. Every ounce of his attention was focused in on keeping Sora out of harm's way so there was no chance of turning to Demyx for help. That would waste valuable time. But Sora wouldn't last much longer. The screen in front of his eyes was flashing the numerous damage points he was suffering. 'What to do... what to do..?'
"C'mon Roxas!" Demyx suddenly cheered from his side. Roxas started. Though he could not turn to see his friend, he could almost see the wide grin he was sure the guitar player was sporting "Oops! I mean- go Sora! You can do it!"
Someone was cheering for him... how odd was that? Roxas wasn't sure what to feel. There was a twist in his stomach that echoed in his heart and he wondered if perhaps he were coming down sick.
Suddenly, Namine's voice, "You can do it, Sora! Don't give up!"
Their voices, though only two amongst a crowd, lifted his heart. Never before had his heart been so full and yet felt so light. Suddenly it wasn't just for himself that he wanted to be strong.
And that's when Roxas knew what to do.
Outside, a sleek, black motorcycle pulled into a parking space and came to a stop. The rider- clothed in black leather pants and a trim black leather jacket- stopped the engine and kicking up the brace, pulled off his helmet to reveal long, jagged red hair. Green eyes, marked by two purple marks underneath, looked up toward the balcony. No recognition came into those eyes and his brow furrowed bemusedly. "Where are those two?" he wondered aloud, pulling off his jacket to reveal a tight black shirt. The shirt was equipped with a specially made pocket in which rested a silver-haired angel. Patting the pocket reassuringly, the red-head made his way inside.
Riona was once more charging forward, her keyblade ready. To everyone's surprise, Sora stood and charged right back at her. The two were on a crash collision course, but neither one was backing down. Just as they were about to hit, Riona made a leap into the air and swung the blade so as to bash Sora on the head. Sora quickly dropped down to one knee, the blade passing harmlessly overhead. At the same time, Roxas quickly sent the full warmth in his heart and concentrated it into Sora's hand. Those feelings solidified and a golden keyblade- much like the Champion's- materialized. The summoning was so fast that Sora's keyblade took up the little remaining room between his hand and the other angel's midriff, causing it to slam right into her gut. As Riona fell limply to the floor, Sora stumbled back and once more landed on his rear.
There was silence as the damage points were quickly totaled.
Riona's energy level had dropped down to zero.
Sora still had one and a half points left.
Zelos gestured victoriously over to Roxas, "The winner!" His voice was soon drowned out by the numerous cheers. Pulling off his head gear, Roxas was amazed to see how many people had gathered around to watch the match. Luckily, he was in too much shock to feel self-conscious.
'I... I won...' the thought was bizarre to him. He gazed at Sora with wonder. 'I summoned the keyblade... and won.'
He was jolted aware as Demyx quickly engulfed him in a hug, cheering loudly in his ear, "You did it, you did it! I knew it! I knew it all along! Ha ha!" The guitar player proceeded to ruffle the smaller boy's hair with his fist, proclaiming various expressions of pride. "That was genius man! To summon the keyblade and use the momentum like that! Genius!"
"Roxas!" Namine cried, hurrying over to his side. Smiling brightly, she congratulated him. "You did it! You did it! Great job!"
Pushing one of Demyx's arms away so that he could breathe, Roxas couldn't help but smile back, "Thanks, Namine."
The girl blushed prettily.
Zelos strode over more casually. "Not bad," he commented, "for a beginner." A corner of his lips twitched upward in a playful smirk.
"Glad you think so," Roxas just shook his head. Then, carefully, he gathered Sora into his hands. Their first win. Their first step forward.
"Well, well," the red-head in leather murmured to himself, crossing his arms. He had come in time to see the finishing move of the match and had to admit that he was actually impressed. Observing his two siblings make their way over to the winner, he couldn't help but become more curious. "Who's this new kid in town? Roxas?" He glanced down at the silver-haired angel in his pocket. "Looks like things are going to get interesting. Don't you think... Riku?"
NEXT TIME:
Roxas makes a new friend of Axel, the high school idol. Isn't this great, Roxas? You get to be taken under someone's wing! But, uh, what's with this strange way of practicing? And it turns out Axel isn't the only great deus Roxas catches the attention of.
Chapter Three: Fire and Land- Enter Axel and Riku!
For Kit Kat,
Thanks for letting me borrow the Angelic Layer DVDs for reference,
and
for CessoResito,
For educating me in the way of modern coffee and making this story possible.