Chapter Three: The Reunion of Lost Souls.
Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.
A warning cry echoes across the mind of a fifteen-year-old boy as he wanders through a sort of dream-like space, full of colors, memories and feelings not at all his own. He sees the face of a girl, his age, with black hair and lavender eyes, sitting on a picnic bench and screaming his name, before everything goes black again.
Where am I?
Who am I?
Danny, look out!
Danny? Is that my name? No…that…that doesn't sound right…
Daniel Fenton, get over here this instant!
Another image, this time of a teenage girl slightly older than himself with orange hair, and bright blue eyes. She looks mad, and shakes her fist angrily at him…no, not him. The person who these memories belong to.
But, if they're not my memories, why can I see them? What's happening?
The image of the girl fades, followed by a series of other ones, all equally confusing, and not belonging to him. None of them present him with any answers.
Dalenix…
Huh? Is that…are you calling me? Is that me?
Dalenix….you…wake….up….
A light blinks into view, but it seems so far away, almost too far to reach. The boy squints, looking directly at it and trying to reach out. The words come again, but are distorted and make a broken sentence.
I…I can't understand you. What…what's going on?
Dalenix, it's your time to wake up!
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Suddenly, a boy bolts up in bed, his unruly dark brown hair thick with sweat. He looks around the small room, his eyes scanning the posters plastered about the walls. It's dark out, moonlight dancing on the white walls that aren't covered by paper.
"Ugh, that nightmare again," he growls, slamming a fist onto his mattress.
"Aw, c'mon, Dalenix, it was the base of our first meeting, remember?" a sweet voice asks, and he looks up to see a girl with shoulder-length dark brown hair, who wears a simple black dress, step in through a tiny portal of dark magic. "You wandered about the darkness until me and Naminé found you."
"Yeah…," Dalenix nods, shuddering as he remembers drifting about the darkness for such a long time. In reality, it was a day after his other self lost his heart, but…to him it seemed like so much longer. "Thank you, Haruka, for saving me from that…hell."
"Well, it's kind of my job," she smiles, sitting on the edge of his bed as a small black cat with orange highlights leaps into her lap, purring loudly as it rubs affectionately against her hand. "Isn't that right, little adorable Katryxna?"
"Little? Adorable?" Dalenix scoffs. "In the week since my Naming, I have never know Kat to be little or adorable."
The cat sitting on Haruka's lap turns to face him, her soft green eyes turning bright red as all the fur on her back raises, flashing all sorts of different colors. She hisses loudly, her sharp teeth growing into fangs.
"See!" he cries, padding backwards on his mattress and pointing at the cat.
"Heh, calm down Kat," the brunette giggles. "Dalenix is just in a bad mood."
"Yeah, because he got woken up by an annoying nightmare," the boy huffs, rolling his eyes.
"Don't worry, it'll go away soon. The memories only seem to hang around and haunt for the first week or so," Haruka smiles warmly.
"How would you know?" he frowns. "You've been here the same amount of time as me!"
"True," she nods. "But me and Naminé were talking to Demyx about it, and he said it was a week or so before his memories stopped giving him nightmares."
"What about Roxas?" Dalenix asks. "He had his for way longer…and so did Naminé."
"That's right. But don't forget…," she smiles, pointing a reminding finger at the boy. "…they're special. Just like us."
"Yeah…," he sighs. "Our Somebodies are still out there, alive and kicking."
"And giving us hope…of something….better than all this," Haruka states, waving her hand in the general direction of the room.
"What's wrong with my room?" Dalenix frowns.
"Not the rrrrroom," Katryxna yawns, stretching on the girl's lap. "That was obvious."
"Being in Organization XIII," Haruka clarifies, seeing as Dalenix remains perplexed even after the talking cat-demon subtly insulted him. "Being a part of this…plan to bring down the pure-hearted people across the Planets."
"Oh…," Dalenix sighs, finding sincerity and truth in her pale lavender eyes.
"Our Somebodies are part of those pure-hearts. As well as Roxas and Naminé's and…and the Somebodies of just about everyone in the Org!"
"Don't forget," Dalenix reminds her, reaching out to place a hand on her arm. "Not all of the Organization members were able to restore their Somebodies upon Kingdom Hearts being unlocked, remember? There were only a few."
"Right…anyone higher up then Number VII was not able to return their memories to their Somebodies, and are all that is left," Haruka sighs sadly.
"Don't you mean lower?" Dalenix chuckles, making Haruka frown. "They're higher up in authority ranking, but their numbers are lower."
"Oh!" she nods, giggling as her cheeks turn pink. "Right!"
"Yeah…Axel's just at the brink of those who can…who can feel for themselves. Who don't have the memories and thoughts of their Somebodies clouding their heads," Dalenix muses. "Then there's Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Roxas, Naminé, you and me."
"Thank you for explaining that to me all over again," Haruka giggles, and the boy realizes he's said it all out loud. His cheeks turn pink, and he smiles goofily.
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"This stuff is awesome!" Dalenix grins, swinging his legs against the brick of the clock tower as he stares down at the sunrise-glazed Twilight Town. He happily licks away at a light blue Popsicle of Sea Salt Ice Cream.
"Yeah, I've missed it," Roxas agrees, remembering the countless time spent in Twilight Town with Hayner, Pence and Olette. "Only…none of it was ever real."
"Hey now," Axel nudges him with his elbow, offering a sympathetic smirk. "It wasn't all bad. We had some great times hanging out here, kid."
"Yeah, we did," Demyx nods, stretching back and sighing deeply. He suddenly snaps forward in order to stop his Sea Salt Ice Cream from falling over the edge. "Phew…"
"Hang on…," Dalenix frowns, going over the stories in his head that he's heard from these three in the past week. "Demyx, I don't remember you being—"
"Shut up," the musician whines, making large puppy dog eyes. "Lemme at least pretend like I was part of their cool inner circle thing, okay?"
"Alright then," Dalenix chuckles, shaking his head.
"It's just…weird," Roxas continues, looking out at the town. "After DiZ put me in the simulated version of Twilight Town…I felt so at home, even if it was part of the program. But…all those memories…the Struggle battles, the secret spot, the sandlot, they're all still in my head."
"Wha' 'bout 'em?" Dalenix questions through a mouthful of ice cream.
"If I go into town now, and I go to the secret spot, or the sandlot…my friends won't know me," Roxas sighs, his feet swaying slowly over the edge. "Because the memories I have of them, are with the virtual version of them. The real people here, in Twilight Town, don't share those memories…"
"Well, that's why you have us," Demyx smiles, leaning forward to smile at the blonde. His goofy grin seems contagious, and soon Roxas, Dalenix and even Axel wear it as well, encouraged further when Demyx's leaning position causes light blue ice cream to fall from his Popsicle, creating tiny blotches on his jeans. "Aw, crap!"
"Heh, sucker," Axel grins, shaking his head of long red hair and looking up into the sky. "Alright, my turn for some self-pity and philosophy shit. Do any of you guys…remember what it was like? Well, actually, it's a dumb question seeing as two of you know very well who your Somebodies are…but…"
"I don't," Demyx sighs, and the redhead turns to him. "I don't remember it at all."
"Did you used to? Back when we…," Axel points to a spot on the left side of his crimson red t-shirt, under which beats a heart of his own. "Back when there was nothin' there?"
"I think I might've, for a bit," the dirty blonde shrugs, licking a finger and attempting to rub the ice cream out of his jeans. "But…after a while I just forgot about it. You?"
"No…," Axel shakes his head and Demyx's eyes widen. "For some reason…I can't remember anything. Not one bit. Not now, and not before as a Nobody, and…not even when I was first brought in."
"So how…how did you get your name?" Dalenix inquires, fully aware of the naming process of Nobodies. Somehow, when he'd been pulled from the darkness, he'd had a heart of sorts, so he wasn't a true Nobody. But…Xemnas had still declared he should be named like one. It had happened to Haruka too, the day before him.
"Dunno," the redhead shrugs. "Gonna hafta ask the big boss one of these days."
"Right," Roxas laughs. "Like that'll go over well. 'Boss, who was I before? Who's my Somebody?' 'Why do you want to know?! Are you planning on leaving to find him? I'm not letting you!'"
"Yeah, well, whose fault is that?" Axel teases, elbowing the blonde in the arm. "That right there is the price we all pay for you pissing him off the first time 'round and jumpin' ship. Now, he ain't ever gonna tell me and Larx about our Somebodies if we go asking."
"Wait, did you just say Larxene can't remember her Somebody either?" Demyx inquires, his eyes shinning with mischief. "Oh! Maybe you two were lovers before, who died to save one another, and refused to have the Heartless steal your love's identity, so you renamed yourselves! Oh, wouldn't that be amazing?"
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"Ah, disgusting, where do you come up with that crap, Naminé?" Larxene purses her lip as she, Naminé and Haruka walk around in the Twilight Town market, doing some pointless window shopping.
"Well, I think it would be romantic," Naminé states, smiling proudly. "Don't you, Haruka?"
"Um, I'm with Larxene on this one, it's a little over the top," Haruka grins sheepishly.
"Oh well," Naminé shrugs. "I'll keep my stories to myself next time."
"Thank god," Larxene mutters.
"You know, you could've just said no when we invited you to come shopping at the market," Haruka laughs, watching as the taller blonde leaps for the nearest bench, stopping to rest her aching feet.
"And stay in the mansion, with all the other male members of Organization XIII, until my brain turns into a sodden puddle of slime like theirs?" Larxene scoffs. "No thank you."
"Not all of them are like that!" Naminé assures the blonde, sitting next to her as Haruka seats herself on the other side.
"Yeah, Dalenix and Roxas are pretty smart!" Haruka puts in.
"Naturally," the older girl mutters, rolling her eyes. The two fifteen-year-old stare at her, dejected. "What? Oh please, like we don't all know why you two are sticking up for them. It's only natural for you to defend your hearts' desires."
"What?!" Both girls nearly fall off their seats, shocked. "Our hearts' desires?!"
"Yeah, that's what I said. What are you deaf?" Larxene grins wickedly, blowing a strand of blonde hair from her face. It's odd to have it down, rather than pressed back with two strands of bangs like normal, but Naminé and Haruka are quite fierce with their will on such things when they want to be. "And anyway, the whole 'not remembering my Somebody' thing, it really doesn't bother me."
"It doesn't?" Haruka frowns. "I'd be so annoyed if I didn't know!"
"Yeah, and that's the difference between me and you, kid," Larxene muses. "Among other things. Like me being kind of a Sadist, while you wouldn't hurt a fly. Neither of you would, actually."
"You know that that probably has to do with our Somebodies, right?" Naminé speaks up finally, her pale blue eyes shinning. "This means that, as odd as it is to say, your Somebody must've been kind of a Sadist as well!"
"And that's going to get me far…," Larxene chuckles, shaking her head. "Look, I'm fine not knowing who the heck died to create me in the beginning, and who they were. That means I can make my own decisions, and decide what I want to be, instead of following the path of my Somebody, or being influenced by them."
The two girls exchange glances, wondering if she means them, Dalenix and Roxas. They know that Larxene, much like Axel and Demyx, are aware that the four youngest members of the Org do not agree with the plans to bring way against the pure-hearted people.
"Not that I have anything against that," Larxene adds, seeing their look. The girls smile, looking back to her. "I've just…I've had a long time to think about my past self. I mean…I've had more than a friggen year here, all alone. And I finished caring a long time ago."
"You weren't alone the whole time," Naminé points out. "Just for a bit…wait…not even!"
"What's she talking about?" Haruka whispers, leaning closer to Larxene.
"Although some, like Marluxia, tease me for being the first of the Org that was killed, it isn't true," the blonde answers. "I was the first killed by Sora. Not out of all of us."
"Well, who died first then?" Haruka asks, her brow creasing in confusion.
"Vexen," Naminé states simply. "Killed by Axel."
"He…killed another Org member? How does that work?" the brunette inquires, and watches as an emotion she cannot place flashes across Larxene's face.
"Seems there's a bunch of things you can do when you're a traitor," Larxene laughs, but the sound is hollow, and dark. "Vexen died first, at Axel's hands. Then one by one, we were all dispatched by Sora or Riku. Myself, Marly, Lexaeus and Zexion were all a year before Sora completed Castle Oblivion and went to sleep. Afterwards…there was Demyx, Xaldin, Axel sacrificing himself to save Sora, Xigbar, Luxord, Saix, Roxas because he fully phased with Sora, as well as Naminé. And the Superior was last." (1)
"Wow…," Haruka breathes, taking it all in. Questions still burn fresh in her mind at the rising topic of Axel being a traitor, but she suppresses them for now.
"It was not his fault, you know," Naminé states suddenly, and the brunette frowns, the meaning of the blonde's words clearly lost on her. She looks up at Larxene, and she guesses that the older girl understands as she plays with a loose strand of her blonde hair, clearly trying to ignore Naminé. "He didn't mean for you to get hurt."
"I know that," Larxene snaps, dropping her hair and narrowing her eyes at the other girl like she'd insulted her. Then, her gaze softens and she sighs. "I know…"
"His plans were for Marluxia, not you," Naminé continues. "He meant to eliminate Number Eleven, because he was a threat to the Organization's conformity. You…you were caught up in the outcome."
"Because Marly used me like a shield in his plans with Sora," Larxene laughs hollowly again. "Yeah, I got that Red never meant to get me killed."
"Axel got you killed?" Haruka gasps.
"No!" both blondes yell at the same time, one sounding defensive and the other sounding worried that their friend should think such.
"He tried to get Marluxia killed, but my temper kinda got in the way, and Marly knew I wouldn't back down if he taunted my skills at fighting Sora," Larxene clarifies. "So I went after Sora, pissed him off, and…well…got killed."
"So, then, it's not Axel's fault?"
"No," Naminé smiles, shaking her head before she looks back at Larxene. "You—"
"Yes, I got that, thank you," the older blonde sighs, rolling her eyes. "I had a whole friggen year and more to come to that realization, okay?"
"I was going to say that he is afraid," Naminé reveals, and Larxene turns a confused eye towards her.
"Huh?"
"That is why he cannot tell you he is sorry," she goes on. "He is afraid that you'll hate him, and that you will never speak to him again, or try to kill him."
"Kind of hard when he avoids me like a plague, but sure, whatever," Larxene shrugs, acting as if Naminé's words don't strike any chords in her. "Look, if you and the scaredy-cat talk about these kinda things, tell him I don't blame him or something, alright?"
"You sure you can't just tell him yourself?" Naminé smiles.
"Now why would I want to do that?" Larxene snaps.
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"Mom, c'mon, you had a week, now I have to go!" Danny rolls his eyes as his mother grabs him in another choke-hold hug, eyes tearing up. "Mom!"
"I'm sorry, Danny, but it's not everyday your son tells you he's the Ghost Boy that's been saving our town for almost a year now!" Maddie Fenton sniffles, hugging her boy till he nearly suffocates.
"He normally prefers the term, "Ghost Teen", mom," Jazz laughs, just like everybody else gathered in the small Amity Park clearing.
A week ago, her brother and friends emerged from the Ghost Portal, looking defeated and a heavy shroud of despair following them. Then they'd told her what happened, about how the members from Organization XIII had stolen a whole bunch of Ghosts and that they'd been too late to stop them. Ember and Vlad had even teamed-up with them!!
Sora had then announced they'd have to leave and follow Xemnas and his Organization members in order to stop whatever they were planning. Feeling guilty about the Ghosts and knowing it was his job to bring them back, Danny declared he was going too.
That, had meant telling his parents the hardest thing he'd ever had to tell them. If he was leaving the Planet and would be gone for who knows how long, he wanted his parents to know, instead of having Jazz and his friends cover with some lame excuse.
Upon being told their son had been the Ghost Teen of Amity Park, Danny Phantom, for nearly a year now, the Fentons had freaked (Jack had almost considered going for his Fenton Foamer in hopes of removing the Ghost part of his son until Maddie stopped him).
And then, Danny had to explain he was leaving. Of course, this did not suit his mother, who protested fiercely. In the end, Sora helped him explain things, as did King Mickey (Jack got particularly Fenton Foamer-needing at this part) and eventually, it was decided they'd leave a week from then, Danny along for the ride.
So, here they were. The group that had come from another world a week ago on the trail of an evil Organization, along with Sam and her parents, Tucker and his parents, Jazz, Maddie, Jack, Dani, Wulf and even Valerie.
Why were the Mansons and Foleys here, you ask? Or, even, Valerie?
"We'll keep watch over Amity Park while you're gone, Danny," Valerie promises, one of her hands keeping a firm hold on Tucker's arm. Answer number one. (A/N, and how does this Valerie/Tucker thing happen? Meh, up to your imaginations or something. XD)
"Yeah, me, Valerie, Wulf and Dani have everything under control here," Jazz nods, before a cough behind her makes her grin sheepishly. "Oh, and mom and dad'll help too."
"I'm helping Danny!" the thirteen-year-old Dani jumps excitedly, jumping to her cousin's side.
"No," Danny shakes his head, and the girl's shoulders fall. "Dani, it's way too dangerous. You're not coming."
"But I'm half-ghost too!" Dani cries indignantly. "I can fight just like you!"
"I'll get Tuck to video tape it on his PDA for you or something, so you can feel you were there too," Sam promises the young girl, only to have Danny place a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "Excuse me? Danny, that better not be you telling me I can't go."
"Sam, you have to stay here because—"
"Yeah, dangerous, I got that," she snaps, her eyes narrowing. "And that's never stopped me in the year me and Tucker have been fighting Ghosts alongside you, why should it now?"
"Yeah!" Tucker agrees, nodding his head despite Valerie's tightening grip on his arm. "I mean, Danny, c'mon, why do you think our parents are here! They're seeing us off!"
"I...I…," Danny stammers, looking from one best friend to the other and their totally determined faces. A smile tugs at his lips, and finally, he gives in, sighing and nodding. Tucker and Sam give shouts of excitement, high-fiving one another.
Then, they hug their parents (Tucker gives Valerie a tight hug, and a kiss on the cheek as well), before going to stand beside their best friend. Sadly, Dani watches the two go from their group of people staying, to the group of people leaving.
She makes up her mind and strides over, much like Sam and Tucker, only to have Danny's hand push against her forehead and stop her movement. "Where do you think you're going?"
"With you," she states proudly. "I told you that already."
"Yeah, and I told you 'no'," he replies. This makes her pout and give him puppy dog eyes. He smirks, shaking his head. "Don't try, it's not gonna work this time."
"Aww, but…but…Danny!" she whines. "I don't wanna be left alone again!"
"You're not," Danny protest, motioning his head towards the group behind her. "You've got all of them."
"But…," Dani begins, leaning forward so that the group staying can't hear her. "You…you and Sam and Tucker…you're my best friends! And I don't wanna stay here without you guys!"
Danny smiles sympathetically, placing his hands on his cousin's shoulders, while someway behind him, the eyes of a certain silver-haired teen widen, a chord of recognition striking within his own heart.
"I promise you Dani, that I will be back as soon as this journey lets me, okay?" Danny swears, staring her right in the eyes. "But…who knows when it comes to Ghosts from the Ghost Zone, right?"
"Fine," the thirteen-year-old huffs, rolling her eyes. "I'll stay."
"Good," Danny grins, straightening himself up and ruffling her hair. "Wulf, you take care of her, alright?"
"Yes," the werewolf nods, grinning toothily.
"Alright, I think that means we're ready to go," Danny states, turning to Sora and the others with a sheepish grin. "Sorry it took so long."
"It's okay, I was like that with my best friend back home," Kairi smiles warmly, before clapping her hands together and looking around. "So, let's go then!"
She and Sora exchange glances before zooming off towards the Gummi Ship, racing one another. Donald, Goofy and King Mickey (after a thank you to those of Amity Park) follow, as well as Danny, Sam and Tucker after one last round of goodbyes.
Riku hangs back, his gaze lingering on Dani as her eyes water, before he too turns towards the Ship. The only difference between his entrance and those of his friends is that as Riku places his left foot on the bottom of the ramp, his right foot "accidentally" kicking a panel on the outside of the ship.
The panel pops open to reveal a small storage compartment and Riku pretends he doesn't notice this, getting aboard.
Dani, however, definitely notices and a large grin spreads across her face…
I thank the people who reviewed the FIRST chapter: Shining Zephyr, Permanent Chaos and Alexi. You guys are great. However, I post the third chapter today, in hopes of getting those who read the story (those nice little Stats pages DO show me how many hits I get per chapter) to REVIEW. I really like this story, and I look forward to writing it, but motivation dies out when it appears that no one reads. Seriously, Story Alerts are great, but, reviews are even better, even just a little "nice chapter" or "update soon! :)".
Thanks,
- Always.