With a start he jerks up. He looks around, wondering where he is.
He's sitting on a clocktower, warm cement beneath him…Twilight Town.
The sky had never looked so beautiful to him.
"Roxas? Hello?"
Such a familiar voice…
"Axel? Am I dreaming?"
"Of course. Why else would we be here?"
They are silent for a beat as they look at each other.
"The Organization thinks you're dead. I told them I killed you."
"That's good. Now I don't have to worry about Xigbar chasing after me…"
He tries to smile.
"…Hey, are you alright? Wherever you are?"
He thinks of Cloud.
"Yeah. I think I am."
Roxas sighs, wiping the sweat off his face. He had been back in Twilight Town, back with Axel, and everything…
Everything seemed alright.
He never knew how much he really missed that place until now. He never knew that he missed that clock tower (despite the fact that he had always been a little freaked out by the height), he never knew he missed that warm heat that had used to bug him, he never knew he missed…
…Everything.
If only he could go back.
He can imagine it now. He would go back to the usual spot, and everything would be like it always was. Hayner would pounce on him for being late while Pence and Olette watched amusedly in the background. Then Hayner would drag him to the Landlady, where he would force him to apologize for being missing. They would play tricks on Seifer and his group, struggle through the homework together while begging Pence and Olette for help, eat sea-salt ice cream, maybe even go to the beach…
A sigh.
If only.
But he knows the truth.
He knows that if he went to Twilight Town...
...they wouldn't even know him.
He had nothing left.
With a resigned sigh, he opens his eyes and gets up.
When he comes down, he finds Aerith and Cloud at the table. Aerith looks up from her flower arranging and smiles while Cloud gives a short glance of acknowledgement before going back to sipping his tea, his eyes narrowed in a zombie-like state of awareness.
"Good morning Roxas! Ready for your first day of work?"
Figures that Aerith would be this bright and cheerful so early in the morning. Truthfully, he honestly wants to say "NO" and go back to sleep.
Instead, he merely attempts for a smile.
"Yeah…I hope…"
Aerith stops what she's doing and goes up to ruffle his hair. (Roxas wonders if Aerith is naturally oblivious to everything around her or if she is perceptively ignorant)
"Don't worry…If anything happens, I can always tell you some embarrassing stories about Cloud to cheer you up."
Roxas glances a look towards Cloud, who looks like he's about to fall asleep in his tea. He lets out a little snort, and somehow feels a little better.
"Thanks, Aerith."
Aerith merely waves off his thanks off.
"Do your best, okay? Now, here have some breakfast. Leon says he'll talk with you about what's going on after you finish."
Roxas nods his thanks as he takes his plate of pancakes. He eats quietly, letting the silence wash over him. Aerith hums quietly, moving back and forth from the kitchen doing little errands.
Time passes by.
Cloud stands up, his eyes slightly more sober and alert than before, and walks out.
Time passes by.
Yuffie stumbles down, Cid following her a little while after. They seem to glare at everything in their half-awake state.
Time passes by.
Roxas gets up, his plate finished and brings it to the sink, where Aerith is in the middle of washing dishes merrily.
Somehow, it seemed like eternity had passed in those few minutes.
He stands in front of the door.
Somehow, he feels like opening that door will irreversibly change his life.
Reach. Grab. Turn.
With a sigh, he pushes the door open.
"…We've been having some trouble."
Cloud's already there (obviously), sitting with Leon.
"Trouble?"
"Yeah…I'll show the two of you when…Oh, Roxas, you're here, good." Leon stands. "Here, follow me to the bailey."
"…We want to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be. Who
knows—maybe even something better. There's still a lot to do, but I'm sure we
can handle everything—Except...for that..."
And Leon stops, showing them the view.
Below, two silver beings are seen floating, wiggling, jumping, seeming to defy the laws of gravity.
Cloud narrows his eyes.
"What are they? They...feel familiar."
"We don't know. They just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and we've been unable to destroy them. Because of that, we can't get anywhere with the reconstruction…Roxas? Are you okay?"
Dusks. The dusks were…here?
Roxas looks up, suddenly noticing Cloud and Leon looking at him strangely.
"A-ah, yeah…I'm fine."
He had agreed to stay here. (He had no where else to go)
He had agreed to help rebuild Hollow Bastion. (He wanted to be helpful.)
He had left the Organization such a long time ago… (He wanted to find "himself".)
But he didn't think that it'd follow him everywhere.
Traitor.
The sudden thought leaves a bitter imprint in his mind.
Cloud's voice snaps Roxas' out of his thoughts.
"Leon…Give Roxas the day off. I'll handle his part."
Roxas' head snaps up, his eyes darting from Cloud to Leon.
"Wait—"
"Alright. Better be ready for a hard day of work." Leon says with a smirk. "Roxas, go back."
"But, I'm fine—Ow!"
Roxas rubs the spot where Cloud poked his forehead.
"You're not needed here. Go." Cloud prompts.
Roxas hesitates, and looks away.
He felt awkward. He felt useless. He felt annoyed that he was actually considering this.
And he felt that this is exactly what he wanted,
He looks back at Cloud.
"You better not regret this later." He warns, giving Cloud a stern look.
Cloud nods, giving a small smile.
As Roxas walks awaky, he finds himself oddly thankful.
Cid calls out a greeting as Roxas comes in.
"Roxas, running away from Leon, eh? Don't worry, I won't tell him that you're here."
Roxas gives a soft 'thanks', before walking on. In the hallway, he meets Aerith.
"Hmm? Roxas? Why are you here?"
"I…wasn't feeling well." He explains weakly.
Aerith immediately snaps into action, placing a hand on his forehead.
"Oh, not you too! Yuffie must have spread her fever to you…"
Roxas tries to reassure Aerith.
"No…It's more like…mental illness."
Smooth talking Roxas, back in action.
He tries to fix his words.
"I mean…! Well, everything's changing and it's…kinda getting to me."
Aerith nods understandingly, and thankfully, doesn't question any further.
"Alright then, how about we keep your mind off things, and make Yuffie some soup?"
"Wait, Aerith, don't put in...!"
"Eh? But the recipe says to add some salt…"
"…Aerith, that's flour."
"Hmm? Oh, it is! Well, salt and flour do look alike. Alright, let's put some salt in!"
"Ah—No! That's sugar!"
"…Right. Silly me…eheheheh…"
"Here, let me do it…Wait, you don't add salt for another three steps!"
In the end, Roxas ended up making the soup by himself while Aerith went to pick some flowers for Yuffie.
"Maah, Roxas, the soup looks so good. How do you do it?" Aerith marvels, as she uncovers the steaming pot.
I actually read the directions.
"Ah…It was nothing," He says sheepishly. Aerith just gives him a look.
"Now now, don't be modest. Here, take this to Yuffie." She says, handing him a boul of soup and some flowers.
"M-me? Why not you?"
Aerith smiles—wait, smirks.
It was quite the scary expression.
"But I'm so busy." Aerith says cheerfully and gives him a wink. "Go on, take it to her."
He really did not like the implications Aerith was giving out.
Roxas really hated how he was so easily manipulated.
He stands outside Yuffie's door. He could imagine what the gang would say to him at the moment.
Hayner: "C'mon, Roxas, be a man."
Olette: "Aww…Roxas, you're so funny when you're shy. Don't worry, girls like that.
Pence: Hehe…You're in a tough situation, aren't you? Well, good luck with that.
He sighs. Was he so sad that he had to rely on voices in his head (who couldn't even give decent advice)? Taking a deep breath, he decides to get on with it, and enters.
"Aerith, I told you, I'm fiiiine—Oh, it's you."
What a welcome.
Yuffie sits on her bed, glaring at him. Was it him, or did she always seem to be in a bad mood?
"Yeah…" He says, not really sure what to say.
He puts the soup on the bedside table, the flowers laid right beside it.
"Er…I made the soup, so I think it should be fine…" He says hesitantly. A pause. Then he adds, "…And the flowers are from Aerith."
She continues to glare, scrutinizing him.
"…Right. I'll tell Aerith you said 'thanks'." He continues talking to fill up the silence.
Now…for a quick exit…
"Oi, wait." Comes Yuffie's demanding voice.
…or not.
Grab—Flop.
And Roxas somehow finds himself pulled onto the edge of her bed.
"Look at me. Do I look sick to you?"
(Define sick.)
Roxas glances over, not really sure exactly what's he's looking for.
"…No?"
"Exactly! I don't look sick, cause I'm not! I don't see the reasoning behind her forcing me into bed and all. It's wrong, it's inhumane, it's unfair and Leon's going to think I'm all weak! He might even send me back to Traverse Town, that beast! Or even worse, make me stay at home with Aerith and cook…"
She lets out a frustrated groan and glares at her blanket.
"…Are you done?" The words are out of his mouth before he knows it. He immediately shuts up and vows not to say anymore.
"I mean…"
Too late.
(Urgh. Did he have to be such a social reject?)
"…Well, cooking with Aerith isn't that bad." He attempts to rectify his earlier words.
(And so, he lies through his teeth.)
She continues to give him an incredulous look. (Yet she somehow seems amused at the same, the way her mouth twitched upwards every few seconds, the way her eyebrow raised, the way her eyes were glittering…Greeeat. People, meet Roxas, social reject who doubles as a sick person entertainer when he can't shut up.)
"And besides, I'm sure Aerith has a decent reason to keep you here…"
He moves closer to her, and puts his hand on her forehead. Yuffie frowns, seeming to suddenly shrink away.
"See? You do have a fever." He says simply, taking his hand away.
Yuffie pouts.
"But I feel fine." She whines.
Aerith was the one who put him up to this. Aerith was the one who wanted him to keep this girl company.
…And suddenly, he gets an idea.
He feels a smile blossoming on his face.
"Well then…why not use this time to plot out revenge?"
"Hey, I saw a strange guy out there near the crystal caverns on my watch. He was mumbling to himself…something about "nobodies" or something." Tifa looks around. "Do you know him?"
Aerith frowns.
"I don't think so. What did he look like?"
Tifa scratches her head, trying to remember.
"Mm…Well, he had this really weird hairstyle…I think it's called a mullet, or something? Actually, he kind of reminded me of you, Roxas."
Roxas looks up from his dinner.
"Me?"
(…who could it be…who could it be…mullet…wait…)
"I'll check it out later." Leon says. Roxas stands up.
"It's okay, I'll go look now." He says. "I'm full anyway."
He goes out of the room before he can hear any protests.
Nobodies…mullet…looks like him…
He runs so fast that he can practically hear the time whizzing by him.
It couldn't possibly be…
Everything passes by him in a flash.
The postern…
The bailey…
And then he's there.
He can't believe his eyes.
"…Demyx?"
The man turns, his eyes wide with horror.
"Roxas?"
"Roxas…Axel is…dead."
AN: Tell me you did not see that coming. Seriously. Okay, I'm going on vacation tonight so I'm rushing to get this chapter done. Which means 1) No proof-reading and 2) No editing. Thus, you get decent-borderlining-on-sucky chapter. Enjoy.