NOTES FROM BAYO:
Updaaaate!
Sorry for the late chapter, everyone—I was completely at a loss at how I was going to write this. X3 But I'm so grateful for every one of your reviews… they helped me out a lot. ♥ Thanks so much!
I hope you enjoy this chapter; and please, REVIEW! It helps keep me updating. :'D
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Kingdom Hearts; I only own my characters and this 'ere plot. x3 Thank you.
Y N I T S E D ›› D E S T I N Y
. CHAPTER TWO .
The World That Never Was
The World That Never Was.
Each visit there made me paranoid, even if it was virtual reality. I never was a fan of the dark; in fact, I loathed it with a blazing passion. I never went anywhere that was too dark to see; I always had to have someone with me or I would make up a lie about my stomach hurting and stay in someplace that was brighter. I slept with a night-light, and even then I still had to have a stuffed animal or something for me to squeeze as I drifted off.
Call me a wuss or a baby, I don't really care for this matter. I. Did. Not. Like. Dark. End of story.
I thought about that on my trip with Roxas to The World That Never Was—the one world where everything was dark and there were weirdo's wandering the commonly deserted streets. We had only left an hour or so ago and I stood pacing back and forth in the cockpit, a worried look on my face. I was ecstatically excited—I wanted to see Axel in person, of course. But as soon as I stepped foot on the Gummi Ship, the reminder came back: The World That Never Was lived on moon-power.
How coincidental; this dream would become a nightmare for who knows how long.
I had tried to think of many other topics that would help cheer me up; for instance, the Gummi Ship. This was Sora's one and only Gummi Ship—the big, colorful, and fast space-mobile that carried inter-travelers to different worlds. It was a lot bigger than what I saw in the game; there was one small room in the back with a couple beds for the travelers, and the cockpit had plenty of space even with the three commanding chairs and a set of fancy, rainbow buttons that blinked blindingly all at once. Roxas was tapping them precisely and without hesitation. How did he do it?
Maybe I'd ask him someday, because right now, I wasn't in the mood.
My footsteps reoccurred rythmatically as I paced the echoing floor. Roxas told me that it would take about an hour and a half to two hours to get there. So far, one hour was up; it was only a matter of time until we landed and I'd have to wander around in a world that was all dark and scary and—
"Can you stop pacing? It's bothering me," Roxas asked from his chair, most of his attention and focus pointed toward the buttons. "Are you that anxious?"
I sighed, reluctantly halting. "I don't like dark places."
The blonde turned his head to glance at me. "Seriously?"
"Uh-huh."
"That stinks," he said, tinkering with the controls again, "We're gonna be going to a lot of dark places."
"So I've heard," I mumbled.
Chuckling softly, Roxas assured me, "Hey, remember what I said? I've got you covered."
I plopped into the chair next to his, not really in the mood to blush. "I guess."
"You don't sound very convinced."
"It must be your imagination," I shrugged. I stared ahead and into the billions of beautiful stars that lit the universe. It was amazing how close we were to them; I felt as if I could simply stretch out my hand grab a bunch of the sparkling little natural wonders. "You know, you never told me what happened to Sora."
I said the taboo word again. Roxas fell silent, and I glanced at him in the corner of my eye. "I… don't really understand what happened, but I saw it all," he started his story off. "It was Sora's sixteenth birthday. Everything had gone as it normally would; he talked, he opened presents, he ate… a lot… but that night, everything normal had flipped upside down again.
"We were sleeping, and I felt Sora get up around midnight. That was normal, too, because Sora usually woke up to get a snack or a drink or something; but while I tried to fall back asleep, I sensed alarm in his system that caused me to jerk awake too. When my eyes readjusted with his, I could see nothing but darkness—until I saw those eyes. They were bright, green eyes—Maleficent's eyes."
I gulped. Maleficent? And I thought she had finally seen the light… I guess I really can't expect evil Disney characters to go permanently nice.
Roxas continued, "Sora scrambled around to try to find something to defend himself with, but Maleficent cornered him. I expected her to start beating him into a little pulp, but she did something worse; she literally took his heart away." I saw his grip tighten on the steering wheel. "I only watched as she stabbed his chest with her hand and pulled out his heart. It was a heart that I've never seen before; unlike the usual shiny pink hearts, his was large and made of pure gold."
I nodded with a weak smile. "As expected of Sora…"
"His body started to grow limp, and as he fell, our bodies separated and I stood in his place, staring at his crumpled form. That was when I became a solid being. I acted fast. Maleficent had already created a portal and was about to walk into it until my appearance surprised her, so I knocked the heart from her hands and it fell into the void. That majorly PO'ed her, so she stole Sora's literally gray body from the ground and escaped through the portal. I have no idea where she went nor where she took his body; and that was when I left to talk to the King."
A few moments of silence passed between us before I finally sighed. "Wow."
"Yeah," Roxas agreed solemnly, his gaze firm. "My theory is that when Sora's heart fell into the portal, it landed in your 'world' and somehow connected him to you."
"But… why me?"
He shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe out of chance?"
I stared at my hands. Was that it? Was I just here out of pure luck? Was I really here, in Kingdom Hearts? It still hasn't registered in me that this wasn't a dream; but being here for so long already had me doubting. I wondered if I wanted it to be real or not.
"Now, I guess, the Organization's back and they're plotting something with Maleficent. My mission is to find out what that plot is, locate Sora's heart and body, and put them back together," Roxas added.
"But if you join his heart and body together again, you'll have to join him."
His reply was emotionless. "It's a part of life," he rolled his shoulders, "or what of it I have."
"You're enjoying it now, though, right? Being free again, I mean."
"In all honesty, I do," the blonde replied, "but it doesn't feel right anymore. I'm a part of someone else, and I always will be. No matter how much I want to be my own person, it'll never turn out that way… because Sora and I are one in the same."
I frowned; so he did want to be himself, still. I couldn't blame him; I'd think the same way. Silence wafted again, consisting of him pondering his own thoughts and me debating one thing: could Nobodies ever become their own person?
According to Kingdom Hearts logic, that was impossible. But this wasn't just a video game anymore… not to me, anyway. Even if this was a dream… or not. I didn't know anymore.
"We're almost there," Roxas announced, snapping me back to reality. "As you should know, the place is swarming with Nobodies; and I'm almost certain that there're no non-Nobodies roaming around. Just like how most worlds are anti-Nobody, The World That Never Was is probably anti-heart. You know what that means?"
"I have to make sure no one knows I'm not a Nobody?" I replied.
He nodded, and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "In a closet in the back is my old Organization coat. I thought I'd need it, so I grabbed it from the Headquarters back when Sora was on his last big trip. But I figured you'd need it more to blend in. People there usually wear dark stuff."
I looked down at myself and blinked. I was still in my bright purple pajamas. Definitely not dark and mysterious. "Aye aye, captain," I saluted, and trotted to the designated place.
It took a few minutes for me to find it, but eventually I had locked the door to an empty room and attempted to pull on the old uniform. The pants were a bit long and baggy, and the boots were humongous (what is it with men and big shoes?), but they were decent enough with the belt that came along with it. The jacket fit just fine, but the shoulders were a bit too broad and I still had a lot of room to spare.
Sora's necklace tolling softly as it thudded against the silver zipper, I tossed my long black hair over the hood and began to walk back out to Roxas. My gloved fingers paused on the knob and my eyes narrowed—I felt odd eyes staring me again, like at Disney Castle. I turned my head sharply. "Who's there?" I snapped.
Nothing answered.
My eyes narrowed suspiciously; I could've sworn I heard something move. And that presence I felt just now was only a little threatening…
Suddenly the ship jerked, and I yelped as I momentarily found my face planted on the hard, cold floor. Roxas's voice boomed over the intercom that I didn't know existed.
"Sorry 'bout that, Destiny! We entered the Key Hole—The World That Never Was is straight ahead."
Mumbling a string of words not meant for kids, I stumbled back to the control room with floor engravings marked on my face. Through the front window I saw it—the world encased in a dark fog that swirled dangerously as our dinky ship came nearer. I gripped on the back of Roxas's seat subconsciously.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Nah, just scared out of my skull."
"Oh, okay."
We entered the fog and I could immediately feel an unnaturally chilled breeze sweep into the ship. Roxas's grip on the wheel tightened again; I took that as my cue to get buckled up in a seat. It was a wise decision, because right when the seat belt clicked, the ship lurched again and I squealed as the belt held me back from bashing into the front window. The black smoke was like a turbulent wind; it rammed us to the side and then back again. Roxas was all business as he pressed on, fighting against the gust.
"Hang on tight!" he said to me.
"Understatement!" I replied, gripping onto the armrests for life.
Roxas slammed a big red button with his palm and resumed his grip on the wheel. The ship acted by jolting forward again; and in a few moments, out of the fog. We both stared wide-eyed at the calm, black sky inside the fog, and heavily sighed as our grips on our respected objects loosened. We were now floating harmlessly in space, the buzzing wind behind us continuing its protective barrier job.
"That was exciting," I commented, slouching in my seat.
"Can't live without it," Roxas replied, wiping sweat from his brow and tapping the acceleration lightly.
The rest of the trip was event-free, allowing us weary travelers to rest our hearts, minds, and blood vessels. The world became humongous in a little matter of time. Roxas told me that this world didn't have anywhere for Gummi Ships to land, so we decided on a small, secluded area in the outskirts. No one was out and everything was darker than usual, so that gave us assurance that nobody would coincidentally stumble upon it.
As soon as my first foot planted on the cement, I briefly remembered a very wise phrase before I stumbled to the ground: The first step's a doozy. I growled and stared forward, a disgruntled expression on my face. "The first thing I do when I get here is fall—that's bad luck…"
Roxas laughed and grabbed the back of my jacket, pulling me back up to my feet. A yelped in surprise; Roxas was stronger than his scrawny little body let on. "It's called 'jet lag'—everyone gets it. C'mon, let's go find Axel."
My face beamed with a smile at the mere mention of the name, and I bounded after the blonde as he disappeared down the streets. I stayed as close to him as I comfortably could, because I figured the area farthest away from the Organization Headquarters housed the most unwelcoming Nobodies. However, I could see nothing indicating life among the buildings or the streets. Everything was just… dark.
"Stay close," Roxas warned with a serious tone. "Monster Nobodies take up this space here. All the human Nobodies live closer to the Headquarters."
I gulped and happily obliged. "I-Is that so…?"
Roxas nodded absent-mindedly. "Yeah. But it's weird…" Those cerulean eyes gazed around thoughtfully, narrowed in concentration. They returned to their normal big, irresistible shape and I saw his tense posture loosen. "… All the Nobodies disappeared."
"Huh?" I asked, although I heard him loud and clear. That was why I felt nothing when we got here; I was afraid that we'd encounter fights, but at the same time, I wasn't really expecting any. Either way, I still walked close to him; it was getting dark(er), strengthening my main weakness.
The World That Never Was was not only dark—it was a freaking labyrinth. Roxas led me through every street and expertly turned where he needed to turn without pausing for any thought or hesitation. I gazed at the back of his head as he led me; how did he memorize this place if he was stuck in Sora's body? Did he regain his memories as an Organization member or something? Or was he really just doing this out of pure chance?
In about fifteen minutes we had finally walked into the lively area of the world. There were at least some forms of light: little lightbulbs and neon lights. It was here that Roxas and I saw the first Nobodies. They were normal residents of the city and walked around lifelessly, doing whatever. Little kids screeched and had street fights (for fun, I wonder?) in the alleys, adults bickered loudly among themselves—looking at it all reminded me a rogue, rebellious village.
"Whatever you do, don't look any of them in the eye," Roxas whispered to me. "Eyes are the door to your heart; if you make even a nanosecond of eye contact with any of them, tell me and run. Nobodies here hate people who have their hearts."
I gulped loudly. "W-Will do." That reduced me to basically walking with my eyes on the ground, never daring to stare at anything other than Roxas's feet for guidance. He looked back at me with sympathy, and gently took my hand—which I nervously clutched. "Do you know where Axel lives…?"
"No, but I have a good guess," he replied. I could hear the grin on his lips.
We wandered closer to the Headquarters, and the closer we got, the more Nobodies we met. Now dirty beggars lay poorly on the side of the streets, holding out broken cups and moaning for charity. I didn't look at any of them, but I wearily sniffed and fought all my will power to not risk my identity and give them what little I had. "It's sad…"
"I know."
We finally came upon a building, at which I was forced to look forward. It was a tall, dark-brick building with broken windows and lights behind them that fluttered on and off. An insecure wooden door led the way in, and a neon light that dubbed the place as a 'Hotel' shined in a lime green. Roxas pulled me in. "He lives here?"
"I'm guessing so." He stepped up to the receptionist, who was a disheveled woman who was sorting files. "Does an 'Axel' live here?"
She looked up from her work and glared at the boy with bloodshot eyes. I quickly looked down when her eyes diverted to meet mine. I was guessing she was suffering a major headache right then because she growled and grabbed a binder from the rack next to her, silently shuffling through it. "… Room 56."
"Thanks," Roxas quickly replied, his hold on my hand firm as he tugged me to the hallway. I could feel the lady's eyes on my back as we walked away.
As soon as we turned a corner, I gasped and leaned on the wall, releasing Roxas's hand. "That lady was freaky."
"She must've had a hangover," Roxas shrugged, looking down at my crumpling form with a frown. "You okay?"
"I'll be fine…" I sighed, straightening myself up and looking around. "Is Room 56 around here?" All of these rooms were in their forties or fifties, I saw. The carpet that lined the floor was dirty and in need of serious cleaning; and the wallpaper on the walls was slowly decaying or scratching off. Some parts just hung off drastically—a sign of a physical squabble.
"It's right here," Roxas said, standing in front of a door a little ways away from me. The numbers '56' was in scratchy bronze, and I gulped as the blonde firmly knocked on it. I stood close to him.
I could hear an irritated 'I paid my rent!' from inside, before the wooden door spilled splinters as it was pulled open. We gazed up to meet with a pair of bright emerald eyes that stared back at us, dumbfounded.
Roxas smirked. "Long time no see, Axel."
A/N: Ooooh yeah! Axel's in dah hoouuuse! X3 Next chapter is when they all talk and… something happens! Oh my! Review and tune in to find out what that 'something' is!
Reviews:
Liah Cauthon: Actually, I'm gonna name my girl that, too. xD 'Kairi'!
Hatake Umino Nezumi: Thanks! I love Kingdom Hearts and Roxas and Axel too! They're my favorites. X3 Thanks for the review!
Xellossity: :'D Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me. nn Yes, I know what you mean; I read most of these kinds of stories and laugh bitterly at fangirlisms. I just hope Destiny isn't reduced to such acts. xD That idea of prejudice between Nobodies and Humans was a mere spur of the moment thought; I was just thinking it'd make sense that it would be true. X3 Thanks for specifically commenting on that! Thanks a bunch for the review!
ChibiChibi Love: xD Thanks, and sure thing! Here's the chapter. x3
Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever: xD Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that Destiny isn't coming on as a Mary-Sue to anyone so far. :'D
Mist Faerie93: Thanks a bunch! x3 If you're interested, I just made a Bleach one, too. xP
Keep sending them in, everyone! I love hearing from you, and I'll try my best to update soon! X3
-- Bayo-Bayo, signing out!