A place of shadow, trees so thick that any scrap of the sun's light could make it though the twisted canopy looked like the smallest twinkle of stars. Even so, the wind seemed to run endlessly in the nooks and crannies, being shaped by the leafs and rattling the branches in such a way as to produce music like no mortal ear had ever heard. All of it centered around a single massive tree that's height would dwarf even the largest of man made structures with branches that covered the entire sky.
Inside of a hallow at the base of the tree was a large campfire that burned low to the ground, its flickering embers throwing shapes along the walls that danced in a way that was both beautiful and frightening. The smoke swirling into shapes as it moved out to the wall, trying to join the shadows in their dance only to disperse whenever they reached the edges of the hallow. The smell of pine filled the place as the logs burned.
Sitting upon a thrown made of twisted roots was a dark figure, hardly even noticeable in the shadows. That is, if it weren't for the fact that the man was... snoring. The deep and rough sounds of an bleating goat ruffled through the air, ruining the music and echoing about the hallow until it sounded like their were a thousand beasts running wild inside of it.
If you looked closely at the one who leaned against the shadow, you would realize that it was not the figure of a man at all; not entirely, anyways. A crown made of twisted reeds was placed on the figure's brow, held up by two short horns that protruded from his skull. Underneath a clothe kelt stuck out a pair of goat's hoofed legs that thumped the Earth occasionally as the person slept. A lion like mane of black hair covered his entire head and chin, nearly as tangled as the roots of the tree and about as filled with life as the light of fireflies flickered within it.
Thick hair covered his arms as well, and his chest and back hair more than their far share of hairs. One black nailed hand scratched disinterestedly at his chest as he slept, and considering the stupid grin on his face and the way his kilt was tenting upwards, one could guess the nature of the dreams. His snores were replaced by a horse giggling as he murmured sweet words that sounded tainted by his throaty voice. "My my... such a beautiful voice... and those eyes... I could just..."
The words stopped and the creature's eyes flew open as he shoot up in his thrown. The action was so sudden that he slide from his thrown and his butt hit the floor. "A crap! My tail!" The man bleated as he rubbed at the short goat's tail he had above his butt hole. "Not the best way to wake up..."
He pulled himself to his feet and his bones started to pop as he tried to stretch. "Oh damn... my head is killing me... that's the last time I get into a drinking contest with Dionysus. Boy, tell me... how long was I out?"
A large dog appeared in the opening of the hallow, one the size of a two story house with a shaggy black coat to match his master's hair. It gave a low grumble in response to the question.
"What!? Long enough for them to have declared me dead! Oh come on! That's just rude!" The man cried, stomping one of his hoofs in irritation. "Who has been spreading these horrible rumors about me!? It was Hapi wasn't it! That bastard has been saying all kinds of things about me ever since I relieved myself in the mouth of his precious river! To the Neitherworld with that prick!" He spat out the name as if it was a curse. Then he shook himself and gave a very goat like cry. "Baaaa, doesn't matter! I woke up just in time anyways! You can feel it too, can't you boy!? She's back, just like I always knew she would be!" The goat man was so excited that his trembling was disturbing the fire, causing it to grow.
"Oh my love, I have waited for you for so long so that our game my start again."
"You can't win Axel, its too on one!" Roxas said with a grin as he and Xion stared down the red haired man from one side of a foosball table.
"We'll see about that." Axel responded, holding up the small ball for the two to see before slipping it into the kick off slot. He gave it a bit of a push with his thumb, giving the ball some spin so that it would turn into his players.
As so as it hit the playing field, game play recommenced and they were flailing their pieces wildly at the ball, trying to score a goal. All the time they laughed and made competitive faces at one and other.
It was their first time ever in an arcade. They had seen a few on their various missions to other worlds. They had seen children laughing and playing inside of them. But as members of the Organization, they hadn't been allowed to make connect with normal people. Even Axel's sneaking off and buying of ice cream to eat on top of the clock tower had been against the rules.
Now having won their freedom, the three were completely drunk on each new experience. Just a bunch of kids getting their first taste of the world outside.
After all, both Xion and Roxas were hardly a year old and completely oblivious to the worlds and how societies functioned. At one point in time, Axel convinced them that money was something that came from dead Heartless. Innocent might not have been the right word since they were basically killing machines if you put a blade in their hands, but they were still young enough to have a child's wonder in their eyes.
As worldly and cleaver as Axel played himself up to be, he himself was only around six or seven years old, he wasn't quite sure which, since he didn't keep count of the days that had gone by like Roxas did. He had memories from the life of Lea to work from, but doing things himself felt so sweet.
For the three friends, life was sweet.
"So, what's next on the list?" Axel said as they walked from the arcade, his hands held behind his head and confidence in his step. There was no actual list, but even Roxas and Xion understood the expression.
"The beach!" Xion shouted. "I've always wanted to actually swim at one."
"The beach huh? Guess that means we will have to get some stuff to swim in." Axel said rubbing his chin.
"There are clothes for that?" Roxas asked, unfamiliar with the concept of swim wear.
"Yeah, unless you want to go to a nudest beach." Axel said with a grin, waiting for the question he knew was coming.
"What's nudest?" Sure enough, Xion asked the question.
"Someone who walks around outside, naked." Axel said, taking pleasure from the faces of the two younger members of the party as they blushed a bright red. "We can go if you want to swim right now."
"No! No that's good. We can get the clothes first." Xion and Roxas said together, shaking their heads as Axel laughed, continuing to walk along.
Xion and Roxas stood still for a moment in their embarrassment before running forward to catch up. "You know that wasn't every... nice... Axel?" Xion said, her last word coming out in a questioning tone as the three of them stopped and looked back the way that had came.
"You two feel that too, right?" Axel mumbled as his hands tightened into fist.
"Yeah... and there is a lot of it." Roxas said, shifting his feet to look back where they had been coming from. Distant sounds of disaster were coming closer; screams mixing in with the honking of horns. The sounds coming closer as the magical presence that they were feeling drew near.
Three large hounds bolted around a corner, rushing towards the group. The silver beasts were the size of cars and as they moved, the light of the sun reflected off of their fur, sending out rainbow like showers of light.
Roxas, Xion and Axel all shifted into diffensive stances as magic gathered around them, replacing their civilian clothes with the black coats of the Organization. Weapons flashed into their hands in blinding light and twisting fire; Axel with the Eternal Flames, Roxas holding the Oblivion, and the Oath Keeper in Xion's steady hands.
They prepared to intercept an attack from the beast, as they charged towards them, but rather than attacking, the hounds broke out of their run and started to circle the three.
"Great, they got us surrounded." Axel mumbled as his eyes went from one to another of the large hounds, each of them staring at the group with large silver eyes. Or at least, staring at one particular member of the group; Xion.
"What do you think they want?" Xion asked, trying her best not to retreat underneath the stares. She couldn't leave an opening.
"What ever it is, they aren't getting it." Roxas replied, preparing to rush in.
"At last, we have found you." The trio's eyes were dragged away from the hounds as a blond man who looked a few years older than Axel walked slowly towards them, a smile on his face as his golden eyes forced on Xion and Xion alone. "My beloved Selene, how I have missed you."
Noticing where his eyes were, Axel and Roxas stepped between the man and Xion. "I don't know who you are, but I think you have her confused with someone else." Axel said forcefully. He gritted his teeth and fought against the instinct to run. The man was giving off as much power as Xemnas had been in his last fight with Roxas.
"Mistaken? I am not mistaken, mortal mage. Does it seem possible for a true man to be unable to recognize his own sister." The strange man said, further confusing the group.
"I... I'm not your... My name is Xion!" Xion said, not sure what to do.
"From all the way in the Ulster I hard your call, and I have come. No one but my Selene could have made such a call. Even if you have forgotten yourself, I would never forget you, my love." He said walking in through the ring of dog and towards them, holding out his hand.
Axel created a vast ring of fire surround the trio, blocking them from view before the ring swept outwards towards the man. The fire passed over him in a raging tempest, but he didn't even more as it swept over his body. Not a single piece of fabric on his clothes was even singed though the fire had metaled nearby metal.
But even if the fire didn't harm the man, it gave the group a chance to escape.
An unhappy expression passed over the man's face. "So mortals yet again try to keep my love from me. But I will not let them take her." He growled before giving a sharp whistle of command to the dogs, letting them know that the hunt was to began.
I'm going to have to have a knight appearing in the next part or two in order to continue with my plans.
I'm divided with two topics about this though, first being what person to use; either Liliana, or an OC. Second, how will things go out in the long run. Will she fall in love or will it be more like when Liliana was forced to work for Voban, Axel being the king forcing her to do dirty work.
Pan is acting as an opposite to Helios.