Chapter 7 is now up! Thanks to TaylorTyper and Beth for reviewing last chapter. Oh, and I'm glad you liked the house bit. J

Chapter Seven: Nobodies and Somebodies

"What?" Roxas winced at Angel's angry outburst, sure the cry could be heard for worlds around.

Shadow shrugged, undeterred by their companions anger. "Come on, Angel. It's not that big a deal."

Angel glared daggers at her. "Not that big a deal?" he repeated, spitting her words back in her face. "How is forgetting to fill up the Gummi ship with fuel not a big deal?"

"I just kind of figured we could stop at another world and get some."

"Oh, really? And just how many worlds do you think even know about Gummi ships, let alone have the fuel used to run one?"

Shadow leaned back in her seat, obviously still not worried about Angel's anger. "Chill out, it was just one mistake, alright? We'll get by."

Angel turned his angry glare to Roxas, who'd been trying his best to stay out of the fight. "Why?" he snarled in accusation.

Roxas glanced back at him out of the corner of his eye. "She did help us get the Gummi ship. And besides, in this case, I agree with her."

Angel blinked, appearing dumbfounded. Shadow seemed to take that to mean she was free to stick her tongue out at him. "I told you so!"

Roxas shook his head at her remark, but said nothing about it aloud. Instead, he replied, "I know a world that would have this kind of stuff. And when we left, there wasn't really enough time to fill up the Gummi ship, anyway."

Angel seemed to recover from his shock, narrowing his brown eyes up at their driver. "And what would this world be?"

Roxas looked ahead, and soon saw the looming shape ahead of them. "Hallow Bastion."

~*~

The reactions of the three to the new world were somewhat varied. Angel took it all in in a glance, appearing slightly bored. Shadow, however, was constantly running around, examining everything in her excitement to explore. Roxas, while trying to herd Shadow the right direction, took in the things he'd only seen through Sora's eyes before now with his own.

"What's that?" Shadow asked curiously, her eyes locking on a freezer-like item.

"It looks like ice cream," Angel responded dryly, following them at a distance.

"That's because it is," Roxas replied, steering Shadow away from it. "Come on; that's not why we're here, remember?"

"Yeah," Shadow replied, "but would it really hurt to explore?"

"Not after we find Cid," Roxas informed her.

"Who's Cid?" she asked, coming along more willingly now.

"The Gummi ship expert of Hallow Bastion." Glancing around the streets, Roxas abruptly took a sharp turn. "Come on; it's this way." He led the way silently through the streets of Hallow Bastion, paving a path directly towards where he knew Cid would be. Arriving at Merlin's House, where Cid and the rest of the Restoration Committee still stationed themselves, he raised a fist and knocked on the door.

What he'd forgotten, however, was that they'd never actually seen him.

Merlin was the one who opened the door. Looking out at the three standing before him, he said, "Well, now, what can I do for you?"

"We're here to see Cid," Roxas explained.

Merlin cocked an eyebrow at them. "What for?"

"We need some fuel for our Gummi ship."

"Just fuel, eh?" a voice asked from the back. Merlin looked behind him, then moved out of the way to let Cid through. The man gave the trio an appraising look. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"What? You don't recognize-oh," Roxas cut off abruptly, realizing his mistake. "That's right. Never mind."

"I don't recognize what?" Cid asked, curiosity sparking in his gaze.

Roxas shook his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "No, it's nothing."

"Wait, did you know him when you were a Somebody? Is that why you knew about him?" Shadow asked. Immediately, Angel stepped on her foot. "Ow!"

"I don't think they're supposed to know about that," he commented dryly.

Roxas glanced back towards them, then turned his eyes back to Cid. The man's eyes were now wide with surprise. "You're a Nobody?"

"Uh, well…" Roxas rubbed the back of his neck, wishing fervently that Shadow had suddenly made things more awkward.

As his silence lengthened, Cid narrowed his gaze. "You aren't one of Organization 13, are ya?"

"No," Roxas replied, "at least, not anymore. I left shortly before Sora woke up."

"How do you know about Sora?" Cid asked, at the same time that Shadow chimed in, "What's Organization 13?"

Roxas exhaled slowly. "Let's go in. This could be a long story."

~*~

"So, this is where he wanted me to go, huh?" From the depths of the shadows stepped a man, emerald green eyes blazing in the pale light; the same man which Domian had returned to human form not long ago. He looked over Hallow Bastion, eyes missing nothing. "How's he so sure that the kid's here?"

"Never you mind that," a voice hissed from behind him.

The man, startled, whipped around. "Geez! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?"

Zylen stepped out from the shadows, giving him a cold glare. "No, I'm trying to make sure you remain on task."

"I am," the man informed him.

Zylen didn't seem as if he believed him too much. "Just make sure to get the job done if you want to keep your human form."

The man snorted, turning away from the leader of the Time Racers. "Fine."

~*~

When Roxas finished recounting his tale, the room had fallen into a thoughtful hush. He looked at Cid and Merlin, who both seemed to have questioned littering their minds. Roxas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not liking the looks he was receiving from his companions.

Finally, Cid broke the silence. "So, you're really Sora's…Nobody?"

"Yeah," he replied, relived that the awkward silence had come to an end.

Cid shook his head. "Damn, I knew that kid had a way of finding trouble…"

"Wow," Shadow breathed, apparently still thinking about his tale. "And now, we get to be a part of it!"

"Lucky us," Angel added sarcastically.

"So, then, fuel's all ya need, right?" When Roxas nodded his consent, Cid stood. "Well, then, guess it's best to go get some, right?" He abruptly walked out the door, with Roxas, Angel, and Shadow following behind. Cid began walking around towards the back of the building.

As Roxas began to follow, he heard someone's voice. "Well, I guess he was right. The Keyblade kid's here, after all."

Roxas whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" he snapped, eyes trying in vain to penetrate the shadows in which the voice's owner could hide.

"You know, I wouldn't think I'd be that forgettable." Roxas jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw a tall man standing before him. He wore a gray hooded shirt with the sleeves cut off, the hood pulled up and a giant red X across the front. From the shadows of the hood, emerald green eyes stared out. No…it can't be, Roxas thought, incredulous. The man smirked. "Oh, you do remember, don't you? No? Here's a hint; got it memorized?"

Roxas backed away, sure he must be seeing a ghost. "But…I saw you die…"

"Are you sure?" the hooded man asked.

Roxas knew he should be happy; this was his best friend, after all. Yet, something was off. He narrowed his eyes, and, suddenly, things clicked into place. "No…you aren't Axel. You're his Somebody, aren't you?"

The man smirked. "Man, you're quick." He threw back his hood, revealing red hair several shades darker than Axel's had been. "You're right; I'm Lea." He snorted, shaking his head. "I told him it wouldn't work."

"Told who?" asked Roxas, suddenly wary. He had to remind himself that it was Axel he had known, not the man that stood before him.

"Probably Zylen," Angel's voice said from behind him. Roxas's head whipped around in surprise at the voice. He'd almost forgotten that his two companions had followed him. Angel's eyes were narrowed as he looked up at Lea. "Well? Am I right?"

Lea gave a humorless laugh. "Sharp as a tack, I see. Well, I guess it's time to get down to business." Darkness swirled around his hands, spiraling into what appeared to be large Chakrams. Unlike Axel's, however, they radiated darkness, with deadly barbed edges - complete with metal skull. "You know, I wasn't really here to have a chat about my Nobody knowing you. I'm here to get rid of you; got it memorized?" His words lilted with mocking.

Roxas immediately summoned the Kingdom Key. "Why?" he asked.

"That information is on a 'need to know' basis. Classified." With that, he sent a single Chakram flying towards Roxas. The blond Nobody deflected it easily with his Keyblade. Looking at Lea, though, he held back from striking. How could he fight his best friend's Somebody? Watching this reaction, Lea laughed. "Wow, he really was right about you! Pretty soft-hearted, for someone who has no heart."

"Hey! We aren't afraid!" came Shadow's agitated voice. Glancing her way, he saw that she had donned he claw gauntlets. Angel, meanwhile was summoning his daggers in a spin of mist.

Lea looked over these new odds slightly nervously. "Three against one isn't fair!" he said, seeming somewhat childish. Still, he didn't seem to hesitate in launching both his Chakrams in Roxas's direction once more. Roxas was able to deflected the first one, but the other grazed his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as the barbs tore at his skin, wishing once again that he was still able to summon his two Keyblades. The strike, however, was enough to aggravate him into launching a counter offensive. He jumped forward, brandishing his Keyblade as he swung it towards Lea. The man was caught off guard as the Keyblade hit home across his stomach. He skidded backwards, landing on the ground with a thud.

He looked up at them. For a moment, his eyes narrowed, and he cocked his head to one side, as if listening to something. Then he sighed and stood. "Well, I guess the fun's over, for now. The boss-man calls, and I have to listen."

"Or what?" Angel asked him suspiciously. Lea smirked, choosing not to answer. Instead, he backed into the shadows, letting them swallow him.

It was barely a second afterward when Shadow complained, "Oh, come on! We didn't even get to fight!"

~*~

Merlin grinned at the person before him. "So you did come."

The person, who appeared to be a mouse, stepped forward. "I figured I could help if you still needed it."

Merlin glanced out the window towards the newly formed trio. "Oh, more than you know, my friend."


Ok, so there ends chapter 7. Ug, not my best writing job on this one, so sorry if I disappointed any of you. Reviews would be great, please!