Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters
Chapter: 7 "The Gathering"
Summary: Four friends watch the sunset together and Axel stages an experiment once night falls. A lost soul wanders, trying to find the one who touched his heart. Elsewhere, darkness gathers, leading to an eventual confrontation in Hollow Bastion.
Author's Notes: Okay! Here we are at chapter seven! That last chapter was a bit of a doozy, wasn't it? It was crazy long. I usually write long chapters but dayum. I wrote a 22k worded chapter in one of my YGO fics which was even more of a doozy. And oh my god, I freaking hate my summary. I can't decide how I want to write it, gahh somebody help me. You'll get a sweet oneshot dedication if you do! :) And oh, I just wanted to get this out of the way:
This story is going all the way – what I mean is that I'm going all the way to Kingdom Hearts 3. As of now, the story goes as far as Blank Points. We're saving Ventus, Aqua, and Terra. They will all play their part to help. It'll be like the journey to KH3 with lots of boylove. The phone thing must seem random but I assure you it'll be essential to the plot sometime in the future. Thanks again to those that reviewed! And without further ado, have fun reading the next chapter! I need to sleep, badly.
Thank you reviewers! I love you all! You guys truly are the best, thank you so much for taking the time to review! Thank you to ancafexlover, exploitation of lies, Black-Tulip, XxAkuroku LoverxX, xamggie, CrossSlash, Riora fan, Chakrams, Renosgirl, Kurado, Yuffentine forever, Reiki Genkatori, redtronn11, akefia566, Vikings-Heart, emotional disaster666, I. Love. Lollipops
Reiki Genkatori: I was thinking along the lines of like how Roxas got frozen and it triggered Ventus' heart to emerge since he got frozen by Master Xehanort. I probably should've stated it better hahaha thanks :)
Yuffentine forever: I love Aurikku! Gah, I would so include them here if I could. Actually, maybe I'll do some tweaking. I can definitely include some Yuffentine for you! You're right, I do it really subtly, maybe I'll write a scene for them.
Sora was quick to get away from Kairi for he felt extremely flustered about the kiss he had just received from her. While he admitted that at one point in time he did indeed harbor feelings for Kairi, he knew for sure now that feelings of friendship replaced that childhood crush. "I have to find Riku." He declared, making a mad dash out of the plaza and up the stairs where he remembered Riku said he would be. The Keyblade's Chosen One's mind was blank except for the fact that he knew he just wanted to get to Riku. The older boy was his best friend, had been so for years. Riku always knew what to say and what to do in situations like these – the brunet felt uncomfortable and he just wanted to get away. The moment he had gotten to the spot Riku said he'd be, he found that Riku was nowhere in sight. "Where'd you go, Riku?" He asked to no one in particular as his eyes darted about.
Sora stood there, alone. He did so for nearly ten minutes until an overwhelming feeling of sadness enveloped his heart. A pair of brown eyebrows furrowed as Sora frowned, bringing his hands up to cross them over his heart. He felt the erratic beating of his heart and he clutched at the fabric of his clothes. All his life he chased after Riku; whilst they were children, during his first journey to find him and Kairi, and secondly, to just find him. When Riku had been tempted by the darkness, Sora chased him to the ends of every world he possibly could. His first journey was to protect Kingdom Hearts, Kairi, and Riku. His second journey was devoted to saving and finding Riku. During that time, when he had been united with Kairi, he embraced her like that of an older brother or maybe even that of a potential lover.
His reunion with Riku however was different. The moment he realized that he had also been reunited with Riku, Sora dropped to his knees. He was so happy, so overcome with happiness and relief. After so many months of searching, he had finally found Riku. Before Kairi came along, Riku was the only one who mattered to him. Granted, they were all best friends but Riku had always been very special to him. Sora was snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp vibration in his pocket. His sky blue eyes looked to the phone he had fished out of his pocket and he blinked. An envelope flashed on his phone and from what had Cloud had told him, this meant that he had just received a text message.
Flipping open his phone, he pressed the center button and opened up the message. His eyes scanned over the contents of the message as he read it aloud. It had been from Axel, "We invited Riku to come to the castle, you coming?" He recited, tilting his head slightly. Sora looked in direction of the castle within Hollow Bastion and didn't even think twice, his feet were already moving by the time he pocketed his phone. He walked but he did so briskly, wanting to get to Riku as fast as he could. Within seconds, Sora was sprinting. He saw a flash of silver and quickly ran up the stairs leading to the home of Organization XIII. "Riku!" Sora called, reaching out and grabbing onto the silver haired teen's arm.
Riku paused and looked over his shoulder causing Axel and Roxas to do the same. The arm he was gripping felt warm under his fingers but the moment that Sora looked up into Riku's eyes of turquoise blue, he saw bitter cold. The brunet staggered slightly, his fingers tightening a little at the hard glint in Riku's eyes. "What, Sora?" He replied back, stepping away from Sora and turning to him fully.
Sora studied those eyes intensely, was that betrayal in Riku's eyes? He shook those thoughts away and looked up at Riku earnestly. "Why did you leave? I thought we agreed that we'd try out our new phones?" He saw Riku, Axel, and Roxas look away and Sora frowned. "Am I missing something?" While they avoided his gaze, Riku was the first to answer.
"Not really." The silver haired teen shrugged and turned back around so that his back was now facing Sora. Roxas bowed his head a little and gestured for Axel to open the door.
The redhead nodded back wordlessly and opened the large door to their home. He turned to Sora quickly before focusing his attention forward, "Riku wanted to see the castle, he hasn't been to see it since it's been remodeled." Axel lied easily. The Flurry of Dancing Flames had always been a good liar. Whenever he lied, his voice never changed nor did his pupils dilate – he was always very smooth. The crimson haired man had enough experience from his Somebody life to know when to answer for someone else. He and Roxas shared a look before walking forward.
Sora, however, was not convinced. He fell into step with Riku and looked at his best friend worriedly. "What's wrong, Riku? Why'd you leave?"
Riku hadn't looked at Sora, he merely kept his attention focused in front of him as he and Sora followed the other pair of friends up into the main room. "It's as Axel says, I wanted to check out the castle. I figured that maybe we could try our phones that way, it'd being farther away and all." He answered, building upon Axel's earlier lie.
The brunet grinned at that. "Oh, I see! That seems like a good idea." He then turned to Roxas who was busy talking to Axel in soft whispers. "So where are we going?" He asked, raising a brow. Roxas stopped talking to the crimson haired man long enough to respond.
"You'll see, just follow us."
The four boys passed the recreation room that led up to the tower in silence, their minds whirling with their own individual thoughts. Axel had his hands jammed into the pockets of his pants while Roxas was nervously darting his eyes back and forth as he climbed the stairs. Sora had his hands crossed behind his head as he snuck glances at Riku who just had his attention to the ground. An uncomfortable silence filled the air –
'Why is Riku being so strange?' Sora thought, watching his best friend's movements. They were slow but not sluggish; it was as if Riku was forcing himself to move. The older boy's hair would bounce with every step he took and Sora was in awe of how it delicately framed Riku's handsome features. Riku's hair was long and reached to just below his shoulders and they fanned out in thick layers. Excluding their earlier encounter at the castle's doorstep, Riku had not looked at him once. Sora absolutely hated it. 'Wait.' Sora thought suddenly, his steps faltering a little. 'Did Riku see that kiss?' he thought. 'But why would he care?' Sora's thoughts drifted back to a conversation that he had had with Riku when they were very young back at Destiny Islands. He remembered the first time that had gone out to play with Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka without him and how upset Riku was because of it. He was only four at the time while Riku was five.
"I don't like sharing you, Sora." Riku told him in a sad voice. "You're my best friend and I'm yours. I don't ever want to be replaced in your heart – I wouldn't ever replace you."
'That must be it!' Sora thought triumphantly. 'Riku must think that Kairi likes me and wants to date me. He's probably upset because he thinks Kairi's going to try and keep me all to herself!' He then grinned to himself. 'I just need to tell him I don't like her like that anymore and he'll feel like an idiot for getting mad.' He hummed softly to himself and snuck a glance at Riku who was still silently looking at his feet as he climbed the stairs behind Roxas and Axel. Deciding that he would talk to Riku later, Sora folded his hands behind his back and fell silent. Elsewhere, Riku's own mind was whirling with thoughts.
The silver haired teen shifted to the left a little so he could avoid any physical contact with Sora. Usually he didn't mind the brushing of the brunet's shoulder against his arm but after what happened earlier, he was a little at war with himself. He loved Sora; his love for the boy could honestly rival that of Leon and Cloud's love for each other. His best friend was practically everything to him. Riku bowed his head a little, his eyes darkening from the shadows of his bangs. 'Why am I acting like I didn't already know what would happen? I saw that picture with the Paopu fruit, why am I acting like I'm surprised? Sora couldn't possibly see me as anything more than just his best friend.' He thought bitterly, slipping his hands into his pockets so that the Keyblade's Chosen One would not see him forming them into fists. He gripped at the fabric of his baggy pants, his eyes hardening slightly. 'It's better this way; he and I walk a path that is not the same. He is the light while I am the dawn. Light and darkness cannot exist without one another but I am nor darkness or light, I'm just somewhere in the middle.' He let out an almost inaudible sigh.
"Hey." Roxas cut in, turning to look over his shoulder. "We're here." He nodded to Axel who quickly opened the wooden door to the door. He pushed open the door and stood to the side as he held it open for the other three boys. His acid green eyes watched as Roxas stepped to the side to let Riku and Sora out first and he noticed the tension within his best friend's shoulders.
"Where's here?" Sora asked, his hands falling to his side. He and Riku stepped out from the staircase and were met with the warm glow of sunlight. Sora's eyes swept back and forth and he saw the tops of buildings and he let out an awed sound. "This is the roof, isn't it?" He walked towards the edge and leaned down to look, blinking slightly. Riku was quick to follow after the brunet and he grabbed Sora by the back collar of his shirt so that the younger boy would not somehow topple over. He let out a laugh and turned to look at Riku, "Don't worry, Riku! I won't fall."
"I rather not take my chances." Riku retorted flatly with a roll of his eyes. He pushed Sora to sit his ass down on the plated roof and he plopped down right beside him. The brunet was swinging his feet back and forth as he looked up at the setting sun. Riku followed his gaze and brought a knee to curl up against his chest as he leaned back on his hands. "The sunset, huh?"
Roxas took a seat beside Riku as Axel sat down beside him. He nodded swiftly and looked out at the swirling clouds of yellow, red, and orange. "Me and Axel come up here all the time to watch the sunset. We've been doing this for a while, ever since I was first born into this world as a Nobody. He actually took me up here after my first mission and we watched the sunset just like this." He turned to look at Sora and Riku and he cleared his throat nervously. Beside him, Axel smiled softly. He placed a hand on the blond's shoulder and when blue eyes looked his way, the crimson haired man nodded back encouragingly. He squeezed Roxas' thin shoulder, involuntarily caressing the unclothed upper part of his arm with his thumb. His best friend giving him strength, Roxas flashed Axel a thankful grin and the tension in his shoulders dissipated. "We're friends, right?" He asked, shooting his eyes to meet those of sky blue and turquoise.
Sora blinked before nodding vigorously. "Of course we are! Whoever said we weren't friends before?" He asked back, reaching over Riku to throw his arm around his blond friend's shoulders. In doing so however, he sprawled himself over Riku's lap who took that moment to remain quiet. "We may not know each other very well Roxas but we've always been friends." Sora shared a look and nudged his head a little, encouraging Riku to answer as well.
The silver haired teen nodded. "We may not have started off on the right foot but Roxas, you gave me something back when I needed it most. You were brave and so selfless and because of you, Sora was able to come back. I owe you his life and I will always be in your debt," as he said this, he bowed his head, "You're a good kid, Roxas. I watched you for days in that simulated Twilight Town and you reminded me a little of Sora – it kept me going. It motivated me to keep trying to bring him back." Riku's eyes then turned soft. "You are however your own person. You are not Sora; you are Roxas, a Somebody."
Sora nodded at that and grinned. "Our hearts touched and a connection was formed between us. We'll always be friends, Roxas."
Axel closed his eyes at that as his eyes turned serene; Sora really was an amazing friend to have. He noticed his best friend look of slight hesitation so he decided he would offer his services a little. "Sora, Riku, do you know why the sun sets red?" He asked, going back to what he deemed his conversation starter. He turned to look at the younger boys and he saw that Riku and Sora were blinking at him curiously. Beside him, Roxas hid a smile, his eyes shining a little as his thoughts drifted to his 255th day with the Organization. Axel had said those very same words to him as they looked out at the setting sun. "Light is made up of many colors and out of all the colors, red travels the farthest."
The brunet let out another awed sound and ran his thumb across his nose as he grinned. "Wow, I never knew that! Where'd you learn something like that?" he asked. Roxas' breath hitched a little in his throat at Sora's response, he half-expected the other boy to repeat the same words that he had said when Axel told him the sun. He glanced at Riku from the corner of his eyes, mentally reciting the other boy's words; "You are Roxas, a Somebody."
Roxas then grinned and let out a laugh, closing his eyes as he did so. His musical and infectious laughter brought a chorus of three more joining parties. The boys laughed together and the blond found himself truly appreciating his new friends. He nudged Axel a little with his elbow and without verbally saying so, asked Axel for the sea-salt ice cream he knew his best friend had with him. Axel responded in kind, flashing the younger boy with a smile reserved only for him – it was a charming and handsome smile that Roxas couldn't help but adore. Still, he took the two sticks from Axel and handed them to Riku and Sora. "Axel and me had sea-salt ice cream after our missions and watched the sunset just like that, it's what friends do." He explained, holding his own ice cream in his hand. He saw Sora and Riku take their sea-salt ice cream and grin back.
"We didn't have hearts back then." Axel cut in as he absentmindedly twirled his ice cream stick. He took a bite and swallowed before continuing, "Eating ice cream was the only way we could prove we were friends. Eating ice cream together, watching the sunset together, that to me is what it is to be friends." He took another bite, watching as Roxas swirled his tongue around the tip of the sea-salt ice cream. The Flurry of Dancing Flames couldn't help but chuckle at Roxas' face as it wrinkled due to the initial salty taste.
Sora and Riku shared a knowing look with one another before they took a bite of their own ice cream. The four boys looked out at the sunset with expressions of happiness for at this moment, they truly were friends. Things would change now; Roxas didn't have to be awkward with Riku any longer and likewise, Riku knew he could count on Roxas. Axel and Sora had always been friends, the brunet had touched his heart in ways he never thought possible. At this time in their lives, four hearts were touched as their owners drank in the beauty and serenity of this moment.
Night soon fell and Roxas had invited Sora and Riku to spend the night in the castle. His room was not big enough to house all three boys so Roxas was quick to offer Sora and Riku the rights to his room. Sora and Riku immediately shook their heads negative; they felt guilty kicking their friend out of his room. Roxas however, shook his head with a smile and generously told them he didn't mind. The blond stated that he didn't mind sleeping in the recreation room so when he bid them goodnight and made the trek to the lounge room, he was surprised to find himself in front of Axel's bedroom. "I'd better say goodnight to him while I'm here." Roxas decided as he lifted a hand to knock on the door. Before he had even touched it however, it had been thrown open by Axel himself.
The crimson haired man stood in front of Roxas wearing nothing but a pair of loose sleeping pants that hung low on his hips. The blond couldn't help but let his eyes wander over Axel's physique. He had the body of a god, despite being insanely thin, Axel's abs stood out like crazy. Roxas bit back a small groan as his eyes raked over each of the Flurry of Dancing Flames' six chiseled abdominals muscles. His body was different than that of Demyx's; while the blond's body was lean and well toned, Axel's was slender yet it worked for him, his abs stood out very much due to the contrast of his pale skin. His eyes trailed a little lower to rest on the older man's hips and Roxas' throat dried a little, Axel had cut lines. Cut lines!
How incredibly dominating, powerful, and se –
Roxas cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked up at his best friend, rubbing the back of his head. The crimson haired man simply raised a brow before lowering it just as quickly. It was either Axel had not noticed his wandering eyes or he did and just wasn't commenting on it for he fixed his best friend with a raised brow. "Yeah?" Axel asked politely, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and causing his biceps to bulge out quite nicely. "What can I do for you, Roxas?"
The Key of Destiny grinned to mask his obvious discomfort. What Axel couldn't see was that Roxas was harshly gripping the back of his blond head, yanking his own hair to correct himself of such thoughts. "Sora and Riku are crashing in my room tonight so I'm sleeping in the rec-room. I just wanted to come by and wish you a goodnight before I left." He said with a cheeky grin, his head throbbing a little from the pain.
Axel raised a thin brow at that, taking slight note of how Roxas' hand yet to leave his blond head. He raised another brow before letting out an amused sound, "Is that right? You're crashing on the couch?" At Roxas' nod, Axel scoffed and stood up straight, running a hand through his fiery spikes. "You can stay here you know, with me." He said the last part almost awkwardly. Almost instantly, his thoughts were filled with the feeling of sleeping beside Roxas and he cleared his throat in an attempt to push away that comforting feeling. He opened the door a bit wider and took a couple steps back.
"Are you sure? Your bed isn't that big." Roxas mumbled, fisting his hair once again. He felt his face heating up and he growled under his breath, his brows furrowing slightly. He had been gripping his hair for the past three minutes and he honestly wasn't sure if he had any hair left back there. He looked up at Axel and shrugged. "It's alright, I can sleep on the couch."
A pair of acid green eyes rolled at that as Axel grunted. He reached forward, long fingers outstretched and closing over Roxas' wrist. His fingers wrapped around the thin wrist and he clicked his tongue at the blond. "Stop that." He admonished, bringing the younger boy's arm down. He brought it down to Roxas' side before cocking his head in direction of the door. "Come on." And with that, he released the limb and made his way over to the side of the bed closest to the door. The Key of Destiny had no choice but follow suit but he did however pause in front of Axel. "You get the window side."
"Why do you get the side closest to the door?"
"The man always sleeps facing the door (1)." Axel replied back simply, leaning back against his Nobody labeled headboard and crossing his arms lazily. He watched with amused eyes as Roxas pinned him with an annoyed look. The younger boy rolled his eyes at that as this was the third time Axel referred to him as a female.
"What kind of bullshit is that?" Roxas asked, crossing his arms with a huff and sitting down on the southern end of the bed with his legs up and crossed. He quickly grew tired of his position and blew a random blond lock out of his eyes, shifting so that he was on his stomach and his feet were hanging over the southern end of the bed. He had his face cupped in his hands and supported his weight by his elbows. Sky blue eyes locked with that of forest green. "Thanks for letting me stay the night, Axel."
The crimson haired man waved a hand, "Don't worry about it, you would've done the same for me had the roles been reversed." Axel replied back smoothly. He stretched out his legs and leaned back a little bit more, trying to get comfortable. "You didn't see Demyx or Zexion tonight, right?"
"Not since they came back from their mission." Roxas replied, shaking his head slightly. He saw Axel shift his legs again and he responded by folding his hands and resting his head on them, peering up at Axel with curious eyes. "Are you worried? You shouldn't be, Zexion is really strong and smart."
"Demyx is strong too." Axel immediately retorted, rolling his eyes a little. "It's just a little weird; don't you think the castle is a little too quiet?" At Roxas' shrug, Axel continued. "Usually by now Demyx would be playing his Sitar but I haven't heard any music all day, why do you think that is?" He questioned curiously.
"He's probably just tired, he doesn't like strenuous physical activity remember?" Roxas asked back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he didn't like how Axel was so quick to come to Demyx's rescue. While Roxas and Demyx were indeed friends, Axel seemed a little too eager to defend the Melodious Nocturne – were those two close or something? Roxas felt a strange and foreign fluttering in his stomach and he suddenly wondered if he was feeling jealous. Biting his lower lip, he shrugged again. "Demyx and Zexion probably had a hard time dealing with Vexen's Aeon."
The crimson haired man hummed thoughtfully and his eyes tensed a little. "I can't see why they would, Vexen is weak. Even so, they didn't look that battered or worn out. If I remember correctly, they couldn't look at us." He recalled, thinking back to earlier that night when the two members had returned from their time in Neverland. Demyx and Zexion had avoided their gaze completely and whereas Zexion politely excused himself to his room, the usually bubbly blond hadn't said a word. He merely followed Zexion in direction of their specific bedrooms. "It makes me wonder what happened."
"They'll have to do their report during tomorrow's meeting so we'll find out then." Roxas reminded, sitting up. He took one look at Axel's half-clothed appearance and then looked down at himself, feeling like he should leave his shirt on tonight. Usually he slept shirtless but he felt a little uncomfortable doing so since Axel also slept shirtless. He crawled over to his side of the bed and slipped under the cover, leaning against the headboard beside his best friend.
Axel shifted so that he was facing Roxas, his arms drifting down to lay by his side. "Were you nervous today?" He asked. At the blond's inquisitive look, he continued. "I mean about sharing ice cream with Sora and Riku today. I could tell you were a little tense."
"Oh, yeah." Roxas replied back, bringing his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes a bit. "I was really nervous." The Key of Destiny then sighed, "I wasn't sure what they were going to say. Outside of the Organization, I don't really have many friends – real friends anyway."
"And what of Hayner, Pence, and Olette?"
At the mentioning of his friends back in the simulated Twilight Town, he couldn't help but flinch a little. "That was all just a simulation; they weren't my friends, not really." He looked up at the white ceiling of Axel's room, his heart tightening painfully. "DiZ put me in that simulated Twilight in order to throw off the Organization; my whole life there was just one big lie. He messed with my memories and made me believe that Hayner, Olette, and Pence were my best friends. In reality, they have little to no knowledge of me." His thoughts drifted back to the time he saw them through Sora's eyes and he pushed away the feelings of sadness that came when he remembered saying goodbye to them. "I did hear them say that they felt like they met Sora before but still, we weren't actually friends."
"Things turned out fine though, didn't they?" Axel murmured, reaching forward to place a hand on top of his best friend's head. The hair felt soft under his fingers and he ruffled Roxas' blond locks affectionately. "You're here and I'm here, that's all that has ever mattered to me. We've been given a second chance, there's nothing wrong with wanting to live well. We ate ice cream up on the roof with Sora and Riku because well," he paused, eyes tensing once again, "After all, we're friends now." He said slowly, repeating the same words he had once said to Ventus. Plagued by his thoughts of what had happened yesterday morning, Axel was compelled to have a little experiment. Emerald green eyes focused on that of sky blue and he could see a shift within those eyes. Bingo.
The blond's vision began to cloud a little before that hazy sensation dissipated and he smiled, giving the boy beside him a little nod. "Okay, Lea." He replied, rubbing the back of his head with a smile. Ventus then paused and blinked, looking around his surroundings. He concluded that he was in a room with Lea but he could not understand why he exactly was here. Taken a moment to himself, he tried to remember things he had seen or things he had once experienced but everything was in jumbles. 'What am I doing here, with Lea of all people?' He thought confusingly. 'The last thing I remembered was fighting Vanitas and destroying the X-blade…' He then blinked again before he surged up, clenching his fists. "Where's Terra? Aqua?" He demanded, looking around the room widely.
'Just like I thought' Axel inquired smoothly, bringing his hand back so he cross his arms over his chest. 'All that has to happen for Ventus to emerge is for him to have direct contact with someone he's met. I said the very same words to him after he beat me in that fight and like I thought, he manifested himself - time to get to work and find out what's going on.' He thought decidedly. His eyes narrowed at the boy in front of him and his lip curled downwards. "I don't know who those people are but I need to get something out of the way first. Ventus, I'm not Lea." He stated flatly.
"What?"
"The Lea you know died a long time ago and was reborn as me, Axel. That's my name, got it memorized?" He asked, tapping his right temple. His hands drifted to lie in his lap. "Ventus, can you tell me anything that you remember?"
"Axel?" Ventus repeated, trying out the new name. He looked to Axel's face as he studied it intently. Like Lea, this Axel character had flaming red hair that spiked out in all directions. Ventus' blue eyes trailed over to look into Axel's own set of eyes and he leaned his face in a little closer. Lea's eyes were green like Axel's but they had been darker whereas Axel's was more of an acid green. And then there were those mysterious reverse teardrops under Axel's eyes, Lea never had those, did he? Peering into the older man's face once again, Ventus nodded slowly; they were indeed two different people. "Axel." He repeated but this time with more understanding and confidence.
"You've got that memorized, don't you?" Axel said, nodding back. "Listen Ventus, there's something strange going on that I'm pretty sure you're not even aware of." He placed a hand on Ventus' shoulder. "This body right now isn't yours to control, I don't what happened to you but this isn't how it's suppose to be."
Ventus was a bit taken back. "What do you mean? This isn't my body?" He looked down at his opened hands and stared at his palms. He then fell silent as he looked at the rest of his body. It was generally the same, short and slender. He spied a mirror in one part of Axel's room and he saw the reflection of his face and he couldn't help but doubt Axel, he looked the same! "Whose body is it then?" He challenged, turning his attention back to the Flurry of Dancing Flames. "If it isn't mine, who is it?"
"This body belongs to my best friend, Roxas." Axel replied back, hoping that by saying the Key of Destiny's name, he wouldn't automatically cause Roxas to resurface. He needed to talk to Ventus, to find out what was going on and how it was happening. Maybe since he wasn't challenging Roxas to appear this time, his friend would remain sleeping.
"Roxas?" Ventus repeated. A frown then marred his handsome features as he rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably, seemingly a habit of his. "Is he the same boy I reached out to?" He mumbled to himself although he said it out loud. Axel tilted his head slightly as he raised his brows in confusion. Ventus looked back to Axel and noticed his confusion and he hummed a little. "No, that can't be right. The boy I reached out to…"
"What was his name?" Axel asked gently.
"Sora." Ventus replied, subconsciously turning to look out the window at the darkened night sky. "His name is Sora." He answered, turning to look up into Axel's eyes.
"You reached out to Sora? Why?"
Ventus placed a hand over his heart and gripped at his shirt. "My heart was severely damaged when the darkness within me was extracted and then once again when a X-blade forged from our hearts was destroyed. Both times, Sora reached out to me when I needed it most – he gave me a place to sleep, where I could lie and wait till my heart could recover fully. When that time comes, my heart will be healed and ready to rejoin my body, wherever it is anyway."
Axel stroked his chin thoughtfully as he mulled things over. "Sora did all that?" He asked. 'That boy, he really is extraordinary.' He thought comfortingly. The brunet was a savior to all – He did whatever he could to protect the ones he loved. He gave up a part of himself so that Axel and Roxas could be together and sometime in the past, Sora had given up himself to house and mend Ventus' heart. The Flurry of Dancing Flames found himself smiling, Sora was indeed amazing. He squeezed Ventus' heart reassuringly, "Tell me Ventus, what is this darkness that you speak of? Tell me everything."
And so, Ventus began his story. "My extracted darkness, Vanitas, he and I fought against one another. He was trying to fuse with me in order to summon the X-blade, a Keyblade like no other. If he succeeded, all would be lost. I managed to prevail against him but in doing so, I lost myself and fell into a comatose state since my heart was basically destroyed." Ventus, a boy with a heart of light who believed in his friends, sacrificed it all so that he save the people he loved. "Somehow in the darkness, I heard Sora's voice. It broke through the darkness around me and reached out to me. His light, it was so warm and comforting, I followed it into a sea of light and found myself with him." He smiled softly. "He gave me a second chance." All throughout Ventus' story, Axel remained in silent respect, nodding his head every now and then to show that he understood. "After destroying the X-blade, I lost my heart and somehow made my way to Sora, passing on into him. I stayed with him and will continue to stay by him until my heart is strong enough to return to my body." Ven hummed a little, his smile still evident on his face as he turned to meet Axel's gaze once again. "That boy you talked about earlier, Roxas, what's he like?"
The crimson haired man let out a laugh as he thought about his best friend. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the headboard, looking up at the ceiling with playful eyes. "He's short-tempered sometimes, aggressive when he needs to be, and can be pretty arrogant when he fights. Usually when he gets angry, he vents it by fighting. He's got a devil may care attitude about things, he's carefree but reckless when need be. He's impatient and cheerful yet stoic at the same time." Axel then smiled a genuine smile. "When in the right company, he's happy and at ease. He's my best friend." Axel tilted his head to look at Roxas and the smile still did not leave his face. "He looks a lot like you."
Understanding lit up in Ventus' eyes as he nodded. "That must be why you called Roxas that first time. I wonder why I look like him." He mused uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head again.
"Ventus, this time, let me talk and you listen, okay?" Axel began, reaching out to place his hand on top of Ventus' head. He rubbed his thumb against the boy's hair, drawing the boy's attention back to him. "That boy that reached out to you, Sora, he's very special."
"Do you know him?"
Axel nodded. "He is a very special boy. Several years ago, Sora pierced his heart with the Keyblade of People's Hearts in an effort to seal the Keyhole of Hollow Bastion. At the time, his childhood friend Kairi was comatose due to the losing of her own heart. By striking himself, he released her lost heart and restored it, due to Kairi's heart residing with him. He lost himself and became a Heartless. The Heartless are physical, living manifestations of the darkness within people's hearts but like I said before, Sora was special. He turned into a Heartless but was still able to retain his memories and feelings from when he was a Somebody." He felt oddly reminiscent of his time back at Castle Oblivion and he let out a little laugh. "He was soon restored of his own heart because of Kairi but his actions resulted in the birth of a Nobody – Roxas. A Nobody is basically the remains of those that have lost their hearts to darkness but are strong-willed enough to live on as beings devoid of emotions."
"Is Lea who you used to be?" Ven cut in once again, raising a brow as he connected the dots. If he was right, it would explain why Axel and Lea looked so much alike.
"Yeah. When I was Lea, I fell to the darkness but my heart was strong, it is why I would later be reborn as Axel, a Nobody." The crimson haired man saw Ventus beginning to open his mouth to speak and so he quickly continued speaking. "It's complicated but I'm no longer a Nobody, I have a heart now – I'm just not Lea. I'm Axel, my own person with my own heart."
Ven nodded although he still didn't quite understand. "Tell me more about Roxas."
"Like Sora, he is also a Keyblade user and wields the power of light. He and I are a part of this group called Organization XIII. It's made up of a bunch of Nobodies albeit Somebodies now," He paused when he saw Ven blink curiously, "Its not important right now, let me finish." Axel said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, Roxas had always been important to the Organization since he can wield the Keyblade. For a while though, he could only use one but something happened and he gained the ability to dual-wield. Even back then as a Nobody, he was so much more different than me and the rest of the Organization."
"How so?" Ventus questioned.
Axel hummed a little, his eyes tensing once again. "Nobodies don't have feelings or hearts, any sort of emotion they display is more of a farce. Roxas was different though, he's always been different. His emotional capacity was strange – he screams when he's angry, he cries when he's upset, and worries like he actually had a heart." He then looked towards Ventus and tilted his head to the side, humming thoughtfully once again. "I have a theory as to why Roxas looks like you. You say that you lie in wait inside Sora's heart, correct?" At Ven's nod, Axel continued. "Perhaps when Sora released his heart and Roxas was born, a part of your heart passed on into Roxas. It would explain why the two of you look so alike. You two look practically identical because your heart was within Sora's when Roxas was born."
Fully convinced, Ventus let out an awed sound and looked at his body once again. "It makes sense, you're right; this body isn't mine at all. This body belongs to Roxas." Ven bit his lower lip and looked up at Axel. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to control your friend."
Axel grunted and touched his pointer finger to Ventus' forehead before applying more pressure and pushing Ventus' head back. He ignored the blond's yelp of surprise, rubbing the inflicted area with his thumb. "We're friends too, Ventus. I thought I told you to get it memorized." The crimson haired man folded his hands behind his head at the same time that Ven began rubbing his forehead. "So you're waiting for Sora, huh?"
"Yeah, but when my heart heals, I'll be free to rejoin my body." Ven said cheerfully with a toothy grin.
"Would you like to see him?" Axel asked, already moving out bed and standing up straight. He looked down at the blond sitting in his bed and cocked his head in direction of the door. "If you can be quiet, I can take you to see him." Hearing that, Ventus surged forward and was in front of Axel within seconds. The Flurry of Dancing Flames blinked a couple times before chuckling at the boy's eagerness. "You've got to be really quiet, okay? The other Organization members are here too and they're all probably asleep by now." The older man led Ventus towards the door and opened it, poking a head out to look out at the hallway. Thankfully, it was empty.
The sleeping quarters within the castle were arranged in such a way that the furthest room to the west belonged to Xemnas while the room to the furthest right belonged to Roxas. The rooms were arranged in increasing numerical value beginning with the Superior and ending with Roxas. Axel held the door open for Ventus who easily stepped through the door under Axel's arm due to their immense height difference. The crimson haired man touched a finger to his lips and Ventus rolled his eyes at Axel's reminder, "I got it already, relax!" He whispered. Axel grunted softly at that but nonetheless led the younger boy eastward towards Roxas' room where Sora and Riku were. Once they were in front of the door, Ven took a step forward only to have Axel hold his arm out preventing him from grasping the doorknob. Inquisitive blue eyes turned to look at Axel and the crimson haired man shook his head.
He concentrated, picking up the heat signals within Roxas' bedroom. He surveyed the surrounding area inside and concluded that both boys were indeed asleep as their body temperatures had dropped. Every person had an internal clock within them that corresponding to the time of the day; in the morning, body temperature increases while at night and asleep, body temperature falls. Turning to Ven, he nodded and reached forward to turn the doorknob. He opened the door silently and gestured for Ventus to wait outside. "I'll get Sora so just stay here for a bit, okay?" He didn't stick around for the blond's answer for he entered through the door and made his way over to the bed. He paused and took note of the two best friends sleeping. "Well, isn't that cute?" Axel muttered, shaking his head slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. Riku and Sora were sleeping soundly but what probably was the most interesting was how they were sleeping together. Riku was lying on the side closest to the door and was currently sleeping on his right side. Sora, who was sleeping on the side closest to the wall since Roxas lacked windows in his room, was sleeping on his left side. He was curled up into Riku's chest with one arm wrapped around Riku's neck and was resting his cheek against the other boy's strong collarbone. The silver haired teen had his arms around Sora's waist, his chin on top of Sora's head. Axel placed a hand on his hip and leaned down, running the back of his fingers against Sora's cheek. "Sora. Sora, wake up." He called softly so not to wake Riku.
A small groan escaped the brunet's lips as he stirred slightly. His face wrinkled a bit before Sora opened his eyes and shifted so that he could look at whoever disrupted his sleep. He saw a blur of red and mumbled something incoherent before turning his face back towards Riku and snuggling against him. Axel sighed and rolled his eyes, reaching downwards to yank on one of Sora's spikes.
That sure did it.
Axel clamped a hand over Sora's mouth as if knowing Sora would yelp out. He turned around to glare at Axel and he raised a brow threateningly. "What?" His eyes practically spoke, his lip curling against Axel's hand. The crimson haired nudged his head over at Ven who was nervously watching from the doorway. Sora followed his gaze and blinked, wondering why Roxas was there. "Fine." He mouthed against the older boy's hand. He stuck his tongue out and gave Axel a good lick so the he would release him and sure enough, Axel pulled away in disgust, shooting daggers at him with his acid green eyes. Sora ran a finger down Riku's cheek, whispering something to him softly. The silver haired teen groaned back in reply but released his hold on Sora's waist, turning away from everyone. Sora slipped out of bed and followed Axel out the door, closing it with a soft click. He crossed his arms and tilted his head at the blond, "What's up, Roxas?"
Ventus turned to look at Axel who shook his head at him, telling him no. He shrugged at Sora a little before wordlessly following Axel back to his bedroom with Sora trailing after them. Once they were in the redhead's room, Ventus took a seat on Axel's side of the bed while Axel stood beside him with his arms crossed. "Sit." Axel told the brunet, shooting his eyes at the southern end of his bed and the Keyblade's Chosen One was quick to listen. "Sora, this isn't Roxas."
"What are you talking about, Axel? I know what Roxas looks like." Sora replied back, rubbing his eyes a little. How could it not be Roxas? He folded his hands behind his head and blinked, not fully convinced. "Roxas, what's up with Axel today?"
The blond hummed a little uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his head, looking to Axel for help. The crimson haired man grunted softly, running a hand through his wild spikes. "Like I said before, this isn't Roxas. In body, yes, but right now, in mind, this isn't Roxas." He walked forward to stand in front of the brunet. "Do you remember reaching out to boy when you were young?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Ven smiled a small smile. "Sora, do you know who I am? We've spoken before. You help cut through the darkness around me and I found myself with you. You asked me if I was sad, do you remember?" He watched closely as Sora tilted his head thoughtfully. He saw the brunet place a hand over his heart and Ventus mimicked him by doing the same. "I asked if I could stay here with you and then you said –"
"Sure, if it'll make you feel better." Sora finished, eyes growing wide. Realization hit him and he placed a hand on Axel's bed to lean closer to Ven. "You're…Ventus?" The brunet asked slowly, blinking a little. He thought back to the letter he had received from King Mickey and how it told him there were people waiting for him – Ventus, Terra, and Aqua. Ventus smiled and nodded, happy that Sora finally understood. "How are you here? What about Roxas?"
"Roxas is fine; he's just sleeping at the moment." Axel answered, turning to look at his best friend's physical body.
"Oh, well that's good." A grin graced Sora's lips as he rocked back and forth on the bed. "Ventus, since you're here right now, has your heart healed yet?"
"No." Ven answered, shaking his head. "It still needs some more time. For now, I can only exist like this, as a manifestation. Axel says I emerge when my memories are triggered or when I'm in the direct presence of someone I've had contact with. I imagine that I've begun to manifest because my heart has been recovering this whole time."
"How does it heal?" Axel questioned.
The blond shrugged, ruffling his spikes at the back of his head. "I'm not sure but I have a feeling it's when hearts are touched – something's happening to Sora and Roxas and it's affecting me." The crimson haired man coughed a little at that as he looked away, his cheeks reddening slightly before disappearing quickly.
'Maybe I'm not the only one having these strange thoughts.' The Flurry of Dancing Flames thought, turning back to the younger boys and narrowing his eyes at Ventus who was currently chatting with Sora. His eyes raked over the boy's blond locks and he hummed softly, watching how they would bounce whenever Ventus would nod his head excitingly. 'Is my heart connecting with Roxas'? Are our interactions together healing Ventus?' He pondered, his brows furrowing slightly. 'He says he's still not fully healed yet though but what does that have to do with me?'
Ventus then let out a groan and pressed his opened hand against his right temple. His head bowed a little and his brows turned downward in his discomfort. "What's wrong, Ventus?" Sora asked, alarmed. The brunet crawled forward and placed a hand on the blond's shoulder, squeezing gently. Axel watched the boy stagger and he sighed sadly, crouching down so that he could place his hand against Ventus' right cheek. He noticed the haziness in Ventus' blue eyes and he hummed comfortingly.
"We'll see each other again soon, Ventus."
Sora nodded. Seeing Axel at ease calmed him down immensely and he grinned in understanding. "You can tell us more about Terra and Aqua later, okay?" His grip on Ventus' shoulder never faltered as he watched Ventus shut his eyes tiredly.
"I guess…I have to go back to sleep now." The blond mumbled softly, swaying a little. Another groan sounded from his throat and he fell limp, falling down into Axel's embrace when the older boy reached forward. The crimson haired man caught him with ease and lowered him onto the bed, brushing his bangs away affectionately.
"Sleep well, Ventus." Axel murmured, smiling gently. The boy's features immediately relaxed and the furrow in those blond brows that was previously there had now gone. His fingers trailed a little lower to caress Roxas' cheek and he gave the boy one last lingering look before turning his attention to Sora. The brunet was regarding him curiously and Axel's eyes narrowed, "What?"
He hadn't replied, only smiled innocently. He folded his hands behind his head and jumped to his feet, his smile turning into a toothy grin. "Nothing. I'm going to head back to bed now, alright?" Sora gave the pyromaniac a small wave, turning around and walking towards the door. He placed a hand on the doorknob and inclined his head a little. "Are you going to tell the others?"
"I have to." Axel answered honestly, glancing at Roxas' sleeping face from the corner of his eyes. "The Superior has to know at least." He watched the steady rise and fall of Roxas' chest and felt a sense of protection swell within his chest. "Will you tell the others?"
Sora shook his head, his grip on the doorknob tightening slightly. "Nah, Ven's heart isn't strong enough just yet." He flashed Axel a grin over his shoulder, "Maybe I will when his heart is stronger. For now, I think it's best to continue on giving him the power and strength he needs to recover." He gave Axel a thumbs-up. "We both need to do our part to help Ventus – don't stop what you're doing, Axel." The older man opened his mouth to ask what Sora meant by that but the brunet was already out the door and on his way to Roxas' bedroom.
Axel let out a tired sigh and rubbed his head, biting his lower lip. He noticed how Roxas was sleeping on his side of the bed and against his better judgment; he gently picked up the younger boy. As if sensing he was there, Roxas snuggled into Axel's warmth, burrowing his face in the crook of Axel's neck. The delicious smell of Roxas' shampoo entered his nostrils and Axel closed his eyes, inhaling the soothing scent of his best friend. He opened his eyes to look downwards at Roxas and he smiled at the boy's sleeping face, it was so beautiful. The way he was carrying Roxas, it was like that of a child – he balanced Roxas' weight with his hip and had his arms wrapped around the boy's waist.
He climbed into bed and settled Roxas onto his chest, pulling the covers over both of them. He felt Roxas shift on his chest and he cracked open an eye to watch the blond's movements. Roxas had snaked an arm around his neck and was subconsciously nuzzling his nose against Axel's pulse point. Although he tried to ignore it, Axel couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of affection and love from Roxas' actions. 'Maybe Sora's right, maybe I shouldn't tell everyone about Ventus.' He took another look at Roxas' sleeping face and he couldn't help but smile. 'Just for tonight, let me humor myself again.' He thought to himself, his eyes fluttering close.
The Key of Destiny hummed a little in his sleep. "Axel." He sighed out contently, a small and silly smile making its way onto his face. The crimson haired man inwardly flinched before stilling himself, his heart pounding. He could even hear the pounding in his head; his heart was beating so furiously.
'Is he dreaming about me?' Axel thought curiously. 'Why would he be dreaming about me?' As he pondered over what his best friend could be dreaming about, he began drifting off between the world of sleep and wakefulness. 'Nah, he can probably just tell it's me from my smell.' He could vaguely hear a voice in his head before falling asleep completely.
"Sometimes, dreams bring forth a world far better than our own." Reno would say.
In a world of darkness and hate, envy fills the air. Puffs of black and purple clouds wisp about as an eerie sense of despair dissipates throughout the area. Darkness gathers and no light shines – a world of endless, tragic darkness. Somewhere within the blackness of this world lies a dark castle where thirteen beings are said to exist. In that very castle, thirteen beings gather together to destroy their source of pain. They assembled in black thrones, dressed in black coats with their hoods pulled back or up.
"What is the status of Ixion?" a low, gruff voice demanded. Judging from the intonation of the voice, it was distinctly male. The voice's owner crossed his arms irritably as his eyes raked over the other twelve beings of darkness.
"It failed." A lighter tone voice sneered, seemingly female. "Caelum and I managed to get a quick glimpse of the fools responsible and it was not worth our time – they were weak. We stumbled upon them, bruised and battered." She replied back, shaking her head, her long blonde locks of hair bouncing as she did so. Her hair was two-toned, black at the tips and golden blonde at the roots and length. "Caelum however slipped, he let himself be seen."
Ignoring the look she gave him, Caelum lowered his hood. His hair was also two-toned; he also had blond hair though his was a darker tone than that out of his female partner's. Sections of his hair were a midnight black and his eyes were a dull shade of blue. "Fulgoris," He addressed with a nasty sneer of his own, "I was simply testing our limits and they reacted thusly. Is it not better to know what we are up against than to fail before we've even started? Isn't that right, Nihil?" He asked, shooting his eyes to look at the man sitting up at the tallest throne.
Nihil, the person who had first spoken, merely grunted. "Know your place, Caelum. You are vital if not, the most important, one in this group. You will be the one to open the Key. It would be wise to keep you concealed until then or at least away from them." Caelum rolled his eyes at that and crossed his arms, looking away.
"The boy was unhurt." A smooth voice cut in swiftly. Nihil turned his golden eyes over to the man who had spoken and his eyes narrowed. "He knows what he has to do," He argued before waving a hand, "We all have a part to play in this game. Cael is the King that we must protect."
"Taking Caelum's hit for him again, Ignis?" another voice asked, his voice dripping with hatred. The owner of the voice turned angry eyes towards Ignis, a man with hair like needles. "You forget your place, we do not have feelings nor do we have hearts. We do not care about anything – it is simply not within our limits."
"Glacies." Ignis said with a sadistic smirk. "Are you sure that this is not a farce? How are you to know my intentions? You should know your place for you are the weakest of us all. Was it not Shiva that fell so easily in her fight against the dogs of the Organization?" Anger surged throughout Glacies' chest and he clenched a fist, his teeth gritting.
"Why you ungrateful -!"
"Silence yourself, Glacies!" Another man cut in sharply, turning hate-filled eyes in Glacies' direction. The owner of the voice had dark haired pulled up into a ponytail that swished with every movement he made. "We will have our time, have patience. Tomorrow will be Ignis' turn to summon his Aeon and we all know that his Aeon is one of the most powerful in our arsenal."
"Lancea makes a point. Those fools will not survive or my name isn't Spacii." The owner of this voice lowered his hood to reveal jet black hair. The most interesting was that this man had a blindfold over his eyes, was he blind? "Ignis will deal with the dogs himself." Sharing a sadistic but knowing look with Ignis, the man known as Spacii chuckled darkly.
Caelum clicked his tongue with another sneer before his lip curled in disgust. "The boy is awakening." He muttered, looking downwards at his chest. "I can feel him stirring slightly." He turned to look around at the people in the room and he growled impatiently. "Just let me kill him!"
"Patience, child! You will your turn! We all will! We shall all have our time to eliminate the sources of our pain. While you are strong, the darkness within you has not yet reached its full potential." Nihil scolded, his eyes slitting in disapproval. His eyes looked left and then right before the golden-eyed man laughing chillingly. "Perhaps tomorrow we should pay a visit to Radiant Garden and show the fools what exactly they are up against. Although we've been hiding, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, tomorrow we shall show them what it really means to feel pain and make our presence known." Soon, others began joining him in his laughter, their hands rising up to lower their hoods.
"That settles it." Caelum said icily. "Tomorrow, we strike. We will show the Organization why they should fear us." He looked at the faces around him and his face twisted into a deadly smirk. His blue eyes started from his left and then ended as his right as he called out their names to the darkness around them; "Nihil, Spacii, Lancea, Glacies, Vigil, Illusio, Luna, Ignis, Irrigo, Tempus, Flora, Fulgoris, tomorrow shall be the day those dogs and fools will never forget." He promised, throwing his head back as he laughed again diabolically. The others joined him and they all rejoiced in their plans to eliminate their source of pain.
"So wait, what's going on now?" Sora asked, folding his hands behind his head as he opened his mouth to yawn tiredly. After his talk with Axel and Ventus, he had retreated back to Roxas' room and crawled under the covers by Riku's side. He had been rudely awoken by Axel four hours later, telling him that he and Riku needed to be out of bed right away. He and Riku were dressed in their usual clothes while Roxas had on a simple white t-shirt and black shorts. Axel on the other hand had donned his Organization coat for reasons unbeknownst to them. The brunet was walking beside a barely awake Riku and trailing behind Axel and Roxas who were both wide awake – they must have to get up early a lot.
"Organization's having a meeting." Roxas answered, without turning to look at them. He felt tired, he felt like he had been awake all night but to his knowledge, he hadn't woken up during the night. He was roused awake by a strange feeling of firmness and he found that he was sleeping on Axel's chest. The older man had his hands on his hips while Roxas had his arms around Axel's neck. It was a good thing that Roxas had woken up first; he didn't know what he could possibly say to Axel if the redhead knew how they slept. "Since you and Riku are here, you guys need to get briefed. I called Cloud and the rest of the HBRC earlier, they'll be here shortly."
They four friends made their way through the hallway of Resting Numbers, walking in direction of the Round Room II. Sora shared a look with Riku who was now fully awake. The silver haired teen shrugged and simply followed the other pair of best friends. When they entered through the Round Room II, Sora and Riku hung back, their mouths hanging open in awe of the huge room. This was the first time they had ever been here after all. "Where do we sit?" Riku asked.
Axel clicked his tongue in amusement. "You two don't sit, you guys get to stand." He pointed a thin finger at the center of the Round Room II where the stage was. He saw Riku and Sora shoot him annoyed looks and he threw his head back in a laugh before walking to his throne. He sat down nimbly and raised his eyebrows teasingly as he crossed his arms and ascended his throne.
"Don't mind him." Roxas said with a laugh. He chucked a thumb to one side of the stage and sure enough, the other members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee were standing there. Cloud and Leon were standing beside one another, their arms crossed and expressions stoic. Aerith, Yuffie, and Kairi were standing together in a circle, their heads bent close together as they conversed. Cid and Merlin were off in another corner, bickering about whether or not magic or machinery was better. "Just hang out here till the meeting starts, alright? The other members will be arriving within the next couple of minutes." He gave Sora and Riku a small wave before retreating to his own chair.
True to his word, the other members came strolling in. Sora and Riku had moved over to stand by Kairi and the other members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Whereas the other members looked nonchalant like usual, Demyx and Zexion were pointedly avoiding Roxas' gaze. Amongst the chatter, Xemnas cleared his throat to silence everyone. They all looked up at him and the Superior crossed his arms. His amber eyes swept over the fellow members of his new Union and his lips curled upwards into a slight smirk. "Good tidings, friends (2)." While the other Organization members were fine with the greeting, Sora and the rest of the HBRC narrowed their eyes awkwardly. "We give you our thanks for joining us today."
Down on the stage, Leon nodded. "Xemnas, why have you called us here today?" The brunet stood by Cloud's side with his arms crossed. He felt the blond beside him brush against his arm and he glanced at him briefly before retuning his gaze back to Xemnas. Although he and Cloud were indeed established lovers now, both men decided that they would keep their relationship a secret for now – no doubt Aerith and Yuffie would be on their asses interrogating them if they told. "Has there been trouble with the Aeons?"
"Quite the contrary Leon, my numbers have dealt swift justice to both Shiva, the Aeon of ice, as well as Ixion, the Aeon of lightning. Today, my numbers will venture to the Pride Lands to defeat Ifrit. The Aeon of fire, Ifrit is beast-like and was born out of Axel's hatred for death and despair." Hearing this, Axel looked away, his heart clenching painfully at the thought of his brother's death. As if knowing he'd do so, Roxas looked for Axel and frowned, silently sympathizing with the older man.
Saïx cleared this throat so that he could speak next. He looked towards Xemnas and bowed his head to which the Superior nodded back, signaling that he could indeed speak. "We have assigned Vexen and Lexaeus for Vexen's attribute of ice will fare well against the beast. Since they will be in the Pride Lands, they must change their forms to fit that of the world. Vexen's magic will transform both he and Lexaeus into beasts to combat Ifrit so that their strength will be equal." He then nodded towards Axel, "No. 8 shall assist in this mission. He must control the fires of Ifrit so that casualties will not be made for the Pride Lands boasts areas that primarily grassland. Naturally, No. 9 will also need to come – he must perform crowd control and douse any fire that hits the Savannah." He then closed his eyes briefly before opening up them again. "They will all have to assume a form befitting that of the Pride Lands."
Hearing his name, Demyx looked up in alarm. 'If Axel's coming, that means Roxas will too' He thought frantically, shooting his eyes to look at the youngest member of Organization XIII. 'What if Roxas does something like last time?' The Melodious Nocturne nervously turned towards Zexion who met his gaze quickly. Seeing the other boy nod, Demyx cleared his throat so that he could speak. "Zexion's coming with me too then!"
Saïx ran a hand through his long blue hair before crossing his arms calmly. "Very well." He said simply. He rested his elbow on the arm of his throne and rested his cheek against it. "With these new additions, the team that will deal with Ifrit consists of Vexen, Lexaeus, Axel, Demyx, and Zexion." He then turned to look at Roxas and knowingly nodded at the younger boy. "I assume you will be coming too, Roxas?"
"Of course. If Axel's going, I'm coming too." Roxas answered immediately, flashing his best friend a knowing grin to which Axel winked back.
Demyx inwardly flinched at this and shot another nervous look at Zexion who shrugged helplessly before raising his eyebrows. "We just need to keep an eye on things." Zexion mouthed to the boy silently, hoping that that was enough to calm the older blond down. He noticed tension within Demyx's shoulders and it shook him to the very core – how he hated seeing Demyx like that. The Cloaked Schemer bowed his head a little, his fringe sliding past his eyes and it was at this time that he focused his attention back on the meeting.
"…I can skip training today right, Xaldin?" Roxas asked, folding his hands behind his head as he grinned teasingly at the Whirlwind Lancer. He leaned back in his throne, his brows rising invitingly. "Is that a deal? My training today will be helping out the others in their mission!" He watched amusingly as the dark haired man scoffed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Do what you will Roxas but tomorrow your training intensifies."
Roxas stuck out his tongue at that but chuckled, happy that he would be able to skip out on training today. Back down low, the members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee watched silently until Sora couldn't be quiet any longer. He took a deep breath and held his hands up to his mouth, "Can I come too?" He shouted, thinking that the Organization wouldn't be able to hear him due to the immense height difference. "I want to see Simba! I can fight too!"
Riku clicked his tongue in amusement. "We don't need a whole team for this, Sora. There are already so many people from the Organization fighting the Aeon." He saw his best friend wrinkle his nose in displeasure and he shrugged. "I guess it can't be helped, I'll come too."
Xemnas let out a bark of laughter at that, his head thrown back as his shoulders shook. "In that case, you all shall go to the Pride Lands to eliminate the Aeon. Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Axel, Roxas, Sora and lastly Riku, do not disappoint us." He stated flatly, tilting his head slightly. "We will all be awaiting your return." The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee and Organization XIII all nodded their heads in unison, determination evident in every movement they made. "Are they any other issues that must be presented?"
Zexion opened his mouth to reply when suddenly a dull chill scattered throughout the air. The atmosphere within the Round Room II changed dramatically for it now had a feeling of aimlessness wallowing about. Suddenly, thirteen portals formed at the center of the stage and the HBRC members were quick to jump away. Sora, Riku, Cloud, and Leon stood in front of Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Kairi, and Merlin, ready to defend their friends if need be. Members of Organization XIII visibly stiffened at this and the Cloaked Schemer was the first to respond as a familiar scent invaded his nose. "Prepare yourselves!"
Thirteen people of varying heights stepped out of those portals and they all sported a long, black trench coat that almost resembled that of the Organization's. The only difference was that their coats were ripped or haggard. The intruders all wore their hoods up, adding a sense of mystery and suspense to it all. The stood in a row, side by side with one another and it was at that moment, the one furthest to the left spoke. "My, what a gathering of heroes." The person sneered.
"State your business!" Xemnas roared, clenching a fist. "This is my castle! How dare you step foot into these walls?"
The unknown person turned to Xemnas indifferently and smirked though no one could see it. "You must be Xemnas, the Superior of the In-Between. Leader of Organization XIII, your original persona was Xehanort, was it not?" The grey haired man growled at that, his lip curling in disgust. The figure threw his head back in a harsh bark of laughter before raising his hands towards his hood. His fingers met the fabric of his hood and he lowered it causing gasps to be heard from around the room. "I am Nihil." He introduced and by now Xemnas was seething in anger. Nihil possessed the same features as Xemnas, grey hair and golden eyes. The difference was that he had black sections of hair making his hair two-toned.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Superior demanded, ready to summon his Ethereal Blades to eliminate this 'Nihil' character. "Tell me why it is that you look like me!"
Nihil laughed once again, his lips curling into a sneer. "Do you know what happens when darkness is extracted?" He asked, changing the subject. He looked up into eyes similar to his own and smirked. "When the Keyblade strikes the heart of a Nobody, their darkness becomes extracted and forms what is known as a Hollow. A Hollow is a being of complete and utter darkness, they lack hearts, souls, emotions, and know only one thing – to kill. We are born from the darkness within your hearts from your original persona's hearts. Hollows completely embody darkness and have only one goal in mind – eliminating the source of their pain and despair." Nihil chuckled darkly as he spoke, his voice coming out in a deep rumble. "In a way, I am a part of you. I am the darkness in your heart that the Keyblade cut out but listen closely, we are not simply 'Heartless' for we do not seek Kingdom Hearts."
The person beside him lowered his hood only to reveal a blinded man with hair of black and grey. The person wore a blindfold over his eyes and upon seeing this man, Xigbar growled in fury. "Kingdom Hearts means nothing to us – we don't need or want hearts. We just want to eliminate the source of our pain, the ones that brought us to life." A sadistic smile made its way onto this man's face as he gave everyone a mock bow. "I am Spacii, the Hollow of Xigbar and Braig."
And one by one, they all began to lower their hoods as they introduced themselves. Organization XIII watched on with hate-filled eyes for they were force to confront the darkness that overtook them during their previous lives. "I am Lancea, the Hollow of Xaldin and Dilan." The man who looked like Xaldin stated flatly. He folded his arms and pinned Xaldin with a sly, cunning look. "Tell me Xaldin, how is Sharisa (3)?"
In a flash, Xaldin summoned his lancers and stood to his feet on his throne. The wind around him began billowing harshly, causing mass amounts of gale force winds. "Do not speak that name!" He roared angrily as he was forced to see the image of his past love in his mind. Sharisa, she was his first love – the one he thought he would spend the rest of life with but then she was also the reason why he fell to the darkness. He saw his Hollow form smirk and Xaldin snapped, jumping forward from his throne with his six lancers whirling about around him. "Don't ever say that name!"
And just like that, the other members surged forward to attack. They hastily summoned their weapons, ready to attack these Hollows with the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee right behind them, backing them up. The all came at them with their weapons outstretched but the thirteen Hollows merely jumped away, floating high above them in the air. Both the HBRC and Organization XIII stood together, their weapons at the ready as they watched the fourth hooded figure draw down his hood. "I go by the name of Glacies." He introduced, tossing his long blond and black hair over his shoulder before smirking at Vexen.
And one by one, they all introduced themselves.
"Vigil." The tallest Hollow said, crossing his arms roughly and peering down at Lexaeus expectantly.
"My name is Illusio." The next boy said, placing a hand on his hips. He looked downwards at Zexion and smirked, raising his eyebrow challengingly. Zexion growled under his breath, his fingers curling into fists. Between the Hollows and their Somebodies, there were only two differences; hair and eyes.
"Luna." Saïx's Hollow stated simply.
"The name's Ignis, got it memorized?" The eighth person said once he lowered his hood. Axel's breath hitched in his throat as he took in the physical appearance of his particular Hollow. Ignis' hair was a fiery red much like his however the tips of his spikes were a midnight black. He also wore his hair long, tying it off in a ponytail just like Reno used to do. "Do I look familiar, Axel?" He asked, raising a thumb to brush it against his cheekbones where black slash marks were evident.
"You've got to be fuckin' kidding me!" Axel screamed, shaking. His eyes turned to slits and his knuckles turned white from how tightly he was holding his Chakrams. He raised an arm in preparation to throw one of his Eternal Flames but a hand stopped him, holding onto his sleeve. He turned murderous eyes to the intruder and growled at Roxas. "Let go of me, Roxas!"
"Don't let them bait you, Axel! Now isn't the time to fight!" He cried back, fingers clenching on the black fabric of Axel's Organization coat. Roxas could see the crimson haired man was seething with rage and honestly, he couldn't blame him. Ignis was a splitting image of Axel and Reno – it was as if he was mocking Axel's beloved older brother by the slash marks he had on his face. "Axel, please!" Growling under his breath, he shook Roxas off him and his eyes rolled back. The air around them began to grow hot as Axel began heating up the air around them with his energy. His anger at seeing Ignis mock his older brother was reflecting in the environment around him as he drew energy from everyone's heat signatures. "Axel!" Roxas tried once more.
Axel swore loudly but lowered his arms, hanging them at his sides. He looked up and turned icy acidic green eyes to look at his Hollow. "When I'm through with you, there won't even be ashes left." He promised.
Ignis smirked and crossed his arms. "I'll be waiting for it, yo." He retorted easily, even using Reno's trademark word. Hearing that almost sent Axel into another wave of anger but Roxas placed a hand on the older boy's back, comforting him through his fury.
"Hurry this shit up, we've got no time to be playing games." A voice snapped irritably before lowering his hood. "Demyx," He called, turning sea-green eyes over to his Somebody counterpart. "It is I, Irrigo, your Hollow. It makes me so glad to see you happy when it's because of you that our lives turned to shit." Irrigo growled out, clenching his fists.
"It wasn't my fault!" Demyx replied back hotly, glaring at the almost identical man above him. "You know what happened!" He felt someone place his hand on his right hip and he didn't need to turn around to know that it was Zexion. His presence was reassuring and Demyx sucked in a breath, he could only be brave for so long.
"Nothing is going to stop me from drowning you in your own worthlessness – I'm going to kill you so fast." Irrigo said flatly, spreading his hands out as he threw his head back and laughed. Continuing onwards, each new hooded figure would lower their hoods and introduced themselves.
"Tempus."
"Flora."
"Fulgoris." Larxene's lips curled into a sneer at the sight of her Hollow. Fulgoris had golden blond hair like her except sections of her hair was dyed black. Whereas Larxene kept her hair slicked back, Fulgoris wore her hair fully out. Although the Hollows and their Somebodies possessed the same physical features, the two characteristics that separated them from one another were the hair and eyes. Each Hollow had eyes filled with so much hate and anger that they were cloudy and dull. Their hair was also that like their Somebodies but with black added to them – for instance, Ignis sported black tips while Marluxia's Hollow, Flora, had sections of his hair dyed black.
Organization XIII stood their ground with their weapons by their sides and their legs crouched. They were all in awe and disgust of their Hollow forms for they were the ones responsible for the summoning of Aeons. It was obvious that their goal was to eliminate all thirteen members of Organization XIII for their own personal and ludicrous gain. Sora, Riku, and Kairi held their Keyblades at the ready, they would stand by their friends to the very end if they needed to and likewise, the HBRC would never back down from a fight. Roxas looked towards the last member who had yet to lower his hood but he already knew that this last Hollow was his. "Show yourself, bastard." Roxas ordered, crossing his Oathkeeper over his Oblivion.
Laughter thundered from the other's throat as he lowered his hood. An almost splitting image of Roxas, this Hollow bowed mockingly at Roxas. "I am Caelum, Roxas' Hollow. It is good to see you, my weaker self." At that, the Key of Destiny growled, fingers clenching over the hilts of his Keyblades. "My, my, my, it is certainly good to see you. I've been waiting so long to thank you for giving me my miserable life. If it weren't for you Roxas, I wouldn't even exist. Thank you." Cael said sarcastically, his lips twisting into a sadistic smile. The blond turned to look at the other Hollows and he shared an eerie look with them before they all turned to look at the unity of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee and Organization XIII.
They pointed their gloved fingers at the numbers, "We are the Hollow 13 and we will destroy you!" They all promised in unison.
"Make no mistake about that, we will eliminate you all once and for all!" Cael stated, laughing. "In time, a great battle will commence where we, the Hollow 13, will kill every since member of Organization XIII. When we're finished with you lot, Organization XIII will be a mere memory. Our Master will be the one to lead the charge – for now, I'd advise you to all prepare yourselves. This will be a battle you will never forget." The blond then smirked. "Rally your forces and muster up your allies. Run to your King if you must, I'm sure you'll need all the help you can get." They then summoned thirteen portals and stepped through, disappearing. "Not even the seven lights can help you!" Cael's voice echoed before the thirteen Corridors of Darkness disappeared.
For a long time, nobody said a word. The air that had been chilled with the darkness was now warm but still, an uncomfortable silence filled the air. The members of Organization XIII casted their eyes downwards as they replayed the encounter with the Hollow 13 in their heads. Xemnas, Xaldin, and Axel were seething with anger as they shook with obvious fury. Their fists were clenched and their eyes were hidden in the shadows of their bangs. Demyx was looking nervously at his hands while Lexaeus was clenching his fists. Zexion had drifted over to place a hand on Demyx's shoulder in an effort to calm the boy down. The Graceful Assassin crossed his arms and stood by an irritated Larxene as sparks of lightning began to form around her. Saïx mimicked the other senior member by sticking close to Xemnas, watching his Superior with intense golden eyes. Xigbar and Luxord were shaking their heads in dismay, clearly upset.
Roxas looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was surprised to see that Sora had been the one to touch him. He looked towards the brunet and Sora tilted his head slightly, smiling tightly. Sora, the Keyblade's Chosen One, took a deep breath and looked back at his fellow committee members before focusing his attention to the Organization. "Don't give up." He said softly. "It doesn't matter how strong they think they are. We'll fight them, together. Our power lies in our friendship and with our hearts connected, nothing can stop us." He then grinned toothily and folded his hands behind his head as his eyes closed. "We'll kick their sorry Hollow 13 asses, got it?"
Once the last word left Sora's lips, the members of Organization XIII calmed down greatly. Sora had the effect on people; he always knew the right words to say and when to say them. They all turned towards him and simply stared at his grinning face. Riku cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and he folded his hands over his chest. "Nihil, Spacii, Lancea, Glacies, Vigil, Illusio, Luna, Ignis, Irrigo, Tempus, Flora, Fulgoris, and Caelum – those are the thirteen Hollows that make up Hollow 13." The silver haired teen recited, sweeping his eyes from left to right. "Things just got a little more complicated."
Zexion nodded slowly. "Riku is right but at least now, we know their motives for summoning the Aeons. They are trying to weaken us by having us battle the Aeons – they know that with our new hearts, we feel we must protect the innocent and so we are obligated to fight." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Demyx leaned against his side, his face seemingly weary and tired. "Their main goal is to eliminate their source of pain, in other words, Organization XIII."
"That fool spoke of a Master." Xemnas cut in, his heart tightening slightly at the mentioning of it. "What Master could he possibly mean? He also spoke of seven lights." He turned to look at Sora and he inclined his head a little, "What could this all mean?" His head began to whirl with vague images that he couldn't make out but he ignored them for the task at hand.
"Ansem and the King might know." Riku answered, nodding back at the Superior. "It's not much, but it's our only lead. He turned to look at Kairi and he couldn't help but frown a little. The auburn haired girl was a Princess of Heart after all; could they be talking about her and the other six princesses? He then groaned and shook his head, rubbing his temples. 'No, that's not right. They said they weren't looking to open Kingdom Hearts.' The silver haired teen then sighed and crossed his arms again. "At any rate, we're not making any progress just standing around here."
For the first time since he had arrived, Cloud nodded. "We must take this one day at a time. For now, our immediate goal is to eliminate the Aeons the Hollow 13 have so kindly summoned for us. I will request an audience with Ansem the Wise." He then turned towards the members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. "Aerith, Yuffie, if you'd follow me, we shall go to Ansem's Study." Both girls nodded, wordlessly following the tall blond.
Merlin cleared his throat and gestured for Kairi to come towards him. She frowned but ultimately complied except not after giving Sora another hug and Riku a withering look. He waved his wand and disappeared, opting to just teleport him and Kairi to his house so that they could further train. Riku's brows furrowed Kairi's display of affection before sighing mentally and looking away. Cloud crossed the doorway and quickly looked over his shoulder, his eyes connecting with those of deep, cobalt blue.
Leon nodded, watching his lover go. He turned his attention back to everyone else in the room and placed a hand on his hip. "While they're doing that, I will request an audience with the King. He must be alerted at once; I will send word for him as I expect he is back at Disney Castle by now." And with that, the lion left.
"It is time we started our mission." Lexaeus spoke up in his deep voice. He uncrossed his arms and waved an arm, creating a portal for him and other members of his team to enter. "We leave." He stated roughly, stepping through it without another word. Vexen followed suit, not saying a single word.
"We'll be back soon." Roxas stated, waving a little at Xemnas and the rest of his family. He tugged on Axel's sleeve and pulled the older boy along. Axel resisted at first but wordlessly complied, hanging his head a little. The Flurry of Dancing Flames was still shaken by what he had seen. Like the previous set of best friends before him, Sora hooked his arm around Riku's and made his way towards the portal. He gave the stationary members of Organization XIII an exuberant wave as he walked. Zexion closed his eyes as he and Demyx walked towards the portal, his hand placed precisely on top of Demyx's blond head as the older boy hung his head in sorrow.
"Be wary." Xemnas warned before the young boys left for the mission. He turned around and walked away, not bothering to see if they had heard him. Saïx, Marluxia, Xigbar, Xaldin, Luxord, and Larxene followed their Superior's footsteps and left without another word. Although today's morning had been very eventful, they all knew that it had to have happened. Their encounter and confrontation with the Hollow 13 would the first of many as they continued on their journey to fight off the darkness.
Author's Notes: So that's done and over with. What did you guys think about that? I'm actually surprised at how the chapter turned out, it kind of just made itself when I was writing it. I warn you, the next chapter will be very much like a Kingdom Hearts level. I absolutely love the Lion King so expect a lot of fun things next chapter as well as plot points. Hey! Kudos to you can guess how I came up with the naming of my Hollows. Cookie?
(1). I'm not really sure about this but this is my boyfriend's logic in regards to our sleeping arrangements. He says that he's supposed to sleep next to the door in case some robber decides to break in. Me being the girl, he adds that it's safer for me if he sleeps that way. Course I'm weird and think sleeping next to the window is scarier but that's just me.
(2). Probably the most awkward thing I have ever heard Xemnas say in 358/2. He has this creepy smile on his face during the cutscene. It's like a mixture between a hey I'm super bored or a hey Roxas, I'm going to rape you
(3). Random name huh? I tried to think of something pretty that would suit Xaldin. She's Risa for short if it matters.
Please please please leave me a review! I love reading whatever you all have to say. You can hate on it, love it, or do whatever else you want to it. I just really want to know how you all are liking this story – more reviews means faster updates too. I get to battle an evil foe these next couple weeks, FINALS! So my updates might be slow but hey, I could surprise you.
One reviewer will be selected at random and will earn an Akuroku oneshot dedicated to them that will be up when the next chapter is up for this story. It'll be funny, romantic, and just awesome.
Final Words: 16k
Final Characters: 85k
Final Pages: 26
