: Fragment No. 6 :
From the Heart
Again, Sora gulped, staring up at him, "Err… Nowhere, I guess." He mumbled, taking a step backward, "Uh-uhm…"
"I nev'r done seen ya before…" the one with the eye patch said, his visible gold eye narrowing as the pupil went slitted, "Yer human… ain't ya?"
The spiky-haired brunette just stared with wide and blank blue eyes at the other, slowly nodding as if with difficulty, "Y-yes…"
"Well, then… how's 'bout a bite?" He leant forward toward Sora, the smaller one automatically moving his head to the other side at an angle.
"Sora!!"
The human's eyes sparkled back to normal as he jumped back, away from the Vampire trying to bite him. A surprised yet frightened look was on his face as he did his best to look anywhere but back at his face.
"Damn it…"
"Xigbar, leave him alone!" Riku commanded, running in and stopping beside his friend, putting his arms around his shoulders and holding him close, "This one's mine, you hear me?"
"But, that there ain't fair, Riku! How come you get the cute little human?" the eye patched one called Xigbar replied with another question.
"Because this 'cute little human' is my friend! Nobody's allowed to even touch him without my permission, got it?" the silver-haired Vampire glared, putting venomous emphasis on his last two words.
Xigbar flinched, but nodded unpleasantly before exiting. This left Riku to let Sora go and look him over for any scratches or bite marks.
"Are you alright? He didn't actually bite you, did he?" he asked worriedly.
"No! No, he didn't; you came in just in time." Sora answered, smiling brightly with a light blush on his face. He looked down for a moment, but his brilliant blue eyes look back up at Riku, "Uhm… Were you really… worried about me?"
The older just smirked, putting his gloved hand over the other's soft spiky hair and ruffling it fondly, "I kinda have to be, don't I? I've got to protect you as long as you stay here in Halloween Town, since it was partly my fault you came, right?"
"Hmm… true." Came an answer as he began to chuckle.
Axel blinked, watching Riku and his friend talking in the distance. How could they laugh? How could they even smile when… Roxas is gone… He bites his lip as the full force of the loss begins to slowly fall onto his shoulders, but then he notices something. His emerald green eyes went slitted as he gave Sora a Vampire's Death Glare.
He looked so much like him… and he smelt like… the Keyblade!? Now, he could see straight through that disguise he was wearing; he was a human and the Vampire could see that he wielded the Keyblade that his beloved best friend once had.
Anger swelled in his dark Heart, "You!" he roared, getting to his feet and pointing accusingly at the newcomer, "You're the one who made it disappear! You killed Roxas!!"
Sora, fright visible in his eyes until determination won over his features, stepped forward, "No! I-I didn't! At least, I didn't mean to…" He tried to explain, but he was obviously not doing a very good job of it, "Three Werewolves tried to jump me and it just… sorta came to me."
"I'm so sure! I'll bet you provoked them on purpose, knowing full-well that they'd go after the first Vampire that cross their pa—"
"They attacked because they could tell that I'm human!!" the brunette interrupted, a sympathetic expression on his face, "I'm really sorry, Axel… I didn't mean to harm Roxas, especially in such an awful way."
The red-haired Vampire just stared at him; he almost seemed to understand… The anger inside of him, however, only grew larger, taking control of his actions and body. His BloodRed Dragon spirit was roaring and hissing frantically, fueled by the flames that were now encircling the two in a ring.
Sora would gasp as the wall of flames trapped him away from the rest of the dark world.
"Sora!!" Riku's voice called out from the other side of the fire.
"Riku!" he called back as he looked for a way out but not finding one. He immediately looked back to the crazed pyromaniac.
"You BASTARD!!!" Axel shouted in anguish as two flaming chakram appeared in his grasp, "You'll pay for it! It's only fair; a life for a life!"
The human took a step back in surprise; was Axel really going to kill him? The flames suddenly blew up behind him, pushing him forward a bit, closer to the one whom wanted to see him dead. He wound up taking one more step backward before the other took up a fighting stance.
The redhead shot out at him, running at a swift speed and spinning his chakram in his hands all the while. He let out a low battle cry that slowly got louder and louder the closer he got. But just when he slashed at his opponent with his flaming weapons, he was pushed back by the sound and feel of the two clanging into another object.
He'd been forced back, away from the strange looking Keyblade that now came to the human's aid. It was black, much like Roxas's PumpkinKing Keyblade, but this one looked more sinister and dark. A dark violet jewel was in the center of its hilt and a black crown charm served for its Keychain.
"What the…?"
Sora stood up from his own fighting stance and looked at Axel with worried eyes. The Vampire froze.
Those eyes… Those wonderfully impossible blue eyes… looked exactly like his Roxas's. He bit his lip once again before spinning his weapons and yelling.
"Damn it… Stop looking at me with his eyes!!" He would rush forth again, his chakram darting at the ready.
The brunette closed his eyes tightly, holding the Oblivion Keyblade in front of him in hopes that it could stop the Vampire in his tracks, like it had before.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light occurred as Axel's weapons shot out for the second time at the human. A figure materialized in front of him and protected him from the attack.
Sora opened his brilliant blue hues slowly, seeing familiar silver hair glisten in the light from the fire. A smile came to his lips as he thought of whom it was.
"Riku…?"
A shake of the head confused him for a moment, but then the face turned to look at him over its shoulder. Golden eyes twinkled as pointed teeth hung out of its mouth.
"I'm here to help… my beloved Sora…"
"Landon!?" he asked, eyes wide in surprise.
"So, then, another player has joined the game? Fine!" Axel shouted, jumping back from his two opponents before throwing his flaming chakram at them like boomerangs.
"Shall we, then, Sora?" Riku's DarkSide asked, smirking toothily.
"We shall! Get ready!" he replied, spinning the Oblivion in his hand before throwing it like a boomerang at the two weapons flying their way. The long key-like sword deflected the attack before swinging itself back to its owner, but that wasn't the last time it'd go airborne, "C'mon!!"
He tossed it out again, this time hitting Axel with it. It came back to Sora's hand, but before he could throw it one last time for the Strike Raid's final hit of the combo, Final Judgment, the Chakram rammed themselves into him. He let out a gasp as he suddenly flew backward into the flames, now screaming as the fire tried to penetrate his clothes to burn at his skin. His already revealed skin was getting burnt, but he did his best to resist it.
Landon fly up to him, pulling him out of the flaming wall and putting him gently down at the ground again, "Stay put, now… It's my turn!" He turned to Axel, hissing inhumanely with his freakishly wide mouth. Several pointed teeth began to glow bright white as he disappeared, reappearing directly behind the redhead and biting into his left arm.
"Gaah!" the Vampire cried, moving his arm up and down frantically in an attempt to get the DarkSide off of him, "Get the Hell off!!"
"Then leave my beloved out of this!" Landon shouted back, but his voice was muffled thanks to his teeth being embedded straight through his leather cloak and into his skin. He picked up his right hand, his fingers growing 12-inches longer. He smirked devilishly as he forced his claws clear through the other's right arm.
"Aaaaah!!!" Axel yelled, his BloodRed Dragon finally figuring a way to be useful.
It wrapped itself around Landon's transparent form, tightening its body around him in an attempt to kill him in its own way.
"Ur-urggh… gaah…" the DarkSide groaned, his teeth and fingers coming out of Axel's arms and going back to normal size.
"Landon!!" Sora called, "Come back! That's enough!!"
Landon opened his golden eyes, his pained frown turning into a weak grin before he faded away completely. The Landon Charm appeared back in his pocket, where it would stay until its loved one needed any more assistance.
"I won't let you hurt anyone anymore! I didn't do it to Roxas on purpose, Axel! If you choose not to believe me, then so be it!!" Sora declared, spinning Oblivion once more before running forward to meet his opponent in close-combat.
He'd swing his Keyblade to pull off an upward oblique slice, then a horizontal slash and a vertical one before spinning around in a full circle to bring the blade back down in a downward oblique slash. Jumping back harshly, he'd slide to a stop before spinning his Keyblade and throwing it at Axel again in a Strike Raid attack.
Axel, severely weakened now, held his chakram up in an attempt to block the attacks. He glared, his defense wasn't working and he was still taking damage. With the Keyblade flying at him, he'd let out a roar as a pillar of flames appeared all around him, engulfing him.
Oblivion merely knocked itself into the pillar and fell to the floor. Axel saw this as his chance… his chance to avenge his fallen comrade. He hurried forward in an attempt to grab the weapon and use it against the human, but before he could even get his hands on it, it disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared in the other's grasp.
Anger gripped him once again as he jumped backward into the flames that surrounded them. Suddenly, the floor turned into hot lava, and the longer Sora just stood there, the more damage he would receive.
Growling, Sora did his very best to keep an eye on where Axel had gone, but it was so difficult… He kept on moving! But then, he suddenly dived back into the battlefield, creating pillars of fire all around them. The new Keyblade Wielder merely growled once more before jumping upward to meet Axel in the air.
Axel swung with his Chakram, but Sora easily blocked them with his Oblivion as he shoved those flaming weapons back into the other's body, giving him damage from his own attacks.
Sora would then pull off a quick reaction that the name Clear Light just seemed to fit. He would, instead of shoving his weapons into him, shove Axel back down into the floor. The lava disappeared and so did the pillars, though the wall stayed put. Sora landed on top of Axel, smashing his Keyblade into his chest.
Apparently, however, he wasn't fast enough to get off because the pyromaniac had just grabbed his leg. Blue eyes looked down to meet with emerald green; a smirk curled on the other's lips as a pillar of flame burst up from the ground, engulfing the both of them. Sora let out a scream as the flames worked their magic, burning at him and dealing loads of damage.
Regaining composure, he stabbed his Keyblade at Axel's hand, forcing him to release him. He immediately hopped out of the pillar and jumped back to where he stood at the start of this whole battle. He panted tiredly, pushing his Oblivion Keyblade into the ground beside him and leaning on it in an attempt to keep himself standing.
Axel slowly got to his feet, that smirk still there, "What's wrong? Getting tired?"
"Axel!! What the hell is wrong with you!?! You're getting all worked up over nothing!!" came Riku's voice from the other side of the wall.
"Says you!! I'm just trying to avenge Roxas… You should be, too, Riku! But, no… You went and fell for a human, didn't you? I saw him! I saw Landon helping him, Riku! Your DarkSide is the side of you that you would never show!" Axel was beginning to get angry again, "After I kill him, I'm going after you next!!"
He spun his Chakram, the flames igniting them again. He would rush forward in hopes of this being the final attack before the human at last can die.
"Now… YOU'RE FINISHED!!" a pillar of flames appears, trailing behind him as he approaches swiftly.
"A-aaaah!!!" Sora screams, trying to protect himself with Oblivion again.
It is then… that everything went white. They were no longer in Halloween Town, and the flames were no longer imprisoning them.
"Axel, you have to stop this!" a voice calls.
Axel freezes with wide eyes. A light begins to sparkle before him, growing larger and larger until… standing in front of the weakened Sora protectively… is Roxas.
"R-Roxas…?"
The pillar of flames that had been following behind him faded away and the pyromaniac's eyes go back to normal. A look of disbelief comes over his face, as well as concern for his best friend.
"Wh… what happened? When your Dragon spirit came to me, I thought you…"
Roxas smiles gently, "I'm fine, Axel… I just had to help Sora out, y'see? He's…" he pauses for a moment, looking down at the non-existent ground before back up at the redhead, "my other. Whenever he's in trouble, it's my job to protect him…"
"But… but why? He's just a human!" Axel protests.
"And that seems to be the main reason, then. Humans can't stay here in Halloween Town without being targeted by just about everyone. I can't merely leave him to die, Axel… because if he dies, I die."
Axel finds it hard to believe, but he understands. This was probably why Sora looked so much like Roxas, or rather, why Roxas looks so much like Sora.
Sora's Oblivion Keyblade faded out of his grasp, and Roxas's transparent body became solid. The setting reappeared around them and the wall of flames was burning out.
Riku ran into the area, grabbing Sora and pulling him back into a hug, "You're alive! I knew you'd live through it! Axel isn't that stupid!"
"HEY!! I heard that, you human-loving moron!" Axel snapped, smirking.
Roxas approached his red-haired best friend, feeling an arm being placed around his shoulders. He smiled, leaning on his friend's stomach. Yup, he was still that short, but Axel didn't care about that.
Sora laughed at the joke, but then all got quiet when he looked over to his once-enemy. Axel was still smirking, but he picked up his free hand and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Sorry for… well, everything, Sora." He apologized, "I won't have a problem with you anymore… but you can bet I'm not gonna let Riku live it down!"
The human laughed again, nodding, "That's fine in my book, then! Don't turn into a big softy on my account!"
"Hey!" Riku mumbled, lightly punching Sora's shoulder as he stood beside him, his arms not folded with a huge grin on his face.
"We've got somewhere to go right now, but we'll see you two around!" Roxas explained, waving a bit, "Later, Sora!"
"Bye, Roxas!" Sora bade them farewell, watching them leave before looking to his Vampire companion, "So, what's next? Any other bad eggs around that I need to teach a lesson?" He was smirking… What the hell, he was being cocky.
"C'mere, you…" Riku chuckled, putting his arm around his friend's shoulders and turning them around to leave the Graveyard, "I guess I'll just have to take you around with me on my missions now… A Keyblade Master is just what I've been needing around here…"
Keyblade Master… I like the sound of that! Sora thought, smiling brightly as they walked down the once-spooky pathway.
Author's Notes: Taahaa!! I've finally updated! And I'll tell y'all the truth, I actually didn't write this for a helluva long time. xD!! I just wrote this and finished writing this morning. Then I went straight to work on .hack//W.O..
I ACTUALLY WROTE AN ACTION SCENE!!--AND A HELLA LONG ONE, TOO!! X3! I'm so proud of myself... LoL!! Naa, I just had to keep looking from my KH2 book several times to see what Axel's attacks were. xD! I could hardly remember from the game since I beat it a long time ago.
Anywayz! Reviews? Please? I chose to continue this for all of you, yeaz! So tell meh what'cha think? And before any of you say anything, I know I wound up repeating a lot of things. x3 Sorry!
