The trio were surrounded, Neoshadow heartless surrounding them on all sides.
"Could this possibly get any worse?" Luxa asked as Roxas and Genesis face palmed at the words.
Sure enough as soon as she said the words, a large hovering purple suit of armor appeared amongst the heartless…a third incarnation of the Guard Armor Heartless.
"You just had to say that?!" Roxas groaned.
Suddenly a large swath of heartless dissipated by a glowing red blade.
"Don't hold back…unleash your strength upon the darkness." Genesis said calmly as the three dispersed to combat the swarm of heartless.
With each heartless Roxas slew a glowing pink heart rose up and vanished in a dark cloud, while the heartless slain by Genesis and Luxa didn't.
Luxa was using her power over gravity to gain the upper hand; she just walked through the heartless in a straight line as her weapons circled around her at high speed cutting down heartless like a lawn mower.
Genesis was cutting down heartless quickly with his katana.
Roxas then noticed the Guard Armor climbing a large building with a bell tower on top of it.
"It's retreating?!" Roxas asked confused as he turned to cut down more heartless, he then noticed a fountain in the back with three small symbols of a bell engraved around the edge. Then it hit him…the bell tower.
Roxas leapt into the air and flew towards the tower leaving a lens flair behind him as he flew.
He reached the large heartless and quickly unleashed a row of Light rays at the heartless which found itself being knocked over the edge of the building.
Roxas then saw the bell and quickly grabbed the rope, he then pulled hard and the bell rang out.
As it rang the Heartless stopped and started to swarm towards and up the building, while a large square image behind the fountain rotated to reveal another image.
Roxas saw the image change and quickly rang the bell again…the image changed again and the Guard Armor started hovering towards it only to be stopped by Luxa who threw the large heartless against the wall of the structure the heartless were climbing.
Roxas quickly rang the bell a third time and the image turned to reveal a shimmering purple square with a keyhole inside of it.
Roxas noticed immediately but he also noticed the wave of heartless climbing up onto the roof. He quickly conjured up as much light energy as he could and then leapt into the air and unleashed a powerful blast of light upon the heartless destroying them all…the Guard Armor Heartless included. The blast having been from the Keyblades caused all the hearts from each of the heartless to be released and sent to Kingdom Hearts.
"Whoa-ho Roxy…I gotta say your much better than I thought." Luxa said as Roxas black portaled to the ground.
"It's Roxas…R-O-X-A-S…" Roxas corrected as Luxa smirked and shrugged as she replied "M-O-U-S-E." in a sing song manner.
"We should move quickly before more heartless arrive." Genesis said as Roxas nodded and aimed the Keyblades at the keyhole and a white circle surrounded by interweaving black and white thorns appeared around the tips of them and a straight beam just like the circle shot out and hit the keyhole causing a tremendous flash of light and a massive glowing pink heart to emerge and then dissipate in a dark portal bound for Kingdom Hearts.
As soon as the heart disappeared the ground started to shake and all around them the world started to crumble, the bell tower toppled forward to the ground and landed with a loud clang.
"LETS GET OUT OF HERE!!" Roxas shouted as the three black portaled away.
Later…
Roxas, Genesis, and Luxa had returned to the World that Never Was and were instantly greeted by Xemnas.
After debriefing Xemnas and Saix of what occurred in Traverse Town, the three had dispersed in their own directions. Roxas had returned to his light house where he found Axel waiting for him.
"So you actually obliterated them in one blast?!" Axel asked as Roxas finished repeating his story to the pyro.
"Yep…though I really don't wanna do that again." Roxas replied as Axel snickered.
"Well with any luck you won't have to." Axel said as Demyx appeared.
"Hey Roxas you have a message waiting for ya." Demyx said as he handed Roxas a light blue sticky note with a dark blue decal of Demyx's sitar on it.
The note read "Where R U? R U Ok? Call me L8er. – Cissnei" It was written in Demyx's shorthand.
"Omigosh…Cissnei…I haven't called her in a while…wait how did she get your number?" Roxas asked the Melodious Nocturne.
"She didn't…Axel and I went to go meet her." Demyx replied as Roxas's jaw dropped.
"You WHAT?!" Roxas yelled.
"Relax we said we were friends of yours and explained that you've been away on business for a while." Axel replied as Roxas took a deep breath.
"Unsurprisingly she knows both of our others…however she promised not to tell the rest of her friends that we exist." Demyx added.
"Phew…Good…I probably should go see her…call me on my cell if you need me." Roxas said as he turned to leave but Axel stopped him.
"Hey before you go I got ya something…" Axel said as he whipped out a small thin square shaped box in white wrapping paper.
"What for?" Roxas asked as he opened it, revealing an X shaped keychain like on his Zipper chain.
"It's a one month in the Organization present…it's for your Keyblade." Axel replied as Roxas applied the Keyblade to Oblivion causing it to take on a black and white nobody-like appearance.
"It's called 'Two Across' and it's all yours." Axel added as Roxas smiled, detached it and stuck it in his robe pocket.
"Thanks Axel…oh by the way you're forgiven for losing Namine." Roxas said as he black portaled away.
Hollow Bastion
Outside the Bailey…
Cissnei was sitting atop a rock formation facing the abandoned Heartless castle as Roxas portaled in behind her.
"Hey." He said causing her to jump slightly as he appeared.
"Oh hey Roxas…glad to see you're ok." Cissnei said as she turned to see him.
"Sorry about not talking to you lately…I just came back from a mission." Roxas said as she smiled and nodded understandingly.
"It's ok…anything you can talk about?" she asked as Roxas gave her a knowing smirk and shook his head.
"Oh well…can't say that I didn't try." Cissnei said with a chuckle.
"True…you are a very persistent woman." Roxas said as Cissnei silently giggled.
"And you are a very stubborn boy…we're polar opposites I'd say." Cissnei replied.
"Or like a pair of siblings." Roxas added as Cissnei thought for a moment.
"Siblings huh? That's an interesting thought." Cissnei said as she heard Roxas's stomach growl.
"Apparently my stomach has other thoughts…" Roxas said with a chuckle and snapped his fingers transforming into his civvies.
"I could go for something about now…let's get lunch…'brother." Cissnei said with a snicker.
"Ok…sister." Roxas replied as they both started laughing on their way back to the town.
They entered the Benbow Inn, a restaurant owned and operated by a woman named Sarah Hawkins and her son; a seventeen year old boy named James Hawkins but referred to as Jim. The two were natives of a world long since abandoned known as Montressor.
"Evening Sarah." Cissnei said to the auburn haired woman behind the counter.
"Oh good evening Cissnei…Roxas." Sarah replied, "Take any open seat you want."
"Thanks." Cissnei replied as they headed for a vacant booth, completely ignorant of a raven haired woman in the booth behind Roxas.
The woman was wearing a black robe, not like the black leather robes of the Organization members, had slightly pale skin, and she had her hair made up in a bun.
"Hey Cissnei, Roxas." A brown haired teenager said as he approached their booth with a notepad in hand.
"Hey Jim." The two greeted in unison.
"The usual?" he asked as they nodded and he turned and walked way.
After a moment Jim returned with two glass mugs of lemonade, soft drinks being a bit low on the list of priorities for the Restoration Committee and what not, and had walked off.
"Could you excuse me for a moment Roxas…I need to visit the little girl's room." Cissnei said as she left the table and Roxas nodded in approval.
As she left the chime above the door was heard and a black spiky haired man in a dark blue uniform with black shoulder pads, and a big sword on his back entered.
He then noticed the raven haired woman as she stood up. He smirked as he saw her. Roxas sat quietly, he didn't want to listen into their conversation but he had no choice seeing as how Cissnei was away at the moment.
"Zack…worlds it's good to see you." The woman said as she hugged the man.
"It's good to see you again too Mrs. Lulu." Zack replied as they sat down.
"Call me Lu…how long has it been?" she asked.
"By my count…almost ten years." Zack replied.
"You certainly have grown." She said.
"Thanks…but I doubt you called me here to reminisce about old times." Zack replied as Lulu sighed.
"Yes I did and you're the only one I can turn to about this." She said.
"What's wrong." He asked.
"Both of our boys are missing." She replied.
"Riku?" He asked as she nodded.
Zack then muttered something in a language foreign to Roxas's ears.
"Minerva ryja sanlo." He muttered. (Translation: Minerva have mercy.)
"Frah tet oui maynh Al Bhed?" she asked. (Translation: When did you learn Al Bhed?)
"Ten years ago." He replied as she nodded understandingly.
"So when was the last time you saw either of them?" Zack asked.
"Well…a few months ago, when all of the worlds were slowly being consumed by the darkness, the Islands fell too…I found myself in a world known as Twilight Town, where Master Yen Sid helped me by giving me a gummy ship his former apprentice had sent to him." Lulu explained.
"I don't mean to be rude but…that doesn't answer my question." Zack replied.
"The last time I saw either of them, they were enroot to the island where they would play all the time." She said.
"Any clue of what happened to them?" Zack asked.
"There's more…the islands were restored and Kairi returned with them. She was about to explain all that happened to them…but then this strange aura appeared around her for a split second, and almost everyone on the island including her forgot that my son even existed…I've noticed it's the same here too." Lulu explained.
"You're kidding…people are forgetting about them?" Zack asked.
"No it appears only to effect people who knew about my son." She replied, "Riku doesn't seem to be effected."
"Odd…this is definitely something I will need to investigate in my spare time." Zack said as his phone started to ring and he quickly answered it.
"Fair here…uh-huh…yes sir I'll A.T.B. pronto…yes sir…over and out." Zack said into his phone.
"Problems?" Lulu asked.
"Yeah…Cloud spotted Sephiroth again and now the two are dukeing it out against each other in the old Midgar ruins." Zack said as he got up.
"Be safe Zack…I'll be sure to contact you if the situation changes." Lulu said as Zack smiled and the two hugged again before Zack headed towards the door.
"Lu…" he said as he stopped at the door, "…Don't forget his promise…he will return one day even if it takes ten years…who knows this may be the lucky year…and whatever you do…don't forget your family."
"I won't Zack…I've never forgotten or lost hope that Ven will return…and I'm sure that Sora will too." Lulu said as Zack smiled and walked out the door.
Roxas in the meantime was on a mental rollercoaster, the names Riku and Kairi were ringing in his head like bells, and the name Sora was ringing even louder than the others.
"Riku…his best friend…Kairi…that girl he likes…Sora…who is Sora…" Roxas whispered to himself as Cissnei returned to the table.
"Sorry I took so long…what's the matter with you?" Cissnei asked as she sat down.
"Hang on a minute." Roxas said as he got up and moved towards the booth behind him and looked at the woman seated there drinking her coffee.
"Excuse me." He asked as she looked at him then did a double take.
"Yes?" she asked cautiously.
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation but there's something about those names you mentioned that are just ringing in my head…like I should know them." Roxas said as the woman looked him over.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Roxas." He answered.
"Roxas...what do you know of those names I mentioned?" she asked.
"Just a bunch of vague thoughts…Riku is his best friend…Kairi is the girl he likes…but I feel like I should know Sora…I just can't get any clue as to who he is…I feel like I know every intricate detail of his life but every time I try to think of them…I draw a complete blank." Roxas replied as Lulu looked at him with interest. Roxas then started looking at her as if studying her.
"You also look very familiar…I feel like there is a closeness between you and me." Roxas added.
In her mind Cissnei was toying with the names Sora and Roxas…as if she could sense a similarity between them.
"You have spoken volumes compared to what most people who know my son has said…almost everyone I've talked to acts surprised and confused when I ask them about Sora." Lulu replied.
"That name…it's so familiar…yet at the same time I feel like I've never heard it before…I don't understand how this is possible." Roxas said as his phone started ringing.
"5 – Luxa"
"(Sigh) not now…" Roxas said as he flipped open his phone.
"What do you want Luxa?" he asked.
"If I were you…I would shut your yap before you say something you shouldn't to people you shouldn't even be around Roxy." Luxa said as Roxas started looking around and spotted the silver haired nobody in a corner booth, in her modified Organization attire, who blew him a kiss.
"Who invited you?!" Roxas yelled to the woman as he lowered the phone causing her to chuckle with malice, rose out of her seat and moved towards Roxas.
"(Sigh) Roxy, Roxy, Roxy…you of all people should know that we're allowed to come and go from headquarters at our leisure, unless on a mission or ordered directly by Superior." Luxa replied snidely as she approached.
"Who is this iron maiden?!" Cissnei asked as her drink spilled in her lap as if by magic and Luxa suppressed a snicker.
"I'm someone you don't want to mess with." She said to the ex-Turk as she turned back to Roxas.
"Luxa…get out…or so help me I'll-" "You'll what…report me to Superior? Please…like he would side with you in this matter." Luxa replied smugly as Roxas spun to face her with Oathkeeper and Oblivion aimed at her.
"Those weapons…" Lulu said as she saw the two weapons, "…where did you get them?!"
"Stay out of this you old crone." Luxa replied as she glared at Roxas.
"How dare you…" Lulu said as she stood up only to come face to face with the "Fast Enforcer's" gun barrel.
"Sit down before you make a decision you won't live to regret." Luxa ordered as Lulu begrudgingly complied.
"Now come along Roxas…let's be a good boy and return to the castle before we let any secrets slip." Luxa said as Roxas lowered the Keyblades and transformed into his Organization robes.
"That's a good little 'Key of Destiny'…what Superior sees in you I will never understand…but so long as you fulfill your purpose." Luxa said with a smirk as she opened a black portal to the Castle that Never Was.
"I'll be back soon Cissnei…I promise." Roxas said to the ex-Turk before getting shoved through the portal with Luxa right behind him.
The portal closed leaving Lulu and Cissnei both very confused as to what just transpired.
End Chapter 7.
If you have been reading my other Fics…Reunion and/or Reunion: Birth by Sleep, you would be aware of the fact that I have made Lulu, from Final Fantasy X, Sora's mother…and Zack Fair from Final Fantasy VII to be Riku's cousin.
Also be prepared for another character…only of Disney origin…here's a few hints.
He's a villain, he's named after a musical term, and he is a musical instrument.
If you know whom I mean, please refrain from saying it in your reviews.
