Even a Shred of Heart
Mr.Who2123: We're on chapter 8! Yay!
Roxas: What's so great about chapter 8?
Mr.Who2123: Because it's bigger than 7!
Roxas: (Sweat drop) Um, why do I hang out with you?
Mr.Who2123: Blackmail.
Roxas: Oh yeah…now I remember…(shudders) Well, Mr.Who2123 doesn't own anything related to Kingdom Hearts or Square Enix, except for the plot and her OC's of course.
Mr.Who2123: This is so great!
We're on chapter 8! Rhymes!!!
Roxas: (Smacks face) Why must the world be so cruel to me??
Mr.Who2123: Begin!!
The Fun Cut Short
"…up. Wake up!" a voice called. It seemed far off and soft, like someone whispering to him a mile away. Roxas reluctantly opened his eyes. Light burst into his sight as he looked around. The walls were wood, and red couches were on the sides of room. He was still on the train, apparently, but it had stopped. Had it already been a half an hour?
Roxas stretched his arms far above his head and yawned loudly.
"It's about time you got up," Hayner teased from Roxas' right. Roxas just glanced tiredly at him before lowering his arms again.
"So what's going on?" Roxas asked. He pushed himself into a more upright position to fully take view of his surroundings. Olette and Pence were to his left, while Hayner on his right.
"The train just stopped at the beach, silly!" Olette said happily. Must have been more tired than I thought, Roxas thought, nodding to Olette. A voice came from speakers abruptly.
"Attention passengers! We have made it to the Twilight Beach. Please exit in door marked 'exit' in the front car. Thank you and have a nice day," the voice, obviously a conductor, said. At once, all the passengers stood up, anxious to get to their destination of fun. Roxas didn't stand up with his friends, but they watched everyone clear out, not wanting to get involved in the large crowd. The people bunched at the door by the friends for a few minutes, until the very last one left through the door, smiling at the sight of the beach in front of him. Roxas stood up as the crowds dispersed in the open space outside the train, and the four ran through the train door.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, high in the blue sky. Seagulls made their song as they occasionally flew above the beach in flocks, resembling a black cloud in the clear sky. Roxas breathed in the salty air and closed his eyes momentarily as he stepped out of the train, relieved. Waves crashed against the moss covered rocks, adding harmony to the seagulls. The sound of the beach was peace for him.
"It feels good to be out here," Olette said, also taking in the beautiful scene. Everyone immediately agreed. "C'mon, let's go!" Olette took Roxas' hand in her own and bounded down to the beach, with Pence and Hayner following her. She headed down a dirt trail, sloping downwards, straight to the large rocks that hung above the ocean that crashed against it. Olette eventually let her grasp of Roxas' hand go, and took off her shoes to feel the cool and slippery surface of the giant rocks. Roxas, shrugging to himself, took his off as well.
"Wow, this feels awesome!" Pence remarked, feeling the rock with his newly bared feet. He placed his shoes next to Olette and Roxas' while Hayner was taking his off too. Olette led Roxas to the very edge of the rock, suspended above the mighty ocean, and sat down, letting her feet dangle. Roxas sat down with her, watching the foamy waves continue to crash against the rock.
"Too bad we didn't bring our bathing suits," Hayner muttered, joining the two. Pence also sat down next to Roxas, shrugging.
"It's alright. What matters is the time we spend together," Roxas replied happily. His memory of Hayner and him talking in front of the station flashed through his mind. He absently felt his stomach where Hayner playfully punched him so long ago.
"Yeah, I guess that's true," Olette said, still watching the horizon with intent. "Wow, it's so pretty." She gazed out at the sea as if in a trance, her green eyes fixed on the ripples.
"Yeah," was all Hayner said, while gazing in the same direction as Olette.
"I don't ever want to leave this spot," Roxas said softly. The four didn't move, but they just watched the horizon, content with what they all had right there. "You know, it's weird being with you guys. It's like nothing changed since I disappeared from this town." Pence turned to look at Roxas, breaking the still silence they were in.
"Yeah, well, it feels like we've known you forever," Pence replied, smiling reassuringly. Suddenly, everyone heard a low grumbling come from Roxas. Everyone turned their heads to Roxas as he looked down at his stomach, sighing.
"Looks like you're hungry," Hayner remarked happily, standing up. "Let's get us some of those pretzels." He held his hand out to Roxas, who took it thankfully. He heaved himself up and then helped Olette to her feet as well.
The four left their shoes in the same spot while they headed bare foot to the small pretzel stand down the beach.
"I want to get a cinnamon one! They are so good!" Olette exclaimed as they walked down the beach. The fine sand parted and fell at every step the foursome took, leaving footprints across the ocean. It wasn't a crowded day at the beach, so the group was mainly left alone. They would sometimes see a child building a sand castle while the mom keenly watched them from a distance, or groups of men running towards the waves to surf. It was so happily peaceful.
"I just like it plain. No salt, no cinnamon, no nothing," Hayner replied.
"Salted is fine for me," Roxas stated. Pence agreed with Roxas. After a small debate over which is better, the group found themselves at the stand, watching a middle aged man turn pretzels in a heated glass box. He had a kindly face with a black mustache, and there was sparse gray in it as well.
"Excuse, could I have a cinnamon pretzel?" Olette asked from the counter. The old man nodded and took out a pretzel that looked especially brown with the cinnamon. Olette took it and gave him the 300 Munny with a smile.
"I'd like a plain," Hayner asked, and paid the man when he got his as well.
"We'd like two salted," Pence asked after Hayner. Roxas and Pence both go their pretzels, and the man got his 600.
"Want to go back to the rocks?" Hayner asked through a mouthful of a pretzel. He ate it wolfishly while the other three took slow bites and chewed thoughtfully.
"Well, yeah, that might be nice because our SHOES are there," Pence said sarcastically as they headed back, retracing their old footprints. When the small sand began to fade out to the rocks that they sat on, the group saw the sun setting right in front of them.
The water turned to a dark violet-red in response to the reddening sky, and the sun itself looked like it was dimming as it dropped ever slowly down the water. The four ate in respected silence, watching the breathtaking scene with awe. Soon, the red and pink began to fade out, and the sun dipped under the ocean for its slumber until it rises again. The water turned from violet to black in minutes, and everyone found themselves in the dark.
"Wow," Pence muttered, and murmurs of agreement spread around them. They all still gazed out at the horizon, amazed by the momentary beauty of a real sunset. Roxas finished his pretzel awhile ago, and held the wrapper loosely by his side, fiddling with the thin paper covering.
"Should we go?" Hayner asked quietly in the dark.
"Yeah, Axel and Demyx might start worrying about us," Roxas said, and they all stood up to leave. Hayner, Pence, and Olette turned to get their shoes, but Roxas lingered, watching blindly at the horizon, barely seeing the thin line that separated the sky from the water. Suddenly, the line began to bend. Roxas squinted at the horizon, which moved upwards quickly. White crashed all around the rising water, and Roxas felt his stomach churn.
"What's going on?" he asked loudly, taking a step back.
"Roxas, it's a tidal wave!" Hayner shouted from the safety of the dirt trail. Roxas then heard the roaring sound of the foamy waves coming after him like Roxas was prey and the wave was the predator. He turned to run, but the sound still grew louder, engulfing his ears with the monstrous noise.
"Roxas!" Olette cried, running down back the trail. Roxas reached after her, although he knew he couldn't reach her. Olette was fifty feet away, and Roxas knew the wave was much closer than that. Then, Roxas found himself stopping, and facing the wave. He knew he couldn't beat it, so he guessed he'll just have to accept it. He closed his eyes from the stinging spray of the wave and sighed.
"What are you doing?" Pence screamed at the Nobody. Roxas tried to ignore it. The wave was mere feet away, and was still heading towards him with blinding speed…and then it hit him. Roxas didn't feel a thing at first, but soon, he was swept off his feet and lifted into the water, spinning in the fierce water. The cold waters bit at his skin as Roxas flew aimlessly around in the ocean. He felt his chest burning with the lack of oxygen. What was he thinking? Facing a tidal wave? Roxas said hat over and over in his head until he felt consciousness slipping away silently.
"I guess I have forgotten a little," Roxas said, still confused. Fiara still held her smile, a small, yet reassuring smile, like Olette's.
"Listen, Roxas. You know Xemnas is trying to take Kingdom Hearts?" she asked. Roxas, weary of her knowledge, made a skeptical reply.
"And what if I do?" he asked dangerously.
"Well, Roxas, I am a Nobody," Fiara said, touching her chest with sadness. "And, just like you, I want a heart. Badly." Roxas felt for her. Hey, they were both after the same thing, right?
"The only way to opening Kingdom Hearts is to open the seven locks, each one representing the princesses of heart. When done, Kingdom Hearts will be free and no one can take control of it again," she explained. Roxas looked down at his hand. Free…, he thought, before looking up at her again. Her hand was playing with her bracelet, but she still held her small smile.
"Alright, where are the Keyblades?" he asked.
"Each Organization member has one, and each member is scattered in the different worlds," she said. Man, this is a lot of information to take in, Roxas thought wearily.
"Thanks, Fiara," he said, then. "How did I know your name?" Fiara's smile disappeared, and her hands fell limply to her sides.
"I am a part of someone you know," she replied quickly. Suddenly, light surrounded his feet as he felt himself dragged down. She stole one glance at Roxas, but took it away, as if in regret. "don't worry, we'll meet again." Light surrounded Roxas, and Fiara faded into the tiny darkness still left in his sight.
Mr.Who2123: Woot! Finally got it DOWN! I'm liking this chapter major!
Roxas: Um, okay?
Mr.Who2123: For those who didn't know, the end of this chapter was after what happened at the end of last chapter. Hope I wasn't too confusing. Well, same old, same old. Please review because they inspire me to write!!
Roxas: Pretend you save me from a day of torture if you review.
Mr.Who2123: why don't we do that for REAL so that they will review? (Pulls out a giant axe)
Roxas: (Gulp) Please review!
