A/N-Ah, another chapter done. I had to go on hiatus for a month due to some unfortunate circumstances (I physically couldn't type the pain in my hands was that bad). I may have also been distracted by the Ace Attorney series once again… But here's an update. Not much to say here so enjoy the KH/FF goodness.
The past is a glories, ugly and mystifying concept. On one hand it holds all of your most precious memories and on the other those that torment you to the edge of insanity. It can hold secrets, deep dart secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. It holds as much joy as it does sorrow. I have come to wonder if the past is truly something that stays where its namesake applies: in the past. I've lost count of how many times the past is dug up or mentioned or brought forth in a way no one likes.
When we went to our next destination, we had no idea how much the past would come back to haunt us. Not only from the war but from our lives that we never knew existed. Our deepest thoughts were going to be dredged up once more. This time, we will see the echoes of our repercussions of our choices and how the effects would ripple into our future.
XxXxX
When they reached Djose, it was well after the sun had set. The city was dark with very few street lamps on to save on electricity. The group landed at the G. Ship hanger and headed for the nearest inn. They piled into three rooms and passed out for the night, the memory of watching Atlantis perish still fresh in their minds.
Roxas was the first to wake. He sat up in bed and glanced over at Seifer, the Captain snoring softly into his pillow. Swinging his legs out of bed, he slipped on a shirt and headed outside to take a walk. Djose was a quiet little city with a very urban feel to it. Homes had large expanses of yards while the houses themselves were relatively small. On the horizon loomed a large tower of stone crackling with electricity where the aeon Ixion could be obtained, the horse being the guardian spirit of the world.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned away from the temple and headed towards the less populated area of the city. Houses became even more sparse and the road turned into a wide, dusty path. His shoes kicked up dirt as he walked, turning the base of his pants a rusty brown. His thoughts remained fairly empty as he took the time to enjoy the warm night air. He took a deep inhale and smelt a vague scent of flora looming nearby. Roxas followed the scent until he found himself coming to a large expanse of water. If he squinted, he could make out the silhouette of land far on the other side.
Spread over the surface of the river were lily pads and flowers glowing with some sort of radiant mystery. It was hard to pinpoint what color they truly were as it shifted from pale yellow to pink to violet to white and then back again. Roxas ventured over to the water's edge and crouched down along the bank, dipping his fingers into the water.
"Peaceful, isn't it?" Roxas looked up to find a taller man with silvery hair running in waves past his shoulders. He wore clothes that looked sort of out of place, as though he were from a different time period. Over his shirt, he wore a ruffled ascot and a large, military style coat that swept down to his ankles. He wore armor plating over his knees while his silver boots were sharp and polished. Roxas didn't need to look very hard to tell the man had seen battle in his life time.
"Yeah," Roxas replied. "What is this place?"
"The Moonflow," the man replied. "You must be new to Djose."
Roxas stood and shoved his hands back into his pockets. "That obvious, huh?" he asked.
The man chuckled. "Call me Setzer."
"Roxas," the blonde greeted, offering a hand. When Setzer didn't accept it, Roxas slid it back into his pocket. "You don't seem like you're from here either."
"Duly noted. I came to Djose before the war with Xemnas. It was still somewhat peaceful here then and the tranquility of the Moonflow made it easy to forget the scars of war," Setzer stated, looking out at the tranquil water. "Are you here to escape to the Moonflow?"
"No, I'm here as a guardian," Roxas clarified.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Really? A true summoner has come to seek what lies in wait at the Djose Sacred Temple. Not many people have seen what lies inside. It's a brutal place for those who are too attached to the past or cannot accept the future."
Roxas frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."
"Perhaps one day you will. Many soldiers find their way to Djose," Setzer stated. He turned to the blonde and offered him a quick smile. "Enjoy your stay." Then Setzer left with a swish of his coat, leaving Roxas along to his thoughts with the Moonflow.
XxXxX
The next morning, everyone woke late, save for Roxas who was already up for the day. Their first order of business was ordering passage to the Temple via Shoopuf, an elephant like beast with a curly trunk used for crossing the Moonflow. They were taken across the tranquil waters on a separate Shoopuf than the one used to taxi people over the vast expanse as they were headed upriver.
Traveling over the Moonflow was peaceful. Ienzo found himself staring out at the water where dots of spiritual light danced all around them. Every now and then, he would spot a figure along the banks of the Moonflow with a faded aura, as if the person were dissipating like a morning mist. Yet they never fully did. He kept the information to himself as he didn't want to spook the others with the prospect of spirits not yet laid to rest. 'But then again, Demyx did warn us this Temple would be guarded by both the living and those who remained living,' the teen mused. 'Does that mean spirits of the dead are protecting the Aeon?'
Their trip ended on a narrow bar of land in the middle of the Moonflow far upstream from the city. Everyone looked around in confusion as the Temple was nowhere in sight. Then they all inwardly cringed as the prospect of the Temple being underwater again darkened their moods. As the Shoopuf left them stranded, Demyx turned his heading father upstream and started walking.
"Um, where are you going?" Axel asked.
"We have to walk from here. Those guarding the Temple won't let anyone else travel closer," Demyx explained.
"How far is it?" Naminé asked.
"Just a couple more miles. It won't take us too long," Demyx reassured them. "Don't worry, the water's shallow enough so it won't go much higher than your knees." The summoner continued on up river, his guardians following close behind.
Ienzo found himself walking beside Roxas, his eyes glancing at the shores every so often to spot more spirits lingering just out of visible sight for normal sight. The teen frowned, the gesture not unnoticed by the Solider. "Something bothering you?" Roxas asked.
"There's a lot of spirits around," Ienzo stated, keeping his voice low. "They don't really do anything. They're mostly just watching us, although I think I saw a few of them move their hands to their hips and back as if they were holding weapons."
"So long as we remain calm and neutral, they should leave us alone. After all, we're not here to hurt the Temple," Roxas reassured his friend.
"Yeah, but it's weird to see so many people watching over an Aeon. In all the other worlds there have been very few, even with the Sacred Temples," the teen noted.
"Well, Atlantis lost their Temple and Atlantica's was off limits so they weren't expecting anyone to go there." Roxas shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as the water sloshed around his ankles. "Maybe this is the norm for other Temples."
"Maybe," Ienzo murmured.
Roxas gave him a friendly shove. "Hey, don't worry about it. At least you can see this time around and I'm not trapped inside the Temple." Both of them broke out into chuckles.
"Okay, you're right. It's actually really nice here. I can see a lot of the spiritual energy you guys can't, or I'm assuming you can't." Roxas looked around and shook his head. "They're really beautiful."
"I'll bet. I can see the flowers but that's about it. Speaking of which, there's a whole bunch of them coming up so watch your step," the Soldier warned.
The water deepened up to their thighs as they neared the large swatch of lily pads and color changing flowers. It wasn't long after they entered lights began to rise from the flowers in colorful arches. Glittering orbs of pale blue light left trails of teal and violet in their wake, arcing over the group's heads with the sound of faint bells chiming. If they listened closely, they could make out faint echoes of laughter or someone sobbing as the orbs floated past.
"What are these things?" Axel asked, reaching out a hand to touch one. The orb shifted away from his touch, rising higher into the air as if it had a mind of its own.
"They're Pyreflies." The group whirled around to find they were being followed by another person, although Roxas brightened upon seeing them.
"Setzer," he greeted. "What are you doing out here?"
"My job is to guide the summoners to the Temple," Setzer replied, moving towards the front of the party. Everyone eyed the mysterious stranger with his strange clothes, Ienzo frowning at the man's presence. "I suggest you keep moving before you lose the will to progress. The pyreflies are beautiful but they are a sad reminder of those we have left behind. Should we linger, your soul may decide to join them. Even as we speak the Moonflow is washing your spirit clean of impurities. Yet even the mightiest of stones will wear away with the moving tides given enough time." Setzer paused in his stride as he stood alongside Demyx, giving the summoner a gentle smile. "Shall we?" Demyx nodded and Setzer moved on ahead.
They followed the ex-mercenary up the Moonflow flanked by the pyreflies. Axel kept trying to touch them but they always maneuvered around his fingers, making the Knight even more determined in his antics. Ienzo glanced over at the man walking beside him as he heard Roxas trying to suppress his laughter.
"Amused by Axel?" Ienzo pressed.
"He's such a dork," Roxas replied, smirking as another pyrefly ghosted out of the red head's reach. Ienzo watched the light shimmer away, blending in with the other residuals of spiritual energy lingering on the Moonflow. He was able to differentiate them rather easily as the pyreflies looked like crystal butterflies compared to the ordinary glowing orbs. He almost had the same urge as Axel to try and touch one but he knew it probably would disrupt them.
Demyx was the first to spot the Temple approaching on the horizon. He could hear the echoes of a waterfall even farther ahead where the Moonflow cascaded off the side of the world itself. From their ship, it had looked like shimmering drops of tears leaking into the stars as the worlds turned. The Temple itself looked nothing like the one inside the city of Djose. This one was much smaller. It looked reminiscent of a single story church with dark colored walls and gorgeous stained glass windows radiating colors inside of the Temple. Outside was a set of large doors guarded by a pair of men who looked similar to Setzer in a sense that they were mercenaries.
The first wore a deep magenta coat with a leather piece over his shirt to guard his abdomen. Rust colored hair kissed the man's shoulders while several belts wrapped around his waist, the bands the same dark material as his hefty boots. A long, sanguine colored blade lingered at his side that was a grim reminder of Xemnas's old blade, only this man's was a lot thinner. The second man had a large build and wore a knit top without sleeves and heavy shoulder pads. He wore the same style's leather harness over his abdomen while a blade the size of a small man hung over his back. The most striking trait the pair had was the wings upon their backs. The man in red had a midnight ash colored wing pressed up against his right side while his companion had a snowy white one tucked against his left.
Demyx looked down as his feet no longer touched a surface firmer than the bottom of the riverbed. He found himself walking up a long pair of shallow steps, his pants and boots draining of water as he rose from the Moonflow. A sense of unease followed, a sharp contrast to the calming serenity of walking through the spiritual river. Setzer had been right about his spirit being washed clean. All of his former regrets felt like scars long forgotten on the back of his heart. It was like being reborn with a clear conscience, the weights of his past finally lifted to a level he no longer had to worry about.
Setzer gave the pair in front of the doors a short bow with a sweep of his arm. "I have brought a summoner to the Temple," he greeted, standing upright again. He motioned towards Demyx, both guardians turning their battle steeled gazes upon him.
"I see," the man in red murmured. Then he allowed the summoner a sweeping bow. "I am Genesis. My comrade here is Angeal." The larger man clasped his hands in front of him and gave a curt bow. "We are the guardians of the prayer chamber of this Temple. Only those with honest intentions may pass through here. All others shall be faced with the wrath of a thousand blades." As if for emphasis, both guardians placed a hand on the hilts of their swords.
"That won't be necessary," Demyx burst out before thinking. The guardians lowered their arms to their sides and nodded. As the summoner's party climbed the stairs, Demyx glanced back at them with a soft smile.
"His intentions appear noble," Angeal stated. "I allow him passage."
"As do I," Genesis agreed. "However, I must warn you the summoner must enter the Temple alone. Your guardians must wait out here for you to return."
"What?" Axel pressed.
"But aren't we supposed to go with him?" Naminé asked.
"One cannot depend on others for all of their challenges," Angeal argued, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"We'll wait," Ienzo decided for the group. Demyx flashed his friends another smile before stepping towards the doors. Genesis and Angeal's wings snapped out, arching over the doors like a set of angelic gargoyles. Then the doors creaked open and Demyx stepped inside.
Roxas watched the doors shut behind the summoner as the door guardians lowered their wings back down to their sides. Setzer gave the winged pair a short bow before saying his farewells, strolling back down the stairs into the Moonflow. Roxas watched him wander into the mass of flowers and before he knew it, the man had vanished before his eyes with a blink.
"It's nice we won't have to go through the Cloister of Trials this time around," Naminé brought up, clasping her hands behind her back.
"We didn't have to do them in the last Temple," Seifer reminded, popping a piece of gum into his mouth as he prepared himself for the long wait.
Axel sat down on the grass and stretched out his legs. "Well, we might as well get comfy," he said. Then he lied back and closed his eyes, tucking his hands behind his head. Naminé and Ienzo sat by the red head and began talking amongst themselves. Roxas found himself wandering over to where Seifer stood at the edge of their small plot of land sitting in the middle of the Moonflow, the elder man shoving a piece of paper into his pocket. The Soldier looked off to the left, noticing a bit of mist rising upwards with the pyreflies where the water fell from the world.
"Weird to think that has no bottom to it," Seifer commented when he saw Roxas staring. The younger Soldier wandered over to his Captain's side and shoved his hands into his pockets. "What has your ass in a pinch? Moonflow not wash away all of your regrets?"
"No, it's not that," Roxas replied. "The memories of the war are barely worth thinking about now but…" He paused and clutched at the fabric of his shirt over his heart. "Some things can't be washed clean."
Seifer grunted. "I know what you mean. My spirit may be cleansed but Hell if my self-worth got any better watching those floaty bastards," he agreed, nodding to the pyreflies swirling around in front of them. "What do you make of the other three we met today? You seemed to know the one."
"I ran into Setzer last night when I couldn't sleep. When I look at each of them, it's like they're all from a different time era, although Genesis and Angeal both have similar traits so they must be from the same world," Roxas mused.
"You mean not from this one," Seifer clarified. Roxas grunted in agreement. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Did you happen to get a look at the big guy's sword?"
"I wasn't really paying attention. Why?"
Seifer frowned. "It's near the damn same as Cloud's." Roxas glanced over his shoulder towards Angeal's blade. Sure enough, the large buster blade looked almost identical to Cloud's.
"But no one I met in Olympus had a sword like Cloud's," Roxas recalled from his two visits to the world.
"Well, that's probably because he's not originally from there. Cid moved to the Coliseum shortly after Cloud was born and their mother died. I think Zack was…six or seven at the time," Seifer brought up. "It's not common knowledge so it's kept very hush. But back when we were rebuilding, we had a visit from that Reeve guy from Midgar. He had a couple of people with him with chucky ass blades like Cloud, which makes me wonder if that's where they were from. After all, the sword Cloud carries is Zack's."
"Midgar…" Roxas recalled the world in the back of his mind. He only went once to meet with the world's leaders after Xemnas was dethroned but it was a short visit. The place was engulfed in industry, metal, pipes, and factories. A thought came to the bright blonde, causing him to frown. "Don't we have to go there for a Temple?"
"That's one of them. The main city was built on top of the Temple so we're going to have to venture into the bowels of the place to reach it. Getting there will be a fucking chore though. It's buried in the sewers." Roxas's frown deepened at the mention of Midgar's troubles. Ever since the end of the war, the world had been struggling to get back on its feet as it relied so heavily on the war economy for their exports, jobs and general economy. With so many people ousted from their occupations, riots had started to form along with small rebel groups trying to take on the industry leaders out of protest for ruining their lives. Roxas didn't blame the people for being angry. The industry leaders were greedy, hoarding their riches from the war instead of keeping the economy afloat. From what he heard from Reeve, the world's diplomat, the place was practically falling apart.
"So if Genesis and Angeal are from Midgar, what does that have to do with anything?" Roxas brought up. "A lot of people were displaced after the war."
"Right," Seifer muttered. He let the subject drop, although he knew his thoughts were far from satiated. The Captain's attention was drawn to his right as he caught a clip of movement amongst the lily pads. He tapped Roxas on the chest with the back of his hand, pulling the Soldier's gaze to where the elder motioned.
Roxas felt his chest seize. "Xehanort!" he exclaimed. The trio lounging on the ground bolted upright at attention. Roxas darted towards the stairs until his boots touched the edge of the Moonflow. He watched the old man grin before his arm snapped out and grabbed one of the pyreflies. The sparkling entity squirmed in his grim before it shattered into glittery shards, the remains falling tragically into the Moonflow. Roxas was about to sprint towards the mage but then Xehanort opened a portal behind him, Zexion's stolen creation helping the man escape. As the black tendrils vanished from sight, a dark sense of foreboding began to hover over the traveler's heads.
"What's going on?" Naminé whispered. As the pyrefly floated in the Moonflow, the water started to boil and steam. The surface exploded with a loud shriek and they could faintly make out an outline of some sort of monster underneath the water droplets running off its skin. Those not standing rose to their feet. Then the travelers from Traverse Town pounded their fists into their shoulders, Disney Tech armor springing to life onto their bodies.
Naminé's was white with pale blue and yellow accents. The chest plate acted like a turtle neck tank top with a pair of sleek gauntlets over her hands. Her skirt was tiered with plated metal that extended farther down her left side to where knee high boots covered the lower half of her legs. Small hearts made of twisted blue and yellow metal sat perched on the top of the knees in front of her knees. Her hair was pulled back out of her face with a series of white-gold pins, the ends studded with white gems.
Seifer's armor was a darker shade of azure with black and white accents. Unlike the other males' armor, his was much more sleek and form fitting. The metal plating only covered the tops of his hands while the bottoms were protected by thick gloves. A heavy, white cloak sat behind his shoulders made of the same material as Axel's skirt. The cloak clasped around his neck with a thick, gold chain connected to a medallion of a lion roaring etched into it.
Ienzo could feel the energy of the Disney tech surrounding his friends. Although he had no armor, he could at least see what it was they were fighting clearly. Amidst the torrents of light and darkness fighting each other, he could see the shape of a large chameleon-like creature reared up on its hind legs. It shrieked again, causing their ears to flinch. He glanced behind them and noticed that neither Angeal or Genesis had moved. In fact, neither had even reached for their swords. 'Aren't they concerned about the Temple?' He wondered.
Roxas darted in first in a blink with his light element and slashed his swords at where he assumed the creature's legs were. He gasped as he was knocked backwards, his body skipping across the Moonflow's surface like a stone. Axel engulfed his chakrams in fire and turned to Ienzo.
"Can you see that thing?" the red head asked.
Ienzo nodded. "Aim just above that lily pad sticking to its thigh," the teen instructed. Axel pulled back and tossed his chakrams, both cutting into the creature's side with a sickening sound that was reminiscent of metal getting tossed into a blender. A loud scream pierced their ears again. Axel's chakrams were knocked aside like Roxas was and a pair of glowing orbs appeared in the air.
"Uh oh," Axel muttered. The orbs shot out like deadly pyreflies and shot straight towards Axel. They both erupted into glittering particles as Seifer shot them out of the air. The red head nodded his thanks and summoned his chakrams back to his hands.
Roxas broke through the surface of the Moonflow with a loud gasp. Despite how light the armor felt fighting in, it was still metal and it easily hindered him in the water by weighing him down. He watched Axel and Naminé' dart forward to engage the creature only to watch Axel get knocked back just like he had, the red head rolling head over heels on the water's surface until he sank to his shoulders. Naminé' swung her keyblade out and a series of spell circles spread out over the water's surface. She jumped onto one and leapt towards the foe, the circle acting as a platform. Her keyblade missed its mark and she let out a small yelp as the top half of her body was knocked backwards while her legs kept moving forward. Roxas dashed and caught her before she face planted into the water. The girl muttered her thanks before getting back to her feet.
"Watch out for the tail!" Ienzo warned. Roxas ducked while tossing Naminé into the air, a rush of wind passing between them. There was a loud shriek as Seifer's shot hit its mark somewhere on the chameleon's face.
Naminé' felt her feet land on something solid and she leapt away to one of her spell circles. She rammed her keyblade into the circle and took a steadying breath. "Roxas, I need to borrow your energy. Axel's too. I have an idea!" she called out.
"Roger!" Roxas shouted, backing away so he wouldn't get interrupted.
"Hang on!" Axel replied, still getting to his feet. He brought his chakrams together and they merged, revealing his true keyblade. He nodded to Roxas, the blonde returning the gesture. Roxas whirled his swords in front of him and they snapped into his keyblades in a shower of sparks. Both males pointed their keyblades at Naminé', beams of light hitting her and surrounding her with a golden glow. Naminé' turned her keyblade and the same golden aura surged around Seifer.
The Captain smirked and ripped his eyepatch from his face. His left eye, which was normally a dull grey color, glowed brightly to the point it looked like the entire socket was on fire. Seifer swept his gunblade to the side before raising it skyward, firing the entire clip. The bullets shot up like fireworks and arced downwards, falling like Naminé's meteors. They rained down on top of the invisible chameleon, sending waves of water crashing towards the shore. The creature's figure flickered for a bit before coming into view for the others to see. It let out a roar of protest and its acid green scales rippled to onyx.
"Nicely done!" Roxas called to his sister, spinning his blades again so they returned to his swords. The aura around Naminé' and Seifer faded, the man's left eye returning to normal, although the color was a faint yellow since he was out in the sunlight. The chameleon stood back on its hind legs and charged up the balls of energy, which came from its eyes to the humans' surprise. It released the energy and it flew off into two different directions. Naminé dove to dodge the one aimed at her but it circled back, slamming into her shoulders. She screamed as her body became paralyzed, images flooding her mind that she had sooner left forgotten.
"Naminé!" Axel and Roxas shouted. Axel rushed towards his sister as she crashed into the Moonflow.
Ienzo threw up a protect spell and the second ball of energy crashed into it, shattering the spell as they both disintegrated. He yelped as Seifer grabbed him and pulled him to the side, a second sphere shot from the chameleon crashing into the ground where his feet were. The man gritted his teeth as he was hit with the second, his body seizing up like Naminé's. He sank to his knees, images of the war with Xemnas tearing through his mind. He felt a sense of calm wash over him and looked up to find Ienzo casting a spell on him.
"What did you do?" Seifer pressed, leaping aside as two more spheres erupted where his feet had been.
"Esuna. It's a spell to treat ailments such as poison or severe bleeding," Ienzo explained, throwing up a protect spell to save them from the next bombardment.
"Lucky guess," Seifer commented.
Axel pulled his sister from the Moonflow, her body rigid and her eyes wide in terror. He looked over at the chameleon, who was intent on hitting Seifer and Ienzo with the energy it shot from its eyes. Roxas was at the beast's legs hacking away in attempts to get it to stop with no avail. His legs began trudging through the water to the bit of land so Ienzo could rid her of her torment, although it was slow with all of the extra weight. It didn't help he needed both arms to carry Naminé, leaving him practically defenseless. He just prayed the chameleon didn't decide to change targets.
True to tradition, his luck didn't last. The chameleon finally took notice of Roxas and snatched him up in its tail, crushing the blonde as it leapt towards the Temple. It landed on the small patch of land in front of the Temple guardians, releasing a loud scream. Angel and Genesis frowned, their hands going to the hilts of their swords.
"Now they're concerned?" Axel gasped as he hurried his pace. He wanted to put Naminé down so he could rush to help his friends but the only place was in the water, where she would drown. Axel gritted his teeth and swore over and over in his head. At the rate they were going, they weren't going to win. Ienzo managed to blast the chameleon in the face with a ball of fire but it barely phased the creature. Seifer still needed to reload from his attack earlier but he couldn't with Ienzo in the crook of his arm. Axel wished Demyx was with them.
One cannot depend on others for all of their challenges.
Axel frowned, the words resounding in his head. He looked up as he heard Roxas shout, the blonde getting chucked out of the chameleon's tail until he crashed into the Moonflow again. Seifer shoved Ienzo away as he was grabbed by the creature's bony fingers, his arms locked against his sides. Axel felt solid stone beneath his boots and he hurried his pace up the shallow steps. His heart seized in his chest as a long, spiked tongue shot from the chameleon's mouth and wrapped around Ienzo. The teen scream died in his throat as he was sucked into the creature's mouth, his body swallowed whole.
"Ienzo!" Axel cried. He managed to get to the dry land and set Naminé on the bank before summoning his chakrams. It looked like he would be fighting the beast solo. He darted forward, his chakrams igniting. He tossed the fiery blades and they cut across the creature's face, cutting a red X of burnt flesh over its nose. Before his chakrams could return, the tongue lashed out and ripped Axel from his feet. He managed to catch the beast's jaws with his hands and he swung his feet wide, catching his ankles in the corners of mouth. He flinched as the chameleon screamed, its tongue tugging harder and harder in attempts to dislodge the human. Axel felt like his joints were going to disconnect from his body as he strained to remain out of the creature's digestive tract.
In the distance he spotted a flash of light and Roxas appeared before him a blink. The blonde stabbed at the tongue wrapped around his friend, sickly charcoal colored blood oozing from the wounds. Axel felt the grip on him loosen and his muscles strained and he began pulling himself free. What caused him to pause was the strange hissing sound emanating from in front of him. His gaze shifted to the blood splashed on Roxas's armor.
"Roxas, stop! It's acid!" Axel shouted. Roxas looked down at the blood on his swords and armor, finding them both steaming. That short pause was enough for the chameleon to rip Roxas from his mouth with its other hand. Axel felt his grip start to slip with the saliva dripping down on his head. He gritted his teeth as he kept trying to hold on. His heart seized as he flew back into the creature's throat but it didn't last long as he channeled all of his energy around him. His body erupted into flames, burning away at the chameleon's esophagus. The creature coughed and choked as the human lodged in its throat.
He felt a familiar sensation pulse through his body and his small success quickly turned into panic. Axel tried to stop his channeling but instead it multiplied, his flames growing more intense. 'Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!' He commanded himself. As Roxas had side effects from being resurrected by Kingdom Hearts, Axel suffered from a different condition entirely from when he was Kingdom Hearts. It only happened a handful of times before when he was sparring but if he didn't pay attention while he was channeling energy to himself, he would sometimes pull the energy from everyone around him. Even worse, the shear amount of incoming raw energy would be unstable so he would have no control over it. The stress had nearly ripped him apart one time before. The only way they managed to stop it was for the Shards to channel the energy away from Axel.
All of which were currently not present or incapacitated.
"Shit!" he growled, the flames becoming too warm for even him. At the rate he was going he would burn through the chameleon, Ienzo, Seifer and Roxas in the process. 'Dem, hurry up!' Axel prayed.
One cannot depend on others for all of their challenges.
Axel felt a sharp stab in his chest from raw fear. 'I can't control it myself…I can't…' Images flashed in his head he couldn't control and he heard Roxas cry out in pain from the overload of emotions he was receiving. 'Please…stop…'
"You're pain shall be two fold."
The darkness erupted around Axel and he was sent crashing into the ground. He felt like he was being ripped into six different directions while the pain of raw emotions continued to radiant through him. Then something brushed over his forehead and he blacked out.
XxXxX
When Demyx staggered out of the doors of the Temple, his head was throbbing. If he had to solve one more puzzle he was going to throw up. It didn't help half of the puzzles had tricks to them, making them impossible to solve with an initial glance. At the very least he was able to reach the Prayer Chamber where he could pray for the Sacred Aeon. Compared to the last two, this one was much easier to receive. He assumed it had something to do with it being so heavily guarded. When he stumbled out into the daylight, he blocked the glare with his hand. Then his heart sank as he took stock of the scene before him.
His friends were ragged from fighting while Axel was unconscious, his body hanging limply in the arms of Ageal. Genesis had his blade pointed at the man's throat while a third man stood behind his friends. Demyx felt a turbulence of confusion rush over his already throbbing head.
"Auron?" he called out hesitantly. The newcomer had his large blade over his shoulders while a pair of sunglasses sat on the bridge of his nose. His clothes were hidden with a heavy red coat and pair of hefty leather pauldrons. The man turned to Demxy and smirked.
"Well, well. Look who grew up," Auron replied. Demyx felt the confused stares from his friends but he ignored them as he braced himself to face the truth before him.
"How can you be here?" Demyx pressed. "I watched you die."
