Theme: #11 Memory

o o o

And to think, a lifetime ago, most of these people were doing their best to kill me.

Not that Alex could remember most of that other life. Just tiny fragments, little bits here and there that sprung up, and if he hadn't gotten Medy to admit to the same, he'd have thought he was insane. But dear Med's had admitted it, and together, they had confronted the rest of them, had learned, that once upon a time on the edge of nothing, they had all been part of something. Something big, and dark, and they had all died in the name of a group none of them wanted to be in.

His introspective musings were cut short by a frisbee to the side of the head.

"Way to pay attention, Red!"

Making a face, he snatched the frisbee from the ground and whipped it back at the laughing blond woman. Relena squeaked and ducked, and Rudol caught the frisbee in mid-air. "Can't a guy muse in peace?" Axel snapped, shaking a fist at his oddly assorted friends.

"Not in the middle of a playing field, obviously." Asi called over from a nearby bench, long legs crossed before him. Next to him, Mina giggled into her sketchbook, and Alex just knew she was drawing the expression on his face when he was hit.

"Why don't you get out here, too, Seven?" Rauliam cajoled, catching Rudol's throw and shooting the plastic disc at Medy.

"I think I'll pass, Eleven." The scarred man replied, sitting back in his seat.

It was so odd, having memories of each other from an entirely different life, knowing each other by the wrong names before they knew the right ones. But whatever they had been before, partners or prey or sworn enemies, they got along remarkably well this time around. Axel knew they were around, too. He'd seen them in town, One through Six, and as a rule, the two groups avoided each other as much as possible. Asi was probably the only one they looked at without outright hostility, maybe Rudol as well. Alex would have been quite happy if he never had to see them again.

But there was one person he wouldn't mind seeing. Their little group was incomplete, one missing from the bunch, and Alex sometimes despaired ever seeing him again. Sure, Mina was there, but she had never seen him in this life, either. Maybe he'd been fully absorbed by his Other in that shadowy past life, and wasn't there to be reborn again. Or maybe he WAS reborn, and had died at birth. Or maybe he didn't remember anything, or maybe Alex just thought about things like this too damn much.

"Um, 'cuse me."

Or maybe someone up there DID love him, and had finally deigned to answer his wish.

Alex spun around. Standing before him was a young blond man who looked quite uncomfortable and a bit confused. Behind him, Alex was aware of the game stopping, of the rest of them gathering to examine this all too familiar newcomer. The blond kid's eyes shot nervously at the group, then looked back at Alex. "Um," He said hesitantly. "This might sound weird, but do I know you? You're Axel, right?"

Alex felt his face split into a wide, silly grin. "It's about time you showed up, Roxas." He said.

The blond's eyes widened, then he grinned as well and let out a whoop of joy. Alex laughed wildly, scooping up his one-upon-a-time best friend right off the ground in a hug. He heard Relena admonishing him to be careful and not drop the kid on his head, he heard Medy sniffle something about beautiful reunions, but most of all he heard Roxas laughing, bright and open and finally, finally, they were together again.

o o o

www.deviantart. com /deviation / 39215254

This place hates URL's, so copy/paste and remove the spaces to see the picture that set me to writing this one.