Disclaimers: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. They belong to either Disney or Square-Enix
Lilix belongs to her respectful owner
Very long and detailed paragraphs are to be expected.
Warnings: slight language, slight blood
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There was a certain silence when Demyx broke out of his sleep. Groggy and disoriented, it took him awhile to register his sences. His nose detected something along the line of smoke and something that was recently cooked; a food like substance. He shifted uneasily, finding the surface he laid on was hard and solid. Moving his eyes under his eyelids, he opened them slightly to break from the remants of slumber. Slowly, he picked his head up, observing that he was in a small cave. The yellow blanket was still covering him, keeping him warm. Strange... wasn't he sleeping on Axel? He checked the fire, noticing that the flames had died to mere glowing embers, still supporting enough warmth to keep a small piece of food set aside for him. It was a rice ball wrapped in bamboo leaves with a small piece of pre-cooked chicken in the center. It gave off the faint scent of being warmed up for consumption. Slowly, Demyyx reached out for it, and picked himself up so he may eat. The food was a welcoming feel in his stomach, which ached horribly. Chewing a bite of rice, Demyx looked around for Axel. It didn't take long to discover where the pyro was. He was outside the cave, the sun glowing brightly on the fresh snow and his cloak, making them shine. His back was to the cave's enterance, and it seemed he too was eating breakfast in peace.
Demyx watched him for a long minute before returning to his breakfast, taking his time. It would seemed they slept through the whole storm and into the morning. Strange, neither had slept that long before. He flexed his hands, smiling to find them back to normal. In fact, he was as if he had never frozed over before. Finishing his small portion of food, he crawled out towards the enterance. Sticking his head out like a gopher, he said with a smile. "Morning Axel." The pyro jumped slightly, turning to look over his shoulder at the younger nobody. "You're... you're doing alright?" He said in a low voice, while staring back at Demyx. "Yup! Thanks to you... I'm much better now. So... how come you're eating out here Axel?" Axel turned back to face the rest of the mountain ridge, his eyebrows knitting together, deep in thought. "I've been thinking..." "Of what?" "Just... thinking. Nothing worth focusing on, just... letting my mind wander off while I waited for you to recover." Demyx nodded and crawled into the snow and sat next to Axel. "Did you... make breakfast?" Axel nodded. "Fire had to be put out soon though... we need to leave within the hour. I've been watching her." Blinking, Demyx looked all around the mountainside. "Bombergirl?" "Who else?" "Where is she?" Axel shrugged. " I dunno, she keeps portal hopping from mountain to mountain... looking for something... something big." "How big?" Axel turned his head to the side, giving Demyx a hard stare. "BIG..." Demyx said nothing, finally understanding. The Darks wish to disturbed another dragon of this world.. no chance in stealing Xemnas's old idea of turning it into a Heartless after annoying the crap out of it till it gave in to Darkness. The two men fell silent for a few minutes, Axel slowly munching on the last bits of his riceball. Back to deep in thought... and just exactly what the pyro was thinking? What else... but that moment from last night.
Yes, Axel had been sitting in the snow for two hours, thinking of nothing but that moment with him and Demyx sleeping in his arms. He had been for those two hours, trying to come up with a logical explantation as to why he was about to do what he was about to do. But nothing seemed to of made sence to the nobody, and many theories had resurfaced time and time again, sending him into a wave of confusion. But enough of thinking about that one moment. Axel finally mentally desided the following: It was cold, there was a ice storm and Demyx was near-close to death... and Axel just got to soft, allowing nonexistant pity to flow in and aid the younger nobody... or because the pyro, in honesty, refused to be alone in this journey. He needed the companionship, with someone familar that he could stand and Demyx just happened to be his party member. Still, the fire elemental couldn't help but wonder what really DID go on in his mind to make such a odd impulse on the blonde? He sighed, and snapped out of this ponderous deep thought. "We gotta go... grab your gloves and socks n' boots, we're leaving. Can't take the blanket with us, no pack to place it in, eh heh." Axel was gonna miss that blanket... it did serve it's purpose and he actually liked the design of a red phoneix encircling a Chinese symbol while koi danced about in the corners. Oh well... maybe as soon as their ablilites to portal correctly again, he'll return to this spot and retreive it, if it's still intact, and make it the first in his personal collection of things once more. He frowned slightly, but stood up and swatted away at the snow that clung to his white cloak, amazed that he could tell where it was. The issue of the cloaks white like the Light Organization's still puzzled him, but he ensured himself that answer would come soon enough.
Demyx crawled back out from the cave, his gloves and boots back on. "Now what? Where do we continue from here?" He asked. Axel shrugged and handed Demyx one of the two coins that came with the pack. "For Luck... I guess." He said, before starting to continue onward once more, Demyx following close behind. "Dem... lower your aura... I think she's noticed us." Axel suddenly whispered behind his shoulder to the other, who nodded and began to lower his energy signature with his thoughts, hiding away the energy that made them nobodies, and was a red-flag to any others in the area. Slowly, they made their way up the side of the ever challenging mountain rock. When they finally made it to the top of a well flatten area, Axel gazed around. "I don't see her... Can you seek her out Dems?" Demyx scanned his eyes around, looking for movement, sencing out for the aura of a dark, evil metal wielder. "No... I don't sence her energy.. she could be too far away." "Or she's portaling... and that's why we can't pick her up." Axel concluded, as he started to trudge through the snow, making a path. "Careful Demyx, this is all fresh snow overnight, might be hiding something nasty so follow my footsteps." "Kay!" Demyx stepped down into the hole from Axel's foot once was a second ago. "Hey, at least there's one good thing about these new cloaks." Axel glanced over his shoulder once more. "What's that?" A big grin appeared on the hydro's face. "We blend in really good!" Axel turned back to forward and stared away. Yes, he was right... they DID blend in well with the snow. "Put your hood on... our hair's gonna be beacons if she hasn't seen us already." The pyro instructed before placing the hood over his own fire red hair.
Pacing back and forth furiously, Lilix pounded her boots deep into the snow, her silver eyes glaring down at her feet. "Where is that over-grown lizard anyways!? Xariaha said it would be easy, but noooo... have him try to find a mountain dragon in the middle of NOWHERE! GRAH!" She nearly lost it and screamed, but instead kicked the snow instead. It was then she noticed something about the rock below her feet, and tapped at it with the tip of her metal tipped boot. A wicked grin appeared before the girl's lips and fell to her knees, digging away at the snow. Soon her fingers felt stone and she brushed away as much snow as possible until she had unearthed a brass square containing a chinese symbol. The symbol for Mountain Dragon. "Ah, so this hill is where big and ugly sleeps inside eh? Perfect. And now for a little wake up call." She placed her left hand deep into her cloak pocket, pulling out three silver sphere bombs. A evil chuckle erupted from deep in her throat as she glanced up towards the surrounding scenery. "Hmm... why make a rush? I bet, with enough bombs, I can set this whole place come tumbling down and bury that imperial city and anything close by forever!" Slight wind blew through that silver hair, silver eyes flashing down the side towards the tiny dot that was the imperial city. "Think again!" She blinked and frozed, her eyes turning to attempt to look behind her without turning her head without much luck. Before she could draw out a bomb sphere, a firey blast sent her leaping to the side and facing her enemies with a dark glare. "You two again!?"
Axel and Demyx smirked together, each holding their weapons. "What? Who were you expecting? Mickey Mouse?" Axel sarcastically remarked. Ripping out from their sheaths belted to each boot, Lilix drew out her black and silver accented sais, twirling them once before holding them, blades pointing towards her and pressed nicely against her arms. "I dunno... maybe. I rather fight him, than a clown like you. I was begining to wonder how you two faired the storm... but why should I care? You'll both be dead before you can even save this world. So why not give up now and I'll.. if I want... humanly take you out of your nonexistant misery..." Axel snorted at the comment. "I rather die fighting." "Then so be it!" Lilix shouted before leaping forward, black sais clashing against chakrams. Steel and metal created bright sparks in the frigid air, as the two once more combatted against each other. "No tricks with that stupid power of yours! Fair fight!" Axel barked, swinging one weapon at Lilix's head, just as the girl ducked and kicked Axel right in his most treasured posession. "DO-WAH!!! OWWW! YOU LITTLE DAMN THING YOU!" Axel screamed, hunched over and holding onto his goods. Demyx quickly jumped in, summoning forth a water blast with the melody of his sitar. The pillar of water splashed hard against the Dark nobody, knocking her a few feet back, slidding through the snow. Staggering up, she growled and waved her right sai forward. The ground trembled slightly, then at once bursting through the snow were tiny pellets of metals taken from the mountain, forming and bonding together until it became a metal spear, aiming for Demyx's head at high speeds.
But the spear never reached its target, as Axel's chakrams crissed-crossed and locked together, holding the spear at bay. "Dem MOVE!" Axel commanded and Demyx was quick to dodge away once Axel let go and bent his back as if in a limbo party as the spear flew into the snow. Regaining his balance, blood flushed in Axel's skin over his face. Dropping each chakram, he charged straight for Lilix. She didn't have enough time to hold up her sais as the pryo slammed into her body, and the two were sent tumbling over the side of the mountain, punching and kicking each other like school yard children. Once they landed at the bottom of a cliff face, jutting out like a arm out of the mountain, Axel found himself on top of Lilix and his hands... in a awkward area. "You have two seconds to get your HANDS OFF MY CHEST!" Lilix screamed. Axel rolled his eyes. "What is it with you girls? Psst, Larxene didn't have a problem with it... she actually said as long as there was clothes on and..." "WELL I'M NOT A SADISTIC SPARKPLUG!!" Another kick to the manly crotch. Axel's eyes watered and he tried not to hollar up a storm. Slam! A thrid kick, and he hissed through his teeth in pain. "Trying to hold up your dignity?! YOU HAVE NONE!" And a finally kick to the nuts sent Axel in a howl of a fit. "OOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!" His cry echoed over the mountains as he rolled off Lilix and she scrambled up. Demyx was just about to slid down the mountainside to join Axel when all three nobodies froze when they heard a loud bellowing roar. The hydro finally slid down the side down to Axel, who was nursing a bloody lip, and Lilix below who have seemed to be mesmorized by the roar from within the mountainside. "Axel... what was that?" Demyx asked as he stood next to him. The pyro merely shook his head, emerald eyes scanning the mountainscape. It would seem the only sound emitting in the air... was the slight soft lull of the wind. Or so they thought.
Suddenly the mountain rock shook, as the three nobodies tried to keep their balance. The cliff arm they were standing on grew hot and snow started to melt. Before they could react, the arm reveiled to be a hidden enterance covered in snow, and a pole of fire exploded foward like a rifle. Demyx fell to his knees with a yelp, and watched as a snake-like body emerged from the tunnel enterance at a fast speed. Bronze scales gleamed in the sunlight along with tanish underskin and a white fluffy beard and flocks. Silver horns shined and piercing blue eyes stared back at the three before the head reared up and roared in protest for being disturbed of its slumber. "Axel! It's the Mountain Dragon!!" Demyx cried out amongst the roars. "I know! I know! Quick before it turns Heartless on us!" The pyro quickly summoned his chakrams, ready for one heck of a fight. But before he went ahead and attacked the dragon, a sharp jab struck him square in the stomach. "DOHH!" He recoiled back, dropping his weapons and holding his stomach after Lilix did a nice punch. "Back off rejects, it's MINE!" She ran down the mountain slope, pulling out from the ground any raw metals to form tiny pellets and firing them at the monsterous beast. The dragon roared as the pellets, though small enough not to injure it, slapped against it's body like pesky mosquitoes. It attacked with full force, slaming it's thick tail against the mountain rock causing it to quake. Snow fell off in great sheets as Axel and Demyx ran for safer and sterdier ground.
Picking up his chakrams, Axel allowed them to catch on fire, spining in his hands before chucking them at dragon. They orbited the bearded dragon's head, taunting it to attack. It snapped its jaws at one, nearly catching it. "Axel! You're making it more angrier! We want to save it, not encourage it to become a heartless!" Demyx barked. The pyro rolled his eyes and ran towards a ledge, leaping in the air to catch his fire wheels. With a perfect backflip, he landed behind Lilix and promptly kicked her to the ground. "No one slugs me in the stomach and gets away with it!" Chakrams collided with black sai as the two nobodies went once again into a heated battle. The bomber girl was quick on her feet, landing a nice blow to Axel's shoulder, slicing off white fabric and then skin. Axel cried out, but swung around and jabbing one of the chakram spikes into Lilix's shoulder. Hissing under the pain, she summoned her power over metal and... pulled Axel's pull chains around his neck, choking him. He dropped his weapons as his hands reached for this throat, fingers digging in to desperately release the chain's hold. He gagged and choked, his face turning a light shade of blue. "And just a little tighter... and then... SNAP! You're head comes off!" Lilix taunted in a laugh. But it didn't last long.
"HYDRO CANNON!" Lilix was knocked off her feet by a surge of high speed water, the chains releasing on Axel's throat and he gasped in oxygen down his lungs. Demyx ran to his side, glancing down to see if Axel was okay before chasing after the well soaked Lilix. She growled, pulling out one of her bombs. "CATCH!" Demyx smirked and played a high pitch chord. Suddenly a tendril of water errupted from the ground, smacking the bomb sphere away. However, once it made contact with the ground at the side, it exploded, sending snow and pebbles into the air... only adding more anger to the great Mountain Dragon. "Demyx you idiot!" Axel shouted, nearly swiping his chakram at the hydro's head. The blonde ducked. "Gee Axel! I'm just trying to help!" Suddenly, Lilix ran full head at the boys, sai in each hand as she was ready to swipe at them. All the while, they were dodging the attacks from the Chinese Dragon throwing rocks from the mountainside and breathing out fire balls. Between it and Lilix, Axel was ready for performing his kamakazi fire explosion again. He ran, sliding a few times in the snow to avoid the fireballs raining down on him. "Get ready for a nice double wammy from the FLURRY OF DANCING FLAMES!" He shouted, and leaped with all his energy into the air, and landed on top of the dragon's back. The great creature bucked and twisted about, roaring in protest as Axle held on tight. "Come on! Be a good dragon and stop this!" He tried reasoning with it, but to no avail... only aiding in having the beast go for a dive bomb on Lilix and Demyx. He grabbed onto the horns, trying to pull up. "WHOA BIG BOY! Go up! Go up!" But it would seem too late to pull late and the pyro could only brace himself for impact.
But suddenly, he felt no movement, as if standing still. He slowly opened his eyes, and indeed the dragon had stopped in mid-flight. In addition to the soft wind blowing, he heard a very sweet and gentle melody playing. Glancing off to the side, he was amazed at Demyx standing there, playing his sitar while the great dragon watched him, as if in a trance. In truth, Demyx was playing a luluby in hopes it would lull the dragon back into a peaceful mood and return to it's lair to slumber in peace once again. "That's right... let the music calm you big guy... you're just cranky... that's a good dragon.. go to beddy-bai time now. There we go... dragon sleept time. The music soothes the soul..." Demyx whispered under his breath. Axel on the other hand, managed to leap off the dragon and land on all fours in the snow. The great dragon yawned loud enough to rumble a few pebbles. When he turned around, his emerald eyes watched in silence as Demyx swayed back and forth, rocking almost, and the dragon's eyes grew heavier by the minute. It released another yawn before it looked about, smacking its jaws, getting ready for another snooze. It soon went up into the air, back flipped a few times before flying straight into the mouth of the cave from wince it had emerged from. Imediately, Axel fired a small fireball, caused snow and rock to fall and seal the enterance. He smirked at Demyx before returning back on his focus to Lilix. But his eyes managed to catch her running into a Dark portal, escaping to live another day. "Darn... oh well... we'll catch up to her again." Demyx continued playing, just in case the dragon was still listening to the song from underground. "Yea... those Darks sure like to pop in for trouble then leave without finishing the fight, or chicken out. You'd think they were trying to prove something through aggression?" Axel shrugged. "Who knows.. but all I know now is that big fireball is sleeping back to normal. We should return to the palace and say that there's no threat anymore." Demyx nodded and ended the peaceful lulluby.
Axel and Demyx stood side by side in front of the Emperor straight up. Their faces held a smirk of completion. "Well done, now our lands and its people can breath a sigh of relief. Thanks to you, our dragons will be safe once again. For such an honorable and brave task, you may request anything you wish." The wise man said in his greatest of wisdom. Axel and Demyx eyed one another, knowing exactly what was on the other's mind. "If it's alright, mind if we have another grand meal? The traveling food came in handle, but he kinda ran before we could come back down." Demyx replied, with a large smile on his face. A gentle, old smile risen on the old man's lips as he nodded. "Of course, no man should continue his journey without some food to fill him till the next hurdle to climb." He then turned to Axel. "And what of you? What is it that you request?" Axel thought it over. He could of asked for another one of those golden blankets with firebirds and koi fish all over it. But instead he glanced back up from the tiled floor and replied in a humble way. "I would like to know of the person whom told you about us. You said he carried a scythe with him. Did he by chance, tell you of anything else?" The Emperor sighed, gazing off into the distance before glancing back at Axel. "He did say of a prophecy... 'When the Lights of hope reach Heaven's iron gates, and salvation restored by blood, a great battle will rise, and a side of Twilight will come into play. Then shall fall all sides, and the alter of Death standing before a fated tower, waiting for the moon's thirst to drink up from the aura of a heart's immense power. Then shall Light and Darkness decide on the fate of the doomed, and bring out ultimate peace... or oblivion.' That was what he lefted behind, saying only to repeat those words to any who asked speifically of him." Axel bowed slightly, memorizing the riddle, one to add to a growing collecting in his mind. So many puzzles, so little time. "Thank you sir. I'm sure it'll come in handle. We'll be needing to leave soon though, other places need our help." Demyx nodded, and the Emperor laughed. "Indeed, now before you run off again, I'll prepare the chefs to serve you a meal in your honor." Axel and Demyx both bowed before leaving the room to go enjoy those delicious foods again.
For the next time Axel and Demyx would go to another world, it would test the values of friendship... and their stomachs with the spirits of the dead...
