Hello everybody, Chapter 21 is here… I am working double time between this Story and my other story Silhouettes. I try to get updates done within a week but it is a little difficult when I am being pressured :P My life consists of work and fan fiction all novels aside…
Anyway, this chapter flowed rather smoothly when I started it and flowed right up until the last line. I didn't even need to think of what to write.
Sorry for any mistakes that may pop up…
Enjoy!
Everybody glared at a pouting, dazed Luxord and Zexion finally spat, "You did all of that-."
"By yourself?" Demyx finished incredulously and Roxas said unhappily, "Why did you do it Luxord?"
The blonde Brit smirked and pulled free of Xigbar, "It is all a game, did you guys not see it?" he glanced to all the clearly unhappy Nobodies and Heroes and added in a sly voice, "Why? Did you see something that you did not like?"
"So you did!" Xigbar replied, "You purposely messed with me and brought up the past best forgotten? And where the hell did all of our weapons go? I had my guns back."
Xigbar was not amused and Xaldin said in a cold voice, "playing around with our pasts isn't funny in the slightest Luxord."
"I'll say" spat Roxas, "using my worst memory against me like that, you know I wouldn't be able to cope in it."
Luxord chuckled and flicked his hand but no cards appeared, "You are the one, if I recall, 13, went traitor against us."
Demyx stood beside Roxas and went to his defence, "It wasn't all his fault, Xemnas had parts to play in it as well, he betrayed us." Demyx's defiance faltered a little when all eyes were turned on him and that's where Zexion came to the rescue, "Lets not fight, we have much graver issues we must face." His eyes swept over everybody, starting at Marluxia, everybody jumped when the pink haired Nobody exclaimed, "Why do you look at me? I have done nothing wrong!"
"Sure" said Xigbar dryly and Zexion snapped, "Oh enough." He folded his arms and his one visible eye was livid and angry, "If we continue to fight with each other we may as well turn back around and leave the Hero to himself, we will remain in the darkness."
"No!"
The reply was instantaneous and Zexion saw numerous agitated faces when he mentioned the darkness. Some shuffled their feet and Nobodies like Demyx and Roxas just looked downright horrified.
He pursed his lips and turned on his heels sending one last dark glance to the Hero, known simply as 'Riku'.
The teen was completely white and he averted his eyes to hide the pain he was in. The darkness was eating him alive, before this was over he would be nearly dead or simply put it, - already dead.
Zexion staled down the dark streets and Luxord looked to his new found companions, "What! Is that it?"
Xigbar also cast a look to the silver haired boy and knew that the end was coming faster than what they intended, but they had to hang on, just until they got out of this accursed place.
"Only one more to go" he hoped fervently.
He stepped back into line and waved the others over, "Let's go" he rasped and he turned his back and began to walk after Zexion who was already in the distance.
They were nearing the end.
The darkness was lightening as they passed through the wall of black, as their visions cleared everybody in the wandering group blinked their eyes.
Large buildings surrounded them and Zexion said, "We aren't in Hollow Bastion again are we?"
Everybody shrugged unhelpfully; none of them knew where they were.
It wasn't until Sora looked at his surroundings that he finally recognised it. They were surrounded by large wooden gates, buildings and cobblestone pathways.
This was the place where it began, his whole mission on becoming a Hero.
This was where he had met Donald and Goofy, where he met the first family of Disney Characters. Where he met his friends which now resided in Hollow Bastion.
Traverse Town.
Sora lifted his head and saw all the blank faces and he said in a strong voice, "This is Traverse Town, the Beginning."
He was determined and Zexion chuckled, "The beginning it is not, I see this as a clear ending." He lifted his veiled face to the sky and Vexen retorted in his harsh voice, "Who do you think we will find here Zexion?"
Once again, Roxas found himself highly disappointed when he felt no instant pull to go a certain direction. It was quiet and empty.
As per usual.
He closed his eyes and tried to bite back down his anger and Demyx whispered, walking next to him, "Don't worry Roxas, Zexion said we are nearly at the end of this stupid mission, just wait and see."
Mo matter the situation, Demyx always found a way to smile and turn things around to ways he preferred, even though sometimes they didn't go his way. He was a good person to turn to when you were a sour person like Roxas.
They all separated around a large courtyard and walked down two separate flights of stairs before they ended back up with each other.
Zexion thrust a finger to Sora and barked in a harsh voice, "You." Sora jumped and almost cringed under the scrutiny but he kept tall and regarded Zexion with hard eyes.
"You know this place" Zexion added, "You know where to go."
Sora gasped unintentionally when he heard the low cackle of Xigbar, "You led the way 'Hero' Boy." He went to push Sora forward but Xigbar fond his hand instantly restrained and his sharp yellow eye turned to see the smouldering aqua eyes of Riku.
"Don't touch him" the Teen warned in a growling voice gripping Xigbar's hand in a death grip and the older Nobody snarled, his eye glinting mischievously, "Oh what are you going to do huh, kid?"
Riku didn't answer him and Xigbar chuckled and pushed Riku back with the force of his arm which sent the teen stumbling. He pulled his hand away and said more so to himself, "thought so."
Kairi was there to help Riku first and she said in a hot voice, "Don't worry Riku, they will get what is coming to them, don't let them bully you." Her large dark eyes flashed and Sora said stomping over, "They shouldn't treat us like that, we are helping them get out of the darkness and look what it is doing to you." Sora's forehead creased into a large frown and Riku said through grit teeth, "Don't let them see a weakness Sora, leave us and go lead the way."
Sora hesitated and Riku growled, "Go! Before the short one schemes something and turns everybody against us."
Sora obeyed and Riku leant against Kairi, he stared into the back of the shorter Nobody and just instinctively knew that he would be the one to come up with something to get rid of everybody that got in his way, Hero or Nobody. He had to make sure he wouldn't let that happen.
Roxas counted two large gates they had walked through; he saw the shadows looming above them and drew his arms around his chest until they hurt. They had walked around for a while before there was a reaction from none other than Marluxia.
The pink haired Nobody stopped in his tracks and pointed to a west direction and said, "Go that way, Keyblade Wielder."
Sora frowned and spun around spitting, "I do have a name."
The brunette did not wait for an answer and looked in the direction that Marluxia was pointing and saw a solid wooden wall. There was no gate and Sora knew to get around to where the Nobody pointed was to go find another two gates.
Sora knew that they couldn't dither around, Riku was growing weaker and the Nobodies could still not be trusted. The slightest twinge of darkness would send them into a crazed frenzy.
They had to be fast.
Roxas eyes wandered up the wooden wall and contemplated how hard it would be to run up it. Hell, he had run up a building when fighting the bastard Riku. A ten foot wall wouldn't be any different.
His eyes wandered upwards and saw the dark, contrasted grey sky begin to darken with what seemed to be clouds. They turned the sky black and Roxas felt the ground beneath him rumble.
"Oh boy!" Demyx mumbled his eyes also wandering upwards and he said, "Smell that? I know that scent anywhere." His face turned upwards into a smile and Zexion spun around to Demyx before his eyes went up and he snapped, "Oh, not now."
He growled out in frustration and suddenly the heavens just seemed to rip apart and the rain came bucketing down.
Everybody was drenched to the bone within seconds and Roxas looked up through the blonde hair plastered to his face and said, "Would rain indicate something worse?"
Demyx looked to him and said, "What do you mean?"
Roxas sighed pushing the hair from his eyes, "What usually comes with black clouds and a heavy down pour?"
The Melodious Nocturne frowned and said, "Thunder?"
Roxas nodded pursing his lips searching the dark sky then said suddenly, "Which is usually started by-." He didn't finish and he ran as fast as he could whipping Oblivion out and jumping in front of Sora just as a bolt of fluorescent lightning struck down.
Roxas tilted Oblivion upwards and diverted the bolt which struck the cobblestones and left a searing, burning, glowing mark beside Sora.
Everybody seemed to freeze momentarily and Roxas stood straight and Oblivion shone silver from where the lightning hit it.
His face was emotionless and Sora whispered, "You just basically saved my life."
Roxas looked to his other half with dark eyes and scowled, he didn't say anything.
They were all distracted again and looked up on top of the wall when there was a surprised, angry screech and a dark shadow jumped down just as another smack of thunder boomed throughout the sky.
The shadow loomed nearer and there was a grumble from Vexen and Zexion when from the shadows a long slender leg came out.
Then a long, almost cat like body appeared and a tall female appeared. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as she regarded everybody, they shone with evil light when she settled upon Roxas and Sora and she said in a sneer:
"Lightning can strike twice; don't think you are so lucky this time."
The sky rumbled again and Roxas held out Oblivion standing in a possessive stance. Larxene's eyes were green slits and she hissed and everybody down on the ground swore that the female Nobody had sharp canines.
She jumped forward lithely and Roxas blocked her with his Keyblade and she growled in a hateful voice, "Why do you have your weapon back Blondie? Why can't I summon my knives so I can disembowel you?"
Her words cut through Roxas and he said through grit teeth, "Because unlike you, I never died, I am not crazy."
He pushed Larxene back and he said, "I have a weapon of darkness."
His dark blue eyes bore into Larxene's acid green and the woman hissed again and her eyes darted upwards back towards the skies.
Roxas instantly knew what was going to happen and he done a neat back flip over the cobblestone just as a bolt of lightning struck where he was standing.
Everybody else scattered away and Roxas bit his lip, he felt a light feeling that he was finally able to fight again and at least show off some of his acrobatic skills.
Larxene howled in anger and her hands were thrown forward. More bolts were thrown down and Roxas easily flipped and sidestepped them all the while trying to get closer to the lightning Nobody.
Larxene was consumed by anger and with a screech of frustration sent down a huge thunder bolt. About halfway down it spilt into numerous bolts and cascaded down to Roxas.
Roxas didn't have time to dodge away, instinctively he held up Oblivion and the Keyblade drew the bolts away from him. The whole earth rumbled with the impact, Roxas struggled with the sheer impact.
Oblivion was zapped out of Roxas' hands burning them in the process and the blonde sidestepped as the bolts ceased. He ran towards Larxene and she jumped away screeching like a witch.
Roxas hit up against the wall and pushed off with his feet and darted back across to Larxene and caught her in the tackle. The two Nobodies fell heavily to the ground but Larxene was considerably taller than Roxas and she was being fuelled by adrenaline.
She got to her feet and tossed Roxas back to the wall.
The blonde hit it and a quick flash of pain was all that was seen before Roxas' face turned into a scowl.
Oblivion shone back into his hands and the dark air around Roxas seemed to shine. His sapphire eyes flashed going their initial bright blue.
He seemed to shine with a golden aura.
All the Nobodies seemed to freeze momentarily and Demyx said in a hushed voice, "What is he doing?" Zexion watched with wide eyes, "Roxas is the Nobody of Sora, he commands the light."
Sora heard the explanation and watched Roxas with fascinated terror as the Nobody shook with the power.
Suddenly all around them the darkness of Traverse Town melted away as the light burst from Roxas. The real Traverse Town lie before them.
Roxas shouted out in anger and the golden light spewed from him, Oathkeeper appeared in his other hand and he jumped a few good metres right back to Larxene and knocked clear off her feet.
She screamed out in pain and terror before a buzz of electricity appeared from her hands and knives flew out at Roxas.
The blonde jumped back and knocked them easily aside with his two Keyblade's and he smashed them together.
Sora was reminded how he fought back in his vision in Port Royal; he knew that he had to let Roxas conquer this mission.
Maybe Roxas was better than him. He certainly fought better than him.
Everybody was so overwhelmed in shock and Demyx yelped, "The real world, Roxas destroyed the darkness." He stepped forward and Zexion snapped bringing out his hand and saying in rough voice, "Darkness is Eternal Demyx, Roxas can command the light and his anger bought it forward and took us out of the darkness."
Roxas was still glowing against a halo of light and Larxene summoned back her Kunai and hurled them again, they glowed blue with the electricity. Roxas deflected most of them but he stumbled slightly when one got him in the arm.
It wasn't anywhere near fatal but it gave Larxene one crucial moment to dart forward and knock the smaller blonde right off his feet.
Roxas' Keyblade's fell away from him and Larxene kicked Oathkeeper away. She shrieked, "Who do you think you are? The Hero?"
Her mouth turned mocking and she raised her last knife ready to plunge down.
Roxas yelled out in anger and he turned his head and flung out his leg, it hit Larxene in the side and she was momentarily knocked off balance and Roxas had Oblivion in his hands.
Once two hands gripped the darkness Keyblade, the light shimmered away and the darkness swept back in enveloping everybody. Larxene's knives instantly vanished again and all she saw was Roxas running towards her.
One hit from that Keyblade sent her flying; she hit the wall with a thud. She lie still for a moment, momentarily stunned.
When her hands came out and she looked at the Nobodies, her green eyes were no longer slits but they were narrowed. She hobbled to her feet and said in a deathly soft voice, "You haven't been using magic like I taught you Blondie" she smirked.
Roxas dropped his Keyblade and started to sway. The colour drained from his face and Larxene chuckled falling back against the wall and she said in her sharp tone, "You fight well, you fight like an assassin. I suppose Axel taught you well."
Roxas stumbled backwards and was caught by Demyx and Sora, the Nocturne said in an awed voice, "Roxas you made the darkness go away for a little bit, you made everybody see the real world."
Roxas looked totally dazed and Kairi said from next to Sora, "I saw the sunlight, the blue sky" her large blue eyes sparkled with longing and Sora said, "Wont I give to be back out in the sunlight, back on the Islands lounging on the Beach."
Demyx pursed his lips and Roxas pulled his arm away from Sora and said in a dark voice, "What I would give to watch the sun set upon the clock tower in Twilight Town, have everything back to normal."
His eyes lowered and he sighed in a heavy voice, "But then again nothing was normal was it?"
Demyx chuckled slightly and cast a glance to the first six of the Organisation and said, "We lower ones didn't know Roxas."
"And I was eradicated, if I recall" Zexion spat hotly.
Roxas stumbled onto his two feet and said, "Well the quicker we can get out of this accursed place I will be happier."
Suddenly Xigbar looked guilty and Zexion frowned as he said, "Why don't we go now?"
Roxas' eyes narrowed and he snapped his head back up to seethe at Zexion, "Leave! Now?" he shook his head, "What about finding Axel?"
His eyes flashed and Zexion said, "We have no use for Axel, he is as traitorous as anybody else in this Organisation. Half of the Nobodies, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion and Larxene glanced at Marluxia and the other half, Xigbar, Xaldin, Demyx and Luxord looked at Roxas.
The blonde pulled away from Demyx and said, "We need to find Axel, he was part of this Organisation as much as any of you." He stared at each member accusingly and felt the anger burn at his chest.
They just wanted to leave without finding Axel?
Roxas glanced at Riku wondering what the so called 'Hero' would do.
Riku saw Roxas glance at him and he swore that he saw pure worry dash across the blondes face before an unfathomable expression replaced it. Roxas was awaiting the verdict from Riku as if he were the leader of this whole mission.
Riku knew what they all had to do anyway.
"We have to stay" he commanded his eyes going hard and steely, "We need the entire Organisation, that means Axel and the blue headed bastard as well."
"Saix?"
The soft cry came from Demyx and the sandy blonde said in a whining voice, "Axel I don't mind, but Saix?" His voice sounded worried and doubtful and Zexion snapped harshly to Riku, "He is just as bad as what Axel was; Xemnas' lapdog was all he was."
There were nods of agreement but Xigbar said, "Axel I didn't mind all that much, he was a good fighter and always done what he was told to do, he only turned his back on us at the very end, helping her."
His sharp yellow eyes hit Kairi and she said, "I ended up getting caught by Saix and Axel left me entirely alone."
Sora sighed and shook his head, "He helped me get to the Castle that Never Was, he sacrificed himself to save me from the onslaught of those Dusks that Xemnas sent, he knew he couldn't succeed so he decided to help me."
Zexion snorted, "Axel, sacrifice himself, oh that would have been something I would have liked to see. The Axel I saw was a betrayer and more likely to run off and save his own skin and let other suffer the consequences. He was a full out liar and never told the truth."
Through the abusing conversation about Axel, Roxas was hit by two conflicting emotions. He wanted to be angry and defend Axel to the full extent but Zexion last statement hit home. Now he was doubtful, Axel had lied right out to him through everything, not once did he tell the truth.
Were they to protect him? Or because he knew he was simply a puppet being pulled by the strings by the manipulative Xemnas. But in the end, he had died for Sora.
Roxas knew, he watched through Sora's eyes and it hurt like all seven hells put together.
He thought to himself "For the sake of one good action, A hundred Evil ones should be Forgotten."
Axel turned his back on the darkness to help what Roxas thought was the right thing to do and destroy Kingdom Hearts.
He finally lifted his head and he said, "Stop talking about him like that" his eyes were downcast and he spoke with an uneven voice but then he accused, "We aren't all innocent here, I'm sure all of us had committed something incredibly bad in our Nobody lifetime , something to affect everybody else."
He didn't get a response and he knew that he had hit home and made everybody think against their prejudices.
"He was my friend" Demyx said simply and that's all Roxas wanted to hear and Riku said standing straight, "We find Axel, no matter how much everybody disagrees with it, Roxas has stuck with us until the end and we can at least repay him and find Axel."
There were murmurs of mixed agreements and disagreements. But Sora nodded and agreed with Riku and said, "The more numbers we have the better we will go off trying to control this mutated Kingdom Hearts."
There was silence now and Roxas turned away and said, "If you guys are so against it all, I will go myself." He began to walk away down the dark streets of Traverse Town and Demyx called out after him, "Roxas, you will get yourself hurt even more; you had a knife sticking out of you."
Roxas paused and everybody saw that he checked his arm. Being a Nobody, they didn't bleed.
Roxas glanced at his arm and saw his arm an angry red and purple colour. There was a deep gash there but it was devoid of any sign of blood. It hurt like all hell though and Roxas flinched when he gently prodded it. Larxene's knives were not to be underestimated.
Demyx jogged up beside him and said, "You should rest Roxas, you out of anybody would be exhausted." The blonde hesitated and heard the raspy voice of Xigbar, "Get your ass back here Roxas; you need to rest that puny body of yours before you just drop down dead."
Roxas hesitated again and Demyx tugged on his arm. "You will feel better once you get rest Roxas, just think, tomorrow or whenever we decide to get moving you will see Axel again and we will be out of this damned darkness."
There was hope glimmering in Demyx's voice and Roxas couldn't help but smile lightly and allow himself to be pulled along by the Nocturne.
That is another chapter over and done with, so if you have any questions or anything don't hesitate to ask (: if you enjoyed it please review (:
Until Chappie 22
See ya all