"Just where on earth were you, Roxas?" Axel asked, raising his brow as he watched his mate return after one long wash.
"Oh, the stains, they were hard to get out," Roxas said, a small blush on his cheeks after finding himself using the excuse Cecil had told him to give.
"Really?" Axel asked, raising his other brow. "Just how long were those bandages on me?"
"Who knows?" Roxas said with a shrug as he placed the cleaned bandages away and came up to the table where his mate had his twins already seated and fed—they were now asleep in their seats, both leaning on each other in such a cute way.
Axel noticed Roxas' eyes on their pups and chuckled before pointing towards them.
"You were gone quite a while so instead of listening to their fussy whining, I just fed them. As you can see, they're fed, clean, and warm. Perfect time for them to fall asleep."
"Yeah," Roxas nodded before going up to them and kissing them each. "Want to help me put them in their nests?"
"Sure," Axel said as he got up and took up Reno while Roxas took up Peter.
After Roxas and Axel placed the pups in their nests, Roxas was quick to return to the dining table and eat his fill of the cold dinner. Axel just chuckled to himself as he watched Roxas gouge himself on his long missed dinner. Apparently, Axel had already eaten as well, seeing how he just sat back and watched Roxas eat up.
"What?" Roxas asked, seeing his meet just staring at him amusingly.
"I guess you really lost track of time," Axel chuckled. "I thought that maybe, at the most, you'd be gone for two hours, but you were gone for nearly six."
"Well, I'm surprised you didn't come after me then," Roxas chuckled, grinning at his mate.
"Oh, I was tempted," Axel agreed with a nod. "But I knew you were safe, probably drifting off into space or something."
"You did?" Roxas asked with a blink.
"Yeah," Axel nodded, patting his hollow chest. "I knew it in my heart."
"So . . . you can feel my safety," Roxas looked down. "Do you think I can? Feel yours and the pups'?"
"That's for you to know, Roxas," Axel said, getting up from his seat as he walked over to his mate and placed two caressing hands on the blonde's shoulders. "But you don't need to worry about us. We're Dominants. We're strong enough to take care of ourselves."
"Yeah . . . that's what I thought," Roxas let out a soft, almost sad sigh.
"Hey, cheer up," Axel patted Roxas' back before leaning down and giving him a kiss to the cheek. "Worry will only get you nowhere."
As Axel turned to walk off, Roxas was quick to catch his hand and clasp his own around it. Axel stopped and turned to the young Submissive who looked up at him with the most intoxicating blue eyes he's ever seen. Even if Roxas and Ventus were identical twins, Ven had nothing on his brother, nothing.
Looking at Roxas questionable, towards his intentions, the redhead watched as the Submissive smiled sweetly up at him before getting up, leaving his dirtied plate where it lay before he guided the both of them back towards their nest.
Axel only grinned, understanding exactly what the blonde was doing. So, he did nothing but let the Submissive lead him—in more ways than one.
"Zack," Genesis gasped as his blue eyes widened at the sight before him: his dear friend, one of the Elders was laying there in a pool of his own blood, no doubt suffocating, and then his eldest pup was in the hands of another Elder who seemed to be the cause of Zack's predicament.
Genesis' eyes turned to his right and then his left, Elders on each side looked horrified and outraged by this action, and he couldn't blame them. Especially when they were feeling the same emotions he was feeling. One of the other things he noticed was the two pups of Elder Xehanort's. One looked horrified, like the others, while one looked as if he couldn't contain himself from a fit of giggles, as if he was enjoying the sight like a sick bastard.
"What is the meaning of this, Elder Xehanort?" Elder Yen Sid's voice suddenly boomed, making every eye turn to the elder. "Why have you desecrated this place with the blood of another Elder? What unholy thing have you done?"
"'Unholy'," Xehanort let out a snicker before his golden orbs looked at one of the eldest Elders there. "The time has come for a new age, can't you see?"
"And this new age meant attacking Zack? !" Angeal spoke up, his voice laced with distress and anger as his dark eyes looked on in horror of his mate who still lay as still as he was before. Their pup, Cloud, sitting right next to him, watching all this unfold.
"Yes," Xehanort replied with a wicked smile, baring his fangs and his joy of the actions he had taken. "It is unfortunate, what has happened to Elder Fair, but he was in the way of my Kingdom."
"What the hell are you talking about? !" Angeal demanded.
"It's Kingdom Hearts, isn't it? Xehanort," Eraqus spoke up, everyone turning to the Submissive Elder who stood as tall and straight before his traitorous mate.
"Kingdom Hearts? !" Yen Sid gasped as his eyes widened before he turned towards Xehanort who only smiled and nodded ever so slightly. "Impossible! Why would you want to obtain Kingdom Hearts when no one can?"
"No one?" Xehanort asked as he rose an ivory brow that made his pup, Vanitas chuckle, and his other pup, Terra, narrow his eyes and stand his ground next to his Submissive. "You fools still believe that? Foolish Elders. That kind of thinking will get you no where. No, I can gain the Kingdom with him." At the word 'him' Xehanort grinned and bounced the weeping redheaded pup in his arms who was shaking uncontrollably from what had befallen his family.
"No," Eraqus gasped, his eyes widening as he watched Xehanort place his hand over the chest of the young pup.
"You see?" Xehanort smirked as he turned his eyes towards the frozen Elders. "No heart beat, he's void."
"Oh my," Merlin suddenly gasped. "That boy's heartless, he's from the direct line of the King!"
"That's right," Xehanort nodded. "The king who came to be cursed by my ancestor who saw the darkness eat his very heart, so, to get rid of it, he was created Heartless. A curse, a blessing, no one is really sure, but even when the Kingdom fell into ruin and our people scattered across the face of the earth, the royal line still survived, transferring that curse from Dominant to Dominant; son to son. Now the pup of Elder Zack appears to have come across a strange condition that bluntly puts him from that family. Making him heir and the key to Kingdom Hearts."
"Did you know of this, Angeal?" Yen Sid asked, turning a scrutinizing eye on the Elder.
"I did," Angeal nodded, closing his eyes. "Before Zack and I became mates, we were still quite close. One day, I came to his nest to find him nursing a newborn pup that he said he found while he was out hunting. He told me that the pup bore no heartbeat, but he was alive. It was then we knew where his child came from, and of what family he was descended."
"It's cute how you decided to name him after the king who came to be cursed, all those thousands of years ago," Xehanort chuckled, looking at the pup, Lea, who was still shaking and crying for his daddy.
"You mean the king whose reign was so terrible that our race nearly went extinct under his tyrannical rule?" Eraqus spoke up. Like the other Elders, he too knew the story well. "And it only became worse once he took a young, pure boy, by the name of Ventus, and impregnated him in a brutal way. One of the Elders, who practiced strange magic, came to him and cursed him, letting him become what everyone in the Kingdom so thought him as: Heartless. With the curse came the fall of his kingdom which scattered our people, leaving us to salvage what was left of our lives."
"We all know the story, Eraqus," Xehanort said. "But there was also a promise in that curse because of the pure boy, Ventus. Seeing the fallen king in his sorrow caused the boy to feel for him and so, he weakened the curse to where, one day, the fallen king, Lea's kingdom will be returned, but it will be a Kingdom of Hearts and not of Darkness, what he had once made it out to be. So, Ventus had born the fallen king a Dominant son who carried the curse on through his sons, waiting the day for the family to purify itself when they start to feel without a heart. When that day comes, is when King Hearts arises."
"But how are you supposed to accomplish this through Lea?" Sephiroth asked, looking at the poor pup whose eyes were swollen red and his body shaking.
"I can feel the curse near its breaking point in him," Xehanort said as he pressed the palm of his hand against the small chest of Lea. "Almost like a string attached to an unknown location that is fading, perhaps, his sire."
Xehanort's eyes turned to look at Terra whose eyes widened, knowing that Xehanort must have found out about Axel's coming attachment to Roxas. If that was the case then this curse was about up, and soon, Lea would feel the beating of his own heart, and this Kingdom Hearts—would arrive before anyone knew it.
"You can't do that to Lea!" Terra growled, taking a bold step forward as he brought out his claws. "He's got nothing to do with this!"
"He was born into the heartless family; he has everything to do with it now, my boy," Xehanort said, only paying Terra a small sort of attention. "Besides, with a little push of my own magic, I'm sure I can help break that curse sooner, since I am the descendant of the one who cursed the fallen king in the first place."
"That curse was meant for good, though," Eraqus bit back. "It was meant to teach the king and his descendents who tread his same footsteps to care for others. You are using it for your own selfish gain! How could you possibly hope to gain Kingdom Hearts when it's not even yours to begin with?"
"With little Lea, of course," Xehanort answered. "When the curse breaks, I will get this heir to grant me power over his kingdom, with myself reigning as high king over our race, and my descendents gaining power as I have."
"This is what you've wanted all along, haven't you?" Eraqus asked.
"Of course," Xehanort said with a toothy wicked grin. "My sire had told me this story ever since I was little and since then I knew I needed to find the heartless descendent of the fallen king and find a way to break the curse so I could rule in their stead. I do believe I am fit for it, and more deserving."
"You—You are no better than the fallen king himself!" Angeal growled, looking at his mate's fallen form. "Killing others for your own evil gain. You are no different. It is you who should be heartless! Not my Lea!"
"I'm sure you would think that," Xehanort said. "But why do you think the Kingdom was so grand in ages passed? Because the Dominant kings ruled with fear and our people were feared by other races because of so. If I allow this family to gain Kingdom Hearts then the kingdom that will rise will not give way to mighty warriors and conquest, but to pacifists and the weak!"
"That does not matter!" Eraqus nearly shouted. "Kingdom Hearts will bind our people again in a way we haven't before. It will bind them through their hearts."
"The heart is a deceiving organ," Xehanort muttered, a frown appearing on his face. "Which is why I will rule."
The Elders watched as Xehanort backed away, all knowing he attended to flee with the pup.
"Xehanort, stop!" Yen Sid demanded, but the bald Elder only smirked and let out a small chuckle.
"Your words mean nothing to me anymore, Yen Sid. For I will be King, no longer an Elder," Xehanort stated.
"You cannot expect to keep all of us away!" Genesis growled, he, Sephiroth, and Angeal bringing out their claws, ready to attack.
"I don't," Xehanort said as he clung tighter to the sobbing Lea and turned to leave.
Just as he turned, Genesis let out a loud bark before he, Sephiroth, and Angeal darted after him with claws fully out. Just as the three Elders went to strike the traitor down they were stopped by another Dominant who stood in the way.
"Xemnas?" Angeal blinked. "Get out of our way! Your sire is a traitor to the Elders!"
"He may be, but I will not move. My sire will be king, and my family shall bring forth the most mightiest of rulers," Xemnas stated, looking quite proud of what his father plotted.
"I, frankly, don't care. But, whatever father says, goes, right?"
The three Elders watched as Xehanort's youngest pup came up from behind to stand next to his eldest brother. Both looking at the Elders with looks of defiance; they were not letting them get to their father so easily.
"Vanitas! What are you doing? !" Eraqus asked. "Stay out of your father's plots."
"I don't think I will," Vanitas said. "He is my sire after all, and you're just my Submissive, not my Dominant."
"You don't know what you're doing, the both of you," Eraqus whispered, bowing his head in sorrow for his corrupted sons.
"I'm still here, dad," Terra spoke up, placing a hand on his Submissive's shoulder.
"Aye, you are, even after all your father has done to you," Eraqus said, his eyes looking at his son's appearance before casting down in shame. "I'm so sorry, my son, that I couldn't do more."
"I don't ask you to," Terra said as he took his Submissive in his arms, the poor parent exhausted with the life he's been forced to live.
"What of Ven, and your pups?" Eraqus asked, knowing full well that Xehanort had threatened them if Terra didn't abide by his rules.
"They're strong, and plus, they're with Axel and Riku. They'll be fine. I can't side with father this time, no matter what," Terra admitted as his eyes turned up to watch his two brothers leave to follow their father, leaving the Elders to pick up the pieces here.
Terra let go of his Submissive to come over to where the Elders were crowded around—Elder Zack. As he came to them he watched as Elder Sephiroth picked up the young blonde pup, Cloud, and turned away so the child didn't have to see his parent in such a state. Elder Angeal had been gentle to pick Zack's head up and place it on his lap.
"Easy, Zack," Genesis spoke up as he took the boy's hands and placed them on his chest, keeping them there. "Your wound is bad and you shouldn't move too much."
"Hm, like I can," came the weak, witty remark of the raven-haired Elder. "He got away, didn't he?"
"I'm sorry," Angeal muttered, combing his fingers gently through the blood-soaked locks of the youngest Elder.
"Lea?" Zack asked but a sharp pain shot through his body and he ground his teeth to keep back any groan that could be heard around his pup who was in Sephiroth's arms.
"Gone," Yen Sid said, casting his eyes down. "Why didn't you and Angeal tell us about the boy?"
"Because," Zack spoke up, his tone getting weaker and weaker by the minute. "He was my pup, he was no heartless. He was mine."
"Quiet, Zack," Angeal swallowed back a sob as his eyes watered. "You need to save your energy."
"And you need to save Lea," Zack bit back in his state. "Please, for me."
"We will get him back," Terra spoke up. "I know his parents, I know they'll help."
Zack's hazing blue eyes turned towards the ivory-haired Dominant and a weak smile appeared on his lips.
"Rest now, Zack," Angeal spoke up, placing a soft hand on Zack's chest. "We'll get a doctor to see you, but you just hang in there."
"Alright," Zack weakly nodded before slowly closing his eyes and letting out an almost silent sigh before doing just as his mate told him to do . . . rest.
"Your stance is a little off."
Roxas stopped and slumped his shoulders with a sigh as he turned with a soft smile and looked at the light-haired, light-skinned Submissive.
"You know, I don't know how you can tell when you said you've never really wielded a Keyblade," Roxas said, placing his fists on his hips.
"That may be true, but I know bad stances when I see them," Cecil said as he came up to the shorter Submissive and placed his slender hands on the boy's hips and kicked his heels farther apart. "There, like that."
"Thanks," Roxas muttered as he turned his gaze back towards the dummy target that just stood there with a shield.
As Roxas charged and struck the dummy he caught the faint sounds of a snicker. That small sound made him stop and turn towards his mentor who just stood there looking ever so innocent as if that sound didn't originate from him.
"What's wrong, Roxas?" Cecil asked, his violet eyes blinking and sparkling at the blonde.
"What's so funny?" Roxas asked, his eyes narrowing accusingly at the Submissive.
"Oh, it's just . . . I've never seen someone hold a weapon like that before," Cecil admitted with a faint blush flushed across his pearly cheeks.
"What do you mean?" Roxas looked curiously at the way he held his weapons, seemed natural to him.
"Well," Cecil said as he came up to him one more time and held up Roxas' arms. "You hold your blade slightly off balance . . . it's not entirely wrong. I've seen others hold weapons like this, but it's usually for duel wielding."
"So?" Roxas replied.
"Well, I'm just saying. Since you're holding the keyblade like that, might I suggest you change your attacks?" Cecil asked.
"How?" Roxas asked.
"Attack more with your speed so you're not off balance for too long. It actually might help you out a lot since you're smaller than most Dominants, and they like to rely on brute strength rather than speed," Cecil informed. "You could say they won't know what hit them if you work on attacks just for speed."
"You think I'd be fast enough?" Roxas asked.
"I do," Cecil nodded encouragingly.
"Well, then teach me," Roxas smiled at the older Submissive.
"Alright, well, first thing's first—change that stance," Cecil said.
"Are you serious?" Roxas asked with a chuckle and roll of his eyes. "We already went through this once."
Cecil only chuckled as he helped Roxas out on his first agility attack and he had to say that Roxas did extremely well for his first time. He was right. Roxas was a natural when it came to agility. The way he held the keyblade to him this, but Cecil also noticed something else about Roxas; the way he moved his free hand around suggested that he might be able to wield another weapon soon.
"Stop, stop," Cecil spoke up.
"What is it?" Roxas asked, stopping his attack on the straw dummy and looking back at his teacher.
"I want to see if you're good with twins," he said as he took another keyblade out and placed it in Roxas' left hand.
Cecil could tell Roxas wasn't used to the extra weight of the other blade, but after a while of testing it out he knew that Roxas would be able to handle it.
"Alright, now, try again," Cecil commanded as he crossed his arms and watched Roxas go.
Again, Roxas' balance was a little off, but his attacks weren't any less powerful. Roxas could handle the extra weight, and, with more training, Cecil knew he'd perfect the dual keyblades in no time, and then, Roxas wouldn't have to worry about being the weak Submissive everyone always sees him as.
"Very good, Roxas. Those blades suit you nicely," Cecil smiled at Roxas as he clapped in praise.
"Really?" Roxas asked, looking at the darker and lighter keyblades. "They are unique blades and I like them, a lot, it's just . . . they're so . . . old looking."
"It's because they are old," Cecil informed. "Remember me telling you this? And that is one of the reasons why they're hardly ever used."
"Who used to use these anyways?" Roxas asked.
"The royal guards," Cecil informed.
"You mean from the Kingdom?" Roxas asked.
"Yep," Cecil nodded. "I know it was ages ago, when our people once were an empire, but we will be again, and, you never know, we might even have more keyblade wielders, huh?"
"You really think so?" Roxas asked, looking down at the keyblades in hand.
"Of course," Cecil replied. "We're going to need those to unlock the hearts of others for Kingdom Hearts."
"Kingdom Hearts, huh," Roxas smiled softly, remembering the stories about that future Kingdom his mother and father used to tell him and Ven. It was pretty much a fairy tale, but after seeing these keyblades, he wasn't so sure anymore now.
It then donned on him that perhaps his brother would like to learn how to fight. Heck, the two of them were near identical to everything, perhaps even their fighting. He could certainly see Ventus wielding a keyblade like so, maybe not duel, but a keyblade nonetheless.
But of course there was the large fact that Ven was full with pups and that the training with weapons would have to wait a little longer, at least until he births them, which is coming up soon as he recalled. In that case, he'd have to keep a close eye on him and less attention on his training should he suddenly miss it.
In that thought Roxas thought of something else. The idea came to him while thinking of his brother and his training and how he could do both at once and still keep a link with his brother. Roxas turned towards Cecil who was sharpening a blade of his before he noticed Roxas' stare.
"What is it, Roxas?" Cecil asked, cocking his head to the side slightly.
"I'm just curious, can you feel when someone's in trouble?" Roxas asked.
"If your bond is strong and true, then yes," Cecil nodded. "Me and my mates share that sort of connection. It wasn't as strong at first, but it continued to grow through time and now, we are all connected, being able to tell if someone is hurting or happy, even my mates towards one another. It is in that that I am not surprised my mates can tell of my happiness within me—it won't be long before they know of my pregnancy."
"Why don't you just tell them?" Roxas asked. "It's not that bad."
"I know," Cecil said with a warm smile on his lips. "It's just . . . my brother and I have wanted pups for so long and, now that Kain's come into our lives, my body's suddenly taken in their seed and conceived. It's got a lot of irony in it if I take the time to think about it."
"Still, if they can sense you're happy then I don't think they'll like it if you decide to make them figure it out," Roxas said.
Suddenly, Roxas' eyes widened and he gasped. A sudden tightening in his heart came upon him and a cold sweat over swept his body. Cecil was quick to take notice to this and quickly came to his side.
"Roxas, Roxas what's the matter?" Cecil asked, looking at the boy.
"I—I have to go, Cecil," Roxas suddenly said as he let go of his weapons and ran off, out of Cecil's nest.
"Roxas!" was all Roxas heard from the Submissive as he dashed away as fast as he could, back to his own nest.
In the midst of wondering about connections, Roxas had been so afraid of not having such a thing with his own mate and pups when what he assumed was a connection to one of them swept upon him, and it was one of distress and danger.
Someone was in danger.
So, Roxas raced back to his nest and as he made it through he ran towards the pups' nests, but they weren't there. Then he ran towards the dining room to find his mate sitting in a chair near the table with the two pups in their seats, eating a snack. Roxas was about to let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the dreadful look on Axel's face, and who was standing before the redhead.
"Terra!" Roxas gasped, his eyes widening at seeing the Dominant after so long.
Terra turned to Roxas with dark golden eyes and then his gaze fell back to Axel whose lips were resting on his knuckles before he heard his mate run back to their nest. Axel turned towards Roxas, but there was no smile to greet him, or no sweet word, only a grim face.
"They've got him, Roxas," Axel replied, his tone dark and grim, his face matching that of Terra's.
"Who?" Roxas asked, his heart dreading whatever Axel was about to say.
"Lea."