Author's Note: Yay updates! Heheh... this chapter makes me laugh. Especially Xion. Enjoy!


"Shh, I like using magic."

xx

Axel appeared in the small sandy patch set aside for people using a star shard to get in. He was surprised to find six people staring at him.

"Yo," he said, giving a small salute.

"So, tell us about Kuin," Xion said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Axel scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh, what about her? And hey, shouldn't I move?"

"Why?" Roxas asked. "Most everyone who usually comes in is already here."

Axel grumbled. "Why do you need to know about Kuin?"

"Because you're spending every one of your waking moments with her," Xion said. "You're our friend, we deserve to know."

In a past life, Axel would have cursed the day he taught Xion about friendship. But Axel was past that. Way past that.

"I get the feeling that you two are really the only two who care about this, so why is everyone here?"

"I care," Namine said quietly. "Mostly because I'd like to know more about this girl that I keep drawing with you. She seems pretty cool, but my drawings never tell personality traits."

"I could say that I'm here because Namine's here," Riku said. "But I would like to know if she can be trusted."

Axel snorted.

"I'm here because I think she can be trusted," Sora said with a shrug.

"I would actually just like to meet her," Kairi said.

Axel sighed. "Well, if I'm going to tell you all about her, we might as well move into someplace more comfortable."

"The sand is comfortable," Riku said.

"Oi," Axel replied.

The seven of them moved away from the star-shard arrival area and began to settle themselves in the sand.

"Shall we make a bonfire?" Xion asked, getting a rather excited smile on her face.

"Why? It's not cold…" Sora mused.

"Oh, well, a bonfire just seemed to be a good idea," Xion said.

"It's the middle of summer right now, Xion," Kairi said. "Now's not really the best time for a bonfire."

Xion sighed. "All right."

"Maybe when it gets dark?" Roxas suggested.

"This won't take that long!" Axel exclaimed, looking at the late afternoon sky.

"Fine, whatever," Roxas said. "But maybe me and Xion still want to do a bonfire!"

"Weirdos," Axel said.

"So, Kuin," Kairi said, pulling part of what would soon be a Wayfinder out of her basket. She started to work on it.

"What about her?"

"Why didn't you tell us when you first met her, for starters?" Xion asked.

"Who's to say I didn't?" Axel asked.

"It's obvious that you did," Roxas said. "That and…"

"Sorry," Namine interjected.

"What?" Axel asked.

"It's not in my sketchbook," Namine said, thumping the book with her thumb. "Just on a random scrap of paper, but I drew what I assumed to be your first meeting of her—since Ven was in the picture."

Axel sighed.

"Why is this so important?"

"We're your friends," Roxas said.

"All of us," Sora interjected.

"Friends tell friends everything," Xion added.

"Alright," Axel said. "So when I ran into Kuin at first, I hardly believed she was real, to be honest. Which is why I didn't want to tell any of you about her, because I thought if I did, you'd all think I was crazy."

"We've seen some pretty weird stuff," Sora began.

"Yeah, and I have too," Axel said. "And I still didn't believe she was real. Until I found her again…"

"You could have told us then," Xion said.

Axel shrugged. "It all happened so fast," he said. "And she's not sure what to think of Keyblade Wielders."

Riku coughed.

"Should I be offended?" Sora asked.

"It's essentially her job to keep balance in the universe," Axel said. "And she had a hard time when there weren't any Keyblade Wielders around."

The other six exchanged blank glances.

"I take this to mean before any of us actually Wielded," Sora said. "Since, ever since I got a blade, someone has had a blade between the six of us."

"You don't need to count me," Namine said, looking up from whatever drawing she was working on.

Sora shrugged, dismissing her comment. "Therefore, we're not really to blame."

"Oh," Riku mused.

"What I'm drawing or what they're saying?" Namine asked.

"Both," Riku said.

Namine took note of the picture that she had been absentmindedly drawing. It was a picture of Xehanort, staring very evilly at the viewer of the picture, Keyblade in hand, sparkling with Dark Thundaga.

"Yech!" she exclaimed, tearing it out of her book.

"I thought you kept every picture," Riku said quietly.

"Not when it's Xehanort," Namine said, crumpling up the picture.

"What does Xehanort have to do with this?" Kairi asked.

"Undoubtedly, it's Xehanort's fault," Riku said.

"He killed her family," Axel said, quietly.

There was a general hiss of disapproval that went around the group.

"I suppose you didn't have to share that," Kairi said quietly, being the first to speak. "That's rather personal information."

Axel shrugged. "It's probably necessary for you to understand her general distrust of Keyblade Wielders."

"Then we just need to prove we're trustworthy!" Sora exclaimed.

"I don't want you to all pounce on her at once!" Axel groaned.

"What, afraid of bringing her home to this slightly dysfunctional family?" Xion teased.

"Slightly?" Roxas coughed.

"True," Xion admitted. "I mean, we've got Madam-Bright-Princess Kairi, Stuck-in-her-Sketchbook Namine, Brooding Riku…"

If Kairi and Namine objected to their spur-of-the-moment nicknames, neither of them said anything. Though, both of them were rather engrossed in their projects. Riku, however, frowned upon being called 'brooding.' He'd like to think he'd moved past that.

"Go-Get-Em Sora," Xion continued. "Memorize-Me Axel. Uh, Random-Replica Xion…"

"I don't think you're random," Roxas said.

Xion shrugged. "I am the only full replica."

"So?"

She shrugged again.

"What am I?" Roxas asked.

Xion blushed, then giggled.

"Reasons why I actually am pursuing a girl!" Axel exclaimed, interrupting everyone. "You guys are all coupled off and I don't like being a seventh wheel!"

The others exchanged glances.

"Would you be willing to have her meet us in smaller groups?" Kairi asked, trying to be helpful.

"It would certainly be less stressful, I think," Axel said. "But that's if and only if she wants to meet you guys."

"We're your…" Xion began.

"Friends, I get it," Axel finished.

"Friends don't let relationships get in the way of friends," Riku said, quietly.

"Uh, Riku…" Sora began.

"You and Kairi never got in the way of us," Riku said. "We were beyond that. We were too busy trying to kill Xehanort. It doesn't count."

"Ah," Sora said, resettling in the sand.

"I'll talk to Kuin," Axel said. "Next time I see her."

"That shouldn't be too long," Roxas teased.

"How do you figure?" Axel asked.

"You're determined and stubborn," Xion said.

"And you're not?" Axel joked.

This got them all laughing.

"Am I done being interrogated now?" Axel asked.

"Yeah, I think we're done," Roxas said.

"Finished another!" Kairi said, holding up a bright blue Wayfinder.

"Who's that for?" Riku asked.

"You'll find out when I've got all of them done," Kairi said with a mischievous grin.

Riku sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be done with those now?" he asked, almost playfully.

"I would have been, if I hadn't stopped to make the dual charms. Aqua gave me a simple book of charms and those did prove to be helpful!"

"Yeah, the King was quite grateful!" Xion said.

Kairi nodded. "I'm almost done with the Wayfinders. Then all of us will have one."

Sora reached over and grabbed Kairi's hand. The two of them locked eyes and smiled.

"And that is my cue to leave," Axel said, heaving himself up out of the sand. He looked up at the sky to see roughly how much time had passed. The sky had started to take on a pinkish color.

"Time for a nap," he mused.

"Let's start a bonfire!" Xion said.

"Not with my sketchbook around!" Namine said.

"At least let me use the picture of Xehanort as something to start it with," Xion said.

"Be my guest," Namine said, starting to stand up.

Sora began humming some tune that none of the rest of them recognized. Riku jumped to his feet to help Namine up. Once they were both standing, she gathered up her things.

"Forgive me for not staying through the bonfire," she said, holding up her sketchbook.

"I get it," Xion said, arranging the crumpled drawing of Xehanort along with some dry leaves on top of a few logs that had been nearby.

Once Namine was a reasonable distance away, Xion cupped her hands over the kindling.

"Fire," she said.

"You know," Axel said, stretching. "I could have…"

"Shh," Xion said. "I like using magic."

"Whatever," Axel said.

With that, he started to head back to the main island for his nap, no longer caring about the rest of them.

Namine and Riku were already in a boat on their way back. Xion and Roxas were adding more kindling to the fire, even though the magic would probably keep the flame going longer than an ordinary one. Kairi and Sora had moved ever-so-slightly away from the other two, still close enough to the fire to be included, but far enough away for a moment's privacy. They were still holding hands.

Unsurprisingly, Axel's thoughts drifted off to Kuin, and how she had bandaged him up not all that long ago. He thought about her reaction to his friends. He knew she was apprehensive about any and all Keyblade Wielders. But now it was going to be nearly impossible to keep her and them apart for much longer. Perhaps he should start with introducing her to Namine. Namine, at least, didn't Wield. However, Namine had enough other quirks about her that her lack of Wielding became almost moot when it came to introductions of this sort.

Maybe Kairi would be a better option. Kairi was a Princess and unfailingly kind unless given a reason otherwise.

He certainly wouldn't start with Sora or Riku. And they wouldn't be offended by this in the slightest. Which was a plus.

Maybe just him and Roxas. Best friends. Roxas was more predictable than Xion, too. There was no telling when Xion would just get in a stubborn mood that could potentially tip the balance on the fragile scale he was walking on—nothing against Xion, but she had no filter, ever.

Roxas would make the most sense all around. A small start for Kuin, an easily understandable decision because he and Axel were, after all, best friends. Roxas would be pleased, Kuin could meet a relatively level-headed (provided he wasn't angered) Keyblade Wielder and then he could slowly warm her up to the rest.

Yes, that seemed like the best course of action. But first, that nap.