3. Nova Moyara

Axel kept his eyes shut. He knew he'd been moved from world again and if all had gone well he would be in Nova or New Moyara. Could it be his home? He didn't want to find out just yet. There was a rustling in the leaves and Axel felt cold, damp wind beat against his face and the sound of the sea echoed in his ears.

The sea…

No matter how many worlds Axel had visited in his time with the Organization, he had never found a world where he could hear the slow and peaceful sea. Atlantica was the closest to what the sea was supposed except the image of it was supposed to be from above. The thought of the sea brings a white beach, a red, dying sun and a blue surface with it. In Atlantica it was only under water, there was no hope of seeing it from above and getting the desired image.

Axel listened intently. As he stretched he could hear the distant noises coming from the immense city, where he'd been born and raised. He'd left his home when he was no older than seventeen, three years older than Sora had been. Missing his home he'd walked aimlessly through Twilight Town and had waited for him to go back. It had been a childish reaction.

The first person he'd met was called Naminé. She had also left her world, or so she'd claimed. He remembered how they'd walked as aimlessly together as he'd done on his own but it was better company. Then they'd met hooded figures in the middle of the road. Those were the Organization, led by Vexen, Marluxia, Larxene and the others…

What had happened then? What had happened to him? He had lost his home and had been walking aimlessly through Twilight Town with a smart, young girl with whom he got on well. And then he'd joined the "bad guys", without thinking. If only he could have been more of a man he would have helped Naminé and helped her spare a good deal of pain. What a fool he had been, all along the journey…

The damp wind still brushed his spiked hair backwards. Every notion of time had vanished and he felt like in Castle Oblivion again, struggling to hold on to his memories. He could see Naminé's face shining with silent tears as she'd been put down by Marluxia, yet again. Then, quite suddenly, Yuffie's face appeared in his mind. Not being able to explain why, Axel shuddered, almost miserably, and opened his eyes very slowly.

The subconscious of having landed somewhere else than home, vanished immediately. Axel could have gasped if he hadn't exercised his self-control so much. There in front of him was the immense city in which he had grown up. Several buildings, higher than the tallest steeples, stuck up behind a vast area of thin, high buildings. The naturally energized speedway slalomed through streets of high peeks.

A surge of relief followed the sight on which Axel had just clapped his eyes on. He had come home. It was Moyara Nova…

Moyara Nova…

The name echoed through Axel's thoughts and suddenly a sick feeling replaced the relief. Was he really supposed to be here? Shouldn't he be in Traverse Town talking to Leon, Yuffie and Aeris? Shouldn't he have tried to find Naminé instead of leaving her by herself, wherever she was now? Hadn't he promised Vexen to keep hunting him down until the Scientist was absorbed by his experiments and by Darkness? Was he really that happy to have given up on fighting the Heartless secretly?

He shook his head trying to throw off the thoughts and feelings. He couldn't though so he tried to find defiant answers to the questions that had popped up uninvited. Yes, he was supposed to be here, he should never have left "here" in the first place. Naminé's world, Destiny Islands, had been destroyed together with everything on it. Naminé and Kairi had survived its first destruction ten years ago but the odds on having a heart strong enough to survive two attacks were very remote. Agreeably he had promised Vexen to hunt him down but Vexen had been beaten around the same time Destiny Islands had been. No news had come from him since and eight years later there was no reason to expect any.

The last question was the more difficult to answer. Until Riku and Mickey had talked to him so long ago, the Organization had been Axel's life. He had put all his soul in trapping Sora and dominating Light and Darkness to be powerful. Later he had started loving his tricks and his secret treachery and, admittedly, he had missed them while fighting the Heartless alongside Sora. Even the fighting against the Shadows, he had loved. But had he loved it as much as home? No, definitely not. His friends, his parents and his sister were more important than anything, beyond any doubt.

Yes, those were answers. Nobody could hold them against him. He had been away for ten years and of course it was a little difficult but Axel was sure he would get back into the habit of not using his hands to light candles but to press a button. As he thought this he sniggered silently and then a wave of fear followed all the emotions he had already suffered today.

His power!

Had it gone? Had it stayed behind along with Yuffie (Axel quickly ignored her face), Leon and his discs?

Luckily Axel could check this right now. In three seconds he had been able to summon up a fire, the force of which would burn down a jungle. With a single click of his fingers he had been capable of creating an orb of fire in his palm. That was a simple test.

Axel clicked his fingers, a red fire appeared in his hand and he smirked. Yes, he'd kept his powers along with his memories. Making sure he had brought nothing with him but himself, he stood up and started walking patiently towards the huge city.

Moyara Nova was one of the highest cities ever to have been built. People from any world knew it. The name meant something in their subconscious.

It had been built some two millennia before Axel's time next to the vast ocean from which the Moyarans had found a way to extract energy, climate and nourishment. Due to the natural energy and life-sustain Moyara Nova was also one of the cleanest. Industry had been wiped from it. Sadly however, happiness had been hard to obtain and criminality was one of the main problems in this world. In fact it was the only problem but it covered all possibilities to any other.

As Axel walked along the deserted streets of the Southern Quarter of the city he took his time to appreciate the unbelievably high buildings and the early morning emptiness. He thought of his family and tried to remember the way he used to take to get home after a day's hiking with his friends. It all seemed so far off.

His mind elsewhere he had made his way home by trusting his instinct. The Southern Quarter was a quiet neighborhood. Here the people lived in small houses and cottages by the sea and the beach, instead of the towering buildings and apartments which could be found everywhere else in the city.

Axel's family lived half a mile away from anyone else and had its own, private beach. Nothing but the sea could be heard. Silently Axel scrutinized the surroundings and smirked. He walked up to the door and hesitated before ringing. He hesitated a second to long.

"Hey!" said a inquiring girl's voice.

Axel wheeled around to see none other than his sister running up to him. She had been 15 when he had left the Moyara Nova but now she seemed to be a grown woman. A knot tied itself in Axel's throat. Why hadn't time stopped with her?

"Rowena" he said once she was in earshot.

As soon as she heard his voice however, the girl (Rowena) froze. Disbelief spread over her face.

"Axel!" she shouted and without warning she flung her arms around him and knocked him to the ground.

Axel thought it wiser not to speak or fight her off.

"Axel" shouted Rowena excitedly not bothering to get off him. She seemed to be torn between tears of joy and anger" Wha- Whe- Where were you? You've been away for ten years! Where? Ten years!"

The impact of this tightened the knot. Axel tried to gulp but didn't manage. Time hadn't stopped in Moyara Nova. Why? There was no idea, no explanation possible as to why he was seeing his sister aged 25 instead of her predicted 15.

"Well say something" demanded Rowena smiling.

Axel hesitated… He couldn't tell her what had happened to him in the past ten years. There was no way that could happen just like that. She wouldn't understand and besides, seeing as the worlds were disconnected it didn't matter any more.

"Can I come inside and see mum and dad?" he asked.

"No" she said shortly.

"Why not?"

"They're dead…"

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Hey, thanks for reading up and until now. I know I'm slightly messing up Axel's character but he needs a bit of a personality to become the main character so well… there you go. Hope you like it. Next chapter is due in a couple of days.

PS: I own none of the KH characters.