HnH: Many thanks to Keiko105!
Roxas: I can't believe you killed Naminé off! I HATE YOU, HnH!
HnH: Actually...-winks and hands Roxas the script is supposed to type-
Roxas: -mouth is wide open- OH MY KAMI-SAMA. You never had the rights to kill her off in the first place, anyway...BECAUSE YOU DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
Wait, I'm With Which Band?
Chapter 11: Death Band
"No! No! No, that's...that's impossible! She was just alive some minutes ago! Guys! How long were we singing?" Olette yelled, her throat really hoarse, but it was all good as far as cancer went. Seifer and Hayner shrugged, then Sora looked up at the clock.
"Five hours..." He said, then looked back at Roxas, who was sitting down. Their lives...would be drastically changed from this moment on. In more ways than they would know...Death could affect them all in more ways than they could possible imagine. But they'd be able to imagine now.
-
Over the course of the next few days, everyone noticed. It affected Roxas and Kairi the most, but Roxas especially. Kairi gained some kind of insomnia, because she feared that she would see her sister in hell if she closed her eyes. Roxas became depressed, despite everything Naminé wrote to him. Kairi let Roxas keep Naminé's sketchpad, and the two didn't argue anymore. There was simply nothing to argue about...
Living with a depressed twin brother, and having a slightly pessimistic girlfriend could really drag you down, Sora thought. He'd been affected too. Not as much as Roxas and Kairi, but still affected. He no longer let out his goofy smile anymore. Nothing seemed funny to Sora anymore. In fact, he couldn't call out his keyblade, either. Roxas could only summon Oblivion. He could only summon the darkness, not the light...
Speaking of Roxas, he joined back with the Organization. Why? So he would have an excuse to not feeling, so he would have an excuse of not listening to Naminé's letter. Selphie wasn't clingy anymore, she liked Pence now, who loved the attention, so that was good. The Organization? They felt it too. Axel and Larxene didn't have public make-out sessions anymore. Xemnas was a little more lenient, Marluxia didn't call Roxas any nicknames, Demyx didn't play any happy tunes...
Demyx didn't play any happy tunes because Roxas didn't sing anything happy. The studio felt the impact as well. Seymour expected much less of them, Riku and Auron didn't kid around as much, the two bands sang more depressing songs. The whole nation heard the songs, they felt it too. Everywhere felt it. Tons of letters came in, saying they were sorry. Then there were the letters from the inconsiderate fans asking if they could, or if they would hold a contest to replace her.
No. Never ever. Seifer suggested that he go down and arrest those unfeeling, heartless, jerks, but Olette and Hayner stopped him, saying it wasn't needed. Oh yeah. The trio felt it too. Less than everyone else, but nonetheless they felt it. Olette became too chipper, trying to cheer everyone up. Hayner became extremely overprotective of Olette. To the point of where even a guy he didn't know looked at her, he'd wrap an arm around her waist to tell them they to buzz off and not to get any ideas. Seifer?...Well, he just took care of the letters too violently. Let's not go there right now.
That brings us to my next point. Tidus and Yuna. They were the least effected. Tidus had been trying to make his friends forget, Yuna was acting too happy also. Olette, Yuna and Tidus were trying to fix what was broken...what was l e f t of them all. No...it didn't work out. Their broken little reality would stay twisted, no matter how hard Roxas prayed or how hard Kairi begged Kami-sama. Another point. Almost daily Roxas would go to church, sometimes with a couple of Organization members. Why? He would sing there, the only happy songs he sang were religious ones after Naminé left. The reason was because he hoped that Kami-sama would hear him, and maybe then, he'd send Naminé back to him. Not everything was like that, but he just couldn't accept the fact that she was gone. Forever.
-
A sunny afternoon on Friday finds our group at a diner outside, Yuna and Olette happily babbling, hoping someone will chime in. No. It didn't happen. It seemed that the depression emitting from Roxas, Kairi and Sora draped over them like a heavy, gray net, dragging them all down. The sun's attempt to make everyone lively didn't work. Then, Kairi's voice was too be heard, and everything became silent. It had been so long since she talked since the 'incident'.
"It's been three days since Naminé's left us. You're all invited to her wake on Sunday." Kairi said, dragging on the end of every word like she wanted to preserve them, keep them forever. "You don't have to go." Sora and Roxas exchanged glances. They were silently talking to themselves. They did that a lot over the course of the past few days.
"We'll go." They said simultaneously. Olette and Yuna looked at each other and smiled.
"Good! Where is it, Kairi?" Olette asked, happy that she finally got them to talk. Now, if only they reverted back to their normal selves...
"It's going to be held at Ephemeral Church. It's going to be a thundering day on Sunday, so I think it should be appropriate, considering we'll see my sister's dead body..." She said, twiddling a piece of hair in her fingers. Roxas looked down at the ground as if he were in deep thought.
"I want to play a song for her...the one that we never got to finish. That one." Roxas said, and everyone nodded.
"It's the least we can do!" Yuna chirped, happy. She had saw the lyrics for the song Roxas was thinking about, and it had a sad tune to it, but the lyrics were rather happy itself.
"We can have a concert at her Wake! She'll be so happy!" Olette cheered, then looked back at Sora's twin. "Roxas...I know Naminé would be glad if she saw your face there." That was yet another point. Since Roxas joined back up with the Organization, he wore the traditional cloak, and he always had the hood up. No one could see his face anymore. He sighed, and removed the hood from his head, making the shadow that silhouetted his face disappear. He looked really pale, and his beautiful, azure eyes had dulled and looked more like the sky on a clouded day than on a clear one. Sora's eyes held the same quality.
"I'll have to get used to this." He mumbled. Yuna clapped.
"Ok guys! We should practice! We want to do our veeerrryyy best for her! Right? After all, we want to send her to the Farplane happy!" Yuna shouted. The 'Farplane' was like the graveyard. They all nodded in silent agreement. They got up and began to slowly trudge(Yuna and Olette skipped, attempting to enlighten them all) towards the studio.
-
"Today is Saturday. 5:38 P.M. Tomorrow is the wake. Tomorrow is the last time I'll see Naminé. Ever." Roxas said blankly, in an robotic-like voice. He was in the Organization's meeting room, with the other 12 members in their seats, and he was in his as well. Then, he saw all the happy looks on the Organization's faces. Especially Axel. "What is it? Why are you all so happy all of a sudden?"
"Are we invited?" Axel asked, then pointed to his head, "If we're not, we're going anyway. Got it memorized? After all, Naminé lived in the Home That Never Was for a short amount of time, too." Roxas huffed and crossed his arms.
"She'll be thrilled to see the people who kidnapped her and held her hostage in the Home That Never Was." He said, looking down and frowning. "I feel like...the more I love, the more I cry." That surprised everyone.
"Roxas...the time we've been best friends, I've never seen you cry." Axel said, blinking. "In any case, we're going. We were at least associated with her life so we should go." Roxas shrugged.
"I can't stop you." He said. Xigbar nodded.
"We wanna see what surfboard you pick to ride the totally tubular tsunami." Xigbar said. Luxord threw his dice at Xigbar, hitting him in the head and almost making him fall from the chair.
"Dude, he's not supposed to know about the tsunami yet!" Luxord yelled back in 'surfology'. Xigbar rubbed his head and then looked at Roxas and signaled a peace sign.
"My apologies, dude. You'll ride well. I can see it in the waves, man." He said. Roxas raised an eyebrow, having no idea what Xigbar just said. But it was something he knew the whole Organization, besides from him, knew. They were keeping something from him. He intended to find out.
"What's going on? Something I should know about? You found more of Naminé's sketches? She wrote a letter to all of you? Does it have anything to do with her?" He asked, and the Organization took a little gasp, but Roxas sighed, letting his shoulders drop. "Oh, what should I care. It's not like she's actually alive, anyway!"
"Just ride the wave on a good surfboard, dude. You'll be totally fine once you get the hang of it. You used to ride these narley tsunamis, dude. Once you hit the coral you were like 'woah' but the tsunami will come back, dude. The tides will turn, dude." Xigbar said, Roxas blinking twice, not understanding ANYTHING he just said.
"Okay...?" He replied. Roxas really needed to learn what he was saying these days, maybe it would be good for him...
"It's ok, Roxas! I don't know how you feel, but I can imagine what it must feel like to have the only one you love ripped apart from you." Larxene said, trying to cheer up the only person she out-ranked, but failed. He shook his head.
"No...you don't know what it's like...I was afraid to hold her hand, I didn't want to feel how cold she was. I didn't want to believe she would die. But yet, I know that if I held her hand, I could've made a difference. She could be alive right now if it weren't for my fear... I blame myself for her death." Roxas said, now holding his head in his hands. He didn't have his hood on, in the Organization no one really did. Besides, they were all like family. Xemnas was the moody father, Xigbar was the surfer cousin, Xaldin was the weird uncle, Vexen was the creepy scientist living in the house because he spends all his money on his experiments and can't afford a home of his own, Lexaeus was the silent brother-in-law, Zexion was the genius older brother, Saix was the angry old-man neighbor(you know, the one that chases all the kids with his cane when they run all over his lawn), Axel was the best friend, Demyx was the immature nephew, Luxord was the gambling, mature older brother, Marluxia was the friendly, 'that way' family gardener that lived with them, Larxene was the older sister, and Roxas? Roxas was kawaii and adorable--everyone's kid brother.
Then there was Naminé. What to say about her? What was she in the their weird, twisted little family? Roxas' love interest? Without a doubt. She wasn't just that, though. Maybe the friendly, neighbor girl-next-door. Maybe.
"Tomorrow's the day I officially say goodbye. It's going to be so hard..." Roxas said, inhaling a sharp breath.
"You'll be okay. If you break down, Axel can start a fire again and cover it up." Larxene smiled. She was just kidding around, but Roxas didn't take the joke. His head shot immediately up, glaring at Axel, who flinched slightly.
"You wouldn't dare!" He yelled. Axel shook his head, placing his hands up like a guard, afarid of number thirteen's wrath. Roxas could be very scary if he wanted to. Right now, he didn't want to, but he was.
"No! No! Buddy, you got it memorized wrong! Never would I burn a church or Naminé's empty shell of a body! Ever! I thought you would know better than that! Got it memorized?" He asked. Roxas sighed for the umpteenth time that week.
"I know, but it's just that...my world's becoming broken, you know? Everything is getting turned around." He said, shaking his head. "Nothing is really the same anymore...and I won't ask if you all know what it's like because you obviously don't. Losing a loved one...it's so terrible..."
"Tomorrow's another wave to ride, dude! Tomorrow will bring the big one! It will be the tsunami of the lifetime!" Xigbar said, placing his left hand on his heart and holding his right up. "On the waves that I ride and the surfboards that flows with the current, I swear."
"So, if I don't ride the 'tsunami' tomorrow, you'll stop talking in that annoying accent?" That was all Roxas got from his talk. No one really understood Xigbar. They all just nodded along and agreed with what he said. Xigbar nodded.
"Totally, dude. But the currents will take you to the tsunami." He said. "I know they will." Xemnas then cleared his throat.
"Alright, it's 6:00 sharp! Everyone, time to go to the Dining Room!" He said, and everyone got off their chairs and followed Roxas to the dining room. (Since Roxas' chair was the closest to the door) Once there they sat down, Marluxia skipping around with the trays in hand. He placed them on the table.
"Compliments from Chef Axel with help from Demyx!" Marluxia said. Everyone reluctantly put the food on their plate. They all remembered the last time they let Axel and Demyx cook together...
-Flashback- (Demyx's POV)
Today is FINALLY the day! After one and a half years of being with the Organization, I FINALLY get to cook! Well, Axel the pyro freak gets to cook with me. They said that I'm a hopeless cook by myself. THAT IS SO TOTALLY NOT TRUE! Zexion put poison in my drink once! I know it was him! Zexion practically hates me! I don't know why, since I'm so cheerful all the time! I mean, everyone in this Home is sooooo gloomy!
Anyway, so I was jubilantly skipping down the hallway, singing a merry old tune. I was skipping towards the kitchen, and I needed something to preoccupy myself so I sang. "Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato, hot potato, hot potato, hot potato...POTATO! Potato! Potato, potato, potato! Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti..." I continued to sing that song until I reached Hallway's Skyscraper, the hallway connecting the meeting room to the kitchen. I then sang a different song.
So, I was singing 'The Happy Song' when I reached the kitchen. "I'm really happy, I'm sugar coated me, happy: good, anger: bad, that's my philosophy!" Then, when I saw what was inside of the kitchen, I said, "I can't do this, man. I'm not happy." And I wasn't! Axel was inside the kitchen, making the stir fry all by himself! I was supposed to help, too! Axel looked over at me.
"Wow, Demyx the Musical Nocturne NOT happy. Is this actually happening?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and pushed him. I looked at the stir fry, and then the temperature.
"The temperature's too high! You need to put more water in it to cool it down!" I yelled, taking a glass of water(or, it looked like water) and poured it in the pan. I turned the temperature down. "There! That's better!" Axel shook his head and looked at me.
"Demyx, you idiot! That was VANILLA that you just poured in there!" He yelled, smacking me. I held my head and whimpered. It hurt!
"How was I supposed to know? It's not like there were any labels o-"Axel held up the cup and pointed to the label, which clearly read 'Vanilla. NO, DEMYX, THIS IS NOT WATER!' I laughed nervously. "Well, um, some more water will wash away the taste!" I said cheerfully, grabbing another glass of water, and this time I made sure there were no labels, then I poured it in. The vanilla-flavored stir fry turned blue! "Woah, I didn't know water could do that to food!"
"It doesn't, got it memorized? You just poured blue food dye in there!" He yelled. "We're gonna need HEAT, not WATER, to get off the taste now!" He turned up the temperature to, like, 500 degrees. I looked around. No more cups of water left! I was gonna go to the sink, but I remembered that I drank about 300 or so glasses of water(I was sooooo thristy!) And then Xemnas complained the water bill was too high and Vexen complained that I took two days in the bathroom and Saix had to really go and he went berserk and cut Larxene's hair off!(I still think she looks prettier with longer hair, too bad Saix cut it off!)
"Well, I can't use the sink so I bet Vexen has a glass of water! 'Cause he's a scientist and all! And H2O is a chemical! See ya, Axel! And DON'T touch it, alright?" I asked, afraid he was going to mess up our already screwed-up stir fry. Axel smirked and nodded. "Good." I walked, no, skipped to Vexen's lab. Once I got there I kicked the door open and smiled. "HIYA VEXEN! CAN I HAVE SOME WATER, PLEASE?" I shrieked. Vexen didn't ask what for, he grumbled something and handed me a dark bottle. I skipped back to the kitchen and gasped. "AXEL! THE STIR FRY'S BURNT!" I glared at him, throwing the contents of the bottle in the stir fry. "Why didn't you lower the temperature!"
"You told me not to touch it." He said innocently, shrugging. I stomped my foot, about to yell at him, when he took the bottle and cleared his throat. He sent me shifty eyes. "Demyx...did you forget to read the labels again?" I nodded my head, fearful that he would get out his chakrams and slice and dice me again! "This reads," Axel cleared his throat once more for added effect, "DEMYX, THIS CONTAINS CHEMICALS THAT COULD SERIOUSLY MESS WITH OUR CHEMICAL STRUCTURE. DO NOT DRINK/TRY TO POISON US WITH IT! -Vexen.'"
We stared at each other, unsure of what to do. Then, we shrugged, and called Marluxia to take our vanilla, burnt, and poisoned stir fry for everyone to eat! I skipped out, towards my room(I didn't want to get poisoned), saying the last stanza of my song, "I'm outta here. Screw you."
-End Flashback-
They all shuddered. They remembered the taste of that meal-and the sickness that followed afterward-perfectly. Roxas stood up.
"I think I'll pass..." He said, going into his room. Roxas' room was really plain...it was all white, with some gray. He sat down on his bed and placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Tomorrow...I'll see you again. Naminé..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HnH: Keiko105, you have a very important decision to make. I can make the ending happy, or sad. It depends on what you, a very dedicated reviewer, wants the ending to be. See how I dragged this chapter out? That's because I wanted her opinion on this:P
Roxas: -jumps up and down- SAY HAPPY! SAY HAPPY!
Axel: No, say sad! There's too many happy stories around here! -torches some happy-ending stories-
Roxas: No, say happy!
Axel: If you're my dedicated, loyal, fangirl, say sad and I'll...I don't know. Go out on a date with you!
Larxene: -gasp- Oh, well...if it makes Axel happy! -hugs Axel-
Roxas: Say happy! I'll, uh...give you a free copy of Kingdom Hearts 3 right now!
All: OH MY KAMI-SAMA! YOU HAVE THAT?
Roxas: Uh...yeah? I'm in it? ((He BETTER be in it!)) Tetsuya Nomura gave us all a copy, remember?
All from Kingdom Hearts: Oh...right! We, uh...destroyed ours...hehe...
Roxas: Well, anyway, I'll give you- (everyone starts attacking Roxas, and the last copy of KH3 gets burned in the mayhem) Just say happy!
Axel: Say sad, got it memorized?
HnH: -sigh- Keiko,(can I call you that?) don't listen to these buffoons. Just tell me if you want a happy or sad ending, and it's done. It's the only thing I can think of for rewarding you, since you're the only one whose almost reviewed every single chapter! That means alot to me, so just state it in your review!