Chapter 7 – Storm of Love and Hate
Dawn. Namine awoke. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light shining down on her.
Bright light?
Her eyes widened. Where was she? She wasn't in the dark room…
She turned her head and saw Sora sleeping quietly near her. Riku was lopsided by the doorway, and Kairi was on the couch. Roxas was staring at her.
"Namine?" he whispered, reaching a hand out towards her. "What happened?"
Namine was quiet. She was kidnapped…and she didn't remember anything that had happened…well…she remembered she tried to escape…but everything else was a blur.
"Namine…" Roxas looked at her quietly.
"I don't know…" she replied, looking down. "Everything's so confusing…"
She looked up again. "Where's Axel?"
"He's here."
At that moment, Axel appeared into the room.
"Namine?" he said confusedly. "What happened? I was…I went to find you…and then the Heartless…and the water…"
Namine looked away quietly. She remembered now. She remembered the people in the black coats, and what they had her do. She had betrayed her family.
"It was just your imagination." She replied quickly. "It was just all a bad dream, and it'll go away. Trust me."
When Riku, Sora, and Kairi awoke, they looked at them as if they had been there all that time.
"Hey Namine! What's up for this morning?" Sora asked cheerfully, bounding up to her like a puppy, blinking excitedly.
Namine didn't know what to say.
"Uh…I was going to…um…"
"Axel, do you want to help me get the rest of the stuff out of the Gummi Ship?" Riku asked, staring at him. "You don't have to, but Sora's too lazy to do anything. Roxas…uh, I don't know about Roxas."
Axel stared blankly. Didn't they remember that he had gone? Didn't they remember that Namine had been kidnapped?
He turned his head towards Namine. Something was up.
He knows… Namine thought quietly. It will only be a matter of seconds…
Axel did not know. But he had an assumption.
"Traitor." He hissed under his breath, grabbing Namine by the neck.
Namine didn't struggle. It was only natural for him to feel betrayed. Sora snapped up frantically from where he was sitting. Roxas shot a glance at Riku, who was already up with his Souleater. The three surrounded him, but he didn't seem to notice. The only feelings he had now were rage.
"What are you doing?" Kairi gasped, but Riku only motioned her to get out of the house.
The emotions were now swimming rapidly in his head. They were confusing, blinding him.
I'm going mad… he thought. I can't let the emotions overwhelm.
The feelings grew stronger though. Every single memory blinded him. He was gone now…and what was left of him was a bezerk shell.
"You couldn't have unlocked that by yourself. What did they do to you? What do they want?" he growled, his grip tightening on her throat.
Namine squirmed slightly, and Riku lunged forwards with a snarl of disgust.
The blade went down, and hit its target. Axel froze for a moment, feeling a trickle of blood seep down before it stopped and receded.
"What?" Riku pulled out the Souleater.
Axel dropped Namine, his hands turning cold. She fell onto the ground, where Roxas scrambled over quickly and pulled her away. Kairi peered from outside the window.
Axel stared at his hand in revulsion. What was he doing? He had no proof whatsoever that Organization XIII had nothing to do with her remembering how to fiddle with memories. But it was too much of a coincidence if she had remembered by herself. Sora and Riku were now holding their Keyblades outwards in a threatening position.
"No…" he whispered to himself. A cold sensation rushed down his back, which was followed by searing pain.
"Look." Roxas pointed. The Nobody symbol now glowed red, burning through the coat on the top of his back, near his shoulders.
"Nobody." Sora said.
I can't stay. The dreams I had. I have to get out of here. And Roxas…He'll be gone if I stay here too.
A force inside of him erupted, and the house exploded into flames.
"Get out!" Riku ordered, grabbing Namine and pulling her out.
Roxas stood, frozen, in the midst of flames. The names of the Nobodies. The names engraved on that monument. The Thirteenth Order. Axel.
Everything was returning.
"Axel!" Roxas screamed over the roar of the flames.
But Axel was no longer there. Only nobody.
A chakram sliced down on him, cutting a deep gash through his back. He choked and froze as the pain ripped through his body, and cold realization washed through him.
He was remembering. And Axel was forgetting.
"Roxas!" Namine shouted from outside. "Get out of there!"
But the pain froze him, leaving him bound to where he stood. Axel emerged out of the flames, the intent of killing in his eyes.
Riku burst into the house, brandishing the Souleater.
"What are you doing?" he shouted at Axel, and received a flaming chakram for his troubles.
Deflecting the weapon, he advanced into the room.
"Roxas! Move!" he shouted as Axel appeared behind him, sending a wall of flames at him.
Roxas froze, before running towards the door. A burst of flames stopped him from getting across.
Riku swore furiously before swinging the Souleater at Axel. Every blow was deflected. Axel now advanced on him, attacking without hesitation. The blows were parried. Each and one of them.
But Riku was in Axel's terrain now. He could slip in and out of the flames without warning, and strike.
Sora had sent a stream of ice at the fire, washing it away momentarily so Roxas could escape. Riku took that opportunity to get out of the house as well.
"Sora, do that again." He commanded.
Sora nodded and pointed his Keyblade at the house.
"Blizaraga!"
Ice crept up the house, exterminating any flame. The house continued to freeze up until it reached the top.
The rumble of far distant thunder called. The sky was darkened.
"Despair." Roxas said quietly to himself.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a single flame leapt up from the house.
"No!" Sora shouted.
Axel emerged from the icy house, his mind blurred with a strange anger, one he didn't understand or control.
The ice melted down, and the house exploded into flames. The downpour of rain began, the sound deafening.
"Namine! Kairi! Get out of here!" Riku demanded, the three falling into battle stances.
Kairi was quick to react. Namine stood in the rain, her hair sopping down.
It was my fault. I threw our old life away to understand the truth. The truth…it was best to be left alone…
Kairi grabbed her arm and the two ran towards the Gummi Ship.
"You're only throwing your lives away," Axel commented, as he stood straighter. "I suppose you give up now, and let me have Namine."
"Why do you want her now?" Roxas shouted. "Do you think you can change the past? Do you think you can live again?"
"What are you talking about?" Sora turned to Roxas. What did his brother know that he didn't know?
"I see nobody else remembers yet." Axel lowered his chakrams slightly. "Didn't you see? The moment you woke up? Namine was different. She was kidnapped, and you forgot. Because…she made you forget."
"Huh?" Sora questioned aloud again. Riku was already remembering strange things now.
"Namine can manipulate our memories." He whispered, clenching his fist. "But she did it for a cause. What was it?"
Axel grinned, sending a shiver down their spines. "She was influenced by several members of the Thirteenth Order. She wanted nothing but the truth. She wanted to know whom we truly were inside. She wanted to know about the Nobodies. She wanted to be whole."
Sora cocked his head. "I still don't get it."
"You're kind of slow, aren't you?" Axel commented before continuing. "She is a Nobody. She is like Roxas and I. We only want to be whole, to return to our original bodies."
"But what about manipulating memories?" Riku growled, feeling dislike for Axel more and more.
"Oh, that was just so we could forget that she was kidnapped, so she could hide her true intentions." He replied smoothly. "She was kidnapped, she found the few members of the Thirteenth Order. They gave her a deal. She could learn her abilities as a manipulator of memories, help you regain your memories, and…" Axel's grin seemed to widen. "…She would return to them after erasing your memories. It will go back to the way it was…"
He froze suddenly. The pounding white light in his head…
If you truly want to return to the way it was…
Kill them…Return with Roxas and Namine…
The true intention shall be revealed.
"Ok, now I'm really confused." Sora said, wobbling around slightly.
"There shall be no more need for explanation." Axel suddenly said robotically. "Your deaths shall bring the way it once was…I want it to be that way."
"Axel, what are you doing?" Roxas questioned as the other man went into his battle stance. "Are you mad?"
Axel turned his head towards him.
"Yes. I am."
The chakrams flew towards him, and he held up his hands. A bright light formed between them, and the two Keyblades appeared. There was a flash and a flurry of sparks as he swiftly blocked the attacks.
"We don't' have to fight!" he shouted.
"Oh, but we do!" Axel replied, swooping down on him, the chakrams returning to his hands.
Riku jumped up and thrust his Souleater down towards Axel. Roxas thrust his forwards to meet the target. In one split second, Axel had rotated around and blocked both attacks.
"What?" Riku spat. "Sora!"
Sora leapt towards Axel, swinging his Keyblade down.
"Can't block that!"
But before anyone could react, an explosion of flames formed around him, creating a protective barrier.
The three were sent flying backwards. Roxas met the wall, and he felt the sound of his back cracking. He coughed, and a bit of blood came out. Riku fell to the ground, but balanced himself before he collapsed. Sora had managed to jump back in time, but was now being attacked fiercely by Axel.
The first few blows were parried, but Axel swiftly moved the chakrams down and slashed at his leg. Sora fell backwards, but was caught by Riku, who jumped into battle, purple shadows wrapping around him, transforming him into his Dark Mode.
Axel was totally unprepared now, and was hit face-first with a Dark Firaga. He recovered almost instantly, and sent a wall of flames towards Riku, who jumped above the flames and thrust the Souleater down. The sharp blade went down, hit, and moved back up, just to hit once again.
"DARK BREAK!"
Axel found himself falling to the floor as the Souleater came down for continuous attacks. The pain became overwhelming, and the area was getting dark. The red symbol of the Nobody began to burn even more.
Axel swung around and threw his Chakrams at Riku, who fell to the floor as they hit home.
Roxas was now leaping towards him, with Sora, bloodied, but recovered.
The two swung their Keyblades downwards at the same time, the wet rainwater splashing outwards as they struck, Axel thrusting his chakrams forward to block. A roar of thunder and a clash of thunder illuminated the street.
Riku had recovered now and was racing across a wall towards their new enemy. The lightning clashed once more, and Riku's chalk-white form was down on Axel, the Souleater piercing into him. Roxas and Sora had been knocked back by the chakrams that he held, spread apart from his body. But now, everything was still, except for the explosions of thunder and the flashes of lightning. As if time had stopped, Riku felt the Souleater slip out.
Is it over?
Axel suddenly snapped back up like a wooden mannequin. Sora shuddered. Watching him…made him feel nervous.
In a second, Axel was suddenly behind Roxas, the chakram pressed to his neck. Roxas knew this wasn't Axel. There was a cold aura around him, the cold intent of killing.
At that moment, Riku and Sora jumped up and almost seemed to glide across the street and thrust their Keyblades into him at the same time. Roxas gave a gasp of pain as the chakram slipped out from Axel's grip for one moment, and felt the cold sharp edge of it hit his neck.
"Roxas!" Sora shouted above the falling rain.
"I-I'm ok!" Roxas winced, the pain tingling. A small trickle of dark fluid fell from his neck, but he wiped it and stood in his battle stance.
Riku was already attacking, suddenly jumping up into the air, his Souleater pointing towards the heavens before he vanished, and reappeared suddenly, slashing the Souleater at Axel. The sleeve shredded off as he nearly hit Axel. He vanished once more, and reappeared, aiming the Souleater at him again. This time it struck his other arm, sinking in slightly before drawing out again, a stream of blood following the Souleater. Axel was now wary of Riku. He suddenly reappeared again, and the darkened blood-tipped Souleater flashing downwards. The chakram swung forwards and the attack was stopped.
"What?" Riku's breath came in short as he fell to the floor. Axel laughed and swung the chakrams down, once, twice, and more.
Riku gave a gasp of pain as he felt wounds opening.
"No!" Sora shouted and lunged at Axel.
Riku lay there in the rain, the water washing through his wounds. He struggled to get up, but when he did, he saw Sora falling, and then Roxas leaping forwards to attack.
There was a bright clash of their weapons, and a flash of light and Roxas was sailing through the air before falling to the ground with a sickening thump.
Axel's chakrams shined brightly with their blood, his gaunt figure breathing heavily as if he had not had enough to kill.
Sora's Keyblade was knocked far across from him, and Riku was still trying to get up.
"A-Axel…" Roxas choked, slumping to the floor. "D-Don't do this…"
Axel's grin was now maniacal. His eyes were widened, his breath uneven.
"I don't care anymore. It's much better here, with all three of you dying. Next shall be your sisters. Your struggle to escape the Thirteenth Order is over." Axel's hand dropped one bloody chakram, and he held that hand up. A bright fire exploded in it, a strange purple-blue color.
"Y-You don't have to d-do this! Don't throw yourself away -" Roxas coughed on his blood, his body weakening slowly.
The flame grew darker.
Don't throw yourself away. It isn't your destiny. Reverse your pains and sorrows. Restart. DON'T THROW YOURSELF AWAY!
Axel felt Riku's blade hit his leg. He fell to the floor, the flame engulfing him suddenly. Yet he didn't feel anything. He felt one thing though. That it was destined this way for it to end.
"I won't die today." Axel said, his figure melting into flames. "I won't let what happened today happen again."
Roxas was getting up weakly.
"Axel…I…This wasn't how…"
"I'm not like how I was anymore. I'm fine." Axel breathed. A pain flowed through his head. He was confused of what had happened…but he knew it was like his dream…except…what force had made him not kill Roxas?
"I know Axel…and I forgive you…even if you nearly did kill us all…it's understandable about how bad you felt, being betrayed in a sense…even I don't understand what's going on fully…" Roxas sighed, sinking slightly. "But I know this isn't the end…this isn't the second life. We'll meet in the real one…"
He extended his bloody hand outwards.
"Promise?"
Axel stopped, the fires still slowly engulfing him. He had nearly killed them due to some unknown bezerk power. He didn't want to accept the fact. He didn't want to hurt Roxas anymore. But Roxas remembered. And that was all that mattered.
He held a burning hand towards him.
"Promise."
The flames didn't touch Roxas. They melted away as they touched.
And slowly, the darkness receded, the sun piercing a single hole through the clouds. He felt every single part of him flow away slowly. But he knew they'd meet again. The flame burst and exploded before vanishing. The ashes fluttered off into the breeze together.
"We'll meet again…I promise…" Roxas whispered.
For a second, the wind blew past him fiercely, the sky growing bluer ever minute.
I'm sorry…Roxas…I promise…
And Roxas looked up towards the sky. Sora and Riku were recovering, dazed, but alive.
Maybe…
"W…what just happened?" Riku moaned.
"My question exactly – what the!" Sora looked down and saw the many battle scars.
"Roxas! What just happened?"
But Roxas only looked towards the bright blue day.
Thank you Namine…
It was completely dark at first. But then, as he felt himself rising from the dark depths, light filtered from above. He turned his head slowly to the right and saw nothing but the darkness. A small shaft of light cut through the dark, and he stared back up. His red hair flowed behind him as he felt himself drift upwards. The light got brighter as he moved slowly upwards, until he suddenly felt himself jerk upwards.
There was a splash, and the cold air hit him.
Water. He thought. His next instinct was to get out, but he found himself being carried by the waves. Then he felt himself hit hard ground, and saw brown particles of sand.
A beach. Then he felt a small shadow move over him. He tried to look up, but he was too tired to do so, and fell into a sleep.
To Be Continued
Dangit. Lameness. I sucked. Because of stress, I suppose. Sorry my disappointed readers.
There will be a sequel, so keep your eyes peeled. Thanks for reading… sob
(BTW it will be more chapters because it's gonna be heck long)