Not the most exciting chapter this time, but we get a lot of different glimpses of things as time passes. Some of them should be entertaining.
Xion surveyed her collection of ceramic pots and planter boxes with a careful eye. She was almost ready to show the others what she'd been working on. The small rooftop garden was mostly crowded together, taking up about one-third of the roof. A variety of greenery and bright flowers that she was nurturing into something beautiful and vibrant. Something that was hers.
The garden was hers. Even with Even's advice and carefully calculated schedule concerning watering and plant food, the project was Xion's work. It was her idea. And it was something that she wanted to do. It wasn't something that came from Sora or Kairi. It didn't come from Organization XIII. It wasn't even something that Lea or Roxas introduced to her. Every part of the rooftop garden belonged to Xion.
She watered the plants, rather enjoying the quiet and the warm sunlight. Maybe after she let Lea and Roxas come up there, Xion could talk them into getting some chairs up there. It might be nice to sit up there with everyone. Or they could at least get some blankets and spread it out to sit on. That might be soft and comfortable. Or they could perch on the ledge like they did on the clocktower.
But she wanted to wait a little longer. There were a few plants that were just starting to bud. Xion would rather wait until they were blooming brightly before showing everyone.
"Xion," called Roxas from below in the apartment. "Hurry up. We're going to be late."
She smiled at his eagerness. Hayner wanted to start training for the tournament at the end of the summer, even if that was some time off. After their informal Struggle matches where Hayner figured out that challenging Roxas and Xion at the same time wasn't exactly easy, he decided that regularly sparring with them would "keep his skills sharp." And she had to admit that Hayner was improving.
Though Roxas kept quietly commenting that a visit to the Coliseum for some training would probably help. But he only mentioned it to her because if Hayner found out about the idea, he would jump at the chance for off-world training.
"I'm coming," she called back, setting down the water can.
While both the castle and inhabitants had changed drastically since the old days where the Organization lurked around Lea still called it the Beast's Castle. Like most worlds, there were fewer Heartless scrambling around than in the past. But some still hid in the dark corners of the basement. And Heartless always tried chasing people with Keyblades, which made it easier to track them down for munny.
There had to be a careful balance. Weaker Heartless were safer to handle, but he would have to fight entire swarms in order to make a decent amount of munny. Fighting stronger variants would produce more munny in less time, but that was more dangerous. The last thing that he needed was to attack something too powerful alone and end up hurt or killed in the pursuit.
Today, Lea was trying something both safe and profitable. It was just difficult to find the creature. They were rare. But if he could find one, he should end up with a decent amount of munny.
He crept around for a few hours, taking out small patches of weak Heartless. But there was still no sign of what he was looking for. Lea started seriously considering creeping up to one of the hallways, the one lined with suits of armor leading towards the West Wing. That increased the likelihood of someone spotting him, but he halfway remembered it being the Heartless' preferred spot to hide. Lea couldn't help considering the idea as he lurked around in the dull grey passages below.
Until sudden colorful movement caught his eye.
Fast and agile, the sturdy little Heartless moved. Not attacking, but simply dodging and running around. And Lea immediately gave chase.
The Bulky Vendor wasn't a particularly aggressive Heartless type. Resembling a red-and-silver vending machine with colorful capsules in a clear orb, they preferred to run away from opponents. They would escape completely if given enough time. But if Lea could keep it running long enough without actually escaping, he could—
Now!
Lea threw his Keyblade, knocking the racing creature off its stubby feet. Then he dove to tackle it before the Heartless could recover and vanish. A quick twist of the knob and Lea was left with a decent reward instead of the cowardly Heartless. Both munny and rare items that could sold.
He grinned as he climbed back to his feet. He would have to count and doublecheck, but Lea was relatively certain that he should have enough munny for the surprise that he had in mind Lea couldn't wait to see their reaction.
"What's that?" asked Xion.
It seemed to be a decent-sized piece of technology that reminded her vaguely of a computer. But there was no keyboard and only a few buttons. Lea seemed excited as he positioned it on the small table in front of the couch. Whatever it was, he was looking forward to showing it off to her and Roxas as they perched on the couch.
"This is a television," he said as he hooked up some wires. "You know the films that they play at the outdoor theater? Well, a television lets you watch things like that at home."
"Really?" asked Roxas, leaning forward with an eager expression.
"Not just movies. Cartoons, shows, and anything else that they might broadcast on this world. Probably some news reports, but those aren't fun to watch."
Xion exchanged a brief look with Roxas. That sounded fun. They liked going to watch the movies with their friends. They were entertaining and it was interesting to see all those other people reacting to the same thing. Laughing, cheering, and getting excited over what the characters were doing. Sharing the same feelings together. It wouldn't look as large on the television as everything did when they projected the films on the wall. But it might be nice to watch something with her friends in a smaller group.
"Movie Night isn't usually as exciting as Game Night," he continued. "Less competition involved. But we could make some popcorn, get everyone together on the couch, and watch something. They used to have some hilariously bad movies about giant monster bugs back in Radiant Garden. Me and Isa used to watch them in the middle of the night. He'd complained about how unrealistic they were and I'd complain about how bad the acting was."
"Wait," said Roxas. "If you both were complaining about them, why would you watch the movies?"
Finally satisfied with the setup and stepping away from the television, Lea said, "That's the thing. Once the quality reaches a certain threshold of badness, it becomes hilarious. You can't help laughing about it. Like the idea of Demyx working hard on a project. You just can't help finding it funny."
He was right. Xion couldn't help grinning at the mental image that he'd conjured. Roxas barely held back his own laughter, his shoulders shaking with the effort as he tried to prove Lea wrong. No one had really heard from Demyx since his involvement in delivering replica bodies for Roxas and Xion, but there was no doubt that he was out there somewhere. And wherever he was, he was certainly not working hard. Demyx would be slacking off and playing music on whatever world that he'd vanished to.
"You want to invite Isa over for a Movie Night, don't you?" asked Roxas.
Shrugging, Lea said, "It might be nice, but only if you're both fine with that."
"He can come," he said, giving his own quick shrug. "I won't mind."
Xion smiled at him as she nudged at Roxas, earning a small shove back with a chuckle. Things were improving with regards to their relationship with Isa. This was the first time that Roxas actually suggested that Isa join them instead of just accepting Lea's suggestion.
"Okay," said Lea, flopping on the couch between them. The dramatic act produced some giggles from the pair. "We'll manage a Movie Night and invite Isa to join us."
"You're squishing me," giggled Xion, trying to wiggle free as his long arm draped across her.
"Oh no." Lea smirked, somehow his limb feeling even heavier. "I didn't realize."
Trying to shove the man, Roxas said, "Yeah, right."
From there, it devolved into laughter and roughhousing that started on the couch before moving down to the floor. Lea's long limbs gave him the advantage. Even outnumbered, he could hold his own. Especially with his knack for finding the most ticklish spots on their ribs. He was almost dangerous at that than he was with his chakrams.
Somehow wiggling free of Lea's grasp, Roxas rolled away and ran. Leaving Xion alone as the man continued to tickle her.
Flailing and laughing, Xion managed to choke out, "Tra–traitor!"
"Abandoned by one of your best friends," said Lea. "Guess you're stuck now."
"Axel," she giggled, trying to pry his hands away.
"Sorry, not my fault that you're ticklish."
He paused his efforts briefly at the sound of running feet. Lea looked up just in time for a pillow to smack him in the face. Then Roxas tackled Lea with a laugh. Which gave Xion the opening that she needed to grab his arm to pin it down.
"Time to see how ticklish you are, Axel," she cackled.
Buried in the partially-gutted electronics of a control panel, Pence called, "Okay, try it now."
Isa pressed the power button. And while the machinery hummed briefly, it stuttered roughly a few moments later and died. While it wasn't the most necessary piece of equipment, the apprentices having already taken one back to the castle, Isa had added it to his long list of things to repair in the Old Mansion. And whenever Pence decided to show up to help, it was best to work on technology.
He didn't quite trust the boy with a power saw yet. Power tools were dangerous enough due to Isa's long hair running the risk of getting caught; he didn't want to add the kid's inexperience to the mix. That limited the help that he could provide on carpentry projects.
"Nothing yet," said Isa.
"Give me a minute," he said. "I'll try something else." A few quiet metallic sounds followed. "And tell me again what we're working on?"
"The controls and diagnostics systems for some of the auxiliary statis pods. The ones that were used a few years ago are in good condition, but these were left alone for too long. Judging by some of the lesser-used technology, I believe that Master Ansem may have cannibalized some parts for his invention that he used in his DiZ days. The one he tried to turn against the artificial Kingdom Hearts."
"Yeah, you're going to have to explain what DiZ is about. I don't think you guys covered that part."
"Perhaps another day. It is not my story to tell."
"Fine. I'm guessing that 'stasis pod' is self-explanatory, so why do we have them?"
Glancing at the rows of egg-shaped containers lined up in a storage space built into the wall, Isa said, "They have a variety of uses. One of their original purposes from what I have researched was medical in nature. Ways to preserve the body while the heart is in need of a chance to recover."
Or to preserve a test subject during the experiments on the heart. But that wasn't something that he wanted to discuss currently.
"When Sora needed to have his memories repaired, he stayed in one of the stasis pods for a year," he continued. "But they have mostly been used to hold replicas during the creation process. At least that would be what I have seen them used for the most often."
"Sounds useful," called Pence. "Okay. Try again,"
This time, the machinery hummed to life and finished powering up properly. Isa clicked a few more buttons to doublecheck, but the systems seemed to be operating correctly this time.
"I believe that you've done it," he said.
Crawling back out, Pence said, "Cool. Glad I could help." He took a moment to dust himself off. "Any other plans for today?"
"The floorboards on the upstairs landing need replacing. Several sections are worn down or are cracked badly enough that they should be removed. I also intend to check the state of the support beams underneath." Studying the boy for the moment, Isa said, "First, the boards will need to be pulled up. I have a spare crowbar if you want to help."
"Sure," he said. "And if we don't get that part finished, Hayner might want to join us this weekend to help rip something apart."
"A little controlled destruction can prove a useful incentive to gain volunteers for chores."
Chuckling, Pence said, "Sometimes it works better than offering munny. Breaking stuff can be fun."
"Any idea what Xion has been working on up there?" asked Roxas.
Shaking his head, Lea said, "It's her surprise, not mine."
Roxas stared up at the rooftop access. They hadn't been allowed up there for a while, but he knew that Xion had been working extra odd jobs around town to earn munny. She had a special project that none of them could look at until it was ready. Something that she'd been keeping secret.
But it wasn't a bad secret. Not the kind that everyone was keeping at the Organization. Roxas had been learning that sometimes things were kept secret for a short span of time for good reasons, either because it wasn't an ideal time to explain things or because it could be more fun to share things at the right time and place. Surprises weren't the same as secrets. They weren't meant to hurt. Though they could make him curious.
And today, Xion said that she wanted to show them what she'd been working on. Now the two of them were waiting for her to make a final inspection before letting them up on the roof.
"Okay," she called. "It's ready."
Smiling, Lea gestured and said, "After you, Roxas."
He climbed to the roof. And immediately froze when he caught a glimpse of what she'd done with the place.
Instead of the empty and open space from when Lea brought them up the first time, one corner of the roof was turned into a lush landscape. Like a miniature garden. Clay pots, planter boxes, and such were carefully arranged around a few wooden boxes that were apparently intended to serve as seating. Various sturdy shrubs and bushes provided them with thick greenery, the leaves a variety of shapes and sizes. Those plants almost hid the little sitting area from the view of other rooftops.
And mixed in with everything were flowers. Bright and fragrant flowers arranged in colorful and deliberate groupings. White, light blue, and dark blue. Red, orange, and yellow. Purple, pink, and cream. And a large collection in the middle with particularly unique patterns and multicolor petals.
"Wow, Xion," said Lea. "I'm impressed. How did you get all of this up here by yourself?"
Ducking her head as she stood in front of her rooftop garden, Xion said, "I might have used a shortcut to make it easier."
"A shortcut?" asked Roxas.
"A dark corridor was easier than climbing all those stairs with everything."
Lea chuckled as he reached out to ruffle her hair, causing Xion to half-heartedly try avoiding it. Not that she or Roxas had a problem with him messing with their hair. Complaining and trying to dodge it was just half the fun.
"I left most of the roof alone in case anyone else wanted to do something else up here," she continued. "And I… I'm…"
"You're happy with how it turned out," said Lea, smiling proudly. "You did a great job. There are professional gardeners in Radiant Garden would couldn't do a better job."
Nodding, Roxas said, "You know what this calls for?"
Apparently following his train of thought, Lea smiled and said, "The icing on the cake?"
"Give me ten minutes and I'll be back with the ice cream," said Roxas.
Kiru watched the waves. Rolling up and down the beach. The peaceful ebb and flow. There was nothing to disturb him. Just the warm sunlight in the bright blue skies and the cool sea dancing across the shore. Sitting on the beach alone in the quiet and calm, Kiru's thoughts drifted. His mind being pulled along by the tide, back and forth.
He was alone. The others were at school and he'd snuck away to the play island for some privacy.
It wasn't that he didn't appreciate everyone letting him stay. The various families were very kind in that regard. Sora's parents, Kairi's adopted family, and even Riku's family were all doing their best to make him feel welcome. Even if he didn't know if they completely understood him and who exactly he was despite the various explanations, they treated him well. Everyone wanted him to feel like he belonged.
But Kiru didn't. He didn't belong. Not the way that he thought that he should.
Destiny Island held too many memories and very few of them were his own. He knew that he wasn't Riku and everyone generally did a good job of remembering that. Though sometimes Riku's parents slipped up a little. And he was making some friends there among the others, though Kiru wasn't exactly sure why Selphie acted so weird around him. But living on the island made it harder to separate Riku's memories, the fake memories, and his actual real memories.
He might like living there and he might like the people, but he needed to reconsider it long term.
Kiru would stay if Naminé decided that she wanted to live on Destiny Island. She deserved the freedom to choose what to do with her life. She'd been used enough already. Forced to do things that she didn't want to do. She should be allowed to make her own choices from now on and he would support her. But it might be easier for them if they considered other options.
And it would certainly be "they." Kiru wouldn't leave without her. Even if he knew that most of his memories of her and his promise to keep her safe were the result of her power over memories rather than anything that actually happened, Kiru would make the same promise to protect her if given the chance. He would make that promise a thousand times. He wanted to stay by her side and guard her from harm. And he wanted to get to know her better. Without any lies, manipulations, or the threats from the Organization using them.
Maybe he could convince her to stay in Twilight Town. Some of the others seemed content there. And Kiru knew that Naminé spent time there while working on restoring Sora's memory, though he wasn't certain if that time frame was one that she would consider good or bad.
He summoned Dawn's Reflection to his hand, the weight of the Keyblade rather comforting and reassuring. Perhaps he could claim a Gummi Ship and explore the worlds with her. They could see all the possible wonders and meet new people. Maybe she would enjoy that kind of freedom. Especially after being trapped in Castle Oblivion for so long.
Kiru didn't know what she would prefer. He just wanted to find a home for them. Somewhere they could be safe and happy. And he wanted to find a way that they could make a new life where both of them were satisfied.
She would be joining them soon. Naminé's new replica body should almost be ready. And when she was back, Kiru could talk about what they wanted with their new existences. Until then, he would just have to try to deal with is inability to feel like he truly belonged.
Maybe someday he would find a place for them to call home.
Yes, I know it was a shorter chapter after such a long wait. And once again, it wasn't the most exciting one. But sometimes they need some less eventful moments.