The young Nobody and the fox landed in a nasty swamp after getting launched from the battle arena. Zexion was still pouting from the arena. Even the disgusting smell of the swamp didn't wipe the disgust off Zexion's face. Vexen hopped off to trot ahead and scope out the area. when he turned he saw the pouting nobody trailing behind.
"Now Zexion stop with this, you display more emotion than I've ever seen a nobody show", Vexen scolded.
He looked at the fox then huffed. Vexen shook his head then went to go on as Zexion shuffled behind. A thin trail lay before them with nothing but murky water on both sides. Vexen started to tip-tow over to the thin trail as he neared the halfway point Zexion heard a faint sound coming from the water. He caught a sight of the source poking it's nose out the water. Zexion's eye widened as Vexen got closer to the center and the animal got closer. He yelled out to his friend.
"Vexen turn around there's something in the water", he was frantic, but Vexen pressed on.
That is until a large orange gator leaped out of the water ready to gobble the fox up. Vexen looked up as a row of teeth came for him. As fast as he could he darted from the hungry gator, as he got to the other side Vexen turned around to see the splash the large reptile made. Zexion was no longer pouting or thinking about the arena. The only thing on his mind was what was in his line of vision. Which was a slim peace of land between him and a very fluffy ball of white fur and bulging green eyes. Vexen's back was arched and his tail was poofed to the size of his body. After a moment of processing what had happened Zexion calmed down to asses the situation.
"It seems you're too fast for them to catch Vex", Zexion yelled over.
Calming down himself Vexen fixed his coat and thought on what Zexion just pointed out. It seemed that Vexen was the Ideal speed and size to get across something like that. It was the question of how was Zexion going to get across. Neither could see around the gator. The orange blur was too fast for Zexion to slip past it, he was also to big to keep out of site. Vexen then picked up his ears and yelled over.
"Zexion do you hear that", Vexen shouted.
Zexion retorted, " does it look like I hear anything besides you and the swamp rats." Vexen shook his head.
He remarked how he could hear bees.
"yay bees?", said Zexion sarcastically.
Vexen shook his head again. "You moron! see if you can use the bees to get rid of the gator, or at the very least distract it long enough, so you could get across", he instructed.
Zexion looked for the hive to find it was close by.
"how am I going to do this without getting stung", Zexion wondered to himself.
As he was thinking he heard something or maybe some one from within him. Almost like he had heard earlier with the skunk and bare ordeals. Now that he didn't have Vexen in his ear the voice was a bit more clear but not by much. It was unclear to him but Zexion almost swore it said to hit the hive and run. Without any other ideas he did what the feeling said to do. He summoned the thwark and whacked at the hive. No sooner did he that a swarm came out to greet him with stingers. He ran for the place Vexen was waiting and so not the gator. Oddly the bees lost interest in Zexion and went strait for the water beast. Zexion ran across to meet up with Vexen finally. The swamp was afwul and full of gators, bad platforms that would disappear without warning, floors that triggered dart dispensers, barrels of boom dust and lots of sheep. Neither nobody really questioned why their were sheep powered platforms or items. But getting them to work was not easy. They came across a long stretch of the water bog. No platforms but those odd sheep treadmills. For some reason there were lilly-pads just out of range with frogs on them.
"Look Vexen I think I see Marluxia", Zexion joked.
"Why don't you go say hello", he snickered grabbing the tired fox.
Vexen at first looked around to see if there was a man with pink hair and a black coat. But his investigation was cut short when he was grabbed by the young man he had been riding on. Zexion went to throw the fox to the lilly-pad. He hurled Vexen on the pad and right next to the frog that once sat very happy on it's perch. Vexen turned to see what Zexion was talking about. He came face to face with a now slightly annoyed frog. It made a ribbit and lashed its tongue out and slapped the fox's face.
"Aww looked Marly missed you", Zexion said holding his stomach.
The frog jumped off the lilly-pad to swim away.
"Zexion you ass", he scolded swimming back.
Vexen shook the water from his coat. Very annoyed he went back to his perch. Zexion reminded Vexen of the squirrel incident at the start of their journey and called it pay back. Vexen for the rest of the sheep puzzle took his time with starting the sheep nearly forcing Zexion in the water. The swamp and it's trials made both man and fox irritable even for Nobodies. Soon enough they came upon a shrine but it seemed somethings got to it first. A lazily dressed skeleton pleaded for the woodies to stop as they placed and re-placed the poor juju's tiki.
"HEY, yeah you little wood bastards leave the un-dead guy alone", Zexion hollered running at them.
Vexen leaped off and darted for the woody with the tiki. the woody and it's buddies tried to run off but Vexen was too fast and snatched the tiki out of the woodies hand.
"AW SWEET, you go little fox dude", the juju praised Vexen.
As the woodies ran away a large figure charged the group that was fleeing. The juju turned to see the small group of them get launched by the large man. The juju's eyes widened as the one who took the woodies out now walked over with gusto.
"Hey man I'm not with those things I swear please don't hurt me", the juju jumped back as the large man got closer.
Zexion and Vexen ran past the juju and exclaimed "LEX", Vexen leaped back on Zexion as they came up to him. The juju inquired about them knowing the large man. Zexion turned to the skeleton and assured him Lexaeus wasn't going to hurt anyone. The juju sighed in relief. Lexaeus approached the juju
"Sorry to startle you I watched those things make off the a tiki and tried to chase them but then lost them. Damn things have been all over me here too.", As he said this a woody tried to launch a spear at Lexaeus, who caught it mid air and turned to the woody who went from being proud of it's throw to trying to run from the now aggro endued Nobody.
Vexen sighed then turned to the juju.
"Would you possibly know how to get out of this swamp? You see we're looking to go to the shaman's brother's place. His name is J.B. we need his help with a problem in the dream world.", Vexen explained.
The juju joyfully assured them he knew away out but in exchange for helping them he gets to tag along. The three looked at each other. Zexion thought it wouldn't hurt to have a juju help them along. Vexen became human and startled the juju. He crossed his arms and looked down at Zexion.
"Up till now these juju spirits have done very little in the way of help if not hinder our progress", Vexen snorted.
Lexaeus scratched the back of his head in agreeance with Vexen. The juju then begged to go with them and promised to stay out of their way. Zexion looked back at his friends. Both huffed and hung their heads. They put it up to Zexion who really didn't see any problem and reminded them that the juju was going to get them out of the swamp. So they yielded and told the dead juju he was welcome to join them. The juju leaped for joy and beckoned them in a direction.