Authors Note: Well, Next chapter up. It was a very interesting chapter to write if I don't say so myself. Not much action, but a lot of development for Roxas will happen, so it should be important.
So guys, I was surprised by the sheer amount of whining about Wardes and Wales. A lot of you were like "U Killed Wales. NUUU!" or "Wardes should have died! Y U Stick to Canon?!" Guys seriously? If you don't like the story, don't read it. If you are upset with the decisions I make, that unfortunate. This is my fanfiction and if you don't like the direction it is taking, write your own.
Anyway, there were also a lot of people that really appreciated the chapter. For those people, you have my thanks. Remember that this is something I do in my free time. It is not meant to be perfect. It is just something that is fun to write and helps me improve.
Anyway, thank you for 400+ reviews. That is unbelievable! I never thought that so many people would like my story. It is a great motivation to keep at it and produce stuff for you all to enjoy. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. It means a lot.
And one last thing. Last chapter, I made a huge Durp. I knew that Albion was a floating continent, however the reason I though the church was located on the ground was because of how the anime portaged Saito and Guiche arriving on time to save Louise. They just popped out of the ground like a naked mole-rat. So my thoughts was that it was located on the ground, however a patient reviewer explained what really happened and how the light novel explained it better. So yeah, my bad, it would take more than just Flowmotion to get to Albion. It is not a very hard change, and I will change it soon. So my apologies. Speaking of Flowmotion, KH3 is actually calling it attraction flow so Sora can use it in the real world.
Anyway, please enjoy the chapter.
Warning: Spelling, you know the drill.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A Heart in the Void
Chapter 14
It was a very comfortable evening and the sun was setting in the distance, casting a vibrant glow across the Tristain academy of magic. The best place to watch the magnificent sight was on top of the academy itself, though only a few people could actually make it up there.
Currently, Roxas was sitting on the edge of the tower, though he was not paying any mind to the sunset. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, his head buried in his arms as they rested upon them. His mind was lost in thought.
It had been a few days since the incident with Wardes and Wales. Roxas could not get the image of Henrietta crying on Louise's shoulder when she got the news about the deceased prince. It only added to the guilt that Roxas was felling currently as he sat on the academy tower. Only one thought passed through his mind as he watched her crying.
It was all his fault.
If he would have acted sooner, the prince might have lived. If he took out Wardes before he even left the port, then things would have gone differently.
But there was no way to undo this mistake. Wales was gone, the letter was taken, and any hope that Tristain would have an ally in this war crumbled to the ground.
And it was entirely his fault.
The wind gently caressed Roxas's back as he heard the faint sound of wings flapping against the air. He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. They would usually come up to the tower around this time of day anyway. Soon, he heard a soft thump on the floor behind him, signifying that his new guests had just landed.
Tabitha calmly jumped off of Sylphid's back when Sylphid gracefully landed on the roof of the academy. She looked over to the edge to see Roxas sitting there…again. Her eyebrows scrunched a little as she witnessed the state he was in.
For the past few days, he had been unusually quiet. He didn't really respond to any questions asked, nor did he even react when Kirche would playfully try and seduce him. Each evening, she would find him here, in the exact same position.
Sylphid cooed once before she began to emit a bright light. It was seconds later that Irukukwu appeared, completely naked. She didn't seem to pay any heed to it though as she looked at Roxas in pity.
Tabitha looked over at her familiar before she gave a small sigh. She pulled out a cloak before she handed it to Irukukwu. "Wear it."
"Kyu! But they are so uncomfortable!" Sylphid whined.
"Irukukwu." Tabitha said firmly as she held it out to her.
"Fine!" the Rhyme dragon said as she snatched up the cloak and threw it over her body. She then turned her attention back to Roxas, who had not reacted at all from the little interaction. "You think Roxas is ok?"
Tabitha shook her head as she walked up behind the nobody.
"Roxas." She said softly.
Roxas gently lifted his head from his arms as he looked over his shoulder. He saw Tabitha and Irukukwu standing there, a worried look in their eyes.
"Hey Tabitha, Irukukwu." He responded before he turned his attention back to the sunset.
Tabitha walked up next to him before she sat down, Irukukwu doing the same on his other side. Tabitha then glanced at his face to see the far-away look in his eyes.
"It's not your fault Roxas." She said softly.
"Yes it is." Roxas responded as he bit his lip. "I could have stopped him earlier Tabitha, but I didn't."
"You didn't know he had that kind of power."
"It doesn't matter. Wales is gone and Tristain is at war without an ally. That fact doesn't change." Roxas said as he clenched his teeth.
Tabitha scrunched her eyebrows a bit more as she saw the pain and guilt in his eyes. Irukukwu did the same. The Rhyme desperately wanted to do something that would help him feel better, but what could she say in this situation? She didn't have much experience with this either.
"Y-You know…" Roxas said, with a slightly cracked voice. "When the water spirit said I had a heart, I was so glad that I had the chance to be my own person."
Tabitha blinked a few time, obviously confused by his statement, but decided to just let him talk. If she knew anything about Roxas, it was that there was a lot about him that was difficult to understand.
Roxas continued. "People like me; we wanted nothing more than to be our own person. To actually exist, to have hearts…and to feel." He said as he looked over at Tabitha, tears were starting to leak from his deep blue eyes. "I was so glad I had the chance to learn how to feel, to understand what these feeling actually mean…" he sniffed a bit as he looked back toward the sunset. "I never thought that feelings could hurt like this as well. Along with the happiness and joy, there is also hurt, guilt, and pain. Why do we have feeling like this? Why does it have to hurt so much?" Roxas finished as he looked over at Tabitha again, tears streaming down his face.
Tabitha paused as she looked into his eyes. He was feeling a lot of guilt and it looked like he didn't know how to deal with it. She saw him tear his eyes away from her as he glanced back at the sunset.
Irukukwu bit the inside of her cheek as she heard him talk. She was also a bit confused as to what he was talking about, but she could tell he was hurting. She didn't like it when her friends were hurting like this. She really wanted to do something to help him, but what?
Roxas let tears flow down his face as the feelings of guilt began to overcome him. He had felt…hurt before when Xion had passed away. He remembered that much about the mysterious girl. But when Wales passed, that was because of what he did. It wasn't just hurt he was feeling now, but guilt as well. He really didn't know how to deal with this kind of pain.
Suddenly, Roxas felt two arms wrap around his head before he was gently pulled into a soft hug. The side of his face was resting against Tabitha's chest as he listened to her steady heartbeat. He glanced up to see Tabitha kneeling next to him, her arm pulling him close as she softly stroked his hair with her fingers.
It didn't stop there; he then felt a pair of different arms wrap around his left arm before a head rested on his shoulder. He looked to his left to see Irukukwu there, tightly grasping his arm in an attempt to comfort him.
"Roxas." Tabitha whispered, causing him to look up at her. "It will be ok."
Roxas clenched his eyes as he felt more tears threaten to escape. It may have been just a simple gesture, but just being there for him, Tabitha and Irukukwu had done something for Roxas that he will never forget.
It was the next day and Louise was standing in front of Roxas with her hands on her hips. Roxas was sitting next to the pile of hay, his head resting against the wall as his eyes were closed.
"You need to stop this Roxas." She said sternly.
Roxas grunted as he looked up into her eyes. Truthfully, Tabitha and Irukukwu had helped a great deal last night, but the feeling of guilt was still there. "What do you want from me?"
Louise sighed as she sat down at the table. "Listen, I know this is hard on you, but you are not the only one that is affected by this." She said, her gaze dropping a bit as she stared at the ground. Truthfully, it still hurt, knowing that Wardes had betrayed Tristain. "You need to get over it! You are completely useless the way you are now. I cannot have my familiar acting in such a manner."
Roxas looked up at her, his eye s narrowed a bit. "How do just I get over it? How would you feel if you were the reason that someone's existence was erased? How would you feel if it was your fault an entire country was is going to war without an ally? Huh? Tell me? How am I supposed to just get over it?"
Louise bit her lip a bit. She really didn't know how to answer that question. Truthfully, she never thought about it like that before. Did he really believe that this was all his fault?
"You just do. I have to deal with the fact that Wales gave his life to protect mine." She said as she scrunched her eyebrows. She turned her gaze away from him and looked out the window. "All because Wardes thought I was a void mage."
"And he was put in that position because of me."
Louise growled as she stood on her feet. "Stop that this instant!" She nearly yelled. "I am tired of you moping around. If you can't pull yourself together, I suggest you leave!"
Roxas narrowed his eyes a bit as he stood from his feet. "If you want me gone, fine." He said as he turned and walked through the door, slamming it behind him as he left.
Roxas browsed around the academy. Usually, he would have spent his time with Sylphid, but she nowhere in sight, so that must have means she and Tabitha were busy at the moment. His second option was to hang around with the kitchen staff. They were always fun to talk to and they seemed to enjoy his company as well. Not to mention Siesta might be there with them. If there was anyone that could help him feel better, it was the bubbly maid.
As he made his way to the kitchen, Roxas had to wonder if this was what Hercules felt like after the incident with the hydra. He remembered that the demigod was depressed for the longest time before he eventually got over it…
Roxas stopped walked as he pondered that thought. "How did Hercules get over it? How did he overcome the guilt he felt from leaving those people to die?" Roxas asked himself.
"Roxas!"
Roxas blinked a few times before he turned around. He gave a small smile when he saw a familiar face running in his direction. He was just thinking of the happy maid just a few moments ago. However, there was something a little different about her this time. She was wearing different cloths than the usual maid outfit.
"Hey Siesta." He said as she walked up to him. "You're dressed differently today."
"Yeah. I am taking my summer vacation, so I am going back home for a while." She said happily.
Roxas gave her a small smile. "Visiting your family?"
"Yep! I miss them a lot. We only get to send letters back and forth while I am here. I am really excited to see them again."
"Well that's good for you. I hope you enjoy your…Summer vacation." He said softly as a small memory played through his mind.
Sora, you're lucky. Looks like my summer vacation is…over."
Roxas gave a small sigh as he turned away from Siesta and continued to make his way to the kitchen.
Siesta scrunched her eyebrows a bit as she watched him walk away. She was not blind to how he was feeling. After seeing him like this for a couple of days, she finally managed to pry out what was wrong. He was a little reluctant to share at first, but eventually he had told her everything about the earlier incident with Wards and Whales. After learning about it, she could understand why he felt so guilty about what had happened.
Still…
It really hurt to see him like this. She needed to do something to help him. But what? She didn't know how to handle something like this. What could she say…or do, that would make any difference?
Siesta blinked a few times as an idea popped into her head. She may not be able to do something about how he was feeling, but she knew someone who might. It was worth a try and if there was a chance that it would make Roxas feel better, she wanted to take it.
"Roxas!" she called out, causing him to stop and turn towards her. A blush crossed her face a bit as she avoided his gaze. She fidgeted a little as she clasped her hands together in front of her. "Umm, if you would like, I bet my family would be very happy to meet you. Would you like to…come with me?"
Roxas blinked a few times as he thought about her question. Truthfully, he had never really had much experience with a family before. True, there was Haner, Pence, and Olette, but he never really got to meet there parents or family. What would it be like?
"You know what?" Roxas started, his expression turning to one of curiosity. "I think I could use a vacation as well. Are you sure it would be ok if I came with you?"
Siesta gave a large smile as she walked up to him, clasping his hand with her own. "I know my parents would love to meet you!" she said, an excited smile on her face. "Will Louise mind if you come."
"I really don't care at the moment what she has to say about it."
It was hours later…and a long and uncomfortable horseback ride before Roxas and Siesta were standing on the hillside overlooking the small village of Tarbes. From what Roxas could see, it was a humble community that lived in a very gorgeous spot. It was surrounded by luscious green forests and beautiful rivers. A lot of the people were working in the fields, but the entire atmosphere was one of happiness and contentment.
"This looks like it is a nice place." Roxas said as he absorbed the view from the hillside.
"It really is. I grew up in this small town. The people are really friendly and the nobles don't bother us much." Siesta said as she inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. "It is really nice to be home again."
Roxas looked over at her with a smile. "It looks like you're really happy."
"I am!" siesta said as she wrapped both her arms around his right arm and began to tug him down the hill. "Come on! I want you to meet my family." She said, excitement written all over her face.
Roxas could not help but smile as he allowed her to drag him through the dusty roads of the small town. He noticed that most of the people would stop and wave as Siesta would pass by, causing her to smile and wave back at them. Even a few of them would stop her along the way and wrap her in a hug, for which she would happily return.
"You seem to know a lot of people around here." Roxas noted.
Siesta nodded as she waved to other elderly woman. "Everyone in this community is very familiar with each other. There are not many people I don't know that live in Tarbes." She said as she dragged him down the street.
Roxas noticed that people were shooting him curios glances as well. When most of them noticed the way Siesta was dragging him through the town, Roxas earned a fair amount of glares form the male population.
"Siesta?"
"Hmm?" Siesta responded as she looked up at him.
"Why are they glaring at me?" Roxas asked as he pointed to a group of boys that were staring at the duo.
Instantly, the smile vanished from Siesta's face as she gave a sigh. "You don't have to worry about them Roxas. They bark loud, but they usually don't bite."
Roxas blinked a few times. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Siesta gave another small sigh as she avoided eye-contact with the group. "Most of them have asked my father for permission to marry me, but he refused them all, saying that it was my choice." She said as she looked back at the group of boys. "They are persistent though."
"They asked your father for permission?"
Siesta nodded. "Yeah, but I am not interested in any of them. I can tell that they only care about…certain aspects of me." She said as she glanced down at her sizeable chest.
"Certain…aspect?" Roxas asked, his eyebrow raised.
Siesta laughed a bit as she playfully slapped his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We are almost to my house. I am very excited for you to meet my family."
"You know…" Roxas started as he saw how excited Siesta was. "I am as well."
It wasn't long before Roxas found himself standing in front of a decent sized house. It was not nearly as large as Mott's mansion, but it had a much better feel to it. It was a log house that looked cozy. Siesta was about to open the door before a sound from inside the house halted her. Roxas heard it as well, and it caused his eyebrows to rise into his hairline. He recognized the unique voice anywhere.
"Tres Bien~"
Siesta has a surprised, but ecstatic look on her face. She turned to Roxas, whose face also supported a surprised look. "It sounds like my uncle came to visit again. He is very flamboyant but has a very big heart, so please don't mind him." she said before she turned back to the door and pushed it open. The first thing she saw was a very muscular man that was wearing clothing that was typically made for women. He was sitting at the table with a few other people that she easily recognized.
"OH! Siesta~" The man said as he rose from the table and pranced over to the girl, wrapping her in a bone crushing hug.
"Uncle Scarron? Is it good to see you, what are you doing here?" Siesta asked as she eagerly hugged him back.
"NOOO~" he exclaimed as he flailed about. "Call me Mi Mademoiselle~" he said before he smiled down at Siesta "Oh, we made so much money recently that we all decided to take a break and visit our families for the summer. The inn is closed right now~" he said as he waved his arms around dramatically.
Siesta's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "You did? Has the inn really been that busy?"
"Busy? Yes. But that not the main reason we made so much money." Said a new voice from the table.
Siesta turned to see three other very familiar faces. Her eyes widened as a large smile crossed her face. "Jessica! Amy! And even Ellie!" she exclaimed.
"Siesta!" Ellie cried out in excitement as she jumped away from the table. She sprinted over to Siesta before leaping up and wrapping her little arms around her neck. "It's been so long since I've seen you. You never visit the inn anymore!"
Siesta wrapped her arms around the little girl before spinning around, causing Ellie to squeal in delight. "I'm sorry. I've just been so busy with my job at the academy. It's hard to take time off to see everyone."
"Well, we are lucky we decided to come with Scarron." Amy said as she and Jessica rose from the table. "After a couple of close calls with nobles recently, my mother decided that we needed a vacation as well, so Scarron was nice enough to let us come with him to see Tarbes."
Siesta blinked a few times as she gently placed Ellie on the ground. "Close calls? What happened?"
Amy ground her teeth a bit as her eyes narrowed. "Let's just say that the nobles around Tristania were even more disgusting than we first thought."
"Why? What happened?"
Suddenly, Ellie looked to the ground as she bit her lower lip. "I don't want to talk about it."
Siesta blinked a few times as she looked down at the little girl. "It happened to you?"
Ellie nodded before she looked back up at siesta. Though, suddenly, she noticed someone standing behind her. Looking around the girl, Ellie's eyes widened when she saw someone extremely familiar. Immediately, she pointed a shaky finger at him.
"R-R-"
Siesta blinked before she turned around to see that Roxas was just watching the entire scene, his eyes just a bit wider than before. She nearly laughed at herself for forgetting he was there. Turning back to Scarron, Amy, Jessica, and Ellie, she gestured to him. "Everyone, I would like you to meet-"
"ROXAS!" Ellie shouted before she maneuvered past Siesta and jumped. Being a little use to this by now, Roxas extended his arms and caught the girl, steadying himself so he didn't fall over. He once again felt a little short of breath when Ellie constricted her arms around his neck.
"Roxas?" Both Amy and Jessica asked at the same time as they peaked around Siesta.
"Well, what do you know? It is Roxas!" Jessica said as a wide smile crossed her features. She and Amy walked around the stunned Siesta before they stood in front of the breathless boy.
"Ellie! Not so tight!" Roxas said as he patted the girl on the back.
"You're here! What are you doing here...Not that I'm not glad to see you." Ellie said as she pulled away a bit and looked into his eyes.
"I am actually kind of curious as well." Amy said as she walked up to him. She reached up and gently grabbed Ellie by the waist before attempting to pull her away. However, As soon as Ellie felt herself being tugged, she latched on again like a snake.
"No!"
"Give the man some breathing room Ellie." Amy laughed as she saw Roxas go a bit blue from lack of air. "It seems that she missed you a lot."
"I wasn't gone for that long." Roxas said as he reached up and tried to peal the girl off of him. It took a few seconds before he was able to remove her, almost like trying to take off a piece of duct tape. Ellie puffed her cheeks out as she rested her hands on her hips. Roxas laughed as he ruffled her hair again, causing her to squeak and playfully slap his hand away.
"So," Jessica started as she sauntered over to him and slung and arm around his neck. "Any particular reason you are visiting Tarbes?"
Siesta, who was watching the entire scene unfold in complete shock, finally regained her bearing. "Umm, he came with me…Uhh, how do you all know each other?" she asked as she pointed at the three of them.
Jessica looked between Roxas and Siesta a few times. "He came with you? How do you know…" she started before the gears began to turn in her mind. "Of course. He is Louise's familiar and she attends the academy of magic, right? That's how you two know each other?"
Siesta nodded. "Yeah. But how do you know him?"
Suddenly, Jessica and Amy looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. Siesta looked at them in confusion before they eventually calmed down.
"Well…*Snicker* Louise had a mission from the princess, and she tried to pose as a waitress at the Charming fairy inn." Amy started, before she broke out in a fit of giggles.
"Yeah…*laugh* you should have seen it Siesta. She would slap the customers, pour whine on them, and yelled at a few. It was funny at first, but it was even funnier when we learned she was a noble." Jessica finished as she tried to catch her breath.
Siesta blinked a few times as she pondered this new information. She knew that Roxas had gone on a few missions, but he never really disclosed much information about them. So this was one of his missions?...and Louise had to…
Suddenly, and image of Louise dressed in one of those charming fairy outfit popped into her head. Her eyes widened a bit before he immediately brought her hand up to her mouth in an attempts to conceal her giggles. However, her attempts were futile because she also found herself laughing. She could not believe that someone as prideful as Louise would do something like that.
"And…And Roxas said she was his little sister!" Jessica continued as she leaned on Amy for support. "I don't know how I fell for that. They don't look anything alike."
"That's because you're an idiot! What happen? Did the rest of your tiny brain get absorbed into those boobs of yours?" Amy jabbed.
"Shut it! You didn't realize it either until later!" Jessica retorted.
"Now Now ladies~" Scarron said as he raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Let's not fight right now. We are all together and we need to get along.
Siesta finally stopped laughing as she looked over at Jessica and Amy. It looked like there were arcs of lighting shooting between their eyes. They had not changed that much, still rivals in everything that they did. "That sounds like a very interesting story."
"Oh I bet it is." Said a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned around to see a very tall and muscular man standing in the doorway with a hoe over his shoulder. He was wearing a pair of blue overalls and a red flannel button up shirt. He had jet black hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He walked into the house before he leaned his hoe against the door frame. "The sound of my children laughing is music to my ears." He said as he turned to Siesta, his arms outstretched. "Siesta, come here and give your father a hug!"
Siesta beamed before she immediately rushed over to her father and threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and whirled her around, causing her to laugh in delight. "How is my eldest daughter doing!" he boomed.
"I am doing well father." Siesta said as he gently placed her down. "How is mother? How is the rest of the family?"
He gave a deep chuckle. "We are doing well. Everyone else should be back soon since they heard you were coming home for a visit. They are very eager to see you again." He said as he ruffled her hair. He then turned to Roxas. "And it seems you brought a friend with you. My name is Richard. May I ask your name?" He asked with his hand outstretched.
Roxas blinked a few times as he stared at the hand. He quickly smiled as he reached out and gave a firm handshake. "My name is Roxas."
Richard chuckled again as he released his hand. "You have a firm grip young one. I like you already."
"Thanks." Roxas said as he looked between Richard and Siesta a few times. So this was her father? Seeing the interaction between them caused a warm feeling to arise in his heart. It was nice; however, there was another emotion he felt that he didn't really know how to interpret.
Siesta cleared her throat, catching her father's attention. "Father, can I talk to you about something…alone?" she asked.
"Of course darling." Richard said with a smile.
Siesta nodded as she turned to Roxas. "I won't be long. Just hang here with everyone for a few moments. I will be back."
Immediately, both of Roxas's arms were captured by Jessica and Amy. "Don't worry Siesta, he is in good hands." Jessica said with a grin.
Siesta's eyebrow twitched a bit in annoyance, but she ignored it as she and her father retreated into the back room.
It didn't take long before the evening came round. People started filing into the house like this was the only place to live in the entire town. He stayed near Jessica and Amy as they introduced him to 7 other siblings along with Siesta's mother. When Roxas extended his hand for a handshake, she completely ignored it, going straight for the hug, which really surprised the nobody. He kind of awkwardly patted her back, not really knowing what to do in this situation. Usually, people hugged him when they at least knew him for a little bit. Siesta's mother, who was named Rachel, immediately beamed, saying that she was so proud that her darling daughter brought home a man…Whatever that meant.
The next instant, Siesta came rushing out of the room, her face beat red as she quickly ushered her mother away.
"Roxas, please ignore her. My mother is out of her mind."
"Ohh, Siesta is embarrassed!" One of the younger brothers said.
"Quiet!" She snapped before a smile crossed her face. "It's good to be home."
It was just a few moment later that they were all sitting around a large table, eating dinner. Roxas had to admit, Siesta's mother was a mean cook. He could really see where Siesta got her talents. The dinner table was full of laughter, as well as a few squabbles between the children. Most of the kids were talking with Siesta, telling her all about what had happened around Tarbes while she was gone. Siesta would listen and also shared some of her adventures in the academy.
Roxas quietly ate his food as he listened to them all talk. For some reason, he just felt a little out of place in this environment. What was he supposed to do? He had never really been a part of a family dinner before…or even in a family atmosphere, so what was he supposed to say?
"So Roxas."
Roxas blinked before he looked across the table at Richard. He quickly swallowed a spoonful of soup before he cleared his throat.
"Yes?"
"You are being very quiet over there."
Roxas paused again, not really knowing what to say. "Um...I am not really used to…This" he said as he gestured to…everything.
"Yeah, I guess it is a bit noisy. But the more the merrier I say." He said before his expression turned serious. The atmosphere suddenly changed with his expression and the entire family seemed to notice. "My daughter explained what happened with Count Mott. Roxas…" he said as his teeth ground together and his hands firmly clenched the side of the table so hard that the wood creaked under the pressure. "You will never understand how grateful I am that you protected her. My family means the life to me. Just the thought of one of my precious children going through that…If Count Mott were not already taken care of, I don't think anything would have stopped me from storming his estate. So thank you."
Roxas felt a little awkward as all eyes were on him now. "Siesta is a friend. I will protect her." He said as he felt a little rage at the mention of Count Mott's name.
"I am glad to hear she had such good friends." He said as he took a deep breath. The atmosphere suddenly lightened up as he gave a soft smile.
"H-H-Hold on a second!" Jessica piped up. "That story you told us? About how you defeated Count Mott. Siesta was the one you were trying to save?" she asked, her eyes wide.
Roxas turned to her before nodding.
"Oh, holy Brimir." She replied as she ground her teeth. "Uncle Richard is right. If I had known that, I don't think even a prison would have been enough to keep Mott safe.
Siesta trembled a bit at the memories before she turned to Jessica. "Well, what about you? What happened with Roxas's and Louise's mission?"
Jessica bit her lower lip as she looked over at Ellie. Ellie glanced at her before she looked over at Roxas. She then gave a small nod. "It's both a good and a bad story."
"STORY!" most of the younger kids in the room instantly focused their attention on Jessica.
"Yes, I won't give all the details, but it all started when Roxas walked into the inn with his…" Jessica paused as she gave air quotes. "So called sister, Louise."
Roxas had to admit, he really did enjoy meeting all of these people. It was even a bigger surprise to see Amy, Jessica, Scarron, and Ellie on this trip. It really did help a lot with how he was feeling, and for a moment he completely forgot about feeling guilty. It was quite the coincidence that Siesta was related to Jessica and Scarron.
After dinner was finished, all of the kids gathered together to hear the rest of the story from Jessica and Amy. Of course they left out the more gruesome details, but they sure did exaggerate how the fight went. Roxas remembered it being a lot shorter, but they portrayed him as fighting nearly 50 people in order to keep them all safe. All the kid's eyes were wide as they listened to the tale. Roxas would occasionally catch one of the children glancing at him before returning their attention to Jessica.
Siesta was also listening to the story. She knew her cousin could exaggerate things, but she also sensed that something was left out of the story. If it was anything like what she went though, she could understand why. After she saw how reluctant Ellie was about letting Amy and Jessica share the story, she knew something else had happened.
Finally, after the story finished, the kids were cheering and asking for more stories.
Jessica laughed as she turned her attention to Siesta. "What about you? What really happened at the estate?" She asked as she shot a grin at Roxas. "Roxas is probably the worst storyteller in the world, so I want to hear it from you. How did Roxas save you?"
Siesta bit her lip a little, but decided to share, making sure to keep the more graphic details out of the story.
Roxas on the other hand decided that he wanted some fresh air. He had never been surrounded by so many people before and he felt like he needed a break. He skillfully sneaked out of the house before exiting through the door. The streets were empty now, everyone having retreated back into their houses for the night. It looked like the sun was about to set again, and the air was crisp, leaving a pleasant feeling against this skin. This small town was really peaceful. No heartless, no nobody's, no Louise to constantly yell at him for no reason. It was just him and the pleasant sound of leaves rustling against the wind.
He continued to walk as he enjoyed the scenery. The sunset was gently resting on the horizon and it just beckoned him to watch, so Roxas found himself a grassy hill before he sat himself down to enjoy it.
As he watched the vibrant glow of the sun slowly retreating behind the mountains, he could not help bur reminisce again at the times he spent with Axel and Xion on the tower. Though it was still a little fuzzy, he could see her sitting there beside him as the three of them ate sea-salt ice cream. She would laugh at his and axels stories while they would lightly banter back and forth.
Still, it was difficult to remember. He had to concentrate on a specific memory at a time if he wanted to know what happened. But just like the water spirit said, the more he thought about her, the more he would remember. But why was he struggling so much to remember her in the first place?
"Xion, why don't I remember you that well? What happened to you?" he asked out loud.
"Who's Xion?"
Roxas jumped a little before he quickly turned to see Richard standing there with a smile on his face. He gave a small sigh of relief before he turned back to the sunset. "I wish I knew."
Richard gave him a curious glance before he walked up and sat on the ground next to him. "The sunset is especially beautiful in the town."
"Yeah, it is."
There was a comfortable silence between the two before Richard turned to Roxas. "Roxas, my daughter told me that you have had it rough recently. Do you want to talk about it?"
Roxas blinked a few times as he looked up at the older man. He then turned back to the sunset, the feeling of guilt slowly returning to him. "Even if I did tell you, it really won't change anything."
"True, but talking to someone can help you feel better about it."
Roxas looked over at the man again. Richard had a soft smile of his face while he waited patiently. Roxas had to admit, he was tired of the constant feeling of guilt that was eating him alive. Maybe if he did talk to someone, it would help.
"Well…" Roxas started. "I made a mistake. A mistake that got a person killed. If I would have acted sooner, he would still be alive. I…I can't get the image of him passing away out of my mind. I can't rid myself of the thoughts of what would have happened if I had acted sooner." Roxas tried to keep the tears from coming as he swallowed the lump in the throat.
Richard listened carefully before he saw how much pain Roxas was in. He could see that he truly felt guilty for what happened. And he really did blame himself for what happened to this person. Even though it really didn't seem like it was his fault, Richard knew that saying something like that would do absolutely nothing for the boy.
"It hurts, knowing that I could have prevented it. Knowing that if I made the right decision, he would still is alive."
Richard nodded before a small smile crossed his features. "Roxas, let me tell you a little something about mistakes." He started, causing Roxas to look at him. "Making mistakes just proves your human."
Roxas blinked a few times as he felt his mouth drop open. To him, that sentence meant a lot more than Richard was intending. To Roxas, that sentence said that Mistakes proves he is a somebody.
"But, why?" Roxas asked, completely bewildered.
Richard chuckled a bit. "I am getting old Roxas and I am far from perfect. I have made so many mistakes in my life, so many choices that I wish I could change, so many things I wish I would have done, but that's just part of life." He said as his expression turned serious. "Understand this. No matter how hard you try, no matter what choices you make, no matter what you decide to do, there will always be times when you make the wrong decision."
Roxas gave a sigh as he looked to the ground. "That is not very encouraging."
"No, it's not. But you also have to understand that we learn the most from the mistakes we make." Richard said, causing Roxas to look at him again. "With every choice, there comes a conscience, either good or bad. Consequences are how we learn and glow stronger in this lifetime. Sometimes, Consequences causes us to feel sad, hurt…or even guilty."
"Why? Why do we have to feel this way?"
"I am going to make one thing clear Roxas. You have to understand hurt and despair in order to fully appreciate joy and happiness."
Roxas blinked a few times as he processed this new information. "So, the reason why we have these painful emotions is so we can truly appreciate when good things that happen?"
"That is a big reason, yes. If nothing ever bad happened to you, would you truly know what happiness is? It's like a fish. A fish is constantly surrounded by water, so does it really know that the water is there? Or does it finally realize that when you pull it out of the sea? You have to experience sadness in order to know joy. That is all part of life."
Roxas sat there and pondered everything he had just learned. He had never really thought about it like that.
But…
"Then what am I supposed to do? How can I get over the guilt I am feeling?"
Richard chuckled a bit. "There are a couple kinds of people out there Roxas. Those who wait and those who act. If you are feeling guilty about what you have done, you can either allow it to eat you away until you fall into despair, or you can act. You can learn from the mistakes you make and allow them to help you grow as a person. You can allow them to make you stronger."
Roxas suddenly gasped as he remembered something. It was when Hercules was feeling down on himself about what happened with the hydra. What Richard was saying made sense when it applied to the demigod. When Hercules was just sitting there doing nothing, his despair and guilt never went away. It was not until he acted that the guilt finally left him, that he realized he was still a hero despite his mistakes.
Slowly, as the conversation progressed, Roxas could feel the weight of his mistakes slowly lifting off his shoulders. It nearly caused him to choke up a bit.
"What you're saying makes since." Roxas said as he looked up at Richard. "How do you know these things?"
Richard let out a booming laugh as he roughly slapped Roxas on the shoulder. "Roxas, I have raised eight children. You are not the first to ask these kinds of questions. What kind of father would I be if I could not comfort my own children when they are guilty about mistakes? It all comes with experience."
Roxas laughed as he realized the man was right. Experience was one thing that Roxas severely lacked in the emotional department.
"I have been around for a while. I have experience a lot more about life than you have. The best way to truly learn about these things, you have to learn by experience."
"I have heard that before." Roxas said as he gave a small laugh. He looked up at the burly man. "Thank you. You were right. I really did need someone to talk to."
"Anytime. You are like a member of the family now. If you do ever need to talk, I will always be willing to give advice."
Roxas felt himself choke up a bit more when Richard said that. He really never experienced what it was like to have a father…Someone that would be there for him and give him advice when he was down. He was used to dealing with everything by himself.
But…
Even he had his limit in that department. He learned the hard way that he needed people…and they needed him as well.
"Well, I am going to let you think this over. It's getting late and I need to get to bed soon. We have prepared a spare room for you." He said as he chuckled. "Amy and Jessica squabbled a bit at having to share the same room, but they really care for each other deep down."
"Thank you." Roxas said as he turned his attention towards the sunset.
Richard chuckled again as he ruffled Roxas's hair. He stood up before departing down the dusty road. Roxas watched as he disappeared into the distance. Richard was right on the money about letting Roxas think it over. There was so much going on in his head that he didn't even have the time to feel guilty about Wales. He had just learned so much that it was causing him a slight headache.
But his talk with Richard really opened his eyes to the meaning of emotions. There was bad, as well as good. Just as there is light and darkness. Once cannot exist without the other.
Roxas nodded as he stood from his spot. He was not going to be the one that waits around. He was going to act…To try and find a way to help Tristan win this war. And to somehow rectify what he allowed to happen to Wales.
It was later that night that Roxas found the spare bedroom where he would sleep for the night. It was late, so most of the kids had already gone to bed. Roxas had to admit, he really needed this sleep after all the thinking he had done for the day.
Removing his coat, gloves, and shoes, Roxas sat at the edge of the bed. He felt the soft mattress under his palm and could not help but smile. It was soft…Much softer than sleeping on the floor in Louise's room. He maneuvered until he was lying on his back. Instantly, a wave of tiredness cascaded over him, causing him to almost fall asleep.
Knock Knock
Roxas blinked as he turned his head towards the door. He raised an eyebrow before he rose from the bed and walked over to it. Gently, he opened the door.
Siesta was sneaking down the dark hallway in here pajamas. Ever since that first night that she had shared a bed with Roxas, she was almost ashamed to admit it, but she wanted to do it again. The feeling of curling up next to him as he had his arm around her…It made her feel safe. And now was the perfect opportunity.
The floor quietly creaked as she waked though the darkness to where his room was. She was about to round a corner when a voice stopped her.
"You are a little late Siesta."
Siesta gasped as she turned around to see Jessica standing there, leaning against the wall of the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" Siesta whispered, though throwing a small glare at her.
"I could ask you the same question."
"Well-I-Umm" Siesta fumbled, causing Jessica to laugh quietly.
"Save your breath Siesta. We both know why you're here. You like him don't you?"
Siesta felt her face grow hot as she looked away from her cousin. "No! I mean yes…I mean… we...I just wanted to… Just to sleep." She stuttered.
Jessica was trying hard not to burst out laughing. "You're so cute. You were just going to sleep huh? Is that as far as you have gotten with him?"
"Stop laughing at me." Siesta hissed. "I mean, we have already…Kissed…Sort of."
"Sort of?"
Siesta blushed again in embarrassment.
"He was asleep, wasn't he?"
Siesta face went another shade of red, giving Jessica her answer. She snickered again. "Seriously Cousin? If you don't act fast, someone is going to take him from you."
Siesta growled before she raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing out here?"
Jessica laughed before she gestured to around the corner. Both she and Siesta took a peak.
"Ellie?" Roxas asked as he saw the little girl standing in his doorway, hugging a pillow to her chest. It was really dark in the hallway, but he could vaguely see her. "What are you doing here? It's late."
Ellie buried her head in her pillow for a few seconds before she looked up at him. "Umm, I…I was wondering…" she started before she buried her face in her pillow again, obviously too embarrassed to ask her question.
Roxas frowned before he moved out of the way. "Do you want to come in? Is there something you need to ask me?"
Ellie quickly made her way in the room before Roxas closed the door after her. He saw her walk over to his bed before she sat on the edge of it, her pillow still clutched to her chest as she looked up at him.
"What wrong Ellie?" Roxas asked as he sat down next to her.
"Nothing's wrong." She said as she buried her face in her pillow again. She spoke, but it only came out as a muffled noise.
"What?"
Slowly, Ellie looked up from her pillow, though still not looking into his eyes. "I was wondering if…if I could stay here tonight?" She asked before she quickly buried her head back onto her pillow, her face red from embarrassment.
Roxas raised his eyebrow at her confusing actions. "I don't really mind, but is there something wrong with your room?"
Ellie shook her head as he looked up at him. "No, I just…I just missed you. I know you have not been gone that long, but I don't know when I will see you again when you leave."
Roxas gave a soft chuckle as he ruffled her hair. "You remember what I said last time?" he asked, causing Ellie to nod. "Then you don't have anything to worry about. I still think about you and the rest of my friends. You and the others are the people that I want to protect."
"Will…Will you always be there to protect us?"
Roxas paused as he thought about her question. Truthfully, there was nothing he wanted more that to have the ability to protect everyone he cared about. But…Could he do it? Maybe, maybe not, but he was going to try. He had made a mistake that could cost him dearly, but he was going to learn from that. He was never going to put his friends at risk again.
"I will do everything in my power to protect the people I care about." Roxas said with a smile. He then gave a yawn as he lay down on the bed. "I am tired though. I think we should both go to bed."
Ellie gave a large smile before she tossed her pillow right next to him and snuggled up close. It felt natural to wrap his arm protectively around her as she pulled herself closer.
"I am glad you're feeling better Roxas. When you first came here, you seemed…sad." Ellie said as she looked up at him.
"I was, but I am doing a lot better now. I have a lot of people who are looking out for me." Roxas replied, thinking of how Siesta helped him by giving him the chance to talk with Richard and how Tabitha and Irukukwu were there for him.
Ellie smiled as she pulled herself a little closer, closing her eyes in the process. "Roxas."
"Hmm?"
"Don't ever change."
Roxas gave a soft smile as a brief memory played through his mind. It was the time that Sora and Kairi were sitting at the docks on Destiny Island. They were watching the sunset, talking about the raft they would sail to a new world. Kairi turned to Sora and gave him a smile.
Sora, don't ever change.
Roxas closed his eyes as he felt sleep begin to overtake him. "I won't." He whispered.
Jessica and Siesta had to stop themselves from gushing at the sheer adorableness of the situation. True, Siesta was a little jealous that Ellie had beaten her to the punch, but she could not find it within herself to be angry at the little girl. She and Jessica had their ears pressed against the door as they listened to the small conversation between Ellie and Roxas.
Jessica pushed away from the door as she grinned over at Siesta. "I hope you're not worried. Ellie sees Roxas as the big brother she never had. That's why she is always attached to his hip."
"I know." Siesta said as she pushed away from the door as well. "I think we should get to bed as well."
"I agree. I only came because Amy and Ellie share my room. I was curious when I saw Ellie sneak out." She said as they both walked through the hallways. "He is quite the guy, isn't he?"
"Yeah. He is." Siesta responded.
"Kida, it is good to see you again."
Kida sat across the table from a man that he had not seen in at least 25 years. "It is good to see you as well. Master Raz."
"Please Kida, you may be still teaching the youngsters about the Keyblade, but I am long since retired." The old man said as he placed a cup of tea in front of Master Kida.
"Once a master, always a master" Kida said as he took the cup from the table and slowly sipped it.
"I am old Kida. There is not much I can do anymore. But enough of that, you must be wondering why I have called you here." Raz said as he took a sip of his cup as well.
"I am a bit curious. It has been over 25 years since we have talked. I always wondered why you never came back to the land of departure."
Raz bit his lower lip as he cast his gaze to the floor. "I-I wanted to. So many times. But I just couldn't. Do you remember my son?"
"Yeah, the little 5 year old that was to be your successor." Kida said as he looked around. "Where is he anyway?"
Raz lower lip trembled as his cup began to shake. "Just a couple years after you left, I preformed the Keyblade inheritance ceremony with him. I was planning on training him myself when he was around 10 years old. But…"
Kida blinked a few times as he saw his longtime friend about to break down in tears. "What happened, where is he?"
"I don't know. When he turned 10, he just disappeared one day. He has been missing for 20 years."
"20 years!" kida exclaimed as he jumped from his seat. "Raz, why didn't you say anything! Why didn't you ask us to help you find him?"
"I couldn't trouble you with my problems. You are in the middle of training your own students, so I have taken it upon myself to search the stars for him, but I have never found him. After a few years, I gave up trying to locate him, so I didn't see appoint in asking your help."
"Ok…So then why now?"
"Because of those creatures of darkness. Ever since they have shown up, they have been killing people by taking their hearts. I could only wonder if that was what happened to my son. I also heard that by killing these creatures, the hearts are released. I could only hope that it would be the same for my son." Raz said as he looked over at his friend. "My only request is that you keep destroying these creatures. If by chance my son was killed by one of these things, and his heart is released, will you keep an eye out if he shows up one day?"
Kida nodded his head. "I will, what does he look like?"
Reaz slowly pulled out a picture from his shirt pocket before he handed it over to Kida. "This was taken 20 years ago. He will be older, but this will give you an idea.
Kida reached out and grasped the photo before he turned it around. Once his gaze landed on the picture, his eyes widened drastically. He nearly choked on his breath as he instantly recognized the boy in the photograph.
"This is impossible." He whispered.
Authors note: Hey guys, it has been a little while hasn't it. I told you the chapters would take a while to get out because, as I suspected, school had gotten a lot harder. But I still found time to write. I got this chapter out and it was very important for the development of Roxas. He still has a lot to learn about emotions.
Now, I left this off at a little cliffy, which is something I usually don't do, but I felt it was time. So, I didn't get to the history of Siesta in this chapter, but I feel that there was enough content as it was. Next chapter will be very interesting to write, so I hope to get it out faster, but if I don't, it is because I am being bombarded with school work. So yeah, that is what is going on.
So anyway, what do you think? Please leave me your thoughts. By the way, I am also starting a new story as well. Posted the first chapter, even though it is a prologue, but it should be exiting. I am also working on a third fanfiction as well, but have not quite polished the first chapter yet. The first chapter is always the headrest to write.
But anyway, thanks for reading.
Until then!
