Kingdom Hearts : Worlds Apart

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The three stood on their curb, Maxiwill thinking silently to himself. Elyxca was retelling the story of her battle against Cerebrus, adding in a bit more action than she had originally said it with. Lexstrik was listening, gasping on all the right places and laughing when she heard about this 'Demyx' character. Suddenly, it was quiet. Elyxca had finished her story and the three became silent. It was about a minute or so before Maxiwill turned around to look at the two girls. "So? I have a plan." He smirked. Lexstrik shook her head with a chuckle.

"Took your sweet time?" she laughed again when the boy glared at her, "Well, let's hear it." She crossed her arms over her chest. Elyxca looked from the other girl to the boy. Maxiwill cleared his throat and pushed his half-moon spectacles up his nose with his middle finger.

"Yes," he started, "This Sora kid. He's become a bit of a nuisance," he began to walk around the females, looking up at the sky, "So, I think in order to get hearts without him getting in the way is to split up." Lexstrik and Elyxca both looked taken aback.

"What?" Elyxca cried, "Split up? How will we find each other?" Maxiwill held up his hand and shook his head. He then pointed at a star that was twinkling much brighter than the others. All three of them stared at the light and then Lexstrik looked at him.

"We'll meet up there," he stated, "at that world. We'll each go to a different world and search for a heart. Sora can't stop us if we're in three different places." Maxiwill moved forward between them then stood still. They formed a triangle, all three of them facing different directions. They were silent again. Lexstrik was the first to lift her hand and open a portal.

"See you," she said simply, walking through the darkness and disappearing. Maxiwill stood still with his back turned to Elyxca. His gaze was fixed on the heart shaped moon which reflected in his glasses. Neither of them moved from their spots until Maxiwill turned his head.

"What did he call it?" he asked her. She blinked and then looked to him, "Saix. What did he call that moon?"

"King...King..." she strained for the word, but she shook her head, "I can't remember clearly," she sighed and looked away. Her attention shifted to her boots, which had suddenly becoming interesting enough to stop from looking at Maxiwill.

"He must have said it when he took your heart, along with the memories you had." The boy continued to look at her. She didn't move. "We'll get hearts," he said over his shoulder, "And we'll get back your memories. I'll see to that." The boy lifted his hand and disappeared through his cloud of black smoke. Elyxca looked over her shoulder in time to see him disappear. Her gaze then shifted to the spot he had stood previously. The girl turned her head and held up her hand. With a final glance over her shoulder where her companions had stood, she disappeared. The street was deserted, excluding the small wisp of black smoke that trailed upward as she left.

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Lexstrik groped around in the darkness, stumbling over her boot. "Piece of..." she growled. A light began to flicker in front of her. Her eyes brightened up and she dashed towards it. "Here I...come!" she jumped and grasped the light in her fist. At that moment, she felt the feeling of being pulled, hard, from behind her navel. Everything was spinning very fast. Lights swirled around her so fast that she had to close her eyes to stop from being sick. She had felt the feeling before, but it felt much more extreme this time. Suddenly, everything stopped. She was perched atop a stone building. It was night time and the moon was hidden behind the leaves of many trees. Lexstrik jumped from the building, hopped off a few boxes and landed on the ground softly. She examined her surroundings; trees on all sides and many concrete buildings. All of them looked old and as if they could crumble at any moment. There were boxes stacked upon boxes of gun powder. Her hands slid along the grooves between the bricks in the structures. She spotted a bridge that lead out of this small town. Taking the opprotunity, the girl left the town and crossed the bridge. It was made of stone and it was very sturdy. It was also very cold. Lexstrik had placed her hand along the stone as she walked, and even through her gloves, she could feel a chill coming from it. A small sign was posted on the side she had approached. The words were faded and it was very dusty, but she could read it out perfectly:

Port Royal

A burning sensation arose in her stomach as she read the sign multiple times to let it sink in. Her attention went all around her now. There was the dock she was found at, a large boat with bleached white sails lay in the harbor. A stone staircase was across from her now, a staircase that lead up to an archway overlooking the sea. Lexstrik's hands gripped at nothing, balling up into fists and then relaxing again. A sigh escaped her. "It's just like I remember it," she whispered to nobody. A wave crashed up on the dock and a rush of sea salt came to her nostrils. Everything was as she left it. She let her eyes close as her body relaxed. The sea...the sky...it was all the same.

"Material possessions do not...pike my interest as much as your soul does. Now, either serve upon my ship or go down with the rest of your crew and your ship!"

Her eyes shot open and she looked around her. That voice...in her head. She knew who it belonged to. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a yawn. Somehow, she managed to stand on a ship; at the front of it. The ship appeared to her as utter rubbish before she realized where she stood. Beneath her feet was a digusting pile of moss and barnacles. The sound of an organ could be heard playing a sad tune, but it was being played very quickly as if the pianst had four hands. She shuddered and looked up. A small scream escaped her. Her eyes had been met with those of another. These eyes were distant...uncaring...heartless. The person backed away slowly, tilting her head in a very childish manner. Lexstrik took a step back herself. Then it hit her:

She was staring at herself.

But how was that possible? She was Lexstrik, she was standing right there. But the facial features...the hairstyle...it was all the same. Other than her hair; this girl had brilliant blonde hair. Unlike the rest of the people on board (who were now starting to emerge from the strangest of places), she looked positively normal...except for the small crab-like claw that was begining to form around her left hand. Lexstrik stared around her at the others who were now stumbling toward the two girls. "I realize where I am..." she whispered, jumping back from a claw that had tried to grope for her, "Davy Jones!" she shouted. Immediately, the music from the organ had stopped. There was then a loud clunking noise that had replaced it. About a minute had passed when a creature appeared on the deck of the ship. Tentacles covered his face like a slimy beard. His hat was a dark blue, but the color was barely visible underneath the amount of coral the covered it. His shoulder was also covered with a dark red coral. Much like the girl in front of Lexstrik, he had a claw on his left hand. The creature smirked.

"You called?" Davy Jones whispered. His words made all the people (which Lexstrik was noticing looked more like science experiments gone wrong) on board as silent as death. Davy made his way toward the Nobody, his peg leg clunking as he walked. "I see you've met..." he looked from the girl to the Nobody, "yourself." He shook his head with laughter. A tentacle that had been tucked away beneath his sleeve emerged. It pulled a pipe from his pocket. Davy struck a match on his claw and lit the pipe tenderly. He took a deep breath and then exhaled. The smoke billowed out of a small tentacle on the side of his face.

"There's...how did you...know I'm her?" Lexstrik stammered, looking from Davy Jones to herself. The captain let out another laugh and tapped his pipe on his claw. The ashes fell to the deck silently, a few of them still flickering.

"You obviously forget who I am," he held out his 'who' for a moment or two before continuing. Lexstrik looked away for a moment as Davy advanced on her, his claw held up. "You've been quite a help on board. And we've found...what you had been looking for." He looked over his shoulder and nodded his head. One of the creatures, what looked like a man and a shark put together, disappeared into the back of the ship. A moment later, he returned with a shabby brown object in his hands. Davy's tentacle reached out and snatched it. He then dropped it onto Lexstrik's feet. The girl looked down and gasped. It was a brown, three point hat. Much like that worn by...

"Jack Sparrow..." Lexstrik whispered, bending over and picking up the hat, "Where did you find him?" she demanded.

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Maxiwill landed on his knees. He stood up, brushing himself off. It was night time, wherever he was. He looked up at the sky, at the bright moon that was glowing with an eerie orange tint to it. He ran his tongue over his teeth and let out a quick yelp of pain. Taking his pointer finger, he prodded his canines gently. They had become much sharper, like fangs. "Where did I end up?" he said, turning about on the spot where he stood. Where ever he was, it was placed in a graveyard. Headstones and pumpkins dotted the landscape about him. A scream echoed out from behind him. The boy jumped in place and spun around, his robe swirling around him. His hands were held in a position as if he were about to summon forth his boomerang. Nothing came. He crept forward and stumbled. Regaining his balance quickly, Maxiwill looked down. "What now?" he groaned. Then he realized his was on top of a large hill that stopped and leaned forward, curling itself around in a fine swirl. "I'll just go around," he said. Maxiwill moved down the hill and noticed a gate up a pathway. Someone was standing in front of it. He dashed behind a tombstone and crouched low. The person did not move. Whoever it was was shorter than he. The moonlight reflected off the top of it's head. Wonderful red hair shone in the light. It didn't take long before he knew who exactly it was. The boy stood up, leaning casually against the headstone. "Oi! Elyxca!" he called out. The girl turned around quickly and then laughed slightly.

"So, it's only Maxi," she shook her head and began to walk towards him. He wore a blank expression on his face as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose; they kept falling.

"'Only Maxi'?" he repeated, "So, I take it you're not happy to see me? We were supposed to go to different worlds, Elyxca." He yawned, flashing his new fangs in the light. She examined them in the brief moment his mouth was open.

"How do I know you didn't follow me?" she asked, leaning forward cutely. Maxiwill smirked and chortled. He noticed a bit of dust on the sleeve of his robe. As he moved his hand, his chains clinked together softly. He brushed his arm off.

"Doesn't matter," he stated, "We're both here, so we may as well work together. Any idea where we are?" he asked, looking around. Everything was so...dull. Hues of orange, black, red, and white swirled around them in a nicely fixed array of color. Elyxca looked over her shoulder at the gate and then back to the male Nobody.

"I saw a sign," she explained and pointed to the gate behind her. A busted wooden sign lay beside the gate with 'Halloween Town' written in scragged letters. Maxiwill moved toward the sign, she followed him, and then he stopped. He turned to Elyxca.

"Do you have anything like these?" he asked, opening his mouth and jabbing a finger at his extended teeth. She approached him and bent over, looking up at his fangs. He closed his mouth and his left canine pertruded from beneath his lip. Elyxca shook her head. The boy crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot in thought.

"But I do have these," she turned her back on him. Maxiwill's eyes widened at the sight of two feathery wings. They were sticking from her shoulder blades and trailed down to her hips. She extended the left wing and a black feather twirled from the tip to the ground. Elyxca smirked and then moved the wing to her back once more. "I'm guessing everyone becomes 'scary' when they come here?" Maxiwill shrugged and turned his back on her, walking up to the gate.

"Halloween Town," he whispered, wrapping his long fingers around one of the metal poles of the fence. He felt how cold the metal was through the glove, "We can find a heart together. In Halloween Town," he opened the gate and slipped through it swiftly. More headstones appeared before him and large statues of gargoyles dotted the new graveyard. Elyxca had decided to test out her new wings, floating slowly over the gate and behind the boy. Maxiwill smirked and dashed down the hill, swerving in and out of headstones and statues. He nearly tripped over one, but managed to regain his balance before landing facedown in the dirt. Elyxca followed behind, her wings carrying her slowly. The two Nobodies moved together through a small alleyway with orange lights on the walls. A trashcan fell over as a black cat jumped from the top of it.

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Davy Jones let out a laugh and snatched the hat from her with his large claw. "You believe I can tell you...without a bribe?" Behind the tentacles, Lexstrik could make out a smallest notion of a smirk. Davy looked over his shoulder at the shell of Lexstrik, the girl the world had known as Kristel.

"What else can I give you?" Lexstrik cried, "You already have someone to serve you! There's nothing I ca---" she stopped mid-sentence. She knew exactly what Davy had wanted and she didn't want to play into his game. However, she wanted to find Jack so badly. "You want...Jack, don't you?" she asked with a airy sort of voice. Davy nodded slowly.

"Jack Sparrow owes me one hundred years for resurrecting his precious..." he scowled, "Black Pearl. Yet, he's managed to escape from me again. But you," the tentacle on his human hand jabbed at her, "will persuade him. And then I can give you back your...shell." He shook Kristel with his human hand. She swayed lifelessly and turned her back, heading down the steps to the mast, which she sat beside. Lexstrik fought back the feeling to rip Davy limb from limb. However, she merely smiled weakly.

"Fine," she said simply. The man thrust the hat back at her and turned to his crew. His eyes were dead set on the creature behind the wheel of the ship. The gaze caused him (or whatever it was) to turn the wheel and head due east. The wind blew the massive sails ahead, gliding it through the water. Lexstrik raised an eyebrow. The sails had many holes in them and some were ripped beyond mending. She wondered how it could move with the wind like a normal boat. Then she realized; this wasn't a normal boat. The Flying Dutchman was feared by every pirate in the world. It was a symbol of approaching death...the symbol that it was all over. Few were lucky to survive when the ship appeared. Those who did usually wound up on the crew of the Flying Dutchman. Lexstrik shut her eyes and let the smell of the sea lull her into a sleep on her feet. Her hands were placed firmly on the side of the ship and she swayed back and forth slowly as she slept.

Then the boat stopped. Davy came clunking over to her and jabbed her shoulder with the claw. "We've arrived," he growled. Lexstrik rubbed her eye and looked around. It seemed as if they were still out in the middle of the ocean. However, a small island with a ruined church lay in the distance. She wheeled around at Davy.

"He's there?" she asked. He nodded slowly. "You're sure?" Davy scowled.

"Missy, I am the sea. You either trust my judgement..." he looked over his shoulder, "or you don't." The girl gulped and then stared at the island. It was one thing looking at it; getting to it was a whole other ordeal. However, she closed her eyes and sighed. She climbed up the railing she had clenched before and stood on top of it. She took a deep breath and jumped. Instead of feeling the splash of water, she felt herself collapse on a patch of sand. She slowly stood up and brushed her cloak off. Over her shoulder, she spied the Flying Dutchman sinking slowly beneath the waves. Then a familiar voice filled her ears.

"Well, that's something new," it said, "Never seen a girl appear on the beach in the blink of an eye. I must say..." the voice was accompanied by footsteps in the sand. Lexstrik looked up and saw him. He wore black pants tucked into his leather boots. A cloth belt dangled from his waist with a trail of it floating over his boot. He wore a black leather vest and a frilly white shirt. The man's hands were covered in black cloth and a faded scar on his wrist was barely visible. Lexstrik knew it immediately from the shape of the letter "P". It was the brand of a pirate. His braided brown hair draped his shoulders (the length reminded her of Maxiwill's) and his head was wrapped in a red bandana. His beard was braided like his hair, with beads dangling at the bottoms. Lexstrik clenched her fists then ran at him, colliding and slamming her fist onto his shoulder.

"You...you..." she stammered, "You heartless...Jack Sparrow!!" she gulped. She couldn't find what she wanted to say. There was so much. The man patted her on the back.

"Can't say that I've seen the likes of you around before, miss," he said cooly. The girl suddenly looked taken aback, "but you clearly know who I am. Now, who are you?" he took a step back, holding his arms up and bending his fingers slightly. The two then heard the clicking of a tongue.

"Wow," said a voice, "After all this time, you don't recognize her?" A black cloud emerged very close to the water and a red-haired man emerged from it. Axel ran a hand through his hair. "Some lover. Lexstrik, you've got horrid taste. First Jack, then Maxi, and then back to Jack? Can't say I've seen it get worse than that." He waved his hand carelessly as Lexstrik felt her face grow red.

"First of all, what do you want?!" she barked, pulling herself away from Jack, "Second! Maxiwill and I have nothing between us. He's a arrogant, self-centered child!" Axel let out a chortle.

"Really?" he asked, moving closer to them, "Yet you defended him when I said nearly the same thing. Remember?" he tapped his temple and shook his head. "Talk about vacant." Lexstrik's fists tightened and her scowl grew. Black whisps of smoke wrapped themselves around her fists.

"Leave Maxi out of it!" she ordered, "If you want to fight, I won't back down!" Jack looked from the girl to Axel as they exchanged their insults. He then look at Lexstrik.

"What exactly is a 'Maxiwill'?" he asked, "Furthermore, what are you even here for? There be no treasure on this island. Other than..." he paused. Lexstrik shot a look at the pirate as if demanding him to continue. Axel had also gained a spark of interest, "...the heart of Davy Jones." Axel smirked.

"Hear that, Lex?" he laughed, "A heart! Looks like you can finally leave that child to his play time." Lexstrik felt a weight pull her arms down and noticed that her two daggers had formed in her hands. She tightened her grip on the handles and then stared Axel down. As much as she thought he would be a help to the three Nobodies, she couldn't help but feel that at this point, he was becoming more of a hinderance than a help. Axel examined the weapons that had appeared and held his arms out. Black spirals and smoke spun outward from his shoulders and to his palms. Two wheels formed at his fingertips and he grasped the middle of the chakrum. He spun one around on his left hand. Before Lexstrik moved forward, Jack took a step.

"Listen, I'm not sure what this fight is all about," he pulled his sword from its sheath and held it up, "but no woman shall come to harm under my eyes." Sure enough, his eyes seemed to lose any spark they had to them. It was replaced with an angry stare. Axel jumped back and twirled one of his weapons around his hand.

"All right, then. I can take you two," he laughed and tossed one of his wheels.

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Maxiwill and Elyxca came to a pause as they entered the town square. A large fountain was in the middle of it, spewing green water from its mouth. A light smog floated from it and disappeared into the night. Maxiwill looked around frantically for any sign of life. However, the streets were dead. The only things that moved were the bass, accordian and saxaphone players that stood across them on a corner. They were old, from what they could tell. The bass player was short and pudgy, the bass was at least a foot taller than he was. The accordian player was tall and broad shouldered. His face resembled that of a frog and his eyes were closed halfway. The saxaphone player was the shortest of the three, with a long chin that curved downward with the bend in the instrument that he played. The three were all wearing the same red and black pinstriped suits. Maxiwill approached them and looked at the brass player. "Nice coat," said the shortest with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Maxiwill beared his fangs.

"You want to run that by me again?" The band all laughed collectively.

"You think we're afraid of those puny things?" the smallest asked jokingly, "Some of the vampires around these parts have fangs as long as your hand." The boy stepped back and then looked around. Elyxca floated over and landed softly next to the male Nobody.

"We're looking for something," the girl said. They each raised an eyebrow as if asking what it was. "A heart." The three laughed again.

"Hearts don't just come up, girly," said the bass player. At least, the two thought it was the bass player. Upon further inspection, Maxiwill and Elyxca both noticed a head inside of the instrument that was talking to them. "You could ask the Professor. He makes some strange things." The two then turned around and walked away. The band played a very slow tune, the saxaphone being more audible than the other two instruments. Maxiwill sat down on the edge of the fountain with Elyxca next to him. The tips of her wings graced the surface of the green liquid. The boy then noticed a tall and lanky figure leaving what seemed to be an observatory. He squinted and saw it's legs were very long and its arms were just the same. A small round object rested on its shoulders.

"Why, hello there!" he called out to the two Nobodies, waving a thin arm around. It was a skeleton! "Haven't seen you two before. Are you here for the Halloween festivities?" he asked. Maxiwill blinked at Elyxca and let out an 'uhh...' before he looked at the skeleton again.

"Sure. We'll stay," he smirked, "On one condition. At the end of it, we get a heart. Both of us." He pointed at himself then at the girl.

"Right!" she said happily, "And then we'll be on our merry way out of here!" The skeleton placed a hand on his jaw and thought it over for a moment.

"A heart?" he repeated. His voice was playful and enthusiastic, "Sure! Professor Finklestein had made one not too long ago! It's got a few kinks in it, but I'm sure it will suit your needs perfectly!" The two Nobodies smirked. Maxiwill took Elyxca away for a moment, pushing her softly. When the skeleton was out of earshot (not that he had ears).

"Made one?" Maxiwill whispered, "You can make hearts?" The girl shrugged her shoulders as she looked at him. "Well, we'll stay for the fun, take the heart and then have a little bit of 'fun' of our own!" he laughed heartily. The girl smirked.

"You're bad, Maxi." She then turned to look at the skeleton, who wore a very confused look on his face. "My name is Elyxca! And this is Maxiwill," the Nobody waved slightly.

"I'm Jack! Jack Skellington!" he placed a bony hand on his chest and puffed it out proudly, "The Pumpkin King!" He then looked at the two. "Well, I have to get ready for the festival. You two had better start thinking up ways to install terror into the hearts of our citizens! That's what we're all about in Halloween Town!" he waved goodbye and headed up a street, tossing a coin into the hat that lay in front of the three instrument players. A smirk played on Maxiwill's lips.

"Oh, we'll strike terror into them all right. A terror we've devised all our own." He looked at Elyxca and they both started laughing quietly.