Hey! Hey there! Real quick, just to let you guys know! For this next week, I am occupied with a one-shot, and so Chapter 4 is going to be pushed back a week, probably. In case you're interested, the one-shot is Akuroku, random romance, yes typical high school but it's meant to be fun, and to give a few laughs. It has a Star Wars theme too. :3 Just look for "You Are The Droid I've Been Looking For". XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I'm not making any money off this story, etc. We all know the drill. :)
Chapter Three
The sun was definitely past the middle of the sky.
A few clouds had wandered their way onto the wide, blue expanse above us, and the day had cooled off some. Still warm. Just not so hot.
Namine and I were waiting by the entrance to Midgar, silent after having a small conversation. The both of us had far too much on our minds to really be sociable, and we had come to an unspoken understanding of that. So we did nothing more than wait, as patiently as we could, for Leon to return. I had stretched out on the ground, basking in the sunlight and immersing myself in thoughts. Namine was standing in the middle of the road, clutching her basket, fidgeting nervously, and sighing on occasion. I had no idea what was making her so restless, but she was obviously upset about something.
I wasn't sure if it was worth asking about.
I mean... if she needed to talk about it, she would, right? No need to make a big deal over it. I had no reason to get involved in her business.
I rolled over onto my stomach, wondering what was taking Leon so long. He insisted he could win against those thugs, but I was seriously beginning to worry about him. A lot could go wrong there.
I closed my eyes and tried to keep control. I hated just waiting around like this! I wanted to do something! I could've helped him, instead of laying around like this. There was nothing good about waiting. But Namine was obviously unhappy, and I wondered if my presence was any comfort to her. Probably not, but...
I nearly groaned in frustration.
Namine actually did. Sort of. More like a high-pitched... I don't even know. But she made a distressed noise, wringing her hands, and suddenly spoke up.
"I'm sorry, I can't wait any longer! I have somewhere to be, and- I hope your friend comes back okay! Thank you for everything!" She was backing up as she dismissed herself, and then she quickly walked toward the city.
"Wait, Namine! What about-" She was already gone, swallowed up by the mass of people who had just barely contained themselves within the city limits. "... your bag?"
I rolled my eyes and dropped my head back down. Fine. I was now completely useless. Whatever. I almost felt a little guilty, though. Maybe my bad mood had been too noticeable. Maybe it was making her uncomfortable, and that was what the distress was about. I had to calm down and stop worrying. What happened had happened, and there was no changing it now. Leon was serious as hell when he told us to wait here, and I knew he had a good reason behind it.
Or... I hoped he did.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to just relax. I closed my eyes and concentrated on everything around me.
In the city, people were shouting and talking, making a ruckus that could be heard even on the outskirts. The air wasn't as fresh as it was further along the road, but it was a nice temperature, with an added warmth from the sun. There was the slight hint of a breeze, and the grass was soft against my cheek. Cinna was off to the side, resting like me. We were both tired, though she was definitely worse off, and it felt good to rest.
But it would be better if Leon came back.
Once upon a time, nothing was wrong with us.
We were normal. We were real people, with hearts and everything. We had fun, even as we did our duties. I actually had friends, and it was damn nice.
Everything in the world was fine, at that point. My friends and I had gone into disguise, and lived among the mortals, learning to blend in with them and join in their society. Sure, we had to watch them all die, while we didn't even age. But that was the price to pay to live a life like ours, wasn't it? An eternity of carefree fun, while our peers did all the work and didn't even realize we weren't there to share the load.
When I think back on it now, I feel bitter. Bitter and angry and hateful. I was so stupid! I was such a screw-up for never paying attention on that horrible first morning! I was so fucking determined to be an irresponsible dumbass! For a smart guy, I didn't live up to any kind of intelligence until it was too late to do anything, and every day, I wish I could just kill myself to get out of the hell I trapped myself in.
But Earth is a fucking prison, and there's no way for people like me to escape it. We are our own chains. And we've tried to escape. We've tried to snap the chains, but it never works. Everything always ends in a failure more frightening than the last!
So slowly, we pick at the locks. Bit by bit, making probably-insignificant progress every week. We don't even know how far along we've gotten. Isn't that pathetic? We're just like children. Children, crawling around blindly in the darkness, swinging our little knives and hoping to make some sense out of this insane world. Hoping to find a light to guide us from the shadows. But the light disappeared, and those of us left?
We are the ones who were too stupid to chase it.
My eyes snapped open as a hand shook my shoulder. I groaned and turned over to find Leon crouched next to me. Relief flooded through me as I realized this, and I grinned at him.
"Took you long enough," I joked. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes had a little glint that revealed that he didn't mind the jab. Having woken me up from my nap, he stood back up to full height, as I mimicked his actions.
He was looking a little worn out, and there were a few rips in his clothes. Sweat lined his brow, and there was a cut on his arm that he'd bandaged up with a strip from the bottom of his shirt.
"Where's the girl?" He asked, holding a small, velvet black bag up to explain why he needed to see her.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "She left a little while ago. Said she had somewhere to be."
Leon was frowning, and I sighed. "After I find Dad, I can look around for her real quick."
The brunet nodded in acceptance, handing me the bag and striding back to his horse. "Cloud is probably in the old church or Seventh Heaven. Or... what used to be Seventh Heaven. Do you know where those are?" I had to pause to think, but I was pretty sure I knew.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Alright. Good luck," he said as his farewell, leading his horse into the city, probably for one of the stables. I looked back at Cinna. I'd have to do the same, probably.
"Come on, girl. I'll try to be fast."
She snorted.
I wandered aimlessly through the city streets. Why? Because I was wrong. I had no idea where the church was, or where the bar was. I only realized that after stepping foot in the city itself, and by then, it was already too late.
At the very least, I should've known which sector I was in. It looked pretty... poor. Like most of Midgar. I began to inspect everyone around me, hoping to see somebody who didn't look like they'd try to rob me. Or help someone try to rob me. Or... ugh. I hesitantly walked up to a brunette girl, who was leaning against the wall with her legs spread just enough to make it clear what she did (though the heavy make-up and skimpy clothes helped clarify). I supposed that, from a prostitute, all I had to worry about was convincing her that I didn't want to buy her, which shouldn't be difficult.
She arched a brow when she saw me approaching, and a slow grin spread over her face. She straightened up and flipped her hair over one shoulder. "Hey, sweetie. You lookin' for some fun?"
"N-no. I just need to know... what sector are we in?"
She almost seemed disappointed, slouching back against the wall and holding up five fingers. "Ya sure you're not up for it? Kid like you don't know what he's missin'. I can show ya a real good time. Make ya a man, all that jazz," she drawled, leaning forward again with that same grin.
I just shook my head and took a step back. "Thanks for the help, miss."
"... Yeah, anytime," she sighed.
I hesitated, then stepped closer again. "Um, actually, do you know if there's a church anywhere around here?"
She snorted. "Lookin' for a church? I got the picture, kid. Ya don't gotta make up crazy shit like that." She laughed again, rolling her eyes. "Brat asks for a goddamn church. Ha!" I frowned at her.
"No, I'm serious. I need to get something to my dad, and I think he might be at a church around here. Sector 5 sounds about right." She stared blankly at me for a few seconds, then slid her gaze up toward the skies, chewing her glossy lip. She snapped her fingers, eyes lighting up as she looked at me again.
"Yeah, yeah! Over by Noni's place is some old thing; coulda been a church once upon a time. Ya know where that is?"
No. Why would I know where Noni lives? So I shook my head, and she stood all the way up again, grabbing my wrist and tugging my in an unknown direction.
"C'mon, kid. I'll take ya right on over. Ain't seen Noni for a while, so I'll just drop by. Feel free ta join us, kid!" She seemed oblivious to my discomfort, but at least she was being helpful, even if I really didn't want to join her and this Noni person.
The walk to get to the church wasn't too bad. It took around 5 minutes, and the prostitute just kept talking the entire time. I figured she was fully aware that I wasn't paying any attention to her chatting, but she didn't seem to care all that much, and I wasn't going to be the one to draw attention to it. So I really just followed her, until she came to a sudden stop in front of a large, somewhat neglected building. I assumed it was the church, and that was confirmed when my companion flung her arms out, exclaiming,
"We have arrived!"
"Thank you for your help," I replied, smiling politely. She responded by grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward the church.
"Now, hold ya horses, kid. We ain't done here. I gotta make sure your pops is here, else you're screwed." She glanced sideways at me, pausing by the entrance. "It's only 50 gil, ya know."
"I don't want to-"
"Yeah, yeah, just sayin', is all," she huffed, bursting into the old building.
It was beautiful. I mean, I had never been one to care all that much about architecture and stuff, but the abandoned, natural vibes were just... perfect. It felt serene. Tucked away as an oasis in a big city. The woman beside me whistled, putting a hand on her hip.
"Shit, kid. Don't tell me Blondie there's your pops?" Her gaze was focused on a dark figure standing by a pool of water. When I saw him, my jaw dropped. Denial. My dad was not wearing leather. That wasn't something for a dad to wear. Because it apparently was attractive. And that was just weird.
Dad gave me a blank look. "Roxas?"
I cleared my throat. "Mom sent me with your... your sword. Cid has it right now, since it's a bit... heavy. He's letting the horse stay in his garage for now."
The woman beside me giggled. "Sure it is. Heavy, I mean." She sauntered up to my father, who didn't seem very interested, and purred, "50 gil, ya know, and I'll be real good for ya." He stared at her for a moment.
"Sorry," he stated, stepping around her and continuing, "Roxas, are you coming?" I trailed after him as he left the church.
"I actually needed to find someone." Not a lie. Just... missing a bit of the truth. Mentioning Reno was sure to set off alarms in Dad's head.
"Alright, well, be quick. You'll have to be fast to get back home in time for supper."
We paused outside of the church, ignoring the pouting prostitute within, and I asked, "Dad? Um... what do you use the sword for?"
He hesitated, eyes searching mine for some kind of answer. He was silent, until he finally responded.
"I use it," he began, stopping to take a deep breath. I leaned closer, subtly. "To chop wood."
... Lost cause. Definitely.
I sighed, and nodded. "Totally logical. I'm checking some bars out. See ya later, Dad."
"Yeah," he grunted, heading for Cid's and accepting that I wasn't going to challenge his response.
Namine was seated in a booth, in some obscure bar she'd never heard of before. She was twiddling her thumbs, shaking her leg, biting her lip, and trembling a little.
I'm so dead, she thought to herself. He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me! Oh, I don't blame him. I can't believe I let this happen!
She wrapped her hands around the glass of water sitting in front of her, and took a shaky sip of it. Her nerves were so stirred up that every time someone entered the bar, she flinched violently. Her heart was beating hard, and she
kept trying to think of anything but the encounter to come. She knew she'd messed up, and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever get the chance to mess up again. Was it better to be casual at first? Or should she come clean immediately? Which would result in a faster death?
She groaned, dropping her head into her hands and leaning on the table.
"Hey, Nam!" A hand landed on her shoulder, and she shrieked, jolting up again to meet widened, bright blue eyes. The guy held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "Woah! Chill out. It's just me," he laughed, lowering his hands and dropping into the seat across from her. She watched dismally, as a second cloaked figure joined the first.
The second one nodded coldly in acknowledgment, his slate hair disguising his expression. What she could see of it suggested his boredom. The taller blond brushed a strand of hair out of his face, and briefly checked to make sure his odd hairdo was intact before smiling playfully at her and leaning forward.
"Didja get here alright?"
She bowed her head, fiddling with a strand of hair. Her voice came out weak when she answered, "Not... not exactly." His smile slipped away, and he cocked his head, eyes shining with what looked like concern.
"What happened?"
Her heart was pounding furiously. Dead! She'd be dead! He'd rip her apart! This was bad, oh, very bad.
"I, um... I got... attacked, sort of, by these guys, on my way here."
His eyes darkened, but she knew she wasn't in trouble yet. "Who?"
"I... I don't really know. But they didn't hurt me. Two other guys showed up and they saved me." He lightened up instantly, slumping back in his seat.
"Well, that's great! I'd have to kill 'em if they hurt you know." She knew. She knew that he didn't mean it the way she wished he did. There was no protective instinct there. All his smiles and laughs... they meant nothing. And she didn't usually mind that, because she never had messed up this badly before. She had never made a mistake that might overshadow her usefulness. Never...
"Yeah..." she mumbled. He didn't really seem to notice her reluctance to speak, and went on.
"You wouldn't believe what a pain it was to get here! Zexy is just never any fun and I really don't understand why I even had to bring him along if he's just going to sit here and be moody." The smaller man glared at his cheery companion.
"It is due to your complete inability to focus on any task assigned to you. Perhaps if you displayed some shred of regard for your duties, you'd be permitted to venture out on your own," he snapped icily.
"Mah, mah," the blond mocked. "Maybe if you would just have some fun once in a while, you'd have friends."
"I don't need friends, Demyx, and that is entirely irrelevant. Need I remind you already what our purpose in coming here is?"
The blond snapped his fingers. "Right! I totally forgot!" He turned his attention back to Namine, who withered under his oblivious gaze. "My bag?" Zexion rolled his eyes.
She continued withering, without a response. Zexion sat a little straighter in his seat, a hint of alarm. Demyx narrowed his eyes dangerously, and lowered his voice.
"Namine," he sang softly. "Where is my bag?"
Her mouth opened and closed before she could get her voice to work. She kept her gaze focused on a knot in the wooden table. "I... when they attacked me... I couldn't... and the ones who helped me wouldn't let me grab it back... and I waited, but-" she cut herself off when a hand slammed on the table, making a loud noise. Her eyes flicked up to meet Demyx's icy glare. The bar went silent.
"Demyx, be quiet," Zexion hissed. "You've drawn attention to us!"
Though the blond seemed to ignore him, his voice was lower than Namine had expected. "You lost my bag?" She whimpered in response. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Please, I couldn't-"
"I had 17 pure whites in there! Do you even know how hard it is to get that many in one week?"
"I'm really sorry!"
"That isn't good enough-"
"Demyx, stop," Zexion ordered. "There is nothing she could have done."
The taller man gazed at his companion with ice in his eyes. "I don't like killing. I don't like working. I don't like losing all the progress I made."
"I understand. But it is not all lost." He turned his eyes to Namine. "In what location did you get attacked?"
She thought for a moment, stunned by the man coming to her defense. "Um... about a mile down the road going north from here."
"You shall spend as much time as you need, searching that area, and seeking Demyx's bag. You shall not stop until you obtain it, and upon such an accomplishment, you shall return here and wait. Do you understand me?" He spoke slowly and precisely, making sure she knew he was serious.
She bit her tongue, refraining from protesting that it would take days, and nodded her head. "I do." He gave her the hint of a smile.
"Excellent. Now go."
Demyx was ignoring her, and she knew he was still angry, so she hurried to obey. But right as she got to the door, a familiar boy opened it and froze, staring at her.
"Oh. Hi, Roxas."
He smiled. "I was looking for you. Leon found something of yours." He held up the black velvet bag, and her jaw dropped open.
"You... I... and... Thank you!" She cried, jumping onto him in a hug. His eyes widened and he stumbled back a bit, quickly wrapping his arms around her to hold her up.
"Geez, Namine. It's just a bag.
A/N: Uuuuggggh. Sick. For the first time in two years, seriously. It actually hurts to breathe right now. :( And, of course, you know how people need sleep to get better quickly? I can't sleep until I'm not sick, and I can't stop being sick til I sleep, and it's a ridiculous loop. DX
I used to have questions to ask, but... I'm retarded right now, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing, except I just deleted like, three scenes and have no plans to replace them and it's a shorter chapter and I'm ignoring my own posting days and rebelling against myself. But I don't even know what the point of this note is. This is a very confused writer. Um...? Reviews? Please? Because I love all of you cute little readers? I'll share my cupcakes with you.
OneWhoNeverStopsCrying: You're a winner! You get... a Roxy-cupcake. Yaaaay! Because you're the only reviewer of chapter two. So you get the cupcake, and... a big thank you! But yeah, Namine is so unlucky. Like, you have no idea. At some point, her story will be told, but... I totally abused her. :( Poor dear.
And with Axel and Roxas... it's coming. Eventually. It will happen before the tenth chapter! ;D