Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. :'(
Chapter Seven
Two crows flew through the grey skies, cawing loudly in the otherwise silent valley. They swooped low, arched back up, and spiraled freely. In the midst of their maneuvering, a single black feather was shaken loose, and it drifted slowly through the air. It swung back and forth, spinning and trembling as it descended, and it landed in the open palm of a man before long fingers curled over it.
He stood there quietly, holding the feather and staring at the heavy clouds, identifying a blur in the patterns as rain on the mountainsides. It wouldn't be long before the water began to fall in the valley, too, and he wasn't in the mood to stand in the middle of it. He'd been on the move for what felt like years, and he was tired. He wanted warmth and rest, and a storm wasn't the way to go about getting that. This valley was known for its good weather, or it had been, a very long time ago. Many centuries... and he'd missed it. He never got to experience Miscassia in its glory days.
What he experienced was an empty valley, and forlorn ruins of a once-beautiful city. In an abandoned, lost sort of way, it was still beautiful. In death, it held a peaceful solitude, as it gave itself over to nature. The nearly-golden bricks and the clay and stucco, the carved stones and the ivory fountains, were laced in ivy and flowers, spring-green vines that stretched their leaves in the sunlight. Silver toys, once belonging to the immortal children, still glinted hopefully underneath their blankets of weeds and grass.
Heavy boots crunched small sticks underneath them as the man advanced into the ruins, dropping the feather and leaving it to rest beside a broken, rusted locket. He ducked into one of the smaller buildings, though it was in good condition when compared to the others, content to have found something with a roof. There was a fire pit inside, and a small pile of dry, old sticks and logs. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who used this house on occasion.
With a sigh, he set to work trying to light the fire, eager to chase the chill out of his bones. This area was warmer than the last place he'd been, but the impending storm took the true heat right out of the air.
As the fire flared up, he pushed his long, silver hair behind his shoulders, and pulled off his boots, discarding them in the corner. Warmth finally crept back into his bones, and he sighed in relief. His stomach was twinging a little, but he didn't want to go back out to hunt.
So instead, he took a long drink from his canteen and decided to go hunting in the morning. The game in Miscassia had always been excellent, if you could manage to find it. Everything there was quality meat, never too lean, never too fatty, and anyone who could tempt the creatures to remain calm enough would be rewarded greatly by the following meal.
Sephiroth, weary and travel-worn, went to sleep anticipating an excellent breakfast.
Cillan Lagston was the son of a wealthy bank-owner from the city. He divided his time between Branis and his father's home. When he was young, in his teenage years, he'd married a young lady around his age, who was the daughter of a lord, and by doing so had secured her dowry and his own inheritance. They seemed happy enough together, never giving the townsfolk cause to gossip, but sometimes she'd have a few bruises that couldn't quite be covered up.
No one ever cared enough to notice.
On their 12th anniversary, she was picking flowers for him and took a nasty tumble. After that, she was never right in the head again, and was eventually taken to an asylum. Cillan was then considered a bachelor again. A rich bachelor. He kept the details of his life very hushed, and no one knew much about him, except that he was quite the charmer and was wonderfully charismatic.
But then, he went and proposed to me. He didn't do it as I had expected. There was no kneeling on one knee, no opening of a little box. No, that would have been very out of place. After all, this wasn't a normal marriage proposal. Back in those days, older men marrying girls as young as I was... well, they weren't uncommon. But those sorts of relationships were most often arranged, and mutually beneficially in terms of finance or social standing.
I was broke, with a name hated by the townsfolk and an unacceptable parentage. There could be no proper motivation for marrying me. Nevertheless, he invited himself into the house and sent one look at the couch before opting to remain standing.
"Namine," he said to me. "You don't have to suffer like this. Come live with me, marry me. You'll never have to worry about lack of money, lack of food, ever again. You'll be safe with me." And I declined his offer as politely as I could, but he wasn't happy about that. He tried to convince me again, and again I turned him down. At that point, I suppose his pride was wounded, he was angry, and he grabbed me. He grabbed me and threw me and-
The next day, I was terrified that he'd return. I was hurt, and I knew I couldn't run fast enough to get away from him even when I didn't hurt so badly. But he was sure to come back. He believed he had taken away my options, because at that point, who would take me in? Underestimating my determination saved my life.
Even knowing that it would be difficult to really escape, I fled the house, the village. I crept through the woods, near the road leading south, and followed the road as best as I could. But I tired easily, and I was in bad shape. Hunger wracked my body, thirst sent the world spinning whenever I moved too quickly, and I realized that I was going to die if I didn't get help.
Risking the dangers of Cillan, I crawled back to the road, settled a bit to the side, and waited. Waited for someone to come and rescue me. Of course, my luck had never been very good, and my savior came in the form of an all-too familiar banker's son.
Lea was an enigma.
Roxas hadn't taken very long to come to such a conclusion, and the lanky redhead had done nothing but further enforce the impression. He exuded secretive vibes, probably without even realizing it. It was something in his tone, in his eyes, in the casual lilt of his voice. With every step he took, he made Roxas wonder how many other times he'd put that foot forward, how many places it had landed, how many roads it had taken the man down. This entire thing was very new to the blond, who was usually more concerned with his own affairs than anyone else's.
Then along came Axel.
Along came this darkly bright, confusing stranger. A journalist, he'd claimed.
Roxas cast a doubtful look at the oblivious redhead in front of him. Maybe there wasn't actually anything weird about the guy. Maybe it was a writer thing. He'd heard that writers could tend to be a little eccentric, a little odd. So he was probably blowing all of this out of proportion. There was a chance that really, it was a small-town background that made the blond so unsettled around people who were... different.
He frowned.
No, that couldn't be it. There was something more to it. And damned if Roxas wasn't the kind of guy to let these things go untouched. He wanted to get to the bottom of it (whatever it was), and he wasn't going to be creeped out by Axel in the process.
"Ah! Is this the bloodroot?"
Roxas was shaken out of his thoughts as the exclamation punched through the silence between the two males. Axel was pointing at a small patch of white flowers, gathered in the shade of the trees. The blond stooped over and took a closer look at them, then smiled.
"Yes, I think so! Now we've just gotta bring them back to the house and the chores are done." Roxas paused, glancing at the tall redhead. "And, uh, thanks for helping out today." Axel grinned in return.
"No problem." He paused, as Roxas knelt down and began digging out the herbs. The time was right... "Hey," he casually started. "Why doesn't anyone else help with this? I mean, you've done a lot today, and you make it sound like you usually do it alone."
The blond gave his companion an odd look. "They're busy. It's not like it's really a problem."
"Well, yeah, but... Sora doesn't do anything." Axel watched carefully, trying to gauge if this held any potential of prompting a real response from the teenager. To his delight, a shadow briefly flickered over the mortal's face. Whether that had to do with the work or the brother was yet to be determined, but he waited eagerly, slapping a slightly careless look on his own face.
"Sora's building a house for Kairi. He's got his hands full."
"A house? Why?" The pause after his question gave the redhead the answer he needed. Yes, there was something with the brother, probably involving that pretty girl he'd met earlier, whose name he'd forgotten until just then.
"They're getting married soon." A slightly awkward silence fell over the two, as Roxas worked at digging out the flowers. Axel was trying to decide on his next move. He could drop the subject for a little while, let the guy calm down a bit before continuing, or he could push him a little further. It might be better if he didn't wait for Roxas to collect himself again. Scatter the pieces before he could pick them up. So Axel waited a few more seconds, then spoke up again.
"You... like Kairi, don't you?"
"... I loved her," the blond muttered, hands slowing to a stop. "But it doesn't matter. She's happier with Sora. He's better for her."
"How do you know that? I bet she'd have been real happy with you, too. Maybe even more than with Sora."
"No. They're great together. Always have been. I knew they were right for each other anyway, so I shouldn't have gotten attached to her."
"You knew?"
"Everyone did. It's hard not to know when someone's in love."
"But you were. And he went ahead and took her away from you." Roxas gazed up at the prying redhead, startled that he'd said such a thing.
"He... He didn't know."
"I bet he didn't want to know."
There was, once again, silence between the two. Pain had leaked into the blond's eyes, but when he looked at Axel, his stare was cold. "This isn't any of your business," he reminded quietly, standing up and holding the bloodroot close to himself. "So drop it."
Axel watched the mortal walk away, and smirked. It was all too easy. Mortals were so gullible, so quick to be manipulated. Especially ones like Roxas. But then again, Axel didn't think much about whether or not he actually knew Roxas well enough to make judgments about his character. He didn't know the blond enough to realize that he'd just pissed him off. Not enough to get yelled at, but all the same, the boy knew something was up, and he didn't like it.
Still feeling as though he'd made some small victory, oblivious to the fact that all was not going as planned, the redhead jogged forward to catch up with Roxas. Side by side, they headed for the house in silence. It only took ten minutes for them to get within view of the nice residence, and when they did, they found Namine waiting by the front door.
She smiled and waved, walking forward enough to meet the two males at the side of the road, and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I'm heading out now, Roxas. I guess I'll see you la..." The blonde girl trailed off, lips tugging into a frown, and she lifted her head, turning it as though she'd heard someone call her name, but no one was there. Roxas began looking, too, and Axel's eyes narrowed. He knew what just happened, but it shouldn't have been possible. He plastered a grin on his face and wrapped an arm aroound Namine's shoulders, steering her out of hearing distance as he explained to the other guy,
"Just need to borrow her for a second, Roxy!"
When the immortals were a safe distance, Axel's smile slipped right off. He turned to Namine.
"You just felt something like... like a tickle, almost. A ringing?" He tried to express what he meant, but she understood the first time and nodded her head.
"What was that?"
"It was a signal." The uncomprehending expression on her face made him roll his eyes. "Geez, kid. Immortals can send out a signal, kind of like a... psychic wave, y'know? It lets us sense others in the area."
"Oh! Who was it? Or can you not tell that?" Namine was genuinely curious, this being the first time she'd ever heard any mention of these signals. Axel frowned.
"That's the problem. I know the feel of the other immortals. Hell, I even know your feel, and you've never purposely sent out a signal. But this one... I definitely don't know this one. It came from far away, though, and feels sorta weak. Whoever it was doesn't know we're here." Axel paused, noticing the confusion on his companion's face. "Fuck, kid, ask someone else, alright? I don't have the time to explain everything to you. Just don't tell anyone, got it? I wanna figure it out."
Namine chewed her lip, but nodded in consent. "Fine. But if someone asks where you are, I'm not lying."
"Yeah, whatever. Just get to Xemnas. You know he doesn't like waiting for you."
The two walked back to the increasingly-suspicious mortal, and Namine gave him a quick hug goodbye. "I'll miss you, Roxas. I might be returning, but if I don't, I really do appreciate everything you've done for me. Thank you."
Roxas shook his head. "It was no problem. You're welcome back any time, Nam." She smiled at him and leaned in, whispering in his ear,
"Be careful."
Careful? He wondered. Careful of what? But Namine was already strolling away, humming a tune, and he knew she wanted to get going without any more delays. He still wondered, of course, but decided to think more on it later as the redhead beside him started getting antsy.
"C'mon, Roxy, the bugs are biting. I'm too sweet for my own good."
Roxas snorted, rolling his eyes and heading for the front door. "Wouldn't want your delicate skin to come to any harm," he drawled, and Axel responded by pinching him casually. The blond slapped his hand away. "And how much longer do you plan to stay, Lea?"
The immortal paused, then answered, "Actually, I'm probably leavin' tomorrow." There was another pause. "I'm headed to another continent, y'know... and I wouldn't be opposed to company." Surely the temptation was too great to resist. An opportunity to see the world... the blond had to accept. He had to. Because Axel refused to stay in this damn town just to keep an eye on some key-brat.
"Hell no."
This was going to be a problem.
Xion hummed an old tune to herself as she strolled west, eyes closed and mind wrapped in memories of red chiffon and sophisticated laughs, gentle hands and swirling skirts, deep velvet voices and the soft clicks of shoes on marble. So many years ago, she'd danced with her brethren and her mortal friends, to violins and prancing duets. So many years ago...
For the briefest moment, a dark shadow passed over her heart, but she shook it off and hummed louder, spinning as she went. A sweet aroma had begun to cling to her, from the basket of food so kindly donated by Widow Sterning before her departure that morning. The woman didn't deign to give her approval of this journey, but she did what she could to help ensure easier travels by stuffing the basket full of breads and a canteen (apparently it once belonged to her husband, who'd been in the military) full of wine.
Xion had to giggle at the thought of the wine, sitting innocently beside buns and rolls. She'd never been able to hold her alcohol very well, or so her peers had told her, and that she was given the drink instead of water... well, who was she to pass up such a kind gift?
Of course, she knew she should wait until she could arrive in Miscassia. Then, if everything went as expected, she could share the wine. Drinking alone was never so much fun as sharing with other people. And surely there would be other people, as she'd sent out a mind-signal that morning. Having not used one for centuries, she wasn't able to sense anyone else, but someone who'd actually been awake for all that time would've had better range, and they might have sensed her. They might be waiting for her.
A sigh left her feeling happy and content as she walked down the road as normal, and she yawned a little. Although she knew that she needed rest the night before a trip like this one, she had just been so excited that she'd stayed up all night thinking about who might still be in the great city, and who might remember her. Even in an clearly troubled time for the immortals, they'd never have abandoned their city. It was a reminder of their spirits, the center of their society. Every pure immortal was brought to Miscassia to be raised in a balanced, secure, fun home, within weeks of their birth.
That's just how it was. How it always was. Of all traditions to do away with, it couldn't be that one.
Miscassia was the heart of immortal society.
The girl tried not to dwell too much on her favorite place, worried that in the midst of all the change over the years, the city itself may very well have also changed. It wouldn't be so far-fetched, after all, and she could hardly expect it to be exactly as she remembered.
She'd still hope, of course, but reality was something she had learned to value, and she wouldn't try to ignore it now, when it was so important. She'd fallen very far behind, and could only learn so much from a mortal. Her only way to get more information was to find another immortal, and after all, they weren't so common anymore. A quick thought jumped through her mind, difficult to ignore.
Who were these new gods? Where had they come from, and where was the Creator? Where was their father? She cast her gaze off to the side, trying not to worry too much. Answers wouldn't be gained by doing so. Patience would be key in this situation.
Clueless as to what she could do to keep her mind off her current goal, she chewed her lips and broke into a light jog. If she hurried, she could get there in three days, which was plenty quick enough for her. Or maybe not. But if she told herself that she could do it, then she could.
So she stared up into the sky, and tried to open her mind. Soon enough, the white puffs had begun to form shapes of their own. There were bunnies and skulls and cottages, and once there was a gun-toting princess with a very puffy dress. The large masses shifted and swirled slowly in the wide blue skies, constantly changing shapes and making it a bit more challenging to decide on what it looked like before it moved on to the next form.
It wasn't long before Xion groaned and cast her eyes down again. She was a horrible traveler. Silence and contemplation were all very good and well for the first few hours, but it had never taken long for her to get bored. It was impractical to make her travel without at least one companion, as she'd inevitably get side-tracked or restless, which sometimes led to her abandoning her purpose entirely.
This time, though, she'd have to suck it up, for three days. Three days of jogging and cloud-watching, and the stumbles that resulted.
Three days, and she'd be home.
Larxene was crouched in a secluded patch of grass, scraggly and pathetic grass that was just barely managing to survive on the mountainside. She was well-hidden by evergreens and thorns, encased in the slight shade from their arching coverage. It was cool enough that day to wear her cloak without breaking a sweat, thankfully, which put her in a much better mood. Not only that, but storms had been breaking out all over the world, without her even trying. The electricity in the air tempted a smile onto her face.
She wiggled her finger, and the little shadow in front of her wavered, antennae twitching as it hopped around. Yellow eyes never blinked, never moved, giving the thing a strange sort of appearance. This little creature... it had shown up when she played with her victim too long earlier that day. She hadn't known what it was, and was prepared to kill it, when it snatched the victim's heart stone.
Deep in her gut, she just knew that it had gone straight to Kingdom Hearts. A sharp grin spread across her lips, and she delighted in this discovery.
A twig behind her snapped, and she whirled around. Alarm had shot through her at the sound, and she was tensed, fingers already brushing against her daggers. She relaxed as soon as she saw that it was just Marluxia, holding his hands up in a gesture of innocence.
"Calm down, Larx," he laughed.
She sneered at him, but let go of her weapons. "Whatever. If you had been someone else, they might've gotten suspicious. It's not like I'm usually out admiring the fucking scenery." Marluxia frowned. She did, after all, have a point.
"That's true. And if someone comes while we're talking... they might overhear some of it. You know Xemnas would find a way to keep us from doing this. Maybe he can't kill us, but we can't grow back arms and legs... or heads." The two immortals were quiet for a few moments, a dark aura hanging heavily over them as they imagined the wide range of possibilities, and all the horrible consequences of getting caught. Finally, Larxene shuddered.
"We need to find a place to meet up, where we won't be followed or found."
"A place that's out of the way..."
"No one goes to it anymore..."
Marluxia dropped onto the ground, sitting down and trying to think of a place to go. His eyes drifted all around the clearing, then landed on the little yellow-eyed shadow. For a little while, he was silent. Watching the creature was enough. But as it fidgeted and flickered, his confusion kept growing. What was that thing? Could Larxene see it too? Uncertain, he glanced up at the blonde, whose eyes were slowly following the thing.
So at least it wasn't just his imagination.
As though she felt his eyes on her, she frowned in annoyance and shifted her gaze to him. He gestured wordlessly at the small shadow, and she smirked. "I don't know exactly what that thing is, but it showed up when I was doing some... extra work. It took the heart stone and I just know it got contributed to the Kingdom Hearts collection, with all the other stones we've disposed of. I've been trying to figure out how much we can control them, and if we can make more. I haven't managed it yet, but I bet it's possible."
Marluxia was staring in fascination at the thing. "We could make an army. An entire army, I bet, just to take hearts. Think how quickly we could get Kingdom Hearts open!"
"And if we did, there's no way we'd get punished for it, either. They'll all be too thankful. They don't want to be in the hell any more than I do. Than we do. We'll be... nearly worshiped."
Marluxia nodded in agreement. The two of them stayed in the clearing for another hour, in a strangely companionable silence. They didn't normally get along, but having a common cause, a secret known only by each other, had united them, in a way. They felt more comfortable than they used to, and although they weren't friends, and probably wouldn't ever be friends, they were closer to it than ever before. So they'd sit, or stand, or whatever they wanted, and they'd meet up in private as often as they could, and they would bring about the revival of Kingdom Hearts.
Together, they'd be fucking heroes.
A/N: Um... was that two weeks? I think that was two weeks. Whoops. :/ Sorry guys. In my defense, though, most of the second week consisted of an epic battle between human and computer. Luckily, I have prevailed, and here's the chapter! :D
Fun Fact: In the middle of writing this, some crazy chick freaked out at me because I had said that a first kiss is just a kiss (the forum was discussing kids getting made fun of for not having their first kiss yet), and it shouldn't be such a big deal. Apparently, that equates to saying that kissing leads to sex and it's okay to have sex whenever you feel like it, which clearly leads to STDs, pregnancy, and as "logic" would dictate, alcoholism and drug problems... BAHAHAHA! Oh, she gave me a laugh. XD Had to share that.
Anyway, I've got a question for you all, which might hurry along the arrival of chapter 8. Should I keep the segments of Larxene and Marluxia? On one hand, they might be interesting. On the other hand, it can sometimes be better not to know what the antagonists are doing... so weigh in! You still get the extra 300 words!
And real quick: I'm taking a break until I've got my new one-shot written and posted. So it's not gonna be a week until the next update.
So I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please feel free to review, and have an awesome day! Try not to get any STDs, okay? That kissing is a dangerous thing. ;)