Axel's Ashes

It had been a whole month since Demyx dropped by to deliver letters to Sora, Riku, Roxas, Kairi, and Namine. It had been a whole month since Larxene's birthday. It had been a whole month since they had heard anything from the ex-Organization Thirteen members.

And then one day when Roxas, Namine, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were lounging around outside waiting for Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka to come over, Demyx and Zexion arrived in their backyard. Demyx was holding some sort of vase and Zexion looked as bored as ever.

"Demyx? Zexion?" Roxas asked, confused. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were wondering if you wanted to come with us." Demyx said. "We… we're going to go do something that Axel asked us to do. You see, these are his ashes." He held up the vase for the others to see. Roxas could make out Axel's name engraved into the side, along with the number eight.

"And, what are you going to do with them exactly?" Kairi asked, her tone suggesting that she didn't really want to know but that she was curious. "It's not anything weird is it? Although since it is Axel that we're talking about it probably is something weird."

"Well," Demyx scratched the back of his neck. "I guess it is a little weird. You see, there is this old water tower that we used to always go to. It's close to where we lived, so it's practically on the other side of the island. Anyway, Axel loved going up there whenever we got the chance so we could watch the sunset or the sunrise. It didn't matter to him which one it was, although I think he preferred the sunset."

Roxas nodded. He understood that and agreed with Demyx that it was probably sunset that Axel liked the best. After all, when they were Nobodies it was the sunset that they'd watch from on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town.

"Before he…" Demyx swallowed. "Died, he asked us to erm… toss his ashes from the top of the water tower and let them blow away in the wind."

There was silence for a moment.

"Are you sure there were no explosions involved?" Kairi asked. "That sounds kind of… tame for Axel."

"We would have refused if explosions became involved." Zexion said. "Climbing up onto the rickety water tower is dangerous enough. He knew what we'd be risking by climbing up there." He eyed them all, wondering if any of them would be stupid enough to join Demyx, Larxene, and Marluxia in their quest to throw Axel's ashes from the top of the water tower.

"I'll go." Roxas spoke up. His eyes were determined. "I want to go."

Demyx smiled, although it wasn't like his usual happy smile. It was a sad smile. "Okay. Anyone else want to go?"

"I'll go too." Namine said. She was going to go to support Roxas. And Axel was her friend too.

Before they knew it, they were out the door and heading for the house where the eleven guys and Larxene lived to meet up with Larxene, Marluxia, and Xigbar, who was in a good enough mood to join them. Larxene looked a little surprised to see Namine there with Roxas, but she didn't say anything.

Together the seven trecked out through a small patch of palm and paopu trees to an old rickety water tower that no one used anymore. Xigbar went up first and Roxas wondered how safe it was to climb up there. The rust had eaten through the metal in some areas and some of the metal pieces, especially on the ladder, would grate against each other and make a loud screeching noise that made them all flinch.

Without incident, they made it up on top of the water tower and waited for the sun to set. While they waited they talked about everything and nothing. They had all agreed to wait until sunset to toss Axel's ashes into the wind, figuring that he would prefer it be done at sunset. Demyx suggested it. While they were waiting, Namine began to sing.

When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go

You're giving me too many things
Lately you're all I need
You smiled at me and said,

Don't get me wrong I love you
But does that mean I have to meet your father?
When we are older you'll understand
What I meant when I said "No,
I don't think life is quite that simple"

When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go

The daily things
that keep us all busy
all confusing me thats when u came to me and said,

Wish i could prove i love you
but does that mean i have to walk on water?
When we are older you'll understand
It's enough when i say so,
And maybe somethings are that simple

When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go

Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before

When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go

Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before

Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before

A silence settled over the group after Namine's song. And then the sun began to sink below the horizon and Demyx solemnly unscrewed the lid to the vase. He held it out to Larxene first, who raised an eyebrow.

"What are we suppose to do? Just reach in and take a handful? That's weird." She muttered.

"What do you suggest?" Demyx asked. "That we just dump it out and let it all fall to the ground in one place?! I don't know about you, but I'm going to do what Axel asked! It'll give him one less reason to pick on me and play jokes on me in the next life." Without warning, he reached into the jar and pulled out a handful of ash.

Zexion sighed and muttered something about idiotic, prideful boyfriends who don't think at all. And then he followed Demyx's lead and took a handful of ash. Soon everyone had some of Axel's ashes. (do you have any idea how weird that is to write?) And as the sky turned a bright shade of red, a wind kicked up and blew away all of the ashes.

The seven remained on top of the old water tower to finish watching the sunset, and then they carefully climbed down. Namine was the last to come down and when a bar on the tower's ladder broke and she fell and thankfully she was caught by Marluxia. They all vowed that that was the last time they would be going up the water tower.

They did visit the water tower from time to time, but none of them ever climbed up it to the top again. It was too dangerous.


I'm not too sure about how I feel about this one, but I figured I'd put it up anyway. There's alot of stuff that I hurriedly wrote today to meet the word-goal, but I won't be posting most of it. The song is there to boost word count.