Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix.

Herutsu no Oukoku

Chapter 13: Connection

Demyx ran down a rocky path as fast as he could. He didn't trip even once over any of the jutting rocks or the branches of trees that were laying across the path. Tall trees bursting with leaves towered overhead. He burst into a clearing at last and was greeted by the sight of his modest, 1-story home set against the sunset sky.

"Melody!" He yelled happily upon seeing a tall blonde woman standing in the front yard tending to the garden. When she heard her name yelled, she turned around to look.

Color and shapes bled together as Demyx rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He breathed in her calming scent of an early spring rain and nearly began to cry.

"Demyx, what's wrong?" Melody asked. Her ocean blue-green eyes, so much like his own, widened in worry.

Demyx sniffed and pulled away, looking her over to check and see if she looked the way he remembered. Her crimped blonde hair was still long and untamable and parted over to one side. She still wore her favorite floral hair clip to keep her bangs from falling in her eyes. She wore her ocean-like wrap around skirt and a pale blue tank top; the same thing she was wearing the day their world was lost.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He murmured.

Melody opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment four kids burst out of the house and practically attacked Demyx in their eagerness. Demyx couldn't help but laugh and give each of his little cousins a hug back.

Seeing them all safe and unhurt filled his heart with uncontainable joy and for a while he was able to let go of all his worries and forget that he had been fighting for his life not very long ago. He pushed all of that aside to spend time with his family.

Numbly, Axel walked away from Roxas's house. He wasn't there.

He wasn't at the Usual Spot. Or the café. Or the top of Sunset Station.

In his heart, Axel knew that he wouldn't find Roxas anywhere in Twilight Town. He was still somewhere out there in another world. And all he could for time being was wait. Wait for Sora to arrive in Twilight Town and find him. Wait for some miracle that would lead him to Roxas.

Axel reached into his pants and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Written on it was Demyx's address. It turned out that Demyx lived on the outskirts of Twilight Town.

Instead of going home where his dad would undoubtedly begin questioning him about his adventures again, he followed the instructions Demyx had written down and soon arrived at a quaint, 1-story house. Feeling uneasy by the unfamiliarity of the landscape, Axel shoved his hands in his pockets and walked slowly to the door. He hesitated a moment before knocking.

After a minute or two, the door was opened by a little boy who looked very much like Demyx, except with curlier hair.

"Hey," Axel said, feeling awkward. "Is Demyx here?"

The little boy nodded and stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"Can you go get him?"

Again, the little boy nodded. Then he removed his thumb from his mouth and yelled, "Demyx!" before scampering off into the house.

Demyx appeared at the end of the hallway and grinned when he saw Axel. "Hey, I wasn't expecting you over so soon." He greeted, jogging down the hallway. "Heard from Sora yet?"

Axel shook his head. "Not a word. I…" He stopped, his voice leaving him for a moment. "Roxas isn't here."

Demyx's face fell. "Axel… I…" He bit his lip and looked away for a moment, unable to think of what to say that might help. With his luck, he would make things worse and then he'd have to deal with a crying Axel and then he would start crying too.

"Demyx," Melody stepped into the hallway wearing a blue apron. She smiled when she saw Axel. "Hello there. Would you like to join us for tea? I was just getting ready to make some." She beamed when Axel nodded and then she hurried back to the kitchen.

"My sister, Melody." Demyx said, correctly interpreting Axel's questioning look. "Come one, lets go talk." He led Axel to the back patio and the two sat out there and talked for the next four hours.

Months after her return to her world, Kairi found herself standing on a beach. Her hair had grown out and the longest ends just barely brushed her shoulders. Her glasses were gone and replaced by contacts. Her school uniform, a simple white button-down shirt and a navy blue skirt, emphasized her curves. She slipped off her shoes and socks and then walked into the water.

Staring out over the water, she was filled with a sense of calm and security. She wiggled her toes in the water and sand, and giggled at the tickling sensation.

'I wish the others were here.' She couldn't help but think. She reached up to touch the charm and slim chain that dangled from a necklace she wore. The charm was an ornate heart that seemed to glow when the light was dim. It was the chain that Naminé left behind for her. Being a chain for her keyblade, Kairi felt even safer with it tucked securely against her chest where she could reach it.

Kairi took a step back and then bent down, looping one arm around her legs to prevent her skirt from showing her underwear. In the wet sand she quickly traced out the design of a heart. The bottom of the heart split into two curving lines and from those lines came several more spiraling lines.

"A connection." She whispered as a wave came in and washed away the design.

"Kairi!" Katsuo yelled, getting her attention.

Kairi turned her head and smiled and waved at him before turning all the way around and looking back out over the water.

A cloaked figure walked across a bright room. The blackness of the cloak stood out greatly against the whiteness of the walls, floor, and ceiling. In the middle of the room stood three flower-like pods. Upon reaching the middle pod, the figure reached out and ran a gloved hand over the side of it before throwing back the hood of the cloak.

Long, dark blonde hair trailed down her back, wrapped in a tight braid to keep it out of the way. Icy, silver-blue eyes peered out from beneath her bangs, focused solely on the pod before her.

"Mnexina." A second cloaked figure appeared. He was even taller than Mnexina. "You may have helped us, but you are not welcome here any longer."

Mnexina turned around and glared at the figure. "I was just leaving." Her voice was piercingly cold, but the cloaked male didn't so much as flinch.

"Allow me to escort you out." He said.

Mnexina smirked. "No need." She said, snapping her fingers. Behind her, a dark portal appeared. Pulling her cloak around her, she walked into it and let it close behind her. "Just a little more time." She murmured.

THE END

Well, that's it. That's the last chapter I will be writing for this part. Now I can take a nice break and concentrate on school work. (Pfft, like that's really gonna happen.) Knowing me, I'll get distracted and start working on one-shots or something.

Anyway, Part 2 for this "series" will be called "Kioku no Kusari" and it will take place 1 year later, much like KH2 does. And I have a request, any advice on how to make the second one a little better or a little more interesting would be greatly appreciated. Is my writing style too confusing? I can tone that down a little (I think). Should I shorten the sentences? Add more descriptions? Things like that.

Also, Kudos to anyone who can figure out what Mnexina's "Somebody's" name is. (It's not that hard, actually.)

I almost forgot to mention that KnK won't be the very next story that I post. A friend of mine wants me to finish up another KH fanfiction I've started that's called "Princess", so that will most likely be the next one. Plus, I need something more light-hearted to work on and some more time to gather ideas for KnK.