I have to say this:
HAHAHA! THE WORLD DIDN'T END!
And also:
CHRISTMAS BREAK!
Ok, something weird happened:
After I finished writing the chapter where Roxas gets a concussion, I got one!
Now I have a bad headache and I feel like I'm gonna barf.
Anyway, I'm gonna bring a few characters from other animes and stuff, so be on the lookout!
Ohkeeday, chapter 30
Roxas~
The wheels of my skateboard thundered over the tan-colored road. I was on my way to the hospital, after a not-so-quick detour to the beach where I got pushed into the ocean by an angry soccer mom, pinched by a inexplicably green crab, and asked out by a purple-haired six-year old.
But that's another story.
I had a pretty serious concussion, so I could barely walk in a straight line, much less skateboard. In my first attempt to go into the hospital, I sort of forgot I was on a board and ran into the wall.
I lay on the ground for a second, then pulled myself up and picked up my skateboard (black grip tape and random silver and blue strokes on the bottom) and pushed the doors open.
Tseng didn't even look at me as I passed him, but he did call out:
"Miss Xion is quite popular today."
I stopped in my tracks and backed up. "Sorry?"
Still writing on that stupid notepad, he replied: "Yes. A boy about your age walked in and requested to see her."
"And you let him?!" The Sky Wing was forbidden to anyone human. So...was this guy not human?
"Yes. You see, his brother saved the world known as Macross and one named...oh, Destiny Islands, I think." He explained.
Who was this guy? Who was his brother? Why am I just standing here, I should go find out!
And so, I sprinted to the elevator.
"Come on..come one..." I murmured as the elevator dinged at each floor.
Finally, I arrived at the top. They had told us Xion was in room XIV, or 14.
A/N That was what the plotbunny was telling you all!
I just about knocked down the door trying to get in the room.
Guess who was standing there, talking quietly to Xion.
Thomas.
"Hey, man, what are you doing here?" I asked, anger bubbling up inside me.
He turned and grinned a little. "Hey, Rox. I was just visiting Xion."
'Rox'?!
He looked straight into my eyes and said: "Now there's no reason to be jealous." He assured me.
"Wait...I never said...I'm not-!" I stumbled over my words awkwardly.
Thomas laughed a little. "Whatever."
I swallowed my anger (somewhat) and said:
"So...according to Tseng, your brother saved two worlds. Right?" I was attempting to make small talk. Which I'm pretty terrible at, considering I haven't really talked in eight years.
Thomas sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah...when I was like, ten, he apparently saved our world from a fleet of alien invaders."
"'Apparently'? Weren't you there?"
He shook his head. "No. Our parents got a bad divorce. My mom took me and my dad took him. Then, Dad got killed in the military and my brother basically did his own thing. My mom died a while ago so my brother takes care of me now. I met him last month for the first time in six years." He told his story, almost sounding rehearsed.
Then something that sounded like the Star Wars theme song began playing, only this version had more trumpets.
A/N Think...Robotech theme.
Thomas sighed and pulled out a light green Droid Razar.
"Hello?"
I could hear the other person clearly, he was talking loudly.
"Hey little brother!" The energetic voice greeted.
"Hi, Rick. What is it?" Thomas asked in that calm-in-a-zombie-apocalypse voice, making him sound like the older one.
"Where are you, kid? It's six o'clock and it's snowing!" 'Rick' didn't sound angry, just excited.
"Ok, ok, I'll be home soon."
Then he turned to me. "You wanna come over to my house?" He asked.
I nodded. Cloud wouldn't care. We hadn't talked since we found out Xion was comatose, so he'd probably be ok with my temporary disappearance.
"Cool." Back into the phone. "Rick, a friend of mine's coming over. Try to dial it down."
And how is he the younger brother?
"Aw, come on man. Cut me some slack! I can't really help it, you know." Thomas' brother whined.
"Whatever. See ya." With that, he hung up.
"Well, let's go." He said and turned to the door.
"I'll be right there." I told him quietly.
He cocked his head to the side and nodded, then walked out, his black Reeboks tapping a little on the cold floor.
I stood over Xion.
"Here...I went through a lot to get this." I put the seashell down on the nightstand.
It was a thin shell that curled tightly, pink at the bottom that somehow faded to yellow.
Then, on impulse, I took off my necklace and quickly latched it around her neck and rushed outside with a quick "Goodbye!"
~x~
Thomas and I walked to his house, mostly in silence.
It had mostly stopped snowing, but a thin blanket of white covered any and all surfaces.
We were passing through the sandlot to get to the Tram Common, when Seifer stepped in our path.
"What's up, Mute?" He asked, leaning against the wall.
Then he saw Thomas.
Third Person~
"Well, well. If it isn't the Flying Ace." Seifer smirked.
"I don't fly numbskull. You got the wrong one." Thomas retorted.
"What'd you say?"
"You heard me." Thomas smiled.
"Hey, nobody calls Seifer a lumpskull y'know?" Rai said.
"That's numbskull, 'y'know?'" Roxas inputted.
"What was that? The mute can talk?" Seifer feigned surprise.
Roxas took one angry step forward. Thomas put a hand up to stop him.
"No duh," He said to Seifer. "it's obvious he can talk. But...I guess the obvious is too vague for you idiots."
Then, Rai darted (sort of) behind Roxas and held him in a wicked head lock. Roxas should have been able to throw him to Agrabah, but Cloud's warning about using his powers in public rang in his head, so he just played the part of the weak fifteen year old.
Seifer grabbed Thomas' collar and reared his fist back to punch him in the face.
But at the very last second, Thomas held up his hand to stop the blow.
"Little trick my 'Flying Ace' brother taught me." He smirked.
Behind them, Roxas had called just a little on his super strength and was holding the buff Rai in the air by his ankle.
Then, chaos broke lose.
Rai (stupidly) grabbed Roxas' shirt and pulled them both to the ground.
Thomas, having gotten a bit distracted by the scene, was thrown across the lot. He quickly got up and kicked the opposing blonde in the gut.
Rai was pinning Roxas to the ground and attempting to break his face with his fist. But, he missed every time and hit the ground instead. Eventually breaking all the bones in his right hand. Snow melted and soaked into the back of Roxas' clothes, freezing him.
Seifer and Thomas were in an all-out fist fight. Seifer had an advantage with superior strength, but Thomas was out smarting him.
Things would've gotten very bad if not for the couple of redheads walking in on the fight.
"Whoa, whoa, ankle biters!" Axel waved his arms around.
"Yeah, break it up!" Lea crossed his arms.
The four paused like this:
Rai was on the ground. Roxas had one foot on his back, one hand holding Rai's ankle.
Seifer froze with a hand around Thomas' neck, Thomas froze twisting Seifer's other arm.
"Now, now children. Play nice." Lea and Axel said in unison.
~x~
Roxas~
After a looong walk where I tripped over a flower, almost got hit by a FedEx truck, and passed out about five times, we arrived at a small house.
It was painted blue, with white shutters that probably worked, unlike all the other houses in Twilight Town. A white and red 1969 mustang was parked in the driveway.
We walked up the stone path to the door, which was wide open. Rock music floated from somewhere in the house.
"Rick..." Thomas muttered exasperatedly.
We pass through the doorway into a hall.
The rock music poured from another open door to my right.
Upon entering said room, which turned out to be a garage, I saw a guy in his late teens, with wild dark brown hair and fair skin, leaning over the open hood of something that looked like a mini fighter-jet, the same colors of the car in front if the garage.
He must have heard us come in (somehow), because in the next second, he looked over to us and beamed.
"Hi guys!" The older boy chirped. Black grease was smeared all over his face like war paint, making his pale blue eyes look even brighter.
He walked up to me and held out his hand. "Hiya, I'm Rick! Rick Hunter."
After wasting three seconds staring at him thinking 'is he for real?' I extended my arm and shook his hand.
"Roxas Fair." I said.
Rick nodded, still smiling. "Neat."
He glanced at an old watch which had several cracks spiderwebbed across it.
"Gee whiz, look at the time! I gotta get to Lisa's birthday party!" Rick cried.
"Lisa is having a birthday party?" Thomas asked, seeming surprised.
Rick pulled on a (this will blow your mind) white and red jacket.
"Well...she doesn't know about it yet." The former-pilot replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So...if she kills you, can I have your plane?" Thomas asked.
"No way little brother! You can have my car, but not my baby." Rick patted the hood affectionately.
"Fine." The younger one relented.
Rick grinned and patted his head, causing the boy to grumble: "Why is everyone touching my head?"
His brother laughed and ran out.
"Does...does he always talk like he's in an eighties sitcom?" I asked awkwardly.
Thomas covered his face with his hands. "Yes."
~x~
After three hours of facepalming, laughing, groaning, and sweatdropping through the first season of Cyborg 009, I told Thomas thanks and that it was 'neat' (and watched him bang his forehead on the table) I went home.
It was snowing heavily, blinding me. Thankfully, the walk wasn't very long from Hikaru road (A/N Get it?) to Cumulus drive.
I finally got to the house. The door was unlocked. I pushed it open.
"Cloud...?" I called, getting a bad feeling.
In the living room, I walked into a strange sight:
A Christmas tree.
It was completely decorated with tinsel and popcorn and darkened lights. Homemade ornaments adorned the branches, little paper snowflakes and miniature pictures of Cloud and Xion and Tifa.
But something was missing.
A large white star covered in silver dust and sparkles sat on an end table next to the couch. A piece of paper was stuck to the front.
A note.
I plucked it gently from the tree topper and began silently reading the sharp, messy writing.
Roxas,
If you are reading this, it means I'm gone. I didn't commit suicide or anything. AVALANCHE finally got me.
Let me explain some things to you:
You (as you already know) are a Keyblade wielder, and Keyblade wielders live forever. Well...sort of.
Both of your parents were Key wielders. So am-was-I and so is Squall. He is the last of the original Keyblade heroes.
Also, you are one-half SOLDIER and one-half Centra.
Your mother was a Centra. That was a race of people that were born to protect the Earth and all it's inhabitants.
Your father was a SOLDIER. That was a race of people that were born to fight.
Both of your parents were Key wielders. A Keyblade is a weapon of darkness and light created for the heroes and villains.
You are special Roxas.
I have a request. My last one, I suppose.
Xion will get her Keyblade when she wakes up.
When this happens, erase her memory. You will know how when the time comes.
She will forget you. She'll think she's a normal girl with normal parents (that will arrange itself).
"I'm sorry, Roxas, but it has to be done." I mumbled.
"Cloud." I crumpled up the paper and threw it at the wall.
"Cloud!" I yelled, beginning my search of the house.
I looked downstairs and in his room and in mine.
I stormed back into the living room.
"CLOUD!" I screamed. "COME OUT YOU COWARD!"
I stormed outside. It was no longer snowing, but it was dark and cold.
"YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME WITH THIS CRAP!"
Then, even through the blood pounding in my ears, I heard a soft:
"Sorry..."
I looked around.
"...Cloud...?" I whispered, my voice raspy from shouting.
There! He lay next to the tree line, the snow around him dyed red.
I ran over and knelt beside him.
"Cloud!" I gasped.
He reached up and brushed a bloodstained lock of hair out of his eyes.
"Hey, kid..." Cloud managed. It seemed difficult for him to speak. It seemed difficult for him to keep his eyes open, to breath.
"W-what happened?"
"Battle to the death. Me and...Elfé." He murmured.
"To the death? But..."
Cloud nodded. "I know. I killed her. But I'd sustained too many injuries."
"B-but...the note.." Thisisn'thappeningthisisn'thappening.
"I...used my...powers to..." Slipping...he's slipping...
"Cloud...you can't..." I began. But then I realized he was.
So instead: "Marlene and Denzel want you to know it wasn't your fault. Dad owes you three hundred forty-eight munny. Xion got a D on her math test. Tifa is naturally blonde. Riona broke your motorcycle. Squall killed your hamster in third grade." I went prattling on every secret I'd been told about Cloud.
It's funny what people will tell the kid that can't talk.
He stared at me. "Um...well...it's good to know all that."
Cloud smiled, then looked up at the beautiful, star-filled sky.
"Aerith..." He mumbled.
There was a flash. I was completely blind for a moment. Only...instead of endless black, I saw an eternity of white.
I thought I smelt flowers and vanilla in that moment, when my eyes were readjusting.
Cloud was gone.
No blood, no footprints. I looked around and, in my rush, nearly crushed the white flower by my feet.
Pick it...
I thought I heard a voice say. I spun around in a circle, trying to find the source.
Finally, I came to my senses and picked the flower.
Carefully, carefully, I took it to the house, filled a vase with water and left the plant on the dining room table.
I walked into the living room. The star still sat on the end table.
Unlit.
Dark.
Dead.
I picked it up and climbed on the couch armrest, poking up on my toes to put the star on the branch that stuck up.
I hopped down and grabbed the green chord at the bottom and plugged it in.
I stood back an admired the twinkling, sparkling, shining tree.
"Merry Christmas." I whispered.
X
Thank the Good Lord, I'm done!
Merry Christmas you guys!