I've been debating with myself whether to let you guys know about this or not and I've finally just caved so here it is. As soon as I finish "The Other Side," I'm going to start posting an Alternate Universe, Chaotic fan fiction called "Nice To Be Loved." This is all the information you're getting on this until I post it. I just…thought you'd like to know. Please check it out if you liked this fiction; I plan on making NTBL twice as good. And twice as long. X3
25: The Contrast of Happiness and Sorrow
"Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Xilvin hadn't realized how late he'd slept into the day until he rubbed his eyes open and saw the sunlight searing through the windows. The rest of the Cafeteria was mostly empty save for Demyx who was merely a misshapen lump underneath his sleeping bag. The Howling Storm yawned, stretched, and struggled out of his own bag. Then, without bothering to don his Organization cloak and to tired to put on his socks and boots, he stumbled through the Danian and OverWorld Cafeterias (Joseph and some of the staff members shot him cool looks of distrust as he passed them) and nearly fell into the Mipedian Cafeteria. A wave of noise washed over him as he scooped up some lunch and flopped down at a nearby table.
"…Give me something of your soul that I can hold onto." Two of the girls were singing at the karaoke machine, "I want to wake up to the sound of waves crashing on a brand new day. Keep the memory of your face but wipe the pain away."
"Hey, hey! Look who's awake!" Xhostam grinned as he sat across the table from Xilvin, "How's it going, Xil? You sleep good enough?"
"You're one to talk." Number XIV felt a slight twinge of annoyance at the nickname but kept his face expressionless as usual, "You fell asleep on your feet yesterday after your whole…" Unable to find words to describe it, Xilvin simply made a gesture like something coming out of his back, "How'd you do that, anyway?"
"When you're lonely, when you're heart aches, it's gonna take a little time. Yeah, it's gonna take a little time."
"I dunno." Xhostam lost a bit of his former enthusiasm, shrugging his shoulders, "I just got really mad at the Heartless and…bam." He spread his fingers, palms up, on the table and then slapped them down again.
"When the night falls, when you're stumbling, it's gonna take a little time to make it to the other side."
Xilvin's hazel eyes flitted over to where Roxas and Axel seemed to be hanging out; a shadowy corner, as it happened. They were talking but the noise level kept the Howling Storm from hearing their words and he couldn't lip read either. But whatever they were talking about, Roxas seemed pretty upset about it. And Axel had that same serious expression on his face he'd had when he was explaining things to Xilvin and Xhostam yesterday.
"So don't miss the diamonds along the way. Every road has led us here today."
"What?" Xhostam looked around at where Xilvin's gaze was.
"Nothing." Xilvin muttered. But it was something. The moment his gaze had settled on them, a memory, however brief, had blazed brightly across his eyes…
…"Excuse me, Mr. Mipedian." He stands up, a cocky smile lingering on his face, "But I believe I've won a higher percentages of Drome matches than you have." He holds his hand out, raising an eyebrow, as though daring Peyton to make a comeback.
He does, predictably.
"Ah, Drome Masters don't care about percentages, my friend." Peyton rolls his eyes, grinning like he has the answers to the mysteries of life, "They care about wins. I have more wins than you!" He's talking like a teacher would talk to a student who didn't understand why five plus five could only equal ten and not something else.
He flares in annoyance. He can't help it. His parents were harassing him this morning and now Peyton's pushing just the right buttons to start a fight.
"I hope you're not trying to say you're a better player than me!" He throws out with just the hint of anger in his voice.
"Absolutely not," Peyton retorts unconvincingly, "No point in sayin' what everybody knoowwsss!" Peyton lets out a short burst of laughter, "Especially after I've destroyed them in the Beta Drome the first time we mixed it up!"
"Hey! I have a good idea!" He snaps back, cheeks flushing as his temper gets the better of him, "Why don't you make like a Mipedian and disappear!" He flings his arms out to emphasize his point and glares daggers at Peyton…
"Was not nothing." Xhostam turned back to face Xilvin and snatched a piece of his orange, shoving it into his mouth before the Howling Storm could protest, "You saw a memory, Xil, I know you did." He swallowed and reached for another but Xilvin slapped his hand away and pulled his tray closer.
"You're as bad as Peyton." He grumbled.
"Little bird, what's troublin' you? You know what you have to do. What is yours you'll never lose and what's ahead may shine."
"Don't compare me to Peyton!" It was almost a whine, "I'm not like Peyton!"
"You're right, sorry. You're more obnoxious."
"Hey! You don't mean that! Take it back!"
"I mean every word I've ever said!" Xilvin stated, pushing his now empty tray away and crossing his arms over his chest. The zipper on his vest clicked, "Because I'm KidChaor!"
Silence.
Even though there was laughter in the background, singing, talking, and a variety of other noises, Xilvin felt an oppression of silence crushing him down in his seat.
But it was the look on Xhostam's face that hurt the most.
Or the lack thereof.
Xhostam's variety of expressions were limitless. He was never without some kind of emotion displayed on his face and they weren't faked like Xilvin's were. They were real. He was never seen without wearing something.
But now his features were completely blank. Even those pale, blue-violet eyes were empty.
"Don't say that." Xhostam whispered but it pounded—like someone had the bass up too loud—against Xilvin's eardrums, "Don't say stupid lies like that."
The sound came back on and a cold chill ran over Xilvin.
"Beneath the promise of blue skies, with broken wings we'll learn to fly. Pull yourself out of the tide and begin the dream again."
"I'm sorry Xhostam." And he really did mean it this time, "I just…" The Howling Storm folded his arms across the table top and rested his head in them, long bangs brushing the violet checkmarks on his cheeks, "I just…want my heart back…"
"When you're lonely, when you're heart aches, it's gonna take a little time. Yeah, it's gonna take a little time. When the night falls, when you're stumbling, it's gonna take a little time to make it to the other side."
"Doesn't everybody?" It was a rhetorical question but Xilvin made a noise of consent in response, "Hey Xilvin, um, I've been thinking, like, what's gonna happen when we do get our hearts back? Will Tom still have my memories? And Odium's memories too? Or is he just gonna forget the whole thing?"
"So don't miss the diamonds along the way. Every road has led us here today. Won't you shine on, morning light, burn the darkness away."
"I…don't know." Xilvin answered truthfully and then started. He turned his head, still keeping it in his arms, and saw the disapproving glare Saix was sending him. He suddenly felt like a kid who'd guiltily tracked mud all over the house. The Howling Storm stood up, stuck his tongue out at the Luna Diviner, and then spun and headed for the UnderWorld Cafeteria. But not before he caught sight of Saix's bristling hair. He chuckled and kept moving, Xhostam following behind him and asking him repeatedly what was so funny.
"Walk with me the diamond road. Tell me everything is gold. Give me something of your soul so you don't fade away…"
Roxas' neon blue eyes followed Xilvin and Xhostam as they left the Cafeteria. Then he shot a glance over at Saix who only looked at the Key of Destiny blankly and went back to the food set neatly on a plate before him.
"Roxas?" Number XIII turned back to Axel, "Are you listening to me?"
"Mm, yeah."
Axel's red eyebrows nearly touched as he frowned at his companion, "You've already been thinking about this, haven't you?"
Roxas shrugged, "That the Heartless side with whoever's the strongest, making us the weakest? Yeah." His gloved fingertips drummed the tabletop betraying the nervousness his face hid, "I'm beginning to think that the Superior would have been better off never trying to open a path into Perim. We've messed up so many people's lives. I mean," He cast a hand around the room, "All those staff members who didn't leave Nobodies behind, they're never coming back. They're gone for good. And what if they had families and people who cared about them? Look what we've done." He dropped his chin into his hands, "The boy in my dreams, he felt like this once."
"The…boy in your dreams?" Axel sounded strained but Roxas didn't notice.
"Yeah. He had to leave a castle full of his friends and he was afraid that he'd never see them again. It made him feel like…like crap."
Axel sighed and shook his head, "I think Xilvin's starting to rub off on you, the angst-boy that he is. Come on, lighten up. Didn't I tell you that already?"
Roxas couldn't stop the small smile that lifted the corners of his lips, "Yeah, you did."
"Tomorrow." Saix's chilling tones made the rest of the Organization look up at him. It was late in the day and he had his back to them, looking out at the mountains as the sun dropped lower and lower in the sky.
"Tomorrow?" Demyx echoed, slouching over his sitar where he'd been playing a version of 'Oh Come, All Yee Faithful.'
"We attack. Tomorrow night." The Luna Diviner confirmed with a short nod of his head, "When the moon is high."
"Where at? Why at night?" Xhostam questioned and then made an odd squeaking noise as a slimmer of angry yellow stared at him. Saix turned back to the window again.
"In the art studios." He answered and was silent.
"But why at night?" Xhostam whispered more to himself this time.
"Because that's when Saix's power is at its peak." Roxas responded from the top of a vending machine next to them, "He is the Luna Diviner."
"Don't give away all our secrets, Number XIII." Xigbar chortled, "Those two probably won't be with us for much longer."
Xilvin narrowed his eyes at the Freeshooter but the Nobody only sniggered mockingly and turned away. The scar on the side of his face was stretched so that it looked like it would pop and start to bleed.
The Howling Storm looked down at the table top between his fingers and sighed.
I know that was short and I know that was filler and I'm sorry but at least I got you guys two chapters, huh?
I guess you know what's coming up in the next chapters. I hope it's going to be good but I've kind of been turning my attention towards NTBL so…I can't guarantee anything.
On the other hand, I finally figured out how to get videos on my PSP so I've put Scavenger Scan on there (if that wasn't obvious from the memory) and 2/3rd's of A Rare Hazard because I didn't realize there were 3 parts. (grumbles because she doesn't know the next chance she'll get to get online and get the next part. I want to get my favorite ones on there but I'm making due with what I've got at the moment.
Well, thank you guys for reading, I hope to see you in the next chapter, please keeping reading and review, and toodles!
Disclaimer: "Diamond Road" by Sheryl Crow