Kingdom Hearts
Untold Stories of Organization XIII
I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or any of the characters disclosed herein. All rights are reserved to Disney and Square Enix.
Chapter 3: Truth.
-
"I still can't believe she read it..." Roxas sighed.
"I can't believe you're alive," Axel noted.
"I can't believe she kissed you!" Demyx chimed in.
"Get outta here Demyx," Xigbar ordered uncaringly.
The four nobodies sat across one another, each taking up a round booth seat at the breakfast bar. Xigbar swirled a half glass of Burban, Axel and Demyx both held cans of cola, and Roxas, too absorbed in embarassed uncertainty, sat drinkless with his head on the bar top.
"What was I thinking writing that..." he groaned against the marble surface.
Demyx swirled his can, imitating Xigbar, "I dunno either, that thing was crap sappy."
"Shut up Demyx!" Xigbar growled.
Demyx sunk back, "Ok, ok, I'm just saying..."
Demyx slowly rose from his seat, and headed for the nearby doorway into one of the corrodors, "his funeral, anyway."
Xigbar crossed his arms over the counter, at a loss for what to say, "I...think she took it pretty good."
"Yeah...but...what do you think she's thinking right now?" Roxas asked.
Axel tilted back in his seat a little, stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger, "That's...a tough one. I'd venture..."
"Roxas." came that chilling voice from before.
Instantly, the gathering grew silent, as each turned in their seats towards another of the doorways. There, looming with a plain expression, stood Larxene. How long had it been since earlier?
After she'd first read the note and walked away, Roxas had gone what Axel called canatonic. After a few minutes of regaining himself, he'd gotten dressed, and joined the rest of the group in the kitchen. For almost an hour, he'd sat in a purplexed mood...but now...
"We have another assignment, come with me," she ordered casually.
Then, without a second glance, she turned, and stepped through the doorway she'd entered.
Without much alternative, Roxas gave a slight nod to the rest of the group, then slid from the bar stool and followed behind the blond haired beauty. Axel and Xigbar, the only two remaining, exchanged glances.
Axel squinted slightly, "I thought you said there weren't any other assignments."
Xigbar rose his hands innocently, "There...aren't."
"Say what?"
The two stared blankly at one another, a slow progression of thought passing between them. Though neither of them spoke, both realized simultaniously.
This, could be a very, very bad thing.
"Should we...follow them?" Axel offered hessitantly.
Xigbar shuddered slightly, "I don't think angering Larxene is the best thing to do."
"But what if she kills him?"
"What if when she's done she tries to kill us?"
Axel crossed his arms roughly, "You don't have to come along, but I'm gonna watch Roxas' back."
With that, he stood triumphantly from his chair as if a knight of the peace. Xigbar sighed, drained the glass of its contents, and slowly slid to his feet.
"Ok, Ok...but if she gets angry, I will trip you, and bail," he said honestly.
Axel smirked, and started through the doorway, "Don't think I won't do the same, Xig."
Risky as it was, and lifethreatening in the face of Larxene, Axel wasn't about to lose his best friend...not again.
-
"Come on," Larxene uttered cooly.
Wordlessly following behind the woman who'd read his confession, Roxas walked at an equal pace, his black cloak fluttering around him in the cold breeze that drifted through. The World that Never Was held a certain comfortable darkness to it, though the silence refused to sooth the embarassment welling in his mind.
He couldn't even steel himself to make eye contact with Larxene.
"So...where will our assignment be?" he asked softly.
"Memory's Skyscaper," she replied, a hint of melody in her tone, though difficult to distinguish.
"I...see..." Roxas murmured slightly.
Since he'd reunited with Sora, then parted ways once more, a recollection of his life had returned to him. Initially, when he'd left the organization, his memories of it had vanished as well. However...everything had come back to him in time.
Including his memories of the battle, his first encounter with Riku...at least as himself. Sora had met Riku as a friend and foe several times, but Roxas had merely known him as an enemy.
Approaching the Fragment Crossing, Larxene paused for just a moment. Unflinching, unmoving, it were as if she were debating a difficult thought. Then, without another moments hessitation, she continued on her way towards the tower. All around them, silent buildings glared down, unocupied ever since the creation of the world.
It was that emptyness that brought the question to mind, why did they even bother protecting it?
In view almost instantly, the two nobodies stepped forward from the crossing. The sky scraper sprawled out before them, an ominous tribute to the darkened city. Larxene slowly came to a stop before the large stairway, turning back to face the boy before her.
"Roxas..." she spoke his name steadilly, drawing his note once again from her pocket.
Roxas bowed his head slightly, gazing at the ground, "I'm sorry for writing that...I don't know what I was thinking, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to give it to you. Please don't be mad I..."
"What are you feeling right now?"
"W...what...?" He asked softly, slightly stunned by the sudden question.
"I want to know...Roxas...what are you feeling right now."
Her voice was cool, emotionless, unreadable in any way. Her eyes gazed straight at Roxas, deeper and colder than her voice itself. Roxas, unable to do anything else, met her eyes and spoke quietly.
"I feel...embarassed..." he began honestly.
"Embarassed."
"That's not all but...that's the first feeling that I can tell. I feel nervous, uncertain, confused...almost afraid, I guess... Here I am now...and I'm worried that you're upset with me. I feel like an idiot for confessing something like this to you, I feel silly for being incapable of just telling you how I feel...and most of all I feel like I've done something incredibly stupid."
Larxene examined his face, reading almost every emotion he listed. It was clear, perhaps easy to see that he was full of what seemed like regret. Perhaps her dimeaner wasn't helping but...she had to upkeep this, to keep the test completely truthful.
"Close your eyes, Roxas," she ordered.
"C...close my eyes?"
A simple nod was all he needed; wishing not to question her any further he quickly drew his eyes to a shut. He listened to her form began walking, stepping towards him. The footsteps continued, accompanied by the jinging of the hood ties, and the ruffling of the cloak. He could feel the air brush past as her figure came to stand just before his.
Looking down at Roxas, the boy standing in perfect silence, she asked one last question.
"Do you love me, Roxas?"
At that moment, it felt like time had paused. The wind that had drifted through the city fell quiet. The sounds of sparks, the hum of neon signs, the sound of their breaths was lost. Roxas didn't have a heart...but he felt as if he had one, and it had skipped a beat.
The silence that befell the city, illuminated only by the blank screen of Memory's Tower, the two nobodies stood turned to one another. The screen was where Larxene now set her eyes, gazing at the gray surface.
And gradually...faintly, an image began to play. A series of images, playing all at once in a video colage.
Each image was Larxene, from the eyes of Roxas.
Larxene standing to herself, examining her knives.
Larxene ignoring Demyx as he tried to show off.
Larxene ducking away from a heartless, then sprining back in retaliation.
Larxene laying against the couch, looking wordlessly at the ceiling.
Larxene walking past him with a simple glance before walking away.
Larxene sitting atop the Alter of Naught, gazing up at Kingdom Hearts with an expression of hinted sadness.
Larxene holding the note in her hand and reading it aloud.
Larxene kissing his forehead.
Larxene standing before him, asking him what he was feeling.
Larxene kissing his lips.
The final image, from neither her eyes nor Roxas', her face level with his, veselled connected in a soft touch. This image was a reflection, the screen now blank white, overlooking the two as Larxene drew her arms around him.
Two sets of eyes were closed, two bodies were close together, two pairs of lips were parting slowly. The gradual act had taken mere seconds, but the feeling had stretched time into nothingness. It was as if the world had faded away as the two opened their eyes once more.
No words were exchanged, just a silent gaze each held with the other as Larxene's hands gently took hold of Roxas'. She had seen all she'd needed to see, the screen had done what it had always done. It reflected the true thoughts and feelings of whoever opened their mind, and now Larxene had seen the way in which Roxas admired her.
Her words finally broke the silence, soft and adoring, "I accept you."
Roxas, his cheeks filled with a redness, asked softly, "Y...you...mean..."
"Yes," she smiled, a warm, sincere smile, "From this point on, you are my love...do you understand?"
"I...I do..." he spoke softly in return with a slight nod.
"Good..." she smiled, her hands gently withdrawing from his. "I will see you when you return..."
Waving her hand ever so slightly behind her, a dark oval of twisting black grew from nothingness in the air. Dark purple, and black, the wormhole twisted and writhed.
Larxene leaned in, and kissed Roxas' lips once more, a kiss that made his cheeks burn brighter than before. Then, she stepped backwards, her figure dissapearing into the darkness with nothing but a softly whispered, "Bye."
Roxas stood, silent, unmoving. Canatonic once more, or entranced in the lingering sensation of her lips, it was unknown to either him, or the two figures who watched from afar.
Perched silently atop two nearby buildings, Axel and Xigbar looked on with expressions of uncertainty. However...the humor and risk of the situation had subsided into a new, undescribable emotion. Perhaps it was...contentment. Or even a feeling of proudness over Roxas' success.
Either way, it was enough to keep them from spoiler the mood. After the display of Roxas' emotions, it was clear that every intention was from the heart, or even the lack of one. Stepping through a portal of their own, Xigbar and Axel wordlessly left Roxas to reflect.
Axel passed one final glance at the boy, as a feeling of uncertainty overtook him.