Rhiannon: I'm so, so sorry that I've become the queen of slow updating... but life happens. Trinity is infact finished on my computer but editing is making things rather slow. So, I will try to finish up the editing in the next couple of weeks so that I can post a chapter a day... That sound good to you? Hopefully so...
Chapter 28—Wisdom and Hope
Sora stomach was tying itself in knots by the time he'd knocked on Riku's door. The older boy mumbled a half sleep 'come in' and Sora felt a bit guilty because it was late. He slipped inside to see Riku still in bed, silver hair half under the cover half not and the side of the blankets lifted up. He smiled to himself when he realized that Riku expected it to be him. He padded over to the side and climbed into the warm haven Riku had created in his bed.
"Hey." He whispered and pressed his cold toes against the older boy's leg.
"Damn you." Riku muttered but his actions belayed his words as he wrapped an arm around Sora and pulled him further into his cocoon. "I feel like I could sleep for a year."
"I know the feeling." Sora replied as he curled his arms around Riku. "But I bet you'll be up bright and early tomorrow! Or Kairi will wake us up."
"Ugh… I don't want to think about that." Riku complained and Sora smirked as he thought of the best way to distract him. He slide up a bit and tiled his head up, lifting a hand to pull Riku's chin down and kissed the older boy.
He could almost feel Riku grin against his lips as the older boy kissed him back, with almost bruising strength, tongue working its way into his mouth. His arms hugged Riku tightly as he gave as good as he was getting. Riku moaned against his mouth and tugged Sora tighter against him before breaking away form him breathlessly.
"Remember what I said So-ra… natural progression." He pulled back and squeezed him. "So don't push it."
Sora nodded and pressed up against him and closed his eyes in contentment and was asleep soon after. Riku took a few minutes to enjoy the fact that Sora didn't realize 'natural progression' meant that the older boy was scared shitless.
Saïx leaned against the wall in the silence of the Proof of Existence. He trailed along the tombstone like markers and laid a hand on each one. Organization 13 had shriveled down to three members. He wouldn't be surprised if Xemnas decided that he and Luxord were useless and had them killed as well. He cocked his head to the side slightly and counted the little tombstone like markers. Of course… there were twelve like always.
"You know… I'm starting to wonder if Xemnas didn't just plan for us to die." He turned at the voice to see the Gambler of Fate.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" He asked cocking his head to the side, blue silver hair sliding over his shoulder.
"These look rather like tombstones now… rather then portals? Don't they?"
"No one asked you to join You did so of your own free will." Saïx waved him away but the blond seemed very interested in him at this point.
"I know what I said and when I said it… but I think I'm have some interesting news for you… Luna Divider."
"Oh? And what would that be?" If Luxord was freely given information, it was either something or value or something Xemnas did not know.
"They aren't all dead." He stated mysteriously and that's when Saïx noticed, whether it was intention or not that Luxord was standing on what was affectively Axel's grave. "Axel, Roxas and… Demyx live."
"You can not be serious." Saïx strode forward and grabbed Luxord by the neck of his cloak lifting him up from the ground. "These portals are connected directly to their powers. If they die it turns red! Don't lie to me!" He threw Luxord across the room. Anger he could not feel, but regard Saïx didn't not want to be play for a fool.
"But they are." The Gambler of Fate smirked as he stood, because right now, he was making a very high stakes gamble. "They are no longer citizens of the Darkness I'm afraid. They got the one thing Xemnas promised us. They got it by betraying Xemnas."
"You can't be serious."
"They have hearts." Luxord wiped the false smile off his face. "They really and truly have hearts and they didn't need Kingdom Hearts to get them."
He leaned against Roxas' tombstone and smiled almost sardonically.
"What proof do you have?"
"Other then the fact they're walking around Radiant Garden doing patrols and attracting heartless? Nothing I supposed." Saïx looked away from him distractedly.
"I think… that I will have to speak with Xemnas about this." He turned to head up to the room and somehow managed to continue walking when Luxord's next words caught him in the back.
"You know… in the Proof of Existence… there's no marker for Xemnas. Maybe this was our planned graveyard… The lackeys and all that. After all, we've all read the reports of Kingdom Hearts and Adel certainly needed no Thirteen Travesties to control it for her? What does that tell you?"
"That she was foolish considering that she never achieved Kingdom Hearts."
"I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that we put all our money in the pot and gambled wrong somewhere through the game."
"Everything's a game to you." The silver haired nobody growled stomping away.
"What can I say? Life… or should I say nothingness… Is a high stakes game."
Roxas was stunned into silence from where he'd sat on the bed he was currently sharing with Axel. He wasn't blushing, there was no telltale warmth in his cheeks and he and Axel were both wearing clothes… but… but there was this girl that just appeared in his room that he didn't know the name of an apparently neither did Axel from the way he stared, his vermillion eyes just as big as the blond's.
"I finally found you!" The girl stated happily and Roxas felt a slight inkling of fear about a girl that he could probably beat with his pinky… blindfolded.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked, and no, that wasn't his hand creeping to wrap around Axel's. It wasn't his heart racing in unknown fear. Heart or no, he was still Roxas and nothing got to him.
"You don't remember me? I'm Olette." She sounded disappointed but then she shook it off, her shaggy black hair slipping back and forth over her shoulders. "That's okay. You're memory will come back to you in time."
"But I haven't lost my memory." He remembered all recent and not so recent events with clarity that he'd rather forget.
"Obviously you wouldn't remember loosing you're memories." She shook her head and took a step forward. "We need to go. Hayner and Pence are waiting for us."
"Who the hell are Hayner and Pence?" He asked and felt Axel somehow managed to squeeze his hand reassuringly though the death grip he had on the poor appendage.
"Your best friends." She walked closer and then jumped back as a chakram flew threw her.
"Stay away from him." Axel muttered as he caught his weapon in his free hand.
"Who do you think you are?" She growled at the red head about as frightening as a kitten or a puppy.
"I'm his." She waited a moment and then realized that Axel wasn't trailing.
"His what?" Olette narrowed her brown eyes and the former nobody shrugged.
"His… whatever." Olette's eyes widened when she realized what he was implying. She shook her head furiously.
"Roxas—"
"I'm not going anywhere… with you." The blond replied his face like stone.
Olette frowned but sighed as if she were resigned. "I guess you just don't understand yet but you will." She faded slowly.
"How come I get a feeling that I won't like what that implies?" Axel asked looking over at Roxas.
"Hmph." Roxas turned to face him. "So… you're mine? Doesn't that sound a bit… possessive?"
"Well… in some circles yes. But I am your best friend and anything else you want me to be." He leaned forward and kissed Roxas' mouth slowly. "I was your protector while we were in the Organization. I became your lover… yesterday I think it was? Hmm?"
"As nice as the prospect of making out with you is… I'd prefer not to do it where some freaky girl almost kidnapped me."
"Point… taken." The taller boy slowly got out of bed and pulled his shirt on. "I think I have border duty in an hour or so… want to go get something to eat?"
"Uh… sure." Roxas stood up slowly and made himself presentable. "Do you think we should tell someone about this… Olette girl?"
"No… the wouldn't take it the right way." Axel replied and wrapped an arm around him. "Don't worry so much Rox… she won't get you."
"Okay." He stated and pressed a kiss to the corner of Axel's lips. "But only this time."
Laguna had a way of looking at things that rivaled most people, though his outlook was typically happy, he carried a heavier weight then most people. As he listened to Roxas recount the conversation that he'd heard between to unknown villains he knew that they were in trouble. He tapped his fingers against his chin in anxiety but he understood what this meant. This, about all was more important then the border patrol. With these two very different fractions running about they were in even more danger then before.
"I know this might not seem like the healthiest of plans but I want to split up the Trinity." Laguna spoke calmly and quietly to his son.
"Are you sure that would be wise?" Leon cocked his head to the side, gunmetal eyes watching his father intently.
"I'm still very much a guide and I know that each and everyone of them can handle themselves."
"Why split them?" He rephrased his question. Leon was a firm believer of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'
"This immediate threat has split into two groups. The fastest way to get them would be to split them into two groups. This is primary up to you four." He gave his son a wry grin. "I'm just a crazy old man after all."
"Well… I could run it past them. If what Roxas has said is true they are going to attack two worlds simultaneously. It might quite possibly be better to do that."
"I agree." Leon scratched his arm. "We have a bunch of extra warriors now. I'll make two groups of four or five maybe? Yuffie will take a group to…Halloween Town and I'll go to Olympus Coliseum…"
"All right." He waved his hand in dismissal. "I've got to go and talk to the governor… He seems to think that I'm sitting on my ass and doing nothing because that last food shipment is a little late."
"All right." Leon removed his long body from the chair and slowly walked from the room. His thoughts in a muddle he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the roof of the café.
He had just pushed open the door when he realized that someone was walking next to him. He turned to see Cloud in all his blond, spiky haired glory. The two stood in almost companionable silence looking out over the first district before Leon managed to find his voice.
"So… what do you want to know about now?" He asked as he sidelined a glance at the shorter man.
"You're the son of a keyblade master and a Kagi guide right?" Cloud asked as he turned and leaned against the high rail.
"What of it?" Leon asked as he crossed his arms to glare at him.
"Power, strength, ability… you're on level with the Trinity aren't you? Is that why Laguna chose to send you and not Yuffie? It's obvious that you're both guides."
Leon bit his lip sharply and then nodded once, slowly. "For all my mother's strength… she was not made for child birth. Laiarum ensured that all her power was given to me in the wake of her death… since she could not protect me herself."
"You're father's a wise man."
"Not all who are wise or stodgy old men with foul tempers." Leon smiled pushing brown hair back over his shoulder.
"So…" Cloud trailed not sure of what to say, mind blank.
"I have a favor to ask of you." He stepped in front of the shorter man and leaned into his personal space. "I want you to go and protect Kairi and Yuffie in Halloween Town. I'm going to take Sora and Riku to Olympus Coliseum because I think they have a score to settle."
"Oh… kay." He breathed quietly. "Also… take Hayner Latier with you." He kissed Cloud firmly across the mouth.
"Wh-why?" Leon silenced him with a kiss.
Cloud trembled within his grip, knees turning into jello as Leon practically took control of him. The taller man pulled back first and gave him a small secretive smile. "I promise that we'll explore this after all is said and done."
Cloud nodded numbly and then Leon turned and walked away. Cloud barely managed a smile. Leon had won this round.
Rhiannon: So... feel free to drop a line... if you want...