Rhiannon: Okay… so I went crazy, lost power, almost lost the fic and so forth and so on. But we soldier on, ne? So here it is.
Chapter 32—Hayner, Pence, Olette and… Seifer?
Roxas yawned as he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He hated summer vacation. It was always so boring. Do you're summer homework, participate in the Struggle competition. And then waste money buying back to school crap. He rolled on his side and shut his eyes. He wanted this year to be different.
Hair that was red like the edges of flames. Eyes that were a neon green. "My name is Axel… got it memorized?"
Roxas jerked forward and shook his head firmly. It was the third morning in a roll that he'd had that image. That waking dream. It meant nothing though, he'd never in his life seen anyone that looked like that. Who'd really dye their hair that shade of red? And no one's eyes were that green. And Axel? Who would name their kid Axel? Crap like that didn't happen in Twilight Town. He jumped up and ran to take a shower. He needed to get to the Usual Place before Hayner decided to come and get him moving his way. He reached the spot and pushed back the curtain. There was his gang sitting and waiting.
"Hey Olette! What we got going today?" He asked as he slapped hands with Hayner and sat down.
"Our summer vacation homework. We've been neglecting it… again." She exaggerated as she shoot a pad of paper at him.
"Do we have to?!"
"Yes." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Unless you want to start the school year with a C, I think you'll find some interest."
"Jeez… of course I've got interest." He looked down at his hands. "I've just… had some stuff going on lately… that's all."
"Like what? Interest in a girl or something?" Hayner asked and Roxas sighed.
"No… just… I've had strange dreams lately."
"Oh?" Now Pence was interested and Roxas really wished that he'd learn to keep his mouth shut.
"Drop it." Axel was his secret and they could drop dead.
Roxas was wandering through the streets of Twilight Town, he was supposed to be working to gain money but his heart wasn't in it. He wanted to understand these dreams. Understand who this person called Axel was. He scrubbed his face and then turned and slammed his fist into a wall.
"What the hell are you doing?" He looked up and saw his… well, rival was better then arch enemy. Seifer glared at him and he glared back.
"None of your business."
"Please… I'm apart of the Disciplinary Committee for no reason." The older blond teased as he stepped forward. "And beside… Roxy… I only came to ask you a few questions."
"What kind of questions?" Roxas asked crossing his arms.
"I've gotten some reports that Olette has been sneaking around… and messing with stuff."
"What Olette does in her free time isn't my business." Roxas shrugged and turned to walk away but Seifer grabbed his shoulder painfully hard.
"Well, let me make it your business. She's been going to the old mansion in the woods. She took Vivi there and no one has seen him since."
"Vivi? Olette wouldn't harm a fly let along Vivi. Now I know you're making it up." Roxas shoved Seifer's hand off of him and started for the train station. Seifer might be drunk off of power and love making other people's lives miserably but Roxas wasn't about to sink to his level for any reason.
Oogie Boogie didn't seem like much of a challenge to Kairi as she stared at the large burlap sack full of bugs. In fact, she really just wanted to set fire to his ass and be done with it. Unfortunately, offensive magic was not quite her forte.
"Well… he's rather ugly." Yuffie murmured as they watched the creature.
Lock, Shock and Barrel had led them back to Christmas Town where Oogie Boogie had decided to take his game pro and kidnap Santa Claus. Not exactly expecting such a bold move, Kairi was at a loss for a moment with how to adjust her plans to save Santa Claus and get the damn menace. She was about at her wits end when a leg landed in front of the ranting fool. She watched in almost shock as Oogie threw aside Santa for the leg and saw Sally waving at her with a smile.
"Well, that's a sign if I ever saw one." Hayner cheered and Kairi could agree to that as they launched forward to attack.
They were taken by surprise as the monster jumped back and allowed heartless to fight for him. Kairi grunted and shoved aside some shadows and glared at him.
"I don't think this is a fair fight."
"And four on one is?" He taunted as he called more shadows.
"Fine then." She looked to see the other were kind of busy as she shoved more heartless out of the way with her keyblade. "I'll fight you myself."
Oogie Boogie had no time to comment on that as she threw herself against the ladder and quickly scaled it to the top of the toy machine that he was standing on. She could hear the sounds of battle below her as she gritted her teeth and glared at the manic before her.
"These good enough odds for you?" She hissed.
"I think not." He called up a few shadows and she dismantled them quickly.
"Why don't we cut to the chase." She came running at him, her blade held high.
Kairi was suddenly aware of many things at once. Her blade slicing through Oogie Boogie's midsection. Yuffie's cry of pain down below. And the sight of Hayner staring up at her in amazement as she cut the creature clean in half. She sunk down on the other side and wrapped an arm around her aching midsection. In her side was a rather deep puncture wound, she didn't even want to think about how she got that. She turned slowly and watched as Oogie Boogie slowly collapsed off the side of the machine, bugs scattering and melting everywhere.
"Now that's the power of the Trinty." Yuffie cheered clutching her injured arm.
"I'd say." Cloud murmured as he wrapped an arm around the black haired ninja to help support her while Hayner scaled the side of the machine to gather up Kairi.
"Well." Kairi stated as she leaned heavily against Hayner. "I would say, that our work here is done. Now if you'll excuse me… I'd like a Cura and a nap."
As a team Sora and Riku had managed to make it to the third bracket, never loosing a fight. Tomorrow's fights would be harder though. Now they were down fighting Heartless, now they were on to Hades hand chosen fighters. As they gather around the table in the room that Hercules had gotten them on Mt Olympus, Tifa and Leon seemed to have a lot of information.
"We managed to make it all the way to Hades office. He has made contact with Maleficent, an evil Sorceress… The former student of Yen Sid and the loyal follower of Adel. She's trying to resurrect Kingdom Hearts as well." Tifa explained as Leon looked silently on.
Sora stared down at his hands, body freshly washed from the day's battles and closed his eyes tightly. "So basically, we have this bitch and Xemnas as well? If we can get Hades… I'm sure we can get Maleficent."
"Don't be cocky." Riku admonished.
"I'm not being cocky. I'm being thoughtful. Who's to say that Xemnas isn't using her? You remember what Axel said about Ansem… Xehanort's heartless, that he was simply using him too. Why would Xemnas pick someone stronger then him?" Sora asked looking around at them.
"You do have a point." Leon grudgingly admitted. "But it still stands—"
"To err on the side of caution, this I know." The cinnamon haired boy teased lightly. "But right now… we have other things to do… Like get Hades out of the way."
"This is true. If we're lucky, Oogie Boogie and Hades will be Maleficent's last connection to the worlds." Tifa spoke before she lifted up her cup and took a long drink.
"Tomorrow…Sora and I have three matches before the title. If you can take the Olympus Stone and somehow nullify Hades with it…" Riku started.
"That would affect the games though… and draw far too much attention." Tifa pointed out quietly as she looked down into her cup as if it held all the answers.
"I think I have a plan. And it involves Hercules." Leon started as he leaned forward.
"Are you sure you want to involve that dunderhead?" Riku asked as he stared down at his hands. "I get the feeling that it would only make things more complicated."
"That's what I'm hoping for."