Chapter 34—Careless Expectations
Roxas was actually tired of his life long friends for the first time in his short life. It seemed that everywhere he turned since Seifer had shared his unwanted insight on Olette, it seemed that none of his gang wanted to give him a moment along. It was unnerving to say the least. At not point in time could he get a moment alone. Olette wanted to show him things. Pence wanted him to buy him something or explore the latest rumors. Hayner wanted to play fight or in some cases pick a fight.
He was ready to tear out every single one of his blond hairs, strand by strand. He shifted slowly from where he sat on the clock tower above the train station. The fact that he'd been alone for what was dawning on in hour now amazed him to say the least. Not that he wanted to waste it. He needed this time to himself—to reflect, to relax and to think about Axel.
There was no explanation for the red haired young man in his dreams, except that there was maybe something more. Something more then when he woke up in the morning to his mother's less then stellar cooking. Something more then going to the usual place and dicking around for a few hours and scrounging up money to buy ice cream or something. And most off all, something more then feeling so out of place in his own town, his hands feeling too light as if they missed holding something. The things that no one could explain to him.
"I've found you!" He was briefly alarmed to find a girl who seemed to be the essence of light floating in front of him.
She had almost white blond hair, handing around her pale face that only served to highlight how large her blue eyes were. Her clothes were completely white. She could have been an angel. He idly wondered if he'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he'd fallen from the tower and died.
"Who are you?" He found his voice and forced it out around an uncontrolled squeak of fear when he realized that no, he was very much alive.
"My name is Naminè… They must have done a real number on you if you don't remember me." She moved to sit beside him and he was ashamed to admit that he inched away a bit.
"How did you do that?" The young man finally allowed himself to speak again without sounding like an idiot.
"A good witch never reveals her secrets."
"I thought that was a good magician?"
"Details." She murmured before she sunk back down into her quiet and sedate demeanor. "All things aside. I'm here to help you."
"Help me? How could you help me?" Now Roxas' interest was piqued. He just hoped that she was offering real help.
"You still think about Axel don't you? Him and the others?" Roxas resisted the urge to jump out of his skin. One false move would lose him any and all opportunities. But it still stood, how the hell could she know about Axel? And the others, he hadn't really taken time to notice anyone else that entered his dreams.
"I know what you see Roxas. And they can't help you here. The only person who can help you is you." She was fading now and Roxas panicked. How could he help himself if he didn't even know where to start? "The answers… are in the mansion." And then she was gone.
And Roxas was left to wonder if anything she said was housed in truth.
Sora paused at the words that Laguna had just said. Of all things, he couldn't believe that the older man was just expecting him to forget about Roxas. Riku looked stunned as well and Axel look downright pained. He could see Mickey, when had the king gotten here, with an agreeing face. Leon looked as impassive as ever as did Cloud but Tifa looked absolutely outraged.
"Roxas is one of us! We can't just… leave him!" The black haired martial artist shouted casing Yuffie and Kairi to jump as the table all but lurched at the sudden pressure. "How would you feel if it were Leon? Would we then go?!"
Laguna visibly flinched. To Sora he suddenly looked so much older as he sat down. He looked to King Mickey, who's wise eyes never changed in their gaze. Riku as well could almost see the age in Laguna now, the few gray hairs that stuck out in his inky hair. Finally Laguna just looked Tifa in the eye.
"I'm merely an old man. I've lived and I've lost… I've lost so much." He shifted and looked at King Mickey again, not as if looking for permission but as if gazing for a reaction. "Go after him. I understand what it's like to loose a treasure friend… and a lover. The sacrifice isn't worth it."
"But the fate of the world!" Mickey stood up immediately, not that it added anything impressive to his disagreement considering his short stature. "To go after that nobody will give Xemnas and Maleficent more time—"
"Roxas isn't a nobody." Axel's voice was soft and calm, deadly as he glared at Mickey with his verdant eyes. "And whether anyone else comes with me. I am going after him." He stood up from the table.
"I'm going to help you!" Sora stated immediately standing up.
"So will I!" Demyx stated before sending Mickey a snide look.
"A team will go after Roxas." Leon spoke quietly as he stared a both his father and the King. He might not have been the keyblade master but the gunblade wielder was definitely the unspoken leader of their group. "The rest will stay here and guard Radiant Garden from any attacks that Maleficent or Xemnas might launch. Axel, Sora and I will decide who's going in a meeting later on. Any disagreements?"
Mickey looked about to speak but Laguna spoke before him. "All right. I'll get together the recent lists for the border patrol so you can tell me who to add to it. Right now I need to go and see over some of the aid procedures. Meeting adjourned."
The others stood and slowly filed out but Sora stayed and watched as Mickey stood up and glared at Laguna.
"Why? Why are you letting them do this when so much is at stake?!" He asked as he glared at the old soldier.
"I've been where they were. I've lost like they have and maybe I'm older and wiser but it's their fight. I have the utmost belief in their abilities. From what I've seen Leon and Sora have proven to be fine leaders."
"Time is of the essence." The King pointed out and Laguna nodded.
"This I know. I remember a time that Raine and I were stuck in a situation like this. And because of that I lost Ward and Kiros. I regret it everyday of my life." He shouldered his jacket and moved towards the door. "I appreciate your help King Mickey but this is our world and this is their fight."
"I… I understand it's just… I don't want it to be too late." The humanoid mouse whispered. "Radiant Garden would only be the beginning."
"Sometimes loss… Empowers you and sometimes it saps you're strength. Due well to remember that… King Mickey." Laguna left the room and Sora snuck out behind him. Even though he'd always kind of known, it was still kind of hard to admit that everyone was only human.
Sora smiled brightly at Riku and wrapped him in a quick hug. "Don't worry… It's kind of like… playing a video game." He murmured before turning to the computer terminal.
"Maybe… but you're going without a guide… That makes me nervous." The silver haired teen spoke quietly.
"It's best this way. Leon's the best with computers and Yuffie is the best at organizing the border patrol. Plus I've got Axel, Demyx and Tifa with me. They're no pushovers."
"Aa, aa." Riku replied as he ruffled his lover's hair. "Good luck."
"We'll probably need it." Tifa muttered as she stretched her arms up over her head. "I'm starting to think that I'm in the wrong line of work."
"I've found the back door into the fake Twilight Town thanks to Olette and Pence's hard work. It shouldn't take us much to get you inside." Leon's hands traveled swiftly over the keyboard as he scrolled through file after file patiently connecting the computer to Ansem the Wise's old main frame. "Everything should work out fine from my end."
"Of course. Don't worry about us. We're capable." Axel smirked as he crossed his arms. "We'll get Roxas back."
"Good. I'm not sure of who you will encounter. He's used the data of existing hearts to create the people inside this world. There are even people you might meet again. Good luck."
The alternate Twilight Town wasn't really all that different from the real Twilight Town from what Sora could see. There were the same people. The same sights and the same endless twilit sky spanning the awkward sky. They were at the train station, which he guessed made them seem not as unusual but it left him with a confused taste in his mouth. Pence and Olette were originally oracles—couldn't they sense that something was amiss? Not that it mattered, from his experience neither of them were particularly fighters.
Of all the things that they might have expected, they never expected to find Roxas upon leaving the train station, but there he was. He was dressed as usual, studying a board offering job openings. They looked at each other confusedly, but Axel was quick to take the initiative when the world froze as Naminè appeared.
"Don't!" She shouted holding her arms out wide.
"Who are you people? What have you done to the others?" Roxas asked angrily and that was when Naminè realized that there was at least one thing she didn't have power over in this world.
"Nothing." Naminè turned around quickly. "We just exist outside of time, somehow you must have well, stepped out."
"That's bullshit." The young former nobody crossed his arms and glared at them firmly. "Stepped out of time? Is that supposed to be like stepping out of the bath?"
"Way to handle a situation." Axel muttered as he petted the white witch on the head. "Let's start with introductions and then we'll get down to business." He held his hand out to the short blond. "My name is Axel."
"Axel?" Roxas stared at him confusedly, but there was no mistaking the awkward red hair and the strange green eyes.
"That's my name… Nice to see you've got it memorized." The older boy stated as he crossed his arms. "But what's your name?"
"Roxas…" He trailed and then glared at him. "What about the others?"
"Oi! I almost forgot about them. Sora, Tifa, Naminè and Demyx." He waved his hand around and then looked back him. "We're just passing through… I promise."
"Passing through?" Roxas stared at them all with nothing but sheer confusion.
"We travel to different worlds!" Sora and Demyx responded eagerly.
"Ignore them." Tifa, the black haired woman spoke. "They tend to get a bit out of control. We'll be here for a few days."
"Does that mean everyone will stay like this?" Roxas asked suspiciously.
"Well, you could join them." Axel suggested and Roxas acted without thought, he punched him. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"Fix them! Fix them all right now!" The blond ordered and Sora looked at Naminè expectantly.
The nobody sighed softly and turned; as she disappeared the world seemed to wake up. Roxas continue to glare at them firmly but Axel just laughed.
"She wanted us to be inconspicuous… seems that Naminè fucked that up royally." The red head laughed as he leaned against the wall.
"I'd say." Tifa stretched her arms up above her head. "So… you think we're safe for a while? I mean, this place is—in a place like this the nobodies and the heartless can't penetrate the barrier right?"
"Heartless… nobodies?" Roxas groaned as a painful shudder went through his mind. He felt as if he should know those terms.
"Yeah." Sora turned and suddenly Roxas found himself learning about things he never wanted to know about. He hadn't wanted to know if there were other worlds out there. He had never wanted to know about anything more then the life he lived here. Unfortunately, more then just his frame of mind was about to be destroyed.