A/N-Chapter 2! Enjoy!
"So as you can see, Pi is essential for computing information about circles. We can learn many different numbers such as a circle's radius, diameter or an arc length of a certain section of a circle. Using this theory, this is how they determined the size of the worlds back in the days where technology was not invented. They used two poles in two different parts of a world and measured…"
Roxas stopped paying attention. His gaze flickered over to the window two rows over. He really wanted school to be over but it was only second period. He sighed lightly and began to doodle on the upper corners of his notebook. Roxas retraced the major outline to darken the marks, revealing a Moogle holding a large lollipop.
'Kupo'. Roxas thought.
Three years had passed since the destruction of Radiant Garden and the worlds were once again at peace. Yet even the smallest of children could tell the peace was strained. Worlds were slowly creating armies in secret, building weapons and technology to help them combat the impending war looming over their heads. It was only a matter of time before someone slipped up and the first battles would begin against those loyal to the crown and those who were not.
Roxas glanced over at Hayner, who was in the row next to him but three chairs farther ahead. Hayner was pretending to write down notes but Roxas could tell he was also drawing in his notebook. After the death of his mother, Hayner was left with nothing. His father had left Twilight Town long ago. Roxas begged his parents to take his friend in and now the boys were sharing a room. At first it was fun but as they grew, they found their space was slowly dwindling in Roxas's small bedroom. In a few more years, they would have to walk on the walls to reach a different part of the space.
His gaze then shifted to Olette. She was in the front row on the far left of the room. Roxas had to crack a smile. She was one of the few students actually taking notes. 'I'll have to copy her notes later.' Roxas reminded himself. His thoughts turned to Pence but the dark haired boy sat behind Roxas in Hayner's row. It would fairly obvious if Roxas turned his head to look behind him but he shifted his eyes as far as he could until he made out the corner of Pence's desk. It was covered in eraser shavings as he constantly wrote and rewrote his notes. Pence's handwriting was atrocious to the point even the master couldn't even read his own script.
"Roxas!" the teacher snapped. The blonde jumped in his seat.
"Um, yes?" Roxas shakily replied.
"Zoning out again?"
"Um, sort of." The teacher rolled her eyes as the class giggled.
"Then I'll ask again: please name as many digits of Pi as you can remember."
"3.1415926535…um…4?" The class giggled again.
"Good enough. Remember to at least try to pay attention every once and awhile. You might actually pass the third grade." The bell rang and the students quickly shoved their books into their desks and scrambled to get out of the door. It was time for morning recess.
Roxas met up with his friends and they walked together over to the brick wall that surrounded the school. They climbed a tree and filed up, hanging their legs over the ledge and watched the other kids play on the small playground.
"So what's everyone have for lunch?" Olette asked, striking up a conversation.
"Tuna," Hayner complained, sticking out his tongue.
"Hey, I actually like tuna," Roxas protested.
"Then you can have my share if I get your grapes."
"No way! Those grapes are mine. You can have my animal crackers."
"Meh, keep your crackers. I'd rather be disappointed than go hungry. What about you, Pence?"
"Mom made casserole the other night so I'm having that for the fourth meal in a row," Pence replied, wiggling his fingers in the air as if to say the casserole was "magical".
"Wanna trade? My tuna for your casserole."
"Why not? But I get to keep my juice box." Hayner grinned.
"Deal!" The kids swung their feet and talked idly until they were called in for lunch. Hayner and Pence swapped meals, both to their disappointment, and slowly chewed on their newly acquired food. Olette was lucky and her mother packed her a small salad with carrot sticks and a cookie.
"I'll trade you a grape for a bite of your cookie," Hayner offered.
"No way! You'll take a bite and it will end up being half the cookie," Olette protested.
"Alright then, two grapes." Hayner held up two fingers.
"Nah uh. Not going to happen."
"Three?"
"I'll take no less than five."
"Five?! But I only have four left!"
"Too bad then." Olette turned as Roxas tapped her on the shoulder. He handed her five grapes and she ripped off a part of her cookie. Hayner stared with his mouth open.
"You cheater!" the elder blonde protested. Roxas shrugged. He broke off half the cookie chunk and handed it to Hayner. Hayner popped it in his mouth and chewed angrily, disgruntled he got swindled out of more junk food.
The cafeteria suddenly went quiet at the speakers above their head crackled to life. All eyes went to the ceiling.
"Attention students," the principal, an elder woman, started. "Please report back to your classrooms immediately. This is not a drill. You will then be escorted to a safe location to await further instructions. Please remain calm. A representative of the Twilight Guard is on their way now." The speakers clicked off and student immediately began talking. Teachers ushered the students from the lunch room and the kids went to the classrooms. There the teacher took attendance and lined the students up at the door.
Roxas's class was led from the building to the parking lot to wait for further instructions. Apparently, they were waiting for a bus. Roxas scanned the parking lot at all of the other students. Twilight Town was small so they only had one class per grade and all grades, second through twelfth, went to the same building. Roxas felt slightly comforted by the sight of the older students. They remained so much calmer than their younger school mates.
"What do you suppose is happening?" Olette wondered aloud.
"Do you think the war started?" Hayner offered.
"Don't say that! People will get hurt if a war broke out."
"They're going to get a lot more than hurt." Olette frowned but didn't comment. Roxas noticed Pence was staring up at the sky.
"See something?" the blonde asked.
"Maybe," Pence muttered. "What do you suppose that is?" Pence pointed to a dot in the sky. Roxas squinted and tried to make out a shape.
"Looks like a G. Ship," Roxas replied.
"That's what I thought but those are restricted."
"Do you think they might bomb us again?" Roxas heard Olette squeak in fright. He turned to her and gave her a fake, reassuring smile. "Sorry, Olette. I was just thinking out loud."
"It's alright. I just never want to see that day happen ever again," the girl replied. She pinched her eyes shut and shook her head, hoping the memories would fade. Roxas turned back to look at the sky and noticed the G. Ships were a lot closer.
"Uh oh," Pence murmured. "Those aren't Twilight Ships."
"Can you see where they're from?" Roxas pressed.
"Not from here but the decal is definitely not from the home team. This could be very bad."
"Maybe they're here to help us."
"Yeah, how bad can three G. Ships be?" Hayner asked. There was a flash and a stream of smoke from the lead Ship. Then the school erupted into flames as the rocket hit the building.
"Fire!" the children screamed.
"No, it's napalm!" someone cried. A second rocket was fired and added fuel to the fire. The children sprinted away from the building to avoid getting burned. When they were a safe distance away, the school watched their building burn to ash. Windows popped and beams creaked under the strain.
As for the G. Ships, they flew on as if nothing had happened.
"I'm glad we took that seriously," the principal muttered. Roxas over heard her talking to the other staff. They had received a threat call that morning and decided to act upon it as if it were real. Luckily, they had.
Roxas turned to his friends as the building blazed. The fire department arrived and began to contain the flames.
"Funny how you always wished the school burned down," Hayner commented.
"I know what you mean," Roxas agreed. Hayner let out a huff.
"What do you think the Town's going to do?" Olette asked.
"Let's go home and find out," Pence offered. The group of friends took their leave towards their homes with the rest of the school. Upon reaching Pence's home, they stepped inside to hear the news.
"Well folks, it has finally happened," Greg stated, wearing his usually grey suit attire. "Fourteen different schools in different worlds were destroyed today. Two of them still contained children. This has been the final act. The worlds have proclaimed they would go to war against the King. Twilight Town will be among them. We will not stand for this suppression! Stand, Twilight Town, and defend our home. The King cannot hold us back or stamp us out. We will fight! Since the school was destroyed, all students will have the option to work with their families or stay home. More news will be coming along shortly after a few quick messages from our sponsors."
The TV flicked to a skateboard commercial. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas crowded around the TV and waited to hear more on the subject. When Greg reappeared on the screen, his face was ashen.
"This just in, everyone. Stay home and seek shelter immediately. We are asking all available and able bodied person to go to the south side of Town and defend. Hollow Bastion troops are here trying to suppress us. Please stay indoors and…"
"We can't sit around!" Hayner protested, interrupting the news.
"What can we do?" Pence asked.
"We have to do something!"
"Like what? Fight?" Roxas asked.
"Well, yeah."
"Hayner, we're only eight! What are we going to do?"
"We can train with the Guard. They're always recruiting."
"Not children."
"It's worth a try. Besides, our families are getting slaughtered out there. They'll need more people to back them up eventually and we're Twilight Town's last hope. Come on, guys. What do ya say? Should we fight? Or should we cower."
"I'm not much for fighting but I'm not hiding either," Pence replied.
"Me too," Olette agreed. Roxas sighed and nodded.
Twilight Town was going to need all the help it could get.
XxXxX
Ten Years Later
The afternoon sun was warm. It was tolerable if one was sitting or walking, but it was rare anyone had time for rest. Years of war and fear had set into the worlds. Those who grew up during the war hardly remembered the peace they once knew.
Or the people they once were.
Roxas sat on top of the clock tower. It was the closest thing he was going to have as a break since sitting on the clock tower meant keeping an eye out for enemy G. Ships. He leaned back on his left hand and held a can of soda in his right. He didn't really want to drink it but it was the only treat he had in months so he was going to enjoy it, despite it tasting like stomach acid. He took a sip, instantly cringed, and swallowed. Then he swished the spit around in his mouth to try and dim the aftertaste.
The sound of footsteps to his left caught his attention but he didn't turn. He could easily tell the difference between an enemy and a Twilight soldier. Someone sat next to him and let out a sigh. Then they offered him a half-filled bottle of water.
"Here," Hayner offered. Roxas set his soda down behind him and gladly accepted the new beverage. He drank half and returned the bottle to his friend.
Age and war had changed the boys. Their hair was longer with Hayner's growing wilder each year and Roxas's becoming spikier. The younger blonde rarely took care of his hair so it appeared as though he had a permanent cowlick in his spikes. They teens were roughly the same height with Roxas being about a half inch taller. Each bore a set of scares from the various fights they survived. Hayner had a large scar on the bottom right side of his jaw that ran from the chin to the joint. Roxas had a scar over his left eye and one on the right side of his neck in the shape of a lopsided X.
Both wore the same uniform: black tank top, black loose fitting pants and light black gloves. It was comfortable but the public rarely saw it. For on top of the uniforms was the Twilight Guard armor. Various gold pieces covered their bodies so they looked like the sun itself, much like the setting on crested on their chests. Along with their armor, they both sported weapons. Hayner had a Billy club like bat made from hardened steel to crack skulls and break bones. It sat strapped along his spine. Roxas's weapons were more for cutting. He sported a pair of twin swords: Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The swords were crafted in another world by a smith who was on the side of the rebel worlds. Oathkeeper brandished a brilliant celestial white blade with a silver hilt leading down to a blue and yellow pommel. Oblivion appeared as if the blade was dipped into a black abyss. Its hilt was dark chrome with a black pommel. Images were etched into the blades. Oblivion had a pair of demon wings loosely wrapped in chains while Oathkeeper had angel wings sprouting from an eight pointed star.
Hayner fiddled with the bottle in his hands and stared off across the town. "You know what I miss the most about Twilight Town?" the elder blonde asked. Roxas glanced in his friend's direction.
"What?" he asked.
"The movies." Roxas scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"That's original." Hayner gave his friend a shove.
"I mean it. Back when you were a kid, the movies were so cool. You always wished you were in one doing crazy shit and killing all the bad guys. Because that's what we wanted to be: heros."
"And now we're in their shoes."
"Shoes nothing! This is more realistic than any movie ever will be and you know what? It's the worst movie imaginable."
"Because we're in it."
"Precisely. Maybe we didn't make movies to be realistic because they couldn't; maybe we made them fictional because we wanted to escape from the claws of reality."
"Stop being so deep, Hayner. You're creeping me out." Hayner stuck out his tongue at Roxas.
"Good!" The pair laughed.
"How's Olette doing?" Roxas asked, changing the subject.
"She's fine. There's been a lull in injuries so she's not so stressed."
"You going to tell her?"
"Tell her what?" Roxas gave his friend a hard stare.
"Come on, Hayner. It's so OBVIOUS that you like her. Just let her know. I'm sure she wouldn't turn you down for a date."
"Are you insane?! She'll murder me, Roxas!"
"You're overreacting."
"Because I want to live." Roxas dismissed the topic with a wave of his hand. He stood and stretched, glad his shift was over. "Enjoy reporting in."
"Oh the joy cannot be contained," Roxas replied sarcastically. Hayner burst out laughing.
"Hey, are you going to finish that?" he asked, pointing to the soda.
"Keep it." Hayner quickly snatched up the bottle and took a large swallow. He nearly choked when the flavor hit his tongue a second later.
"Gah! This tastes like piss!"
"Enjoy!" Roxas called with a wave over his shoulder. Then he descended the clock tower and headed for the main camp. The streets were either dead silent or bustling with people rushing in one direction or the other. Windows were boarded up and many of the doors had metal plating on them. Some people went as far was decorating their house with spikes and barbed wire to keep the troops away. It seemed futile but Roxas felt they might be the smarter ones. After all, he didn't want to go into a house wrapped in barbed wire with one inch barbs.
The main camp was at what was once the sandlot. There, all the higher level soldiers met and convened over supplies and strategies. Roxas stepped into the camp and quickly scanned the area for his Captain.
'Better get this over with.' He thought. Roxas braced himself and walked across the lot to one of the side tables. The sight of his commanding officer made him, and the rest of his small until, cringe. Roxas stopped a couple feet away from the table and snapped into a salute.
"All clear, sir," Roxas reported. The Captain looked up from his work, a smug scowl plastered on his face.
"No one cares, baby face." Roxas forced himself not to bash his head into the ground. Seifer was only three years older than Roxas and had about three times the attitude, which was saying something since Roxas was one of the most emo soldiers in Twilight Town. The elder blonde wore the trademark golden armor and it covered his muscular body. His blonde hair was plastered down by a black stocking cap. A large scar ran over his right cheek and alongside his nose to his forehead. His weapon of choice was a sharp looking gunblade, deadly at both close quarters and at a distance.
"Do you have more orders for me…sir?" Roxas asked, nearly gritting the 'sir' through his teeth. Seifer sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. When his fingers stopped, he sat up in his chair.
"There's a shipment of parts needed at the G. Ship hanger. That last raid did a number on our ships and Rai's still trying to patch them back together. So go drag your ass down to the factory and get our shit moving. Clear?"
"Crystal." Roxas gave a small bow and took his leave.
The factories were located on the outskirts of Twilight Town. Since they were so far out, they were usually the first target for enemy raids. This meant problems getting supplies distributed. Roxas wasn't a huge fan of escort missions but they needed to get done or Twilight Town would quickly run out of necessary supplies to help fuel their side of the war.
He climbed the hill to the train station and gave a wave upwards to Hayner's tiny figure. Then he passed through the sliding glass doors. The station was always packed with citizens, refugees, fellow rebel fighters or Twilight soldiers. Roxas pressed past the sea of bodies to the train on the far track. He stepped aboard and the car began to move shortly after. The blonde glanced at some of his fellow passengers. Most of them were citizens going to the other side of Town but there were a couple rebel soldiers as well. The visitors wore light blue uniforms trimmed with white. A white arm band with a large letter D printed in red signified where they were from, although from the way it was written, it the D looked like a backwards G.
'Disney Castle, huh? I wonder what they're doing here.' Roxas thought. His staring must have caught their attention because they turned their gaze back at him. Roxas averted his sight and stared blankly out of the window.
When the train came to the station, everyone stepped outside. Before Roxas could descend the stairs, he felt a tug on one of his hair spikes. He turned to find the pair from Disney Castle.
"Where are you off to?" the taller asked.
"The factories, if you'll excuse me," Roxas replied.
"We're headed there too," the shorter announced. "It will be safer if we travel together." Roxas looked over the pair.
"You're not exactly dressed for fighting," the blonde noted. The pair nodded and snapped into a salute. Armor materialized around their bodies along with weapons. Roxas couldn't help but feel a smile tug on the edges of his lips.
The taller of the two was extremely tall with black hair. His hair was short but his bangs hung behind his ears and ran passed his shoulders. A pair of silver earrings dangled on tiny chains from his ears, the ends in the shape mouse silhouette. His black eyes were playful and his smile was bright. He wore an orange messenger hat and a pair of red goggles on his forehead. His armor was similar to Roxas's but not quite as bulky. And it was colored like a kid went crazy with a box of crayons. His gauntlets were white, arm and chest pieces lime green, pauldons dark grey, leg armor yellow, boots brown, and it was topped off with a black belt. His weapon of choice was a large round shield strapped to his back.
The shorter companion was much more put together and a head shorter than Roxas. He had short white hair and blue eyes. Roxas noticed his armor was different because he was a magic user. The man wore an armored blue coat with a blue hood over the back half of his head. The long coat ended by his knees but he wore a pair of white pants underneath. His boots went up to his thighs and were a yellow-orange color. His weapon of choice was a scepter with what looked like a tiny hat at one end. His demeanor was much more serious.
"May I ask for some identification?" Roxas asked, remembering his training about foreign people visiting Twilight Town. The men each gave a salute.
"Commander Goofy of Dinsey Castle, head of the Guard for King Mickey," the taller replied with a large grin.
"Commander Donald of Disney Castle, head of the Magic Division for King Mickey," the shorter stated, his face void of emotion.
"I see," Roxas commented.
"So, how do we address you?" Goofy asked. Roxas couldn't get over how strange the man's name was but he figured it was probably a nick-name, or at least he hoped it was.
"Roxas of the Twilight Guard. I'm just a foot soldier," the blonde replied. "What brings you to Twilight Town? Did the King send you?" When the worlds split, they needed a leader. King Mickey rose up to take the position against King Xemnas. Seeing the best of King Mickey's armada in Twilight Town was something to be noted.
"You betcha'!" Goofy replied. He threw his arm around Roxas's shoulder and began to steer him towards the stairs. Donald followed behind, a light scowl on his features. "The King was worried with how you were all holding up out here. You guys took quite the blow the other week."
Twilight Town had suffered greatly when G. Ships slipped through their defenses and damaged their own G. Ship hanger. They had been grounded since then. Factory workers and mechanics were scrambling to get what was salvageable back in the air.
"We're dealing with it," Roxas replied.
"So it would seem," Donald commented. "You're Town is rather impressive. Unless you're behind the walls on the battle fields, the heart of your world seems untouched. It's like a breath of fresh air."
"I suppose we're not much different than Disney Town." Goofy steered Roxas away from the buildings to the path that led outside the city towards the factories.
"On the contrary. Our Town may be peaceful, but there's a definite tension there amongst the people."
"That's probably due to the King being so close to home," Goofy added with a smirk.
"Oh, I suppose that would be something to think about," Roxas pondered. For some reason, Roxas felt comfortable around the pair, as if he had known them for ages. They were just friendly. He slipped out from Goofy's arm and allowed Donald to walk on his other free side. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel like he was on an adventure. Then he remembered where he was and snapped back to the present.
"Boy am I famished!" Goofy exclaimed suddenly, stretched his arms over his head.
"We just ate before we came here!" Donald protested. Roxas chuckled which earned a grin from Goofy.
"See, this kid's not so bad after all." Roxas tilted his head in confusion.
"You looked so disgruntled on the train I thought that maybe you just always looked pissed off," Donald observed.
"You wouldn't be the only one," Roxas replied. Donald smiled lightly, which was a huge improvement to his features. "So are you two really the best fighters the King has?" Goofy burst out laughing.
"Of course we are! Well, maybe besides the King himself," Goofy replied. "Although Donald's not much of a fighter. He's sort of squishy but he could easily out-match any sorcerer."
"As for Goofy, he's like a pile of rocks. Nothing seems to faze him and he'll just keep throwing himself at the enemies until he's either dead or they are," Donald added. Roxas digested the information thoughtfully.
The trio arrived at another train, although it was more like a tram since it didn't go very far. They boarded and were soon swept off to the direction of the factories. The ride over, they exchanged opinions on the war. When the tram arrived, they nodded their thanks to the tram operator and headed towards the factories.
The long and flat structures looked more like a set of four story green houses. Inside, metal and wood was being crafted into much needed weapons, food was being refined into much needed supplies, and items were being infused with magic. Roxas brought the Disney pair to the main factory and talked to the head of staff. They were well aware their shipment to the air hanger was overdue but they didn't want to risk the trip alone. It took some persuasion, and an indiscreet nod in the direction of the King's personal Guard, to get the man to budge. Finally, the parts were loaded onto a truck and brought out to the yard to await escort.
"Sorry I had to drag you into this," Roxas apologized.
"Awh, we're just glad to help," Goofy replied with his signature grin.
"That and we got what we came for here at the factories. A report on your G. Ship hanger will only be a bonus for King Mickey when we return," Donald added.
"Alright. We'll be outside the truck. I'll take point and Goofy can handle the driver side. Donald will take the passenger side. We're not expecting trouble but in light of recent events, we may be in for some," Roxas explained.
"No pressure!" The turned to be joined by the driver.
"Pence!" Roxas exclaimed. The dark hair boy smiled with a wave.
"How's it going, buddy?" Pence gave his friend a quick hug. "You're looking well."
"As are you." Roxas turned to the Disney pair. "This is Pence. He's an old friend. Pence, this is Donald and Goofy. They're Commanders from Disney Castle and personal guard to the King."
"A royal escort? Now we're talking!" Pence exclaimed. He shook the pair's hands firmly. Pence was still large for a guy around Roxas's height but his arms were muscular from working in the factories. He wasn't much help in a fight but he was still able to defend himself with a pair of shotguns strapped to his back in an X.
Pence hopped into the truck and started the engine. It roared to life. Roxas nodded to the Commanders and they took up their positions. Then they headed for the G. Ship hanger.
The hanger was only about five kilometers away but the drive was still risky. It was across open country side with plenty of tall grass and hills for enemies to hide in. It was never a rare occurrence to hear about shipments going missing. The trip would take them about two hours to complete. During that time, they were completely exposed.
Everyone was silent as they led the truck along the road. A tense hour passed by with no activity. Another fifteen minutes slipped by on edge. Roxas remember why he hated escort missions so much. Moving at a slow pace for long periods of time was stressful and draining. His nerves already felt raw and they still had a kilometer to go.
"Hold on, we're picking up Static," Pence announced from the truck. Static was a code word. Sometimes enemy radios would be picked up as interference on Twilight radio frequencies. It was one of the few ways they could stay ahead of the war.
"How bad is it?" Roxas asked, scanning the road ahead.
"Spotty but it's getting worse."
"What do you think it is?" Goofy asked.
"Heartless!" Donald called. Their progress stopped as the road in front of them turned into a swirling portal of darkness. Shadows crawled out of the pool and stalked towards the truck.
"They're not so tough," Pence commented, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"That depends on if they're true heartless."
"True heartless?"
"I'll explain later. Gooffy, protect the truck!"
"Roger!" Roxas pulled out his swords, Goofy strapped his shield to his arm, and Donald brandished his scepter. Roxas charged the heartless and started to cut them down. They dissipated into wisps of shadow with a shingle swipe.
"Roxas!" Goofy called. He spun around to be caught off guard by a soldier.
"Thundaraga!" Donald cried. A dozen lightning bolts shot up from the ground around Roxas and fried heartless and soldiers hiding in the shadows. "Be careful. The heartless have friends!"
Roxas continued to parry the blows of the soldiers while Donald eradicated the heartless with his powerful spells. Anyone who dared to go near the truck was unfortunate enough to get a shield to their face. One heartless slipped by. Pence snagged one of his shotguns and fired as the shadow leapt at him. It exploded into tiny black fragments.
"Gravity!" Donald shouted. Three soldiers were pressed flat to the ground as if a piano had fallen on top of them. They tried to rise but found the invisible weight had them pinned. Roxas quickly disposed of them with downward thrusts of his blades.
"Behind you!" Goofy cried. Roxas spun around and was knocked back into the front of the truck. His neck whipped at the sudden stop and he collapsed to his knees on the ground. Goofy stood in front of Roxas as he regained his composure. "Are you okay?"
"I've been through worse," Roxas replied through his teeth. He crossed his blades in front of each other. "Stand back, Goofy." The tall commander stepped aside. Four beams of light appeared, two on each side of Roxas. He slashed his swords forward and the light shot forward with them. The light slammed into the soldiers and they screamed in pain. Then they collapsed.
The pool of shadow faded into nothing and all that remained was one man. His knees trembled as he faced the trio in front of the truck. He knew he was going to lose. He charged and his face was smashed into his skull by Goofy's shield. The soldier crumpled to the ground in agony.
"Death," Donald muttered. The man's muscles locked and he twitched. Then his body went limp. Donald walked over to Roxas and examined his injuries.
"I'm fine," Roxas protested. He flinched as Donald hit a raw nerve on his neck.
"Don't be such a baby. Now hold still. Cura," Donald cast. Roxas felt a rush of warmth through his body as the whiplash suddenly vanished. He rubbed his neck in amazement. "See? Much better."
"Thanks," Roxas murmured. Goofy slapped a hand on Roxas's head and ruffled the blonde's hair.
"Don't be so glum about it," the tall man stated.
"I just feel awful that you had to fight."
"We're in a war, Roxas. If we didn't fight, then we'd be doing something wrong," Donald replied.
"He's right, you know," Pence called from the truck, sticking his arm and head out the window. Roxas straightened up a bit and saluted.
"Thank you for your help," he said with a small bow.
"We're not back yet, but you're welcome," Donald replied.
"So what did you mean before about true heartless?" Pence asked. Donald turned to the driver.
"Well, a heartless can be created two ways. The first is obvious: their heart it taken from them. The second is harder to do but it makes a more powerful heartless. The person's heart has to be consumed with darkness. This happens only with those with stronger hearts. Since their hearts are strong, the leave behind a heartless husk of their former selves."
"The nobodies."
"Yes. And if the heart is extremely powerful, then the heartless and nobodies can take on the form of their former selves. They're powerful but they lack what makes us people: emotions."
"I see. Well, let's get going. We're wasting time standing around." Pence slid back into the truck and shifted it back into gear. Donald and Goofy returned to their positions on the sides and then they headed off with Roxas in the lead.
"So Roxas, I see you can use light magic," Donald noticed.
"Oh, yeah," the blonde replied sheepishly.
"Don't be embarrassed. Light magic is really difficult to use. Even I can't use it."
"Queen Minnie is a master of light magic," Goofy added. "One of the few who can outshine Donald." The shorter man rolled his eyes.
"So how did you come to learn light magic?"
"I don't know. I've always just kind of used it when I fight," Roxas admitted.
"He must be an elemental fighter," Goofy guessed.
"A…what?"
"An elemental fighter. It means you can use magic without spells when you fight," Donald clarified. "It's usually attuned to one element: earth, air, fire, water, etc. You must have a light element, which means you're really lucky."
"Oh. I didn't know that was possible."
"Understandable. They're not very common but they make great fighters. I heard Hollow Bastion has a swarm of them guarding their King, the bastard. It makes getting to Xemnas near impossible." Roxas chewed on the information as they continued to walk farther down the road.
The group made it to the G. Ship hangers without any more conflict. The mechanics noted the blood on Roxas armor but didn't comment.
"Hey, Roxas! Good to see you, ya know?" They were greeted by Rai, one of the head mechanics working on the G. Ship revival project. The tall and largely build man wasn't very bright but he knew his way with G. Ships.
"Hey Rai!" Pence greeted, leaning out of the truck.
"About time you showed up, ya know? Fuu's madder than a wet cat!" Fuu was one of Twilight Town's top pilots. The stoic woman was of few words but she was the queen of the air in her G. Ship.
"Well then you'd better get busy." Roxas didn't stay to help unload. He took his leave with Donald and Goofy. They climbed into a jeep in the back of the G. Ship yard and were driven to the landing zone.
"I can't thank you enough for your help today," Roxas spoke up.
"Don't worry about it. It's all for a good cause," Goofy stated, grinning. Roxas wondered if the man even knew how to frown.
"Are you headed back to Disney Castle?"
"Yes. We'll make our report to King Mickey and go from there," Donald replied.
They arrived at the landing zone. Goofy and Donald climbed out of the truck and pounded their shoulders in salute. The armor and weapons materialized away to their blue uniforms.
"It was nice meeting you," Roxas stated. He shook their hands warmly.
"And a pleasure to meet you, Roxas. I hope we can meet again someday," Donald said with a light smile.
"And meet the King!" Goofy shouted. Roxas chuckled. "Remember, this war runs on happy faces." Goofy shot Roxas a wide grin. Then he and Donald departed for their G. Ship. As Roxas was driven back to the heart of Twilight Town, he watched the Disney ship fly overhead.
And his lips parted into a soft smile.
A/N-Yes, I made Goofy and Donald human. Yes, I did a terrible job at it. No, I will not change it. I think they'd be cool as people.
Main musical muse: Traverse Town-KH Soundtrack (Squaresoft) - I do not own rights to this song!