A/N-Another interesting chapter to write. Went in a completely different direction than I was planning but eh, not bad. Almost like this better since there isn't as much shouting. (LOUD NOISES!) Read and enjoy! OH, and before I forget, happy AkuRoku month, ya'll! I'll have to think up something for 8-13. Happy reading!

"Where are we exactly?" Roxas spoke up. Demyx had remained in a quiet stupor for almost thirty minutes. Roxas was starting to feel the strain of holding the darkness at bay and, in the back of his mind, he prayed they would stop in the near future. He could tell Ienzo was tiring as well. The boy wasn't holding on as tight. Roxas had let go with one of his arms from around Demyx's waist in order to help support Ienzo, lest the kid fell off in.

"Nearing the outer reaches," Demyx mumbled. Roxas could tell by the tone of the man's voice he was exhausted and near the point of collapse. They passed by a world covered in dark ocean waters. Roxas peered down below and saw tiny dots of wooden ships floating on the water surface.

"Port Royal," Roxas muttered. "They were torn by the war, weren't they?" Demyx nodded stiffly. Roxas looked back down at the world as they finished passing over. "That's a shame. It's bad enough to be in the war but to be torn by it is a devastating blow."

There was another three minutes of silence. Roxas turned at the sound of Ienzo moaning. He looked back at the boy and found his grip slipping. Roxas used all of his strength in his arm to hold the kid onto his back.

"Shirt, Dem, we've got to stop. Ienzo's whipped, I'm drained, and you're about to pass out," Roxas stated.

"We can still make it!"

"Make it where? Where are we going?"

"I'm…trying to get…home…" Roxas felt Demyx pitched forward.

"Oh fuck!" Then they plummeted. The shock woke up Ienzo enough for him to cling tightly to Roxas. Demyx's sitar changed back into its weapon form and the Knight continued to fall, unconscious. "Damn it," Roxas growled. He grabbed Demyx's sitar and tucked it in the crook of his arm. Then he grabbed Demyx by the bicep and clung on tightly.

"Roxas…" Ienzo whimpered.

"Hang on!" Roxas summoned the last of his strength and shielded them with his light. They fell downwards but Roxas managed to use his will to steer them towards a light blue orb in the distance. "Come on!" he growled. He strained with holding Ienzo and Demyx while directing them towards the world. His mind screamed with a migraine and blood started to trickle out of his nose. "COME ON!"

There was a sharp tug as the world's gravity pulled them in. Roxas relaxed but kept his entire mind focused on keeping the light around them. His eyes lost focus and his body shook with the strain. Roxas's eyes rolled back into his head and the trio fell downwards, head first, to the water below.

XxXxX

"Riku, what is that?" Sora asked. The silver haired man glanced up at the sky, peering to where the brunette was indicating. A light was falling in the sky.

"A shooting star?" Riku guessed. Sora scowled.

"It has to be someone. The light is unnatural so someone must be using it as a shield as they pass through the dark spaces between worlds."

"Then they're doing a terrible job." Sora punched his friend in the arm. "Okay, okay, we'll go check it out. Have Kairi watch the place while we're gone. I'll get in contact with Tidus to see what his position is." Sora nodded and jogged off, his black and yellow armor clanking together. Riku's armor was silvery blue with yellow. The Destiny Islands crest was imprinted on their left shoulder pauldron, which was larger than the right.

Sora came jogging back with Kairi in tow. The red head girl wore pink armor with white and sangria accents. She turned to Riku with a puzzled expression. Riku shrugged.

"Look, there it is!" Sora pointed out. Kairi gazed out across the water and spotted the light right away. It was a lot closer than before.

"It's going to land in the water. Where's Tidus?" she asked.

"I'll contact him now," Riku said, reaching for a walkie talkie on his belt. He changed it to the fifth station and it crackled to life. "Tidus, what's your position?"

"Beach front," a muffled voice called back. "Something you need?"

"We have an unidentified persona headed for the water. Requesting intercept. We'll be there in the boats as soon as we can."

"Roger that. Be there in two." The walkie talkie died and Riku slipped it back onto his belt.

"Let's get to the boats," Riku suggested. "Kairi…"

"I'm here, got it. I'll get Selphie on stand-by. Be careful out there, you two," Kairi said with a nod. Sora grinned and headed off towards the boats. Riku nodded to the red head and followed his friend. They jumped into the nearest boat and Riku started it. Sora stood at the bow as Riku steered it around. They sped off across the water as the light grew closer to the water's surface.

Sora watched the light slam into the water's surface and water exploded around it. He glanced back at Riku and the silver haired man nodded. Riku turned up the speed to max and they raced closer to the impact site.

XxXxX

Ienzo was frightened. He couldn't see anything from the light Roxas was pouring out to keep them safe and he couldn't hear anything but the wind rushing in his ears. He gripped tightly onto Roxas and silently prayed they would stop falling. Tears slipped out of his eyes. Ienzo screamed and pounded his fist into Roxas's back, attempting to wake the unconscious soldier.

"Roxas, please, I'm scared!" he begged but he received no response. He felt the air grow hot with humidity.

Then he was plunged into the water. Ienzo wanted to scream but he knew he had to hold his breath. Lexaeus had taught him how to swim a long time ago but he wasn't very good at it. The weight of Roxas and Demyx was also dragging him downwards.

Ienzo's lungs tightened as they begged for air. He wanted to scream.

Then they were surrounded. Ienzo could sense people all around them and they were tugged towards the surface. When his head broke, Ienzo gasped, filling his lungs to the brim with sweet oxygen. He panted heavily and clung onto Roxas. He tried to wake the blonde again with no luck. Ienzo could sense both he and Demyx were still out cold.

There was a sound of a motor and the water became wavy. Ienzo felt his body bob up and down in time with the water. He started picking out voices.

"Tidus!" someone called.

"We have three! One's a Knight but he looks like shit. The guy must have gotten his ass kicked," another voice, presumably Tidus, answered. Ienzo was suddenly lifted from the water and he felt his feet land on something solid, although it moved along with the waves. He heard the sound of water rushing off of something and there was a thud as Roxas was dragged into the boat. Demyx followed soon after.

Ienzo was wrapped in something warm and soft. A towel. Someone dried his hair and face while someone else saw to the pair of blondes.

"You're safe now," the man cooed softly. Ienzo could feel his body was filled with a soft light. It was comforting.

"Sora?" Ienzo asked. The man stopped and stiffened. "Are my friends okay?" Sora pulled back, confused and tense.

"Riku," he muttered, drawing the other man's attention. Riku stepped over and knelt in front of Ienzo. The man's spirit contained a lot of darkness, but it wasn't evil. If anything, it was strong, like bravery or courage.

"Can you tell us who you are?" Riku asked softly.

"Ienzo. I know you're both scared of Demyx, but he won't hurt. He's only trying to protect me. Roxas too."

"I take it that's the Knight and his friend?" Ienzo nodded. Riku sighed. "What were you doing?"

"Running away. The King wants us dead. Demyx passed out before we reached where he was taking us. Can you help him?" Ienzo's eyes were pleading

"I take it your friend didn't get his injuries on his own."

"Xigbar did that."

"Is the King looking for you?" Sora interjected. Ienzo nodded.

"They're close. They're bringing Knights." Riku swore under his breath while Sora paced the boat anxiously.

"Sora, calm down," Riku ordered.

"Riku! This is precisely what we DIDN'T WANT! We tried to stay out of this damn and it arrived on our doorstep," Sora ranted.

"We'll be fine."

"Fine? FINE?! Riku, they're coming here to kill us because they'll think we're harboring them."

"Then we'll leave them here." Sora walked over and smacked Riku over the back of the head.

"No! We do not leave people to die!"

"Then we'll deal with the consequences." Sora let out an exasperated sigh. He turned to Riku and Ienzo. The boy's face was scared and pleading.

"Please, don't leave us here," Ienzo begged. Sora threw his hands up in defeat.

"Bring us back to shore, Riku. We'll discuss this there." Riku nodded and went to the wheel. He brought the boat about and they headed for shore. Ienzo clung to his towel and crouched low on the boat deck. He shivered and forced himself not to cry.

The boat slowed and a wave of water crashed against the beach. Riku brought it alongside the dock and parked it while Sora jumped onto the dock and tied the boat down. Riku picked up Demyx and leaned the Knight against his shoulder. Sora hopped back onto the boat and started picking up Roxas. Kairi hurried over when the boat returned and was shaken by the sight of the strangers. When she caught sight of Ienzo, her disposition changed. She waited for Riku and Sora to carry the men off the boat so she could talk to the boy.

"Hey there," she called sweetly. Ienzo looked up. Kairi was made up of a shining light that overwhelmed her. There wasn't a trace of darkness on her. "Come on, let's get you some attention." Kairi held out her hand but Ienzo continued to stay put on the floor. Kairi frowned and retracted her hand. "Don't you want to come?"

"I'm scared," Ienzo admitted in a low tone.

"It's alright. I'll help you get off the boat and we'll take you to see Selphie. She'll take good care of you." Ienzo wasn't sure but he stood and shuffled over to her. He reached out a hand and she guided him off the boat. Ienzo slipped and nearly fell back in the water but Kairi was there to catch him. Kairi could see how scared the boy was so she picked him up in her arms. He clung to her neck, his body trembling. Kairi rubbed his back to soothe him while she carried him across the beach.

"I'm Kairi, by the way. What's your name?"

"Ienzo," the boy muttered.

"That's a pretty name." Ienzo blushed and buried his face into her neck. "It's okay. It's just a compliment."

"…thanks…your name is pretty too. It matches the light inside of you." Kairi smiled gently.

"You are so sweet!" Ienzo blushed deeper.

"Are my friends okay?" he asked again.

"They're being taken to Selphie now. We can check on them when we get there." Ienzo closed his eyes and dozed against Kairi's shoulder as she carried him to a small open walled hut farther into the island. She set down Ienzo on a cot and he curled up on his side. Kairi went over to Selphie, who was busy putting Riku to work. The pair's arms were splattered with blood as they tried to tame the wounds Demyx had endured.

Kairi then turned to Sora. The brunette was nursing Roxas's forehead with a damp cloth. The blood had been wiped from his face and he was resting but the pain on his face was obvious. Kairi knelt on the other side of Roxas's cot and looked to Sora. Sora glanced at her before wiping Roxas's face again.

"What's wrong, Sora?" she asked. Sora took a deep breath and sighed, lowering his gaze to his lap. Then he looked up at Kairi.

"We have a problem," Sora started.

"What sort of problem?" Kairi asked, her face slowly forming into a frown. Sora glanced at Ienzo before continuing.

"Apparently these two were trying to save the kid over there. Hollow Bastion is coming after them."

"Then we should get rid of them."

"Kairi!" Sora barked. The red head flinched. "We can't do that. You know as well as I do that they'll be killed."

"But what if they're lying? What if this is a trap?"

"Kairi, look at them. The Knight is beaten up and this guy is fatigued into unconsciousness. What if they were saving the kid? Should we cast them out for trying to act out such a noble deed?" Kairi scowled and lowered her gaze to Roxas's face. "Look, I know you don't want to be in this war anymore. None of us do. But we have to help those who are trying to put an end to this madness. We can at least do that much."

"And what do you propose we do, Sora? Fight? They outnumber us!"

"Yes, but we can still win."

"Stop trying to be optimistic all the time!" Kairi turned back to Sora, her gaze hard. "I'm so tired of all of this fighting. There's no end to it! What do they want? What do we want? I just want an answer and then I want this all to end."

"You know that won't happen, Kairi." Sora glanced over at Riku and Selphie. They were winding down working on Demyx. Sora turned back to Roxas. The soldier's helmet lay to the side of the cot since Sora wanted to see the young man's face. Kairi watched Sora rinse out the cloth and wipe Roxas's face again.

"You know, he looks like someone I once knew," Kairi brought up.

"Yeah?" Sora pressed. Kairi nodded.

"It was a little boy named Ventus but this man's too old to be him. I wonder who he is."

"We'll just have to wait until he wakes up to find out." Kairi ran her fingers over the armor on Roxas's arm. It was smooth, yet to have seen a battle.

The pair looked up as Roxas started coughing. He sat up violently and coughed up some water. Roxas wavered on the cot and nearly tipped over if Sora hadn't caught him.

"Easy there," Sora stated gently. Roxas's head swam. "Kairi, see if we have something for him to drink." The girl nodded and stood. She went over to the medical cabinet and found an Ether. She returned to Sora and cracked open the lid. Then she handed it to Roxas.

"Here. Drink up," she offered. Roxas shakily took the Ether and sipped it. His hands stopped shaking and he was able to finish the drink. His vision soon cleared, allowing Roxas to sit up by himself. He looked around until he spotted Ienzo sleeping on the cot, wet towel wrapped tightly around him. Then he turned to Sora.

"Did…did you say Kairi?" Roxas asked, his voice husky. Sora looked to the red headed girl and she looked spooked. Roxas turned to Kairi and looked her over. Then he smiled gently. "I see it now. Nam looks just like you." Kairi's eyes went wide and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Nam…Naminé? You know Naminé?!" she cried. Roxas nodded.

"I've spent the last two years looking out for her and Xion. You must be her sister. She misses you but she understands why you never go to see her." Kairi's shoulders sagged and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"That sounds just like her." Kairi sniffed and looked up at Roxas. "So who are you, exactly?"

"Roxas. I'm from Twilight Town but now I'm living with Naminé and Xion in Traverse Town. I don't exactly have a job but I keep the world safe."

"So you were a Twilight Guard," Sora guessed. Roxas tuned to the brunette.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Sora! I'm part of the Island Militia. Kairi is too. Over there is Riku, one of the captains and my best friend. Selphie's our medic. She'll look out for your friend," Sora explained. "Oh! And you'll have to thank Tidus later. He's part of our Frog Man unit. He works for Wakka, head of the Frog Men, but he's also our mech when we need one."

"Sounds like you have a solid team," Roxas noticed. Sora clasped behind his head and grinned.

"We sure do!" Roxas chuckled.

"Thanks. I wasn't expecting our trip to take such a drastic detour."

"Speaking of which, how did you get a Knight with you?" Sora asked.

"It's sort of a long story, but he roped me in for a favor. A friend of his saved my life a couple years ago and he wanted me to help Dem in return. Now Demyx and Zexion owe me, but honestly I don't know if I can ask for such a favor of them."

"Who are Demyx and Zexion?"

"Demyx is the Knight over there. Zexion is Ienzo's older brother. Ienzo's the kid sleeping. Oh and be careful. He's blind." Kairi suddenly realized her mistake from earlier but kept it to herself.

"Ienzo says there are people coming after you," Sora recalled. Roxas nodded grimly.

"I can fight. I'll help defend your home."

"But you just woke up! You need to rest."

"I've rested enough. Besides, they're over power you. They're bringing Knights."

"So I've heard." Sora sighed. "What about Demyx then?"

"What about him?"

"Is he…on our side? Or what? Should we…you know…kill him?"

"Demyx isn't from Hollow Bastion so he doesn't have ties to the world. He purposefully became a traitor to save Ienzo. Now he's wanted dead before the King."

"Sucks. So, he's cool then?"

"Yeah. He's cool. A bit eccentric but you get used to him. By the way, you didn't happen to grab his sitar, did you?"

"Um, no…he didn't have anything on him."

"I was holding it, or at least I was." Sora shook his head.

"Sorry. We didn't see it." Roxas sighed.

"It's alright. I just…" There was a loud explosion and water sprayed up in the distance. "Shit, they're here." Roxas leapt to his feet and slapped his helmet back on his head. "If you guys are ready to fight, I'll lead." Sora jumped to his feet and pulled out a sword.

"Definitely!" Sora shouted. Kairi rose to her feet as well. She held out her hand and a Keyblade composed of gold and metal flowers appeared. She swung it downwards to her side.

"I'm ready!" she agreed. Riku pulled out a sword and nodded in agreement.

"Be careful," Selphie called as the four headed towards the beach. Roxas held point while the three of the Island Militia stood behind him. Hundreds of Hollow Bastion soldiers hovered in the air on their transports. Roxas could make out the Knights that were present. Saïx was at the front of everything. Luxord was close behind on his right. A very livid Marluxia was on his left. Roxas felt his heart clench as he saw Axel was there too. The red head was sitting sideways on his transport, staring directly at him.

"I'm not going to lie, that's a lot of soldiers," Sora admitted out loud.

"You were the one who was prepared to face them," Riku reminded.

"Yeah, but do they have to be so damn intimidating?"

Roxas turned his gaze to Saïx. The head Knight sneered down at them.

"Destiny Islands, are you prepared to die for these traitors of the crown?" Saïx called. Sora and Riku exchanged glances. Sora then cleared his throat.

"Um, no! But I think that's out of your jurisdiction!"

"Silence, you insolent cretin." Sora flinched inwardly. Saïx then turned to Roxas.

"I see you came crawling back."

"Had to tick you off eventually!" Roxas countered. "Although I should thank you for being a dumb ass, Saïx. You really turned my life around." The Knight growled, gnashing his teeth together.

"I won't make the same mistake again!" Saïx barked. Roxas pulled out his twin swords and held them at the ready. Saïx drew his broadsword and held it in front of him. Then his jaw twitched. "Demyx! You decided to come crawling out of hiding, I see. Do you know the damage you've done to Hollow Bastion? Killed a Knight and gravely injured another. Thanks to you Xigbar's in a coma, lingering on the lines of critical condition."

Roxas turned to see Demyx slowly walking out to the beach. His head hung low so his eyes were cast in shadow. His wet hair hung in front of his face. Roxas was wondering how he was standing after the beating he took. As Demyx reached the edge of the beach, he started unclipping the armor from his body. First his shoulders and chest, then his arms. His legs then followed. Demyx paused to pull the greaves from his feet so he was walking barefoot on the sand.

For the first time, Roxas saw Demyx without a shirt. His chest was littered with blue tattoos. Around his neck, he wore a blue crystal on a long leather string. Roxas noticed Sora and Riku perk up at the site of Demyx without a shirt. It looked like they were both in awe. Demyx slowly walked past Roxas and the soldier could see the Knight's eyes were unfocused.

'Is he even aware of what he's doing?' Roxas wondered.

Demyx reached the edge of the water and kept walking. To Roxas's surprise, he walked on the surface. His footsteps made small ripples on the gentle waves. Sora was almost giddy behind him. Roxas turned to the overly excited man but Sora just motioned for Roxas to watch. So, with curiosity and confusion building in his head, Roxas turned to watch Demyx.

Whatever Demyx was doing seemed to intrigue the Hollow Bastion soldiers as well. Even Saïx looked slightly interested in what an unarmored man was doing walking on the water. About ten paces out, Demyx stopped walking. He held out his right hand to the side. The water bubbled and rose up to his open palm. Then it materialized into his sitar.

"Whoa!" Sora shouted. Roxas was feeling the same way.

Demyx held the sitar differently than he usually did. He was only holding it by the neck and held the base out so it barely rested on the surface of the water. Then he dragged it along the water, creating a small wake. He then quickly changed directions and swung it back to the right. Sora gasped like a giddy school girl.

"Is he seriously…? Riku!" He punched Riku in the arm. Riku shoved Sora away but he too had a small smile on his face. Kairi was just as confused as Roxas was. Selphie came running from the medical tent and slowed to a halt behind the Militia trio.

"I was wondering where he went…oh my gosh! Is he…?" she gasped. Sora turned around and grinned.

"I know, right?!"

"What the Hell are you guys talking about?" Roxas snapped.

"Just watch! You're in for a treat!" Sora chimed. Roxas frowned but kept watching. Demyx's movements had broadened so his feet moved as well. He spun and twirled the sitar in his palm. Then he swung it out and circled it over his head. Demyx held it in front of him and let go. The sitar remained hovering in the air while the Knight's hands hovered over it.

Then he plucked a string.

The sound seemed to vibrate ever cell in Roxas's body. His hair stood up on his back and he shuddered. Demyx plucked another chord and then a third. He began playing a melody that was extremely eerie to listen to. Roxas felt himself closing his eyes and listening to it. The song sounded as old as time itself.

The tune hummed in his throat even though he had never heard it before. Roxas heard Demyx softly singing words in a language unknown to him. He cracked open his eyes and then they widened. The water on the beach was receding and rising up in front of Demyx. Roxas save movement out of the corner of his eye and found the people of Destiny Islands were coming to the beach. They too had heard the song and were drawn to it. The people lined the golden sands and watched Demyx with anticipated eyes.

Demyx stopped playing but the song seemed to continue. He knelt down and gently placed a hand on the water's surface. The place he touched glowed gently. Then the light faded. As Demyx stood, the water burst and a monstrous creature rose from the depths of the sea. The Hollow Bastion soldiers were taken aback. Roxas glanced around the beach and saw some of the people were in various states of prayer or tears. His gaze turned back to the monster in the water. It was enormous. A fin rose out of its back and its arms were large and sturdy. Its body was shelled in heavy plated skin.

The sky crackled and lightning struck the water even when there were no clouds. Sora collapsed to his knees and stared. Riku lowered himself next to Sora and helped support his friend.

"What is that?" Roxas breathed.

"Sin," Sora stated. Roxas turned to the brunette.

"Sin?" Sora nodded.

"He's supposed to be some sort of god of an old world. A legend. To us, he's the most powerful summon ever created."

"Summon?" The creature roared and more lightning crackled.

"Summoners aren't well known in the inner worlds. Out here in the outer reaches, they're seen as a blessing to the cruelty of the hardships we had to endure during our pasts. Destiny Islands lost their summoner early on in the war. We were shattered and stepped back from the war. Seeing sin brings terror to our hearts, since he is the destroyer of worlds after all, but it's also a comfort."

"Sin can destroy worlds?"

"If left untamed or in the wrong hands. How was Demyx powerful enough to summon him?" Sora wondered.

"It's in his blood," Riku stated. Sora smiled lightly and nodded.

"Right." Roxas turned back to Sin. It rose up even higher out of the water and spread a pair of massive wings. When they were brought down to life Sin up, the people on the shore were forced to their knees, Roxas included. Sin soared into the air and ploughed through the Hollow Bastion soldiers. They started to flee, realizing the fight was theirs to lose. Roxas watched in awe as the hundreds of soldiers were cut down with little to no effort.

Demyx grabbed his sitar and strung it over his shoulder. Then he turned back to the shore. Roxas nearly died of a heart attack. While Roxas's eyes were on Sin, he failed to notice Demyx's hair turn white. Tiny droplets in his hair sparkled in the sunlight, making it shine. His eyes were consumed in a blue light and the crystal around his neck hovered over his chest, glowing softly.

Demyx spoke something to Roxas, but the language was foreign to him. Roxas shakily rose to his feet and felt something grip onto his hand. He looked down to find Ienzo there. His empty eyes stared out at Demyx.

"I see," he muttered. Then he smiled. "You're truly free now, Demyx."

The Knight stepped forward on the water's surface. Where his foot hit the water, it glow a soft blue aura. Sin gave a loud roar and then plunged downwards, disappearing under the water. A large wave rolled over the others and slammed into the beach, drenching everyone there. Roxas blinked the water from his eyes and pulled Ienzo back to his feet, since the force of the wave had pushed him into the sand. Demyx took another step forward and his crystal fell back to his chest. The light vanished from his eyes and he started to fall forward. Roxas released Ienzo's hand and ran out to him. He ran through the water, sending it spraying around his legs, and caught Demyx right before he hit the surface.

"Dem, Dem!" Roxas shouted. He checked the man's pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. He heard more people crashing through the waves and found Sora and Riku by his side. They helped carry Demyx back to the beach. As the trio stepped back onto the sand, a strange sound rose up from the people standing around them.

Applause.

People cheered and screamed wildly. Tears streamed down their faces in sweet relief. Demyx had saved their world and their lives. For that, they were eternally grateful. Roxas glanced at the Knight and he appeared to be sleeping peacefully, his white hair hanging around his face. He had brought hope back to a world and he wasn't even awake to reap the rewards. Roxas smirked at the notion. He felt Ienzo clasp onto Roxas's belt loop. The blonde peered down at him and smiled. Ienzo had picked up Roxas's discarded swords. He held them close to his chest.

Roxas let Sora and Riku bring Demyx back to the medical tent, accompanied by Selphie and Kairi, while Roxas lifted Ienzo onto his shoulders. Ienzo handed Roxas back his swords and the soldier sheathed them.

"You're free now," Roxas stated.

"Yeah. It's kind of nice. But Demyx was the one who needed freeing, not me," Ienzo replied, running his small fingers through Roxas's golden locks.

"You said that before."

"You'll have to ask him about it. But in that moment…it was something magical. Your courage had stirred up the light buried deep within Demyx. It brought his heart back to a place he forgot. You saved him from the darkness plaguing him, Roxas."

"Me?" Ienzo nodded with a happy grunt.

"You might not see it, but your light has a contagious effect on people. It's infectious, but in a good way. You bring hope to those who have completely lost it." Ienzo giggled. "Myself included. I think you stirred it up inside Zexion too."

"Well, you're welcome, although I honestly have no idea what I did," Roxas admitted, walking towards the medical area. The people on the beach watched him walk away and it was weird to feel so many stares.

"You're cleansing hearts."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were talking to my friends," Roxas teased, bouncing Ienzo on his shoulders. The boy laughed out loud. It was the first time Roxas had ever heard him to happy before.

"Oh, the things you don't know, Roxas. Now hurry up. Demyx is going to need us there when he wakes up."

"Aye aye, captain." Roxas took the last few steps off of the beach and headed down the path after Sora and his friends. Behind him was his trail of footsteps leading down to the quiet waves gently lapping at the shore.

XxXxX

Axel nursed his bruised ribs as he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Damn, Demyx. Did you have to hit back so hard?" He chuckled to himself. "What a liar. He never told me he was a summoner. What a joke. Now I'm stuck in bed for the next couple of days." His face fell into a more serious tone and his eyes grew somewhat sad. "What was that about, Roxas? That couldn't have been…or was it?" Axel reached a hand up towards the ceiling. "Just what is going on?" His hand clenched tightly into a fist.

The confusion he was feeling was only matched by the pain in his heart. Axel closed his eyes and let his heart wander. Kingdom Hearts was calling to him. He tried to interpret what it was feeling and could only come up with one answer. It was crying.

Tears of joy.

A/N-Musical Muse: Fi's Lament-Skyward Sword (not sure if that's the actual name...), Hymn of Faith-FFX, Suteki Da Ne-FFX (various versions) (Own nothings!)