Another kind of weird one this time. We're still setting up for something special here, but you'll see.
[Nehrut snores loudly…]
Nobody asked you, peanut gallery.
Anyhow, I own nothing, as usual.
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Chapter 134: The Recruitment
It was been almost a day until Sunset broke out of warp space over the glowing little world of Twilight Town. Roxas smiled, feeling like he was home.
He pressed his finger to the communications button for the ship speakers. "Namine, we're here!"
Seconds later, the blonde girl entered the cockpit. She stood behind the pilot's seat as Roxas brought them a little closer to the twilit world. He made a few adjustments to the navigation systems, and brought the ship to a halt in Twilight Town's orbit.
He flicked a few switches. "We're touching down at Sunset Terrace."
"You know, Roxas..." Namine said. "We can probably afford to stay here for a little bit, if you want."
Roxas smiled at her suggestion, and reached up behind him. He squeezed her hand gently in his. "Well, maybe we could stop for a bit of sea-salt ice cream..."
"I always liked that stuff." She kissed his cheek.
The two stepped onto the transmission pads.
!
A few seconds later, Roxas and Namine were standing on the grassy hill just outside of the small neighborhood of Sunset Terrace. Not surprisingly, it hadn't changed since Sora and company had left it the last time.
Roxas smiled widely, and took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of Twilight Town, which had a distinctive 'autumn' feeling.
He walked over to one side of the hill that overlooked the sea of orange running beneath it. And, there were the train tracks, which led to the rest of the town. He sighed, feeling completely at peace for the first time in ages.
Namine crept up next to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder. He gazed out into the mass of orange, smiling. His eyes drifted shut. "I missed this place."
Namine squeezed his arm, and briefly pressed her lips to his cheek.
The two stayed up on that hill for several minutes, simply allowing their thoughts to wander.
Eventually, they found themselves walking down the hill, and into the small neighborhood of Sunset Terrace itself. People were milling about in typical small-town fashion, despite the fact that Twilight Town was a pretty large place. Roxas saw people watering their plants, chatting with their neighbors, and just being all-around nice people.
Twilight Town was a rare kind of world, where almost every last person was good and decent.
The two former Nobodies arrived at the train station just as the large, violet train slid to a stop in front of them. They waited for a moment for all of its current passengers to disembark. Roxas recognized one of them as the man who commentated and refereed the Struggle tournament every year (or at least had in the virtual version of the town).
When they had gotten off, Roxas and Namine stepped onto the train. They discovered that they were the only ones on board besides the engineer in the front. Roxas gave him ten munny, and the train took off down the tracks toward the main body of Twilight Town.
The ride passed mainly in companionable silence, until they arrived at their destination just over ten minutes later, within the train station beneath the clock tower. They tipped the driver for his services, and stepped out.
"So, do we check the Usual Spot first?" Namine asked.
"Uh-huh."
The two stepped out into the street, and took a right down Market Street. They followed the sloping street down to the very end, stepped into an alleyway, and stopped upon finding the chain-link fence with a red curtain hanging in front of it.
Smiling at the memories the familiar sight brought back, Roxas reached out, and pushed the curtain aside.
There was nobody inside, but it was exactly as he had seen it in the virtual Twilight Town, down to the last detail. The dart board, the old, beaten-up couch, and the freezer sitting in the corner were all still there.
Not pausing, Roxas walked directly over to the freezer, and opened it up.
"I don't think they'll appreciate you raiding the fridge, Roxas." Namine said, with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah, Olette keeps this thing well-stocked." He said, emerging with two sea-salt ice cream bars. "They'll never know."
He promptly flopped down onto the couch, and took a large bite out of his ice cream. He momentarily cringed at the salty assault on his tongue, but then smiled in contentment. Namine laughed at his dazed expression. "I think you're enjoying it too much, Roxas."
He didn't rise to the challenge, and held out the other ice cream bar for her to take. She took a seat beside him, and took it with thanks. She took a much smaller bite than he had, and leaned back on the couch.
"We'll finish eating, and then go out and find them." She said.
Unexpectedly, Roxas coiled an arm around her waist. He whispered into her ear, "Or... We could finish eating, get seconds, and kill time while we wait for them here."
Roxas kissed her on the cheek, and then slowly kissed his way down her jaw, eventually finding her lips. Namine blushed furiously, and held back a moan. "Okay..."
The two interspersed bites of their ice cream with soft kisses, in a ridiculously cute display that might have even made Xemnas smile fondly. When there was nothing left of the ice cream but sticky wooden sticks in the waste basket, Roxas pulled Namine as close to him as he could, pressing his lips softly to hers, and making her shiver.
Namine was fiercely enjoying herself, and moaned quietly when he started rubbing her back in small circles. She tangled her fingers into his soft, pointy hair, smiling into the kiss.
"Ah, geeze! We sit there, for crying out loud!" Came a voice, suddenly.
Roxas and Namine broke apart, blushing redder than tomatoes. Standing in the doorway were Hayner, Pence, and Olette. The two boys looked embarrassed, but Olette looked as though she were restraining herself from giggling.
"Hey, guys." Roxas made an attempt at tidying his hair after Namine had messed with it, and failed utterly, given the fact that the spikes were always present. "Sorry about that."
"Well, we'll just have to disinfect the couch later." Hayner walked fully into the room, patting Roxas on the shoulder. "What're you guys doing here?"
"Yeah, weren't you stuck with Sora and Kairi?" Olette asked curiously.
"We were." Namine said with a grin. "But some odd things happened, and here we are."
"We have an offer for you guys." Roxas said.
Hayner, Pence, and Olette looked at each other for a moment. "What?"
"How'd you like to join WASP?" Roxas asked.
"What's WASP?" Pence asked.
"The World Alliance for Safety and Protection." Namine answered. "We're a whole bunch of warriors from a bunch of different worlds, coming together to go up against the Brotherhood of the Dark."
"I thought we couldn't get to their headquarters?" Hayner asked, sitting on the heating unit that he frequently vacated. Pence and Olette took their seats, as well.
"Goofy's son Max was able to get on and off Pax Pacis. He stole the engine part we need to get there, and we have people reverse engineering it to make more for our ships. In the meantime, we're going to anybody who wants to help us, and gathering them into one army."
"So, interested?" Roxas finished for Namine.
The three Twilight Town natives looked at each other for a moment. Hayner reached behind his seat, and withdrew the sword Yen Sid had given him. It gleamed in the light filtering through the roof of the Usual Spot.
He held it up to look at it for a moment, and then looked at his friends. They both nodded. Olette got up from her seat, and placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him.
"We'll do it."
!
Axel emerged from warp space above the Cimarron just about an hour after Roxas and Namine arrived at Twilight Town. This was a small, green, very, very bright world.
With practiced hands, Axel guided the Phoenix into the world's orbit, bringing it to a complete halt moments later. He gazed down at the world for a minute or two, pondering what little he knew of the place.
From what Spirit and Rain had communicated to him, he knew it had a very small human population. The rest of the world was dominated by wild animals, primarily herds of intelligent stallions, living and thriving on the great, wide planes.
He had to wonder whether a shape change was required for him on this world. He was technically here to pick up a horse, but did that require that he needed to be one, as well?
He shrugged; he'd figure it out as he went along. He walked to the transmission pad.
!
Yep. Shape-change.
The magical properties in Axel's new clothing had transformed him on the way to the surface of the Cimarron.
He was now a tall, well-built stallion. He had short, bright red hair all across his body, and a spiked, wild mane of the same color going down his head and neck. His gleaming black hooves were large, and powerful.
Axel took a few steps forward, gradually starting to get the hang of his new form, and looked around him. As far as he could see, there was simple, rugged, nature. He stood on a wide, grassy green plane. The sky was a bright blue, with barely a cloud in it. Far, far off in the distance was a great mountain range. Here and there were small groves of trees.
He couldn't see any other sign of life around, so, as soon as he had gotten the hang of his new means of locomotion, he took off in a randomly conceived direction.
With his long, powerful legs, he made surprisingly good time. He galloped across the hilly plane, searching every direction to see if he could find anything. But after nearly ten minutes, he saw no other sign of life -human, stallion, or otherwise- apart from a small flock of birds.
Axel grunted in irritation (though it came out as a snort) and stopped. He closed his eyes, listening carefully. If he couldn't see anybody, maybe he could hear them. It seemed like long odds, but it was better than sitting still.
Just a few short moments later, he understood that horses had far greater hearing than humans. Now that he was actually concentrating, he could hear quite a few things with great accuracy.
His sharp ears picked up the sound of trickling water not too far away.
Axel immediately set off at a fierce gallop in the direction off the noise, all the while, still listening for further activity.
As he neared the water he had heard before, he began to pick out other sounds. Among them were the braying and neighing of wild horses. He smiled, realizing that he was now on the right track, if nothing else. If the horse he was looking for wasn't among those he could hear, they might at least be able to point him to her.
In just a few short minutes, Axel came into sight of a small, crystal-clear lake. The herd of stallions he had heard before was congregated on its banks. They were either enjoying the waters of the lake, bathing themselves in it, or grazing on the green grass around them.
He approached the herd slowly, noting the many different varieties of horses among them. He drew some curious glances from the nearest of them –possibly due to the bright coloration- but once they understood that he was no threat, went back to their own business.
Axel looked around the herd, trying to find somebody who might be ready and willing to help him. Finally, he decided on an older chestnut palomino mare, with a gleaming coat, grazing near the bank of the lake. He trotted up slowly to her.
When he tried to speak, it came out as a horse's whinny. Somehow, though, he understood what he was somehow saying, as did the palomino.
Excuse me, ma'am?
The palomino looked up.
How can I help you, stranger?
So they had noticed that he wasn't from around here.
I'm looking for the daughter of Spirit and Rain. Her name is Midnight; do you know where I can find her?
The palomino looked surprised, and it was an unusual expression on a horse's face.
I should. She's my granddaughter.
Axel smiled in quiet triumph. He'd found one of the girl's family! It was perfect.
I understand that she's dealt with people from other worlds before. Her parents asked me to-
You've seen them? Recently?
They're on another world, amongst friends. You don't have to worry about them. We're mounting an offensive against a massive Dark organization, and they recommended her to help us.
The palomino seemed to smile at this.
That sounds just like my son. He's always willing to rush headlong into some conflict. Is it for a worthy cause?
Definitely.
The palomino looked at him carefully.
What is your name?
Axel. Got it memorized?
And I have your assurance that you won't harm my grandchild?
Yes.
She looked him over carefully, and searched his eyes for any sign of insincerity. She apparently found none.
Come with me.
The palomino trotted away slowly, moving farther from the lake and the herd. Axel followed, feeling that things were going extremely smoothly.
After a few minutes of walking, his palomino escort stopped at the end of a small grove of trees.
She'll be in here.
The two walked past the tree line. Only a short distance away, Axel saw her.
Lying down at the base of a tree was a young mare. She had sleek, jet black hair all over her body, and a long mane of wild hair. She looked to be asleep.
The palomino trotted up to her, and nudged the side of her head with her snout, jostling her awake. Her eyelids opened, and immediately fell upon Axel.
She 'groaned' and got back on all fours.
Don't tell me... You're another loser who wants to be my mate.
Woah, excuse me?
Look, I'll save you the trouble. No.
Axel was getting a little confused.
I'm not trying to... Uh. Look, I'm a friend of your parents. Name's Axel.
Midnight looked at him suspiciously. She seemed to be examining him closely, as though trying to recognize him.
You're from another world, aren't you?
She was a sharp girl, Axel realized. She had almost instantly recognized him for what he was.
Yes, I am.
Prove it.
So, she wanted to play this game. Fine.
Axel concentrated hard, as Flora had told him. His horse-form began to change. Slowly, his hair sank away into his body. His hooves became hands and feet. His joints changed, making him stand back on his two hind legs. His snout shortened, and disappeared. His clothing appeared on his body.
In about ten seconds, the fully human Axel stood before Midnight.
The palomino was certainly shocked, and backed up a few steps. But Midnight, on the other hand, didn't appear very shocked. She was smiling.
Nice. Let me show you something.
She let off a bright flash of light, suddenly. When it faded, Axel couldn't hide his surprise.
She had become human. Rather than the horse that had been there before, there now stood a teenage girl who looked to be about seventeen. She was a bit under average height, with an athletic build, and tanned, olive-colored skin. She had deep, bright blue eyes and long, wild black hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a simple black T-shirt, and a pair of baggy blue jeans. In leather sheaths strapped to both of her legs were what appeared to be battle scythes.
"Where did you learn that?" Axel asked, looking at her curiously.
She grinned, revealing very white teeth. "A friend taught me."
"If I asked who, would you tell me?"
"Probably not until I knew you better."
"Fair enough." Axel shrugged. "That's not why I'm here, anyway. Would you be interested in joining your parents in WASP?"
"What's WASP?"
"World Alliance for Safety and Protection. Long story short, a bunch of people are teaming up to fight a great big group of evil people. Interested?"
"Yeah." She replied immediately.
Her lack of visible surprise or hesitation startled Axel. "You uh... Don't want to think about it?"
"I already promised myself that the first chance I'd have to get off this world, I'd take it." She said.
"Really?"
"Yes. Is the 'big group of evil people' a threat to this world?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll join WASP."
This was going a lot more smoothly than Axel had ever reasonably hoped to expect. The girl was already ready and willing to go with him.
"Okay... Uh. Let's go then."
"Just one second." She said, leaving the grove of trees. "I'd like to say goodbye to some folks."
As she left them, Axel pondered several questions in his head. Where had this random girl learned shape-changing magic, and who had taught her? Where had she acquired her weapons? And why exactly was she so willing to leave the Cimarron?
Axel looked at the palomino, who had remained respectfully quiet throughout his entire exchange with Midnight. There was one other question.
"She's rejected a bunch of 'mates?'"
The palomino looked like it was a touchy subject.
A few years ago, a boy from another world came here. They were an 'item' for a while, you could say. Circumstance forced him to leave, and Midnight has never recovered. She's still waiting for him, though I don't know if she'll ever see him again.
Axel nodded in understanding. That explained a few things. Perhaps she wanted to leave the Cimarron to find this boy. And maybe that same person had taught her magic, and given her the weapons.
But the question remained on who that person actually was.
"Did you know his name?"
I had never met him personally. All I know was that the two seemed quite smitten with each other.
"Twitter-pated, even?"
What?
"Never mind. Well, maybe she'll tell me eventually." Axel shrugged. "In the meantime, would you be interested in joining us? Every pair of... uh, hooves counts."
I appreciate the offer, but I must decline. Somebody needs to give this herd direction.
"Fair enough. I'll make sure Midnight stays safe."
That is all I can ask.
Midnight returned less than ten minutes later, and embraced her horse grandmother in farewell. She ran her hand through her long mane. "I won't be gone long. And I promise that I'll make a difference out there."
I know you will, my dear.
Axel allowed the two their moment, and then Midnight turned to him, a confident smile on her lips. He had to respect that, and he returned the smile.
Neither of them could have known that they already had a friend –and an enemy- in common.
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