This chapter is pretty roughly written. It looks like its almost completely raw material from the role play we did to write the chapter. For the majority of this story, Neox-chan and myself would role play the chapter then I would convert it into story from. This usually took 2 to 3 drafts of edits before it was ready to be posted. This is probably draft 1.
Status – Finished.
Chapter 51
"I'm sorry, you want us to do what?" Neox asked Saix. "Why the heck do we have to find her?!"
"Yeah!" Calixa agreed. Who cared if Bàli hadn't returned from her mission. She was useless to the organization anyways.
"I'm not arguing about this. That is the mission. The five of you are to locate and retrieve number seventeen. That is an order," Saix said before walking away.
Neox and Calixa sighed in annoyance. Xacrrie looked upset, "Why cant I go..." she whined.
"Because you've been assigned another mission," Roxas replied who was standing nearby. "Come on, Zexion said that he wants us in his room."
"I'm not in the mood to go looking for an annoying person," Calixa groaned.
"Well, you have to," Roxas replied creating a portal which would lead to Zexion's room.
They all walked in, rolling their eyes. Xac actually tried to go in too. "Number nineteen come back here, you have your own mission to go on," Saix ordered.
"Dammit..." she groaned, and turned around to follow him.
When they all arrived in Zexion's room they found the entire room was filled with the strangest clothing any of them had ever seen. "What the heck is this?" Neox ask, looking at them.
"Oh good, you're here," Zexion said. "I need you all to pick out your outfits to wear on the mission. All the girls clothes are to the left and all the boys clothes are to the right."
"How can you tell the difference?" Neox asked.
"Why can't we just go in our organization outfits?" Xion asked.
Zexion glared at Neox for his comment before continuing. "Because there is a certain dress code for this world, that we must follow."
The four younger members all looked through the clothes. "Zexion why are these shirts as long as dresses?" Calixa asked.
"Its part of the dress code, and you'll have to have find something to put over your head. Girls have to cover all their hair." Zexion explained.
"This is a really strange world," Calixa grumbled.
After a few minutes everyone had picked out their outfits. Calixa had picked out a loose pair of brown pants and a blue shirt that went down to her knees, and a flowered covered headscarf. Xion picked a similar outfit except the pants and shirt matched and were purplish pink, with small flowers on it, and a purple headscarf that was plain. Neox finally settled on a cream colored pants and what he called a dress followed by a long navy blue jacket, and a gray turban. Zexion and Roxas had similar outfits. Zexion's was the same color as Neox's, with a red Jacket and matching turban. Roxas however chose a darker color almost black outfit with matching jacket and turban.
"Well, on the bright side Cali, you won't have problems hiding your hair." Neox mumbled, glaring at the clothes.
"Shut up!" the carrot head hissed, she was still sore about losing all her hair.
"It really doesn't look all that bad Cali," Roxas tried to comfort her.
"I nearly mistook her for Demyx," Neox taunted the carrot haired girl.
Calixa glared and would have hit him, if Zexion hadn't been in the room. Neox laughed and went a bit too far. "Heck, I nearly thought she was Lexaues!"
Calixa lunged at him, knocking him to the floor. The two then began wrestling on the ground. "Stop this instant we don't have time for this," Zexion ordered and by his tone of voice both stopped and stood up glaring at each other. "Now Xion and Calixa go into a different room and change, we leave in ten minutes."
"We have to change here?" Neox and Roxas asked instantly.
"Yes, we have no time to wait. Seventeen could be in danger for all we know."
"Who cares?" Neox mumbled, but then looked up. "I can't change in front of people."
"I can't either. Because of one of Calixa's pranks," Roxas said, sending her a glare.
Calixa smiled innocently and both left the room, neither having a problem with changing in front of the other. "I'll go into my room and change." Roxas said, opening a portal and exiting through it. Neox did the same quickly.
"We leave in ten minutes!" Zexion yelled.
When they were all changed they all met back in Zexion's room. The first thing Calixa noticed was how much of her skin was covered. In fact only her face and hands were shown. "They seem to go out of their way to cover up," she grumbled. "at least it's comfortable."
"It's not burning hot at least..." Neox sighed.
The senior member created a portal and motioned for them to all go through. They walked through and Neox almost instantly turned back, but Roxas stopped him. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A DESERT?!" he cried out.
"Uh! I hate deserts," Calixa whined. "There's so much lose dirt and dust and-"
"SCORPION!" Neox squeaked, jumping into Calixa's arms when said bug crawled by him.
"Just avoid it," Zexion replied unconcerned. "It wont bother you if you don't bother it."
Neox whined and got back on the ground, though was clinging close to his friend. "This place reminds me of Agrabah," Xion commented.
"Except Agrabah doesn't have any cars," Roxas replied pointing at a nearby motor vehicle.
"And not everything is made from sand," Neox said and glanced over at Calixa. "I'm surprised Calixa isn't hyperventilating." Neox said, looking around
"I will be soon, from overheating," she groaned. "Its so hot in all this clothing. Can't we shed some of these layers?" she started to remove her headscarf.
"NO don't!" Zexion stopped her. "Its against the law to any more skin other than your face and hands."
"Against the law? Are you kidding me?" Xion asked, fanning herself with a book.
"I am not kidding, you will be arrested if you take off anything even your head scarfs."
"Then maybe we should start with the local jail. Bàli probably didn't know and showed too much skin or something," Roxas suggested.
"That sounded a lot worse than intended, Roxas." Calixa said flatly, walking toward a map sign. Xion giggled at the comment and followed her. Neox automatically followed since he refused to leave Calixa's side. "Looks like the jail is in the middle town," she said.
"Right. Can we hurry up before we get overheated please?" Neox asked not even looking at what the girl was reading.
They headed in that direction, hoping that Bali would be there. "Excuse me, sir." Zexion said to a man passing by with his family. "Would you be so kind as to direct me to the jail?"
The man gave him a weird look, possible because he was the only man around that didn't have a beard but eventually said, "Sure it's just over there beyond the theater."
"Thank you very much," Zexion said, walking away
"I don't like this world..." Neox said, frowning.
"How come?" Roxas asked him.
"Why do you think its so hot!" Calixa replied for him.
"Exactly... And we have to wear these heavy ass clothes too." Xion complained, pulling at the neck of her outfit while fanning inside of her shirt.
"Well lets hurry and get to the jail before we all melt," Roxas said.
"Hopefully it won't be hotter inside." Neox agreed
When they reached the jail it, turned out to be a stone building. And it was actually cooler inside. "Thank heart," Neox sighed, about to take the turban off
"Don't Neox," Roxas stopped him, "Remember what Zexion said."
"I thought that was a girl rule..." the kid groaned
"No its the dress code for everyone. I do believe they call it the Hijab," Zexion explained before approaching a nearby guard. "Excuse me we're looking for someone."
"Who is it that you're looking for?" the man asked.
"Well we're looking for a young woman about fifteen. We think that she might have been brought here."
"Can you describe her appearance?"
"She has very, very pale skin, and blue eyes."
"Oh. THAT one." the guard growled.
They all looked at each other. That didn't sound like a good sign, "Um... may we see her please?" Zexion asked.
"Alright. But you will not get a moment alone with her," the guard said, and then led them back to where they had the cells. All seemed to be empty until they reached Bàli's.
She was laying down on the bed provided, looking like someone killed her puppy. Well there original thought of why she might be here was thwarted by by what what she was wearing. It was a long black dress layered with a pink and white overcoats, and a black and blue headscarf. None of her skin was showing except for her face and hands. "Bàlicoxom!" Neox said, punching the cell bars to get her attention.
"Aye, tis bout time ye came," she said looking relieved and standing up.
"What the heck are you doing in here?" Calixa asked.
"I 'ave been wrongly accused of stealing," she replied.
"What'd you steal?" Neox asked.
"I didnae steal anythin, someon else did it, and I was blamed."
"How were you blamed for it?" Zexion asked.
"I'm nae sure. I was jist standin by the market when a man took off runnin. An all de sudden I was being acused of slealing dis vera expencive necklace."
"Well whatever. We're breaking you outta here." Neox said. "I don't wanna stay another moment in this place."
"Neox we can't, big tall and ugly is standing behind us," Roxas said to him.
"Shhh he might hear you," Calixa hissed.
"Whatever" Neox said. Then turned to face the security guard. He summoned up some darkness and formed it into the shape of a some kind of demon with huge sharp teeth and claws. The guard screamed like a little girl and ran back down the way he came. Neox dismissed the "monster' and went back to work looking for the way to open the cell.
"Bàli why didnt you just explain that it wasn't you?" Roxas asked.
"I couldnae get 'im tae understan me," Bàli replied. Calixa assumed they probably couldn't understand that horrible accent of hers.
"I hate this world so much more right now." Neox growled. "There's no keyhole to this thing!"
Suddenly four huge guys ran into the room pointing machine guns at them. "You all must leave right now," one of them ordered.
"Listen, th' guy that rella stole it, owns th' theater neist door. Jus fin' th' item' n' bring it back tae shaw thaim ah didnae steal it," Bàli explained while everyone raise their hands in surrender.
Neox glared at the guards, looking ready to get out his keyblade. "Neox don't," Zexion ordered
"Fine..." Neox sighed. They all began to leave, but as the final F. U. to the guards, Neox turned to them and summoned more darkness which had formed into a medusa-like appearance this time. The guards screamed like a little girl, and Neox smirked as they left. The group left the jail building, leaving Bàli behind, so they could go clear her name.
"I guess we should head over to the theater," Calixa reasoned sighing as they stepped out into the heat again. Neox was clinging to Calixa again. "Would you get off me, its hot enough without adding your body heat," she snapped.
Neox looked hurt and backed off, walking ahead of them. They soon arrived at the theater and walked in. It looked like a dinner theater inside. Tables were set out on the floor surrounding a stage, there seemed to be some sort of performance, on the stage. "Great, more weirdness." Xion said, commenting on the strange dance moves happening on stage.
"So… if you were the owner of this place, and just stole a very expensive necklace, where would you hide it?" Roxas asked no one in particular.
"In my office somewhere," Neox replied in thought.
"Good idea Neox," Xion agreed. "Its probably backstage somewhere."
"Right, let's go." Calixa said, walking ahead. The others followed but it wasn't long before they were halted by a couple of guards standing in the way of the entrance to backstage.
"Excuse us, we have important business here," Zexion said to them.
"No admittance unless you're part of the staff," one guard replied, shaking his head. Three dance girls suddenly passed them and the two guards allowed them to pass. Zexion gave him a questioning look and the guard replied, "Performers are part of the staff, now be on your way."
"So performers are part of the staff, huh..." Zexion mused, then turned back to the others. "We will have to find another way to get in, they only allow anyone with official business backstage." He added stating the obvious.
Neox tugged on Zexions' robes, "Zexion, I know how to charm snakes," he said.
Zexion looked at him then blinked. "... You? Charm snakes?"
"Y-Yeah, I mean I can play a flute, so that should mean I can charm snakes as well."
"Neox, I don't think the concept applies like that." Roxas said.
"Sure it does," the boy insisted.
"Have you ever even seen a snake?" Calixa asked.
"Sure I have, on TV. Would you stop questioning, how else are we going to get back there."
"Good point." Zexion said, looking at the guards. "Fine... Let's get you signed up Neox." Zexion turned back to the guard, "We are performers, we're the new snake charmers."
The guards gave him a suspicious look, "Where's the snake?"
"Um..." Zexion was at a loss of what to say.
"They were supposed to provide the snake, to show that I could charm any snake," Neox said.
"Yes, you were supposed to provide the snake, it was in our contract," Zexion repeated to the guard.
"Oh. I see. Forgive me." the guard said, standing aside.
"I hope you know what you're doing Neox," Roxas warned as they walked past the guards.
"What could go wrong?" Neox asked.
"I don't know, you could get bitten."
"I won't get bitten!" Neox argued
"What makes you say that?" Calixa asked.
"Cuz I know I can do this."
When they reached backstage a man came by with a closed basket and handed it to Neox. "Your the next act in five minutes," he said. Neox took the basket and set it down, smiling.
"Ok Neox you go on stage in five minutes," Zexion repeated what the man said. "Are you sure you can do this?"
"Of course!" Neox said happily.
"Where do you think that guys office is?" Roxas asked, looking around. We can go search for the necklace while Neox is performing."
"Maybe that way." Xion said, pointing.
"You two try to find it. Calixa and I will stay with Neox," Zexion said
"Ok," Roxas said and the group departed.
A few minutes later, Neox was on stage. He received applause for a moment then he started playing his flute. Meanwhile Xion and Roxas found out where the guys office was, but unfortunately they couldn't get anywhere near it because it was being heavily guarded.
Sadly for Neox, his playing was good... but the snake apparently didn't care. It popped its head out to see who was playing the flute before going straight back into the basket. He kicked the basket and started playing again. The snake got angry and poked its head out and snapped at him, making Neox jump back to avoid it.
The crowd laughed before starting to boo at the him. Calixa couldn't help but giggle a bit at this. This isn't going very well. She looked around and saw some extra belly dancing outfits nearby.
While Zexion was complaining about Neox's incompetence, she went and quickly got changed, making sure nobody saw her. Fruit was starting to be thrown at Neox, then suddenly strange music started playing. To Neox's surprise Calixa suddenly came out wearing a belly dancing outfit and started dancing to the music.
He quickly got off stage, standing by Zexion and watching. Zexion too looked surprised at this. Meanwhile Xion and Roxas were up on the stage rafters trying to get around the guards. Roxas suddenly stopped half way across the stage, as he looked down at Calixa, also surprised by this. Xion broke the trance by tapping his foot and telling him to keep moving.
"I never knew Cali could belly dance," Roxas said to Xion.
"We'll have to ask her later, come on move!" he hissed.
He nodded and went as quickly as he could. They made it back onto the floor and managed to get around the guards, thankfully the door to the office was unlocked. Quickly as possible, they ran around, searching for evidence of Bali's innocence
It was Xion who found the necklace, "I found it!," she squealed.
"Let's hurry up and get outa... here..." Roxas trailed off after realizing that they couldn't get back up to the rafters from here.
"What do we do now?" Xion asked.
Roxas looked around and saw a desk in the corner. "... Stand on that desk. I'll climb up the wall off your shoulders and bring you up too, then we can do the same to get up to the rafters." he said to her
"Ok," Both climbed onto the desk and Xion ducked down to allow Roxas to get on her shoulders.
—
The entire group managed to get outside with the stolen necklace. Calixa was back in her normal clothes. Or normal for that world anyway, "Cali since when do you know how to belly dance?" Neox asked her.
"Yeah, that surprised me too," Xion said, looking at the younger girl.
"I don't know. Its just been something I've always known," Calixa replied with a shrug.
Neox looked like he wanted to argue but Zexion interrupted by saying, "Come on we need to go bail out number seventeen."
"Oh yeah. I forgot we had to do that," Calixa sighed.
They went to the police station and managed to convince the guard that Bàli was innocent. The guard looked more than reluctant to allow Bàli to go, but knew he had to. "I'll let her go, but I'll be keeping an eye on her."
Calixa just rolled her eyes, "Dude why don't you just admit you were wrong?" she asked him.
The guard glared. "You better watch your mouth," he warned and stalked out of the room.
Calixa turned around and saw that everyone was staring at her like she had just grown a second head. "What the hell was that!?" Neox asked the question that was on all their minds.
"Calixa... since when can you speak this language?" Zexion asked in equal shock.
"W-what do you mean?" Calixa asked nervously.
"You just talked to that guy! In another tongue!" Xion said, staring. Though she looked a bit freaked out.
"Calixa... The reason none of us have spoken to anyone here is because only Zexion understands ANY of this world's language," Roxas explained.
"That's why I hate this world... I can't understand anything anybody says..." Neox said, shivering a bit
Calixa just stared at them baffled. "B-But everyone's been speaking English..." Suddenly it all came crashing down on her. She recognized that the language everyone was speaking wasn't English. But she could still understand it. "How's this possible..."
They all stared at her, wondering the same. "Maybe..." Neox started. "Maybe... this is your home world, Cali..."
"B-But I thought I was from Neverland..." it was now fully clear. "She knew both English and Hebrew, she could distinguish between them now. Just to test it out, she started speaking in Hebrew.
The group stared at her in surprise. "Calixa... Welcome home." Neox said, smiling at her
Calixa just looked out at the open sandy desert. Was this her home world? She didn't remember much about her life in Neverland. She just remembered waking up there. She wasn't sure if this was her home world, but she did know that it's somehow connected to her.
I had a whole backstory for Calixa that I was slowly revealing. The world in this chapter is called Tzva'i Leumi. I have no idea where the name came from, but I know that world is supposed to be a modern day Agrabah.