The Highwind left the world of Castle Disney behind, being piloted by Sora's meanwhile skilled pilot hands.
"Let's hope we don't fly into any Heartless this time," he told his three female fellow crewmates. He grinned back to Kairi. "You know, I'm actually happy you came along... it'll be the first journey with you at my side... not counting the time you were my 'passenger'."
Kairi grinned. "Well, I'm happy, too. This way, I can keep a better eye on you."
Kari giggled. The way those two bickered lovingly with each other reminded her of the Sora from her world and her big brother.
She wished she knew where T.K. was.
"Hey, can you tell me where we are going?" Gatomon asked Sora.
"No idea, there are so many worlds out there... I have been on many of them, but I still don't know how many of them are there," the Keyblade boy shrugged.
"Just flying around blindly, not knowing where we have to go?" Gatomon wondered. "Is that really a smart thing to do?"
"I wouldn't worry," Kairi smirked as she rubbed the chin of the little cricket that had jumped up on her shoulder. "With this little fortune bringer, we're bound to have some luck."
Cri-Kee happily chirped in agreement.
Roxas frowned when he looked at the screen of the little TV that was standing in the hut. On it, he could see how Kairi was talking with Sora and that other girl and her cat partner.
He was startled when someone put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, why the long face?"
Roxas looked up, into Namine's face. "I... I don't know, Namine... I really have to agree with that cat... do you think they will manage to accomplish anything, even though they don't know where to go?"
Namine smiled. "Hey, that's Sora you're talking about. The boy who managed that Nobodies like us could have a life even after our disappearance from the real world. And when during his journeys did he ever know once where his ship was taking him?"
Roxas agreed that Namine was right. After all, he had seen Sora'a adventures in his dreams... while Namine knew about Sora's past because she had held his memories in her hands during his stay in Castle Oblivion.
"But still... don't you think we should do something to help them?" he asked.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Namine asked. "Only when we are in this little pocket of reality, can we act as if we were normal human beings... when we leave it, we are limited to being passive watchers."
"Still, we could try and find out if this girl Kari's friends are in some other world..."
"Stop worrying and try to enjoy what we have planned for today," Namine told him with a playful poke to his nose.
The door opened and a grinning face, framed with flame-red hair, looked inside. "Hey, you two lovebirds, are you ready to PARTY?"
"Yeah, we're ready," Namine smiled. "Just a minute, Axel!"
"Awww, is Roxy all mopey?" Axel smirked as he came inside. He grabbed his best friend's chin and pulled his head up, so he would look at him."
"You already forgot why we wanted to have this party?" Axel asked.
"I might have forgotten..." Roxas muttered.
"Well, let me spell it out for you: To! Have! Fun! Got it memorized?"
Roxas had to chuckle at his friend's upbeat demeanor. "Yeah, I got it... okay, okay, I'll stop being mopey and join the fun."
"That's more like it!" Axel laughed and patted Roxas' shoulder.
Roxas then noticed the shirt his buddy was wearing. "Pink?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't like it?" Axel asked, taking a pair of sunglasses out of his breast pocket and putting them on. "Well, I think Larx is gonna flip when she sees me in this."
Namine giggled. "No doubt about that, but I think that's mainly because Larxene will be shocked at your sight."
"Good to hear that," Axel smirked, misinterpreting Namine's words. "So, shall we go?"
They left the little hut, one of several huts that were standing on the little island which was literally in the middle of Nowhere... it did not really exist, and thus, it was the perfect resting place for the bodyless Nobodies.
On their way down to the water, Axel, Namine and Roxas came past a beach chair, in which a brooding Zexion was studying a rather large book that was lying in his lap.
"What you still sitting over that thing?" Axel mocked. "Isn't it getting boring?"
"Excuse me, but there is still a lot to be found out about our current situation, the scholar murmured while turning the page. "Beings like us are not supposed to exist anywhere, so where did this island come from? Are we on a world? And more important, how is it that we suddenly are able to feel emotions? We still were able to remember them, back in the days of the Organization... but we all acted as if we had emotions. We have no hearts! Such thing should not be possible!"
"Yadda, yadda, yadda..." Axel grumbled. "So what? Are you saying you don't enjoy our newfound free time? Isn't this what we wanted all this time?"
Zexion looked over the rim of his glasses. "Actually, no, I'm not quit amused with being stuck on a lonely island in the middle of an ocean that is otherwise uninhabited."
"That's because you don't know how to have FUN!" another voice screeched, and Zexion had no time to blink when he saw the water balloon headed in his direction.
SPLASH!
Namine tried very hard to stifle a giggle when the water ran down Zexion's face and hair. Roxas and Axel, however, were roaring with laughter.
A slender, blonde girl wearing a pink string bikini and a smug smirk on her face was standing in front of them, throwing another water balloon up and catching it with the other hand. "Will you finally join us or do I need to throw another one?"
Zexion picked the remains of the first water balloon from his face. "Larxene..." he muttered.
"Yeah?" the blonde grinned.
"Don't do that again!" Zexion grumbled.
"Do WHAT again?"
"You know what I mean."
"Mean what?"
"I mean, throwing a water ballon in my face!"
Larxene looked at the other balloon in her hand. "Oh, you mean this?"
"Yes!" Zexion said through gritted teeth.
"Are you suuuure you want that?" she asked him teasingly.
"Yes, I am sure."
She shrugged. "Well, okay..." And then, she threw the second water balloon, which splashed right into Zexion's face.
Zexion stood up and stormed at Larxene. "Larxene! Give me those water balloons!"
"Sorry, can't do that!" Larxene giggled as she ran away.
"GIVE THEM TO ME!" Zexion yelled as he ran after her.
"TRY TO CATCH ME FIRST!" Larxene laughed as the blue-haired scholar chased her along the beach.
"Wow..." Namine muttered. "This is the first time she made someone run after her..."
Laughing, the three kept on walking. Further down the beach, the other ex-members of Organization XIII had put up everything they needed for their little beach party. Demyx was standing on a small, wooden podium and strummed his sitar, while Lexaeus, Xigbar, Marluxia and Xaldin were playing a two-on-two game of beach volleyball. When Roxas looked to the water, he could see how Vexen was rushing past the scene on a surfboard which looked like his shield.
Luxord was standing at the grill. Roxas noticed that his Hawaiian shirt looked much better to the eyes than Axel's horrible pink combo.
"Hey guys, welcome to the party!" the gambled smirked. "I know you probably can't wait to get a taste of the 'barbecue à la Luxord... so, you wanna have your steak raw, medium or well done?"
"I'd like mine medium, please," Namine spoke up.
"One medium steak, coming right up, ma'am!" Luxord smirked as he flipped one of the steaks up with his spatula, catching it with a plate he quickly picked from the table.
"Hey, Roxas, why don't you join the game?" Xigbar asked. "We could use a great player like you on our team!"
"Oh, and what am I, the reserve player?" Axel frowned.
"Hey, if you don't hurry with your game, your steak will be all black," Luxord reminded them.
The music abruptly ended. "Food?" Demyx grinned as he climbed off his stage. "I'm SO there!"
Marluxia, Lexaeus and Xaldin looked over to where the others were standing, and enjoying steaks and fried sausages.
"You know, the game really can wait..." Marluxia murmured.
Xaldin nodded. "Indeed..."
"What are you saying, Xaldin?" Xigbar protested. "We were gonna win!"
"But I'm hungry..." Lexaeus said.
Xigbar sighed. "Oh man..."
"Hey guys, would you look at me?" Vexen whooped as he posed on his surfboard.
To put it short, the former Nobodies were having one heck of a time.
Later, they were all sitting on the beach and looked at the sunset, while Demyx was playing a calm tune on his sitar. Even Larxene and Zexion got tired of their chase and joined the others.
Xigbar sighed. "Guys, whatever happened to us to make this possible... I'm telling ya, this life is just perfect!"
"Can't argue with that," Axel sighed contently as he lay down on the sand.
"Now if only all of us were here to enjoy it..." Xaldin murmured.
The others looked at the ground.
"You just had to bring that one up, didn't you?" Luxord sighed.
"He's right, though..." Xigbar mumbled. "It's not half as fun as it would with the boss and our lil' berserker..."
"Hey, let's face it, guys!" Demyx said, trying to make a joke. "Those two were stiffer than the inhabitants of the Underworld... wouldn't they just try to spoil our fun?"
"But... we got our emotions back," Zexion pointed out. "What if it's the same with them?"
Axel scratched the back of his head. "You know, I can't really imagine Xemnas or Saix with emotions..."
"That's because you didn't know Xehanort or Sai before they were turned into Nobodies," Xigbar reminded him. "No matter what they did, or what happened to them, if we deserve a chance to live, why don't they?"
"But are we alive?" Zexion asked. "This island is the only place where we truly can be ourselves... as soon as we leave for other worlds, we turn into spirits that can't affect anyone or anything. Maybe we are dead. Maybe this is our purgatory..."
"We are Nobodies! Beings without hearts!" Larxene shouted. "We aren't even supposed to exist!"
"Beings without hearts... and yet we still have feelings," Zexion reminded her. "It first started with Roxas and Namine... they have both been able to feel emotions, even though they were Nobodies. But they were the only ones..."
"That is... not quite true..." Axel quietly spoke up.
Everyone looked at him in surprise. "Come again?" Demyx asked.
"The sun must have baked his brain," Vexen assumed.
"I'm telling you the truth!" Axel proclaimed. "Weren't you surprised that I was so intent on seeing Roxas again? How could I see myself as his friend? I was a Nobody and had no heart. Still, I wanted to have him back."
"Hey, no need to get sentimental, buddy!" Roxas smirked and nudged his friend.
"I'm just stating the truth," Axel insisted. "Xemnas always preached that we couldn't have any emotions, since we were Nobodies, and that our behavior was just a mask... and I agree that this was the case with most of you."
"You know, he has a point," Luxord spoke up. "I always acted like the gambler who enjoys a challenge... but then again, it was just a farce to trick my opponents. Now, that we are all here, I have these feelings inside me... and you are saying you had them before you, well... died?" he asked.
Axel nodded. "Yes."
"Intriguing..." Zexion murmured and stroked his chin. "You know, I had a theory about how we could have survived... if you can call it that..."
"And what theory is that?" Demyx wondered.
"The theory that at least shards of our hearts might have found their way back into our bodies," Zexion said.
Everyone was stunned for a while.
"That's... the stupidest thing I have ever heard," Vexen huffed.
"Did you come up with that by yourself or did you read it in that huge book of yours?"
"No, no, he might be onto something..." Xaldin muttered. "You know, after all of us came here for the first time, I could actually... enjoy myself. You know how I was before we came here... I was cold and didn't hesitate to bring suffering to others. Remember what I almost did to the Beast and Belle..."
"Yeah," Demyx nodded. "You were just one step ahead of being the next Saix."
"Demyx, stop that!" Axel said angrily.
"But he's right..." Xaldin sighed. "And that's just what I mean... after having thought at what I've done, I... I felt bad. I honestly wish there was a possibility to apologize to Belle and the former Beast..."
"So you see?" Zexion nodded. "Can you really say such regret can come to a being that has no heart? At least fragments of them must have come back after the Keyblade destroyed our bodies."
"I can still feel the pain..." Marluxia grumbled and scratched his chest.
"That's just your rheumatism speaking," Larxene grinned.
"But if Zexion is right..." Lexaeus pondered. "Can there be true salvation for us?"
"Salvation?" Vexen huffed. "You talk as if there is something like heaven where we can go..."
"Well, even if this is purgatory, there's no way we can get out of here," Xigbar said. "Maybe the 'big guys' up there have forgotten about that."
"Don't make any jokes about that!" Namine told him. "I was ready to forgive you, wasn't I?" She looked at Larxene and Marluxia. "And if I'm willing to forgive you, don't you think others wouldn't do the same?"
"You're... really sweet, kiddo..." Larxene gave her a sad smile.
"We don't really deserve to be forgiven..." Marluxia added grimly.
"Yes, you do!" Namine insisted. "And if you think that you haven't done anything to justify forgiveness, then you must prove it that you aren't the same Nobodies anymore."
"What do you have in mind, Namine?" Luxord sighed. "We can't leave this island, remember?"
"Yes, you can!" Roxas suddenly spoke up. "We tried it, remember? We turn into ghost that can't be heard or seen, but we can leave this place."
"That's right!" Namine smiled. "And I already have an idea what we could do: We could try and help that new friend of Sora and Kairi to find her friends!"
"A great plan, Namine," Zexion sighed. "You're just forgetting one thing: Even if we find them, how could we inform Sora about this if he can't hear or see us?"
"Oh, I think I might have an idea..." Namine grinned and looked over to the table, where her sketch block was lying.
"Still, Sora isn't exactly on the best terms with us," Xigbar said.
"You think he's still angry at us for trying to take his memories?" Marluxia asked sarcastically.
"Well... but he knows Roxas, Namine and I were on his side shortly before we 'left'," Axel reminded them. "And do you really think Sora's the kind of Keyblade Master to hold a grudge?"
"I can't believe you're actually suggesting this," Vexen huffed.
"You have a better idea?" Axel.
"Well, it would still be better than just staying here on this island forever..." Larxene sighed. "Throwing a party every day can get a bit boring..."
Lexaeus stood up. "I'm for it."
Luxord nodded. "Yeah, me too!"
"Me too!" Xaldin agreed.
"I guess you can count me in as well," Demyx smirked.
Vexen sighed. "Fine, fine... but, we don't know much more than Sora and his friends. How do we know where we are supposed to start searching for those kids?"
"Anywhere," Roxas said. "Start with the worlds we are familiar with, then we should visit the ones we haven't visited yet. That might take a bit time, but remember that we can quickly travel form one world to another in our spirit forms, even without Gummi Ships or Corridors of Darkness."
"I think someone should also take a look at our old 'friend', Maleficent," Xigbar smirked. "I've been wondering for a long time what Miss Grouchy is up to in our old home..."
"So it's settled?" Namine smiled happily as she jumped to her feet as well. "Okay, while you go and search, I will try something, so I can talk to Kairi... Roxas, can you stay and help me?"
"Um, s-sure," the blonde boy muttered.
Everyone chuckled when they saw his embarrassed face.
"Go get 'er, buddy..." Axel whispered before he and the others left.
"Namine... you... you didn't just send the others away so we could enjoy some private time, right?" Roxas asked her. "You really think you can contact Kairi, right?"
"Stop saying stupid things and come along," Namine smirked as she took her sketch book. "Our friends need our help!"
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(Posted Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:05)
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