Roxas Has Returned...

That's alright! I'll check it out! Thanks for the link and the approval!

Btw, how do ya know he's dead? >.>

Thanks. That's pretty much what I was going for. I tried to be formal yet succeptive to a wide audience, ya know? And I think that darkishness works. Right? 'Sides, I really like dark stories. They usually have better detail and stuff. Thanks for the props!

 

Well, you know, not many people survive from being run over and crushed by a speeding motorcycle and all...but you know...it's Saix...

 

Yup...my thoughts exactly...^-^

But I guess ya'll will have to wait and see. He's one crazy dude but he totally rocks.

 

...Update...?

 

Update on what? The story? Leave her alone, she's a human being and has other things to do than write all day long of her life. Besides, writing something half-way decent takes some time and is sometimes hard to do. Relax, it'll come.

 

Chapter 8

Folks...I apologize 20million times over for being nearly two months late.

I HATE LATE!!! D<

I blame my busy schedule. I hate it. Period. To make up for lost time, I've gotten the next few chapters almost completely written. I just have to send them to my amazing editors/proofers. Without them, this story wouldn't be where it is today.

And a note to my editors, I decided to go ahead and post this chapter since I was sick of looking at it. Hope you can forgive me? :cryinganime:

This chapter has no mature content in it, so there is no 'Editing' needed in this chapter. There will, however, be mature ratings in the next chapter.

DA inspiration

Musical Inspiration ~ The Used - All that I've Got

Roxas Has Returned
Chapter 8, Trials​

Coffee; a sweet drive of blazing adrenaline washing down your throat, erasing the aches and pains of yesterday’s adventures and making hopeful promises for tomorrow. Roxas held a small cup of the amazing energy packed drink in his hand, the steam floating from out of the cap only to disappear into the multi-colored horizon. A feeling of peace embraced him every few seconds, accompanied by a sip of his almond joy latte.

It was a strange feeling, settling back into his comfort zone. Roxas mingled with life and death yet still strained to keep a firm hold on reality. A blazing sunset rippled across the sky, coursing through the colors of its fiery gaze. Towering buildings sliced into the view but it all felt so comforting to Roxas. He hadn’t been in this city for such a long time; he had begun to forget what it had looked like.

Old memories stirred as he jostled through the busy streets. A face here, a building there; it was all familiar, and yet it wasn’t. No one paid him any mind, but he could recognize just about every face that passed him. It all seemed to be from some distant past, years and years before Roxas’s time. None of it was right, but it still felt like home. It soothed him, keeping his mind at peace. He could rest easy while he was here. He would become one with this world, forever known as Twilight Town.

A bustling train, colorfully painted and bright against the sun, swept over Roxas’s head going towards the station. A giant clock tower hung itself higher than any other building in the district. Twin bells, hanging from either side of the tower, swung gently back in forth on the wind’s gentle air currents. For some strange reason, Roxas’s mind inflicted him with the thought of ice cream.

He groaned. His ribs began to ache. Pain rippled over the area, but stopped nearly as quickly as it came. Metal clicked against the concrete below. Roxas looked down to see a silvery wire lying on the ground, appearing pale and innocent. He grimaced. Something that had caused him so much pain was so small to look at. Lately, several stitches had fallen out of the boy’s skin only to fall to the earth and fly away in the breeze. Roxas was nearly used to the strange sensation of his nerves reattaching, skin repairing, and tendons binding.

Earlier in the week, Axel had shopped around to get them both some comfortable outfits. Seeing as how the Organization had such a bad reputation, they couldn’t risk wearing their habitual cloak, gloves, and boots. Roxas, of course, had no clothes to speak of anyway. A coarse blanket and an over-sized spare cloak kept his body company while the teen eagerly awaited jeans and a t-shirt.

Now, Roxas was fully clothed in some Twilight Town originals but he was still susceptible to the occasional poke and grinding of the wool against his frail wounds. Roxas was constantly aware of his motions, keeping in step and timing his footfalls so pain wouldn’t rack his body. Axel had run off in search of a job, something to keep the flow of munny going for the both of them. It wasn’t easy living on your own with nothing but several fresh orbs stolen clean from their Superior’s living quarters.

Roxas chuckled lightly at Axel’s gesture of stealing from their acclaimed master. His friend’s story had lasted nearly an hour, telling all about the older man’s amazing adventures in pirating.

Friend.

Roxas had just called Axel his friend. Though it didn’t seem possible, it was indeed a friendship between the two of them yet again. Axel’s side of the story seemed plausible enough, and Roxas was willing to overlook a few mistakes on his part. The fact that Axel had risked his own life to save him awarded the man some extra points too. It was too much to ignore, and Roxas didn’t believe he had a choice in the matter. There was no one else out there that he knew, or that he was capable of going to and explaining his predicament. Therefore, the only one left to care for him was Axel. It seemed logical at the time, and before long, Roxas was grateful that he had decided to stick with the older man.

The colossal bells above the teen’s head began to vibrate and chime to the noon hour. He could feel the pulse come through the soil into his feet and reverberating around inside his body. Roxas looked up to the bell tower and was amazed to see the cascading rays of the sunset still staining the sky; a timeless picture forever painted upon the world.

“Roxas!”

The boy turned his fair-haired head to see his one and only companion racing down a tilted ramp. Long, black jeans and a scrappy looking black shirt adorned his tight figure accompanied by knee-high army boots and several spiked bracelets.

“Check it out Rox! Some of the guys around town let me do some free-lance stuff, and look at all the munny I made!” Axel pulled out a handful of glowing orbs to prove his truthfulness. “Looks like I won’t have to put you to work after all,” he said with a laugh.

“…Yeah. Good job Axel,” replied Roxas monotonously. Although the teen’s ears heard everything his friend had said, his gaze lingered on the setting sun, unable to switch views.

“Hey, aren’t you happy for me? We’ll be able to get the skateboard you were eyeing the other day. Yo, earth to Roxas!” But it was no use. Roxas’s gaze was transfixed with sky above and sea below. Greens, blues, and positively brilliant yellows crowded into the picturesque scene. A number of gulls trilled out from the sea, beckoning the tourists to come and play. Axel followed Roxas’s eyes and finally noticed the sunset himself.

They stood in silence, just taking it all in. There was so much to see that Roxas was afraid he’d miss something if he did so much as blink. He never realized just how much he missed this place, with its tiered landscape, lush inhabitants, and never-the-same scenery.

“Rox, let’s go get some ice cream,” Axel said quietly, almost in a whisper. “We can head up to our favorite spot if you want.”

A few seconds later, Roxas said, “Yeah. Sounds good to me.”

III~XxXxX~III​

“You remember when we first came up here?”

“Mmm.”

“The boss told me there was a new guy in town. I figured I’d check it out, and there you were. I’d never met anybody who liked ice cream as much as I did.”

Roxas stared down at the blue sea-salt slab of icy sugar in his hands. A favorite past-time of his was to sit up here on top of this clock tower with a few friends and savor the salty-sweet candy until there was none left. He had the same feeling being here with Axel. The sunset gleamed all around them, casting shadows right and left. Roxas let the blizzard of cold, milky sweetness slide into his mouth. He kept it there a few seconds before letting it dissipate, relishing every flavorful bite.

“It’s strange,” Axel started.

“What?”

“That all this had to happen. It’s almost like fate has it in for us,” he said with a soft smirk.

“…I know what you mean. There’s so many things that the Organization had to offer. It all looked good at the time… And I went willingly into their little club,” Roxas took a long pause to consider his next words. “I should’ve known better.”

“Rox…” started Axel. But the teen was already on edge.

“I am so stupid! I can’t believe I listened to that freak!” Roxas sighed, holding his free hand up to his forehead and massaging his temples.

“It’s a good learning experience, Rox. The worlds are always changing, and we learn new things every day. Sometimes they’re good; sometimes they’re not. This one was just a bit harder on you, that’s all. Don’t blame yourself for what happened. Everything’ll turn out all right in the end. You’ll see. Just forget about it for now.”

“Damnit Axel, I can’t just forget it!” Roxas stood up to his full height above the tower’s balcony, ignoring his companion’s surprised expression. “I’ve still got scars all over my body for Kingdom’s sake! And you expect me to forget everything that happened?” And with a quick spin of his heels, the boy headed right down the spiral staircase, out through the front door of central station, and out onto the bustling streets of his alleged home.

“Roxas! Wait!” yelled Axel, but received the cold shoulder instead of a reply. Helpless in a crowd, he scanned the heads of numerous people, in search of a single blonde one. Axel moaned in frustration. He never expected any outburst from his young friend, and now that it had happened, he wasn’t too sure of what to do. “Damn that kid, where’d he go?”

But Roxas didn’t want to be found; at least not for a while. The fragile teen hugged himself, careful to avoid as many wounds as possible. Though Axel didn’t know it, he had struck several nerves during their conversation as well as brought up painful memories. Roxas hoped they would never bring up that subject, and now that they had, he couldn’t get it out of his head. Everything that had happened in the past few weeks here in Twilight Town was washed clean and replaced with nightmares of the XIIIth Order. The slices of the cat-o-nine-tails were fresh in his mind, and Roxas thought he could feel a tingle of blood seeping out one of his scars. The teen cowered below the many peoples of this world, making sure not be seen by anyone as he crawled into an alley, plopped down behind a trash can, and let sticky, serene tears slide down his pale face.

The void in Roxas’s chest grew wider. The spot where his heart should have been was nothing more than an ominous black void, reminiscent of the portals the Organization used. It was pure nothingness so deep that you’d lose yourself to it if you weren’t careful. The teen wondered if anything or anyone could ever fill that gaping hole. Now that he was by himself, Roxas sensed its presence even more. Would he ever be saved from this horrid feeling?

With the back of his hand, Roxas wiped away a tear and stared at it. He had never been able to cry before; not even when he had endured his toughest trial. Nobodies weren’t supposed to have feelings, so how had this tiny shard of glass water run its course? Instead of thinking on the subject, Roxas cleaned off his hand, removing whatever trace there had been of the iridescent tear. He would think later. For now, he amused himself by drawing crude pictures in the dirt with a stick.

“Well, well, well. Look what I found!”

III~XxXxX~III​

 

Once again, I loved it twi! really look forward to the new chapter!

Wonder who it was that showed up at the end...cause I'm pretty sure it's not Axel. Or is it?

 

Oh yeah... I KNOW that feeling... ._.;

Don't worry - it's okay. XD Sory I was no help to you getting this ready... ;~;

 

Nupe. Not Axel. Try again chicka!!!

Thanks!

Nononono!!! Don't sell yourself short Foxxie. I need all the help I can get. lol. I still give you mega-massive thanks for all the help you've given me since we first met. ^.^

 

Awwwe...!~ ^-^;

Hey - when WAS that, exactly...? O.o;

*goes to see if she can find out*

Nananananananananananana - BATMAN! XD

 

Omg....I have absolutely no idea. Its been really long hasn't it? I know it was a lil
while after I signed up on this site....And that was like...last year maybe?

.....

I really dunno. D=

But it just proves that friends stick together!!!! XDDD

(Lez see if you know this one)

JINGLE BELLZ, MERMAIDMAN SMELLZ, BARNACLEBOY LAID AN EGG!!!!!!!

(I'm in a christmas mood, can ya tell? lol.)

 

Chapter 9

This chapter didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but it came very close. The next chapter will be a hell of a lot funner.

I thank my awesome proofer for her hard work at scooping out all my stupid mistakes. THANKS! And I wanted to let her know that I decided to leave the supposed 'next part' till next time, cause otherwise the next chapter would be really short. :sweatdrop:

And I'd like to dedicate this particular chapter to my friend Gravity, who I believe (I'm not sure of this, so please don't take this literally) I may have offended recently in a pm. Either that or she just didn't want to reply. In that case, ignore this completely.

dA inspiration (Note: this is not a literal piece of art. Tis a cosplay this time, and the dude did great)

Musical Inspiration ~ Foo Fighters - Best of You Better quality version at MTV here.

MATURE VERSION (This chapter contains several pieces of language and gore that I'd rather not have on this site for young kids. PLEASE, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!)

Roxas Has Returned​

Ch. 9, Mission Failure​

Roxas backed away from the shadowy figure as quickly as humanly possible. He started to scream, but instantly felt a strong hand covering his mouth.

“Now, now, we’ll have none of that,†spoke the darkness.

Roxas groaned and struggled against the force of the shadow, but he couldn’t prevail. It was too dark in the alley, and his opponent was too strong. To his foe, Roxas knew his eyes were wide with terror. Was this one of the Organization, come to finish the job they started? Or was it a robber, picking an innocent boy to take hostage? Roxas couldn’t comprehend either one, because either one would mean another near-death experience for him.

The glossy voice of the stranger continued to shush him, yet Roxas couldn’t help but put up a fight. He’d been through too much just to have someone destroy his confidence now.

With kicks, punches, a few scratches, and some muffled screaming, Roxas didn’t understand how this person could still be holding on. But none of that mattered. Roxas’s only objection was to gain the attention of someone on the street. They were at least twenty yards from the entrance of the bleak alleyway, but if he pushed and pulled enough, maybe he would be able to make it.

“Roxas, quit hitting me!†the figure shrieked in frustration.

Roxas froze. The shadow was speaking to him in a frightened tone, and the familiarity of it struck him suddenly and overwhelmingly. Perhaps he had heard the boy’s name from someone who had once known him? Was this someone from Roxas’s past, simply trying to find him? But Roxas decidedly continued kicking and screaming with all his might. If this person was someone he knew, they would have to let go of him first before he would ever give in.

The dark outline of the stranger wrestled against the teen’s energy relentlessly. Roxas twisted around to try and catch a glimpse of whoever was doing this to him.

“Hey!â€

A memorable voice entered the brawl. Roxas’s eyes widened even farther to see a spiky haired silhouette entering the alley. The sun fell behind the figure, enlightening him as he ran towards the scene. Roxas immediately felt that his guardian angel was there to save him from an imminent death.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!†screamed the angel. The light of the sun fell upon him, illuminating his face only to reveal a passionate, enraged Axel.

Within several seconds, the light of the sun wouldn’t compare with the amount of fire Axel had rippling throughout the alley. Roxas’s captor backed away, leaving the boy bent over and choking out smoke. He looked up at the flames licking away the walls of surrounding buildings only to leave charcoal and ash. The dumpsters and metal objects began to melt away. It was only after Roxas noticed the destruction did he turn to see the cornered stranger. Axel knelt down beside his friend, and they both looked together, straining to see through the shadowy heat.

“Demyx?â€

The fires around them ceased. The silence in the air was deafening. The intense warmth from the leftover flames humidified the air.

Indeed, crouching behind a small pile of rubble and whimpering to himself, there sat Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne, wrapped up in a festering cloak that had singed away in some areas.

None of them knew what to say.

Demyx recovered faster than they thought possible, ignoring his burn marks and whipping out his sitar before any explanation could be given. Water-driven fingers laced over the instrument’s strings, beginning the battle of water versus fire.

“Duck!†Axel yelled just as a wall of water flew at them at unimaginable speed. Axel grabbed Roxas and they tumbled together behind a melted stack of wreckage, just in time to avoid a jet of water cascading through the alley, knocking out a nearby brick wall.

“Roxas, stay here. I got this.†Axel’s hands flashed and revealed the perilous pair of chakrams he used as weapons. Without hesitation, he entered the battle, leaving Roxas behind.

Roxas cringed against the heap of cinders that was supposed to protect him. Demyx had done this? Of all the people who would come to capture them, it was Demyx! Roxas was still too surprised to even breathe. Musical notes resembling a concert pianist were forced onto the teen’s ears. It was hard to believe that music – that which was supposed to calm instead of kill – was now Axel’s enemy.

Out of pure curiosity, Roxas could help but peak over the splinters and watch the melee from afar. He saw Axel slide backwards as another jet stream wailed at him, try as he might to block it. Bodies of water with human shapes fell over him as well, making him fight the same figure over and over again.

“Face it, pyro! You can’t beat me!†cried Demyx triumphantly. Even from this far, Roxas could see Axel beginning to falter in his stances, loosen up his techniques, and exhausting his strength.

He can’t do this alone, Roxas realized. Several ideas crossed his mind at the same time. It was risky, and the teen wasn’t even sure if he had the vigor fight. Was it too reckless on his part to participate so injured?

Axel let out a small cry of annoyance as another wave came after him. With the speed of a cheetah, he jumped and began scaling a wall, seemingly running sideways across the bricks. Roxas gasped; he had never seen Axel use that move before, and apparently neither had Demyx. The water that had been chasing Axel fell to the ground as the lesser of the two broke his concentration. The musician only had to fail in his music once to let Axel take advantage of him.

And that was exactly what he did. An extremely powerful eruption of flame surged after Demyx, intent on destroying anything in its path. He dropped his sitar as a look of horror crossed the poor boy’s face, making him look five years old again.

“Oh shi-!â€

And then, nothing; not a single noise crossed the barrier of silence that emanated from the obvious battle arena.

Axel panted heavily, chakrams still in hand. A patch of water had whipped across his back, ripping fabric and revealing a white and red welt. Other than that, Axel was unscathed.

With another heavy breath, Axel turned back to his friend without a second glance to his defeated opponent. He closed his eyes, his face slathered with fury. A bright flash of light released his chakrams from existence.

Roxas fell back against the brush, stunned by what he had just witnessed.

“Rox, Rox! Wake up, man,†Axel said lightly as he shook Roxas by the shoulder. His friend looked as if he was in a lavish daydream. “Come on, we better get moving. They could be sending more.â€

“Axel…â€

“Yeah?â€

“You…you killed…†Roxas trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to admit the sad truth of reality. The one person he relied on had just killed without a whim. Axel didn’t seem to enjoy it, but what made him take a life so easily?

“He’s not dead Rox. He’ll be fine here. Some of the locals will find him sooner or later.â€

As if to emphasize Axel’s words, slight groans and coughs of pain emitted from the other end of the alley.

“Axel! We’re not going to just leave him!â€

“Oh yes we are. He tried to capture you Rox. If he dies, he dies. We’ve got to move.†Axel pulled at the teen’s arm, trying to lead him away from the sight of death he had just created with his fireworks, but Roxas would not move.

Axel looked down. Roxas stared in disbelief at his so-called friend; the one who had just days before saved his life. But now he would do nothing, not even to rescue a fellow companion.

Roxas stood up and walked away from Axel, hating the decision the older man had just tried to make. He couldn’t understand Axel’s decrees of judgment and refused to leave an old friend here to die. It was obviously the same for Axel. He stared after Roxas, an accusing look in his eyes.

The teen stood over the gruesome scene, enraged at the destruction that had been caused. A red liquid had spatted everywhere. Small flecks of a yellowy substance mingled with the rest; Roxas wasn’t sure, but he guessed that it was scorched skin. Blackened bricks had fallen apart in the surrounding area, making it difficult to walk without tripping. Careful blue eyes fell upon the worst of the scene, where a mangled body lay covered in dust, blood, and dirty water.

Roxas shied away for a small second, having light flashbacks of his tortures. He could feel the nausea in his stomach beginning to escalate, but he held it down. Cautiously, Roxas kneeled down next to Demyx’s pale, frightened figure. The older man was holding desperately onto his sitar, which lay beside him at an odd angle; it was as if the instrument was Demyx’s only means of life, the only thing tying his spirit to the earth. Roxas looked over the damage, sympathy watering his eyes down.

Light scratches fell over the musician’s arms, legs, and face. Demyx’s breathing was sparse and erratic; Roxas was surprised that he was still alive. Chunks of cloth had been stripped away from his coat, leaving hardly any left to cover his body. The majority of it lay over his waist and stomach, but the rest had been blown away by the flames. Roxas gingerly reached over Demyx’s chest, staring at a massive wound that stretched from one end of his torso to the other. Blood christened the outer edges, and Roxas cringed; he thought some of it might’ve easily been the underlying nerves and muscle.

“Step back, Roxas,†Axel said. Roxas hadn’t even been aware of his comrade joining him by Demyx’s side.

“No Axel! I told you, we’re not going to leave him.†Roxas was starting to cough as he inhaled the fumes left over by the fires. It made him feel even sicker.

“I never said that, now did I? Now step back before you start to throw up all over him.†Axel gently pushed Roxas out of the way. Axel had begun to realize that guilt had overrun him, and now it was his job to fix the mess he had originally made.

“What are you doing?â€

“Healing him.â€

“What?! You never even tried to heal me!â€

“Because we had no time! Now shut the hell up!â€

Roxas shrank back and said nothing. He only watched, closely, as Axel laid his hands tenderly over Demyx’s extensive injury, leaving the smaller ones alone. Axel shut his eyes, deeply set in concentration. The muscles in his arms rippled and tightened. Within mere seconds, a faint light, much like the rays that emanated from Kingdom Hearts, was released through the palms of Axel’s hands. Demyx’s eyelids began to flutter, his face grimacing with pain. Axel focused much harder than before as sweat began to drift down his forehead. Roxas observed the scenario, wavering every time he saw the injury wash back over and form newly brandished skin. The light gave way to nothing but a dim luster and, finally, Axel released his intensive meditation, exhaling greatly with the effort.

Roxas glanced quickly from Demyx to Axel and back again. Wide eyes betrayed his suspense. The gash that had been bleeding incessantly earlier was now completely healed over. No trace of the mark had been left except for the leftover blood and dust, which was beginning to dry.

Axel turned to Roxas and saw him gaping.

“Roxas?†But the boy didn’t move. He was completely amazed. Demyx coughed lightly several times, moving their attention to the musician. Slowly, his eyes wafted open. They were completely blank for some time till he finally showed signs of consciousness. Demyx quickly froze under the glance of Axel and Roxas, frightened beyond belief. He raised his hands in front of his face, blocking their view.

“No! Leave me alone! I didn’t want to!â€

“Demyx, Demyx! Calm down, we’re not going to hurt you,†replied Roxas, trying desperately to calm the anxious man. Gradually, Demyx lowered his arms, his face full of doubt.

“…Wh…What?†It was then that the musician noticed his mutilation cured. He traced his fingers over the once broken ribs and dismantled skin, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. “How…?â€

“Zexion showed me a few tricks back at the castle,†said Axel. “Hope you don’t mind.â€

Demyx stared at Axel and steadily his expression grew into a startled rage.

“You…â€

“Don’t even get into it with me,†Axel began. “You started it. Just because I finished it doesn’t mean you have to get *****y with me.â€

Demyx recoiled, and realized his mistake. “Yeah…You’re right. I just… I didn’t mean…â€

em, don’t worry about it,†said Roxas, his voice smooth despite it all. “Just tell us what happened. Why did you attack us?â€

“Well, I just…The Superior, he… He ordered me to take out the threat, and that was you two, so I…†Demyx had calmed down but his anguish was still evident. He gazed over at this sitar and finally released it from his hand. It vanished in a flash. Then, he turned back to Axel and Roxas. “I had no choice.â€

III~XxXxX~III​

 

Wow, twi, that was really good. (then again, when isn't it good? xD)

I felt so bad for Demyx...T_T
Once again, great chapter.


Oh, and I think you should know that I got a new FF.net account.

 

Tell yer proofreader I think she's shmexy-ful for me, m'kay, Twi? =3

 

all of they are so awesome!! this is a great story

 

This is AWESOME!!! I love it!

 

Aw...thanks chicka. And don't worry; Demyx will get some more love in the next chapter. Promise. ^-^

Really?! Well, give it here girl! lol

Well dur. lol. jk. I'll tell her. XD

Thanks for the love! =D

Thanks bunches. ^-^ I apperciate the love.

 

NOOOOOO!!
I WANT MOOOOOORE!!
plz?

 

Don't worry, it's coming as fast as I can type!

 

k =D
*sings the happy song*