Fan Fiction ❯ Objective Legend: The Unknown ❯ Chapter 8

Upon walking into the ship, Axel dropped Danie onto the floor just as he saw Zell running across the hall in front of them with something. Danie was thankful Axel put her down, but not at all to thankful for dropping her. Standing up, Danie continued to look to where she saw Zell, Axel too. A few seconds past as the two kids looked clueless on why Zell ran off so fast. The next thing they saw was Irvine going the same way, seeming to be in a rush. The two teens looked at each other for a second, before they heard someone burst out yelling, which caused them to look back in that direction. “ZELL! YOU LITTLE ASS SHIT!!! SQUALL, GET THAT LITTLE SHIT BACK HERE! AND THAT COWBOY KID TOO!” yelled a voice Danie couldn't recognize. Axel only mumbled, “…and that would be Cid…What did Zell and Irvine do this time?”

Before long, Squall and Cloud could be seen running in the path as Zell and Irvine did earlier. Following those two, Cid wasn't too far behind. Smiling, Axel began to walk after them, leaving Danie to catch up. As she ran to keep up with him, he sprinted and turned the corner, but Danie continued to follow him. She was as curious as Axel was at that point. Axel halted shortly after he turned the corner, meeting with Athrin. Danie mimicked, and bent over to catch her breath, staying behind Axel. Kai wasn't too far off, either. He stood next to Felix at the other side of the hallway. Axel asked Athrin after a short pause, “So what did he do now?” Athrin smiled before chuckling to himself and answered, “They both were at it this time. Zell decided to take the food and Irvine helped him. Only they were seen doing it, but not by anyone…just Cid.”

“Meh, go figure,” Axel replied looking toward the shut door where Cloud, Cid, and Squall stood. He nudged Danie and pointed in that direction. She watched the three by the door, curious of what will happen next. Kai soon came up next to her, yet faced Axel and Athrin, Felix had followed. With a grin, Kai stated, “They locked themselves up in Zell's room. Squall suggested to bust the door down, but Cid refused to break anything in his baby.”

“Have they got any other ideas?” Axel asked out of curiosity.

“Nope, and I'm surprised,” Kai answered, “You would think that they would think of something.”

“Yes, you would,” Athrin commented.

“Sorry, Axel, out of curiosity,” Kai started, “What happened between you and Danie? I overheard something about `Stubborn Arizonians' and `fucking hypocrite'. You weren't doing anything that made her mad did you?”

“Well…uhhh…no…not really,” Axel stuttered. Kai looked at him funny and then to Danie as if he was going to ask her something. He was about to, but not before Danie walked to the door that was locked, holding something long and thin in her hand. She sighed before responding, “Honestly, you guys couldn't think about picklock this thing? Man, you guys are dumb.” Cloud, Cid, and Squall just looked at each other, feeling rather stupid, as Danie kneeled and began to picklock the lock on the doorknob. Axel and the others watched Danie, surprised of her actions.

It wasn't long before the door was unlocked and swung open by Danie. She continued to stay where she was at and let the three guys behind her enter. Inside the room, Zell was sitting at the table near the window with Irvine, looking as innocent as can be. Cid was first to talk, “Damn it, Zell. Where's the food?! If you don't tell me, I'll throw your ass off this ship!” However, Zell didn't answer, neither did Irvine. So Cid tried again, “GOD DAMN IT! Zell! Where the hell is the fucking food?!?!”

At this point, Zell didn't want to see any more, or hear anymore, of Cid's actions. Irvine hid himself among his book that he was “reading”, which was actually held upside down, and tried his best not to get involved. Yet both of them still didn't answer Cid and he was getting angrier by the second. Squall walked up in front of Irvine and slammed his book down on the table, which created a loud thud and spooked Irvine. Irvine stared into Squall's irritated look. “You know that book was upside down, right?” Squall gave a sarcastic remark. Irvine could only nod. Apparently he and Zell were both afraid of Cloud and Squall, let alone Cid. This was when Axel and the others closed into the room and watched the little scenario going on. In which, Axel just had to comment, “Give it up, asses. This is the thirteenth…or fourteenth…time all ready. You know you can't fuckin' win against Cid. And yet…you two still are shit heads and continue to do something you won't win…”

There was a slight moment of silence, before Axel mumbled, “Actually, continue on…I would love to see your asses get kicked off…” However, he had mentioned that a little to loud. Irvine and Zell heard what he had just remarked, and gave him a harsh glare in his direction. Furthermore, the rest of the group just laughed; all except for Cid, who was about to blow. Cloud could easily tell. As Cid was about to remark something very impolite, Cloud quickly interrupted him, “CID! Cool it! We can put them in the crypt at the mansion in Nibelheim…I believe Vincent still has the key to that.” The word “crypt” got Irvine's attention rather quickly. Since his paths crossed with the others, he has heard bits of the crypt Cloud and them talk of. His face expression could show that he was debating to tell or not, and that he was freaked.

Of coarse, Zell, oblivious to the fact, didn't respond with any sort of emotion. Sure, being put in a room for a while because of taking the food. To him, that didn't seem bad at all. But, did he realize what Cloud meant by “the crypt” in Nibelheim? No, he didn't. Zell was unaware of what lurks in that room and what, or who, was in it.

“Oho! Even better!” Axel remarked once again. He knew what Cloud meant, along with Danie, Felix, Athrin, and Kai- and they all agreed with Axel. Knowing all the possibilities of why Axel had said that, Zell began to freak as well. Axel would have never said that unless it was something far worse than the first idea, just basing off what Zell's seen on him.

Almost as instant as Axel finished, Zell blurred out; “Somehow I don't trust that! So the food's in the closet!” He slammed his mouth shut after that. Both him and Irvine watched as Cid moved to Zell's closet. Just as Cid opened the door, food came tumbling out and onto the floor, which scattered everywhere. Everyone then glared at Irvine and Zell. The next thing the teens, that were watching, knew, were Cloud and Squall pushing them out of the room. Cloud stayed out with them and closed the door, letting Squall help Cid deal with the two inside. He stood in front of the door so none of them could get in, especially Axel. “Why don't you kids go do something other than stand here,” he remarked rudely, a tone that Danie hasn't heard coming from Cloud since she's been here.

“But I wa-” Axel started but was immediately cut off by Cloud.

“I said go,” he interrupted, stricter than before.

With a mocking attitude, Axel began to walk off with the rest who have already started to walk down the hallway. Cloud just looked off to ignore him. As they walked, it remained quiet for awhile. After turning the corner at the end of the hallway, the group stopped and as they did so, they were able to here yelling coming from Zell's room. The yelling was hard to make out, but the teens knew who was yelling- Cid. The kids just burst out laughing in the hallway.

“Why don't we go back to the rec. room?” Athrin suggested as he settled down, “We'll let them decide what to do with Irvine and Zell.”

“In my opinion, I think they both should get kicked off,” Axel commented, grinning as if he had a plan.

“Don't even start it, Axel,” Kai demanded nicely, yet also in a funny why. “Last time we had a plan that you made, it screwed up big time…remember?”

“Hey! Rufus left before I got the chance to-”

“OKAY! That's enough already!” bawled Athrin, interrupting Axel's comment. “I'll take Danie and Felix while you two figure out a way to shut up.”

That last comment shut the two teens up in an instant. They looked at each other then to Athrin as if he was their teacher. Athrin, however, walked off with Danie and Felix. Behind his back, Axel only made a mocking face for the heck of it to make Kai laugh, in which it did work, but the three that walked off ignored them. The two that were left behind walked off in a different direction together. They will meet the others in the recreational room after they had a little talk among themselves.

 

Felix, Danie, and Athrin all had entered the recreational room and had relaxed at a table. The two youngest ones, Danie and Felix, were bored out of their minds. Danie crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down on them, while Felix played with salt and peppershakers. The recreational room was also the kitchen and dinning hall area. A stage was set up in the front and everywhere else were tables and chairs, at the back, however, was a door that lead into the kitchen.

Yet the teens weren't the only ones in there. Vincent and Yuffie were sitting at their own separate tables; Vincent reading and Yuffie playing with silverware, occasionally pricking herself with the knife. It was quiet in the room, enough to make one think for a long time, or even to fall asleep. Felix was one of those whom chose the sleeping option, or tried to. Danie sat up eventually, but only to stare off into space with a blank look on her face. In her mind, she began to think. `Why do they all care? It's not like I'm a sister to them or anything...But with Axel? He's from Canada isn't he? Since when do Canadians care for Americans?' These thoughts were only the beginning, but before she could go deeper into them, Athrin snapped her back to reality with a question, “Danie, what's bothering you?”

Danie jerked back to her senses and answered, “Nothing…it's nothing.” Athrin didn't reply to that and after awhile Danie was back into her thoughts. She remembered clearly what happened on the bridge with Axel. Her mind replayed the scene over and over until her thoughts came back. `Why did I let that happen? Was it an accident when he pulled me back, and that being the result? But it didn't seem that way...He was soft about it when it happened...was it planed? Did he realize it?'

 

 

Axel and Kai continued their long way of heading to the recreational room. The first part of the walk was quiet until Kai started a conversation, which made the walk seem longer for Axel, “So what really happened between you two?” At first Axel ignored Kai, but when he looked at him he began to talk.

“What do you mean `you two'? Me and who else?” Axel played dumb, only to try and get out of this conversation. Kai shook his head in disgrace.

“You know what I mean…you and Danie. You both were with each other, and when you guys came down, she didn't look the same when I first met her. She looked as if she was a victim of one of your pranks.”

“Very funny, Yeritz. As for your concern, nothing happened between us. I was just talking to her.”

“About what exactly?” Kai asked curious. He didn't trust Axel on that statement. “I just want to know, Axel.”

“What…can I not have a civilized conversation with an Arizonian?”

“Arizonian? Now who made that word up?” Kai smiled

“Uh…I think you did,” Axel replied.

“Oh, yeah, huh.” Kai realized that glitch. “But, still, what happened?”

“Nothing!” Axel blurred out, which the tone he used gave off a slight hint.

“So something did…”

“What?! NO! Nothing happened.”

“Denial is the first step.”

“What?!”

When they reached the door to the room, Kai gave Axel a grin. He wanted to know what happened, but for know he would just ask either Axel or Danie later. As Axel opened the door, they spotted the other three at a table. Kai was the first to approach the group and sit down next to Athrin; Axel followed and sat in the empty chair next to Danie, who was still deep in thought. Danie didn't realize who just sat down next to her, instead her thoughts continued to rush through her head. Athrin was worried about her however. He noticed that her eyes went from a sparkling, soft blue to a dull, hard dark color. And he wasn't the only one either, the others around her noticed as well. It was as if she lost herself mentally and never came back, as if her body was empty.

With a tap from Axel on the shoulder, Danie came back to herself with a jump and her eyes went back to normal. “Huh?…Uh, when did you guys come in?” She was referring to Axel and Kai. Axel only looked at her with a confused look. Kai answered for him, “Just now. Danie, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just dazed off, that's all.” She smiled to hide how she really felt, confused and unable to understand anything that was being thrown at her. Vincent, on the other hand, had been watching Danie the whole time. He felt that something bothered her greatly. He thought quietly on all the possible reasons, but when his thoughts concluded, his eyes laid onto Axel. Vincent knew that Axel just happens to be a reason for Danie's actions.

Danie looked around the room. She noticed on the stage that the instruments and such were already plugged in. She glanced more around the room, seeing Yuffie and Vincent, but as her eyes laid on Vincent, he immediately looked away. But then her glance altered from Yuffie and the stage. Danie remembered that she had sort of promised Yuffie to teach her that one song.

Quickly, she got up and whispered into Athrin's ear. “Do you and Kai know how to play `Now or Never' from Three Days Grace?” Athrin nodded and she continued, “Then can you do the bass part and Kai do the set?” Again, Athrin nodded and with a smile on her face, Danie walked up to the stage. Athrin nudged Kai to follow as he got up. On the way there he whispered what Danie was talking about. The three left Felix and Axel clueless. As Kai and Athrin got to their places, Danie picked up a guitar and got ready. She stood next to Athrin, but not covering Kai. Just as Danie began to sing, Kai started on the set, along with a small part on the guitar from Danie. After the first verse that was sung, it began to pick up and Athrin joined in. When the chorus came Athrin joined in on the singing part:

“In this time are we loving, or do we sit here wondering, why this world isn't turning around…it's now or never,” Danie started, and soon the music began to pick up, in which she continued, “We have no use…for the truth…now's the time for us to lose, who we are and how we've tried…taking every step in stride, it's now or never to decide…” At this point, Athrin joined in singing. “In this time are we loving, or do we sit here wondering…why this world isn't turning around, it's now or never…in this way are we learning, or do we sit here yearning…for this world to stop turning around…it's now or never.”

He cut off and let Danie continue, “Where's the truth for us to use…cause all we seem to do is lose…who we are and how we've tried, are we all the same inside…it's now or never to decide…” After this verse Kai came into singing with Danie, “In this time are loving, or do we sit here wondering, why this world isn't turning around…it's now or never…in this way are we learning, or do we sit here yearning…for this world to stop turning around…it's now or never…” Once again it was only Danie singing, but only until the chorus, when both Kai and Athrin joined for the rest of the song.

“In this time are we loving, or do we sit here wondering...why this world isn't turning around…it's now or never.” At this time the three sang together, ending the song, “In this way are we learning, or do we sit here yearning…for this world to stop turning around…it's now or never…”

With the song ending, Danie placed the guitar back down and went to her seat. But the other two had something else planned, and Axel was included. Once Danie sat down, Axel smiled and got up. Within seconds he had the guitar in his hands and was ready to sing.

 

“Now or Never” by Three Days Grace, Three Days Grace Album, 2003