Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Invisible Love ❯ Cold ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Invisible Love
Chapter 10: Cold

My long eyelashes tickle the skin where my reverse teardrops sit. Opening my eyes I'm welcomed to a dreary morning sky. The color never changes here. Rubbing at my eyes I push myself into a sitting position. No one ever came to look for me which is what I expected. Why should I have gone back to that tower and go to bed when I felt just right out here? With my power flowing through my veins at full voltage once more, there's no way I could freeze to death. Not like anyone would have cared...well at least the person I had wanted to.

"Axel are you still out here?"

Speaking of the devil himself.

Riku glares down at me, "What are you still out here for you idiot?"

Stretching to my full height of some odd six foot, I give him a good view of my dirt littered back. "When do we leave?"

A broken sigh sails into the air, "The second I...apologize." I spin back around with a surprised expression clearly showing. "I thought about what you said."

"And?"

"I don't think we should let things get any farther than they have."

All possible amount of hope that had built inside me just landslides into the pit of my stomach. Resisting the urge to hurl right here and now I stagger back slightly, not sure I want to stay close to Riku much longer. He just doesn't get anything I've said to him. "Let's go." He reaches out toward me but I jog over to the hill, grab the guitar, and come back. "You ready or what?"

Riku nods with a puzzled expression and creates a portal made of flaring darkness. I stride straight past him and into the abyss. On the other side I'm welcomed by a shining sun in the middle of a blue and green patterned stone with rocks littered around the surrounding ledge walls. Attracted to the intricate of swirling colors I don't notice until it's almost too late.

Riku yelps in surprise and I swivel around, instantly throwing up my arms. The fireball halts a few inches from his chest and I extinguish it without another thought. Braced for battle is a man in his twenties with storm cloud eyes, shoulder length brown hair, and a scar trailing from his right eyebrow and over the bridge of his nose. A blade unlike that I have ever seen that seems to be infused with a gun of some sort is aimed straight at us, his gloved finger on the trigger. Taking a steadying breath I try to calm the raging fire inside of me.

I can act cold to Riku...to anyone...but sometimes it can't be farther from the truth. Even if this man doesn't dare show his love towards me, I will protect him with my life...something I couldn't do for anyone besides him.

"Axel? Oh thank goodness you're okay!" Myde rushes over to me and gives me a loose hug. Ienzo stays beside the attacker. Sora and Roxas appear as well with a spiky haired blonde behind them with light blue eyes. "You aren't hurt are you?"

I shake my head, "No I'm fine."

The flaxen haired man locks his fingers with the brunets and strangely enough, he lowers his poised aim. Myde drags me over to the group and points at the scarred man, "His name is Squall-Leon...just call him Leon. That guy is Cloud. Trust me he's taken." A tiny giggle slips past Myde's lips and I can't keep myself from smiling just a bit.

"Hey don't we need to go back and get Marluxia and Braig?" I question. I would hate to leave my friends there to reek havoc upon Destiny Islands as their powers become unleashed piece by piece.

Roxas shrugs, "We were trying to find you two. Where were you at anyway?"

"Halloween Town."

Sora jumps up and down, "Did you get to see Santa Claus?"

Some never grow up. But I don't think anyone wants Sora any other way.

Roxas wraps an arm around Sora's thin waist. "But we do need to get them back. All of them."

Riku slips easily into the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"After you two got separated from us, we also got separated from Namine and Kairi. We're not sure where they ended up. I was able to open a side portal to take us to this destination that Sora distinctively shouted out." calmly states Ienzo.

"Then I'll go back and search for them." volunteers Riku. Instantly Sora flies out of Roxas's grasp and wraps his arms around Riku's stomach in a death grip. Riku attempts to gently shove Sora off by nudging his shoulders, but the brunet seems to be locked into place. "Sora come on I'll be fine. My powers are at full power and I've got complete control." A quivering lip is flashed up at him and I can tell that he's giving in. "Fine I'll take someone with me."

At the same time I hope it is and that it's not me. I'd love to stay in his presence but if he wants nothing to do with me...I'm not sure I can handle that. But knowing Sora...

"Take Axel with you!"

Ignoring the group I slip the guitar strap over my shoulder and begin down the steps to another area of this place. I walk through the winding pathway of these earth walls. I come to a cliff overlooking the castle. I remember hearing that this place has been nicknamed Hollow Bastion since the heartless had been here. But when Ansem the Wise was here and after Sora left those years ago, it was turned back to it's original name, Radiant Gardens.

I take a seat on the edge and let my legs dangle. Muffled footsteps decease as the owner takes a spot next to me. Sparing a quick glance out of the corner of my eye I see Leon. One of Sora's many friends. He leans back, letting his arms support him, and permits a smile to slip onto his lips. Confusing and curious I stare at the ground far below. "Why did you follow me?"

"Thought you could use a couple words."

"You don't know me."

A thin eyebrow rises, "Really? I was exactly where you are at a year ago. I was in love with a man who apparently felt the same for me but refused to admit it. All because he had fallen for someone else earlier." I simply stare in amazement at the accuracy. Sensing my quiet demand to continue he does. "Cloud had loved his best friend Zack but he had died in battle against the heartless when the worlds fell to darkness one-by-one. He came to us and I tried to stay away and only be...all business. That didn't work because my heart had his name on it from the start. He was all I could think about. So, I talked to him about it and confessed everything."

"What did he say?"

Leon laughs lightly, "Actually he was okay for the moment I said it. Then after he thought about it all, he turned me down flat. Not another word about it. I'll tell only you that I was heartbroken. I sulked for days until finally I figured it out. When I found Cloud alone I proved that I cared more than anyone did."

"How did you do that?"

"That's a secret. Everyone is different. But don't give up Axel. Our heart and soul no more than we do."

Leon stands and begins to walk away. The second he disappears out of site I stand and begin my way back. Standing in the middle of where everyone was is Riku. I set the guitar on the stairs and stride to his back. "So are we going now?"

He nods and opens a portal, "Yeah."

"Actually I'm going my own way. I'll find Namine and Kairi and you go get Braig and Marluxia, okay?"

Worry laces his features together as he frowns up at me, "Are you crazy?"

I open a path that is identical to Riku's except mine is laced with lava. I put half of me through before replying to his query. "Only for you Riku."

Confident I stride into the world I let fate choose. Stepping onto a cobblestone alley I catch the tiny voice in the back of my head say "Traverse Town". Lamps hang from the balconies of hotel rooms. I don't stop till I'm in a circular area with lights all around. Electricity the light stands to the next, surprising all the wits out of me. Slightly worried I spin around to come face to face with someone I didn't expect to see.

"Larxene what are you doing here?"

Her short golden hair still has strands arching up to create antenna while her eyes still contain that some green malice towards me. "To kill you!"

"Why I didn't do anything."

"Because of you I was cut down in that castle. All because you favored little Sora. Or was it because you favored his friend."

I grit my teeth together and push down my anger. Larxene's pants flair around her legs and her shirt billows around her as electricity sparks off her skin. Her kunai flash into her clenched hands. I jump back and my chakrams appear in my own grip. Throwing them up as a guard, the knives clang against the metal as I run fire around them so I'm not electrocuted.

Larxene's shrill laughter surrounds me and I can't help but to wonder if my ears are bleeding. "Come now Axel don't you want to have some fun? We never did get to spar against each other."

"I'm sick of your games you nymph! Leave me alone because Marluxia did!"

"What?"

"Yeah, Marluxia, Demyx, Zexion, and I are in a band back in the real world, Sora's kind of world. Not that one that didn't exist."

"Rah, shut up! If you don't I'll just kill little Namine."

I lower my weapons, "Where is she?"

"With Vexen...I mean Even. But you're not going to get to him without going through me."

"Fine." I let my blazing spheres crash into the ground around her, setting her on fire. "Sorry, but I never did like you."

Larxene's final screech resounds off the walls as I let my wheels vanish. Sighing I concentrate on Vexen himself. A swirling icy colored portal springs up from the tiles and I know that I've found where he is. Taking a deep breath I step inside of it. The freezing air around me chills my bones even with fire cursing through me. I might as well be a corpse at subzero I'm so cold.