The Chasers: The Key to Memories Past

[Reno]

Kids? Lucina shivered some. THAT would be a nightmare. From watching over one troop of children to another! She couldn't take it!

Kadaj rose an eyebrow, merely nodding to Olette's greeting. It made him wonder how her children were from her womb - she was so widely different from Gunnar and Lucina, as if none of her influence had rubbed off at all.


Tensai meanwhile smiled at his mother's affection. But blinked at her question. "Oh uh..." He looked down, shifting some of the sand under his foot. He couldn't tell his parents about that girl - his vision might come true! "It was alright~ We gotta do some silly photo shoot again though." He stuck out his tongue.

He hated those stupid shoots. They told you how to stand, what to wear, how to look. They were all so fake... They even tried to get him to take off his shirt once!! He didn't do it of course. He refused to do or wear anything that made him uncomfortable - that often meant they stopped taking his picture for the rest of the day but he was fine with that too! All of his parents (and that was a lot) always told him to be who he was.

And being slutty eye-candy for girls was NOT who he was.


Roxas laughed at his son reaching up and fixing the boy's headband that had gotten a little lopsided - already. By the end of the night it would probably be like one of Axel's communicators - lost forever. "Yes I did Donner. And it can all be yours if-"

There was a flutter of papers as the teen went speeding out of the room. Roxas blinked but stuck his head out the door and looked down the hall, calling with a grin, "I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE I SEE ROXEL'S UNDERPANTS!"

[Rikugurl]

"So, what do you think---"
Olette was interupted as she saw trouble running her way.
"SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!" The fire boy cried as she rushed passed them in his underwear, not minding the stares that he got. WHAT!? LIKE NO ONE HAD SEEN HIM RUN AROUND IN HIS UNDIES!? Everyone knew him since he was a kid practicably!

The redhead passed Namine, who squeaked and hid her face. Up into the other ship he went and right towards his parents room like if he knew his other father was there.
He opened the door, grinning.

A tall man, who was slowly but surely balding, was sprawled out on a large bed. He as dressed and not under the covers, giving Roxel a clue that Roxas had already yelled him awake and dressed.
Name// Axel Xipil
Age// 53
Chaser// 13
Stance// Defense Pilot

By the snoring man's side was a baby moomba, purring softly in his sleep.

The little eyes opened and he started to yawn when---
"YIIIIIIIIIIP!" He shot up and ran for his life as a fire head was LANDING over him.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Axel cried as he was fallen on, his green eyes snapping open to see a familiar boy laying on top of him. "I...liked it better...where you were....only a few pounds...."
"MERRY CHIRSTMAS DADDY!"


Fuu couldn't help but laugh as Aqua slowly walked back inside the ship. If she didn't yell at father and son, they might both fall alseep together again.
She smiled though as she looked back at her adopted son, seeing how uneven he was.

She brought him close, and spoke softly so only the two could hear.
"You don't like it...do you?"

[Reno]

Roxas chuckled as he walked out of the ship, watching his son run around in his underpants - no doubt going to greet his other father who NATURALLY was still in bed with there new little moomba. Though they knew NO ONE could replace Xio... they missed the company of a pet - even more so now that Roxel was going to concerts so much.

So... Roxas had - by pure luck - found another moomba for them to have. At first, Axel just scoffed and stomped around and pretend the little lion jumping after him didn't exist and yelled at him over disgracing Xio's memory.

"Roxas I do NOT want another Moomba, alright?!"
"Are you sure?" Roxas said with a grin, unable to find how utterably adorable it was to watch the baby hop after Axel each time he turned around at started to pace in their room.
"Yes, I'm sure!" Axel turned around glaring down at the little cat and snatched it up by it's scruff. "I do not like you."
"Yip~" Said the cub, before it's little tongue licked Axel right on the nose, tail wagging.
"......oooooh~♥ Roxas it licked me!"
Roxas laughed so hard he cried.


Aqua tilted her head, seeing how upset Tensai seemed to be but before she could comment -

"SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!"

Everyone looked up, seeing a flaming fireball of a teenager running out of the ship... and almost completely naked to boot! She shook her head and sighed, seeing him running for the other ship where Axel was STILL sleeping. "I better go fetch them." She said before walked away from the two towards Freyr.

Tensai smiled faintly shaking his head at his friend's antics - but blinked as he was tugged close. He looked up at his other mother, and then chuckled. "Well of course not I never liked photo shoots!" Fujin gave him a firm stare, raising an eyebrow.

She didn't even need to say anything. He sighed, looking down. "No not really. It's really... It's really hard mom. I TOLD Roxel I couldn't learn music but he never listens to me. Like, ever." Actually, it was of his own discovery. He learn he couldn't read a moving language - therefore, one still in motion or changing or being used. In fact, he even had to learn an older version of the English sign language just to teach Sammy. Music was language that would always be in motion. "I like music mom and I work my butt off every dang day just to pull off one concert. But..." He shrugged. "Roxel doesn't even notice... and he doesn't need me really."

[Rikugurl]

Gunnar rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, seeing Aqua going to fetch the weirdo of a guy.
"You know... he's the worse Chaser I ever saw."

Purple eyes looked at the second command, smiling softly. Well...now he didn't feel so useless! At least he wasn't the worse.

"HEY! IT WOULD OF BEEN NICE TO COVER YOUR MORNING WOOD, ROXEL!" Namine cried, trying to erase that vision from her head as she shook it, going over to Olette, Gunnar, Luci, Kadaj and Sammy.
"Hey guys! It's so good to see you again!" She hugged Luci and Sammy tightly before hugging Gunnar more slightly.
When she pulled away from the brunette, she looked at Kadaj and frowned before sighing.

She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him in a lose hug. "I missed you too."
She was waiting for it. Come on, where's your 'i don't care'?


Fuu nodded slightly before rubbing her son's back. It had taken her awhile to realize that she was now a mother to someone, never thinking she would have a chance. She wasn't much of a Chaser...but she knew that she was a damn good mother.
"Tensai... you need to speak up. Roxel is one of those boys who can see a wall in front of him and keep smashing into it before someone tells him that it's there. Remember, he's Axel's son for sure."

She winked, slowly running her fingers through his hair. "If you're not happy... than tell him. Life is short, especially as a Chaser. No one knows when their last day of breath will be....so don't waste it. You have a lot going for you. You're smart, kind and friendly. You don't need flashing lights, girls or anything else try to make you feel less than that. And if Roxel is really your best friend, he'll understand. He's doing what he wants to do...it's only fair that you get to as well. Being with you is important to him... but that doesn't give him an excuse to drag you through the mud if you don't want to go."

She smiled, bringing him into a loving hug before kissing him on the cheek. "I love you."


The two redheads looked at each other before the elder grinned. "Hey. You know what's better than sweets?"
The two stared at each other for a second more before.
"SLEEPING!" They cried in stereo before they both got under the covers, getting comfortable.

The little moomba slowly came out from under a chair, his tail wagging happily as he jumped, his claws digging into the blanket as he pulled himself up. He found something warm, being Axel's butt, and cuddled it before slowly closing his eyes....

"YIIIIIIIIIIIIP!" He cried again and fell off the bed, hearing the voice of an angry woman.

He....already didn't like Christmas!

[Reno]

Lucina sighed but chuckled, shaking her head. Well... at least Roxel always made life on the ship interesting. But, he was still an embarrassment to the Chaser name. If any of those fangirls knew the idiot they keep plastering to their walls, sticking in their binders and sighing over during lunch was not only a keyblader but a chaser, his popularity would be sucked down the drain.

The woman chuckled as Namine came over, giving them all a hug. She was the mother of them - the worrier, the care-taker, the one everyone turned to when they needed more personal types of advice.

And Kadaj - she thought as the strawberry-blonde haired woman hugged the silverette - was there resident jackass. The man opened his mouth about to say what everyone was predicting - when Gunnar shot him a look. "U-M... O--Kay..." He rose an eyebrow. "Merry... Christmas?"

Unless Gunnar had trained him for the day.


Tensai sighed but chuckled some at her description of his friend. He could imagine that... in fact he'd witnessed something like that.

"Argh come on open door open!" Roxel grunted and he pushed on the door, to the cafe. His cheeks were puffed out and his face was turning red from effort. "I want my coffee!" He shoved his body against the door, feet sliding some. "What is WRONG with this door?!"
"...Uh... Roxel?" Tensai called tentatively.
"WHAT?!"
"...It say's 'Pull'."
"....Oh... I KNEW THAT!"

He smiled before it slowly fell looking up at his mom as she spared him her wisdom. He slowly nodded understanding exactly what she meant - Roxel WAS his best friend... and as his best friend he had to listen to him too. He deserved to be happy too...

though he wasn't sure what would make him happy and Roxel was sure to ask. He'd have to think about that. "Thanks mom, I love you too." He smiled as he hugged her back.


Anyone who was anyone heard the scream.
"GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF BED RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!"

A few minutes later Aqua came back out of the ship, carrying a little Moomba in her hands. She walked up to Roxas, depositing the small cat in his hands. "They're up~" She said cheerfully before walking off.

Moxley and Ember's ears twitched as they caught the scent of the new addition before hurrying over - they had yet to meet the Moomba that had been an early birthday gift.

The blonde blinked before looking down at the terrified baby smiling. "Heh, welcome to the world of Chasers."


For winter, the sun was incredibly hot, it's rays blaring onto the fine green grass of the hilltop. A lone figure, along with a quiet foxy-lion, was walking between large gray stones stopping periodically as he laid a blue flower in front of a stone. One was further away than four - placed together in a row but he made sure to stop at them all, murmuring soft words and merry notions of this year's wonderful holiday.

However, he paused at one point, as if he had found something amiss. He slowly laid the flower down, alongside a dim metal piece. "What is this...?" The teen said softly, reaching for the dull metal, obviously not have been polished for years.

The minute his fingers touched the metal his eyes widened some.
"I'm not so sure R---"
"Trust me. Once the raft is done, we'll see everything we've ever wanted too!"
"Everything?"
"Everything."
The fleeting vision in his head escaped before he could grasp at it, to clear it up and see the blurry, shadowy faces with any detail. Those voices... he hardly recognized them but who...?

The lion whined softly in worry, nudging her master's hand with his paw. The boy blinked several times before looking down at the other. "What... what happened...?"

That... had never happened to him before.

[Rikugurl]

OOC: If I don't respond to you on AIM, I'm still in the shower!

When Namine hugged the silverette, mako eyes narrowed as the brunette man crossed his arms. It seemed that Kadaj got the point. Gunnar couldn't help but chuckle, hearing Kadaj's response. That was much better. Even if it was bullshit, one should always look after other's feelings as well. He would slowly knock it into his head sooner or later.

Namine pulled away, looking to her left to see Gunnar standing straight as if he had nothing to do with Kadaj's response but chuckled anyway. "Weeeell, I'm just glad everyone made it back in one piece because if you didn't....I wouldn't be able to give anyone their gifts! That wouldn't be a great Christmas at all!"

She winked at Gunnar before pushing him slightly. "You need to tell me all about it!"
"Haha, sure thing~"


The silverette woman pulled away and smiled, messing up her son's hair the best she could under his antlers. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll understand...sooner or later. You should probably think of a few ways to tell him if he doesn't understand the first." She chuckled, hearing her son complain.

Sometimes she thought Roxel was more daft than Axel at times. Even with all of Axel's qualities though...she could see Roxas in him yet. The boy thrived...to be a somebody...


"WHOA!" The two cried as they cringed under the covers.

Jax, the little moomba under the nightstand, shivered as he heard the loud noise. Why was everything so loud and big!? He was only a little pup!
His golden eyes looked up with fear as the woman with blue hair slowly walked to him, offering him to be picked up.

Well.... he liked being picked up.

When she did, he purred happily, licking her face.

He grew even more excited when he got to go outside. It was so....warm here!
He yipped happily, being exchanged with his master's mate. His already large paws wrapped around the blonde's neck, purring happily as he looked around even if he was still shaking with fright. No more big noises!


"WOW! LOOK AT ALL THE PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE!!" A fire ong haired boy cried as he looked into the tropical living room, seeing a fake Christmas tree all lit up. But under and around it....OH MAN!
"Shut up and put them down already!" A brunette growled behind him, also with an armful of gifts.

"Oh....RIGHT!" Roxel grinned as he placed some around carelessly, trying to find where his were. "Ten-chan is going to love this!"
He and Gunnar fixed up the tree, Gunnar doing most of the work whole swatting Roxel away from grabbing is gifts already.
"How old are you again!?"

"Oi..." Bonnie looked around, the house, seeing the Chasers catch up as her and Lucina would of getting the large table ready for a feast. "Where did Nancy boy and Sammy go?"


At the entrance of the cemetery, a blonde boy looking around slightly. His purple eyes seemed to glow more than usual as a little moomba ran around his feet, trying to catch his tail.

[Reno]

Sitting on the couch, watching the boys curiously, was Roxas, sitting beside a red-head who was drinking some freshly brewed coffee. There were antlers on both their heads. It was not very hard to convince the pyro to wear them-

"Wear them, please?" Tensai said with his best puppy-dog look, holding a pair of antlers up.
"Huh... okay." Axel said putting them on his head.
"YAY you're Prancer!" Tensai chirped before turning and running off.
"Prancer?! Wait why do I get a gay reindeer name?"
"Axel," Roxas said, running his hands through Jax's mane. "You are gay."
"But... but wait who are you?"
"Dancer."
"I WANT TO BE DANCER!"
"Then you should of woke up on time."
"But, but Rooooxas!" Axel shook his butt. "You know I can never get up no matter what day it is!"
"Mmmmm oh in that case... nope you're Prancer."
Axel's shoulders slumped. "You're mean."
The blonde laughed giving him a small kiss. "But, look at it this way. We rhyme. Dancer and Prancer. You can't get more pathetically romantic than that."
"Tch, you two chickenwusses can do ANYTHING more pathetically." Seifer grumbled as he walked past.
"Be nice it's Christmas!" His wife chastised.
"Whatever you say, Cupid."

"Roxel!" Roxas called as he saw his son trying to pluck up another gift, catching the teen's attention. "It is better ye give than receive." Goodness, why couldn't Roxel have gotten his responsibility instead of Axel's childishness?

Lucina blinked when she heard Bonnie's question and suddenly started to look around. Now Tensai running off wasn't that ill-natural... at least not on this world. He would go to the cometary every time - and then after that, sometimes he would go somewhere else. The play island, Carina or Bryna's house, the school, the place where Sora and Riku's house once stood. No one really said anything to stop him, knowing that for him this was a healthy behavior and one Terra had always encouraged.

But Sammy - her constant shadow - being gone was strange. Not unusual either just... it felt out of place. That might just be because of how highly protective of him she was...
Hopefully he and Ten were together.
"They'll be back soon."


Moxley whimpered again, his head tilting in confusion. Why was his master acting so strangely?

Tensai looked back at the metal links and reached out, touching them again. Again a vision passed through his eyes, but so faint he was unsure what happened, what was said or even what the faces were. It was too shadowy.

Slowly his fingers curled around the metal piece and picked it up. Like a snake, the metal coiled around him, obviously pliable like a chain. He held it close, inspecting it, scratching his thumb against the surface, getting dirt under the nail. He followed the outline of one of the singular metal pieces, feeling the sharp edges on the top. A crown...

He looked up at the tombstone, reading the inscription of the name, the small epitaph... and then saw the little worn crown that had been etched under it. His dad's symbol. Just like Riku's moon and star, and Terra and Ven's dual Atterian circle and Chaser symbols - both of the two having to be added to Ven's old stone.

"Where did this come from?" He was absolutely certain the chain had never been there before. He sighed slowly laying it back down. Whoever had placed it there had given it to the right person at least. "Well I guess it doesn't matter. The past is the past, right?"

He smiled looking at all the stones. "Well... it's Christmas!" He glanced at Terra and Ven's stones, smiling fondly. "I know you're missing it terribly." He said sarcastically, laughing. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day - anything that involved giving gifts to a loved one had always been cause of worry for both of them. More so than they're regular job - though, he was pretty sure going out and kicking ass was how they relieved stress.

[Rikugurl]

Roxel looked back at his....dads and pouted. "But dad! Getting gifts is so much funner!"
"That's not nice Rox! Seeing the look on people's faces and knowing that you made someone happy is what it's all about." A girl putting up some extra decorations called down.
"Bah! That's just what girls think."
"HEY!"

"Getting gifts is more fun." Axel grinned over his coffee cup. When he looked over at Roxas's, he saw that look and stuttered. "I-I-I mean, LOOKING for a gift for someone is always fun and uh...." He thought before grinned even more. "And the gift you get after giving a good one is always nice too... heheehehehehehee."

He got a smack and pouted before Gunnar left, chucking as well as he walked out of the room, looking around the what looked to be a small house with all these people. He smiled softly as he found the person he was looking for, slowly walking up behind him and looking out the window to see what he was looking at. The sunset...?

"Your brother is well overdue a phone call."


Bonnie moved her ears as Luci talked, trying to block out what everyone was saying around her. She placed down the last of the folder napkins as she sighed, nodding in agreement. It wasn't like the two would get into any horrible or dangerous situation, not in a place like this.

Then again...this was the first place that Rant and Rave had hit.
What were the chances of that happening again though?
A cold shock ran through her at the thought....

"Lucina!? Bonnie!?" An older woman called from the kitchen in which Aqua, Fuu and Kairi were helping with dinner, Olette with dessert. "Come help put some things on the table please!"


The blonde slowly stepped inside the cemetery, the ground feeling very different under his feet.
Glowing purple eyes slowly moved, looking around. For being a place as this is...one wouldn't be smiling. But he was.

Samael slowly walked down the rows, heading towards the other teen that was in the back, standing in front of four tombstones. He knew who those were...All very brave and kind, noble men who risked their life to save those of others.
His eyes widened however as he heard Tensai talk...and frowned as he continued up the hill.

"Yip!" Jax called as he raced the blonde up there, finding Moxley easy and jumping on his back. Tensai looked back, seeing the blonde com closer until he was by his side.
The purple eyes looked at the graves, slowly signing.
'The past can always help for finding the future.'
He was sure Tensai knew this, but... it was always good to refresh memories...or at least that was what Luci had said.

His eyes widened as looked at Terra's grave and quickly rushed to it, as if he was panicked. Gently, his fingers ran along the warm stone, frowning a bit.

[Reno]

"Is this how you've been teaching our son the last eighteen years?!" Roxas cried in horror, smacking Axel - only half playfully - before snatching away his coffee. The red head whined, saying some about how it was really on fourteen or so, considering Roxel was born a toddler. The blonde just ignored him trying to finish the coffee so the pyro couldn't have any anymore.

Roxas was a very evil person when he wanted to be. After all these years, one would think Axel would have understood that.

Kadaj was looking around with curious Mako eyes at the house, his eyebrows furrowing at the shiny, glittery, or even some lit decorations. The whole affair looked like an incredible fire hazard. No wonder Axel seemed so thrilled at this holiday - he was just hoping something would go amiss.

Why do humans like to put themseleves in such obviously dangerous situations? What if something were to truly happen? The mixture of foods get contaminated, or the tree falling and crushing someone? What if the danger spread...

He glanced at Gunnar, blinking when he found the male at the window, seeming to stare at something beyond the glass. He walked over, looking out as well. There was nothing much to see except the sky changing colors as it always did at this time of day. Humans called such a thing 'romantic'.

He glanced at the other when he heard the other's comment. "But I have nothing I wish to speak to him about." Gunnar kept trying to teach the value of 'keeping in contact' with friends and family. He was startiong to understand this one - it was a real pain in the ass. The brown-haired man started to give him a look, so he attempted to explain. "He will only ask of Mother, and I have no news for him."


"Yeah, yeah!" Lucina called back sighing to Bonnie. "Why can't any of the men do these things?" She grumbled. "They're all gay anyways." No one could deny the Chasers, despite being such a small team, had a lot of gay men.

She sighed as she walked into the kitchen, Bonnie right behind as she started to pick up a dish and bring it out to the next room. Damn did it smell good.


Tensai hummed trying to think of something else to think - but a happy noise and footsteps broke his concentration. He glanced top his side, chuckling as he saw little Jax and Moxley entertaining themseleves.

The green fox-lion blinked as the small form jumped on his back, his tail wagging some. He barked back at the other before trotting around the cemetery as if he were giving the other a piggy-back ride.

Ten shook his head - Moxley would probably be like his dad. A really great father. One day... if they ever found him a match. He blinked however when suddenly Sammy was by his side, signing to him. He smiled and nodded. "I know..." He sighed. He'd been told similar things all his life. It made him wonder what happened to people who had amnesia. What would it be like to lose your entire past? Go through life not knowing who you are or were you belong?

... Maybe he had amnesia too. He still didn't know where he belonged. Or who he was.

His musings cut short though when Samual suddenly jumped up and ran to Terra's tomb - making Moxley pause as well - and look panicked. Tensai frowned and hurried to his feet, walking over. "What is it?" He asked, concerned. He looked at the stone carefully, but nothing appeared wrong with it. It wasn't defiled in anyway.

[Rikugurl]

"H-HEY! THAT'S MY COFFEE!!!" The pyro cried as he reached over, trying to grab the cup away. "And that's only like... fourteen years! Remember he..." He glanced at his son before leaning in, whispering.

Roxel sighed and rolled his eyes before getting up. He had asked his parents how he came to be. That was when he was being taught about reproduction and there was indication that two males could have a child.
That was when he was sat down and...told everything. What Heartless were and Nobodies. How his parents had met in a powerful Nobody organization and how Axel had fallen in love with Roxas. He learned about their battle for their own hearts, their half souls and even running a whole WORLD by themselves.

He wouldn't believe it all if it wasn't for being able to remember that his two daddies were very busy when he was young because they...were what he later found out to be mayors of Delshad.
He too had to question why the name that they picked out didn't have a 'X' in it.

His parents had gone through a lot...

"MINE MINE MINE!" Axel pouted, slouching down in the couch as he crossed his arms. "Meanie."


The make eyes turned, looking down into the other's. "Mother..." He echoed softly.
When he had first refound the silverette in Midgar, he learned that he and his brother, Yazoo, were looking for their long lost mother. However, it wasn't like the situation of a normal children looking for their mother who went missing.

This was much deeper. They spoke about her as if she was some sort of code. He had though about it constantly. Was this why Kadaj didn't understand such simple human nature? Because he never had a mother? Was it the lack of his mother that he shut himself off from the world? Did someone kidnap her and they acted this way to get this far to find her?

All these questions and theories... they were all proven wrong because in the back of his head, a distant knowledge that was still locked away from being understood... knew who Mother was.

"Is that all he thinks about...?"


Samael continued to look at the tombstone before slowly looking down, moving off the land that was dug up to place him six feet under. His fingers pressed against the grass that was growing in, his purple eyes lidding as if concentrating....before his head snapped up, staring at Ventus's tombstone.

"TER--A!!? WHE--E --RE ---OING!? TE---------AAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"

He was about to start signing...though he didn't know exactly how to explain but---

"TEN-CHAN!? SAMMY!? TIME FOR FOOD!!" Roxel cried as he rushed up the hill, waving his hands.

[Reno]

"Just keep crying." Roxas said with a roll of his eyes, taking a large gulp, then handing the red-head back the cup with a smirk. the red-head looked down, pouting when he found out the cup was indeed empty. "Axel you are too damn old to act like this."


Kadaj tilted his head, before slowly shaking his head. "No, I suppose not. He thinks of many things but only of things he believes are of importance. Naturally we do not believe the same things are so conversation is... difficult at times." He glanced at Gunnar. "But that is just the way of people, yes?"


Tensai waited with bated breath, never having seen the purple-eyed teen act so strangely before. As the hands fell to the ground, Tensai's heart froze with horror. No one would dare dig UP his father's grave right?
No the ground looked fine. that could not be it - thankfully. But then what was troubling his teammate so? The teen looked up at him, about to speak - well in his own way - when a yell interrupted them both.

The music-player frowned glancing towards his best friend than back at Sammy. First Atteris... now his father's tomb. Why... why was this filling him with such forbidding feelings? "I...we.... we should go..." He held out his hand to help the other off the ground.

[Rikugurl]

Axel took his mug happily...only to grow the saddest face one could imagine as he saw the empty bottom. "Pfft, it's just a number! I don't want to become as grouchy as you. Wait.... you were always this grouchy!" He laughed before quickly getting up and rushing to the dinning room.

Gunnar chuckled but smiled. "I'm sure he'll call if he has something important to talk about." He slowly leaned over, his face coming close before his chapped lips met those of the silverette. He pulled away a moment later before wrapping an arm around the thin waist. "Let's just get this done and over with~"

Sammy looked up, seeing the hand before slowly reaching up and grabbing Tensai's. He was pulled up but before they could follow Roxel, Sammy started to sign.
'Something is missing. We need to go to Atteris...to find out what.'

It was hot, though it always seemed to be on this planet. The sand was a reddish color, the haze making everything blend in. Red bricks made up an abandoned library. Actually, an abandon town.
It seemed like the last of the Atterians had died with Terra's death and this planet would forever disappear. Perhaps disappear like it once did along with Akbar.

A small group huddled around a tombstone that was under a single tree, only one of the few around the entire world.
Flowers were placed down on the gave, the group joining in a silent prayer.
Purple eyes watched behind a taller girl, his childish looks making him look confused and scared about what the others were doing as he clung to her waist.

Ida Tellus... Who was she?


"Wow, this is absolutely AMAZING, mom!" Namine cried happily as she put another piece of chicken in her mouth. Apparently her dad caught it on one of the islands.

"I have to agree! So tasty and yum yum yum~" Olette agreed as she ate some of the stuffing.

"Still can't beat my dad's apple sauce~" Roxel smiled happily as he ate a spoonful, looking at Roxas.

"Thank you again for letting us use your house, Kairi." Fujin looked over at the other woman, seeing her smile sadly. "Well... I just wish Bryna and Carina could still be with us. It just seems....weird without them. At least they went happily."

"Wasn't it two days apart?" Gunnar looked up from sipping his soup.

[Reno]

Tensai read the other's message and his eyes widened in worry. He nodded. "Alright... We will." Anything that had to do with his parents, even his late ones, he would go the distance for every time. He heard Roxel yelling again, walking over.

"Xel-" He started to say, but yelped as his wrist was grabbed and he was yanked down the hill. Sammy blinked but hurried after, Moxley and Jax right behind. "Roxel!" Tensai tried to say but all the teen could talk about was how good the food smelled, and what was on the table, and about everyone already getting ready to eat, and how if they didn't hurry up RIGHT now they'd miss it all!

The black-haired teen frowned, realizing once again that Roxel wasn't listening to him. How long had this been going on, without him noticing? How often had be given the other his true and honest opinion and the other only responded with a 'Who cares'? How had he let this happen? He though he was stronger than this... but even his best friend was walking all over him.

Tensai frowned before glancing back at Sam and shrugged. He would just have to talk to his mom.


Unfortunately, his mother didn't seem too concerned. She did go back to Freyr to check the read-out, but nothing seemed to be wrong with Atteris.
"See, we're still getting that signal. That means Atteris is fine at least."
"But what about what is missing?"
"Then it will still be missing tomorrow boys." She sighed, placing their hands on their backs and moving them out of the room. "It'll be okay, trust me."

There was little to nothing they could do. Tensai couldn't travel the darkness like his fathers did and he didn't know how to fly the ship. Sammy knew even less than him - therefore, they had to just wait it out.

The orange eyes were slightly dark as he listened to the talk going on around him, eating sparingly. Why... was he so angry lately?

Compliments were being given to the chefs, smiles and laughter was being shared. He watched daughter and mother share smiles, Seifer sighed amused at his wife's enjoyment, Roxas grin and ruffle dual-colored hair with affection, his mother give her gratitude...

Tensai's fork froze as the conversation shifted, and his stomach twisted hard. That was right... his grandmothers' had passed as well. It had happened not long ago, a little after the autumn equinox when he was doing another concert with Roxel.
The Equinoxes were his favorite times of year - during them, a special event happened on Atteris. Terra had often used to as a romantic ploy with Ven... and then just a fun game with him. On the Equinox, the winds were dead, the dunes stopped moving, the temperature was perfect, the sun rose a beautiful red... and at night when the full moon rose to a certain height, a rainbow ring surrounded it like (as his father put it before getting elbowed and teased by his other dad) 'a sky flower blossoming her petals outward'.

"Yeah, they did." Tidus was the one to answer, placing his hand over Kairi's in comfort. The loss had been hard on many of them. "At least they're all together again though." The one comfort they all had was knowing of a life beyond the grave - that made losing those they loved just slightly more easy.

He had... forgotten....
Oh no.
There was a clatter then a screech that made everyone look at Tensai as he dropped his fork and suddenly shoved away from the table, jumping and running for the door.
"Ten!?" Aqua called in worry.
"I'll be right back!" He said before the door was opened and closed with a bang and past the window they saw the boy running back for the ship.

Aqua blinked, at a total loss, as she turned and looked back at her wife. What had THAT been about? The silverette seemed worried and together they both started to get up from the table.

"Wait." The blonde beside her said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him - Roxas - curiously. "Let me go talk to him." Ever since Roxas had taken over Sora's position... he often seemed a little more intuitive and aware of things. Sure, he had always paid attention to detail before - but never often did he apply it to a person.

"...Why?" Aqua murmured.
Roxas lent forward, whispering lowly - in a voice that only those near to Aqua and him (Fuujin and Roxel) and those with excellent hearing (Gunnar, Kadaj and Bonnie of course) caught what he said. "You can't give five flowers to seven people."
Aqua's blue eyes went wide.
Roxas just smiled faintly before pulling away from the table. He kissed Axel on the cheek, "Be back soon," And hurried out the door after his nephew.


Tensai ran into his room, out of breath as he started to look around his room, looking at the vase where he had kept the flowers he had picked up on another world using all the knowledge he had learnt from his father (who had learned from Aerith of course) about keeping them strong for the long journey back.

The vase was empty.

Five flowers...

Five.

How could he? What kind of PERSON was he? Did he just think... think he was allowed to run away from the pain? Did he just...

It was his fault. He couldn't forget that. He wasn't allowed to - he just wasn't!!

"No!" He grabbed the vase as if it were the ceramic's fault and threw it into the wall. It shattered upon impact, pieces scattering everywhere as the water within burst like a balloon and colored the carpet darker. He stared at the vase, a special gift he had gotten from his dad Ven, and his breath caught. "No..." He walked over to the shattered remains falling to his knees and in desperation started to gather up the pieces, wincing but not caring as they started to break the skin. "Nonononono!" He chanted, his chest heaving - still out of breath, stitches in his sides from the run that was all - as his vision got blurry.

He heard someone calling his name, felt warmth trying to wrap around him. He struggled. "NO!" He screamed.
"Tensai calm down!"
He coughed out a harsh breath of air, struggling in his captive's arms until a hand reached up, brushing along his head, a warm hand tenderly touching his forehead like a father or mother would to check for fever. Something about the touch made him freeze for a moment... then turn in his uncle's arm and sob violently into his chest, shoulders wrecked with misery as they shook. It was too much...

Roxas hugged him tightly, rocking him some. Tensai held too much guilt in his heart. He felt like the death of nine was his and his alone to blame. The (possible) death of his first parents of who he knew not, the death of Sora and Riku as they attempted to protect him, the death of Sirocco who lost his life over his guilt to his eldest son, the death of Terra and Ven who had done everything in their power to see him survive, the death of Bryna and Carina who were all alone and lonely without any family close by...

[Rikugurl]

With Tensai's confirmation, the room grew a slight silence. It was the first Christmas dinner without the women for the Generation 2 Chasers. To the other's it seemed rather oblivious but Namine could see it. She grew up around the two and knew they were the best of friends. With her first child dead, her husband dying shortly after and than the death of her other son, the one who she had lost to the Darkness for too many years, her strength started to die as well.

People have just so much strength until the whole world comes down. When Bryna passed away, Carina couldn't hold on any longer either. Her husband dead, her only son dead, and then her only best friend in the whole universe dead... all she had left was Tensai...in which was off in another Connection somewhere and she couldn't bear for him never to return again either.

She had passed away two days later.

They had lived a long life though and was able to see not only her sons grow up, but fall in love, get married, have a home, have a child and laugh. That was life was all about...and they had lived life to their fullest.


When Tensai shot up though, everyone became startled. "Ten-chan!?" Roxel called out but his redheaded father grabbed him by the wrist as Roxas took care of the worried mothers. Fuu looked down but when Roxas came closer, the silver haired woman couldn't help but lean in, trying to figure out what happened to her son that the blonde might know about.

When she heard the news, her eye went wide as well before she covered her mouth. "Oh no..." She knew, first hand, that Tensai was still blaming himself about the deaths of all his parents.

"I don't know why you adopted me! You're only going to end up dead like the rest of them! I'm a curse! A----"
"TENSAI!" The silverette rushed over, wrapping her arms around the boy and let him cry in her chest as she rocked him and ran her fingers though his hair. "You're not a curse Tensai... as a keyblader and a Chaser, we all know the risk of dying can be around the corner. It has nothing to do with you, sweetheart."

She swallowed hard as she looked around the table, seeing some still confused looks from everyone except for Gunnar who was looking away, feeling the hurt and Bonnie whose ears were flat on her head as she sighed.

Sammy couldn't help but chuckle at the bunny girl, finding the way she looked with her long ears down awkward but when he was shot a look, he swallowed and inched closer to Lucina.

"Poor Tensai..." Namine sighed as she poked the leftovers on her plate. She hadn't heard Roxas but...she knew it wasn't good.

[Reno]

Aqua shut her eyes and sighed as Ropxas left before looking over at her wife, reaching out and taking her hand in hers. She looked at the silverette and smiled sadly, squeezing her fingers lightly. Taking on the role of mother had been pretty natural for Fuu... but for her it had been more of a struggle. The youngest person she had ever had to take care of exclusively was Ven - and he was only a year younger than herself.

Though he was a big enough baby to last a lifetime. Seriously.

"We should go check on him." She said softly, rubbing the woman's hand with her thumb. This year had been rough on Ten. After losing both his dads, he lost both his grandparents not even half a year later. She could hardly imagine what that would be like - maybe like... losing her dad six times.
But even if Roxas understood him the best.. they were his mothers now. They had to be there for him too. The deaths he had been through so far would not be the last - not in there line of work. they had to help him get through it too.

It didn't take much to convince her. It made Aqua feel a little guilty sometimes... that she and Fuujin didn't have the ability to have one and that they had never actually adopted one before.

"We'll be back, don't wait on our account." Aqua said to the other's as she and Fuujin left the room, walking back for the Generation 2 ship.

Kadaj was looking at his plate contemplatively. This was easy... obviously not having enough is always a problem. Maybe Tensai was going to fix it. To get enough for seven. Seven what?


Roxas sat there running his hands through the boy's hair.
"How could I forget them uncle?" The boy blubbered, shaking his head.
"Sometimes the mind blocks things out... that hurt the heart too much. To protect you." Roxas responded softly. "Remember? Sora forgot Ven when he lost him."
"But I didn't REALLY forget I just..."
Roxas smiled. "You ran away from the emotions you felt until you just misplaced the memory." He said softly. "That helps sometimes - keeping yourself busying with work and fun to distract away from what happened." He pulled Tensai away some, rubbing at his cheeks, and said softly. "A lot of people do that. I do."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah... but, Axel always told me that it was bad for my health. Because eventually those feelings have to escape again. And it always did, sooner or later. Days, weeks sometimes even months later. The good thing is, when the emotions break free again you're not ever alone dealing with them."

"O-Oh..." Tensai looked down sniffling, rubbing at his eyes, smearing a little blood on his face. He didn't even hear the door sliding open. "I'm sorry... I'm ruining Christmas."
"No you're not." He looked up, confused but blinked when he saw his two mothers' walking in. Aqua smiled faintly before kneeling down beside her son, taking his hand and inspecting it gently, "But you certainly make it interesting."