The Chasers: The Key to Memories Past

[Rikugurl]

The silence was almost deafening as they all stood there. Gunnar grit his teeth, his arms crossing as he waited. They had better not of gone out of their way for noth----

There was a sudden flash as the blonde boy held out his hand, palm up as his purple eyes started to glow more than usual.
A sudden purple flame sparked in his palm, growing until it was filled completely.

Everyone's thoughts disappeared as they just watched but they stepped back as Sammy flung his arm back and threw the flame right at the tree.
"SAMMY!" Namine cried as she saw the tree suddenly catch on fire, the purple flames engulfing it. Tree were sacred on his planet!

However, the world around them sudden became dark and ancient symbols that the Generation 2 knew well started to brighten then fade all around the in a circle, making other tombstones glow as the ground became back.

The tombstones only glowed a pale color, some wisps coming off them but what caught everyone's attention was the sound of....crying.

On top of the worn tombstone under the tree was a woman sitting on top it, her face in her hands as she sobbed.

"Ida..."
A handsome voice could be heard, the group gasping as they realized who it was.
Sammy.

"What's wrong?"
The crying figure looked up, her blue eyes glowing as if they still had life in them. She had pale skin with long, dark brown hair. She was absolutely beautiful... and young in her appearance. It was no mistake that she was a relative to the late Terra.
The only thing gruesome about her were the claw marks in her skin that showed and a huge gash in her chest.

That was what obviously had killed her.

She looked around, seeing all the people that were surrounding her as obvious tears ran down her pale cheek before she looked at Samael.
"My baby... he doesn't come to see me anymore..." She choked out.

[Reno]

Beside Gunnar, Kadaj rose a curious eyebrow. He knew of only one group of people - besides Ven - who were able to speak with things that otherwise should not have a voice. They were called 'Cetra' or 'Ancients' on his world. They were said too all be dead thanks to a virus, but when they had been alive, they had the ability to speak with the lifestream - where the dead of his world were rumored to go. It was said... they could hear the Planet itself speak to them, tell them things that no other human would understand or know. It told them when it was hurting, it told them the secrets of Mako and magic, and it put them at peace with the dead.

The idea of a 'soul' was very abstract to him - the theory he learned was that when the body died, the human became apart of planet, feeding it his or her life energy to sustain it. It was not until he was joined with the Chasers that he learned this theory was incomplete.

He wondered many times... if he had a soul.

Aqua was silent as she watched the violet-eyed boy, becoming mesmerized by the purple fire. She had seen many colors of fire in her life - blue, black, green, red... but never purple. Her eyes widened though as he threw the flame at the tree. "Samual!" She snapped. What was he doing?!

"D-" Tensai started to cry, reaching out for the boy but it was too late. His eyes widened in fear and horror as the flame hit the tree. All of the things his father used to tell him - about how wood had been the rarest and most precious object on this world. How the trees had been one of their only forms of oxygen and without them life probably would never be able to exist upon Atteris...

Before he could grab Sammy and rightfully beat the shit outta of him though... the scenery twisted around them, turning darker as if night had fallen. But instead... it illuminated something that shook almost everyone to their core. A being. A soul. Sitting atop the tombstone as if the act was common to her.

A new voice made everyone jump and a few people who weren't still flabbergasted by the sight of the woman turned to look at Sammy. Luci was one of them, her eyes wide as the voice, strong and deep like a man's should be, made her shiver faintly. It was so... so... exotic. So... Her cheeks darkened but she shook her head, brushing away the thoughts. This was neither the time nor place!

Tensai, however, had his eyes fixated on the woman, the voice of Samual only barely registering to him. When she looked up it stole away what was left of his breath, his legs shaking under him. Those eyes... The hair...

He'd only seen her in pictures before, but he knew without a doubt who she was. This... this really was his father's mother! His grandmother!

At her response, his heart trembled. What did she mean, Terra 'no longer' came to visit? Did that mean he once had? Did that mean his soul had once danced to this area and said hello...? Did something STEAL his dad's soul?!
Wait. Tensai took a breath, trying to calm his racing heart and whirling thoughts.

Or... did she mean... physically?
"Sammy says Terra's soul... didn't make it to the afterlife."

"Grandma..." Tensai whispered, unsure if she could even hear him. Was this power only exclusive to Sammy... or could he talk to her too? "Dad died... a year ago."

[Rikugurl]

Bonnie reached for her ears, pulling them down as far as they could go. All she could hear...what whispering. So loud.... didn't anyone else hear it? They were of all tones and ages, making her look around at the tombstones. If this was the world of souls, it was rather noisy to those with excellent hearing!

She looked over at Gunnar and Kadaj who seemed to be fixated on the woman on the grave...but it seemed like they weren't having the same problem.

That was when it hit her. Her mom had told her that Viera could hear the whispering of the Woods, the life forces in the trees and the mist that surrounded the world. Maybe this was something else that she was hearing...
Great...thanks mum....

Namine was clinging onto Aqua, her whole body shaking as she looked at the...the....the....GHOST!

Olette too was feeling a bit uneasy about it. Though ghost were scary, she didn't feel very afraid when seeing....Ida. Though...she wished her husband was here for her to cling on!


"Grandma..."
Blue eyes slowly moved to look at the boy, her tears slowly stopping as she swallowed. Slowly, her form seemed to move, getting off of here tombstone. The people around too a step back as she slowly walked to Tensai, even Roxel reaching out in panic. "Ten...."

The woman stopped in front of the boy, a soft yet weak smile running over her features. The thing that amazed those who were watching in silence was like unlike most ghosts... you couldn't see through the woman at all. She was as sold as they were.

"Y-you must be Tensai..." She spoke weakly as she looked at him. "Terra spoke very highly of you when he came to visit. How...proud he was to call you his son. I'm just glad...I could see him happy...and to hear that he was raising a child of his own." She looked away though, her sadness overcoming her once more.

"But he can't....be dead....I haven't....."
"His soul is missing..." The male voice interrupted, making everyone look back at Sammy...who seemed rather sad as well. "He never made it."
"Then...where did he go?"
The blonde looked down, his purple eyes closing before he shook his head.

[Reno]

Was Samual the child of Hades? That was the thought that kept running through Kadaj's mind, unable to process how exactly this was happening, his eyes watching with intense scrutiny on the woman who was said to be Terra's maternal figure. He shifted closer to Gunnar some, not knowing why he wanted to just that he felt more eased when near the brunette. Together they would be able to escape death, should this woman try to steal it from them.

Aqua didn't mind Namine much, letting her hold onto her. She was slightly more calm. As a keyblader, she had grown to live through many strange and unnatural sights - nothing really shocked her anymore. She couldn't really afford to be shocked anyways, she would give herself a heart attack. She did tense however as the dead woman started to approach her son, her free hand clenching nervously, ready to call the keyblade at any time - not like it would help much against the dead. Beside her, she heard Fuujin sucking in a nervous breath.

Lucina's eyes went wide as Ida started to move towards Tensai, gritting her teeth as every scary story and movie ran through her head. Zombies eating out brains, ghosts haunting, unreal creatures sucking away the lives and souls of people to be born again. Her feet felt like lead though, frozen to the ground. The only thing she managed was to reach out and grab onto Roxel who was crying for the black-haired teen, tugging him backwards some so he wouldn't go and get himself killed too.

Tensai looked up at the woman, his breath stopping again at how graceful she moved, how perfect she seemed despite the grotesque marks on her body that spoke of death. It didn't even occur to him to be afraid. To run away.

His eyes widened as she responded to him - even saying his name. She could hear him! At her words, his own pain filled his heart, tears started to fill his own eyes. H-He did? Oh dad...

He knew his father always loved him but to imagine him spending his many hours sitting in front of this tombstone, talking about him to his lost mother...
If only he could hug him right now.

Tensai swallowed hard, listening to the conversation Samual and Ida were having, looking between them. At her question though... no one could utter an answer. No one knew.
Where had Terra's soul gone, if not to death? Ven was there, how could Terra NOT be? Who... or what stopped him? Had something, somehow... encaged his soul?
He swallowed hard rubbing his eyes and then took a deep breath, stomping his foot. He looked up at his grandmother, determination all over his face. That was it! No one... NO ONE messed with his dad's afterlife!
"Well, we don't know yet grandma, but we'll find him!" He smiled up at her. "That's a promise!"


"Hey, what's going on?!" Roxas heard the yell in his ear. Seifer. "Do you see all that black smoke!? Is there a fire?"
The blonde frowned, looking from the rooftop as he reached up, fingering the communicator. Why did it seem so much more silent than before... like they were missing a few lines? "I do. It's coming from the cemetery I think." It couldn't be a fire... there was nothing there that could burn except the tree - and even then it couldn't be making THAT much smoke.

He heard a nervous call from Axel saying something about how it definitely was NOT a fire he would be able to tell and weren't the kids and the others in that direction?! That was right... they heard a ship landing not even ten minutes ago and they must of walked right past that area...
If they passed it.

Roxas eyes widened in horror and fear. "Roxel..." He whispered. He suddenly started to running, jumping from rooftop to rooftop quickly. His son... where was his son?! "ROXEL!!"

Seifer was calling. "Olette?! Olette answer me!" Dead silence. "Fuujin?!" No answer.
"Aqua!!" Still nothing.

What was going on?!

[Rikugurl]

Everyone was silent. Mako eyes looked down as a brunette started to think. So, it was confirmed. Terra's soul was missing and apparently he never made it to the....after life. That right there PROVED that there was such a thing.
That was....kind of nice to know.

Only problem was was that now they had to find Terra's....soul...and unfortunately, they didn't even know were to start looking or even knew where to find out how to start looking.
However, only one name screamed out at him.
After life = Hades.
Or did he only control the Underworld.

He was guessing that Olympus would be the next world on their list if Lucina agreed. Even Sammy didn't seem to have a good clue as in where to start.

However as everyone started to think about where Terra's soul could be, Namine was the first to speak up.
"W-w-w-w-wait..." She chattered as her body continued to shake. "Didn't Terra die...when he was...possessed by Rant? M-maybe...that's why he didn't...make it."

Roxel swallowed as he leaned on Luci, looking back at Namine. That was a good theory but how...how was that going to help them any??

The woman smiled as she looked back at her grandson and nodded. "Thank you...all of you..." She looked around and smiled. It was the first time she had ever seen a human...or a bunny thing...or one who knew how to reach souls. This was the team her son was talking about. The one that he led like a pack. They all seemed so strong...and willing to learn....just like her boy.

She looked back at Tensai, her pale hand reaching up and running across his cheek. Her skin was freezing cold but had an inner warmth to it. "I'll be waiting..."

With that, the purple fire on the tree started to go out and the world of darkness disburse, bringing them back into a hot, Atterian afternoon.
The woman was gone, as if she was never there and the fire was back in Sammy's hand before he made a fist and it disappeared. The tree that was burned didn't have one burn mark, standing straight as if it was never touched.

"AAAAAAAHH!" Roxel jumped as he heard screaming in his communicator.
"HEY! STOP YELLING!" He cried back only to hear faint yells, seeing three men rushing towards them from afar.

A redhead stopped at the opening, leaning over and panting a bit as he caught his breath. A little moomba shot pass him, rushing right up to Roxel and jumping on him.
"W-HOA!" The fire head boy fell over and laugh as Jax gave him tons of kisses.

Gunnar looked back, hearing his father start barking at them while his mother put her hands on her hips. "Seifer, what are you talking about. I didn't even hear you."
They all looked at Roxas who was saying something about smoke before her son explained.
"Uh... let's just say it was another realm? But listen, this is no time to explain. Terra's soul is missing and we need to find out where it went to..."

There was a cough behind them as Axel slowly walked up. "Jeez, Terra's a tough guy, can't he find his own way to the after life?"

[Reno]

Aqua looked down at Namine as she started to stutter out an idea, rubbing her shoulder some in comfort. The poor girl was obviously scared out of her wits - but honestly she could not blame the girl. Things like talking to dead souls that could answer back was not something any human did on a common basis. It made her wonder... with a power like this why wasn't Sammy a blader?

Lucina hardly noted Roxel, her eyes narrowing in thought at Namine's words. But why... why would that make a difference? Rant was dead (wasn't he?)! And why, then, was Ven able to reach the afterlife?

Tensai smiled faintly, shivering from head to toe as he felt his grandma's hand brushing over his cheek. The experienced was so otherworldly, so indescribable and amazing, so impossible... that he knew later in life he would continuously look back at this moment and wonder 'Did it really happen?' But for now... he was just so happy... to have seen her.

Then the experience was over. Everyone slowly started to relax...
"LUCINA!"
"ROXEEEEL!"

UNTIL SEIFER AND ROXAS WERE SCREAMING IN THEIR EARS!

"AH FUCK!" Aqua snapped, placing her hand over her ears. "SHUT UP FUCKERS!"

Heads turned curiously however when they heard a happy yip and three men and one lion where sliding to a stop at the entrance. All three appeared confused, Roxas and Seifer were looking around the area, their foreheads pinched up as if searching for something.
The blonde quickly looked back though, disregarding that fact to growl at the others. "Why the fuck didn't any of you answer me?!" His wife was the one to give him an answer. "How could you-" He started to say.

"Where's all the black smoke go?" Roxas broke in suddenly, his breath coming in harsh pants, his eyes searching around in confusion. He was glad to see his son was alright but...
"Smoke?" Lucina raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah... their was black fog everywhere. I was started to think that some sort of darkness was leaking out." The master blader answered, shaking a little at the thought of pure darkness swallowed up his family until their was nothing left...

Gunnar spoke this time though, clearing everyone's worries... a little. Until Terra's soul was mentioned.

"....Maybe the chickenwuss got lost." Seifer laughed in response to Axel's answer.
Roxas straightened, his eyebrows furrowing as his mind tried to catch up with everything. "You guys have all finally lost it huh?"

Tensai frowned some and shook his head and spoke up. "...Why don't we just go ask daddy Ven? He was right there with him, maybe he saw what happened!"
Roxas stared, his eyebrows rising. Talk... to the dead?
"The hell has gotten into you all, you aren't making any fucking sense." Seifer huffed.

[Rikugurl]

Confusion shot up all around until Namine stepped up and placed her hands on her hips as she puffed her chest out proudly. Luckily she didn't have much of a rack to distract the surrounding men with.

"Alright! Well, there was a signal that called out from this world. So happens that it was Terra's mother, Ida. Sammy here brought us to the graveyard in which he used some sort of power to let us see her. Remember when we took Sammy to the doctor and he found out that Sammy wasn't human because his vocal cords were all weird? Well, I think those vocal cords lead to his soul which allows him to speak to the dead."

Yea, ok! This was starting to make sense...well....as much sense as she could think of.

"Anyway, so I guess Sammy is some...alien race of people who can speak to souls or something BUT anyway, Ida told us that Terra has been missing, both physically and spiritually. Sammy had indicated earlier that Terra didn't make it to the afterlife...yet Ven did. I think that Terra didn't get there because Rant possessed him when he died so maybe he's trapped somewhere in the darkness. And just because Ven made it, doesn't mean that he's fully in the after life...maybe he's waiting for Terra...."

She pondered when Axel rose his eyebrow.
"Come again?"
"I'm not repeating it! Got it memorized?"
"Hey!"

"Ok, ok..." Gunnar butted in as he rubbed his forehead. "So...let's just say that what we all saw was real, that Sammy can communicate with souls, that Terra's soul is missing and all that fun stuff. The only problem is... how are we suppose to find Terra or what happened to him?"

Roxel walked up next to Tensai and frowned. "Let's do what Ten-chan suggested and let's go talk to Uncle Ven!"
"Right, like we can just bloody walk up to him and 'Hiya! All right?'" Bonnie frowned as she looked at the two.

The group argued some, making green eyes glance down at his husband's blue. "I really think they lost it."

Meanwhile, the blonde boy sighed as he looked down at the ground. It seemed like he made more trouble than helped...

[Reno]

Roxas, Axel and Seifer all fell quiet as Namine stepped up and started to explain what had happened. Rather than clearing things up, the three only grew more and more confused - as well as everyone else around her. People were already beginning to doubt if the event they had just been through had REALLY happened.

And then the argument broke out. Tensai smiled to Roxel, glad for his support, but at Bonnie's words he frowned. "Well we have Sammy don't we?!"
"Yes, true. If he can do it once, he can do it again." Kadaj broke in, his green eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Hey leave him alone!" Luci snapped protectively, growling at them. "He doesn't have to do anything!"

Roxas stared, his eyes wide as he glanced at his red-haired husband, "Definitely." He agreed. What the hell had gotten into them all.

"Guys stop fi-"
"Well I don't-"
"Oh yeah I bet you just want-"
"Well fuck you-"
"That's not true!"
"Oh shut up!"
Aqua shut her eyes, her patience slowly wearing thin at the fighting going on around her before she took a deep breath and then, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

Everyone jumped and fell silent, wide eyes turned towards the enraged blue-haired woman. She crossed her arms, glaring down the second generation Chasers. "You all are going to stop arguing in a cemetery. It's rude." Even wider eyes. She huffed. "Now that we know why we were called here let's all go to Freyr and DISCUSS what we can do." She nodded and took the lead, walking out of the graveyard.

No one really argued, hurrying after the woman.


"Yipyipyip!"
"Yiiip!"
Came two happy yelps as a foxy-lion and a pure lion wrestled with one another playfully. The bigger of the two was careful to not hurt the baby Moomba, both of them completely disregarding the serious talk going on above and around the table.

"Couldn't anything be normal with that freak?" Seifer grumbled under his breath, then winced as he was elbowed in the ribs by his wife. "Hey!" He hissed unhappily. It wasn't his fault! Terra was the one causing all the problems!

Roxas said sighed as he set a plate of rice cakes in the middle of the table before sitting next to his husband. Both the red-head and his multi-colored haired son reached for the cakes as quickly as possible, snatching one up to nibble on and pretended to be listening intently on the conversation. Ugh, that figured.

Lucina had her elbows on the table - completely bad manners - her chin in her hands as her eyes whirled with thoughts and decision they were all going to have to make. Even though Terra's soul was in danger there were LIVE people in danger as well, every minute and every second of the day. Who knew how long it would take to free Terra's soul - wherever it was. And... did they even have that time to spare?

Kadaj leaned back in his chair, his glowing eyes sarting between Samual and Gunnar. To Samual because he no longer was sure what to make of the boy and his powers - he did not know if he could be trusted. To Gunnar because... Well because Gunnar would not look back. Was he still angry with him? Why? That would be silly and unfair, he did nothing to deserve the 'cold-shoulder' or whatever the silly metaphor Namine had called it.

Tensai sat beside Roxel, his eyes watching his mothers with worry shining in the orange gaze. Against the side of his chair his drummed against the wood. A nervous habit... he had picked up from Terra. He just wanted to get and go now! To feel like he was doing something useful - not sit around and TALK!

"Alright," Aqua said finally, sighing some. It had taken awhile, but finally Roxas, Axel and Seifer seemed to believe them - if tentatively. Now it was just the matter of planning a course of action. "Now, Terra's soul is missing. How that happened... I'm not quite sure." Namine brought up the issue of Rant again and slowly the bluette nodded. "It's possible. I mean, we were all aware that the heartless were poisonous to the Atterian race - Terra proved that when his wolfen form was unable top consume them with repercussions. The thing is, we killed Rant with Terra's body - and heartless fade back into the dark when killed, he might of been dragged down too."

"But then why did Ven make it?" Roxas asked. "Their souls were BOUND by the paopu, he should of been taken with him."

"Maybe... or maybe the spell breaks when both hearts stop beating." Aqua said. "Or maybe it's because Ven was bound to Terra when he was already technically dead... and therefore already 'was' in his afterlife."

"But daddy had to have the answer right?" Tensai spoke up, his legs kicking his chair loudly as he swung them impatiently. "So let's just take Sammy and go to his grave and ask what happened! We shouldn't just be sitting here."

Aqua waved her hand in a placating way towards her son. "Calm yourself. Now talking to Ven probably is the right way but..." She looked towards the violet-eyed teen. "Samual, you know what you did with Ida? Can you repeat that performance with... any soul? With Ven's if we needed to?"
The boy looked at her quietly, processing her words for a long few moments... before finally shaking his head negatively. He could not.
"Alright then. Going back to Destiny will be useless."

Gunnar spoke next, talking of the Underworld and asking Hades for help. It was a good idea but...
"We can't do that either." Roxas said simply. "Hades is know to trick people with his words and contracts - he'll only lure you into doing his own bidding." The blue eyes rolled. "He did it with Cloud and Auron and Meg. Sora too. I don't think we should even try getting mixed up with him. We'll only end up hurting that world."

[Rikugurl]

Everyone went silent as they pondered what could of happened with Terra's soul. Roxal had a weird twist in his heart though...feeling that something just wasn't right. Like... maybe this was just a plan by some evil doer who just wanted them to stop worrying about keyblades...that that wasn't the real Ida that they saw just hours ago and...

He slowly glanced at Sammy, seeing the twisted look in his face. Maybe he was wrong... maybe this was really happening and they DID have to save Terra's soul...or maybe Sammy was doing something evil for the evil doer and was now having second thoughts.

Sometimes... he wondered what was more harder; coming up with plans as a Chaser or hitting the right vocal note.

Sammy was indeed twisted... not knowing if he was doing good...or if he made things worse. His purple eyes scanned around the table before he slowly stood, making everyone look up before he turned and slowly walked down the hallway to his and Luci's room.

"Well.... all in all, we don't know how the Paopu fruit really works after someone dies though..." Axel started before anyone could do or say anything else.

"Doesn't the legend say 'It is said that if you and one person you truely care about share the paopu then your destineys will be intwined together forever, no matter what. '? Doesn't forever include after death too?" Olette pointed out.

"Well... like Aqua said, Venny was already technically dead when they shared the fruit. Though he only lived because of the power of Darkness that was still in his heart." Namine sighed.

Gunnar frowned as he sat back slightly, making no eye contact with the silverette across the table. "It still doesn't make any sense. Ven said that the Darkness was finally cleared away when he went to that world where he and Terra had their blood bonding. That Terra was essentially the only thing that kept him alive because of the Paopu fruit."

"Just because two souls are intertwined, that doesn't mean they have to BE in the same place."
Everyone blinked as they slowly looked at Bonnie who crossed her arms.

[Reno]

Ksadaj's eyes were narrow as the talk continued on around him, but when Sammy stood and left - Lucina watching him worriedly but unable to follow - she WAS the leader after all, she had to stay here and say her piece - it was the silverette instead who stood up and went after him. More because he wished no longer to sit beside Gunnar and let him so obviously ignore him. It... made him... feel...
Well he wasn't sure, but it made his blood warmer and his heart speed up in a way that was not pleasant.

He followed the blonde boy to the leader's room stopping the door before it could close and walking in after the other. His glowing eyes narrowed towards the violet ones. "Samual. What are you?"

"That's.... true." Roxas said suddenly to Bonnie's response, his eyes darkening as he slowly looked to Axel, remembering long ago when... when he had lost Axel when he rejoined with his somebody Reno. They had been as far apart as lives could get at that instant - connections and light years away... and even hearts and souls disrupted.

But yet the Paopu's power still connected them, however faintly. They were still one. "I suppose since we always saw Terra as what helped Ven stay alive in the living, maybe it's just hard to see it as anything different even in death." The blonde said wisely. "But Bonnie's right, the souls can be so separate... they're hardly their. The Paopu won't be able to prevent that. It just guarantees... you'll never die alone. And... even still because Terra wasn't technically human, his passage to the afterlife might be different from Ven's... and even if we DO find a way to talk to him, we might not be able to actually get an answer."

Tensai frowned looking towards the table in silence for a few moments. "Well we could ask Daddy Sora! He probably led them."

"Oh not this again." Lucina said with a roll of her eyes. She knew Tensai was fairly convinced Sora was an 'arch' angel - a leader of souls to heaven and that Riku was some sort of guardian angel.
The black-haired boy pouted, crossing his arms. "I swear I saw him leading Xio and Vi away!"
"We were in the middle of a world being destroyed! You could of thought you saw anything!" Luci snapped. "And even IF it was true it's not as if that solves the problem. We can talk to Sora just about as much as we can talk to Ven!"

Aqua was looking at the table, then glanced at Gunnar, remembering what he had just said. "Maybe... maybe there is a way." Suddenly everyone looked at her curiously. "That world... the one Ven lost the darkness in his heart at. He told me about... how he met a blue phoenix in the healing water that had cleaned his heart of the darkness... and he died. But because of the Paopu he shared with Terra, he survived." She paused thinking about this. "Maybe the phoenix... is a bridge between the living and the dead. It might be able to help us talk with Ven, since they've been in contact once before."

[Rikugurl]

The blonde walked down the hallway, hearing footsteps follow him. He rather not be followed in a time like this... especially if it wasn't Lucina...in who is wasn't since the footsteps didn't sound like hers. He pressed the door to their room and slid in, unfortunately the door didn't close fast enough for the other to be left outside.

He slowly turned, his purple eyes catching those of Mako.
Why was...
He couldn't continue the thought as the question was asked.

The blonde slowly looked down, his face sad and full of distress. He slowly fell onto his bed before his hands started to move.
'I'm a...' He thought, not knowing the word to describe. 'Nuisance...' Was that right?

Gunnar ignored the fact that Kadaj left, still listening to the others talk out their ideas.

"Hey! Leave Ten-chan alone! He wouldn't lie about something." Roxel snapped back as he wrapped his arms around his friend.

"Yea, it would be nice to see Sora again." Olette chimed in but sighed as Luci was right. If they couldn't talk to Ven, how could they talk to Sora?

"Oh man... birds and hearts and darkness and death and fruit... this is all getting so confusing! No wonder Chasers die so young! Look at all the stress we're under." Namine whined as she put her head on the table.

"So... we need to go back to that world?" Gunnar asked, ignoring the eldest Gen 2 Chaser and her misery. "How do we find it?"

[Reno]

Kadaj raised an eyebrow at the response, tilting his head. He and Samual had one thing in common and it was that which they did not understand. At least in language. For emotions. Samual was miles and miles ahead of Kadaj.

"A nuisance implies you are an annoyance." He stated slowly. "Something unneeded. Which I do not believe anyone thinks of you."

He walked over to the window of the room, looking out onto the world of Atteris. "You believe you caused them to argue, correct?" He glanced over, seeing the boy nod. "I think humans are simply argumentative creatures Samual. You simply brought up the topic. Do not feel as if you are at fault - the humans are the ones who are flawed. They enjoy these... 'language' battles even moreso than physical ones. It truly confounds me."

He looked back outside. "Gunnar is... unhappy with me. We must of had one of these language battles but I am unsure when or how I participated. All I do know is he refused to talk to me or even look at me. Why do humans persist in doing such silly things when it forces their eyes away from something they desire to keep?"


"The first time Ven found it, he found it using one of the watches that detects very small worlds." Aqua said. "But after that it disappeared. When he tried looking for it again he had to use Transcedent Oath as a guide since it resonates with the world's energy."

"So... were going to need to get into the Keyblade vault." Roxas said. "And someone needs to switch their keyblades."

"Yes. That is our best bet." The blue-haired woman looked at the blonde. "Since you are the master Roxas, it should probably be you. It'll probably be easiest for you to find."

[Rikugurl]

Purple eyes looked up, watching the silverette move across the room and looked out their window. A frown slowly appeared on his face as he listened to the other, nodding in agreement to many of the things he had to say. Sammy waited for Kadaj to look back at him before he started to sign.
'Humans are breathing emotions.' He sighed softly before continuing. 'I should know...I'm half human myself. You know....if my mother was still around, she could of contacted Ven and... no one would have to argue at all. I just can't....do it.'


Axel grinned as he looked at his husband. "Alright! Rox, get to the Keyblade Chamber and find that keyblade! Now we can all eat right? I'm starving!"

[Reno]

Kadaj heard the other shift and looked back, watching him sign once more. For him and Gunnar, learning to read the sign language had been a quick and painless affair. He in fact could sign right back if he wished to - just like he had learned how to drive the ship, he learned by watching Tensai and Samual sign to one another when they were having their 'silent' conversations.

Tensai liked to do this sometimes because he felt is was less 'invasive' to their privacy and few could eavesdrop if they didn't have a sharp eye. And because simply it was 'fun'. Whatever all that meant.

He tilted his head though at this new revelation. So Samual was a half-breed. "It does not matter." He said simply. "You got us this far. They will find another solution now."


Roxas blinked then rolled his eyes, hitting Axel over the head. "Gosh are you ever gonna grow up?"



Aqua was right. Being master and having Ven's high tech system, Roxas was able to lead them towards the small world in Connection 4 rather easily. It was too bad this idea had not occurred to Ven. Asking for Sora's assistance would of made things a lot easier even if at the time the brunette had claimed he had put away the blade. Currently both ships had set their coordinates to match the one's Roxas had found.

Unfortunately, merely finding the world and getting one step closer to freeing Terra - wherever he may be - did not clear up the problems Generation 2 was having.

Roxel was having considerably more doubts about Samual and his intentions on showing them Ida. He still believed that it might all be a trap - that there really was nothing wrong with Terra's soul at all and they were just all going to get themseleves killed. Unfortunately, he could not get his words through to his best friend. Tensai was blinded by fear and worry for his late father, and was already throwing his whole being into helping him. He didn't seem to care if it was a trap or not - he was willing to take that risk if it helped him become certain that all was okay.

Namine was constantly jittery about the affair. She didn't seen to like the idea of contacting more 'ghosts' for help and was beginning to believe that they should just leave well enough alone before they caused more damage by meddling. Bonnie thought this was disgustingly cowardly and would berate her roommate constantly regarding her pathetic fears. They were Chasers! They had to be brave no matter what, if it was to help the universe in some way. That didn't necessarily have to mean only those that were alive - right?

Lucina meanwhile seemed to be avoiding Sammy. No one was really sure why and when confronted about it she would blush, splutter out some random excuse or order and hurry away. This was upsetting the violet-eyed boy very much though and everyone could see that.

And Kadaj and Gunnar... well....

"I do not see why you are still avoiding me." The green-eyed man said, watching Gunnar polish his sword on the opposite side of the room. "You're eyes are more occupied by weaponry than the living beings around you unless you may have the excuse to verbally battle." He was of course pointing out how Gunnar would randomly tell at Roxel or Tensai whenever they were goofing off.

"Do you humans really find so much enjoyment at being... ignorant of others?"

[Rikugurl]

"Come on, Ten-chan, you can't tell me that you're not at least a tad bit suspicious!" Roxel cried in defeat as he pulled on his sleeping boxers. "I mean first off, his name indicates death. And we have no idea where he came from or what his story is. Why he can't walk or even has the same organs as us. He doesn't remember any written language and all of a sudden, he can talk to dead people! Doesn't that sound all too coincidental to you?"

The fire head sighed as he sat down in his bed, hearing it moan from the weight even if there wasn't much of it. "He's buddy buddy with Lucina, our LEADER and now she's protective of him. It could all be one big conspiracy to end the Chasers on an inside basis.
He heard his friend complain and talk, sighing more. "Well... if this really IS what I am thinking, it's one hell of a good plan and is going on schedule. For all we know, we could all be visiting Uncle Ven next week!"


A blonde was sitting on his bed, his pale fingers slowly turning the pages of an old book that was so old, it was still hand written and didn't even have a copyright date on it. Then again, if it was still hand written, it obviously was never published.
Though, it still made it to Terra's library. It had no cover and the title page was so old and worn, the title could not be made out.

Even if this book was falling a part and it's words were faded from the old ink, it was Samael's favorite.
He had read it countless amount of times, never thinking that reading it as much as he did was actually making the book's condition worse, hence pages falling out.
At least it wasn't a very long story, probably one of the shortest in Terra's library besides the poems.

It was a story about a man and a woman who loved each other. The story only consisted of the words they shared but it did tell of their hardship. They were different races, the woman being a human while the other was a fiend of darkness. They were both madly in love with each other... but their parents would not tolerate this love. The man's father banished the woman, so his son could never find her...and the man could not bear living in a world without his beloved.

He took upon the path of evil and decided to destroy all worlds... for no world, no universe was worthy without her. So, he started the end of all worlds and all hope was lost until the last day of the universe when a single bird flew to his domain and chirped, telling him that she must destroy him to save those who are still loving.
The man realized that it was his own truly beloved, that she was only changed into a bird than killed by his father.

It was still the last day of life for all the worlds but he realized that he was a fool and that he was still deeply in love with her as she was with him. The two decided to sacrifice themselves that day, their power of their love stopping the doomsday from happening.

But it wasn't a sad ending. Even if the two lovers sacrificed themselves, they were still together in a new world... that allowed them to be together forever.

This story... it was so familiar yet....

Purple eyes looked up, seeing the door sliding open before a blonde hair woman stepped in. Their eyes met for only a moment before her cheeks started to rosy and she walked over to her bed and grabbed her pajamas before... heading to the bathroom to change.

Sammy frowned as he watched the door to the bathroom close. The book was placed on the nightstand as the blonde sighed. She must hate him too... so much that she couldn't even do normal things around him anymore. All he wanted to do was help...
Slowly he laid down and turned off his lamp, curling up in hurt. He wished that his human half... hadn't become so strong lately.


A cloth ran down the side of the gunblade, making it shine like a mirror, angry Mako eyes looking right back at him. The eyes slowly rolled to glare at the silverette that was sitting on their bed. "You know, insulting 'humans' doesn't make them feel less aggravated than before." He continued to run the cloth down the sword befor quickly continuing. "And yes, I know it wasn't a direct insult, it was taken in the way as if our flaws in forgiveness is our decision in which we are stupid and human don't usually take the 'obvious' stupidity good, therefore it turns into an insult to us 'humans'."

He growled before standing, pulling his blade back in it's holder.
"Whatever, Kadaj. I don't feel up to this right now. He walked to the bed and snatched up his pj pants. "Just let me be mad at something that I'm having a hard time to decipher anyway. It's normal for humans to do this so just lay off and do something that we humans call 'coping.'"