Chapter 3

A/N I guess it’s time for an explanation of sorts. This is more AU then I thought. It still follows the games, but some things are different.

When Sora left the island, and was sent to Traverse Town, the whole of Destiny Island was engulfed in darkness, turning everyone on it into heartless, creating nobodies. After Sora freed the nobodies they went to live back in the hearts of the heartless, making them whole again, to resume their lives as if nothing had happened. So that’s why after Sora and everyone had been gone for a year or so nobody recalled it, cause they had been gone too. The only ones that know are the ones’ Sora and the others have told. Now, why isn’t the whole island sick? Well, cause that would be too much. Only a few nobodies that really want to ‘live’ again for real are trying to break free. Okay does this make sense? I hope so.

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Selphie set next to Riku, holding his hand. Wakka set across from him, his eyes on the floor. The three teens were sitting in the waiting room, waiting on news from the doctors about Sora and Kairi’s condition.

"Were sorry," they heard a nurse whisper to a distraught mother, "we did everything we could."

The mother, who looked very young herself was consumed in gut wenching tears. The nurse frowned, leading the upset women out of the waiting room and into the arms of her husband. The two just held on to each other, their loud tears filling most of the small hospital. Others around bowed their heads in sadness and respect, knowing this fate very well could be their own too.

"Someone died," Selphie whispered.

"Yeah," Wakka sniffed, feeling on the verge of tears. Uncharacteristic of him, but these were his best friends, so you could understand.

Riku looked up at Selphie and Wakka, with dull eyes, "what happened to Tidus?" he asked Wakka.

"No idea, after you called me, I called his house," Wakka explained. "I left a message with his dad. He said as soon as he sees him, he’ll send him over."

"Speak of the devil," Selphie whispered, all traces of humor gone from her voice.

Tidus walked in the waiting room, a tall redhead walking behind him. Riku looked up, and gasped.

"Axel?"

"So, you really are Axel," Tidus said to the teen.

"Of course, didn’t I say that I was?" Axel turned to Riku seeing the distressed state he was in. He sighed. So it was true, people were getting sick, all because of him. "Don’t be alarmed Riku."

"Didn’t . . . Sora, Donald and Goofy . . . I thought . . . "

"Yeah, but that didn’t stop me from coming back." Axel quickly went over everything, explaining to a wide-eyed group of teens how he came to be alive . . . really alive for the first time.

Lowering his eyes, he went over how he had wished for Roxas to be back with him, and any other nobodies that wanted to be alive, he wished they could. He explained what it was doing to Sora and others, truly sorry.

Riku first reaction was anger, pure anger, but it soon softened seeing the look on Axel’s face. He knew that the teen hadn’t wanted this. He just wanted his best friend back.

"Look, Leia said Sora would be fine . . . " Axel started to say.

"But people have died . . . " Wakka shouted.

"What?" Axel’s shoulder’s drooped, "no . . . she said . . . but . . . "

"Maybe it was one of those things, she couldn’t totally foresee," Selphie said in a soothing voice. "Sora’s super strong, he’ll be fine."

Riku nodded, "she’s right. After everything Sora’s been through, I can’t see him going out because of this."

"Can we go visit him?" Axel asked.

"No, we’ve been waiting to do just that, but it’s family only for the time being," Wakka said. "His mother is in the room with him."

"Also Kairi is sick too," Selphie told Axel, "Namine must want to be free."

"What? Kairi too?" Axel’s shoulders slumped.

"Yeah," Riku sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Excuse me," a male voice spoke, "are you the friends of Sora Hanajima and Kairi Stone?"

Everyone spun around, seeing the young elderly, "yes!" They all shouted.

The elderly held out a hand, "if you please, come this way. I’m allowed to let two visit each patient."

"Riku . . . why don’t you and Axel visit Sora first. It seems only fair; you’re his best friend and Axel is Roxas’ best friend."

Relived that he would be seeing Sora soon, Riku smiled, "okay."

The elderly seemed to fill sorry for everyone, by the distraught look on his face, "I’ll make an exception this one time and let you three go visit Kairi; that way one of you won’t have to wait all by yourself."

"Really?" Selphie sighed, "thank you."

As Riku and Axel walked into Sora’s room, the first thing they noticed was the sound of the heart monitor.

Startled, Riku looked to the bed. "Don’t worry; the doctor only hooked him up to the heart monitor, in case of the worse case scenario." Saki said from where she was sitting next to the bed, with a sleeping Sora.

"Is Sora going to be okay?" Axel asked.

"I...who are you?" Saki looked at Axel with a confused look on her face.

Axel’s eyes went slightly wide, looking at Riku. He had no idea what to say to Saki.

"Oh, this is Axel." Riku walked over to Sora’s bed and knelt down beside it, taking one of Sora’s hands in his. "He’s from our school. I hope you don’t mind him coming; they were friends."

Saki shook her head, "of course, I don’t mind. Sora will be pleased that you visited."

Axel almost snorted, but stopped himself. I’m not so sure he’d be pleased. It’s my fault all this is happening.

"Thanks," Axel said, walking up to the bed, looking at Sora’s face. "He looks peaceful."

"Yes, they gave him something for the pain. The doctors are throughly confused; he doesn’t seem to be sick with a sickness they’ve ever seen."

Riku looked at Axel, who looked down, his eyes filled with pain.

"But . . . will he be okay?" Riku asked.

"They are pretty sure he’ll pull through."

Axel smiled, "I’m so revealed to hear that." Sora you must be okay . . . Roxas, you too.

Tidus ran over to Sarah, throwing his arms around her. Sarah sniffed, more tears starting to fall, when she felt the teen’s shoulders start to shake.

Wakka looked at Tidus frowning, Tidus had always been an emotional boy. When he was younger, he almost burst into tears from stepping on a beatle, Wakka remembered. ‘Will he go to heaven?’ Tidus asked the six year old Wakka. Wakka smiled, ‘of course, bug heaven.’ Tidus smiled, ‘really there’s a bug heaven?’ Wakka walked over to Tidus and Sarah, patting Tidus on the back.

"She and Sora will be fine," he said, kindly. Selphie nodded running over to them.

"Of course they will, I mean after helping s. . . . " Selphie cut off, her eyes darting to Sarah. Luckily the women hadn’t been paying attention.

Wakka shook his head, sighing. "Selphie," he scolded.

"Sorry," the girl muttered.

Tidus pulled away from Sarah and went to Kairi’s bedside. He looked down at her face, jumping and yelping when her eyes shot open.

"Tidus," Wakka yelled, worried. "What’s wrong?" He ran over to Tidus, looking his up and down. "Why did you yell?"

"I think I scared him," came a weak voice. What was really weird about the voice, is that it sounded like two people speaking at once. Nobody seemed to notice but the three younger children. They looked at Kairi, questioning looks on their faces. Sarah on the other hand, sprinted to the bed, practically shoving everyone aside to get to Kairi.

"KAIRI!" Relived sobs escaped her, as tears streamed down her face. "Oh Kairi. I thought . . . "

"Don’t worry mom," Kairi smiled, "I feel fine."

"You’re really feel fine?" Sarah questioned.

"Yes, mom." Kairi’s duel voices answered.

Wakka quirked his eyebrows and looked at Tidus and Selphie, mouthing, ‘you guys hear that?’

Selphie and Tidus both nodded back. They didn’t know Namine, but there was no doubt in their mind that the second voice belonged to her and she was almost ready to be free.

"You know that beeping is starting to give me a headache," a familiar, but strange sounding voice complained.

"SORA!" Riku, Saki and Axel all shouted at the same time.

Sora set up in bed wincing, "yeah. Why are you yelling; didn’t you hear, I have a headache. Someone turn off that beeping."

"Hello," Riku waved a hand in front of Sora’s face. "You okay?"

Sora smiled, "I feel fine."Fine. Well, I don’t. This is weird. Hey! Isn’t that Axel?

Axel . . . "AXEL!" Sora jumped, startling Saki, who was still under the impressing that Axel was a friend from school.

"Aw, Sora don’t tell me you’re still mad at Axel." Riku said, giving Sora a pointed look. You can’t make a fuss about Axel in front of your mom.

Axel . . . oh Axel . . . Sora, I don’t know what’s going on, but look at Axel. Really look at him. He looks really worried about you. I wish it was me, he was worried about.

"Sora, you didn’t answer." Riku raised an eyebrow. "Did he fall asleep or something?"

Saki waved her hand over Sora’s eyes, making the teen jump.

"Ah! No sorry, I’m awake." Sora looked at Axel, seeing that Roxas was right; he did look really worried. He then looked at Riku, blushing at the look he was giving him. He’d never seen someone looked so relieved. Is it because of me that he looks like that?

I think that should be obvious too.

Sora blushed, wishing he could swat at Roxas. Shush you.

Remembering Riku’s question, he shook his head. "No, I’m not mad." He said, speaking in a duel voice.

Axel cocked his head to the side, his ears perking up. His eyes went wide, and he bend down real close to Sora, staring into his eyes. "Roxas?" He whispered.

Sora was surprised, and so was Roxas.

Nodding, Sora smiled, "Roxas say hi."

Axel’s eyes misted. He grabbed Sora pulling him, and Roxas in a way into a hug.

Saki looked on blinking. She hadn’t heard what was said, but found it very strange that this redhead all of a sudden grabs her son in a hug. She looked at Riku, who just shrugged, a small smile on his lips.

A/N Please review.

Chapter 4