Chapter 18

"And I want you to call me every two hours just so that I know what you're doing, where you're at, and if you're safe."

"Sora."

"Scratch that, every twenty minutes. Like, set up an alarm or something. A lot can happen in two hours. Pregnancy seems to be coming to mind here. You're at least on birth control, right?"

"Sora."

"Speaking of which, your curfew will be seven o'clock, meaning you will video chat me and I will watch you sleep for the rest of the night to make sure there aren't any perverts sneaking in for an unholy midnight slumber party. Especially that one guy you won't shut up about. And no, it is not creepy, because I'm your brother."

"Sora…"

"Did I mention that I demand gender exclusive hotel rooms? If not, I totally demand gender exclusive hotel rooms."

"SORA!"

At long last, my voice cuts through his rambling and he flinches out into awareness. Sora briefly turns from the road and expresses genuine confusion. "Sorry, did you say something?"

I groan and massage my temples while Kairi, who sits in the backseat using a straw to swirl her strawberry milkshake, merely giggles. We ride down the busy streets of Twilight Town on this beautiful Thursday morning. I've been subjected to his lectures for the past nineteen minutes. I tolerated it for a good seventeen of them, but I think I've had quite enough. Sora kindly opted to drive Kairi and I to the nearest Moogle station before going to work, but that doesn't mean I signed up for a safe sex discourse. I seriously need to start investing in my own car.

"Do you now see why I never told you about my situation?" I ask, preparing my lips for a sip of espresso. "You never listen to me."

"Well, can you blame me for being a little uncomfortable at the moment?" Sora asks impatiently. "You're going on vacation to another world without me and there are three other guys tagging along with you. That's three penises I have to worry about, Xion."

"Will you cut it out?" I ask, jabbing him on the shoulder. "I thought you said you were going to trust me from now on."

Sora purses his lips together. "Define trust."

"Seriously?" I roll my eyes. "As in, have some faith in me for once and not talk down to me. For the fifteenth million time, I will not be doing anything with anybody. Trust me, if you knew what I've been through, you'd know that sex is the very last thing on my mind."

"What you've been through?" He narrows his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I pause, realizing that I have once again successfully talked myself into a corner. Through the rearview mirror, Kairi sips on her milkshake while looking outside her window with a transparent attempt at being inconspicuous. Seeing that she won't be any help, I just sigh. "It's nothing."

"See, that's not making me any less uncomfortable here." Sora pouts, making a left turn onto the next appropriate street. "In my defense, you haven't really given me a good reason to trust you." I suppose he has a point there. "I just wish you would open up to us more and... I dunno, let me in on what's going on in your life."

I sigh. "I'll be sure to inform you when the next parent-teacher conference comes up. Is that okay, Father?"

"It's a start," he says half-jokingly. "Try to think about it from my perspective. I realize it's just for a couple days but I want to be sure that you're safe." His eyes teeter off to the side. "And, you know, pure," he adds quickly.

"Don't worry, Sora," Kairi says on my behalf. "I'll be with her for the whole trip. We'll even be hotel buddies. You know that the moment I see some creep lay his dirty hands on her, they're getting hit with my signature vertical stomp kick."

Sora seems to relax upon hearing that bit of information. "Thanks, Kai. You don't know how glad I am that you're going. You are seriously the best thing to happen to this family."

Kairi gushes and places a hand on her reddening cheek. "Oh, it's no big deal, really." Pathetic.

"I trust you, unlike some other people," Sora continues while eyeing me wearily. I rear an irked eyebrow back at him and he returns his focus to the road. "Okay, look, I know I can freak out and get a little protective—"

"A little?"

"I was talking," he barks back. He makes sure I don't pipe up again before continuing. "But I'm going to try to trust you on this and back off. Just a little bit."

I smile in appreciation. "That's all I ask."

He returns an inkling of a smile, but it quickly deforms into a frown. "But I still expect you to video chat me at seven."

"Sora."

"Seven-thirty."

"Sora!"

"Okay, okay."

S.E.X.S.E.L.L.S

We arrive at the local Moogle station after bustling through a chaotic morning rush hour. It's a two-story building with a sleek and narrow design. Near the front are two sets of benches and an outline of bushes surround the outskirts. There's always at least one of these in every world for obvious transportation reasons. I haven't traveled to another world in years and that was back when our family could actually afford vacations.

After finding a spot in the overstuffed parking lot, we pop the trunk to secure our belongings. This is going to be more than just a scavenger hunt for Aqua, after all. We decided to take advantage of our days off and go on a full-blown vacation. I think I'm overdue for some quality leisure time to get away from everything. I just wish a certain orange-haired creep didn't have to sour what could've been a much more pleasant experience. I'm the first to lug my things out of the car; first, a blue duffle bag and then a much bulkier suitcase with some minor difficulty with the latter. I crouch down to check for my Gummi I.D in one of the zipper pockets.

Meanwhile, I keep an eye on the two hopeless lovebirds. In the most adorably cliché fashion, Sora and Kairi both reach for the handle of her pink suitcase at the exact same time before quickly withdrawing, the latter looking particularly flushed. "Sorry about that," they say in unison, surprising them both for a moment before Sora eases the air with a chuckle. Kairi's cheeks burn red and she tucks some hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about it," Sora says with a smile. "Need some help?"

"O-Oh, no, it's okay! I can totally handle it!" Kairi waves it off frantically. "I wouldn't want to be a bother or anything, you know? I mean, you went through the trouble of driving us here, and have I mentioned that you are an excellent driver? You're not reckless like my dad. I really, really, really like the way you—"

"Kairi," Sora says, shutting up her nervous rambling in the most gentle way possible. He picks up her bag and drapes it over his shoulder while taking ahold of her other rolling one. "I got it. It's the least I can do."

Kairi twiddles her thumbs. "Yes, but—"

"Don't sweat it, okay?" He smiles. "You're like family."

Kairi has a tiny smile herself and hugs her left arm, keeping herself from coming into eye contact with him. "Okay. Thank you."

I roll my eyes. They've always been like this, acting like middle schoolers who still pass notes when the teacher isn't looking. You'd think that after knowing each other for the past twelve years, one of them would finally tell the other how they feel when it's obvious to everybody except them, in the most spectacular display of denial and obliviousness in the universe, that they share feelings. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised with all of my failed attempts at playing matchmaker between them.

I've told Kairi a thousand times that she should just tell him how she feels. Sora is an idiot when it comes to picking up signals. But I won't give up. The day I can call Kairi my sister-in-law will be a glorious one. After retrieving my Gummi I.D, I rise to my feet, sling my bag over my shoulder, and stroll towards the entrance of the station.

"H-Hey, Xion!" Kairi calls, making me stop. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna get a head start. Sora can keep you company." I crane my neck halfway with a trollish grin. "Riiiiight?"

Kairi looks at me with the most conflicting expressions of thankfulness, annoyance, happiness, and frustration I've ever seen. "Well, I gue—"

"Perfect! Take your time." I bid her a temporary farewell.

I move a bit quicker to give them some space. Albeit, I struggle slightly trying to lug my rolling suitcase with me. I must've overpacked a little. But I suck it up and keep it moving. It isn't too long before the entrance of the station comes into view. Neku, without a care in the world, lies on one of the benches with his leg kicked up over the other. His eyes are closed while listening to whatever is jamming under those purple headphones. Oh, geez. I was hoping Roxas or Zidane would've gotten here before us just so that I wouldn't have to deal with this guy by myself.

I set my stuff down and bend over to casually tap him on the forehead. Immediately, Neku bolts out of his dream. "Whoa!" After his slightly panicked eyes make contact with my disinterested ones, he settles down. "Oh. Hey."

"You do know it's rude to take up both spots on a public bench, right?"

He rubs the back of his neck and makes room for me to take a seat. "Must've dozed off. You got your I.D, right?" I wordlessly showcase my I.D and he nods while showing me his own. "So, how you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess."

"What did you need to go to Daybreak for again?" he asks, closing his eyes and leaning back, allowing his face to bathe in the sunlight. "Kairi kept it vague and said you wanted to talk to Aqua. But I'm not sure what you're hoping to accomplish."

I graze my shoes against the concrete while kicking my feet out. "To be honest with you, that's still kind of up in the air. I'm in a tight situation right now and I want to believe that she can help alleviate it somehow." I look up at the sky. "Or maybe I just want an excuse to get away from this town."

"Sounds like trouble." He opens a single eye. "What kind of trouble?"

"That's confidential, sir." I lightly grip the bench. "But don't worry about it. It's nothing I can't handle."

Neku gives a dry chuckle. "You never change, huh?"

I look over at his resting face. "I'm not quite sure how I should take that."

"Don't worry. It's good. Means you're still tough." He smirks. "It's one of the things that made me like you in the first place." I don't feel the need to respond to that. Obviously, he must not have fallen that hard, considering his subsequent actions. "Reminds me of old times," he continues. "We'd always grab some food and drinks, head over to the train station, and watch the sunset after school all throughout sophomore year. Feels like yesterday. You'd always get the paopu smoothie with a side of fries. Took me forever to get you to try the sea-salt ice cream. Remember when you got the winner stick on your first one?"

"Stop it."

Neku opens his eyes and gives an attempted look of innocuousness. "I was just—"

"No, you weren't." I shoot him a sharp glare. "You're trying to be manipulative. Don't waste your breath. I told you, this is nothing a business arrangement between you and me. If you're hoping that this plays out like some fairytale where I go running back into your arms and we hold hands while watching the sunset, please reconsider your fantasy. And more importantly, keep it to yourself."

"You're wrong," Neku says, stone-faced. "I was hoping for all that with an added slow-motion effect while we sang a heartfelt duet together."

I narrow my eyes.

He swallows a lump in his throat. "Just kidding. Sorry."

After that—nothing.

Not that I have any real desire to speak to him in the first place. For a moment, Neku looks like he's trying to rack his brain for something to say. But the conversation (what little of it there was) is swallowed by silence and only a gentle breeze whistles in the background. Admittedly, the silence eventually becomes uncomfortable and I mindlessly tap my foot. There's still something in the back of my mind finding it hard to believe this is actually happening; that I'm here, right now, with him. What in the world is taking Sora and Kairi so long? I decide to pull out my phone and kill time on Mognet while sending a discreet text message to Roxas asking him where he is. Thankfully, he's fairly consistent with returning texts in a reasonable amount of time.

Save me pls - Xion

You dying? O_o - Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Kinda. Alone with Neku. Feeling awkward and weird x_x - Xion

Dang. RIP - Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Exactly! So please hurry. Where are you? - Xion

At the station looking at you rn - Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Uh, what? I lift my head from my phone, expecting a blue Camry to pull up and—

Okay, I repeat.

What?

So, while my brain somehow tries to process what my eyes are attempting to visually transmit, my jaw drops at the sight of a very expensive-looking white tinted limo pulling up in front of us with Zidane sticking his head out of the top, leaning his elbows against the surface of the roof. He spots me in the short distance and casually waves, as if him pulling up in a lavish limo is any other Thursday. "What's up, Mama?" he says.

Neku seems surprised as well, although he tries to play it cool. I put my phone away and approach the car, but Neku stays put. Roxas steps out of the backseat with his bag strapped around his shoulder wearing a somewhat embarrassed grin. "Surprised?" he says.

"That's a fair understatement," I admit. "What is this? Don't tell me you've been secretly rich this whole time. Or is this a rental?"

"Nah, we stole it," Roxas answers.

I scoff. "Please."

Zidane jumps out from the top and lands next me with his own backpack around his shoulders. "Cool, huh?" he chuckles. "It's got a sound system, a flat screen TV, cupholders, and just—everything!" He places a loving hand on the fancy vehicle. "I've never been so turned on before."

"But whose ride is it?" I ask.

Before either can respond, a familiar-looking blonde steps out the passenger side dressed in loose fit white button-down overlapped with a black, pinstripe halter vest. She has on matching black boots, shorts, and a small straw hat to top off the ensemble. Wait, why does she have a duffle bag?

Oh no.

No.

No.

No.

No.

NO.

"'Allo!" Naminé waves at me with boundless enthusiasm before thanking the hired driver before it drives of. She skips over to us looking as carefree as ever. "Beautiful day, ain't it?"

I think it's safe to say that this was the absolute last person I was expecting, or wanting, to see. You know, aside from Terra. "Why are you here?"

"She gave us a lift." Roxas places his hands on my shoulders in an attempt to cool me down. "In style."

"Wait, that was your limo?" I ask, pointing at our uninvited guest.

"Yeah. She wanted to come," Zidane informs.

"I don't recall inviting you, though," I say with the fakest of fake smiles.

"Oh, but I insist, if you don't mind," Naminé returns, her smile looking equally fabricated. "Wouldn't it be fun? I've been wanting an excuse to get out of town lately. This just seemed like a rather convenient excuse."

I silently grit my teeth but maintain a forged appearance of concern. "Oh, it's too bad we only have enough for five tickets. I'm sorry you went through the trouble."

"It's no problem!" She shakes her head. "Roxy told me about the trip a few days ago, so I was able to prepare my own flight in advance."

"Did he, now?" I ask, casting him the evil eye. Roxas has enough sense to release my shoulders and slowly back away.

"I didn't want to just leave her out of the loop, you know?" Roxas justifies, raising his hands in defense. "So, I thought I'd at least let her know, and then she wanted to come along. Besides, I thought it'd be fun."

"And you didn't tell me, because...?"

"I told 'im to keep it a secret," Naminé interjects. "I wanted to surprise ya! Aren't you surprised?"

My eye twitches. "Well, that's... one word you could use to describe my emotions."

"I say the more the merrier," Zidane responds. "This way, nobody gets left out. We'll have a great time."

"We sure will," Naminé says, linking her arm with mines. "Right, Xion? You didn't think you'd be goin' to a whole 'nother world without me, did'ja? You know I have to keep my eye on you," she adds innocently, despite the sharp undertone of passive aggression.

I knew it. That's what this is all about. I suppose if she's already booked her flight, there's nothing I can do, and Naminé doesn't seem like the type to be convinced otherwise. But if she wants to dance, we can dance. Bring it on, bitch! "Yes, it'll be great having you tag along, Naminé!" I say with fake enthusiasm. "I'm so happy you decided to come."

"Same to you, Love!"

We smile at each other and I can feel a faint twitch in the curve of my lips and left eyebrow, though I detect she's doing the same thing. Despite our smiles, our stare is intense and radiates with cosmic energy. Zidane places his hands in the pockets of his jacket and scratches his head with his tail. "Am I missing some context here?"

Roxas chuckles nervously. "Just keep your distance."

"Hey. Looks like the party's all here," Sora says, catching our attention. He still holds on to Kairi's bags with said girl right next to him.

"Kairi!" Naminé cheers.

Kairi gasps. "Nams! What are you doing here?" The two exchange a hug and a friendly greeting while Sora approaches Roxas, carefully examining him up and down. Roxas' eyes become jumpy.

"Uh... hey, dude!" Roxas says, trying to lighten the mood.

Sora blinks, setting the bags down. "Hey."

"You're Sora, aren't you? The guy who made the quarterfinals of the struggle tournament this summer? I've heard a lot about you from Xion. I can't believe you're her brother. I can tell she respects you a lot. Guess that's more than what I can say for my older brother," Roxas says with a chuckle. "Must mean you're doing something right, haha."

Sora doesn't budge, making Roxas all the more nervous. "You're Rucksack, right?"

Roxas flutters his eyes. "Well, um, no. It's Roxas, actually. Roxas Newm—"

"Don't need your autobiography." Sora entraps Roxas into the crook of his arm while the imprisoned boy looks around trying to figure out what in the world is happening. "Let's make some things clear. You, my friend, are hereby strictly forbidden from looking at Xion, touching Xion, complimenting Xion, thinking about Xion, trying to seduce Xion with your little prissy, pretty boy smile, god forbid you dare even think about what Xion is wearing at night—"

"Okay, that's enough!" I pull him away from Roxas and give Sora a pointed stare. I simply cannot catch a break. If it's not Mom embarrassing me with the prospect of making babies with Roxas, it's Sora humiliating me with threats of association at all. "We're just friends, okay?"

Roxas fixes his clothes. "Y-Yeah, I'm not like that. Scout's honor."

"I'm not like that, he says," Sora mocks. "That's what they all say. I got my eye on you, Rucksack."

Roxas pouts, pointing upwards with a corrective finger. "It's Roxas..."

"Relax, Sora," I say tiredly. "Roxas is a good guy."

Sora looks Roxas up and down with his snout raised in distaste despite Roxas' attempt at an easygoing smile. "Mm." He cringes upon recognizing Neku sitting by himself on the bench and groans. "Does he really have to go?"

I smile apologetically and rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Sorry. But I already told you, he's kind of the most essential asset to this trip."

Sora grimaces. "A pretty boy punk and an ex-boyfriend. You see what you put me through?"

I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his chest. "I wuv you, Sora."

He sighs, giving into my sisterly charms and returns the hug. "Fine. Just be safe, alright? That's an order."

"I'll be okay, Porcupine. Promise." I pull back to get a glimpse of his relaxed smile with a cheeky smirk of my own. "My little sister can't be this cute—"

"Quiet," he cuts in with monotony.

I decide to properly introduce him to Roxas, Naminé, and Zidane without all of the shenanigans. After a few minutes, Naminé puts a somewhat abrupt end to the friendly exchange after checking her phone. "Oh, shoot! I didn't realize the time. We'd best get movin' along, friends."

"Yeah, I guess so," I admit with a sigh. "Look after Honey for me," I remind Sora. He nods affirmingly.

Sora gives Roxas one last warning gesture, to which Roxas waves off nervously. After giving Kairi a hug, making her practically melt to his touch, Sora leaves on a friendly note with everybody (Neku excluded) and walks back to his car with his hands clasped behind his spiky brunet hair.

I lean over to Roxas and whisper shamefully. "I'm so sorry about that. I promise my family isn't really this crazy. He's just a little—well, you know."

Roxas chuckles and winks. "No worries. I think it just shows how much he cares."

I smile with appreciation for his ability to understand. "I guess we better get going," I say, raising my voice slightly to catch everybody's attention. "I just want to thank you guys for taking the time out of your busy schedules just to support little 'ol me. I know this is supposed to be for fun too, but I could really use the company. Seriously. It means a lot."

Naminé smiles. "You're welcome—"

"Not you," I quickly interject, making her frown.

"Aww, loosen up, will ya?" Zidane says with a chuckle and giving me a thumbs up. "We got your back. Clichés and all."

"Of course," Kairi says. "If anything, it'll be a great bonding experience!"

Whatever anxiety I had during the days leading up to this trip wanes into irrelevancy as I take in their supportive smiles. This is exactly why I wanted them to come along. A part of me feels like this trip will be pointless and I'll gain nothing from it. Deep down, I know it's a shameless excuse to get some much needed time away from all of the stresses of college applications, graduation, and everything else that's plaguing my current situation. But if all else fails, I'll be able to say I had these guys with me to keep my spirits in relative health.

That's right. I'm not alone anymore.

S.E.X.S.E.L.L.S

The terminal of the Moogle Station is huge. The high ceiling makes the gigantic area feel vast and spacious. The entire front wall is composed of a large two-story window, allowing the sun to highlight the glossy marble flooring, and makes for a fantastic view of Twilight Town. Each sector is divided into a seating area where patrons wait for their flight to be called on the intercom. Dozens of people fill the premises, whether they're walking towards their next destination or sitting in the waiting area. A plethora of Moogles roam about the area, offering their services and handling the check-in areas.

Moogles are notorious for their service. They usually never tour the cities in which they travel, probably because they're such workaholics. Most of them share the same highly energetic and optimistic personality, but every once in awhile you might meet one that stands out. They're so cute, though. They're small white creatures about the size of your average plush doll. You can tell their gender apart by looking at the spherical pom-poms that hang from the top of their head by a thin antenna; if red, it's male, and if pink, it's female.

"Right this way, kupo!" says a Moogle in a white shirt and pressed black slacks. For safety reasons, our bags need to be checked and we toss them onto the conveyor belt. While passing through the line, our wrists are required to be strapped with highly technologically advanced handcuffs before we can enter the main area. It only lasts for about ten seconds at a time, though.

"Wait, what?" Zidane wonders aloud. He taps me on the shoulder from behind. "Uh, why're they handcuffin' us?"

Before I can answer, Neku interrupts from behind Zidane. "What do you mean, why? It's some kind of device that temporarily restricts you from summoning a Keyblade," he explains. "It only lasts for twenty-four hours, but it supposedly does something to your heart that regulates your power. It'd be pretty bad if a terrorist decided to make an appearance, or if some asshole with a bad mood decided to destroy the whole station."

"You mean... like you, dude?" Zidane asks playfully. Neku just blinks. "But, the rest of us can't use a Keyblade, can we?"

"Of course not," I answer, filling in for the now silent Neku. "But they don't know that, do they? They can't really just go off what we say, so it's required of everybody just in case. I'm surprised you don't know this, Zidane. You said your homeworld was Lindblum. Wouldn't that mean you've traveled before?"

Zidane rubs the back of his head. "Well, no. I mean, uh—yeah, kind of." If I had blinked, I wouldn't have noticed his smile falter for a split second. But he does a decent job hiding it. "It's kind of a long story. Anyway, I'm excited to see what this trip will bring. Guess you could say I needed the va-cay myself."

"Are you okay?" I ask, genuinely concerned.

"'Course I am!" he quickly says with a toothy smile, giving me an upbeat thumbs up. "Why do you ask?"

I stare for a moment. "Just wondering. Let us know if anything is bothering you, okay?"

He maintains that cheery exterior and chuckles. "No worries, Mama! You know I'm just here for the babes and the bikinis."

Not sure how much I buy that, but I decide to leave it be for now. After getting our handcuffs removed, our bags scanned, and our I.D's verified, I lead the group towards the ticket booth. "Wait," Naminé shouts, making everybody freeze in place. "I said I prepared a flight in advance, didn't I?"

The rest of us share questioning looks. "What's your point?" Roxas asks.

"I didn't mean just for myself." Naminé crosses her arms, almost smugly. "Would you rather take public transportation or join me for a first-class trip to Daybreak Town in a personalized Gummi ship?"

Hearing all of those beautiful words in the same sentence make us exchange mutual looks of brewing excitement. "First-class? Personalized?" Kairi asks with a gleam in her eyes.

"Dude, where do I sign up?" Zidane asks, fisting pumping.

"This way, kiddies!" Naminé points in the opposite direction. Zidane and Kairi follow behind with a bounce in their steps.

Since when could Naminé afford a private Gummi ship? I shouldn't be surprised. She felt the need to brandish her own freaking limo on a lousy ride to the station, after all. Just what kind of family does she come from? Is she really rich? Could've fooled me. I've never seen Naminé act or talk like someone of high prestige before. Regardless, I tug my suitcase behind but try to play it off. Roxas chuckles at my struggling and offers a hand. "Want some help?"

Before I can reply, Neku jumps in and reaches for the handle. "Don't worry, I can get it."

"It's not a problem, man. I can totally handle it," says Roxas, who reaches for it as well.

"It's cool. I got it," Neku insists.

"Guys," I interrupt, putting an end to their back and forth. "Thanks, but I got it, okay? Come on, let's go."

The two wordlessly comply and we catch up to the other three. We're led into a reserved area in the far back of the terminal where a Moogle waits on a podium. He asks that Naminé certify her reservation. Afterwards, we're taken to a private waiting area located on the second floor staffed with a Moogle dressed in a black and white tuxedo. Down a short hallway and beyond a velvet curtain is an entire dining area is where men and women alike are dressed in clothing that's either lavish or, at the very least, high in quality, while they wait for their ships to be prepared. Suddenly, I feel underdressed for the occasion.

We observe the large window taking up the majority of the wall, the clean beige carpet, the roundtables layered in a nearly floor-length cloth, and the mini-stage where a Moogle somehow has the tremendous skill to play the piano despite her having no fingers. I don't fail to notice that Naminé seems well known by the general congregation, most of them asking how her parents are doing.

The rest of our group glows with delight, pointing out every little detail present in the admittedly impressive design and classy atmosphere of this glorified dining hall. I, on the other hand, remain heavily guarded. What else about Naminé don't I know about?

Kairi rushes towards me and nearly jerks my arm off with her eagerness. "Isn't this amazing?"

"Yeah," I admit. "I didn't even know a place like this existed here."

"Well, of course you wouldn't, Xion," Naminé rings ahead with a chortle. "I'm sure for someone like yourself, this must be very exciting."

Oh, fuck you.

But I decide to keep my nasty thoughts to myself and bitterly follow our obnoxious escort in silence. Neku doesn't seem very impressed. He stares ahead with a hollow exterior and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his camo pants. Typical. I know him well enough to know that he's probably more thrilled about this than he wants to let on, but not at the expense of his image. Eventually, we're led to a reserved table with a card that reads "Naminé Cole" and take our seats. Naminé sits across from me with Kairi and Zidane at her sides. I'm situated with Roxas and Neku to my left and right. Wow, this is a very soft cushion for a chair. It's like a butt pillow.

"Kupo!" says the Moogle. "We'd like to recommend the creamy crustacean omelet prepared by our top chef, Ignis Scientia. He's probably coming up with a new recipe as we speak, kupo!"

"Ooh, ooh!" Zidane raises his hand. "I'll take that!" His eyes are full of desire as he scans the menu. "And can I get the mystery meat sushi with a side of quillhorn sou—"

His order comes to a sudden halt when Naminé muffles him with her hand and gives the Moogle a thankful, but apologetic smile. "Actually, I called ahead of time this morning and our ship should be ready in about fifteen minutes. So we'll be leavin' soon. Some water would be nice, though."

"No problemo!" the Moogle exclaims. "I'll have someone get that for ya. And we'll notify you once your ship is ready for takeoff, kupo!"

"Cheers," Naminé says while releasing a visibly disappointed Zidane.

Kairi squeals with excitement. "Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening. This chair is so soft! I feel like my butt just landed on a marshmallow."

"I know, right?!" I exclaim incredulously.

"Yeah, you really outdid yourself this time, Naminé," Roxas says, still unable to tear his eyes away from our surroundings. The rest of us are in a similar boat.

"Aww, it's no biggie," Naminé claims, resting her chin against her palms. "I just hope everybody is comfortable."

"You kidding?" Zidane leans back in his seat. "I could get used to this. I need to tag along with you more often, Nam."

"Just please don't dry out my card," she says playfully. The waitress, dressed in a white chef uniform, employs her wings to elevate above our table and lands with a tray with six glasses of water. We briefly thank her and return to the conversation. "These things cost big bikkies, you know?"

"Speaking of which," I say, looking at the blue-eyed girl suspiciously, "how exactly are you capable of affording all of this, Naminé?"

Roxas is the first to speak up. "Well, she—"

"It's a secret," Naminé interrupts with enthusiasm. "It's nothing special, anyway."

Roxas scratches his head. "It's not?" A second later, he yelps in pain and massages his knee. "Ow!"

Naminé maintains her phony smile. "Let's just say I'd like to keep it between Roxy and I, if that's all right?" she explains with the slightest tinge of cattiness. My god. I am beyond tempted to announce the kiss Roxas and I shared the day after we met while she was away on her stupid cruise to the whole table, but decide against it. Let's not make things supremely awkward for everybody else, okay?

"A-Anyways," Roxas says. "So uh, how long should it take us to get to Daybreak Town?"

"About six hours," Neku answers, his eyes closed. "If anybody here isn't willing to be patient for that long, or if they plan on being an inconvenience, they should just leave right now."

"Well, you certainly seem like a bucket of joy, aye?" Naminé says with a dry chuckle.

"Always has been," I say, grinning at the new victim of our attention. Neku scoffs.

Roxas leans his elbow on the table and raises an eyebrow. "So, you're her ex, right?"

Um, okay? Why bring this up now of all times? "Yeah. What of it?" Neku asks, opening a skeptical eye.

Roxas smiles, although he looks slightly more perturbed than usual. "I'm just trying to see the compatibility here."

"Wait, wait, hold the phone," Zidane says, entering the conversation. He takes a large sip out of his glass and performs an obnoxious spit-take in the opposite direction. "You two dated? Seriously? How did that happen?"

Roxas gives his best friend a dreary look. "Dude."

"I think the better question is why you felt that was somehow necessary in the first place," I reply with a roll of my eyes.

"I can kind of see it, though," Naminé says, getting back on topic. "It's not like you two are the chirpiest chippers around. I'm sure you two were perfect for each other." She giggles.

I give a sarcastic giggle in return. "That's funny, I was kind of thinking the exact opposite for you and Roxas. I wouldn't have expected you two to be each other's type."

"Oh, don't be silly," she responds with a blasé motion of her hand. "Roxas and I were great together. In fact, that's why we stayed close despite the breakup. He was more than my boyfriend; he was and still is my best friend. However, and correct me if I'm wrong of course, but I think that might be more than what can be said for you and Sakuraba here, is it not?"

Neku deters his eyes from the jab while I repress my evil instincts beckoning me to leap over the table and smack that stupid smile off her face. She tries to act all bubbly and innocent, but she is a literal demon.

Roxas clears his throat and tugs at his collar. "Okay, I realize that I'm wearing a fur-lined sweater jacket right now, but still, kinda hot in here, huh?"

"I guess you have a point, Naminé." I make a gesture towards the offensively large watermelons she calls her breasts. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask how much you had to pay for those?"

Naminé looks offended by the implication. "What?"

"I hate you."

"G-Guys!" Kairi says, chuckling nervously. "Come on, we're all supposed to be friends here. This is supposed to be fun. I mean, how are we going to coexist for the next couple of days if we can't even get along before the first flight?"

Poor Kairi. She looks really uncomfortable. I blame Naminé. I know, sounds biased as hell, but if she never stuck her nose where it didn't belong, we wouldn't be having to deal with two pairs of exes right now, thus making everything more tense and confusing. But I suppose Naminé did hook us up with a first-class flight. If nothing else, I can be grateful for that.

"I suppose so," I admit drearily. "I apologize... I guess."

Naminé smiles triumphantly. "Good enough for me. I suppose I should apologize for bargin' in unexpectedly. I do hope we'll get along, yeah?"

No.

"Aww, that's what I like to see," Kairi says with an approving smile. "See? We can be nice! All it takes is a little maturity, and I know for certain that everybody here is capable of that." She pauses. "Well, Zidane is questionable, but..."

Zidane shrugs. "As much as I wanna be offended, I honestly can't be."

"Whatever the case, I do think we'll have a good time. That's the goal, ain't it? To make the most of our youth and live in the pursuit of adventure," Naminé says, circling the rim of her half-drank glass of water. "Who knows? Maybe we can visit my homeworld."

Zidane rubs his chin. "Speaking of that, I have a question. Are we trying to say that Australia is its own an entire world here or what?"

We stop and all look at each other for a moment, unable to answer the surprisingly good question. Roxas is the first to break the contemplative silence.

"Just—don't ask questions."

"Excalibur #14 is preparing for takeoff, kupo!" says a high-pitched voice on the intercom. "Excalibur #14 is preparing for takeoff!"

"That's us," Naminé informs the table.

A Moogle approaches our table and gestures us to follow him. "This way, please!"

"Let's get this show on the road," Roxas says with a grin. Everybody rises from their seats and gathers their items.

In the middle of putting my Gummi I.D back into my travel bag, I feel a familiar haughty breath whisper into my ear. "They're real, by the way." I gnaw my teeth as Naminé jovially skips towards the nearby elevator with Kairi and Zidane not too far behind.

Roxas extends a hand to Neku with a mediating smile. "Hey, man. Guess the air just kinda got to me earlier. No hard feelings?"

Neku stares blankly at the outstretched hand for a moment. Without a word, he puts his headphones over his ears, slings his backpack over his shoulder, grabs my rolling suitcase, and follows the rest of the group. I feel kinda bad for Roxas. He keeps getting the cold shoulder because of me. But in typical Roxas fashion, he just shakes it off with a chuckle and slips over to my side. "This guy should totally be a mascot for Disneyworld."

Neku in a Donald Duck costume? Priceless. I giggle at the thought of him ever putting his pride aside for something like that and hurl my separate duffle bag over my shoulder. "That would be perfect."

Roxas sobers and looks oddly introspective before speaking up again. "So, real talk, what did you see in this dude, anyway?"

I grin playfully, tapping him on the cheek. "Why do you ask?"

He gently coughs into his fist. "No reason. Just curious." Suuure, he is. I give a knowing look to communicate my disbelief. His face becomes a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. "What is it?"

"You're so cute," I say, making a callback to our conversation earlier this week when visiting Mom.

Roxas puffs out his cheeks. "I am not cute," he says, recounting the memory as well. But we both laugh about it in the end.

"To answer your question," I say, reeling back to the topic. I spot Neku up ahead, walking all by himself as he keeps a safe distance away from Naminé, Kairi, and Zidane, who all cheerfully talk amongst themselves ahead. "I guess we had a lot in common."

After a crammed trip up the glass door elevator, we're led down a long hallway that eventually leads to the main deck. It's a fairly large room with half-circular rows of monitors on each side and Moogles tapping away at their keyboards, conversing through headsets. Down the aisle of stairs is a big open space where a polished Gummi ship rests with a couple of engineers tinkering with it. It's red, lean in its design with a very front sharp end and an immense pair of exhaust engines in the back, with a gigantic compartment below that seems to only to able to be opened by a handle.

Other than Naminé, who looks rather proud, we all gaze upon the unfamiliar and fantastical scenery in childlike wonder.

"This is insane," Roxas says, his jaw ajar.

"No kidding," I concur.

As we approach the Gummi ship, the back compartment is released and a couple of Moogles come pouring out dressed in overalls and engineer caps; the presumed leader of the coupe approaches Naminé. "We just finished installing the last Navi-G piece! We're not sure how stable the engine is, though, so if you get in some kinda trouble, make sure you contact your nearest Moogle Station to assist you, kupo!"

"Will do," Naminé affirms.

"Oh, and let us get these for you, kupo!" The Moogles rush towards us and take a hold of our luggage to strap into the back area to ensure they don't get tossed around mid-flight.

"Oh, thank you," I giggle as a Moogle politely requests for my bag and proceeds to fit it into storage. Another does the same for Roxas and I give him a cheeky grin. "Wow."

Roxas seems equally excited. "Okay, I think I'm gonna have a hard time ever going back to public flights."

Naminé leads the rest of us to a short ladder that leads up to the cockpit. The flight attendant opens the door, dressed in a tight-fitting navy blue blazer, a pressed collar, a blue stewardess hat with a flower resting in the crease, and a blue pencil skirt. She happily welcomes us inside. "Right this way, kupo!"

After Naminé, Kairi, and Neku climb up, Zidane steps aside and presents the ladder before me with a bow. "After you, Xion."

I raise an eyebrow. Zidane being a gentleman? That's kinda new. "Uh, thanks Zidane."

"Not a problem." He grins. I grab ahold of the handles and start to climb my way up, only to feel a hand cop a feel of my derriere a second later. "Ooh, soft..."

I should've known. Needless to say, Roxas erupts with laughter the moment Zidane gets a bitter taste of the asphalt below—courtesy of my foot.

S.E.X.S.E.L.L.S

This is the first time I've ever been in a private Gummi ship. Normal ships look like a regular train except it can ride through space. This is smaller, of course, but it has way more perks. It has three rows of seats, two on both sides with rather large windows to occupy each. The seats have their own armrests with holes made for cupholders and popcorn buckets. Did I mention that there's a portable popcorn machine in the back for whenever we want to watch a movie on the big holographic monitor? Not to mention, hidden behind a black curtain, there are six more rows of seats and an entire game room to behold along with two separate bathrooms for the girls and the guys. Good gravy. I wouldn't mind vacationing here alone.

After we all got past the initial excitement at the interior of the ship, I decided to take my seat near the middle row and look out the window to watch the Moogles do what they do best in preparation for our flight. That didn't stop Zidane, who holds an icepack to his forehead, from taking the spot next to me and apologize incessantly for the next five minutes until I acknowledge him.

"Aww, come on. I was only joking," Zidane reasons. "I promise I won't do it again." I hike up an eyebrow and Zidane mopes. "And I'll buy you whatever you want when we get to Daybreak." I keep my eyebrow raised. "And I'll treat everybody to dinner." I don't move an inch. He scratches his hair. "Geez, what more do you want, woman?"

After a point, I decide to just forgive Zidane and move on, not to mention apologize on my own behalf for being so reactionary. A few months ago, a quick (and free) feel of my butt without consent would have certainly annoyed me, but probably not rile me up. Those grueling months of squats, lunges, and glute busters weren't for nothing, after all. But maybe not so much after everything that's transpired since. Still, it's Zidane. I don't really see him as much of a threat. Although, I wonder what would've happened to him if Sora had saw that.

Either way, Zidane eventually goes to the back to check out the games with Kairi and Naminé while Roxas fixes himself a small bucket of popcorn, leaving me to my own company. Of course, not for long, since I look up to find Neku grinning down at me. "Yeah, I'm not into pinball either," he says.

I stare at him and cross my arms.

"Want some company?" he asks.

"Not particularly."

Neku, realizing his attempt at a smooth delivery backfired, stands there like an idiot and merely blinks. I ignore him and watch the Moogles work outside the window. But when I turn back, I realize that he apparently took my not-so-subtle hint to leave me alone as an invitation to sit next to me.

"Did you not just hear me?" I ask, getting annoyed. "I said I don't—"

"Relax." He stuffs his hands in his hoodie pockets with a slight slouch. "I don't care if you're angry with me. I'm not gonna just sit here and pretend like you don't exist. We're not children anymore, Xion. I'll put up with whatever scorn you wanna dish if it eventually gives me the opportunity to explain myself."

"Ugh." I return my focus back to the outside. "Do what you want."

Neku sits up and tries to make eye contact, but I keep myself guarded. "So, I guess you still don't wanna talk, huh?" I choose not to respond. Neku chuckles humorlessly. "All right."

After another five minutes of silence between Neku and I, though a bit less awkward than before (probably due to all of the noise coming from the back and outside the ship), we finally get ready to leave Twilight Town. Our flight attendant gives us a minor speech about safety precautions and the general rules of flight.

"Please remain strapped in until takeoff comes to a complete closure to ensure no injuries, and afterwards you will be free to roam about the ship at your leisure, kupo."

Our ship is then elevated on a circular platform; at the top, a hatch opens that leads into an area lit in orange and grey with two monitors being displayed on the walls. After everybody is ready, the pilot contacts the engineer room and a Moogle appears on each monitor with an identical salute. A long tunnel expands and the engine roars from behind.

"Hang on tight, kupo!" yells the pilot. We blast through the tunnel at unforeseen speed, forcing a scream out of me. It's way faster than I anticipated. I fasten my eyes tight to shield my bangs from poking them. Things settle down after a while, but I remain cautious.

"Takeoff sequence has concluded," says the flight attendant. "Gravity suppliers have discharged and oxygen tank is now venting. Please enjoy the rest of your flight, kupo!"

I slowly open one eye after the other and take a peek outside my window. For a moment, I legitimately forget how to breathe upon getting a look at the spectacular spectacle that is space. It's been so long. I forgot about how breathtaking this was. But it's also slightly unnerving, since heights aren't exactly my thing, and watching Twilight Town fade into the distance is a little disorientating.

"Woohoo!" Naminé cheers, unbuckling her seatbelt. "That was a wild ride! Now, onto more important matters," she says, rubbing her hands together mischievously. "Which one of you brave souls think they have a chance against me in a match of Gun About?"

Zidane is the first to rise to the challenge. "Oh, you're so dead."

The blonde duo disappears into the back. Kairi announces that she's going to take a look around and enters the back soon after. Roxas leans on the seat ahead of me and Neku casually. "You guys wanna come?"

"No thanks," we unintentionally synchronize.

Roxas rubs the back of his neck. "Man, maybe you guys were compatible," he mumbles. "Don't tell me you guys are gonna just loaf here for the next six hours."

"Loafing is fun," Neku deadpans.

"I'm just tired, Roxas," I insist. "Give me about twenty minutes. I'll meet you back there."

Roxas seems a little discouraged, probably because he knows how stubborn I can be and my excuse for twenty minutes could easily translate from four hours to never, but he respects my decision regardless before taking his leave. "Well, okay. You two enjoy your loaf."

Once Roxas is out of earshot, Neku turns to me. "You don't seriously like that guy, do you?" He shakes his head. "He just seems so—plain."

Wow. Déjà vu, anybody? "Whether I do or don't, it's not really any of your concern."

Neku laughs. I stare confusedly, waiting for some elaboration. "After all this time, you're still like my long lost female clone. Guess we really did fit like a glove."

I sigh. "Whatever."

"I probably would've said the same thing," he says. "You're just proving my point even more here, you see."

"Shut it."

Although, I can't deny it. They say opposites attract, and perhaps that's true for me in the case of Roxas, but I always preferred to have someone I have things in common with. Neku was perfect in that regard. In fact, it was our similarities that brought us together. I remember the first day we met like it was yesterday. It was the beginning of sophomore year during that pep rally Kairi pressured me into going to no matter how much I protested. After a point, I had enough and just busted out of the gymnasium to get away from all of the obnoxious yelling, cheering, and incoherent bodily movements. That's when I saw him sitting out by the lockers on his phone with his earphones blocking out the rest of the world.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked, pulling one of his earplugs from his right ear.

Initially, he seemed irritated before getting a proper look at the perpetrator who ruined his beloved tunes and settled down. "Nothing. You?"

"Same." I shrug. "Nothing sounds like fun."

He took one earplug out and allowed it to dangle from his neck. "Doing nothing is better than being in the middle of a bunch of self-glorifying idiots hyping themselves up for a team that won't even make the state playoffs. Again."

"You're so edgy, bro," I tease with a snort. He rolled his eyes. "But I have to agree. I've been saying this for like four years and its fell on deaf ears."

"That so?" he asked, looking intrigued. "Most of the girls I know love that sort of thing."

I scoffed, my thoughts going back to Kairi screaming like a madwoman with Selphie only ten minutes prior. "Same," I repeated from earlier. "I was dragged here by one of them. I love her to death, but she can be... a nuisance."

He smirked. "Well, I was dragged here by my favorite nuisance, too. 'Cept my nuisance has, you know, testosterone. The curse of existing with other people, am I right?"

"It's gross." I cringe. "People drain me after a point."

"Are you my female clone or something?"

"Well, it would be creepier if I had spiky orange hair." I take a strand of my short-cut raven locks. "But nope, just this."

"I think it's cute."

It was a surprise to hear that. All Sora ever did was make fun of me for my hair and the fact that it refused to grow past my shoulders. For a long time, I was slightly insecure about my femininity and having hair that was adamant on being leprechaun-sized since I was a baby. "You just got twenty brownie points for being an awesome liar."

He laughed. "But I'm serious." With a sly grin, he then asked, "So, what are you about to do?"

"Nothing, much like yourself," I answered. "Wanna do nothing together?"

"Nothing would make me happier," he said casually.

I lay laid down on his outstretched knees and took it upon myself to remove one of his earbuds and place it into my ear, which I could tell surprised him for a moment. "If we keep this up, the word 'nothing' is going to start sounding weird." He didn't respond for a moment, looking like he got lost in his own world. I stare up at him and wave my hands in front of his eyes. "Hello?"

"Hold on, I'm thinking," he said, putting up a finger. "But it's impossible for us to be doing nothing, because we're doing nothing together, therefore we're doing something, and that something is nothing. Nothception."

I laughed. "Did you really just sit there and think that up?"

He shrugged. "Hey, had to keep the nothing train rolling if we're gonna make it sound weird. Nothing to it."

"Well, it was nothing special."

"Tch." He leaned his head back against the locker. "Gotta say, it was pretty bold of you to just lay down on my lap like that. You realize we just met like two seconds ago, right?"

"Who cares?" I said, closing my eyes and tapping my foot to the music. "Not like we're getting married. I prefer things to be a bit more direct. People get too hung up on making a good first impression. I rather skip the awkward and uncomfortable introductions and just relax with someone, you know?"

"Huh. I like that kind of confidence. We need more of that these days." He smirked. "It's Neku Sakuraba, by the way."

I open an eye and give a similar-looking smirk. "Xion Spades."

A hard bump jerks me out of my daydream and I almost fall into the aisle if it isn't for Neku catching me in the nick of time. When I open my eyes, all I see is him looking down at me; a position eerily similar to the memory I just recalled moments ago. "You okay?" he asks.

I nod and hurry to my feet to see what the heck is going on. Roxas, Naminé, Zidane, and Kairi all appear from the back, equally surprised.

"What the hell was that?" Zidane asks.

Our flight attendant looks a bit panicked as well. "J-Just one second, kupo! Please be calm. We'll figure this out. Until then, please be seated for safety reasons, kupo!"

Everyone takes their seats and an air of distress looms over us. "Is everybody okay?" Roxas asks.

"Yes, we're fine," Naminé answers. "That was quite the scare, though. It felt like a meteor or somethin'."

"A meteor? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Kairi says, hysterically grabbing her head. "Don't tell me we're gonna die up here in the middle of nowhere! What about my family? What about college? What about prom?"

"Nobody's dying, okay?" Zidane says, looking slightly more serious than usual. "Let's just stay calm and collected. I'm sure it was just a slip up."

"WHAT?!" yells the flight attendant up ahead. "You're telling me that those idiots forgot to install a new Shield-G?! Are you frickin' kidding me? What do you mean the engine was hit? Are you saying that we're about to crash?!" We exchange looks of confusion and worry before the flight attendant returns from the cockpit with a mechanical smile. "Don't worry, kupo! We have everything under control. Just please be patient while we try to figure this out, kupo!" She slams the door shut.

After a communal anxiety takes over, another meteor crashes into us and makes everybody nearly fall over themselves.

Zidane gulps. "Nevermind. We're screwed."

(PLEASE READ!)

FandomSupporter15 brought this to my attention by leaving a review saying they were confused about the plot point of there being other worlds in this universe similar to the games. This was already implied back in chapter 14 but when I went back to check it, I could see how it might not be as clear. If you were confused, I'm terribly sorry about that and I went back to try to make it much clearer in the previous chapter(s). I just want to say that this plot point didn't just come out of nowhere and I did have it in mind for a while, but I will be the first to admit that I'm a scrub at world-building. Sorry about that! Basically, this universe is pretty much a realistic AU but traveling to other worlds is a common occurence, and it's basically the equivalent to flying to another state or country. It's not a fantastic or grandiose thing like in the games. Hope that clears things up ^^

I will admit, I'm starting to lose inspiration to continue writing this.

Which is why I've been focusing on this so hard because I know the moment I give it too much of a break, it'll be on a permanent hiatus. But I'm going to try my best to finish it, mostly just to say that I was finally able to finish at the very least ONE story on this site. Luckily I have the rest of the story planned out, so at least it's not TOO grueling of a task. If I didn't have the rest of this planned, I probably would've quit by now. But there's still quite a bit more to go, so we're racing guys. Pls feed me your spirit energy x_x

So, if you couldn't already tell, I've been having a lot more free time on my hands lately lol so I've been able to get this stuff out faster. Plus, now we're getting into more of the PLOT plot now so it's easier to figure out where I'm going with it. This chapter reeks of fanfic trash but I hope it was still enjoyable/fun? Maybe? Sorta? Kinda? No? Yes?

I recently changed the cover photo and I'll be switching it every now and then. The bae SummonerDagger88 drew that and another one for me a while ago, but I didn't want to change it to this until Roxas got some more screentime, since he was a ghost for a good bit. The past couple of chapters have been more focused on just Xion, but now things are getting back into the romance side of things. I love this picture, I think it's cute ^^ I was actually going to wait until later to actually use that picture, but screw it. I don't wanna wait anymore lol

Not so fun fact, those who read most of my fics consistently might recognize that most of the Moogle station idea here was heavily inspired by the station in my other fic, Daybreak Academy.

Please leave a review! It would very much appreciated to know your guys' thoughts or if you're still interested in this story! It would help me get out of this rut at least. Reviews let me know that I'm not doing this for no reason, so they never go unnoticed or taken for granted! ^^

Thanks to ForsakenXIII, Existential Complaining, The Late Artisan, FandomSupporter15, JDI Jasper, and SummonerDagger88 for your reviews! I appreciate it a ton.

I legit want a banana rn.

#bananasquad