Cheating Destiny

Capricious

Starting right where we left off~

This is gonna be the last super plot-heavy chapter. Next couple ones will be more fun/less depressing/more fluffy. Then we're gonna head back on the angst train XD

[♥]

The portal spits out the odd group of five into the computer room of Twilight Town. They all (except for Naminé) breathe out small sighs of relief at being safe and out of harm's way.

"I'm free..." Kairi realizes, starting to smile for what looks like the first time in months, maybe years. "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I'm finally free!"

"How long have you been stuck there?" Demyx asks, still holding onto her shoulder to keep her upright.

"Um..." she trails off, staring into the distance. It's hard to keep track of time while you're locked away in a cell. "Years, I'd say."

"Years?" Roxas repeats in disbelief. She shoots him a hurt look, and he quickly adds: "It's just hard to imagine. I know you – or at least, knew your replica."

"Oh. Her," Kairi mutters bitterly. "I'm sorry for anything she might have done to you guys... I know she wasn't very pleasant ..."

"No one will care," Roxas promises her reassuringly. "Sora and Riku will just be relieved to hear you're alive."

"Yeah... Where are they?" Kairi asks, glancing around the room.

"Hollow Bastion. We'll take you there," Axel suggests before glancing at Demyx. "Coming with?"

"Nah. Give everyone my best though," Demyx tells them before looking down at Kairi and squeezing her shoulder. "Glad to see you're okay."

"Thank you," she replies with a big smile, giving him a quick hug.

"Aw," Demxy coos, patting her head before he summons a portal. "Tell [Name] hi from me."

"Will do," Axel says with a nod.

"[Name]?" Kairi asks, glancing between Axel and Roxas as Demyx disappears in the swirling portal.

"Yeah, our friend. D'you know her?" Roxas guesses with a raise of his eyebrow.

"I've heard her name before. They – well, I never caught their names... but they mentioned her before."

"Hold that thought, tell us later," Axel states, raising a finger in the air for emphasis as Roxas summons his own portal.

"Is this safe?" Kairi asks, peering into the unending darkness with apprehension.

"Very," Roxas notes.

Kairi just stares at him for a moment before she takes in a deep breath and steps inside, leaving behind Axel and Roxas, with Naminé snugly wrapped up in Roxas' arms.

"I'm a little concerned about retaliation for this," Axel admits.

"Me too. But we couldn't leave them both behind."

"We couldn't?"

"Axe..."

"Kidding," Axel notes with a chuckle as he steps into the portal.

Roxas has a chuckle of his own, shaking his head a bit at Axel's chipper attitude. He glances down at Naminé for a moment, his smile replaced with a frown. She's always been small and fragile, but she's almost like a porcelain doll at this point. And after all the good she's done, no one was there to protect her.