Summary: Sequel to Agony of Affection. After being brutally pulled away from Axel and witnessing the death of his friends, Roxas has all but given up. Will Axel be able to find him before it's too late?

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square Enix.


The world shattered, the pieces falling away until there was nothing left but a vast blackness that threatened to consume me. I had been pulled through the void like a dog on a leash, helpless to turn away from the course that had been set for me. I did not know where I had been taken, but this time, I was determined to fight. I refused to let Xemnas win. He had killed my friends, ripped me away from Axel, and taken everything from me. The only thing I had left was my will, my determination to survive, and he would not strip me of that.

Wake up, Roxas. Open your eyes and face him.

"Ah," Xemnas said from the right of me. "Finally. I was beginning to worry." He came around to stand in front of me, his amber eyes boring into mine. "What?" he asked when all he got in response was an icy glare. "No comeback? No threats of bodily harm upon your escape, or assurances that your knight in shining armor will swoop in to rescue you?"

"I have nothing to say to you," I spat, surveying my surroundings.

I was in some sort of cavern that looked as if it was being used as a storehouse, with wooden crates and boxes strewn haphazardly around. It was quite large and roughly circular in shape, but I couldn't see any tunnels or anything resembling an exit. That probably meant that the only way to get in or out was by portalling, which also most likely meant that Xemnas was the only one who even knew about this place.

As if reading my thoughts, Xemnas pulled a chair in front of me, sat cross-legged, and said, "Like it? I found it months ago, completely by chance while scouting one day." He grinned, resting his foot on the inside of my right calf, and said, "Don't expect anyone to find you here."

I tried to pull away, only to realize that I couldn't. I was sitting in a high-backed, four-legged chair with my arms tied behind it. My feet had been tied to the back legs of the chair, completely immobilizing me in a very uncomfortable and vulnerable position.

"Bastard," I sneered, tugging at my binds.

He chuckled and said, "Well we wouldn't want to give you the opportunity to call on that keyblade of yours now, would we?"

"So you're too much of a coward to fight me, huh?" I challenged, hoping to provoke him.

He tilted his head and admitted, "For the moment... yes I am. Despite my best efforts, you managed to wound me last we fought, and almost fatally at that. I need to heal and gather my strength, but don't worry. You'll have the chance to lose to me soon enough."

I huffed, looking away from him, and asked, "So what's the plan this time, Mr. Evil Overlord, sir?"

"Don't pretend you don't care, Roxas," he said, leaning forward and grabbing my chin, forcing me to face him. "You know what I can do to you."

"You're too badly injured to do much of anything right now. What are you going to do, bleed on me?" I'd gotten past being afraid of this bastard. Now I was just plain pissed.

"Even injured, I can still hurt you," he answered. "But you're right. I shouldn't overexert myself." He stood up, brushing off his cloak. "Even so," he said turning away from me. "Injuries heal, and you'll find I heal quite quickly." He turned back to me, lightly tapping a small syringe.

"What-" I started, but my question was cut short by his hand on my mouth.

"Time to sleep," he said.

I felt a small prick in my neck, and the pressure of fluid being pushed under my skin. I stayed conscious barely long enough to see Xemnas turn and limp away.

~~~Axel's POV:~~~

"You have to eat something, Axel," Namine said, pushing the plate of sausage and eggs toward me. "And for goodness sake, shower."

"I'm not eating anything until I find him," I answered, ignoring the second remark.

"We don't know how long that will take," she reasoned. "You have to keep your strength up. You're no good to Roxas if you starve yourself."

I glanced up at her, pausing a moment before snatching one of the sausage links off the plate and nibbling at the end. I had to admit she was right. Even though Xemnas had been injured, he would still be a formidable opponent. I had to retain my strength if I hoped to best him.

"There," Namine said with a forced smile. "That's better isn't it?"

I paid her no mind as she set the plate down directly in front of me. Instead, I concentrated on the question at hand. Where could Xemnas have taken Roxas?

"Any ideas on where Xemnas would hide out, Xigbar?" I asked, shooting my question to the man currently sprawled on the couch.

"Nada," he replied. "There's Castle Oblivion, but that place is too... obvious. He wouldn't go there." He paused. "Unless he knew we would think it was too obvious and concluded that it would be the perfect place to hide."

"We should check it out just to be safe," I said, cutting off his stream of words.

"Yeah," he said, fiddling with the safety on his gun.

"You're making Namine nervous," I said, noting the slightly frightened look on the girl's face as she watched him anxiously.

"Yeah, okay," he said, laying the gun on the floor. "Sorry there, little lady."

I slouched down against the wall and said, "Our first objective is to find out exactly who died in the fire and to figure out who out of the survivors we can trust."

Xigbar stood, stretched, and said, "Well there's Marluxia, but I don't know where he scampered off to. I know Saix is still alive; I saw him dragging himself out from under a pile of rubble. Other than that, I just don't know."

Saix was alive? Just great. "Searching for bodies would be pointless," I sighed. "Even if they didn't evaporate, the fire would have made them unrecognizable." I surveyed the pitiful conditions we were all in, save Xigbar and said, "Xigbar, I want you to go out and see if Xemnas picks up on you. He doesn't know you're working with me, so maybe you can get him to tell you something."

"You want me to be some kinda double-agent?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

I stood, clenching my fists, and said, "Don't you tell him shit about what we're up to if he finds you, got it? If he asks, make up some bullshit that sounds plausible."

"Whatever," he said, throwing his coat over his shoulder and briskly walking out of the apartment.

After a brief silent moment, Namine closed the distance between us, gently touching my arm, and asked, "Axel?"

"Yeah?" I answered, not looking at her.

"We're going to find him," she said, pulling her lips together.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I think I'll go take that shower after all." I pulled away from her, heading toward the small bathroom. I paused just outside the door and glanced back at Namine, who was standing still as a statue. "Namine?" I asked. When she looked up at me, I said, "Thanks for being here. I couldn't do this without you." She managed a small smile before I went into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

I turned on the shower and as the water was heating up, I went to the mirror to inspect myself. I had lost weight, and my face looked hollow. I barely even recognized myself. My skin was pale, with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. The few hours of sleep I had managed to steal were not restful and they were filled with nightmares. I looked a mess. I was a mess.

I stripped and stepped under the shower spray. Three days. It had been three whole days since I'd watched Xemnas take away the only person who mattered to me anymore, three days since my life had been dragged into the darkness, and three days of unimaginable torment for Roxas. I didn't want to think about what he was going through, but these images kept crossing my mind. I knew how cruel Xemnas could be, how brutally and sadistically he could torture anyone in his grasp. I could picture Roxas in so many different situations and they all made me cringe.

I would find him. I would find him no matter what it took. I'd said I would do anything for him and those words were as true today as they were when I first said them. I loved him with every piece of my shredded soul and I would see him safely back to me or die trying.

It was all up to me now. There was no word from Marluxia and Xigbar was less than helpful. If what he'd said was true and Saix was still alive, then I was in for a lot more trouble than I'd been hoping for. I didn't think Xemnas would come looking for me, and even if he did he wouldn't find me. I and what little allies I had left were currently hiding out in Demyx's old apartment in Traverse Town. It was the first place I'd thought of and the only place that would really be safe for Namine and the others. I didn't care about myself. If Xemnas did find me I would gladly trade him my very soul for Roxas' freedom. I would give him anything and everything he wanted in return for a vow of Roxas' safety, and once inside I would bide my time, waiting for a chance to strike. I certainly had more of a chance than Roxas did, but I knew that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't deal with me again, not after last time. My only hope was to find him and bring him down directly.

Exactly how much hope we had, I didn't know. There was a chance, a slight chance that everything would be alright again, but that chance hinged directly on Roxas. All I could do was wait and see. I just hoped that Xemnas wouldn't get a hold of the letter I'd given Roxas before he had a chance to read it. That letter... It was a small thing, but it would hopefully give Roxas the comfort and courage that he needed to stay strong and level-headed through this ordeal.

I stepped numbly out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist and trudging into Demyx's bedroom, where I began to cry uncontrollably once again. I cried for my friends, for Demyx and Zexion, who had been struck down before they'd even had a chance to really live their lives. I cried for Namine, who was my only real friend left in the world. She carried much of the burden now, having to deal with all the emotional stress and trauma for all of us. But most of all I cried for Roxas. He must have been so scared, so unsure about where he'd end up if he was even still alive. It wasn't fair to him. Why did all of this shit have to happen to him? What did he do to deserve it? Nothing. He was good-hearted, innocent, and pure. He deserved to be happy and free, but all he got was ruin.

All of this, everything that had happened to everyone, all of it was my fault. I should have tried harder. I should have protected them. Demyx and Zexion were my friends, and I had let them down. Now they were dead because of me, because of my stupid schemes. Roxas... Roxas meant the world... and more... to me. He was the only reason I went on living, and I hadn't been there to protect him like I should have. I should have just gone through with Xemnas' deal. Then the only one who would have been in pain was me. No one else would have been hurt, and Roxas wouldn't be in the situation he was in right now. I could have just waited out the storm. It might have taken a while, but eventually, we would have been able to just leave without turning back. I probably would have been physically and emotionally scarred and by then Roxas would probably have figured out what was going on, but all in all it would have been much better that way.

I threw myself onto the bed, the lingering scent of sweat, dragon's blood incense, and wood polish wafting around me like a fog. The pillow beneath my face was already soaked in my tears and my breaths were coming fast and shaky. I missed them so much. I missed Demyx and his whimsical, care-free attitude. I missed Zexion and his quiet serenity and logical outlook. Then of course there was Roxas. I missed his touch and the feel of his breath on my skin. I missed his smile and the sound of his laughter. I missed his bright eyes, the taste of his kiss, and the smell of his hair. I missed being close to him, having his arms around me, everything about him. I needed to be with him, but for all I knew he could be worlds away. I had to get him back. I just had to.

I didn't know how long I laid there torturing myself with thinking of him. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, surrendering to the dark void of unconsciousness and, hopefully, peaceful dreams.


A/N: So here it is: the long awaited sequel. I've finally gotten my own laptop and can devote myself to writing a lot more now. I still have college and I'm working in theatre now as well, so I can't guarantee an upload every week, but I will try. I have the plan for this story all figured out; I just have to write it. I also have a Sora/Riku that is coming along great. Thank you for being patient with me, and I hope you enjoy. Reviews? :D